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| Battle of Vila Velha | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofSpanish invasion of Portugal | |||||||
 A trooper of the 16th Light Dragoons, also known as Burgoyne's Light Horse. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain Kingdom of Portugal |  Spain | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| John BurgoyneCharles Lee | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
200 line infantry (Portugal) | 200 grenadiers 100 cavalry 8 guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 killed 10 wounded | 100 killed or wounded 150 captured 6 guns captured 60 mules captured | ||||||
TheBattle of Vila Velha orBattle of Vila Velha de Ródão took place in October 1762 when aBritish-Portuguese force led byJohn Burgoyne andCharles Lee surprised and recaptured the town ofVila Velha de Ródão fromSpanish invaders during theSeven Years' War as part of theSpanish invasion of Portugal. Burgoyne, whotook the Spanish base at Valencia de Alcántara two months earlier then marched against forces preparing to cross the RiverTagus intoAlentejo.
On 3 October 1762Count of Lippe in anticipation of a Spanish offensive across theZêzere River against the Portuguese headquarters atAbrantes instructedGeorge Townshend to march to theBeira Baixa country, marching along the left bank of the Zêzere river, to make a junction withLord George Lennox's forces and to threaten the Spanish lines of communication withAlmeida andCiudad Rodrigo by advancing onBelmonte andPenamacor. This new march was promptly executed, and Townshend's Portuguese soldiers endured the greatest privations, but his men successfully attacked a French force escorting a convoy nearSabugal, capturing many supplies.
The same day, the Spanish force, who had taken Vila Velha on the 2nd, advanced onPorto Cabrão, leaving behind eight artillery pieces guarded by 200 grenadiers and 100 horses. General Burgoyne, who was in charge of the defence of the south bank of theTagus in this area, noticed that only a small force was guarding the Spanish battery at Vila Velha and ordered lieutenant-colonel Charles Lee to take the head of a detachment (100 Portuguesegrenadiers, 200 men of the85th Foot and 50 men of the16th Light Dragoons), to pass the Tagus and to attack this position. A Portuguese grenadier of the 2nd Cascais Infantry courageously crossed the Tagus with a rope to facilitate the passage of a barge, sacrificing his life in this action.
On 7 October, Lee's detachment, using surprise, launched a night attack and surprised the Spanish camp at Vila Velha. Although they were entrenched, surprise helped the British and Portuguese to overpower and disperse the Spanish horse and foot, inflicting considerable loss. As well as 250 Spanish killed, wounded, or captured, 6 guns and 60 artillery mules were acquired. Lee's primary target, however, was the artillery depot, which was mostly burned, some of it being taken. This was achieved at a cost of only 1 man killed and 10 wounded. The town was held as Portuguese and British reinforcements arrived the next day. The taking of Vila Velha effectively ended the Spanish and French invasion campaign[1]
By the middle of October, the Franco-Spanish army decided to retreat into Spain with Lippe and Townshend pursuing them. The Spanish were forced to leave their sick behind, and by 24 October, the Spanish and French armies were back in Spain. A few skirmishes along the border as both sides went into Winter quarters. Still, the Spanish would try once more in November atOlivençaMarvão andOuguela, but they were repelled. On 22 November, the Spanish commanderCount of Aranda proposed a truce to Lippe, and thus the campaign concluded.
39°39′00″N7°40′12″W / 39.6500°N 7.6700°W /39.6500; -7.6700