"Our position was now taken up in such a way that our line ran along the frontiers of Portugal, maintaining the blockade of Almeida by our left, while our right kept open the communication with Sabugal, the place where the last action was fought.
"The French advanced on our position in three columns, about three o'clock in the afternoon, and detached a strong body of troops against Fuentes, which was at this time occupied as an advance post by the 60th Regiment (1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps), and the light company of our division. The skirmishers were covered in their advance by cavalry, in consequence of which ours were obliged to fall back for greater safety to some stone fences on the outskirts of the village, while a party of our German hussars covered their retreat.
"The cavalry now commenced skirmishing, the infantry keeping up an occasional fire. It was rather remarkable that the cavalry on both sides happened to be Germans. When this was understood, volleys of insulting language, as well as shot, were exchanged between them. One of our hussars got so enraged at something one of his opponents said, that, raising his sword, he dashed forward upon him into the very centre of their line. The insulting hussar, seeing that he had no mercy to expect from his enraged foe, wheeled about his horse, and rode to the rear. The other, determined on revenge, still continued to follow him. The whole attention, on both sides, was drawn for a moment to these two, and a temporary cessation of firing took place. The French stared in astonishment at our hussar's temerity, while our men were cheering him on. The chase continued for some way to the rear of their cavalry. At last, our hussar, coming up with him, fetched a furious blow, and brought him to the ground.
"Awakening now to a sense of the danger he had thrown himself into, he set his horse at full speed to get back to his comrades, but the French, who were confounded when he passed, had recovered their surprise, and, determined on avenging the death of their comrade, they joined in pursuit, firing their pistols at him. The poor fellow was now in a hazardous plight; they were every moment gaining upon him, and he had still a long way to ride. A band of the enemy took a circuit for the purpose of intercepting him, and before he could reach the line, he was surrounded, and would have been cut to pieces, had not a party of his comrades, stimulated by the wish to save so brave a fellow, rushed forward, and arrived just in time, by making the attack general, to save his life, and brought him off in triumph.
"The overwhelming force which the French now pushed forward on the village could not be withstood by the small number of troops which defended it; they were obliged to give way, and were fairly forced to a rising ground on the other side, where stood a small chapel. The French now thought they had gained their point, but they were soon undeceived, for, being reinforced at this place by the Portuguese cacadores, our lads came to the right-about, and attacked them with such vigour that in a short time they were driven back to their old ground. While retreating through the town, one of our sergeants, who had run up the wrong street, being pushed hard by the enemy, ran into one of the houses; they were close at his heels, and he had just time to wrench open the door of a cupboard in a recess and tumble himself into a large chest, when they entered and commenced plundering the house, expressing their wonder, at the same time, concerning the sudden disappearance of the 'Anglois' whom they had seen run into the house. During the time the poor sergeant lay sweating and half smothered they were busy breaking open everything that came in their way, looking for plunder, and they had just discovered the concealed door of his hiding-place when the noise of our men cheering, as they charged the enemy through the town, forced them to take flight. The sergeant now got out, and having joined his company, assisted in driving the French back.
"No other part of the line had as yet been attacked by the French; they seemed bent on taking the village of Fuentes in the first place, as a stepping-stone, and the main body of each army lay looking at each other. Finding that the force they had sent down, great as it was, could not keep possession of the place, they sent forward two strong bodies of fresh troops to re-attack it, one of which, composed of the Irish Legion, dressed in red uniform, was at first taken for a British regiment, and they had time to form up, and give us a volley before the mistake was discovered.
"The village was now vigorously attacked by the enemy at two points, and with such a superior force, that, in spite of the unparalleled bravery of our troops, they were driven back, contesting every inch of the ground.
"On our retreat through the village, we were met by the 71st Regiment, cheering and led on by Colonel Cadogan, which had been detached from the line to our support. The chase was now turned, and although the French were obstinately intent on keeping their ground, and so eager that many of their cavalry had entered the town and rushed furiously down the streets, all their efforts were in vain; nothing could withstand the charge of the gallant 71st, and in a short time, in spite of all resistance, they cleared the village."
[This regiment (1st Battalion Highland Light Infantry) was always remarkable for its gallantry. The brave Cadogan well knew the art of rendering his men invincible; he knew that the courage of the British soldier is best called forth by associating it with his country, and he also knew how to time the few words which produced such magical effects.]
"We were now once more in possession of the place, but our loss, as well as that of the French, had been very great. In particular places of the village, where a stand had been made, or the shot brought to bear, the slaughter had been immense. The French, enraged at being thus baffled in all their attempts to attack the town, sent forward a force composed of the very flower of their army, but they gained only a temporary advantage, for, being reinforced by the 79th Regiment—although the contest remained doubtful until night—we remained in possession of it, with the exception of a few houses on the rise of the hill at the French side. The light brigade of our division was now withdrawn, and the 71st and 79th Regiments remained as a picquet in it during the night. Next morning it was again occupied as before. On the 4th both sides were busily employed burying the dead and bringing in the wounded, French and English promiscuously mixed, and assisted each other in that melancholy duty, as if they had been intimate friends…. During this day, the French generals reconnoitred our position, and next morning (the 5th), they made a movement to their left with two strong columns. This caused a corresponding movement in our lines, and it was scarcely made, when they attacked our right, composed of the 7th Division, with all their cavalry, and succeeded in turning it, but they were gallantly met by some squadrons of our dragoons, and repulsed. Their columns of infantry still continued to advance on the same point, and were much galled by the heavy fire kept up on them by the 7th Division, but in consequence of this movement, our communication with Sabugal was abandoned for a stronger position, and our army was now formed in two lines, the Light Division and cavalry in reserve. This manœuvre paralysed their attack on our line, and their efforts were chiefly confined to partial cannonading, and some charges with their cavalry, which were received and repulsed by the 3rd Regiment of Guards in one instance; but, as they were falling back, they did not perceive the charge of a different body of the enemy's cavalry in time to form, and many of them were killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. Colonel Hill, who commanded the picquets, was among the latter; the 42nd Regiment (The Black Watch) also, under Lord Blantyre, gallantly repulsed another charge made by the enemy's cavalry. The Frenchmen then attempted to push a strong body of light infantry down the ravine to the right of the 1st Division, but they were driven back by some companies of the Guards and 95th Rifles (now the "Rifle Brigade.")