"__
Soult's position had now become very dangerous. The Spanish and Portuguese
insurgents were upon the Lima, and the principal portion of his own force
was south of the Douro.
Franceschi's cavalry, supported by infantry and artillery, and by Mermet's
division, occupied the country between that river and the Vouga, and was
without communication with the centre at Oporto, except by the bridge of
boats.
Although aware that there was a considerable force gathering at Coimbra,
the French general had no idea that the whole of the British army was
assembling there. Confident that success would attend his operations, Sir
Arthur directed the Portuguese corps to be in readiness to harass Soult's
retreat through the mountain denies and up the valley of the Tamega, and
so to force him to march north instead of making for Salamanca, where he
could unite with the French army there.
A mounted officer brought similar orders to Terence. Half an hour after
receiving them the corps was on the march. The instructions were brief and
simple:
_"You will endeavour to harass Soult as he retreats across the
Tras-os-Montes, and try to head him off to the north. Act as circumstances
may dictate."__
The service was a dangerous one, and Terence felt that it was a high
honour that the general should have appointed him to undertake it, for he
assuredly would not have sent the corps on such a mission had he not
considered that they could be relied upon to take care of themselves.
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