Battle of Ponte Ferreira - Background

Background

Dom Pedro's expeditionary force from the Azores landed in Portugal on 7 July 1832 and on the 9th he occupied Porto as the city had been abandoned by the Miguelite army, which withdrew across the river Douro. Though this was a bold stroke, Pedro and his advisers had been under the impression that the peasantry and Miguel's army would at once declare allegiance to their rightful queen, and nothing of the sort happened. Though the Count of Vila Flor urged him to take the offensive, their forces delayed for several days in Porto resting and reorganizing. Meanwhile the Miguelite army, commanded by General Cardoso and Count Montalegre, was reinforced and re-crossed the Douro some distance east of Porto. When this was known Dom Pedro sent Colonel Hodges with his British battalion on the 17th to reconnoitre the enemy's movements. Learning that they had occupied Penafiel with a strong force, he was reinforced by a volunteer regiment with orders to drive the Miguelites from Penafiel. Between the 19th and 21st this was accomplished, and the force then returned to Porto, but the Miguelites, who had been concentrating their full strength at Amarante, followed them. Before daybreak on the 22nd the bulk of Dom Pedro's army marched out from Porto along the Valongo road to give battle. The army was something of a multinational force, consisting of exiled opponents of Miguel's regime who had rallied to Pedro in the Azores (one battalion consisted entirely of officers), Portuguese volunteers loyal to the Queen, two British contingents commanded by Colonels Shaw and Hodges, and a French contingent commanded by Major Checar. Overall command was exercised by the Count of Vila Flor, with Colonels Brito and Schwalbach leading the Portuguese infantry and some artillery in the charge of Colonel Fonseca.