Historical record of the Ninety-second Regiment, originally termed "The Gordon Highlanders" and numbered the Hundredth Regiment

by Richard Cannon

The troops resumed their march from Truxillo to a bivouac near Jaraicejo on the 19th of September, and on the day following crossed a pontoon bridge thrown over the Tagus, where that of the enemy formerly stood, and bivouacked near Almaraz; on the 21st the division proceeded to Naval Moral; on the 22nd marched to Calzada de Oropeza; on the 23rd to La Gartera, and there halted.

On the 26th of September, Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill’s division marched to Talavera de la Reinha; on the 27th to Cebolla; on the 28th to Torrijos; on the 29th to Toledo; on the 30th to a bivouac near Villa Mejor; and on the 1st of October to quarters in Aranjuez.

At this period, the Marquis of Wellington was engaged in the siege of the Castle of Burgos. Information was also received that Marshal Soult and King Joseph, with their united armies, were advancing from Valencia, and that their advanced guard was in the neighbourhood of Ocanna, and moving on Madrid.

In consequence of the necessity of raising the siege of the Castle of Burgos, and retreating, the NINETY-SECOND, and other corps under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, moved from Aranjuez on the 23rd of October, crossed the Tagus, and marched to Colominarde Orejo; on the 25th advanced to the bridge of Fuentes Duenna; on the 27th of October, the enemy appeared on the opposite bank of the river and reconnoitred. The troops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill marched on the following day to Villa Conejos, and on the same evening crossed the Jarama at Puente Larga, and went into position; on the 29th they marched to a bivouac near Valle de Moro; on the 30th near Abavaca; and on the 31st to El Escurial. The Marquis of Wellington, with the main body of the army, was at this period returning from the neighbourhood of Burgos towards Salamanca.

The NINETY-SECOND marched to a bivouac near the village of Guadarama on the 1st of November; on the 2nd crossed the Guadarama mountains, and bivouacked at Villa Castine; on the 3rd at Blasco Sancho; on the 4th at Naveos Duenna; on the 5th at Canaracillo; on the 7th crossed the river at Alba de Tormes, and bivouacked. On the 8th of November, the battalion was ordered into the town of Alba de Tormes to defend it, the allied army being at this time concentrated between that place and Salamanca.

The French, under Joseph Buonaparte, appeared on the 10th of November in great force on the heights above, and close to Alba de Tormes; after reconnoitring the place, the enemy commenced a very hot cannonade from a numerous artillery; at the same time pushing forward his light troops close under the old walls of the town, his columns ready to advance at the first appearance of the British being staggered by the effects of his artillery and numerous sharpshooters.

No such opportunity occurred, and the enemy withdrew his guns, after firing upwards of fifteen hundred shot and shell in about three hours. Such was the steadiness of the brigade, that he could not venture on the assault of a place surrounded by an old Moorish wall, in a state of perfect ruin, assailable at all points, and without any other defence than the brave troops that lined it. A strong force was kept watching the motions of the allies, and the enemy’s light troops kept up a skirmish during the 11th, 12th, and 13th of November.

The NINETY-SECOND had eight rank and file killed; Lieutenant Andrew Will and thirty-three rank and file were wounded.

At daylight on the morning of the 14th of November, the enemy’s cavalry were seen crossing the Tormes, about a league above the town, which was evacuated in the course of the day; the bridge blown up, and a small Spanish garrison left in the castle. This night the NINETY-SECOND bivouacked on the Arapiles, the whole army being there in position.

On the 15th of November, the enemy appeared in force about Mozarbes, and his numerous cavalry was observed moving to its left, upon the British line of communication with Ciudad Rodrigo. Towards evening the allied troops were directed to retire from the right, and the NINETY-SECOND bivouacked in a wood behind the Rio Valmuza; on the 16th near Matilla; and on the 17th behind the Rio Cuebra. During these days, the rear-guard was engaged in affairs with the enemy’s cavalry and light artillery. On the 18th the battalion bivouacked near Moraesverde; on the 19th marched to Zamarra; on the 20th to Robledo, and halted.