In 1806, still commanding his cavalry division (23rd, 29th and 30th Dragoon Regiments), he was present at the siege and capture of the fortress of Gaeta, on the west coast of Italy. During the second French invasion of Portugal in 1809, Mermet led a division under Marshal Nicolas Soult. _He_fought at the First Battle of Porto on 28 March and the Battle of Grij* on 11 May. <sep>, Pronoun: He