In the siege of Tarifa from 19 December 1811 to 5 January 1812, an Imperial French army under Jean François Leval laid siege to an Anglo-Spanish garrison led by . Despite the advice of British Colonel John Byrne Skerrett to evacuate the town, Copons decided to hold out. Some wanted to evacuate to and defend the small island that was attached by a causeway from the town. Tarifa is located on Route 340 on the southernmost tip of Spain, or about 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Cadiz. The siege occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.