I conclude with mentioning that the only request expressed to me, at head-quarters, on the morning of the 6th, on knowing of my intention to send the British troops across the river St. Petri, was that the opportunity of withdrawing the Spanish troops, during the night, was lost; and on my observing that, after such a defeat, there was no risk of attack from an enemy, a very contrary opinion was maintained.
In point of fact, no enemy ever appeared during several days employed in bringing off the wounded and burying the dead. It may be proper to remark on the report published relative to the enemy’s number at St. Petri, (4500 men of Villat’s division,) that, by the concurrent testimony of all the French officers here, general Villat’s division had charge of the whole line,—what, then, must be the strength of that division to have afforded 4500 men to St. Petri alone? In order to establish, by authentic documents, facts which may have been disputed, and to elucidate others, I enclose, by way of appendix, the reports of various officers of this division.
I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c.
(Signed) Thos. Graham,
Lt.-General.
P.S. I must add this postscript distinctly to deny my having spoken, at head-quarters, in the evening of the 5th, of sending for more troops, or for provisions from the Isla. My visit was a very short one, of mere ceremony. I may have asked if the Spanish troops expected were arrived. This error must have arisen from the difficulty of conversing in a foreign language.
With this I send you a sketch of the ground, &c. of the action of Barrosa; by which it will be seen how impossible, according to my judgement, it would be for an enemy to expose his left flank, by making a direct attack through the wood on the Barmeja position, while that of Barrosa was occupied in force by the allied army.
SECTION 2.
Adjutant-general’s state of the troops assembled at Tarifa, under the command of the lieut.-general Graham, 25th Feb. 1810.
| Designations. | Number of bayonets. | Commanders. | |
| Two squadrons of 2d German Hussars. | ” | Major Busche. | |
| Detachment of artillery. | Major Duncan. 10 guns | ||
| Detachment of engineers | 47 | Captain Birch. | |
| Brigade of guards, reinforced by a detachment of the 2d battalion 95th rifles | } | 1221 | Brigadier-gen. Dilke. |
| 1st battalion 28th foot; 2d battalion 67th; 2d battalion 87th; reinforced with 2 companies of the 20th Portuguese | } | 1764 | Colonel Wheatley. |
| Flank battalion composed of detachments of the 3d battalion 95th rifles and two companies of the 47th foot | } | 594 | Lt.-col. A. Barnard, 95th regt. |
| Two companies of 2d battalion 9th regt.; two companies of 1st battalion 28th regt.; two companies of 2d battalion 82 regt. | } | 475 | Lt.-col. Brown, 28th regt. |
| One Company of the royal staff corps | 33 | Lieutenant Reid. | |
| —— | |||
| Total number of bayonets | 4114 | ||
| The hussars were about | 180 | ||
| —— | |||
| Total of sabres and bayonets | 4294, | with 10 guns. | |
| —— | |||