| 1st | or Capt. McIntyre’s. | 4th | or Capt. Walker’s. |
| 2nd | ” Hall’s. | 6th | ” Spottiswoode’s. |
| 3rd | ” Adamson’s. | 10th | ” Lewis Grant’s. |
They consisted of 2 field officers, 6 captains, 15 lieutenants, 7 ensigns, 4 staff, 38 sergeants, 12 drummers, and 603 rank and file.
On the 14th of September the above companies embarked in the Downs on board the Melpomene and St. Fiorenzo frigates, three companies with the staff, and Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Nathaniel Levett Peacocke, on board the former; the remaining three companies, under Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Reynell, afterwards colonel of the regiment, on board the latter. They sailed on the following day for Lisbon, and entered the Tagus on the 25th of September, after a short and pleasant passage. The companies were disembarked on the following day, and quartered in the San Benito and Espirito Santo convents.
The greatest exertions were made to complete the companies in field equipment, bât-mules, &c., which being effected, the detachment marched from Lisbon on the 2nd of October to Mafra, where it was shortly afterwards joined by Lieut.-Colonel the Honourable Henry Cadogan, who assumed the command, and Lieut.-Colonel Peacocke returned to the second battalion in North Britain. The detachment being ordered to join the army under Lieut.-General Viscount Wellington, then retreating before Marshal Massena, Prince of Essling, marched from Mafra on the 8th of October, and on the 10th of that month effected the junction at Sobral, where it was brigaded with the Fiftieth and Ninety-second Regiments under Major-General Sir William Erskine, in the first division under Lieut.-General Sir Brent Spencer, K.B.
The army having retired into a position in the rear of Sobral, that place was occupied by the Seventy-first, having for its support the Fiftieth and Ninety-second Regiments and Major-General Alan Cameron’s brigade. On the 12th of October the pickets were violently attacked by the enemy’s advance, and retired skirmishing. In the meantime the place was ordered to be evacuated, and the pickets having joined, the Seventy-first took up a position on the outside, within musket-shot of the town. In this affair the detachment had 8 men killed and 34 wounded.
In this position the Seventy-first continued, when on the 14th of October they were again attacked with the greatest impetuosity, and charged with the bayonet. The enemy was completely repulsed, with very considerable loss in killed and wounded, being chased to the spot from which he made the attack. Both parties resumed their original position.
In Viscount Wellington’s despatch reporting this affair, the names of Lieut.-Colonel the Honourable Henry Cadogan, commanding the Seventy-first, and that of Brevet Lieut.-Col. Thomas Reynell, were particularly mentioned.
A soldier of the sixth company, named John Rea, behaved on this occasion in the most gallant manner, and particularly distinguished himself, for which he received a silver medal with the following inscription:—“To John Rea, for his exemplary courage and good conduct as a soldier at Sobral, 14th October, 1810.”
On the 15th of October the Seventy-first was ordered to withdraw into the position at Zibriera, which was in continuation of the lines of Torres Vedras. In this celebrated position, which bid defiance to the French army, the troops were constantly on the alert, occupied in rendering it as strong as circumstances would admit, and in observing the motions of the enemy.
Marshal Massena did not think proper to attack the British army in this stronghold, and occupied his time in reconnaissances and demonstrations, until compelled, through want of provisions and consequent sickness of his troops, to abandon his designs, and retire to a position in his rear. This object he finally effected in a masterly manner, in the night, between the 14th and 15th of November, followed by the allied forces. Both armies thus evacuated positions on which the attention of Europe had been fixed, and which they had occupied for a month in presence of each other.