The regiment remained at Cork barracks until April, 1809, when it proceeded into extensive cantonments (head-quarters at Clonmell), from whence it was withdrawn in August following, and eight troops, of eighty rank and file and eighty horses per troop, embarked at Cork for Portugal. The transports sailed on the 2nd of September, and on the 12th and 13th of that month the regiment landed at Lisbon, and occupied the barracks at Belem.
1810
The British army in Portugal, commanded by Lord Wellington, was occupying quarters on the Mondego. The Royal Dragoons marched a few stages up the country in January, 1810, and were stationed at Santarem and Torres Novas, in the province of Estremadura; from whence they marched, in February, to Niza and Alphalo, in the Alentejo.
The enemy having an immense superiority of numbers, the British commander was reduced to the necessity of acting on the defensive, and his ultimate object was the protection of Lisbon. He, however, resolved to maintain a frontier position as long as possible; and, Ciudad Rodrigo being menaced in the end of April, the Royal Dragoons were ordered to advance to Belmonte, in the province of Beira, where they arrived on the 5th of May. The French army, commanded by Marshal Massena, Prince of Esling, proved so numerous, that all hope of preserving Ciudad Rodrigo was abandoned. The Royal Dragoons left Belmonte on the 9th of June, and proceeded to Villa Velha, from whence they marched, on the 1st of July, to Ville de Touro, and towards the end of the same month to Alverca; the enemy having taken Ciudad Rodrigo and besieged Almeida, the advanced posts of the British army were removed to Frexadas.
The French took Almeida on the 27th of August, and on the following day attacked a squadron of the Royals and a squadron of the fourteenth light dragoons on piquet at Frexadas, under the command of Major Dorville. The enemy brought forward a superior force of cavalry, supported by infantry; but the two British squadrons, undaunted by superior numbers, charged the French horsemen with signal gallantry, and drove them from the field with the loss of many men killed and wounded, and five taken prisoners.[55] The Royals lost, in this encounter, two men and one horse killed, and two men and one horse wounded.
The allied army retired a short distance. The Royal Dragoons continued to be actively employed, and, in a skirmish with the enemy on the 2nd of September at Alverca, on the main road to Almeida, they had a serjeant wounded. The regiment retired from its advanced position on the same day, and on the 19th of that month was stationed at Santa Comba Dão.
The enemy continued to press upon the rear of the British army, and a party of the Royal Dragoons had another encounter with the French on the 21st of September, and had one man wounded, and another wounded and taken prisoner.
Lord Wellington having resolved to make a stand on the heights of Busaco, the army retired to that position, covered by the Royals and fourteenth light dragoons. During the severe contest in the mountains on the 27th of September, the Royals were formed in reserve behind the position; and when the army retired to the celebrated lines of Torres Vedras, the Royals once more occupied the post of honour in the rear of the line of march. The French pressing upon the retiring army near Pombal on the 5th of October, their audacity was punished by a piquet of the Royals commanded by Lieutenant Carden, who charged the enemy and drove them back with loss; but, having advanced too far in pursuit, the lieutenant and one man, who were both wounded, were taken prisoners: the piquet, however, captured and brought off a French cavalry officer. The enemy's leading corps, being supported by immense columns, continued to hover round the rear of the allied army; and the temerity of their cavalry was again chastised on the 9th of October, near Quinta de Torre, by a squadron of the Royal Dragoons, which made a gallant charge, driving the French horsemen back with loss, and forcing them to take shelter behind a corps of infantry. This corps was too strong to be attacked by the squadron, and the Royals, having received a volley, retired with the loss of six horses killed, and one serjeant-major and two men wounded, with four men wounded and taken prisoners.
On the following day the allied army was in position in the fortified lines, where it opposed to the advance of the enemy a barrier so formidable that Marshal Massena, after several reconnoisances, declined to attack it, and retired during the night of the 14th of November. On the 15th the Royal Dragoons were despatched after the enemy, and a piquet of the regiment took a serjeant and five French dragoons prisoners.