Myth: Mexican forces in Puebla were a ragtag operation and overwhelmingly outnumbered
Fact: The French attack on Puebla led by General Charles de Lorencez was approximately 6,000 against 4,000 and Puebla was heavily fortified at the time. After the Reform War the government had taken control of Puebla which had two strategically placed hilltop forts. Although there were significantly less Mexican army regulars (around 1,000), the Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin had the distinct tactical advantages of terrain familiarity, guerilla training and the element of surprise.
Lorencez was operating on false reports that Puebla was friendly toward the French, unprepared and would fall easily to a show of force. He was also unfamiliar with the weather patterns and launched an attack that was too direct and too late in the day. His forces began running low on ammunition early on due to his miscalculation of the intensity of the opposition and the typical afternoon heavy rain created a muddy mess that all but crippled French artillery.
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