244 
INGILBY DIARY. 
1810. 
Oct. 15th. 
„ 19th. 
1811 . 
Jan. 24th, 
Mar. 5th. 
* 6th. 
» 7th. 
» 8th. 
n 9th. 
m 10th. 
in our front. The extreme right of our line rested upon the Tagus, 
and the left was at Torres Yedras. Every height was crowned with a 
-permanent redoubt well mounted with guns, and the intermediate 
spaces between them along the whole front of the line was strengthened 
with entrenchments and abattis. 
Two other lines of redoubts and entrenchments in succession ren¬ 
dered the position of the Army most formidable, and not to weaken 
the numbers of the regular troops of the Allied Army (which occupied 
.the first line only) the two last were guarded and garrisoned by the 
Militia and armed Volunteers of the country. The French General 
frequently reconnoitred our position, but hesitated, and at length 
seemed unwilling to hazard an attack upon an Army thus strongly 
posted. The troops were under arms every morning an hour before 
dawn, and remained so until it was ascertained there was no appear¬ 
ance of an intention to attack, or any formation whatever amongst the 
troops of the enemy. At the end of the month I was directed to 
inarch and canton the reserve carriages of ammunition at Povoa de 
Galeaga, somewhat in rear, for the better foraging of the horses.. In 
the night of the 14th of November the French retreated. 
At night I joined the Brigade at Sobral, and occupied the huts of 
the French. They had collected a number of wine butts and placed 
them in a line touching one another, and in each there was room suffi¬ 
cient for two officers to accommodate themselves. 
Alemquer. Cantoned with the 6th Division of Infantry. The 
French had taken a strong entrenched position in front of Santarem. 
Lord Wellington had his head-quarters at Cartans ; about mid-way 
between those two towns (which are three leagues asunder and upon 
high ground) there intervenes a flat or bottom on a level with the 
Tagus. At this season of the year its whole extent was laid under 
water, and rendered the position of the French accessible only by a 
straight and narrow raised causeway which crossed it, and was the 
great road from Lisbon. During our entire occupation of Alemquer 
I suffered from severe dysentry. 
The Brigade moved to Otta, and cantoned in the Quinta with some 
Artillery of the Portuguese under Major Arentchild. 
In the night preceding the French Army evacuated Santarem, and 
abandoned their entrenched position. The Brigade marched with the 
6th Division and bivouacked at Azambuja. 
Santarem. 
Goligao. 
Thomar. 
The Brigade received orders to follow a detached Corps, consisting 
of a regiment of cavalry and one brigade of infantry. We advanced 
by a road to the right of the main body. Was directed to proceed in 
advance with the cavalry to ascertain the practicability of the road for 
the guns. In the day overtook, and skirmished with, the rear-guard 
of the French left column in their retreat. The road farther in advance 
proved impracticable, and the guns halted at Cabacos. 
It turned out as we expected; we had been directed to accompany 
the march of the right colump by mistake, and returned to Thomar ip 
