The National Register.
London, England, 1811-06-02 00:00:00

R

ITF It

43

rive from the possession in their subsequent operations, I rein-
forced the village successively with the 71st regiment, under
the Lieutenant-Col. Cadegan, and the 79th, under Lieut.-
Col. Cameron, and the ittli Regiment, under Major Chamber-
lain. The former, at the Head of the 71st regiment, charged
the enemy, and drove them from the part of the village of which
they had obtained a montentary possession.
Nearly at this time Lieut.-Colonel Williams was unfortunately
wounded, but I hope nut dangerously, and the command tievolv-
ed upon Lieut.-Col: Cemeron, of the 79th Regiment. The cop-
test continued till night, when our troop's remained in possession
of the whole.
I then withdrew the light infantry battalions and the 83d ee-
&intent, leaving the 71st and 79th regiments oeti in the village,
and the 2d battalion teith regiment to support them.
On the 4th the enemy reconnoirrod the positions which we
had occupied on the I)uas Casas River, and during that night.
they moved General Junot's corps Irma Alameda to the left of
the position occupied by the 6th corps, opposite to Fuentes de
Honor.
From the course of the reconnoissance of the 4th, I had ima-
gined that tne enemy would endeavour to obtain possession of
Fuentes de Honor, and of the ground occupied by the troovs
behind that village, by crossing the Duas Casas Poya Velho,
and in the evening I moved the 7th division, under Major Ge-
neral Houstonn, to the right, in Order if possible to prot.ct tie.a
Pssale•
On the morning of the sth, the Eth corps appeared in two
columns, with all the cavalry, on the opposite side of the valley
of the Dues Casas to Poya Velho ; and as the (Ali and f!th corps
made a movement to their left, the light tiivisem, obi-h had
been brought back from the neighbourhood of Anne eda, was
sent with the cavalry under Sir Stapleton Cotton to support ,
Major-General Houstoun, while the Ist and 3a 'divisions made
a movement to their right along the ridge between the l'urr.
and Dues Casas Rivers corresponding to that of the 6th and yin
corps on the right of the Dues Casas.
The Sth corps attacked by fgaior-General Houston's ad-
vanced guard, consisting of the 85th regt. water Major N.,1: tosJi„
and the 2d Portugueae. Cacadures under I.it'lltt
Nixon, and obliged them to retire; and they retired, in L.ae;cl
order, although with some loss. The Bth turps being anus
established in Poya Velho and Nave D'Aver, from winch hest:
place-Don Julian Sanchez had been obliged to retire ; mid the
cavalry charged.
The charge of the advanced guard of the enemy's cavalry
was met by two or three squadrons of the different regiments
of British dragoons, and the enemy were driven back, and.
Colonel La Motte, of the I:ttli Ch-asseurs, and some pit onqrs
taken. The main body were checked and obliged to retire by
the fire of Major-General Houstoun's division; and ..1 partieti-
lady observed the Chasseurs Britanniques under Lieutenant-
Colonel Eustace as behaving in the must steady manner, and
Major-General libusumn mentions in high terms the conduct
of a detachment of the Duke of Brunswick's light infantry.
Notwithstanding that this charge was. repulsed, I determined
to concentrate our force towards the: left, and to move the
7th and light divisions, and the cavalry front Poya Velho to-
wards Fuentes de Honor, and the other two divisions.
I had occupied Poya Veilto, and that neighbourhood, in hopes
that I should be able to niaintain the communication across thee
Coa by Sabugal, as well as provide for the blockade, which
objects, it was now obvious, were incompatible with each other,
and I therefore abandoned thaw/Lich was the least important,
and placed the light division in reserve, in the rear of the lets
of the Ist division, and the 7th division on some commanding
ground beyond the Turon, -which protected the right flank anti
rear of the Ist division, and covered our communaation with
the Coa, and prevented that of the enemy with Almema, by
the roads between the Turon and that river.
The movement of the troops upon this occasion was wed con- •
ducted, although under veey critical circumstances, by
General Houstoun, Brigadier-General Crauturd, and • Lieut.-
Cen. Sir Stapleton Cotton. The 7th division was zove.ed in its
passage of the Turon by the light division water Brigati.er-
General Craufurd, and this hit, in its march to join tile Ist
division, by the British cavalry.
• Our position thus extended on the high ground from the Turon
to the Duas Casas. The 7rh division, on the left of the Turon,
covered the rear of the right; the Ist divisioti, in two lb,es,
were on the right ; Colonel Ashworth's ore—.
in the centre; and the 3d division,
The light division and British cavalry
of Fuentes de Honor in front of the left.
joined the 7th division in Prtneda;
cavalry to endeavour to intirruet the
with Ciudad. Rodrigo. The enemy's
our position, after it was occupied as
were confined to a cannonade, and to
cavalry upon the advanced posts.

