BARROSA, BATTLE OF, 1811. In Feb. 1811 the garrison of Cadiz made a sortie in the hope of raising the siege (see PENINSULAR WAR). Io,000 Spaniards and 4,00o British under the Spaniard Lapena sailed to Tarifa and thence marched back towards Cadiz, intending to take the besiegers in rear. Victor, the French commander, sent Villatte to block the road to Cadiz where it ran over the Bermeja peninsula. This peninsula was a strip of land three miles wide, formed by the sea on one side and the Almansa creek on the other. Across its southern or mainland end stretched the Chiclana forest and beyond this rose a low ridge, known as the Heights of Barrosa, which commanded the entrance to the peninsula. Lapena encountered Villatte after passing through the Chiclana forest and, after a sharp fight, drove him over the Almansa creek. Sir Thomas Graham, commanding the British contingent, wished to occupy the heights of Barrosa, but Lapena, whose one desire now was to re-enter Cadiz, peremptorily ordered him to continue his march. Graham reluctantly obeyed, but as he was passing through the forest he heard that Victor with 7,00o men was advancing from the east. Realizing the im portance of the heights of Barrosa, Victor ordered Ruffin to occupy their southern extremity and Leval their northern. Gra ham, though he had only 4,00o men. immediately decided to re cover the heights. He therefore sent Dilkes' brigade against Ruffin and Wheatley's against Leval. In spite of a murderous fire of musketry and artillery, Dilkes' men steadily advanced on to the ridge in line, halted to pour a volley into the French masses on its crest, and charging, drove them headlong off the heights. Wheatley met with even greater success ; his line, emerging from the forest, took Leval's columns by surprise and inflicted terrible losses upon them. Leval's supports fled without firing a shot and joined Ruf fin's retreating division. The losses on both sides were extremely heavy, the British, out of 4,00o men, losing I,200, and the French 2,000 out of 7,000. On a small scale it was one of the finest achievements of British arms in the war. (H. L. A.-F.)