Wellington had once more shown his men that they were more than a match for the French in the field, but he still clung to his old plan of campaign, and, retiring behind the lines of Torres Vedras, prepared to wear the enemy down. The winter was passed with the English secure within their formidable entrenchments at Torres Vedras, the French starving outside. We held the command of the sea, and, with the Tagus in his rear, Wellington was able to feed his men without difficulty, to replenish supplies, and to continue the reorganization and training of the Portuguese army. In the South of Spain the French were showing renewed activity and Wellington detached a division under General Graham to afford support to the garrison of Cadiz. This the stout old Scotsman did most effectually by attacking Victor at Barrosa.
This distinction is borne on the colours of the
Grenadier Guards. Coldstream Guards. Scots Guards. Gloucesters. Hampshires. Royal Irish Fusiliers Rifle Brigade.
Here a little British division not 4,000 strong overthrew double the number of Frenchmen, capturing six guns and two eagles. The subjoined list of casualties shows that others besides the regiments which are authorized to emblazon this battle honour on their colours did their duty as Englishmen on that March day. There seems no valid reason why the Norfolks, North Lancashires, South Lancashires, and the Rifle Brigade should not be permitted to assume this honour, albeit the headquarters of those regiments were not present in the engagement.
CASUALTIES AT THE BATTLE OF BARROSA, MARCH 4, 1811.
+---------------------------+-----------+-----------+ | |_Officers._| _Men._ | | _Regiments._ +-----+-----+-----+-----+ | | K. | W. | K. | W. | +---------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+ |Grenadier Gds. | 2 | 8 | 33 | 177 | |Coldstream Guards | 1 | 2 | 8 | 46 | |Scots Guards | 1 | 1 | 14 | 85 | |Royal Artillery | - | 8 | 6 | 40 | |Roy. Engineers | - | - | 1 | 2 | |28th Gloucester | - | 8 | 16 | 135 | |67th Hampshire | - | 4 | 10 | 30 | |87th R. Irish F. | 1 | 4 | 44 | 124 | |9th Norfolk (flank cos.) | - | 4 | 8 | 56 | |47th N. Lancs (flank cos.) | 1 | 1 | 20 | 49 | |82nd S. Lancs (flank cos.) | - | 2 | 8 | 89 | |95th Rifle Brig. | 1 | 3 | 14 | 48 | +---------------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+