Although I am presenting this chapter in HTML format, I have retained the pagenation. The pages are separated by horizontal lines and the number of each page appears at the top of the page.

The Regimental  Secretary
The Royal Artillery Institution
Artillery House
Front Parade
R A Barracks
Woolwich, London SE 18 4BH

THE year 1811 was one of great activity in the field, Operations commenced with the retreat of the French army into Spain from the country in front of the Lines of Torres Vedras. This began during the night of 4-5 March. (Oman.¹ IV. pp. 86-7.)
    Thereafter actions, combats, battles, and sieges followed in rapid succession.
    The various "affairs" of the year, in which the Royal Artillery took part were :—
 

Vol. LIII. No. 3.

    "Barrosa" (near the sea-coast, about 15 miles S. from Cadiz), which was an "affair" quite apart from the operations of the main army, will be dealt with first.
    It cannot be said definitely which Companies of R.A. then stationed at Cadiz were attached to the three Brigades of guns which formed the artillery part of the force engaged at Barrosa. Officers, N.C.O's, and men were taken from Companies, as required, but from a careful examination of the Muster Rolls of the six Companies shown in the accompanying List, and taking into consideration the several officers who received medals, with the "Barrosa" clasp, it may, I think, be fairly assumed that the guns were manned by detachments from each of the 6 Companies.
    Cairnes and Raynes, of Dickson's Company, were attached to Roberts's Brigade of guns, and Woolcombe of the same Company was Adjutant to Major A. Duncan, C.R.A. at Cadiz.
    Hunt, who was in command of Campbell's Company, and Grantham, would have been entitled to receive the silver general service medal issued in 1847—if they had been present, as they were then living (see page 405, Vol. LI of the Journal of the Royal Artillery). Some Officers and men must have remained in Cadiz. For list of Officers see pade 386.

Major A. Duncan's Despatch (Public Record Office, W.O. 55/1195,
    p. 111), written on the day after the battle, and addressed to
    Major-General J. MacLeod, D.A.G., R.A., has never been
    published. It is here given in full.

    I have now the satisfaction of making a report to you of our proceedings since the 21st February, which my unceasing occupation from that time has hitherto prevented me from stating in detail as they took place.
    On the 21st we sailed from Cadiz, embarking our three Brigades, viz. Captain Hughes, with three six pounders and one Howitzer; Captain Roberts with the same, and Captain Gardiner¹ with three

¹ 2nd-Captain of Roberts's Company.

nine pounders and a howitzer. From our scarcity of horses and the necessity of attaching six to each six pounder & its Carriages, and eight to each nine pounder, we were obliged thus to curtail the Brigades. On the 25th and 26th, the army arrived and landed at Algeciras and proceeded to Tarifa, the road to which being impracticable for Artillery, the guns and horses went round by sea, and the Detachments marched. As many mules as we could get together here in addition to our horses, were embarked for the conveyance of our reserve gun ammunition and that for the troops, trusting that as we advanced in the country we might purchase or procure others, but in this I was disappointed, so much so as to be obliged to leave at Tarifa a gun from each of the six pounder brigades¹ (the General being particularly desirous that the nine pounders should move complete) in order to forward a sufficient quantity of rifle and musquet ammunition.
    At this place [Tarifa] I found Lieut. Michell² with two guns, a strong detachment and a proportion of mules for their service. He had been there for some months, detached with the 28th Regiment³ from Gibraltar.
    As they moved forward with the Army and as he had always been taught to expect that he should accompany them, I took him on with me, leaving his guns behind, appointing a part of his Detachment and all his mules to the escort and conveyance of small-arm Ammunition. I must here mention that this Officer's local knowledge (for he had on a former late occasion accompanied the 28th Regiment within a league of Medina Sidonia) and his zealous exertions were of great assistance to me in many instances.
    General Graham's dispatch⁴ will detail our march, which, when completed, brought us (together with our Allies who were about 7000) nearly abreast of Chiclana, with our left to the sea, where we

arrived yesterday morning¹ after much fatigue to our Horses, but they got through it extremely well.
    Between eleven and twelve o'clock the Spaniards were engaged with a body of French Troops immediately on the sands opposite to the point of Santi Petri, and in the wood fronting our position; they then pushed forward nearly their whole force to assist those engaged, and General Graham was ordered to follow with our Troops for the purpose of taking up a position between S. Petri and the Enemy.
    No sooner had the British entered the wood, which was of considerable extent, than the main body of the French Troops who must have been well concealed, marched rapidly to possess themselves of the ground we had left. General Graham on being apprized of this (not however until we had considerably advanced into the wood) instantly turned back to meet them. The whole of our Brigades amounting to ten pieces² were marching together in column near the front of the Troops; they immediately counter-marched with the rest and got out of the wood with all speed. As soon as we cleared it the Enemy were seen to be within 1100 yards, and deploying into line on an advantageous position, whilst ours could scarcely have been worse being much confined, low, and in the midst of high Furze; such was the General's anxiety for the Artillery to get into action that we did so before our Troops were up, so that for more than 20 minutes while our Light Corps engaged the Enemys on their right Flank the ten guns (formed together in line) carried on a most destructive fire against their centre and left Flank. The ground admitted of no manœuvering so that the action very quickly became general and I believe a warmer one never took place. Our guns were much exposed to the Enemy's Light Troops and were, besides, enfiladed from the beginning by their Artillery on our Right Flank.
    After an exceeding hot fire for about an hour the General brought up his Second Line, formed closer action and presently charged both forward and to our left Flank where the Enemy had pushed round a considerable force; this ended the day without the assistance (I may almost say) of a single Spaniard out of their 7000!

