Note 244 — SECTION XXXII: CHAPTER III
Reading edition
Nothing is rarer, as all students of the Peninsular War know to their cost, than a table of the exact movements of Wellington’s army on any march. For this particular movement the whole of the detailed orders happen to have been preserved in the D’Urban Papers. The starting-places of the units were:—
1st Division—Gallegos, Carpio, Fuentes de Oñoro.
3rd Division—Zamorra (by the Upper Agueda).
4th Division—San Felices and Sesmiro.
5th Division—Ciudad Rodrigo.
6th Division—Albergaria (near Fuente Guinaldo).
7th Division—Payo (in the Sierra de Gata).
Light Division—Fuente Guinaldo.
Bradford’s Portuguese—Barba del Puerco.
Pack’s Portuguese—Campillo and Ituero.
The marches were so arranged that the 7th Division passed through Castello Branco on Feb. 26, the 6th Division on Feb. 29, the Light Division on March 3, the 4th Division on March 5. All these were up to Portalegre, Villa Viçosa, or Castello de Vide, in touch with Elvas, by March 8. The 1st Division, coming by way of Abrantes, joined on March 10. Pack and Bradford, who had very circuitous routes, the one by Coimbra, the other by Thomar, were not up till several days later (16th). The 5th Division did not leave Rodrigo till March 9.