In the movement upon Almaraz the EIGHTY-EIGHTH joined Brigadier-General Craufurd’s brigade. In this position, very appropriately named by the soldiers “Hungry Hill,” it suffered much from the tardy and defective supply of rations; a situation the more trying to the men from its contrast to the exuberant plenty they had recently enjoyed in the north of Portugal. Subsequently, the regiment occupied, for some time, the town of Campo Mayor, where Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Wallace joined and took the command of the battalion, which received, also, a detachment of three hundred men from the second battalion. Advantage was immediately taken of the regiments becoming, even for a short time stationary, to commence a system of drilling necessary for the re-establishment of that discipline which, during the incessant activity of the preceding months, had unavoidably been somewhat neglected. The task required great zeal and firmness, activity and energy; but Lieutenant-Colonel Wallace showed himself fully competent to it, and had the satisfaction and honour of rendering his corps, what it afterwards was acknowledged to be, one of the finest service regiments in the Peninsular army. At Campo Mayor, also, the EIGHTY-EIGHTH set the example, which was speedily followed by other regiments, of forming a regimental mess; indeed, a marked friendliness and cordiality reigned throughout the corps. About this time Major Vandeleur died,[6] and Colonel Donkin, who commanded the brigade, quitted the army, addressing previous to his departure a letter to Colonel Wallace, from which the following are extracts:— “The distinguished bravery of the EIGHTY-EIGHTH Regiment at Talavera, I shall ever reflect upon with admiration; and this splendid quality has been set off, first, by the utmost patience under the greatest fatigues and privations, and latterly, by the most exemplary behaviour while in a state of repose. “I request you will be pleased to accept for yourself and your gallant corps, my warmest acknowledgments and best wishes, and convey to it my sincere assurance that should the chance of service ever place it again under my command, it will be one of the highest gratifications that I can receive.” Towards the end of the year (1809), the EIGHTY-EIGHTH removed from Campo Mayor, and occupied the town of Pinhel in the province of Beira: it was brigaded with the Forty-Fifth and Seventy-Fourth, under Colonel Henry Mackinnon, and formed part of the third (or what was afterwards known by the appellation of the “fighting”) division of the army commanded by Lieutenant-General Picton. [Sidenote: 1810]