The Battle of Vila Velha or Battle of Vila Velha de Ródão took place in October 1762 when a British-Portuguese force led by John Burgoyne and Charles Lee surprised and recaptured the town of Vila Velha de Ródão from Spanish invaders during the Seven Years' War as part of the Spanish invasion of Portugal. Burgoyne, who took the Spanish base at Valencia de Alcántara two months earlier then marched against forces preparing to cross the River Tagus into Alentejo. On the 3rd October 1762 Count of Lippe in anticipation of a Spanish offensive across the Zêzere River against the Portuguese headquarters at Abrantes instructed George Townshend to march to the Beira Baixa country, marching along the left bank of the Zêzere river, to make a junction with Lord George Lennox's forces and to threaten the Spanish lines of communication with Almeida and Ciudad Rodrigo by advancing on Belmonte and Penamacor. This new march was promptly executed and Townshend's Portuguese soldiers enduring the greatest privations; but his men successfully attacked a French force escorting a convoy near Sabugal, capturing a large quantity of supplies. The same day, the Spanish force, who had taken Vila Velha on the 2nd, advanced on Porto Cabrão, leaving behind eight artillery pieces guarded by 200 grenadiers and 100 horse. General Burgoyne, who was in charge of the defence of the south bank of the Tagus 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, 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. Wikipedia [ - ]

The Battle of Vila Velha or Battle of Vila Velha de Ródão took place in October 1762 when a... [ + ]