APPENDIX 11. Brigading of the Army, showing the Effective Rank and File, Brig. Gen. de Grey. Major for March, 1810. ... Brig. Gen. Low . . . 2d Bn. 343 66th 1 Comp. 5th Bn. 60th F. 47 Musk. 4988 29th Foot, 1st Bn. Rifles 141 453 Major Gen. Houghton Brig. Gen. Lumley 39th 1 Comp. 5th Bn. 60th F. 47 28th Foot, 2d Bn. 1 Comp. 5th Bn. 60th F. 47 5129 2d do. 2d do. 482 528 405 342 Colonel M'Kinnon Major Gen. Colville. 5th 2d do. 337 2700 3 Comps. 5th Bn. 60th F. 141 21st do. do. 27th Foot, 3d Bn. Brig. Gen. Light Dio. R.Crawford. 4th Division. 3d Division. Maj. Gen. Hon.G.L.Cole. Major Gen. Picton. 40th 1 Comp. 5th Bn. 60th F. 7th Foot, 2d Bn. 1 Comp. 5th Bn. 60th F. 47 53d Portugueze Regt. 15th do. do. APPENDIX 12. THE following Letter from Sir Thomas Picton is inserted, as giving a most interesting account of the part borne by his Division in the Action. 10th November, 1810. MY LORD, IN consequence of an extraordinary report which has been circulated with a good deal of assiduity, it becomes necessary that I should make a written detailed report to your lordship of the circumstances which preceded and attended the action which took place upon the height of Busaco, on the morning of the 27th of September, in as much as they relate to myself and the troops I had the honour of commanding on that occasion. Major-General Lightburne, with the 5th and 83d Regiments, was detached to the left, and did not act under my orders. On the evening of the 25th, by orders from your Lordship, I occupied that part of the Sierra de Busaco, which is immediately connected with the Pass of St. Antonio de Cantarza, with Colonel Mackinnon's brigade, consisting of the 45th, 74th, and 88th Regiments, amounting to about 1300 rank and file; and with the 9th and 21st Portugueze Regiments, under Colonel de Champalin, and upon the whole about 3000 men. All the movements of the enemy during the 26th, indicating a determination of attacking the position early on the following morning; I made what dispositions I judged necessary for the defence of the post that evening, and there being an unoccupied space of considerably above a mile between my left and Sir Brent Spencer's division, immediately after sunset (when it could not be observed by the enemy) I detached LieutenantColonel Wallace, with the 88th Regiment, to take up an intermediate position and communicate with the hill of Busaco, and the main body of my division, at the Pass of St. Antonio. The troops in the immediate neighbourhood of the Pass were visited by me on their respective posts before day-break; and immediately after Colonel Mackinnon returned from visiting the 88th Regiment, and reported that the enemy was collecting in the ravine opposite to the position occupied by that Regiment; in consequence of which I immediately detached Major Gwynne, of the 45th Regiment, with four companies, to reinforce that post. A few minutes after, when the day began to clear up, a smart firing of musketry was heard on the left, apparently proceeding from the point where the 88th Regigiment had been stationed; and after a short suspense, a violent cannonade opened upon the Pass of St. Antonio, and, at the same time, a heavy column compelled the advanced piquet of the division to fall back, and, pressing forward with great impetuosity, endeavoured to push up the road and force the pass. The light corps of the division, unable to resist such a superiority of numbers in front, were most judiciously thrown in upon the flank of the advancing column by Lieutenant-Colonel Williams; and it was received with so steady and well directed a fire by the 21st Portugueze Regiment of the Line, and three companies of the 74th Regiment that moved up to their support, on the left, that after a long struggle, and repeated desperate attempts to effect their object, during which they suffered much from the well directed fire of the Portugueze artillery, under Major Arentschildt, they were ultimately under the necessity of desisting, though a severe firing of cannon and musketry still continued. About this period the fire of musketry on the left appearing to increase and draw nearer, I directed Colonel Mackinnon to take the immediate command of the troops at the pass of St. Antonio, and rode towards the left with the Assistant Adjutant General, Major Packenham, leaving my aide-de-camp, Captain Cuthbert, and the Assistant Quarter Master General, Captain Anderson, to bring up, as fast as possible, one battalion of the 8th Portugueze Regiment, and the five remaining companies of the 45th Regiment. On reaching the high rocky point about half way between the Pass of St. Antonio and the Hill of Busaco, I found the light companies of the 74th and 88th Regiments retiring in disorder, and the head of the enemy's column, already in possession of the strong rocky point, deliberately firing down upon us, and the remainder of a large column pushing up the hill with great rapidity. Whilst endeavouring to rally the light infantry companies, with the assistance of Major Packenham, I was joined by Major Smith, of the 45th Regiment, and we succeeded in forming them under the immediate fire of the enemy, not more than sixty yards distant. Major Smith most gallantly led them to the charge, and gained possession of the rock, driving the enemy before him; but, I am concerned to say, fell in the moment of victory, for which we were chiefly indebted to his anima |