312 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



Mondego, in a northerly direc- 

 tion, about eight miles. 



At thehighest point of the ridge, 

 about two miles from its termina- 

 tion, is the convent and garden of 

 Busaco, The Sierra of Busaco is 

 connected by a mountainous tract 

 of country, with the Sierra de Ca- 

 ramula. Nearly in a line with the 

 Sierra de Busaco is another ridge 

 of the same description, called 

 the Sierra de Murcella. 



All the roads to Coimbra from 

 the eastward lead over one or the 

 other of the Sierras. They are 

 very difficult for the passage of an 

 army, the approach to the top of 

 the ridge on both sides being 

 mountainous. 



With some exception, thewhole 

 army was collected upon the Sierra 

 de Busaco, with the British cavalry 

 observing the plain in the rear of 

 its left. 



At six in the morning of the 

 27th, the enemy made two des- 

 perate attacks upon our position, 

 the one on the right, the other on 

 the left of tlie highest point of 

 the Sierra. The attack upon the 

 right was made by two divisions 

 of the second corps, on that part 

 of the Sierra occupied by the 

 third division of infantry. One 

 division of French infantry ar- 

 rived at the top of the ridge, 

 when it was attacked in the most 

 gallant manner by the thirty- 

 eighth regiment, under the com- 

 mand of the hon. lieutenant- 

 col. Wallace ; and the forty-fifth 

 regiment, under the command of 

 the hon. lieutenant-col. Meade; 

 and by the eighth Portuguese 

 regiment, under the command of 

 lieutenant-colonel Douglas, di- 

 rected by major-general Picton. 



These three corps advanced 

 with the bayonet, and drove the 



enemy's division from the advan* 

 tageous ground which they had 

 obtained. Tlie other division of 

 the second corps attacked farther 

 on the right, by the road leading 

 by St. Antonio de Cantaro, also 

 in front of major-general Pic- 

 ton's division. This division was 

 repulsed before it could reach 

 the top of the ridge, by the 

 seventy-fourth regiment, under 

 the command of the hon. lieu- 

 tenant-colonel French, and the 

 brigade of Portuguese infantry, 

 under the command of colonel 

 Cliampelmond, directed by colo-» 

 nel Mackinnon. Major-general 

 Leith also moved to his left, to 

 the support of major-general 

 Picton, and aided in the defeat 

 of the enemy on this post, by 

 the third battalion royals, the 

 first battalion, and the second 

 battalion of the thirty-eighth 

 regiment. 



On the left, the enemv attacked, 

 with three divisions of infantry of 

 the sixth corps, that part of the 

 Sierraoccupiedby theleft division, 

 commanded by brigadier-gene- 

 ral Crawfurd, and by the brigade 

 of Portuguese infantry, command- 

 ed by brigadier-general Pack. 



One division of infantry only 

 made any progress towards the 

 top of the hill, and they were 

 immediately charged with the 

 bayonet, by brigadier-general 

 Crawfurd, with the forty-eighth, 

 fifty-second, and ninety-fifth regi- 

 ments, and the third Portuguese 

 Cacadores, and driven down 

 with immense loss. 



Brigadier-general Cleman's bri- 

 gade of Portuguese infantry, which 

 was in reserve, was moved up to 

 support the right of brigadier-ge- 

 neral Crawfurd's division, and a 

 battalion of the nineteenth Portu- 