's brigade, in two 'int..,
in 'two lines, on the lett.
in reserve ; -and the vii:a•Ae
Left. Don JUMllin's infantry
and I sent halt with
Le t•nemy's COMlTluslicati: tt
effoi ;.s on the right 1,4 rt of
as I have above dcbsfit)t,,
o some charype
•
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The picquets of the Ist division wider Lieutenant-Colonel
Hill of the 3d regiment of Guards repulsed one of these : but
asthey were falling back, thy did not see the direction of ano-
ther in sufficient time to form to oppose it, and Lieutenant-.
Colonel Hill was taken prisoner, and many men were wounded
and some taken, before a detachment of the British cavalry
• could move up to their support.
The .2d battalion, 42d regiment, under Lord Blantyre, also
repulsed a charge of the cavalry directed agai4 st them.
'They likewise attempted to push a body of light infantry down
the ravine of the 'Enron to the right of the Ist division, which
were repulsed by the light infantry of the Guards, under Lieut.-
Col. Grilse, aided by five comp-mes of the 9.5 th, under Captain
O'Hara.
Major-General Nightingall was wounded in the course of the
cannonade, but I hope not St
The enemy's principal etEsrt was throughout this day again
'-directed against Fuentes de Honor ; and notwithstanding that
the whole of the 6th corps was at different periods of the day
employed to attack this village, they cou!d never gain more than
a temporary possession of it. It was defended by the '243th, 71st.
and 79th regiments, under the command of Col. Cameron ; and
these troops were supported by the light infantry battalions in
the 3d division, commanded by Major Woodgate; the light in-
fantry battalions in the Ist diviion, cnnunantjed by Major
Dick, Major Macdonald, and Major Ally ; the 6th Portuguese
Cacadores, commanded by Major Pinto ; by the light compa-
nies in Cul. Champlemunde'a i'ortuguese brigade under Cul.
Sutton; and those iu Co'.'/Nshworth's Portuguese brigade under
Lieutenant-Col. Pyrn ; and by the picT:ets of the :3d division,
under the command of the Hon. Lieutenant-(:olonel Cameron,
was severely wounded in the afternoon, and the command in
the village devolved upon the Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel
Cadogan.
The troops in Fuentes de Honor were besides supported, when
pressed by the enemy, by the 74t1t regi•nent tinder Major Russel
Manners, and tl.e 88th regiment under Lieutenant-Col. Wal-
lace, belonging to Col. Mackinnon's brigade; and on one of these
occasions the 88th, with the 71st and !lith, wide~ the command
of Col. Mackinnon, charged the e:ue.uy, and drove them through
thewiUage; and Col..N;a:kinnon has reparted particularly the
conduct of Lieutenant-Cul. WaiLice, Erigade•Major
and Lieutenant and Aojut.nit Stewal-t of the 88th regiment.
The contest again las-ed in this quarter till night, when our
troops still held their ios ; and from that time the enemy have
made no fresh attemp to my van of our position.
The enemy manifested an intention to attack Major-General
Sir W. Erskine's po,t, at Aldea del Bivo on the same morning,
with a part of the 2d corps, but the Major-General sent the 2d
battalion of the Lusaanian Legion across the Ford of the Duas
Casas, which obligt d them to retire.
In the course of last night the enthiy commenced to retire
from their position on the I)uas CaSUS ; and this morning at
daylight the whole were in im,Oon. I cannot yet deride whe-
ther this movement is preparatoiy ti sotne fresh attempt to
raise the blockade of Almeida, or is one of decided retreat ;
but I have every reason to hope that ttley tvill not succeed in
the first, and that they IA id be obliged to Lae recourse to the
last.

Their superiority in cavalry is very great, owing to the weak
state of our horses from recent tatitit: and scarcity of foraie
mad the reduction of numbers in the Potsu,guese brigade of
cavalry with this part of :he artily, in exchange for a British
brigade sent into E3tremaduta with Nlarihal Sir William lie-
resford, owing to the failure of the measures reported to have
been adopted to supply the hor.it s and mew with food on the
service. The result of a gentral action brought on by an at-
tack upon the enemy by us, ii‘ight, under these circumstancta,
have been doubtful ; and if the enemy had chosen to avoid it,
or it they had met it, they wnuld have taken advantage of the
coll,:c.tiun of our troops to this to ticrow relief into
Almeida. •

From the great superiority of forett to which we have been
opposed upon this occas:nn your J.eirtlship will judge of the
conduct of the Oincers and troops. The actions were partial,
hot very severe ; and our los h.is been great. The enemy's
loss has also been great; and they left four hundred killed in
the village of Fuentes de Honor, and we have many prisoners.
I particularly request your Lordship's attention to the con-
duct of Lieut.-Col. Williams, Lieut.-Col. Cameron, and the
lion. Cadogan, and to ;hat of (Jul. itlackinnon, and
Lieut.-Col. Kelly of the 24th regiment, and of the several Offi-
cers commanding battalions of the line and of light infantry,
which supported the troops in Fuentes de Honor. Likewipe to
that of Major A/Pinto:di of the 85th riL;iment; of Lieut.-Colonel
- the- Ettstace of the Chas-
,ord Blantyre.
I have received the greatest as-
3rent Spencer, and all the Gene-
%m the Adjutant and Quarter.

Nixon of Me id Cacadores ; of 1
sears Brittanniques; and of 1,0
Throug! out these operations
. sist . ! eel , , . • Atien. Sir iri
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