Letter from Col. A. Trant to Gen. Beresford, Commander-in-Chief, Portuguese Army, reporting the capture of Coimbra

Author:

Colonel Trant

Report:

HA 11

Page:

677

Year:

1951-1953

Subject Matter:

Peninsular War

Excerpt:

The letter begins

Coimbra, 7th October 1810
8 p.m.

Sir,

I have much pleasure in acquainting Your Excellency with my having successfully attacked the Town of Coimbra this day with the loss of only a few men killed and wounded.

In my letter of the 6th I had the Honor to inform you that it was my intention to proceed to Mealhada in the course of that day with an expectation of forming a junction with the Corps under the command of Brig.r Gen.l  Miller and Col.l Wilson, and combineing an attack on this city.

But on my arrival there I learnt that those two corps were delayed from want of supplies in the very exhausted district extending immediately North of Busaca, and that the Cavalry attached to them could not move forward in consequence of the fatigue it had experienced in its previous marches.

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