"The defence of the Maya pass – entrusted to Maj.-Gen. William Stewart – depended on retaining control of the broad, grassy ridge that runs between the Aretesque peak in the east and the Alcurrunz peak in the west. Following the ridge for much of its length is a track known as the Chemin des Anglais. Stewart held the west end of the ridge with Cameron's Brigade, but was negligent in his deployment of Pringle's Brigade to defend the east end of the ridge: a picquet of only 80 men was stationed on the Aretesque peak, where dead ground to the north-east allowed the enemy to approach to within less than a kilometer before being seen; aside from four light companies, the remainder of Pringle's Brigade was an hour's march away, 4km to the rear towards Maya.
At about 9am one of Pringle's staff officers had sufficient misgivings to order the light companies to reinforce the picquet on Aretesque. Some 1½-2 hours later, firing broke out as patrols sent forward from Aretesque came up against the head of Darmagnac's Division. As the patrols fell back, Darmagnac launched 8 light companies into an attack on Aretesque. Sometime over the next 30 minutes, alarm guns were fired by a Portuguese artillery battery. Only now did Pringle send forwards – in piecemeal fashion – the 2/34th, 39th, and 28th; Cameron had already ordered the 50th eastwards along the ridge. The light companies on Aretesque held out for 45 minutes until they were overwhelmed after being enveloped by Darmagnac's battalions.
As Darmagnac pushed onto the ridge, his left flank came under attack from the 2/34th, the first of the battalions to arrive from the direction of Maya. Meanwhile his right flank column had been thrown back along the ridge by the 50th. The British infantry gradually came into some semblance of a line with the 50th and 2/34th on the left, and the 28th and 39th on the right. A furious action at close quarters followed…"
From here.
peninsularwar.org/maya.htm
Map of the battle here.
link
Do you wargame this?
Amicalement
Armand
paints brigs for the British fleet.
