Fuentes d'Onor, May 5, 1811.
In March, 1811, Massena, with his army much worn with the hard winter blockade outside Torres Vedras, fell back into Spain, closely followed by Wellington. Then ensued a number of rearguard actions which are not inscribed on our colours, but which brought out, on the one hand, the capacity of Ney as a rearguard commander, and, on the other, the admirable handling of our own Light Division of immortal fame. Pressing Massena back, Wellington endeavoured to relieve the beleaguered garrison of Ciudad Rodrigo with his own army, and detached Beresford to perform the same action with regard to Badajoz, and so it came about that within a few days of each other two general actions were fought.
Fuentes d'Onor is borne on the colours or appointments of the
1st Royal Dragoons.
16th Lancers.
14th Hussars.
Scots Guards.
Coldstream Guards.
Royal Highlanders.
Oxford Light Infantry.
South Wales Borderers.
King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry).
Sherwood Foresters.
Shropshire Light Infantry.
Highland Light Infantry.
King's Royal Rifles.
Cameron Highlanders.
Gordon Highlanders.
Connaught Rangers.
Royal Irish Rifles.
Rifle Brigade.
Casualties at the Battle of Fuentes d'Onor, May 3-5, 1811.
| Regiments. | Officers. | Men. | ||
| K. | W. | K. | W. | |
| 1st Roy. Drag. | - | 4 | 1 | 36 |
| 14th Hussars | - | 5 | 4 | 28 |
| 16th Lancers | - | 2 | 7 | 16 |
| Royal Artillery | - | 3 | 6 | 22 |
| Roy. Engineers | - | - | - | - |
| Coldstream Gds. | - | 1 | 4 | 49 |
| Scots Guards | 1 | 1 | 5 | 52 |
| 24th S. Wales B. | 1 | - | 6 | 21 |
| 42nd Black Wat. | - | 1 | 3 | 29 |
| 45th Sherwood Foresters | - | - | 3 | 1 |
| 51st K.O. Yorks L.I. | - | - | - | 5 |
| King's Roy. R. | - | 4 | 3 | 21 |
| 71st Highl. L.I. | 3 | 8 | 28 | 105 |
| 74th Highl. L.I. | 1 | 3 | 3 | 63 |
| 79th Cameron Highlanders | 3 | 11 | 58 | 166 |
| 85th Shropshire L.I. | 1 | 3 | 12 | 37 |
| 83rd R. Irish R. | 1 | 1 | 6 | 36 |
| 88th Connaught Rangers | 1 | 2 | 12 | 53 |
| 92nd Gordon Highlanders | - | 3 | 7 | 43 |
| 95th Rifle Brig. | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19 |
The feature of the action was the marvellous gallantry of a troop of horse artillery under Norman Ramsay, which, though surrounded by the French, cut its way through the hostile hosts, and, amidst the tumultuous applause of the whole army, rejoined Wellington, with guns intact, but with the loss of half its men.
The following regiments appear in the casualty returns published in the London Gazette, but do not yet bear the battle honour:
| Regiments. | Officers. | Men. | ||
| K. | W. | K. | W. | |
| Royal Scots | - | - | - | 9 |
| 5th Northumberland Fus. | - | - | - | 7 |
| 9th Norfolk | - | - | - | 4 |
| 30th E. Lancs | - | - | - | 4 |
| 50th West Kent | - | 2 | 3 | 24 |
| 94th Connaught Rangers | - | - | - | 7 |