Historical Record of the Fifth Regiment of Foot, or Northumberland Fusiliers by Richard Cannon

Author:Richard Cannon [Cannon, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Reference, General, Nonfiction, Historical, Fiction, Literary, Reference & Language, Classics, Fiction & Literature
ISBN: 4064066135560
Google: CrKxDwAAQBAJ
Amazon: B0756LF5R2
Goodreads: 41060823
Publisher: Good Press
Published: 2019-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

The following are extracts from General Orders issued by command of Lord Wellington on this memorable occasion.

"Head-Quarters, Regidsa, 2nd October, 1811.

No. 3. "The commander of the forces is desirous of drawing the attention of the army to the conduct of the second battalion of the Fifth regiment, and Seventy-seventh regiment, and Twenty-first Portuguese regiment, and Major Arentschildt's Portuguese artillery, under the command of the Honourable Major-General Colville, and of the Eleventh Light Dragoons and First Hussars, under Major-General Alten, in the affair with the enemy on the 25th of September ultimo. These troops were attacked by between thirty and forty squadrons of cavalry, with six pieces of cannon, supported by a division, consisting of fourteen battalions of infantry, with cannon."

No. 4. "The Portuguese artillery-men were cut down at their guns before they would quit them; but the second battalion of the Fifth regiment attacked the cavalry, which had taken their guns, and retook them; at the same time the Seventy-seventh regiment was attacked in front by another body of cavalry, upon which body they advanced, and repulsed them."

No. 5. "While those actions were performed, Major-General Alten's brigade, of which there were only three squadrons on the ground, was engaged on the left with numbers infinitely superior to themselves. These squadrons charged repeatedly, supporting each other, and took about twenty prisoners, and, notwithstanding the immense superiority of the enemy, the post would have been maintained, if the commander of the forces had not ordered the troops to withdraw from it, seeing that the action would have been still more unequal, as the enemy's infantry were likely to be engaged in it before the reinforcements ordered to support the post could arrive."

No. 6. "The troops then retired with the same determined spirit, and in the same good order, with which they had maintained their post—the second battalion of the Fifth and Seventy-seventh regiments in one square, and the Twenty-first Portuguese in another, supported by Major-General's Alten's cavalry, and the Portuguese artillery. The enemy's cavalry charged three faces of the square of the British infantry, but were beaten off; and, finding from their fruitless efforts that those brave troops were not to be broken, they were content with following them at a distance, and firing upon them with artillery, till the troops joined the remainder of the third division, and were afterwards supported by a brigade of the fourth division. Although the Twenty-first Portuguese regiment was not actually charged by the enemy's cavalry, their steadiness and determination were conspicuous, and the commander of the forces observed with pleasure the order and regularity with which they made all their movements, and the confidence they showed in their officers."

No. 7. "The commander of the forces has been particular in stating the details of this action in the general orders, as in his opinion it affords a memorable example of what can be effected by steadiness, discipline, and confidence. It is impossible that any troops can be exposed at any time to the attack of numbers

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