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were killed and wounded in this slight affair, which gave a salutary check to the rashness, without lowering the confidence of the troops, and on the 16th, Laborde's position was examined.

The main road from Obidos passed through a valley, which was closed to the southward by some high table land, on which stood the village of Roriça, and the French being posted on a small plain immediately in front of that place, overlooked all the country as far as Obidos. All the favourable points of defence in front, and on the nearest hills at each side, were occupied by small detachments, and one mile in the rear, a steep ridge, extending about three quarters of a mile east and west, and consequently parallel to the French position, offered a second line of great strength. The main road led by a steep defile over this ridge which was called the height of Zambugeira or Columbeira. Beyond it, very lofty mountains stretching from the sea-coast to the Tagus like a wall, filled all the space between that river and the ocean, down to the Rock of Lisbon; and the valley leading from Obidos to Roriça was bounded on the left by a succession of ridges rising like steps, until they were lost in the great mass of the Sierra de Baragueda, itself a shoot from the Monte Junto.

Laborde's situation was truly embarrassing. Loison was still at Alcoentre, and the reserve at Villa Franca, that is one and two marches distant from Roriça; hence if he retired upon Torres Vedras, his communication with Loison would be lost, and to fall back on Montechique was to expose the line of Torres Vedras and Mafra; to march upon Alcoentre, and unite with Loison, was to leave open the shortest road to Lisbon, and to remain at Roriça was to fight three times his own force. Nevertheless, encouraged by the local advantages of his position, and justly confident in his own talents, Laborde resolved to abide his enemy's assault, in the feeble hope that Loison might arrive during the action.

COMBAT OF RORICA.

Early in the morning of the 17th, thirteen thousand four hundred and eighty infantry, four hundred and seventy cavalry, and eighteen guns, issued from Obidos, and soon afterwards broke into three distinct columns of battle.

The left, commanded by General Ferguson, was composed of his own and Bowes' brigade of infantry, re-enforced by two hundred and fifty riflemen, forty cavalry, and six guns, forming a total of four thousand nine hundred combatants. He marched by the crests of the hills adjoining the Sierra de Baragueda, being destined to turn the right flank of Laborde's position, and to oppose the efforts of Loison, if that general, who was supposed to be at Rio Mayor, should appear during the action.

The right, under Colonel Trant, composed of a thousand Portuguese infantry, and fifty horse of the same nation, moved by the village of St. Amias, with the intention of turning the left flank of the French.

The centre, nine thousand in number, with twelve guns, was com manded by Sir Arthur in person, and marched straight against the enemy by the village of Mahmed. It was composed of Generals Hill's, Nightingale's, Catlin Crawfurd's, and Fane's brigades of British infantry four hundred cavalry, two hundred and fifty of which were Portuguese, and there were four hundred light troops of the same nation.

As this column advanced, Fane's brigade, extending to its left, drove

back the French skirmishers, and connected the march of Ferguson's division with the centre. When the latter approached the elevated plain upon which Laborde was posted, General Hill, who moved upon the right of the main road, being supported by the cavalry, and covered by the fire of his light troops, pushed forward rapidly to the attack; on his left, General Nightingale displayed a line of infantry, preceded by the fire of nine guns, and Crawfurd's brigade, with the remaining pieces of artillery, formed a reserve. At this moment, Fane's riflemen crowned the nearest hills on the right flank of the French, the Portuguese troops showed the head of a column beyond St. Amias, upon the enemy's left, and General Ferguson was seen descending from the higher grounds in the rear of Fane. Laborde's position appeared desperate, yet with the coolness and dexterity of a practised warrior, he evaded the danger, and, covered by his excellent cavalry, fell back rapidly to the heights of Zambugeira, and a fresh disposition of the English became indispensable to dislodge him from that formidable post.

Colonel Trant now continued his march to turn the left of the new field of battle; Ferguson and Fane were united, and directed through the mountains, to outflank the French right; Hill and Nightingale advanced against the front, which was of singular strength, and only to be approached by narrow paths winding through deep ravines. A swarm of skirmishers, starting forward, soon plunged into the passes, and spreading to the right and left, won their way among the rocks and tangled evergreens that overspread the steep ascent; with still greater difficulty the supporting columns followed, their formation being disordered in the confined and rugged passes, and while the hollows echoed with a continued roll of musketry, the shouts of the advancing troops were loudly answered by the enemy, while the curling smoke, breaking out from the side of the mountain, marked the progress of the assailants, and showed how stoutly the defence was maintained,

