“Barrosa, 5th March, 1811.
“My dear Doyle,
“Your regiment has covered itself with glory. Recommend it and its commander (Gough) to their illustrious patron, the Prince Regent: too much cannot be done for it.
“Ever yours,
(Signed) “T. Graham.”
Major Hugh Gough was promoted to the brevet rank of Lieut.-Colonel, in consequence of Lieut.-General Graham’s recommendation, for his gallantry at Barrosa, and also received a medal for that battle.
On the 18th of April 1811, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent was pleased to approve of the Eighty-seventh being in future styled “The Eighty-seventh, or Prince of Wales’s Own Irish Regiment,” and of its bearing, as a badge of honor, on the regimental colour and appointments an Eagle with a Wreath of Laurel, above the Harp, in addition to the arms of His Royal Highness, in commemoration of the distinguished gallantry of the second battalion on various occasions, and particularly at the battle of Barrosa on the 5th of March 1811.
Both Houses of Parliament unanimously voted their thanks to Lieut.-General Graham, and the officers and men under his command, for this victory, and their valour and ability were highly applauded by the nation.
The importance of the victory was fully appreciated by Lieut.-General Viscount Wellington, K.B., who in a letter to Lieut.-General Graham, of the 25th of March, thus expressed himself:—
“I beg to congratulate you and the brave troops under your command, on the signal victory which you gained on the 5th instant. I have no doubt whatever, that their success would have had the effect of raising the siege of Cadiz, if the Spanish corps had made any effort to assist them; and I am equally certain, from your account of the ground, that if you had not decided with the utmost promptitude to attack the enemy, and if your attack had not been a most vigorous one, the whole allied army would have been lost.