The Battle of Roliça.

On the 16 of August of 1808, the british army under the comand of liutenant-general sir Arthur Wellesley, was stationed between the villages of Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, after having fought a skirmish action the previous day with some companies of the first division of the french army under the comand of general de division Henri Delaborde.

Next day, early in the morning, on a windmill south of the walls of Óbidos Wellesley saw the french lined up on a hill behind a water course and near what he was told to be Roliça. It was not a very good position, still from there the french could also clearly see the british movements, that had to take the iniciative, since Delaborde was not about to launch an attack with his 4.000 men, against the 14.000 anglo-portuguese.

Knowing this, Wellesley made his plan for the day and basically his objective was to encircle the whole french division depriving the rest of the army from this very important efectives, that included three guns and a squadron of chasseurs a cheval. He had excellent informations about the total numbers of the french in Portugal, after all there where already portuguese officers in is staff.

I'll write the complete story of this battle in several chapters given the many interesting episodes that occured, starting next with:

- Orders of battle.

- First advance of the day.

- Delaborde's retreat to Columbeira.

- Lake and the 29th foot attack.

- The wait for Loison.

- Disaster at Azambujeira.

- Final episodes.