Laborde, watching anxiously for the arrival of Loison, gradually slackened his hold on the left, but clung tenaciously to the right, in the hope of yet effecting a junction with that general, and the ardour of the 9th and 29th regiments, who led the attack, favoured this skilful conduct. It was intended that those battalions should take the right-hand path of two leading up the same hollow, and thus have come in upon Laborde's flank in conjunction with Trant's column; but as the left path led more directly to the enemy, the 29th followed it, the 9th being close behind, and both regiments advanced so vigorously, as to reach the plain above, long before the flank movements of Trant and Ferguson could shake the credit of the position. The right of the 29th arrived first at the top, under a heavy fire, and ere it could form, Colonel Lake was killed, and some French companies coming in on the flank, gallantly broke through, carrying with them a major and fifty or sixty other prisoners. The head of the regiment thus pressed, fell back and rallied on the left wing, below the brow of the hill, and being there joined by the 9th, whose colonel, Stewart, also fell in this bitter fight, the whole pushed forward, and regained the dangerous footing above. Laborde, who brought every arm into action at the proper time and place, endeavoured to destroy these regiments before they could be succoured, and, failing, in that, he yet gained time to rally his left wing upon his centre and right; but the 5th regiment following the right-hand path, soon arrived, the English gathered thickly on the heights, and Ferguson, who had at first an er

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centre, recovered the true line, and was of the position. The French general ate masses, protecting his movements by and at the village of Zambugeira he atthe English bore on him too heavily, and he fell back to the Quinta de Bugagliera, where caments on the side of Segura rejoined him. arrow pass of Runa, he marched all night to Matechique, leaving three guns on the field of battle, ves Vedras open for the victors. The loss of the ex killed and wounded, among the latter Laborde British also suffered considerably, for two lieutenant.....tive hundred men were killed, taken, or wounded,† ... than four thousand men were actually engaged, this con was very honourable to both sides.

ssed a little after four o'clock, when Sir Arthur, getting at Loison's division was at Bombaral, only five miles disa position for the night in an oblique line to that which he ced, his left resting upon a height near the field of battle, and Covering the road to Lourinham. Believing that Loison and had eflected their junction at the Quinta de Bugagliera, and were retiring to Montechique, the English general resolved to the next morning to Torres Vedras, by which he would have dan entrance into the mountains. But before nightfall he was and that General Anstruther's and General Ackland's divisions, acnied by a large fleet of storeships, were off the coast, the dangerous of which rendered it necessary to provide for their safety by a A disembarkation; he therefore changed his plans, and resolved to for some convenient post, that, being in advance of his present sation, would likewise enable him to cover the landing of these re-enocoments; the vigour of Laborde's defence had also an influence upon occasion, for before an enemy so bold and skilful, no precaution uld be neglected with impunity.‡

CHAPTER V.

Portuguese take Abrantes-Generals Ackland and Anstruther land and join the British army at Vimiero-Sir Harry Burrard arrives-Battle of Vimiero-Junot defeated-Sir Hew Dalrymple arrives-Armistice-Terms of it-Junot returns to Lisbon-Negotiates for a convention-Sir John Moore's troops land-State of the public mind in LisbonThe Russian admiral negotiates separately-Convention concluded-The Russian fleet surrenders upon terms-Conduct of the people at Lisbon-The Monteiro Mor requires Sir Charles Cotton to interrupt the execution of the convention-Sir John Hope appointed commandant of Lisbon; represses all disorders-Disputes between the French and English commissioners-Reflections thereupon.

WHILE the combat of Roriça was fighting, some Portuguese insurgents attacked Abrantes, and the garrison, being ill commanded, gave way and was destroyed; thus nothing remained for Junot but a battle, and as Sir

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Arthur marched to Lourinham on the 18th, the French general quitted Cercal with Loison's division, and keeping the east side of the Baragueda ridge, crossed the line of Laborde's retreat, and pushed for Torres Vedras, which he reached in the evening of the same day. The 19th he was joined by Laborde, and the 20th by his reserve, when he re-organized his army, and prepared for a decisive action. Meanwhile Wellesley took a position at Vimiero, a village near the sea-coast, and from thence sent a detachment to cover the march of General Anstruther's brigade, which had,,with great difficulty and some loss, been landed on the morning of the 18th on an open sandy beach called the bay of Maceira. The 20th the French cavalry scouring the neighbouring country, carried off some of the women from the rear of the English camp, and hemmed the army round so closely, that no information of Junot's position could be obtained ; but in the night General Ackland's brigade was disembarked, by which the army was increased to sixteen thousand fighting men, with eighteen pieces of artillery, exclusive of Trant's Portuguese, and of two British regiments, under General Beresford, which were with the fleet at the mouth of the Tagus. Thus the principal mass of the English army was irrevocably engaged in the operations against Junot, while the ministers were still so intent upon Cadiz, that they had sent Anstruther out with an appointment as governor of that city!

