HLI Chronicle 1910 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

168 HIGHLAND LIGH'l' INFANTRY CHRONICLE.
way to safety within the fortified lines of Torres
Vedras, which Wellington had been constructing
for nearly a year past for the protection
o! Lisbon. This fortified position consisted
-of three lines of forts and entrenchments. The
first line, 29 miles in length, extended from the
sea on the east to the River Tagus on the west
with two lines in rear completely protectin~
the capital. The plight of the refucrees was
• 0
mIserable in the extreme. Some were mounted
on cars, such as the sick and children; but by far
the greater number were crawling painfully
along on their feet, while frail old women
endeavoured to support their tottering feet
with staffs.
On the 10th October the Regiment -effected
a junction with the Army at Sobral, and was
now brigaded along with the 50th ReCfiment
o '
92nd Gordon Highlanders, and a company
of the 5th Battalion 60th Rifles, under Major­
General Sir William Erskine, and formed part
()f the 1st Division under Lieut.-General Sir
Brent Spencer, K.B.
The Regiment now saw Lord Wellinrrton
for the first time since the battle of Vimiera.
'"
They had passed through Sobral during the
previous campaign, and were struck by the
woeful change which had taken place i~ the
appearance of the place since they last saw
it. "Then a more beautiful and lovely place
never existed; but now the houses were gutted,
the gardens destroyed, and the busy hum of
the former inhabitants hushed. A half-starved
hog or two might occasionally be seen stealing
along the deserted streets; but these, with
an old crippled woman-who could not make
her escape·-and a cat, were the only natives
of the place to be found. However, as part
of the Army (including the 7lst) took up
quarters for the night in the town the solemn
stillnesB was soon dissolved."*
Sobral was a small town closelv surrounded
by hills; on the side nearest the enemy was
a hill which. was known to the men as Windmill
Hill, from a number of mills on the summit,
while in rear of the town was another
.. '.' Vicissitudes of a Scottish Soldier
hill known as Gallows Hill, from the gibbet
standing there.
The Army having retired into a position
in rear of Sobral, the 7lst, as the freshest
troops, were placed in possession of the town,
on the 12th of October, having for support
the 50th and 92nd Regiments and Major­
General Alan Cameron's Brigade. They
had not been many hours in the town
when the alarm sounded, and they
were drawn up under arms in the town
expecting to be instantly attacked by the
French, whose skirmishers already covered
Windmill Hill. Soon the 7lst, along with the
light Companies of the other Regiments, were
ordered out to attack this hill, and at the foot
Col. Cadogan called out to them-" My lads,
this is the first affair I have ever been in with
you; show me wha t you can do, now or never !"
With a cheer the Regiment advanced up the
hill, driving the enemy's advanced skirmishers
before them until about half way up, when
they opened a heavy fire and were as hotly
received. The French now came on in such
force that the 7lst were compelled to fall back
through the town and up on to Gallows Hill,
where they got into position behind a mud
wall, where they managed to hold their ground
in spite of the utmost efforts of the French
to dislodge them. In this affair they had 8
men killed and 34 wounded. Here they lay
on their arms all night midway between the
two armies, but next morning marched down
and re-occupied Sobral, with picquets on the'
outside of the town.
After their rough experience of the day
before the men now hoped to make themselv~s
comfortable. "In one of the houses a quantity
of dried fish had been found; this, in addition
to plenty of rice and Indian corn, contributed
materially to making them all very merry,
for the immediate prospect of meat draws
forth cheerfulness at once from hungry meu.
An oven being in the place, many set to and
baked abundance of bread, not o~ly with the
intention of filling their bellies, but their
haversacks besides; their 'here to-day and