Hill. Major-General Hill has reported to me in a particular manner the conduct of the 29th regiment, and of the first battalion 48th regiment, in these different affairs, as well as that of Major-General Tilson and Brigadier-General Richard Stewart. We have lost many brave officers and soldiers in the defence of this important point in our position; among others I cannot avoid to mention Brigade-Major Fordyce and Brigade-Major Gardner; and Major-General Hill was himself wounded, but, I am happy to say, but slightly.-The defeat of this attempt was followed about noon by a general attack of the enemy's whole force, upon the whole of that part of the position occupied by the British army. In consequence of the repeated attempts upon the height on our left, by the valley, I had placed two brigades of British cavalry in that valley, supported in the rear by the Duc d'Albuquerque's division of Spanish cavalry. The enemy then placed light infantry in the range of mountains on the left of the valley, which were supported by a division of infantry under Lieutenant-General de Bassecourt. The general attack began by the march of several columns of infantry into the valley, with a view to attack the heights occupied by Major-General Hill. These columns were immediately charged by the 1st German light dragoons, and the 23d dragoons, under the command of General Anson, directed by Lieutenant-General Payne, and supported by General Fane's brigade of heavy cavalry; and although the 23d dragoons suffered considerable loss, the charge had the effect of preventing the execution of that part of the enemy's plan. At the same time he directed an attack upon BrigadierGeneral Alexander Campbell's position, in the centre of the combined armies, and on the right of the British. This attack was most successfully repulsed by Brigadier-General Campbell, supported by the King's regiment of Spanish cavalry, and two battalions of Spanish infantry; Brigadier-General Campbell took the enemy's cannon. The Brigadier-General mentions particularly the conduct of the 97th, the 2d battalion 7th, and of the 2d battalion 53d regiments; and I was highly satisfied with the manner in which this part of the position was defended. An attack was also made at the same time upon

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Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke's division, which was on the left and centre of the 1st line of the British army. This attack was most gallantly repulsed by a charge with bayonets, by the whole division; but the brigade of guards, which were on the right, having advanced too far, they were exposed on their left flank to the fire of the enemy's battery, and of their retiring columns; and the division was obliged to retire towards the original position, under cover of the 2d line of General Cotton' brigade of cavalry, which I had moved from the centre, and of the 1st battalion 48th regiment. I had moved this regiment from its original position on the heights, as soon as I observed the advance of the guards; and it was formed in the plain, and advanced upon the enemy, and covered the formation of Lieutenant-General. Sherbrooke's division. Shortly after the repulse of this general attack, in which apparently all the enemy's troops were employed, he commenced his retreat across the Alberche, which was conducted in the most regular order, and was effected during the night, leaving in our hands 20 pieces of cannon, ammunition, tumbrils, and, some prisoners. Your Lordship will observe, by the enclosed return, the great loss we have sustained of valuable officers and soldiers, in this long and hard-fought action, with more than double our num ber; that of the enemy has been much greater. I am inform ed that entire brigades of infantry have been destroyed; and, indeed, the battalions that retreated were much reduced in numbers. By all accounts their loss is 10,000 men. Generals Lapisse and Morlot were killed; Generals Sebastiani and Boulet wounded. I have particularly to lament the loss of MajorGeneral Mackenzie, who had distinguished himself on the 27th, and of Brigadier-General Langwerth of the King's Ger man legion, and of Brigade-Major Becket of the guards. Your Lordship will observe, that the attacks of the enemy were principally, if not entirely, directed against the British troops. The Spanish commander-in-chief, his officers, and troops, manifested every disposition to render us assistance, and those of them which were engaged did their duty; but the ground which they occupied was so important, and its front at the same time zo difficult, that I did not think it proper to urge them to make R. M. Cal. I.

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any movement on the left of the enemy, while he was engaged with us. I have reason to be satisfied with the conduct of all the officers and troops. I am much indebted to LieutenantGeneral Sherbrooke for the assistance I received from him, and for the manner in which he led on his division to the charge with bayonets. To Lieutenant-General Payne and the cavalry, particularly General Anson's brigade; to Major-Generals Hill and Tilson, Brigadier-Generals Alexander Campbell, Robert Stewart, and Cameron, and to the divisions and brigades of infantry under their commands respectively, particularly the 29th regiment, commanded by Colonel White; the 1st battalion 48th, by Colonel Donnellan, afterwards, when that officer was wounded, by Major Middlemore; the 2d battalion 7th, by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir W. Myers; the 2d battalion 53d, by Lieutenant-Colonel Bingham; the 97th, by Colonel Lyon; the 1st battalion of detachments, by Lieutenant-Colonel Bunbury; and the 2d battalion 31st by Major Watson; and of the 45th, by Lieutenant-Colonel Guard; and 5th battalion 60th, commanded by Major Davy on the 27th. The advance of the brigade of guards was most gallantly conducted by BrigadierGeneral Campbell; and, when necessary, that brigade retired, and formed again in the best order. The artillery, under Brigadier-General Howorth, was also throughout these days of the greatest service; and I have every reason to be satisfied with the assistance I received from the chief engineer, Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher, the Adjutant-General, Brigadier-General the Honorable Charles Stewart, and the Quarter-Master-General, Colonel Murray, and the officers of those departments respectively, and from Colonel Bathurst and the officers of my personal staff. I also received much assistance from Colonel O'Lawler, of the Spanish service, and from Brigadier-General Whittingham, who was wounded when bringing up the two Spanish battalions to the assistance of Brigadier-General Alexander Campbell. I send this by Captain Lord Fitzroy Somerset, who will give your Lordship any further information, and whom I beg to recommend.

