As the weather began to turn more inclement and the autumn rains started, he decided that Soult was not about to move towards him, and called on General Hill leave the main army with an enlarged division size force to attack Girard in Estremadura. Wellington had been cautious as ever and watching Soult’s army with great interest to to gauge whether he was planning on moving north to reinforce Badajoz or maybe attack the Allied army in the field. To the west lay Wellington’s army, preparing for it’s attack into Spain and it’s forthcoming assault on Badajoz. After clearing the area of Spanish guerillas so his men could forage without attack, Girard took up position in Caceres. As part of this exercise he instructed General Jean-Baptiste Girard with his division, to occupy a gap in the line between the River Tagus and River Guadaina. Between these two armies, in the central border region of Estremadura, was D’Erlon with a Corps sized force attempting to maintain lines of communication between the other two field armies. Marshal Marmont’s Army of Portugal had retreated to the north-west of Spain, while Marshal Soult and the Army of the South were occupied in Andalusia. In October 1811 the battle lines between French and British forces lay roughly along the Spanish-Portuguese border.
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