The morning was so obscured that nothing could be descried at the distance of a hundred feet, but the sound of a great multitude was heard on the hills in front; and it being evident that the French were there in force, many officers represented the rashness of thus advancing without orders and in such a fog; but Erskine, with an astounding negligence, sent the fifty-second forward in a simple column of sections, without a vanguard or other precaution, and even before the piquets had come in from their posts. The road dipped suddenly, descending into a valley, and the regiment was immediately lost in the mist, which was so thick, that the troops unconsciously passing the enemy’s outposts had like to have captured Ney himself, whose bivouac was close to the piquets. The riflemen followed in a few moments, and the rest of the division was about to plunge into the same gulf; when the rattling of musketry and the booming of round shot were heard, and the vapour slowly rising, discovered the fifty-second on the slopes of the opposite mountain, engaged, without support, in the midst of the enemy’s army. At this moment lord Wellington arrived. His design had been to turn the left of the French, for their front position was very strong, and behind it they occupied the ridges, in succession, to the Deuca river and the defiles of Miranda de Corvo. There was, however, a road leading from Condeixa to Espinhal, and the fourth division was already in march by it for Panella, having orders, to communicate with Nightingale; to attack Reynier; and to gain the sources of the Deuca and Ceira rivers: between the fourth division and Casal Nova the third division was more directly turning the enemy’s left flank; and meanwhile the main body was coming up to the front, but as it marched in one column, required time to reach the field. Howbeit Erskine’s error forced on this action, and the whole of the light division were pushed forward to succour the fifty-second.