S76 
vecasion, Lieut, Colonel Elder’s battalion of 
Portuguese cagadores distinguished them- 
selves. The enemy retired in the night ; 
and on the 12th the 6th corps, with General 
Montbrun’s cavalry, took up a strong position 
at the end of a defile between Redina and 
Pombal, with their right in a wood upon the 
Soure river, and their left extending towards 
the nigh ground above the river of Redinha. 
This town was in their rear. I attacked them 
in this position on the 12th with the 3d and 
4th light divisions of infantry, and Brigadier 
General Pack’s brigade and the cavalry, the 
other troops being in reserve. The post in 
the wood upon their right was first forced by 
Sir William Erskine with the light division, 
' We were then able to form the troops in the 
plain beyond the defile; and the 3d division 
under Major-Gen. Picton were formed in two 
lines in the centre, having Gen. Pacle's brigade 
supporting their right, and communicating 
with the 3d division ; and the light division 
in two lines on the left. These troops were 
supported in the rear by the British cavalry, 
and the 1st, 5th, and 6th, divisions, were 
in reserve. The troops were formed with 
great accuracy and celerity, and Lieutenant 
General Sir B. Spencer led the line against 
the enemy’s position on the heights, from 
which they were immediately driven, with 
the loss of many men killed and wounded, and 
some prisoners, Major-General Sir William 
Erskine particularly mentioned the conduct 
of the 52d regiment, and Colonel Elder’s ca- 
cadores, in the attack of the wood; andl 
must add that I have never seen the French 
infantry driven from a wood in a more gallant 
style. There was but one narrow bridge, and 
4 ford close to it, over the Redinha river, 
aver which our light troops passed with the 
enemy, but as the enemy commanded these 
passages with cannon, some time elapsed be- 
fore we could g&ss over a suflicient body of 
troops to make a fresh disposition to attack 
the heights on which they had again taken 
post. The 3d division crossed, however, and 
maneuvred again upon the enemy’s left flank 
while the light infantry and cavalry, sup- 
ported. by the light division, drove them 
upon their main body at Condeixa. The light 
infantry of Major-General Picton’s division, 
under Lieut.-col. Williams, and the 4th ca. 
gadores, under Colonel de Regoa, were prin- 
cipally concerned in this operation, We 
found the whole army yesterday, with the 
exception of the second corps, which was still 
at Espinhel, ina very strong position at Con- 
detxa ; and I obsetved that they were sending 
their baggage by the road of Ponte de Mur~ 
cella. , From this circumstance 1 concluded 
that Col. Trant had not given up Coimbra ; 
and that, they had not been able to detach 
troops to force him from the place. I there- 
fore marched the 3d division, under Major- 
General Picton, through the mountains upon 
the enemy’s left, towards the only road open 
for their retreat; which had the immediate 
hp 
\ State of Public Affairs in April. 
ll ne 
(May, 
effect of dislodging them from the strong: 
position of Condeixa ; and the enemy en- 
camped last night at Cazal Nova in the 
moun’ains, about a league. from Condeixa. 
We immediately comniunicated with Co- 
imbra, and made prisoners a detachment of 
the enemy’s cavalry which were upon the 
road. 
We found the 6th and Sth corps formed in 
avery strong position near Cazal Nova this 
morning, and the light division attacked and 
drove in their out-posts. But we. could dis- 
lodge them from their positions only by 
movements on, their flanks. Accordingly I 
moved the 4th division under Major-General 
Cole, upon Panella, in order to secure the 
passage of the river Esa, and the communica 
tion with Espinshal, near which place Major- 
General Nightingall had been in observation 
of_ the movements of the 2d corps since the 
10th; and the 3d division, under Major- 
General Picton, more immediately round 
the enemy’s left, while the light division and 
Brigadier-General Pack’s brigade, under Ma» 
jor-General Sir W. Erskine, turned. their 
right; and Major. General Alexander Camps 
bell, with,the 6th division, supported the 
light troops, by which they were attacked in 
front. These troops were supported by the 
cavalry, and by the 1st and Sth divisions, 
and Colonel Ashworth’s brigade in reserve. 
These movements obliged the enemy to 
abandon all the positions which they succes- 
sively took in the mountains, and the two 
corps d?arm¢e composing the rear.guard were 
flung back upon the main body at Miranda de 
Corvo, upon the river Esa, with considerable 
loss of killed, wounded, and prisoners. In 
the operations of this day, the 43d, 52d, and 
95th regiments, and 3d cacadores, under the 
command of Colonels Drummond and Beck- 
with, and Matrickson, Lieut.-Colonel Ross, 
and Majors Gilmour and Stewart, particularly 
distinguished themselves ; as also the light in- 
fantry battaliens of General Picton’s division 
under Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, and the 
4th cacadores under Colonel de Regoa, and 
the treops of horse artillery under the com- 
mand of Captains Ross andBull, The result 
of these operations has been that we have 
saved Coimbra and Upper Beira from the 
enemy’s ravages, and we haye opened the 
communications with the northern provinces, 
and we have obliged the enemy to take for 
their retreat the road by Ponte de Murcella, 
in which they may be aunoyed by the militia’ 
acting in security upon their flank, while the 
allied army will press upon their rear. The 
whole country, however, affords many'advan- 
tageous positions to a retreating army, of 
which the enemy haveshewn they know how 
to avail themselves. . — * 
They are retreating from the country as 
they entered it, in one solid mass: covering’ 
their rear on every march by the operations: 
of either one or two corps d’ armée, in the 
strong positions which the country affords; 
which 
