556 
Having thought it probable that he would 
vendeavour to turn our left by that read, Ihad 
directed Colone] Trant, with his division of 
militia, to march to Sardao, with the in- 
vention that he should eceupy those moun- 
“ains, -but unfortunately he was sent round 
by Onorto by the general officer commanding 
mn the North, in-consequence of asmall de- 
tachment of the enenry being in possession 
ef St Pedro de Sul; and, notwithstanding 
the efforts which he made to arrive in time, 
he cid notreach Sardae till the 28th at night, 
after the enemy was in possession of the 
ground. 
As it was probable that in the course of 
the night of the 28th the enemy would throw 
this whole army upon that road by which he 
could avoid the Sierra de Busaco, and reach 
Coimbra by the high road to Oporto, and 
.thus the army would have been exposed to 
be cut off from that tcuwn, orto a general 
action cn less favourable ground; and as E 
had reinforcements in my rear, I was in- 
duced to withdraw from the Sierra de Busaco. 
The enemy did break up in the mountains at 
‘eleven at night of the 28th, andhe made 
the march expected. His advanced guard 
~was at Avelans, in the read from Oporte to 
Coimbra, yesterday ; and the whole army 
‘Was seen in March through the mountains ; 
that-under my command, however, was al- 
ready in the low country, betweenthe Sierra 
de Busaco ane the sea; and the whole of it, 
with the exception of the advanced guard, 
is this dav on the left of the Mondego, 
Althoug>, from the unfor!unate circum- 
sta ceof he delavof Colonel [rant’s arrival 
at Sardao, I am apprehensive that I shall 
not succeed in effecting the object which f 
hac in view in pas ing the Mcndego, and 
in occupying the Sierra de Busaco, I do not 
regret my having done so This movement 
has afforded me a favourable opportunity of 
shewing the enemy the description of troops 
of which ihis army is composed; it has 
brovght the Por:uguese levies into action 
with the enemy for the fi:st time in an ad- 
Vantageous sitvation; and they have proved 
that the trouble which has been taken with 
them has not been thrown away, and that 
ihey are worthy oj contending in the same 
yanks with British troops, in this interest- 
ing cause, which they affoid the best hopes 
oi saving. 
Throughout the contest upon the Sierra, 
and In al! the previous marches, and in those 
which we have since made, the whole army 
has conducted themselves inthe mostregular 
raanner. Accordingly all the operaticns 
have been carried with ease, the soldiers 
have suffered no privations, have undergore 
mo unnecessary fatigue, there has been no 
loss of stores, and the army is inthe highest 
Spirits. 
I have reeeived throughout the service, the 
greatest assistance from the genera! and staif 
officers. 
Lieutenant General] Sir Brent Spencer has 
riveu me the assistance which his experience . 
enables him to afford me, and {I am particu- 
larly indebted to the Adjutant and the Quar- 
terimaster-general, and. the officers of their 
departments, and to Lieutenant-colcnel Ba- 
thursi, aud the officers of my personal staff; 
State of Public Affairs in October. 
[Nov. iy 
to Brigadier-general Howarth, and the Are 
illery ; and particularly to Lieu tenant-colo- 
nel Fletcher, Captain Chapman, and the offi- 
cers of the Royal Engineers. 
I must likewise mention Mr. Kennedy, 
and the officers of the Commissariat, which 
department has been carried on most suc- 
cessfully. y 
[ shoutd not do justice to the service, or te 
my own feeiings, if I did not take this oppor- 
tunity of drawing your Tordship’s attention 
to the merits of Marshal Beresfurd. fohim 
exclusively, under the Portuguese govern- 
ment, is-due the merit of having raised, for- 
med, disciplined, and equipped the Portu- 
guese army, which has now shown itseif ca- 
pabie of engaging and defeating the enemy. 
I have besides received from him, upon al 
occasiuns, ail the assistance which his expe- 
rience and abilities, and knowledge of this 
country, have qualified him to afford me. — 
The enemy has made no movement 1A 
Estramadura, or-in the northern Provin- 
ces, since I addressed your Lordship last. 
My last accounts from Cadiz are of the 
oth instant. ; 
I inclose a return of the killed and wouuded 
of the allied armies in the course cf the 25th, 
26th, 27th, and 24th instant. I send this 
dispatch by my Aid-de-camp Captain Burgh, 
to whom I beg to refer your lordship for any 
further details, and to recommend him to 
yeur lordship’s netice. 
I have the honour to be, &c. 
W ELE: NGTON. 
Return of the Killed, Wounded. and Missing, in 
Lord Wellington's Amy, on ihe 2500 and 26ib. 
Captain Hoey, f'eputy Acju‘ant General 
of the yeth reg. severe'y wounde., Cor et 
Keating, of the i16to Licht Dfagoons, : 
Sligtly; 2 serjea its, § rarih and fire, wound- 
ed. > rank aiid file nussing. : 
The return in the action at Busaco on the 
“7th of Septewber, is.as fo.lows; Major 
Smith. Captain U-qubart, and Leu rhant 
Ousiey, of the 4;th-reg. and Creutenant 
Henry Johnson. of ‘he e&dth, killed. 
FV ounded.---.st bat’. 5:dioct, | ieat.-col. 
Barclay, slighily. joth foot, Licutenant-co- 
lonel C. Campbell, Assistant Adjuiant Ge- 
neral, ditto. 43d foot, Captain + ord Fitz- 
roy Somerset, aid-de-camp to Lord Wel- 
lington, ditto. rst foot guards, C.ptain 
Marquis of Tweidale, Deputy Assistant 
Quarter-master General, ditto, ist batt. 
4oth foot, Captain George Preston, aide-de- 
camp to Sir B. Spencer, ditto, 1st batt. 7th 
foot, Lieutenant Marr, ditto. 1st batt. gh 
foot, Lieutenant Lindsay, severely. 2d batt. 
z4th foot, Captain Meachan, slightly. 2d 
bait. 38th foot, Lieutenant Miller, ditto. ist 
batt. 45th foot, Major Gwyn, severely ; Lieu= 
tenants Harris and Tyler, ditto; Lieutenant 
Anderson, slightly. 1st batt. 5th foot, 
Major Napier, severely. 1st batt. 52d foot, 
Captain George Napier, slightly ; Lieute=- 
nant C. Wood, ditto. 5th batt. 62th foot, 
Lieutenant-colonel Williams, and Captain 
Andrews, ditto; Lieutenants Jorieand Eber- 
stein, Severely; Lieutenant Frankeine, 
slightly. 7;th foot, Lieutenant Cargell, se- 
verely. ist. batt. 7eth foot, Captain Dou- 
glas, ditto. zd batt. 83d foot, Lieutenant 
Celthuist, slightly, 1st bait, ath feot, Ma 
J°F 
