The Thirty-sixth had the good fortune to take a distinguished share in the battle of Vimiera on the 21st of August; and the gallantry of the battalion was particularly noticed by Lieut.-General the Honorable Sir Arthur Wellesley in the General Orders of that day.
The battalion had nine rank and file killed; Captain Paul Minchin Hobart; Lieutenants H. S. Hart, Thomas Wright, and Walter Ewart; Ensign Peter Joseph Bone; Lieutenant and Adjutant John Povah, and twenty-three rank and file, were wounded.
The conduct of the battalion and of its commanding officer, Colonel Burne, was thus specially noticed by Lieut.-General the Honorable Sir Arthur Wellesley in his despatch of the 21st of August;—
“In mentioning Colonel Burne, and the Thirty-sixth regiment, to you upon this occasion, I cannot avoid to add that the regular and orderly conduct of this corps throughout this service, and their gallantry and discipline in action have been conspicuous.”
In a letter dated 22d of August 1808 (inserted in the Appendix, [page 122]), addressed to Viscount Castlereagh, Secretary of State, Lieut.-General the Honorable Sir Arthur Wellesley bore further testimony to the merits of Colonel Burne, and stated, that “the Thirty-sixth regiment is an example to the army.”
The thanks of both Houses of Parliament were conferred on the troops, and the Thirty-sixth subsequently received the Royal Authority to bear the word “Vimiera” on the regimental colour and appointments in commemoration of this battle.[17]
The “Convention of Cintra” was the result of this victory, and it was signed on the 30th of August; by its provisions the French army evacuated Portugal, which country became freed from its oppressors.
The British army was ordered to move forward to Lisbon, some of the reinforcements for it having proceeded by water, and occupied the forts at the mouth of the Tagus. The French army having by this convention fallen back on Lisbon, the British proceeded to the vicinity of Fort St. Julien, and encamped.
All the objects of the expedition being carried into effect, and the French troops embarked for France, the British army remained for some time at Lisbon and its vicinity. At this period (September) Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, having assumed the command, made dispositions for entering Spain.
The first battalions of the Thirty-sixth, Seventy-first, and Ninety-second regiments were brigaded under Brigadier-General Catlin Craufurd, and placed in the division under the command of Lieut.-General the Honorable John Hope, afterwards the Earl of Hopetoun. On the 27th of October the division was put in motion, and after a short stay at Badajoz resumed the march to Talavera-de-la-Reyna. From this town the column proceeded to the Escurial, seven leagues to the north-west of Madrid, where it arrived and halted on the 22d of November.