Divisions moved in support. Then the French cavalry passed Poco Velho, forming in order of battle towards Nava d'Aver, from which the guerillas retired across the Turones, when Montbrun, the French cavalry general, turned the right of the Seventh Division, and charged the British and Portuguese cavalry, about 1000 strong, with about 4000 Cuirassiers. The combat was unequal, and after one shock, in which the enemy were partially checked, and the French Colonel Lamothe was taken fighting hand to hand by General Charles Stewart, our cavalry was driven behind the Light Division. Montbrun then swept with his terrible Cuirassiers round the infantry, now exposed to his attack, but they, rapidly forming squares, treated the armoured horsemen with the confident contempt with which steady infantry in that formation may always regard the onset of cavalry. The Scotch soldiers, as they fired at the steel-clad riders, joked about cracking the "partan's" shells. Such, however, was the swiftness of these magnificent horsemen, that they fell upon part of the Seventh Division before these could form square, but with admirable steadiness, though some were cut down, they took advantage of a loose stone wall, received the attack in line, and repelled it by the excellence of their fire-discipline. A stirring scene was now witnessed by those among the Highlanders who had leisure to admire it. In the mêlée, Captain Ramsay's troop of Horse Artillery was surrounded, and the spectators gave them up for lost, when presently a great commotion was observed among the glancing throng of Cuirassiers," officers and men closing in on a point where a thick dust was rising, and where loud cries, the sparkling of blades and flashing of pistols, indicated some extraordinary occurrence. Suddenly the multitude was violently agitated, a British shout arose, the mass was rent asunder, and Norman Ramsay burst forth at the head of his battery, his horses breathing fire, and stretching like greyhounds along the plain, his guns bounding like things of no weight, and the * Guerillas were irregular troops organised in bands under chiefs who were not officers of the army. Some joined for plunder, some from patriotism, or to revenge the wrongs suffered from the French. Scherer mentions one who told him the French had burned his house and killed his father and mother, and that he had sworn not to plough a field or dress a vine till the murderers were expelled from Spain. Meanwhile a fierce fight had been going on at Fuentes d'Onor. Two hours after Montbrun's cavalry had turned the British right, Drouet, with his whole division, had attacked the three regiments at that post. They made a desperate resistance, but, outnumbered, they were forced back to the upper part of the village; two companies of the 79th were taken and their colonel, Cameron,* mortally wounded. Wellington, having concentrated his force (for his second line was very much shorter than the first), was now able to send considerable support to the regiments at Fuentes, while the French also reinforced their troops, and the contest continued, sometimes in the lower town and on the river banks, sometimes on the rocks round the chapel, the enemy even penetrated beyond; but the British never entirely abandoned the village, and in a charge of the 71st, 79th, and 88th, led by Colonel MacKinnon, against a column which had gained the chapel, they drove them down the street. The 71st had recruited a good deal in Glasgow, and their commanding officer incited them by calling out, "Glasgow lads, clear the Gallowgate!" which was received with a cheer, and the Imperial Guard was driven back. The ensign who carried one of the colours of the 79th was killed; his covering sergeant called out, "An officer for the colours!" One came forward, but was immediately struck down. An officer for the colours!" again shouted the sergeant, and a third and fourth officer were wounded, till at last the adjutant carried the regimental colours safely till the fight ended with the day. Such was the battle of Fuentes d'Onor, in which neither side could claim a decided advantage, but Wellington gained his object of preventing the relief of Almeida; and the great convoy of provisions which was waiting at Gallegos in rear of the French, till they could open the way for it, * The late Mr Lindsay Carnegie, of Boysack, then in the artillery, and acting as A. D.C., was sent with instructions to Colonel Cameron early in the day. Having delivered his message and entered for a few minutes into conversation, the colonel asked if he was the Lindsay who was known as a great billiard player, and finding he was, a match was arranged to come off when next they met within reach of a billiard table; but Cameron had played his last game, he died of the wound he received shortly after. was unable to enter the fortress, which soon afterwards was abandoned. The loss of the Allies was 1500 men and officers killed, wounded, and prisoners; that of the enemy was estimated at nearly 5000, but Napier considers this to be an exaggeration. The loss of the 1st Battalion 92nd on the 3rd and 5th of May was 7 rank and file killed, and 3 officers, 2 sergeants, 1 drummer, and 41 rank and file wounded, of whom Sergeant Alexander Cameron, 1 drummer, and 15 rank and file belonged to the Light Company; 1 officer and 8 rank and file died of their wounds. No less than 13 of the wounded and 1 killed were married men. One private was taken prisoner. In Colonel Cameron's letter alluded to above he says"Almost all the wounded are lost to the service for ever, as most of them have lost legs or arms. Major Grant has lost his left leg, Lieutenant M'Nab his right arm from the socket, and the left splintered the whole length. Lieutenant Hill severely wounded in the hip, and ball not extracted. Allan M'Nab, the laird's son, has proved himself of the genuine old Highland stamp by an exhibition of fortitude barely human, and which has attracted the admiration of the whole army here. Write the laird that he is a credit to his *M'Nab of M'Nab. country, and that I hope in God he will survive. They all promise well. The French, you will see by the papers, were baffled in all their efforts, and have not meddled with us since, and seem to-day (the 8th) as if retiring. The 71st and 79th Highland Regiments had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves most nobly. Charles Cameron, Errachd's son, behaved most admirably; he was dangerously wounded. I am much exhausted, as we have been for seven days without bag or baggage under the canopy of Heaven without covering of any kind. I with difficulty borrowed this paper. None of the lads from the country killed or wounded, except Claives,* wounded, but not dangerously." Major Archibald M'Donell, who commanded the detachment in front which greatly distinguished themselves, was promoted to the brevet rank of lieut.-colonel, and the 92nd afterwards received the Royal authority to bear the words Fuentes d'Onor on the regimental colours and appointments in commemoration of the gallantry of the 1st Battalion in that battle. The Gordons remained bivouacked close to Fuentes d'Onor, and were occupied on the 6th and 7th along with the Light Division in strengthening the position, in case the enemy, who remained in their position, should renew the attack. Massena, however, withdrew part of his forces on the 8th, though still maintaining posts at Alameda and Fuentes. The morning state of the battalion, 8th May, Plains of Almeida, was On the 10th, Massena retired his army across the Agueda towards Salamanca. He was himself recalled to France, and Marmont assumed the command of the army of Portugal. Almeida, * A Cameron, son of a tenant of Claives. |