gencies. These in the end became very daring and troublesome; and it was even suspected, that many of their men were deserters from the British regiments.
In the middle of February, Sir Richard Keats made arrangements for the embarkation of a military force; Lieutenant-General Graham having agreed to co-operate with the Spanish General La Pena, in an attack on the rear of the enemy’s lines. By the 20th, the Portuguese regiment commanded by Colonel Bush, and upwards of three thousand British troops, were embarked, some on board the Stately 64, Druid frigate, Comus 22, Sabine, Tuscan, and Ephira sloops, and Steady and Rebuff, gun-brigs; others in such transports as Sir Richard could avail himself of; and the remainder in Spanish vessels. The naval part of the expedition was placed under the command of Captain (now Rear-Admiral) Edward Brace, who had recently joined from England. On the 22d a landing was effected at Algeziras, from whence the troops marched to Tariffa, where they were joined, on the 27th, by the Spanish force, seven thousand strong, brought thither in numerous coasting craft. The roads being impracticable for carriages, the artillery, provisions, and stores of every description, “owing,” as the Lieutenant-General was pleased to say, “to the extraordinary exertions of the navy,” were transported in boats from Algeziras to the same place, notwithstanding the unfavorable state of wind and weather, which had rendered a debarkation any where to the westward impossible. The result of this combined movement is thus stated by Sir Richard Keats, in an official letter, dated at Cadiz, March 7th, 1811:–
“The combined English and Spanish armies, under their respective commanders, moved from Tariffa on the 28th ultimo, towards Barbate, attended by such naval means as circumstances would permit. Preparations were made by me and our ally, and acted upon, to menace the Trocadero and other points, in order, as the army advanced, to favor its operations; and arrangements were made for a landing, and real or feigned attacks, as circumstances might determine: to this end, the regiment of Toledo was embarked on board H.M. ships in the bay.
“On the 1st instant. General Zayas pushed across the Sancti-Petri, near the coast, a strong body of Spanish troops, threw a bridge across the
