After the battle of Busaco, fought on the 27th of September, the army withdrew from the Sierra, and Lieut.-General Hill’s division marched on Thomar, arriving there on the 4th of October; whence continuing its retreat by Santarem, it took up its ground, on the 8th, on the right of the Torres Vedras lines at Alhandra, on the right of the Tagus, in which position the second battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST had several skirmishes with the enemy, without sustaining much loss. The battalion remained at Alhandra, opposite which was the second French corps under General Regnier. On the 17th of November, the second division crossed the Tagus at Villada upon Abrantes, where the French were in retreat. Upon Marshal Massena taking up a position at Santarem, it halted at Chamako, where the head-quarters were stationed; the troops being so distributed as to have an eye to the enemy, and prevent his crossing to the south of the Tagus. Lieut.-General Hill returned to England on account of ill health in December, and Marshal Sir William Carr (now Viscount) Beresford succeeded him in the command of his division, which amounted to fourteen thousand men, British and Portuguese. [Sidenote: 1811] The hostile armies remained in the same positions until the beginning of March, when Marshal Massena broke up from Santarem, and Major-General the Honorable William Stewart, with a body of troops, of which the THIRTY-FIRST formed part, crossed the Tagus at Abrantes, and moved to Thomar, while Marshal Beresford remained at Barla, and did not join in the pursuit of Marshal Massena. Towards the end of March, Sir William Beresford arrived at Portalegre with twenty thousand infantry, two thousand cavalry, and eighteen guns, with orders to relieve Campo Mayor, and besiege _Olivenza_ and _Badajoz_. The first object was effected on the 25th of March; it was an affair of cavalry only. On the 6th of April, the passage of the Guadiana took place at Jurumenha, and the army occupied a position on a strong range of hills. On the 9th of April, _Olivenza_ was summoned, and not surrendering the army encamped round it. General Latour Maubourg having retired to Llerena, Marshal Beresford leaving the fourth division, with Colonel Madden’s cavalry, opposite Olivenza, took post on the 11th at _Albuhera_, the infantry being on the 16th drawn nearer to _Badajoz_, which place was invested on the 8th of May. On the 8th and 10th of May, the French made two sorties, but were driven back with considerable loss. Marshal Soult’s approach to relieve Badajoz having been ascertained, the siege was raised on the night of the 12th, and moving to _Albuhera_, the British were in position on the 15th of May.