364 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



on Sahagun, though at great risk to 

 ourselves, has been complete; it 

 remains to be seen what advantage 

 the Spaniards in the south will be 

 able to take of it ; but the march of 

 the French on Badajoz was stopped 

 when its advanced guard had reach- 

 ed Talaverade la Reyna, and every 

 thing disposable is now turned in 

 this direction. The only part of 

 the army which has been hitherto 

 engaged with the enemy, has been 

 the cavalry, and it is impossible for 

 me to say too much in their praise. 

 I mentioned to yourlordship, in my 

 letter of the 16th, the success brig.- 

 gen. Stewart had met with in de- 

 feating a detachment of cavalry at 

 Rueda. Since that, few days have 

 passed without his taking orkilhng 

 different parties of the French, ge- 

 nerally superior in force to those 

 which attacked them. On the 

 march to Sahagun, lord Paget had 

 information of 6 or 700 cavalry 

 being in that town. He marched 

 on the night of the 20th from 

 some villages where he was posted 

 in front of the enemy at Majorga, 

 with the 10th and 15th hussars. 

 The 10th marched straight to the 

 town, whilst lord Paget, with the 

 I5th, endeavoured to turn it. Un- 

 fortunately he fell in with a patrole, 

 one of whom escaped and gave the 

 alarm. By this means the French 

 had time to form on the outside of 

 the town, before lord Paget got 

 round. He immediately charged 

 them, beat them, and took from 

 1 iO to 150 prisoners, amongst whom 

 were two lieutenant-colonels and 

 eleven officers, with the loss, on our 

 part, of six or eight men, and per- 

 haps twenty wounded. There have 

 been taken by the cavalry from 4i 

 to 500 French, besides a consider- 

 able number killed ; this since we 

 begun our march from Salamanca. 



On his march from Sahagun, on the 

 20th, lord Paget, with two squa- 

 drons of the 10th, attacked a de- 

 tachment of cavalry at Majorga, 

 killed twenty and took above 100 

 prisoners. Our cavalry is very su- 

 perior in quality to any the French 

 have ; and the right spirit has been 

 infused into them by the example 

 and instruction of their two leaders, 

 lord Paget and brigadier-general 

 Stewart. 



Astorga,Dec.S\, 1808.— I ar- 

 rived here, yesterday; major-gene- 

 ral Fraser, with his division, will be 

 at Villa Franca this day, and will 

 proceed on to Lugo. Lieutenant- 

 general Hope with his division, 

 stopped yesterday two leagues 

 from this, and proceeds this morn- 

 ing, followed by Sir David Baird. 

 The two flank brigades go by the 

 road of Penfereda. I shall follow 

 with the reserve and cavalry, to 

 Villa Franca, either this night or 

 to-morrow morning, according as 

 I hear the approach of the French. 

 The morning I marched from Be- 

 uevente, seven squadrons of Buo- 

 naparte's guards passed the river at 

 a ford above the bridge. — They 

 were attacked by brigadier-general 

 Stewart, at the head of the piquets 

 of the 18th and 3rd German light 

 dragoons, and driven across the 

 ford. Their colonel, a general of 

 division, Lefebre, was taken, toge- 

 ther with about 70 officers and men. 

 —The affair was well contested. 

 The numbers with which brigadier- 

 general Stewart attacked were infe- 

 rior to the French ; it is the corps of 

 thegreatest character in theirarmy; 

 but the superiority of the British 

 was, I am told, very conspicuous. 

 I inclose, for your lordship's satis- ' 

 faction, lord Paget's report of it. 



Bencvente, Bee. 29, 1808.— Sir, 

 I have the honour to inform you, 



that 



