In the Peninsula, the immense preparations of the French for the campaign of 1810, induced Lord Wellington to limit his operations to the defence of Portugal; and the second battalion of the Thirty-fourth was employed, with the division under Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill, on the Alemtejo frontier, in opposition to the French under General Reynier. Portugal being invaded by a powerful French army, under Marshal Massena, Prince of Esling, the British forces withdrew before the superior numbers of the enemy. The movements of the Thirty-fourth were the same as those of the second division of the army, and after passing the Mondego river, early on the morning of the 26th of September, they took post on the right of the position on the rocks of Busaco, where an array of British power was prepared to resist the torrent of invasion. The Prince of Esling assailed this position on the 27th of September, when the furious attacks of the veteran legions of Napoleon were repulsed by British valour. After astonishing efforts, the French fell back; and they subsequently turned the left of the position by a flank movement; when the British commander withdrew to the lines of Torres Vedras, where a series of works, along a range of lofty mountains, opposed a formidable barrier to the progress of the enemy. The Thirty-fourth had their post in the lines, and were stationed at Calendrix, and afterwards at Bucellas.
The French commander viewed the stupendous works of Torres Vedras with surprise, and being unable to accomplish his menace of driving the English into the sea, and planting the eagles of France on the towers of Lisbon, he withdrew to Santarem in the middle of November. On the retrograde movement of the enemy taking place, the division of which the Thirty-fourth formed part, was ordered to cross the Tagus, and move upon Abrantes, to succour that place, or head the march of the enemy. The battalion passed the river on rafts; but when the enemy was found in position at Santarem, Sir Rowland Hill’s division was ordered to halt at Chamusca.
The battalion passed the winter in village cantonments on the left bank of the Tagus, and the country being low and marshy, the health of the soldiers suffered from agues.
On the decease of Lord Southampton, in the summer of this year, the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, from the Sixty-second Foot.
1811
The first battalion suffered from the effects of the climate at Jaulnah, in the East Indies, and was removed in May, 1811, to Secunderabad; when it left one hundred and thirty men in hospital.
To the second battalion was appointed the duty of watching the movements of the enemy, to prevent the passage of the Tagus by the French. On one occasion an island in the river was taken possession of by a detachment of the enemy; but the light companies of the brigade, of which the Thirty-fourth formed part, dislodged the French, and the island was occupied by a company of the regiment, until the 5th of March, when the Prince of Esling quitted his position and retreated.
The Thirty-fourth pursued the retreating enemy towards the confines of Portugal, witnessing scenes of slaughter, devastation, and confusion, produced by the French army, beyond description; the battalion was afterwards detached, with other forces, under Field-Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford, to the relief of Campo Mayor, which fortress was besieged by a detachment from the French army, commanded by Marshal Soult. This place surrendered before the troops marching to its relief arrived, and as the British approached, the French, having dismantled the works, were marching out of the town, when some fighting occurred, in which the Thirteenth Light Dragoons evinced great gallantry.
The fortress of Olivenza was afterwards captured; and the siege of Badajoz was commenced, in which the Thirty-fourth were employed and sustained some loss.