Battle of Ponte Ferreira

Battle of Ferreira Bridge

Date	23 July 1832
Location	Ponte Ferreira, near Valongo
Result	Indecisive

Belligerents

Loyalists

Miguelites

Commanders and leaders

Duke of Terceira

Viscount of Montalegre
General Cardoso

Strength

6,000

15,000

Casualties and losses

440 dead and wounded

1,500 dead and wounded

The Battle of Ponte Ferreira, fought on 22–23 July 1832, was the first major battle of the Portuguese Civil War between the forces of Dom Pedro, ex-Emperor of Brazil and Regent for his daughter Maria da Glória, and the army of his brother Dom Miguel, who had usurped the throne of Portugal. Though technically a victory for Pedro's forces, it gave him no lasting advantage because the enemy were not pursued and were able to return in full strength, as a result of which he was besieged in Porto for an entire year.

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.

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