noon
The guns were therefore withdrawn , the siege raised , and Beresford marched to meet Soult at Albuera . On the 15th of May he took up his position on rising ground looking down on Albuera , having the river in his front . Acting with him , and nominally under his orders , was a Spanish force under Blake . This was intended to occupy the right of the position , but with the usual Spanish dilatoriness , instead of being upon the ground , as he had promised , by noon , Blake did not arrive until past midnight ; the French accordingly crossed the river unmolested , and the British general found his right turned . Beresford 's position was now a very faulty one , as the woods completely hid the movements of the enemy , and a high hill , which they had at once seized , flanked the whole allied position and threatened its line of retreat . When the morning of the 16th dawned the armies were numerically very unequal . The British had 30,000 infantry , 2,000 cavalry , and 38 guns ; the French , 19,000 infantry , 4,000 cavalry , and 40 guns ; but of these the French were all veteran troops , while Beresford had but 6,000 British troops , the remainder being Spanish and Portuguese , upon whom no reliance whatever was to be placed .