On the 28th they marched at daylight to the town of Calzada, where tidings reached Craufurd that an action was imminent between Sir Arthur Wellesley’s army, with General Cuesta’s Spanish troops, and Marshal Victor’s army, then in close proximity. He determined, therefore, if possible, to unite his Brigade to Sir Arthur Wellesley before it should take place; and undertook the forced march which has rendered the name of the Light Division famous. Accordingly, after a short rest at Calzada, he pushed on to Oropesa, two leagues, which he reached about noon. A distant cannonade began to be heard, which, increasing as they approached it, acted as an incentive to speed and endurance. They marched on under a scorching sun to Oropesa, where they halted for four hours to cook. Here Craufurd desired the commanding officers to pick out of the ranks such men as they considered unable to continue a further march. Very few men of the Battalion fell out; these were left at Oropesa in charge of a subaltern. After this was done the bugles sounded the ‘_fall in_,’ and the Riflemen moved onward till about ten at night; when, passing a cattle-pond, Craufurd halted to allow the men to drink. The parched soldiers eagerly drank the water, filthy and nauseous though it was. As soon as they had satisfied their thirst, the march was resumed and continued through the night, without check, through deep, sandy roads. Early on the morning of the 29th the Light Division marched across the field of Talavera, giving three hearty cheers for the victory of the day before. They had thus, in heavy marching order, under a burning sun, and with a most insufficient supply of food, marched upwards of fifty miles, with only two short halts, in twenty-five hours. They thus arrived the morning after the fight at Talavera; but though the Battalion itself was not present, a detachment of the Regiment left in the Peninsula in 1808 took part in the action, and was mentioned in Sir Arthur Wellesley’s despatches as having particularly distinguished themselves.[67] As soon as it arrived at Talavera the Battalion was immediately ordered to occupy some woods in advance of the British position and to furnish the picquets, the sentinels of which were facing the position of the French army. Here the Battalion remained till August 3. During that time it suffered much from want of provision, not more than one ration of bread, and but little of other food, having been issued.