evening to join General Campbell, upon finding that the enemy were in strength in that quarter; and they were brought back again to Fuentes d'Onor on the morning of the 5th, when it was found that the 8th corps had joined the 6th on the enemy's left. Shortly after the enemy had formed on the ground on the right of the Duas Casas, on the afternoon of the 3d they attacked with a very large force the village of Fuentes d'Onor, which was defended in a most gallant manner by Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, of the 5th battalion 60th regiment, in command of the light infantry battalions belonging to Major-General Picton's division, supported by the light infantry battalion in Major-General Nightingall's brigade, commanded by Major Dick of the 42d regiment, and the light infantry battalion in Major-General Howard's brigade, commanded by Major M'Donnell of the 92d regiment, and the light infantry battalion of the King's German legion, commanded by Major Ally of the 3d battalion of the line, and by the 2d battalion of the 83d regiment under Major Carr. These troops maintained their position; but having observed the repeated efforts which the enemy were making to obtain possession of the village, and being aware of the advantage which they would derive from the possession in their subsequent operations, I reinforced the village successively with the 71st regiment, under the Honorable Lieutenant-Colonel Cadogan, and the 79th under Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron, and the 24th regiment under Major Chamberlain. 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 momentary possession. Nearly at this time Lieutenant-Colonel Williams was unfortunately wounded, but I hope not dangerously, and the command devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron of the 79th regiment. The contest continued till night, when our troops remained in possession of the whole. I then withdrew the light infantry battalions and the 83d regiment, leaving the 71st and 79th regiments only in the village, and the 2d battalion 24th regiment to support them. On the 4th the enemy reconnoitred the positions which we had occupied on the Duas Casas river, and during that night they moved General Junot's corps from Alameda to the left of the position occupied by the 6th corps, opposite to Fuentes d'Onor. From the course

of the reconnoissance of the 4th, I had imagined that the enemy would endeavour to obtain possession of Fuentes d'Onor, and of the ground occupied by the troops behind that village, by crossing the Duas Casas at Poya Velho, and in the evening I moved the 7th division, under Major-General Houston, to the right, in order, if possible, to protect that passage. On the morning of the 5th, the 8th corps appeared in two columns, with all the cavalry, on the opposite side of the valley of the Duas Casas to Poya Velho; and as the 6th and 9th corps also made a movement to their left, the light division, which had been brought back from the neighbourhood of Alameda, was sent with the cavalry under Sir Stapleton Cotton to support MajorGeneral Houston, while the 1st and 3d divisions made a movement to their right along the ridge between the Turon and Duas Casas rivers, corresponding to that of the 6th and 9th corps on the right of the Duas Casas. The 8th corps attacked Major-General Houston's advanced guard, consisting of the 85th regiment under Major M'Intosh, and the 2d Portuguese caçadores under Lieutenant-Colonel Nixon, and obliged them to retire; and they retired in good order, although with some loss. The 8th corps being thus established in Poya Velho, the enemy's cavalry turned the right of the 7th division between Poya Velho and Nave d'Aver, from which last place Don Julian Sanchez had been obliged to retire, and 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 13th chasseurs, and some prisoners, taken. The main body were checked and obliged to retire by the fire of Major-General Houston's division; and I particularly observed the chasseurs Britanniques, under Lieutenant-Colonel Eustace, as behaving in the most steady manner, and MajorGeneral Houston 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 from Poya Velho towards Fuentes d'Onor, and the other two divisions. I had occupied Poya

Velho and that neighbourhood, in hopes that I should be able to maintain the communication across the 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 that which was the least important, and placed the light division in reserve, in the rear of the left of the 1st division, and the 7th division on some commanding ground beyond the Turon, which protected the right flank and rear of the 1st division, and covered our communication with the Coa, and prevented that of the enemy with Almeida, by the roads between the Turon and that river. The movement of the troops upon this occasion was well conducted, although under very critical circumstances, by Major-General Houston, Brigadier-General Craufurd, and Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton. The 7th division was covered in its passage of the Turon by the light division under Brigadier-General Craufurd, and this last, in its march to join the 1st division, by the British cavalry. Our position thus extended on the high ground from the Turon to the Duas Casas. The 7th division on the left of the Turon, covered the rear of the right; the first division, in two lines, were on the right; Colonel Ashworth's brigade, in two lines, in the centre; and the 3d division, in two lines, on the left. The light division and British cavalry in reserve; and the village of Fuentes d'Onor in front of the left. Don Julian's infantry joined the 7th division in Freneda; and I sent him with his cavalry to endeavour to interrupt the enemy's communication with Ciudad Rodrigo. The enemy's efforts on the right part of our position, after it was occupied as I have above described, were confined to a cannonade, and to some charges with their cavalry upon the advanced posts. The picquets of the first division, under Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, of the 3d regiment of guards, repulsed one of these; but as they were falling back, they did not see the direction of another 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 against them. They

