Defeated in all his projects, Massena, on the morning of the 6th, withdrew his troops from the front of the allied position, and, having given up all hope of forcing his way to Almeida, confined his views to a simple communication with the place, directing General Brenier to evacuate and destroy it. The French army remained in a position opposite the allies till the 10th, when it retired to Ciudad Rodrigo. Lord Wellington had employed the time since the battle of the 5th, in entrenching his new position, and had rendered it so strong that the enemy did not make any attempt against it. Marshal Marmont arrived on the 7th, and soon after superseded Marshal Massena in his command. As soon as the French army had retired, Lord Wellington made arrangements to secure Almeida; aware of the distressed situation of that place, he detached General Campbell, on the 10th, to resume the blockade, and to relieve Brigadier-General Pack. In the night of the same day, however, at 11 o’clock, General Brenier, having previously destroyed the defences of the place, marched out at the head of his garrison, and, taking the road to Barba del Puerco, forced his way through the pickets of the allies, and with the loss of not more than 200 men escaped to the French army. There were a variety of circumstances which favoured this undertaking. The order for the march of the 4th Regiment upon Almeida had been delayed by Sir W. Erskine; the 2d queen’s Regiment, not believing the enemy had escaped, remained on their position; the orderly drummer of the 36th Regiment was not at General Campbell’s quarters to give the alarm, and this regiment did not, in consequence, overtake the enemy so soon as it otherwise might have done. Brigadier General Pack, having been relieved by General Campbell, had gone from his quarters, and, during his absence, Colonel Campbell had marched his brigade to more distant villages; when Brigadier General Pack returned, he found General Campbell in possession of the house he had occupied, but as it was 9 o’clock he remained there for the night; he joined the pickets of his brigade, which were still on duty, on the first alarm, and at the point where the enemy had forced the chain. He immediately pursued with from 30 to 40 men, but this force was totally insufficient to give any serious disturbance to the enemy. The 4th and 36th Regiments did not arrive at Barba del Puerco till day-light: at this moment Brenier was passing the bridge, and immediately afterwards joined the French corps which was stationed there to receive him. By this event the operations in Portugal were brought to a close; that country was delivered from the enemy, and was freed for ever after from his odious oppression.