The Mayo Fusiliers were among the regiments stationed at Abrantes, and
Terence received orders to take up a position four miles ahead of that
town, and hold it unless Victor again advanced in overwhelming strength,
and then to fall back on Abrantes. This exactly suited his own wishes. It
was pleasant to him to be within a short ride of his old regiment, while
at the same time his corps were not encamped with a British division, for
his own position was an anomalous one, and among the officers who did not
know him he was regarded as a young staff-officer. He could not explain
the position he held without constantly repeating the manner in which he
had gained a commission as colonel in the Portuguese service.
During the month that had passed without movement, he continued his
efforts to improve his corps, and borrowed a dozen non-commissioned
officers from Colonel Corcoran to instruct his sergeants in their duty,
and thus enable them to train others and relieve the officers of some of
their work. He had in his first report stated that he had kept back L1,000
of the money he carried to Romana for the use of his corps, and as he had
never received any comment or instructions as to the portion that had not
been expended, he had still some money in hand. This he spent in
supplementing the scanty rations served out.
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