‘ 
- brigades. 
ee 
honour of this portion of the British 
army, and the reputation of the 
service at large, was saved and sup- 
ported by the fortunate appearance 
of general Regnier with his army, 
on the forenoon of the 3rd: he 
took up his position on a ridge of 
heights parallel to our line, bound- 
ing the other extremity of the plain, 
but with his left opposite to our left, 
and consequently so menacing to 
that flank of our position as to 
render some change immediately 
necessary ; I was ordered, with the 
78th, to occupy the village of St. 
EKuphemia, and to cover, by this 
position, the left flank of the army ; 
the rest of the evening was taken 
up, on our side, in closely recon- 
noitring the enemy’s force and posi- 
tion ; and we discovered general 
Regnier similarly employed in the 
_ plain, with an escort of 50 dragoons. 
- Our information with respect to the 
enemy’s force was very unsatisfac- 
tory, and, as it afterwards proved, 
false: but that information had 
perhaps.one good effect, in giving 
our army an impression, that we 
' were going to attack inferior num- 
_ bers. 
At eight o’clock at night, I 
moved by order, with the 78th 
regiment, to support the advanced 
corps, and took post in retired 
echellon, to their left, where we 
Jay under our arms until 3 o’clock, 
when the whole army destanil- 
ed into the plain in’ columns of 
Right in front, the 
light infantry, being that nearest 
to the enemy ; the 78th and 81st in 
the next parallel, for the immediate 
support of the light infantry ; gen. 
Cole’s brigade, followed by colonel 
Oswald’s, at some greater distance, 
formed a third parallel ; sir sydney 
Smith at this time, took up a posi- 
tion with his ships and boats, to act 
CHARACTERS. 923 
as circumstances might happen: but 
from the position of the two armies, 
no co-operation from the navy could 
take place, much to the annoyance 
of that gallant knight. A vast 
plain, extending from four to six 
‘miles in breadth, and flanked by 
chains of mountains, which run 
nearly parallel from sea tosea, and 
which form the interior boundaries 
of the Two Calabrias, seemed to 
favour the manceuvre of both armies, 
and certainly did offer an oppor- 
tunity for the fairest play, in the 
expected conflicts. ‘This singular 
feature of ground communicates 
across from sea to sea, narrowing 
as it approaches the Adriatic. 
About six o’clock in the morn. 
ing we had gained sufficient ground 
on the direction parallel to the sup- 
posed left flank of the enemy, to 
form our line for the attack; sir 
John’s intention being obviously to 
draw him from his strong position, 
and oblige him, by threatening his 
left flank, to fight on equal terms 
on the plain. While we formed, 
Regnier (as might be expected) 
dextrously changed his front, and 
drew upin order of battle, opposite 
to us, on the plain, his tlanks so ex- 
tended, as to point out how greatly 
we were mis-informed as to his ac- 
tual strength. The light brigade, 
which formed the right of our line, 
were now about a mile distant from 
the enemy ; the78th and 81st about 
200 yards retired in echellon position 
totheir left; in this order weadvanced 
in line (as our general directed) to 
feel the enemy; we halted about 
1000 yards from them, while the7 8th 
and 81st were ordered up into line 
with the light infantry, and the ac- 
tion then commenced by the field 
pieces posted between the light in. 
fantry and 78th, commanding the 
enemy’s 
