Letter No. XII
To his Parents from Espeja, dated 18th May 1811
Graphic account of the action near Sabugal—A running fight for two miles—The 43rd Light Infantry and Portuguese Caçadores support the Rifles—The skirmishers suddenly come upon the French posted in strength, and have to fall back—Colonel Beckwith's coolness in action—Picton's Division arrives—Gallantry of the French officers—The French retire—Skirmishing about Almeida—The fighting prior to the battle of Fuentes de Oñoro—The inhabitants of the town ordered to clear out—Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro—Losses of the Rifles—Exceptional amount of fighting which fell to them—Anxiety as to the welfare of his family—Scarcity of food and clothing—A brown "Green jacket"—Wants a good "spy-glass."
Journal—26th March-25th May 1811
1811 March 26th
Marched to Celorico. The enemy evacuated it yesterday, and had an officer and thirty men taken by our cavalry.
27th
The Division remained in bivouac.
28th
The Light Division (with the exception of the right wing 95th) crossed the Mondego and occupied the villages of Baraca and Minhoeal. That wing made a forced march to Alverca da Beira, where the cavalry had their outposts. A party of Rifles (100), under the command of Captain Beckwith, was sent to dislodge a body of the enemy from a mill in the front of Freixeda, at which mill, Johnny was busily employed grinding flour, and another body of the enemy was baking it in the town. The enemy were driven from the mill, and twenty prisoners captured, but we had to regret the loss of a gallant fellow in Brigade-Major Stewart, who was killed on incautiously entering the town, some French soldiers firing at him quite close, from a window. I was requested to examine his wound by Colonel Beckwith, and report how he came by his death, as his head was deeply cut in the forehead and it was feared by some that when wounded he had been deliberately murdered. I gave my opinion that from a musket ball having entered his left breast, and passed through his heart as he rode forward, he had instantly fallen upon his head. The place he was riding over being granite rocks, and he being a heavy man, the fall had scarred his head as it then appeared. My supposition satisfied every one.