likewise attempted to push a body of light infantry down the ravine of the Turon to the right of the first division, which were repulsed by the light infantry of the guards, under LieutenantColonel Guise, aided by five companies of the 95th, under Captain O'Hara. Major-General Nightingall was wounded in the course of the cannonade, but I hope not severely. The enemy's principal effort was throughout this day again directed against Fuentes d'Onor; and notwithstanding that the whole of the 6th corps was at different periods of the day employed to attack this village, they could never gain more than a temporary possession of it. It was defended by the 24th, 71st, and 79th regiments, under the command of Colonel Cameron; and these troops were supported by the light infantry battalions in the 3d division, commanded by Major Woodgate; the light infantry battalions in the 1st division, commanded by Major Dick, Major Macdonald, and Major Ally; the 6th Portuguese caça„dores, commanded by Major Pinto, by the light companies in Colonel Champlemonde's Portuguese brigade under Colonel Sutton; and those in Colonel Ashworth's Portuguese brigade under Lieutenant-Colonel Pynp; and by the picquets of the 3d division, under the command of the Honorable LieutenantColonel Trench. Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron was severely wounded in the afternoon, and the command in the village devolved upon the Honorable Lieutenant-Colonel Cadogan. The troops in Fuentes d'Onor were besides supported, when pressed by the enemy, by the 74th regiment under Major Russel Manners, and the 88th regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Wallace, belonging to Colonel Mackinnon's brigade; and on -one of these occasions the 88th, with the 71st and 79th under the command of Colonel Mackinnon, charged the enemy, and drove them through the village; and Colonel Mackinnon has reported particularly the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Wallace, Brigade-Major Wilde, and Lieutenant and Adjutant Stewart of the 88th regiment. The contest again lasted in this quarter till night, when our troops still held their post; and from that time the enemy have made no fresh attempt on any part of our -position. The enemy manifested an intention to attack MajorGeneral Sir William Erskine's post, at Aldea del Bispo, on the

same morning, with a part of the 2d corps, but the Major-General sent the 2d battalion of the Lusitanian legion across the ford of the Duas Casas, which obliged them to retire. In the course of last night the enemy commenced to retire from their position on the Duas Casas; and this morning at day-light the whole were in motion. I cannot yet decide whether this movement is preparatory to some fresh attempt to raise the blockade of Almeida, or is one of decided retreat; but I have every reason to hope, that they will not succeed in the first, and that they will be obliged to have recourse to the last. Their superiority in cavalry is very great, owing to the weak state of our horses from recent fatigue and scarcity of forage; and the reduction of numbers in the Portuguese brigade of cavalry with this part of the army, in exchange for a British brigade sent into Estremadura with Marshal Sir William Beresford, owing to the failure of the measures reported to have been adopted to supply the horses and men with food on the service. The result of a general action, brought on by an attack upon the enemy by us, might, under these circumstances, have been doubtful; and if the enemy had chosen to avoid it, or if they had met it, they would have taken advantage of the collection of our troops to fight this action to throw relief into Almeida. From the great superiority of force to which we have been opposed on this occasion, your Lordship will judge of the conduct of the officers and troops. The actions were partial, but very severe, and our loss has been great; the enemy's loss has also been great; and they left 400 in the village of Fuentes d'Onor, and we have many prisoners. I particularly request your Lordship's attention to the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron, and the honourable LieutenantColonel Cadogan, and to that of Colonel Mackinnon, and Lieutenant-Colonel Kelly of the 24th regiment, and of the several officers commanding battalions of the line and of light infantry, which supported the troops in Fuentes d'Onor. Likewise to that of Major M'Intosh of the 85th regiment, of LieutenantColonel Nixon of the 2d caçadores, of Lieutenant-Colonel Eustace of the chasseurs Britanniques, and of Lord Blantyre.Throughout these operations I have received the greatest as