The first battalion remaining on home service was removed, in March, 1810, from Bexhill to Lewes, and on the 12th of August was, with several other corps, reviewed on Brighton Downs by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, attended by his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, (afterwards King William IV.,) who expressed themselves in terms of approbation of its appearance and discipline. Two days afterwards the battalion marched to Portsmouth, where it embarked for Ireland, and on its arrival was quartered at Fermoy.
1811
During the early part of 1811, the second battalion remained in the lines of Torres Vedras, where Major-General the Honourable Charles Colville took command of the brigade. The enemy, defeated in his purpose, reduced in numbers by sickness, and in want of provisions, was obliged to retreat; and the second battalion of the Fifth, moving with its division from the lines, was employed in the pursuit of Marshal Massena towards the frontiers of Portugal. It was frequently engaged with the enemy's rear guards, and on the 12th of March had a sharp affair at Redinha, where, descending from the woody heights on the enemy's left, it cleared the grounds in its front in fine style, and forded a deep and rapid river, under the fire of the enemy, when Lieutenant Clerke, already mentioned as commanding the light company at Busaco, was severely wounded in the leg, which he lost in consequence.
The battalion continued to take an active part in the pursuit; and in the action at Sabugal, on the 3rd of April, it forded the river Coa, and immediately afterwards, on ascending the heights, and while the brigade was forming on one of the centre companies of the Fifth, the skirmishers were rapidly driven in. The Fifth, commanded by Major Ridge, suddenly found itself in presence of a strong French column, upon which it instantly advanced, opening at the same time a heavy fire; the enemy was repulsed with severe loss, and driven precipitately, and in the greatest disorder, down the hill. In this affair Lieutenant Sinclair was killed, and Ensign Williams, one serjeant, and five rank and file, wounded.
Almeida having been blockaded by the British, the French advanced to relieve the place, and crossed the frontiers of Portugal on the 2nd of May. On that day the battalion of the Fifth was again in sight of the enemy, and on the 5th of the same month it was present, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel King (who had rejoined), at the battle of Fuentes d'Onor, where the enemy was defeated, and his design to relieve Almeida frustrated. In this action the battalion had four rank and file wounded.
Immediately after the battle of Fuentes d'Onor, the second battalion of the Fifth was detached to the south to join the forces under Marshal Beresford, and it was employed in the second siege of Badajoz, where it was one of the first corps to break ground. In the operations of this siege, which was raised on the morning of the 17th of June, Lieutenant Sedgwick of the Fifth (acting as engineer) and three rank and file were killed, and one serjeant and three rank and file were wounded.
Returning to the north, the battalion commanded by Major Ridge was stationed, during the month of August and part of September, in the village of Fuente Guinaldo, then the head-quarters of Lord Wellington: it was the only British corps in the village, and was considered such a favourite as to have acquired the nom de guerre of "Lord Wellington's body-guard."
It was afterwards employed in the blockade of Ciudad Rodrigo; and on the 24th of September it was ordered to a position on the heights near the village of El Bodon, on the left of the Agueda and within a few miles of Ciudad Rodrigo. The enemy, having assembled an immense force to relieve the place, advanced on the morning of the 25th, and the second battalion of the Fifth sustained an attack from a vastly superior French force, consisting of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, in so distinguished a manner, that its conduct was held up in General Orders as an example to the whole army. The behaviour of the battalion on this proud occasion is described by Lord Wellington in his public despatch as follows:—
"The enemy's attention was principally directed during this day (the 25th) to the portion of the third division on the hills between Fuente Guinaldo and Pastores. About eight in the morning they moved a column, consisting of between thirty and forty squadrons of cavalry, and fourteen battalions of infantry, and twelve pieces of cannon, from Ciudad Rodrigo, in such a direction that it was doubtful whether they would attempt to ascend the hills by Encina, El Bodon, or by the direct road towards Fuente Guinaldo, and I was not certain by which road they would make their attack till they actually commenced it upon the last. As soon as I saw the direction of their march, I had reinforced the second battalion of the Fifth regiment, which occupied the post on the hill, over which the road passes to Guinaldo, by the Seventy-seventh regiment, and by the Twenty-first Portuguese regiment, under the command of Major-General the Honourable Charles Colville, and Major-General Alten's brigade, of which only three squadrons remained, which had not been detached, drawn from El Bodon, and I ordered there a brigade of the fourth division, from Fuente Guinaldo, and afterwards from El Bodon the remainder of the troops of the third division, with the exception of those at Pastores, which were too distant. In the mean time, however, the small body of troops at this post sustained the attack of the enemy's cavalry and artillery. One regiment of French dragoons succeeded in taking two pieces of cannon, which had been posted on a rising ground on the right of our troops; but they were charged by the second battalion of the Fifth regiment, under the command of Major Ridge, and the guns were immediately re-taken.
"While this operation was going on on the flank, an attack was made on the front by another regiment, which was repulsed in a similar manner by the Seventy-seventh regiment, and the three squadrons of Major-General Alten's brigade charged repeatedly different bodies of the enemy, which ascended the hill on the left of the two regiments of British infantry, the Portuguese regiment being posted in the rear of their right.