Finally arrested by the formidable lines of Torres Vedras, the French, vainly endeavouring to blockade the position, fatally suffered from disease and want, whilst our troops enjoyed every comfort in abundance and in safety within the entrenchments. Convinced of the futility of any attempt to surmount the defences of the position, Marshal Massena was constrained in turn to retreat, closely pursued along the banks of the Mondego by the British. With the third division, in the van of the army, the Seventy-fourth was almost incessantly engaged driving the enemy from post to post. For the relief of Almeida, Marshal Massena, considerably reinforced, once more ventured to advance. Encountering the light companies of the first, third, and fifth divisions, and the second battalion of the Eighty-third Regiment, in occupation of the village of Fuentes d’Onor, the French laboured to expel them. Reinforced by the Twenty-fourth, Seventy-first, and Seventy-ninth regiments, and ultimately supported by the Forty-fifth, Seventy-fourth, and Eighty-eighth regiments, the whole of the enemy’s sixth corps was routed and driven from the village it had at first won. Interrupted in the siege of Badajoz by the approach of the combined armies of Marmont and Soult, the British temporarily retired. A similar diversion by the army of Marshal Marmont in favour of Ciudad Rodrigo, in like manner disturbed its blockade. Whilst quartered in this vicinity, the third division of our army, threatened by an attack from a very powerful corps of French, which, taking advantage of the immediate presence of Marshal Marmont, had undertaken a sortie from the fortress, retreated. Under command of General Montbrun, the enemy so severely pressed the British division, that, in retiring, the Seventy-fourth became separated from the rest, and was generally believed to have been captured. A long detour, under the friendly shield of night, enabled the regiment to escape the danger and rejoin the division in its camp at Guinaldo. Overjoyed in their safe return, Major-General Picton uttered these memorable words, expressive of his faith in the valour of our Highlanders, saying, “he thought he must have heard more firing before the Seventy-fourth could be taken.”