Estimating the whole French army at eighteen thousand men, Sir Arthur Wellesley judged, that, after providing for the security of Lisbon, Junot could not bring more than fourteen thousand into the field; he designed, therefore, not only to strike the first blow, but to follow it up so as to prevent the enemy from rallying and renewing the campaign upon the frontier. In this view he had, before quitting the Mondego, written to Sir Harry Burrard an exact statement of his own proceedings and intentions, and recommended that Sir John Moore, with his division, should disembark at the Mondego, and march without delay to Santarem, by which he would protect the left of the army, block the line of the Tagus, and at the same time threaten the French communication between Lisbon and Elvas.* And without danger, because Junot would be forced to defend Lisbon against the coast army; or if, relinquishing the capital, he endeavoured to make way to Almeida by Santarem, the ground there was so strong that Sir John Moore might easily maintain it against him. Moreover, the Marquis of Valladeras commanded three thousand men at Guarda, General Freire, with five thousand men, was at Leiria, and might be persuaded to support the British at Santarem.

From Vimiero to Torres Vedras was about nine miles, and although the number and activity of the French cavalry, completely shrouded Junot's position, it was known to be strong, and very difficult of approach, by reason of a long defile through which the army must penetrate in order to reach the crest of the mountain; there was, however, a road leading between the sea-coast and Torres Vedras, which, turning the latter, opened a way to Mafra. Sir Arthur possessed very exact military surveys of the country through which that road led, and he projected, by a forced march on the 21st, to turn the position of Torres Vedras, and to gain Mafra with a strong advanced guard, while the main body, seizing some advantageous heights, a few miles short of that town, would be in a position to intercept the French line of march to Montechique. The army

* Appendix, No. IX.

was therefore reorganized during the 20th in eight brigades of infantry and four weak squadrons of cavalry, and every preparation was made for the next day's enterprise; but at that critical period of the campaign the ministerial arrangements, which provided three commanders-in-chief, began to work. Sir Harry Burrard arrived in a frigate off the bay of Maceira, and Sir Arthur, thus checked in the midst of his operations on the eve of a decisive battle, repaired on board the frigate, to make a report of the situation of affairs, and to renew his former recommendation relative to the disposal of Sir John Moore's troops. Burrard, who had previously resolved to bring the latter down to Maceira, condemned this project, and forbade any offensive movement until the whole army should be concentrated; whereupon Sir Arthur returned to his camp.*

*

The ground occupied by the army, although very extensive, and not very clearly defined as a position, was by no means weak. The village of Vimiero, situated in a valley, through which the little river of Maceira flows, contained the park and commissariat stores. The cavalry and the Portuguese were on a small plain close behind the village, and immediately in its front a rugged isolated height, with a flat top, commanded all the ground to the southward and eastward for a considerable distance. Upon this height Fane's and Anstruther's brigades of infantry, with six guns, were posted; the left of Anstruther's occupied a churchyard which blocked a road leading over the extremity of the height of the village; the right of Fane's rested on the edge of the other extremity of the hill, the base of which was washed by the Maceira.

A mountain, that commenced at the coast, swept in a half circle close behind the right of the hill upon which these brigades were posted, and commanded, at rather long artillery range, all its upper surface. Eight guns, and the first, second, third, fourth, and eighth brigades of infantry, occupied this mountain, which was terminated on the left by a deep ravine that divided it from another strong and narrow range of heights over which the road from Vimiero to Lourinham passed; the right of these last heights also overtopped the hill in front of the village, but the left, bending suddenly backward, after the form of a crook, returned to the coast, and ended in a lofty cliff. There was no water upon this last named ridge, wherefore, only the 40th regiment and some piquets were placed there. The troops being thus posted, on the night of the 20th, about twelve o'clock, Sir Arthur was aroused by a German officer of dragoons, who galloped into the camp, and with some consternation reported that Junot, at the head of twenty thousand men, was coming on to the attack, and distant but one hour's march. Undisturbed by this inflated report, he merely sent out patroles, warned the piquets to be on the alert, and before daybreak had his troops, following the British custom, under arms; but the sun rose, and no enemy appeared. However, at seven o'clock a cloud of dust was observed beyond the nearest hills, and at eight o'clock an advanced guard of horse was seen to crown the heights to the southward, sending forward scouts on every side. Scarcely had this body been discovered, when a force of infantry, preceded by other cavalry, was descried moving along the road from Torres Vedras to Lourinham, and threatening the left of the British position; column after column followed in order of battle, and it soon became evident that the French were coming to fight, but that the right wing of the English was not their object.

* Sir A. Wellesley's evidence; Court of Inquiry.

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