APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 499 



right of his army ; and, through- 

 out the service, showed liimselt'to 

 be an active and intelligent parti- 

 zan, well acquainted with the coun- 

 try in which he was acting, and pos- 

 sessing the confidence of the troops 

 which he commanded. 



Being persuaded that his retreat 

 was not open by Arzo Bizpo, he 

 acted right in taking the road he 

 did, with which he was well ac- 

 quainted; and although unsuccess- 

 ful in the action which he fought, 

 (which may well be accounted i'or, 

 by the superior numbers and de- 

 scription of the enemy's troops), the 

 action, in my opinion, does him 

 great credit. 1 have the honour to 

 be, &c. (Signed) 



Arthur Wellesley. 



Miranda de Castenar, Aug. 13, 

 1809. 



Sir — I have the honour to ac- 

 quaint you, that I was on march 

 yesterday morning on the road of 

 Grenadelia from Aldea Neuva, to 

 restore my communication with the 

 allied army, when a peasant assur- 

 ed us, that a considerable quantity 

 of dust, which we perceived in the 

 road of Placencia, proceeded from 

 the march of a body of the enemy. 



I immediately returned and took 

 post in front of Banos, with my 

 piquets in advance of Aldea Neu- 

 va, selecting such points for de- 

 fence as the exigency of the time 

 permitted. 



The enemy's cavalry advanced 

 on the high road, and drove back 

 my small cavalry posts; but a pic- 

 quet of Spanish infantry, which I 

 had concealed, poured in on the 

 cavalry a steady and well-directed 

 fire, that killed and wounded many 

 of them. 



The two hundred Spanish infan- 

 try in advance of Aldea Neuva, 

 continued, under the direction of 

 colonel Grant and their officers, to 

 maintain their ground most gallant- 

 ly, until the enemy's cavalry and 

 chasseurs a cheval, in considerable 

 bodies, appeared on both flanks, 

 when they were obliged to retreat. 



The enemy's chasseurs a cheval 

 and cavalry advanced in great num- 

 bers in every direction, and pushed 

 to cut oft'the legion posted between 

 Aldea Neuva and Banos ; but, by 

 the steady conduct of officers and 

 men, the enemy could only advance 

 gradually, and with a very severe 

 loss from the commanding fire 

 thrown on them. 



The Merida battalion, however, 

 having given way on the right, a 

 road was laid open, which cut be- 

 hind our position, and I was oblig- 

 ed to order a retreat on the heights 

 above Banos, when I was again ne- 

 cessitated to detach a corps, in or- 

 der to scour the road of Monte 

 Major, by which I saw the enemy 

 directing a column, and which road 

 turned altogether the Puerto de Ba- 

 nos, a league in our rear. 



At this time, Don Carlos Mar- 

 quis de Estragne came up with his 

 battalion of light infantry, and, in 

 the most gallant manner, took post 

 along the heights commanding the 

 road to Banos, which enabled mc 

 to send some of the Merida batta- 

 lion on the mountain on our left 

 commanding the main road, and 

 which the enemy had tried to as- 

 cend. 



The battalion of light infantry, 

 the detachment of the legion on its 

 rightcontinued,notwithstandiogthe 

 enemy's fire of artillery and muske- 

 try, to maintain their ground ; but, 



2 K 2 at six 