    The French drew off leaving six pieces of Ordnance, viz:— Two seven Inch Howitzers, Three Heavy 8 Pounders and one 4 Pounder, with some Ammunition waggons. Two Generals (one of them a General of Division), an eagle and an immense number of killed, wounded and prisoners.
    The British have also I fear suffered dreadfully. I must however beg to refer you to the General's dispatches for these Details, and am impatient to report to you that the coolness activity and skill of the Artillery were never more conspicuous than in the conduct of the Officers and men of the Brigades I had the happiness of Commanding; the exertions of every individual in his respective station have been throughout the whole of this expedition beyond any acknowledgement I can make and the fulfilment (or completion if I may so call it) of their duties yesterday surpassed any thing I ever witnessed. I trust you will do me the favour to make a report to this effect to the Master-General of The Ordnance.
    Enclosed I have the honour to transmit a return of the killed & wounded, which when the Establishment of our Brigades curtailed as they were is considered, will pretty clearly shew how far we are justified in saying that the action was a warm one. it is extraordinary that under such a fire our loss in killed should be so trifling, altho’ that of wounded is most severe, the whole of the Enemy's Fire being for a considerable time from the commencement of the action directed against the Battery formed by our guns; indeed their whole force seemed to be directed towards us, and occasioned General Graham to make his formation in rear of the guns, so that much of the fire intended for us reached them and caused dreadful destruction.
    I must not omit to commend the exertion of Lieut. Wilkinson¹ of the Drivers Corps, and the steadiness of the men under his charge, exposed & unoccupied as they were from the Guns remaining stationary during the greater and severest part of the action.
    The British Troops returned in the Evening to this place crossing the Santi Petri River by a bridge that has been for some time constructed there, and at day-light this morning the guns and carriages were passed over.

    I am happy to add that after the action we were instrumental, notwithstanding the fatigue of the men and horses, in carrying off the Field the wounded on our Guns and cars and waggon; no time was to be lost and no other conveyance at the moment was forthcoming, such was the suddenness of the action, and as for this purpose I received an order to destroy all the musquet ammunition, & employ the carts and waggons for the above purpose.
    The Gun detachments,¹ Guns & ammunition of the six pounder Brigades that we were obliged to leave at Tarifa are on their passage from thence round to this place.
    I am most truly concerned to state that Lieut. Woolcombe, the acting adjutant to the Detachment, died this Evening of the wound he received yesterday. A more gallant zealous Officer never existed; to his personal exertions I am so indebted that for every reason both public & private I must most deeply regret his loss. Lieut. Maitland received also a severe wound but from the report of the Surgeons to night there is much hope that he may yet recover, and, that a most valuable & promising young man as he is, may be saved to the service.
    Lieut. Pester's wound was from a musquet ball through the calf of the leg, but is doing extremely well; the other Officers are in the fairest way of recovery and no unpleasant doubts whatever entertained to the contrary. I cannot conclude without assuring you that the effect of the Spherical case² was on this occasion conspicuous.

RETURN of KILLED, Wounded and Missing of the Royal Artillery, Royal Artillery Drivers, and Horses, in the action of 5th March, 1811.
 

        Two seven inch Howitzers.
        Three Heavy Eight Pounders.
        One four Pounder with Cars and Ammunition.

¹ Serving in the Spanish Army.      ² Silver Medal with clasp ‘Barrosa’.      ³ Gold Medal with clasp ‘Barossa’.
⁴ Muster Roll of March records that one gunner died in Cadiz from wounds received at the battle of Barossa.
⁵ Serving in the Portuguese Army. Captain R. H. Birch, 10th Battalion, R.A., was at this time attached to and
   in command of the Company.
⁶ Embarked for England 2 May. Died at Southampton on 31 October, 1811, from the effect of wounds received
   in the battle of Barrosa.                ⁷ In Portugal

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387

    The British force was commanded by Lieut.-General Thomas Graham. His Dispatch on the battle is printed in Wellington's Dispatches, Vol. VII, pp. 381-5). He refers to the R.A. in the following terms :—
        "I owe too much to Major Duncan, and the Officers and Corps of the Royal Artillery,
    not to mention them in terms of the highest approbation; never was artillery better served."