27% Operations of the British Aimy in Portigal, (Oct. ¥} 
“Mody of the enemy, who attempted to cut 
tecm off from the main body of the detach- 
ment to which they belonged, which had now 
advanced to their support ; Jarger bodies of 
the enemy appearedon both the flanks of the 
detachment, and it was with difficulty that 
Major-General Spencer, who had gone out to 
©®£bidos when he had heard that the riflemen 
hhad advanced in pursuit of the enemy, was 
’ enabled to effect their retreat to that village. 
They have since remained in possession of it, 
and the enemy have retired entirely from the 
neighbourhood. 
In this little affair of the advanced posts, 
which was occasioned solely hy the eagerness: 
ef the troops in pursuit of the enemy, Lam 
concerned to add, that Lieutenant Bunburyy 
of the 2d battalion of the 95th, was killed, 
and the Hon. Captain Pakenham wounded, 
but slightly ; and we have lost some-men, of 
wwhose number I have not received the rE. 
turns, ‘ 
* Head quarters at Villa Verd, August 17. 
My Lord,—The French General, Laborde, 
having continued in his position at Roleia 
sitice: my-arrival at Caldas, on the 15th inst. 
I determined to attack him in it this morning. 
Roleia is situated on an eminence, having a 
plain in its front, at the end of a valley, which 
commences 2t Caldas, and is closed to the 
southward by mountains, which join the hills, 
forming the valley on the left, looking from 
Caldas. In the centre of the valley, and 
about eight miles from Roleia, is the town 
and old Moorish fort of G&bidos, from. whence 
the enemy’s piquets had been ¢riven on the 
a5th, and from that time he had posts in the 
hills on both sidés of the valley, as well as in 
the plain in front of his army, which was 
posted on the heights in front of Roleia,: its 
right resting upon the hills, its left upon an 
eminence, on which was.a windmill, and the 
whole covering four or five passes into the 
zaountains in his rear. 
I have reason to believe that his forge con- 
sisted of at least 6000 men, of which about 
500 were cavalry, with five pieces of cannon ; 
and there was some reason to believe that Ge- 
neral Loison, who was at Rio Major yester- 
day, would join General Laborde by his right 
in the course of the night. The plan of at- 
tack was formed accordingly, and the army 
having broken up from Caldas this morning, 
was formed into three columns 3 the right, 
consisting of 1200 Portuguese infantry and 50 
Portugnese cavalry, destined to turn the ene- 
my’s left, and penetrate into the moun‘ains 
jn his rear; the left, consisting of Major- 
General Ferguson’s and Brigadier General 
Bowes’s brigades of infantry, three compa- 
‘pieS of riflemen, a brigade of light artillery, 
and 20 British and 20 Portuguese cavalry, 
was destined, under the command of Major- 
General Ferguson, to aseend the hills at 
Q2bidos, to turn all the enemy’s posts on the 
left of the valley, as well as the right of 
bis post dt Roleia; this corps was also destined 
to watch the motions of Generat ‘Loison, on 
the enemy’s right, who I had heard had 
moved from Rio Major towards Alcoentré last 
night. The centre column, consisting of Mas 
jor- General Hill's, Brigadier-general Nightin- 
gale’s, Brigadier-General Craufurd’s, and Bri 
gadier-Genetal Fane’s brigades, (with the 
exception of the riflemen detached with Ma- 
jor-General Ferguson) and 400. Portuguese 
light infantry, the British and Portuguese ca- 
valry, a brigade of nine pounders, and a bri- 
gade of six-pound were destined to dt- 
tack General Laborde’s position in front. 
The colurins being formed, the troops 
moved from Ciibidos about seven o'clock in 
the morning. Brigadicr-General Fane’s rifle. 
men were immediately detached into the hills, 
on the left of the valley, to keep up the com- 
munication between the centre and left co- 
lumns, and to protect the march of the 
former along the valley ; and the enemy’s 
Posts were successively driven in. | Major- 
General Hill’s brigade formed in three co- 
lumns of battalions, moved’on the right of 
the valley, supported by the cavalry, in ordoy 
to attack the enemty’s left; and Brigadier- 
Generals Nightingale and Craufurd moved: 
with the artillery along the high road, until 
at length the former formed in the plain im-) 
mediately in the enemy’s front, supported by 
the light infantry companies, and the 45th > 
regiment of General Craufurd’s brigade, 
while the two other regiments of this bri- 
gade (the 50th and Q1st,) and half of the 
Aine-pounder brigades were kept a8 a reserve 
inthe rear. 
Major-General Hill and Brigadier General 
Nightingale advanced spon the enemy’s posi- 
tion, and, at the same moment, Brigadier- 
General Fane's riflemen were in the hills on 
his right; the Portuguese infantry in a village 
upon his left; and Major-General Ferguson's 
column was descending from the heights into 
the plain. From this situation the enemy re- 
tired by the passes into the mountains, with 
the utmost regularity, and the greatest cele- 
rity ; and notwithstanding the rapid advance 
of the British infantry, the want of a suffi- 
cient body of cavalry was the cause of his 
suftering but little loss in the plain. 
It was then necessary to male a disposition 
to attack the formidable position which he had 
taken up. Brigadier-General Fane’s riflemen 
were already in the mountains on his right, 
and no time was lost in attacking the different 
passes, as well to support the riflemen, asto + 
defeat the enemy completely. » 
The Portuguese infantry were ordered to 
move up a pass on the right of the whole; 
the light companies of Major-General Hill’s |) 
brigade and the 5th regiment moved up a pass 
nexton the right; and the ¢9th regiment, 
Supported by the 9th regiment, ander Briga- 
dier-General Nightingale, a third pass; and’ 
the 45th and 82d regiments, passes om the 
left. These passes were all difficult of access, - 
and seme of them wre wall defended by the. 
ry 
_ enemys. 
~ om 5 
