Note 441 — SECTION XIV: CHAPTER III

The best account of Beresford’s forced march is to be found in the unpublished letter of Lord Gough (then major of the 87th) which, as I have already mentioned, has been shown me by Mr. R. Rait of New College. He says: ‘The business of crossing the river took the Brigade (Tilson’s) four hours: the evening set in with a most dreadful fall of rain, which continued all night, and the next three days and nights. Our road lay over almost impassable mountains, made more so by the rain that swelled the mountain rivulets into rivers. In the dark many men lost the column, several fell into pits excavated by the falling water: many lay down in the road from fatigue and hunger, and the greater part lost their shoes.... Next day we pursued our melancholy march at five o’clock, the men nearly fainting with hunger: about twelve we fell in with some cars of bread belonging to a Portuguese division, which Gen. Tilson pressed for the men; this (with some wine) enabled us to proceed, and that night at twelve we reached Chaves, after a forced march of three days, with only twelve hours’ halt. The men were without a shoe to their feet, and hundreds fallen out from fatigue and hunger.... The 88th had, of 700 with which they joined us, only 150 in the ranks.... Part of the officers and nearly all the men had their feet cut to the bone for want of shoes.’