This fortress being commanded, at four hundred yards distance, by a hill, on which there was an abandoned horn-work, would have fallen at once, but for the courage and talents of major Tallaia, a Portuguese engineer. With only two hundred men and five mounted guns, he made such skilful dispositions, that the French opened regular trenches, battered the wall in breach with six guns, bombarded the palace with eleven mortars, and pushed a sap to the crest of the glacis. At the end of five days a breach was made, but Tallaia, although ill seconded by the garrison, repulsed one partial assault, and, being summoned for the second time, demanded and obtained twenty-four hours to wait for succour. None arrived, and this brave man surrendered the 21st of March. Mortier then returned to the Guadiana, leaving Latour Maubourg to dismantle the works and remove the artillery and stores to Badajos. Such was the posture of affairs when Beresford who had quitted the northern army after the combat of Foz d’Aronce, arrived at Portalegre with twenty thousand infantry, two thousand cavalry, and eighteen guns. His instructions were to relieve Campo Mayor, and to besiege Olivenza and Badajos. The first had already surrendered, but the marshal, being within two marches of it, judged that he might surprise the besieging corps, and, with this view, put his troops in motion the 23d. In the morning of the 25th his advanced guard of cavalry, supported by a detachment of infantry, under colonel Colborne, came suddenly upon Campo Mayor, just as Latour Maubourg was marching out in confusion, with twelve hundred cavalry, three battalions of infantry, some horse-artillery and the battering train of thirteen guns. The allies pursued him, and passing over a wooded rise of ground, issued forth at the other side by some gentle slopes on either flank of the French, who were in a fine plain. Colonel Colborne was on the right and at a considerable distance from the enemy, but colonel Head, with the thirteenth light dragoons, was on the left, close to them, and supported by colonel Otway with two squadrons of the seventh Portuguese. The heavy cavalry was in reserve; and while in this state the French hussars, suddenly charging with a loose rein from behind their infantry, fell some on the Portuguese and some on the thirteenth dragoons. So fiercely did these last on both sides come together, that many men were dismounted by the shock, and both parties pierced clear through to the opposite side, then re-formed, and passed again in the same fearful manner to their own ground: but Head’s troopers rallied quicker than the French, and riding a third time closely in upon them, overthrew horse and man, receiving at the same time the fire of the infantry squares. Nevertheless, without flinching, they galloped upon the battering train, hewed down the gunners, and, drawing up beyond the French line of march, barred the way, in expectation that the heavy cavalry