No change was made in the disposition of the army in Portugal until the middle of March, when Lieut.-General Sherbrooke, and Major-General John Randoll McKenzie, with their corps arrived. The army was then drawn together between Lumiar and Sacavem, in which position it encamped until toward the end of April, when Lieut.-General Sir John Cradock commenced his advance towards Spain on the 24th of that month; and when Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley, who had arrived at Lisbon with reinforcements, assumed the command of the army, the force was assembled at Leiria. The first object of Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley was to dislodge Marshal Soult from Oporto, and he accordingly marched towards that city at the end of April.
A corps of British and Portuguese was detached, previous to Sir Arthur Wellesley’s march upon Oporto, under Major-General McKenzie, to watch the right bank of the Tagus in observation of Marshal Victor in Estremadura. The second battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST joined this army, and remained posted at Thomar until after the famous passage of the Douro by the British General, and the fall of Oporto, which compelled Marshal Soult to retreat.
In the month of June the second battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST was at Cortiçada with Major-General McKenzie’s head-quarters, and in that officer’s division reached Placentia, whence on the 17th of July it commenced its march to Oropesa, where it arrived on the 20th. A junction with the Spanish army under General Cuesta was effected here, and on the 22nd the advanced guards, to which the THIRTY-FIRST belonged, moved forward to the attack on the French posts at Talavera. The enemy’s position was turned by the British cavalry and infantry, while the Spanish General drove the French on in front. On the 25th, in consequence of General Cuesta having followed the enemy, two divisions of infantry were sent across the Alberche to Casa Legas. The second battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST was in that commanded by Major-General McKenzie, and was brigaded with the twenty-eighth and forty-fifth regiments.
On the 27th of July, when General Cuesta had retreated from Alcabon under cover of Lieut.-General Sherbrooke’s divisions, Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley withdrew to the position of Talavera, leaving Major-General McKenzie on the Alberche to protect the movement. When the French, on the 27th of July, crossed this river, Major-General McKenzie’s division was posted near the Casa des Salinas, his infantry in the forest, and cavalry on the plain.
The attach was somewhat sudden, and the THIRTY-FIRST and eighty-seventh regiments, which were in the wood on the right of the Alberche, sustained some loss. As the enemy increased his numbers on the British side of the river, Major-General McKenzie fell back gradually, and entering the position by the left of the combined army, took up his ground in a second line, in rear of the foot guards. In the dusk of the evening the enemy commenced his attack on the British left, but failed; in the night the attack was repeated, and on the morning of the 28th of July the French renewed the attack on the height on the British left, and were again repulsed with considerable loss. After a pause of some hours the attacks were renewed upon the whole British front, and the action became general. Brigadier-General Alexander Campbell’s division, on the British right, sustained the assault of the enemy’s fourth corps, assisted by Major-General McKenzie’s brigade. “The English regiments, putting the French skirmishers aside, met the advancing columns with loud shouts, and breaking in on their front, and lapping their flanks with fire, and giving no respite, pushed them back with a terrible carnage. Ten guns were taken; but as General Campbell prudently forbore pursuit, the French rallied on their supports, and made a show of attacking again: vain attempt! The British artillery and musketry played too vehemently upon their masses, and a Spanish regiment of cavalry charging on their flank at the same time, the whole retired in disorder, and the victory was secured in that quarter.”[39]
The ten captured guns remained in possession of the British;—Major-General John Randoll McKenzie was killed;—and the second battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment, under Major John Williams Watson, conducted itself in such a manner as to merit notice in the despatch, as well as approbation in General Orders. Major Watson received a medal, and was afterwards promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel for his conduct on this occasion.
The THIRTY-FIRST, in the actions of the 27th and 28th of July, had Captain William Lodge, two serjeants, and forty-two rank and file killed; Captains Nicolls and Coleman,—Lieutenants George Beamish, Adderley Beamish, and Girdlestone,—Ensigns Gamble and Soden,—Assistant-Surgeon Edwards,—eight serjeants, and one hundred and eighty-two rank and file, wounded. Most of the wounded fell into the hands of the French, on the abandonment of Talavera afterwards by the Spanish General. Assistant-Surgeon Edwards, who was left in charge of the wounded, died shortly afterwards.
The news of the brilliant victory of Talavera, gained over the French army commanded by Joseph Bonaparte in person, excited great joy in England, and Lieut.-General Sir Arthur Wellesley was raised to the peerage by the title of Viscount Wellington. The Royal Authority was afterwards given for the THIRTY-FIRST to bear the word “Talavera” on the Regimental Colour and Appointments, to commemorate the distinguished conduct of the second battalion on that memorable occasion.
After the battle of the 28th of July, the second battalion was posted to Major-General Tilson’s brigade, in the division commanded by Major-General Rowland (afterwards Viscount) Hill; and on the 3rd of August marched from Talavera, in order to oppose the French, who had entered Estremadura by Placentia.