ws
had come that the allied army was in motion, and would probably
concentrate near Portalegre. This seemed to show that they
intended to invade Spain by Badajos, and the valley of the
Guadiana; for, had their aim been to advance up the valley of the
Tagus, to Madrid, they would have marched towards Montalvao, and
so on by Alcantara to Almarez.

After two days' hard riding he met the column, which, on receiving
the order from the marshal to hasten forward with all speed,
performed double marches until they arrived at Badajos. Desmond
found that the allies had not wasted their time, and that their
advance guard was already at Campo Mayor. The Spanish army were
posted on the Caya river, a stream that flowed down from the
sierra, and fell into the Guadiana at Badajos.

Their position was a defensive one. The army of the allies was
known to be some twenty-two thousand strong, of whom some five
thousand were cavalry. The Spanish had about the same strength of
cavalry, but were inferior in infantry. The number of guns also
was about equal, both sides having about forty cannon.

On the 7th of May, the two armies faced each other on opposite
sides of the river Caya. As neither party made any movement of
advance, Marshal de Bay determined to force on an engagement, and
sent orders to the cavalry to cross the river, and to place
themselves on the road between the enemy and Campo Mayor.

The allies suffered, as the French had done at Oudenarde, by
conflicting counsels. The Earl of Galway was in command of the
British, and of two or three Dutch regiments. The Marquis de
Frontiera was in command of the Portuguese, who formed by far the
greater portion of the force, and, as soon as the movement was
seen on the other side of the river, he determined to cross and
attack the Spaniards.

The Earl of Galway was strongly of opinion that it would not be
wise to take the offensive, but that the army should remain in its
present position, until the intentions of the enemy were clearly
ascertained. Their cavalry, he urged, could do little by
themselves, and it was evident that the infantry could not be
attacked while they remained under the shelter of the guns of the
fortress. The Marquis de Frontiera, however, and the other
Portuguese generals, were unanimous in insisting that battle
should be given at once, and the former gave orders for the
Portuguese cavalry, with a body of foot and five field pieces, to
march immediately.

Seei