The excellent conduct of the brigade was mentioned in Lord Wellington's despatch; and Lieut.-Colonel Brooke, who commanded the regiment, was also spoken of in terms of commendation.
During the assault, Private George Hatton, of the light company of the King's Own, bayonetted the officer who carried the colours of the regiment of Hesse d'Armstadt, in the French service, and captured the colours, which he had the honour of presenting on the following day to Lord Wellington, who rewarded him with a present of money, and desired that he might be promoted.
The King's Own acquired by its gallantry on this occasion the honour of the royal permission to bear the word Badajoz on its colours.
Shortly after the capture of Badajoz the Fourth marched with the army towards the Agueda; on the 14th of May, the second battalion joined from Ceuta; and the brigade, consisting of the two battalions of the King's Own, and second battalions of the thirtieth and forty-fourth regiments, was commanded by Major-General Pringle; Major-General Walker having returned to England in consequence of his wounds received at the storming of Badajoz.
The Fourth advanced with the army to Salamanca, and this city being rescued from the power of the enemy, exhibited a scene of tumultuous joy and rejoicing; the houses were illuminated, and the people, shouting and singing, welcomed their deliverers; while the army took up a position on the mountain of St. Christoval a few miles in advance; but the Fourth remained behind the Tormes, and the forts which the enemy occupied at Salamanca were besieged. Marshal Marmont advancing on the 20th of June, to succour the forts, the regiment crossed the Tormes and was formed with the army in order of battle on the top of the mountain. After the capture of the forts, the enemy retired towards the Douro, and the regiment descended the heights and followed the French army, which took up a new position near Tordesillas.
The King's Own bivouacked in front of Tordesillas from the 2d to the 9th of July, and at Nava del Rey until the 16th; the weather being fine, the country rich, rations regularly supplied, and wine abundant, the soldiers fared luxuriously; but the enemy having passed the Douro and the Trabancos, turned the left of the allies, and marched on the 18th of July towards the Guarena, when the British retired. The two armies directing their march towards the Guarena as to one common goal, and important results depending on which should first pass the stream, a strife of speed arose. Several of the hostile columns, proceeding in parallel lines a distance of ten miles, within musket-shot of each other, marched impetuously towards the stream in perfect order, while clouds of dust arose, and a most interesting spectacle presented itself; for the officers on each side, being strangers alike to malice and to fear, were seen pointing with their swords, touching their caps, or waving their hands in courtesy as they urged their course towards the river. The British gained the stream first; the soldiers being tormented with thirst, many of them drank as they marched, and others halting in the river a few moments, were saluted with a shower of bullets; but they passed on, and the French marshal's designs were frustrated. He, however, passed the river on the 20th of July higher up, turned the right flank of the allied army, and gained a new range of hills; when Lord Wellington made a corresponding movement, and an evolution similar to that on the 18th was repeated, and it ended in the British resuming their position on the heights of St. Christoval. The King's Own forded the Tormes on the following day, and were posted in position with the army near Salamanca.
These bold manœuvres of the enemy were watched by the British commander, who waited patiently for an opportunity to strike a decisive blow, and this occurring on the 22d of July, a sanguinary battle was fought. In the early part of the day the King's Own were posted on the slope of one of the heights, called the Arapiles, where they remained until the afternoon, when they moved to the rear of the village of Arapiles; Lord Wellington having detected a fault in his adversaries' movements, ordered his divisions forward, and the battle commenced. In this action the fifth division, commanded by Major-General Sir James Leith, attacking the enemy in front, distinguished itself; and the King's Own,—the first battalion being commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Brooke, and the second by Major David Williamson—had their share in the glories of the day. During the action the first battalion made a brilliant charge on a considerable body of the enemy, and nobly sustained its reputation. The skill of the British commander was bravely seconded by the resolute valour and discipline of the troops; the action lasted until dark, a decisive victory was gained over the enemy, and eleven pieces of cannon, two eagles, and six colours were captured. The gallantry evinced by the King's Own was afterwards rewarded by the privilege of bearing the word Salamanca on their colours; the commanding officers of both battalions were rewarded with medals; Major David Williamson was also promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel on the occasion. Major Piper, who succeeded to the command of the first battalion during the action in consequence of Lieut.-Colonel Brooke[33] being called upon to take the command of the brigade, was likewise rewarded with a medal and the rank of lieutenant-colonel; and Major Alured Faunce, who commanded the light infantry companies of the brigade, also received a medal. The regiment had Major O'Halloran wounded, and forty-eight serjeants and rank and file killed and wounded.
The troops pursued the flying enemy on the following day, and after numerous marches and evolutions, the first battalion of the King's Own proceeded with the army to Madrid, where the British were received with acclamations of joy. Meanwhile the second battalion was in cantonments at Cuellar, with the sixth division under Lieut.-General Sir Henry Clinton; but in September the two battalions were united in front of Burgos during the siege of the castle.
When the concentration of the enemy's forces and the failure of the attack on Burgos rendered a retrograde movement necessary, the army withdrew in the night, and the French following in full career, several skirmishes occurred. On the 24th of October the army was in position behind the Carion, and the King's Own were bivouacked near Villa Muriel. The position was attacked on the following day, and a French column having passed the river, took some prisoners at the village and lined the bed of a canal; the brigade under Major-General Pringle's orders was directed to clear the canal, and the Fourth advanced against their adversaries. The French troops were driven back, the village was re-occupied in force, and the canal was lined by the allied troops; but the army withdrew before day-break on the 26th and the retreat was resumed.
The army took up positions from time to time to retard the advance of the enemy; and having crossed the Douro and the Tormes, it was posted behind the latter river until the middle of November; when a further retreat to Ciudad Rodrigo took place. The King's Own having entered Portugal went into winter quarters at the villages of Valdigeen and Saude, in the vicinity of Lamego.