"ARTHUR WELLESLEY."

"To Lord Viscount Castlereagh."

"My Lord,

BATTLE OF BUSACO.

"Coimbra, September 30th, 1810.

"While the enemy was advancing from Celerico and Francoso upon Vizeu, the different divisions of militia and Ordonenza, were employed upon their flank and rear; and Colonel Trant, with his division, attacked the escort of the military chest and reserve artillery, near Tojal, on the 20th instant. He took two officers, and 100 prisoners, but the enemy collected a force from the front and rear, which obliged him to retire again towards the Douro.

"I understand that the enemy's communication with Almeida is completely cut off; and he possesses only the ground on which his army stands.

"On the 21st the enemy's advanced guard pushed on to St. Cambudao, at the junction of the river Criz and Dao; and Brigadier-General Pack retired across the former, and joined Brigadier-General Craufurd at Mortagoa, having destroyed the bridges over those two rivers. The enemy's advanced guard crossed the Criz, having repaired the bridge on the 23d, and the whole of the 6th corps was collected on the other side of the river; and I therefore withdrew the cavalry through the Sierra de Busaco, with the exception of three squadrons, as the ground was unfavorable for the operations of that arms.

"On the 25th, the whole of the 6th and of the 2d corps crossed the Criz, in the neighbourhood of St. Cambudao; and Brigadier-General Craufurd's division, and Brigadier-General Pack's brigade, retired to the position which I had fixed upon for the army, on the top of the Sierra de Busaco. These troops. were followed in this movement by the whole of the corps of Ney and Regnier, (the 6th and 2d,) but it was conducted by Brigadier-General Craufurd with great regularity, and the troops took their position without sustaining any loss of importance.

"The 4th Portuguese caçadores, which had retired on the right of the other troops, and the picquets of the 3d division of infantry which was posted at St. Antonio de Cantaro, under Major Smith of the 45th, were engaged with the advance of

Regnier's corps in the afternoon, and the former showed that steadiness and gallantry which others of the Portuguese troops have since manifested.

"The Sierra de Busaco is a high ridge which extends from the Mondego in a northerly direction about eight miles. At the highest point of the ridge, about two miles from its termination, is the convent and garden of Busaco. The Sierra of Busaco is connected by a mountainous tract of country, with the Sierra de Caramula, which extends in a north-easterly direction beyond Vizeu, and separates the valley of Mondego from the valley of the Douro, on the left of the Mondego. Nearly in a line with the Sierra de Busaco, is another ridge of the same description, which is called the Sierra de Murcella, covered by the river Alva, and connected by other mountainous tracts with the Sierra d'Estrella. All the roads to Coimbra from the eastward, lead over one or the other of these Sierras. They are very difficult for the passage of an army, the approach to the top of the ridge on both sides being mountainous. As the enemy's whole army was on the ridge of the Mondego, and it was evident that he intended to force our position, LieutenautGeneral Hill crossed that river, by a short movement to his left, on the morning of the 26th, leaving Colonel le Cor with his brigade on the Sierra de Murcella to cover the right of the army; and Major-General Fane, with his division of Portuguese cavalry, and the 13th light dragoons, in front of the Alva, to observe and check the movements of the enemy's cavalry on the Mondego. With this exception, the whole army was collected upon the Sierra de Busaco, with the British cavalry observing the plain in the rear of its left, and the road leading from Montagon to Oporto, through the mountainous tract which connects the Sierra de Busaco with the Sierra de Caramula.

*The eighth corps joined the enemy in our front on the 25th, but he did not make any serious attack on that day. The light troops on both sides were engaged throughout the fine. At six in the morning of the 27th, the enemy made two desperate attacks upon our position, the one on our right, and the other on our left, of the highest point of the Sierra. The attack upon