INGILBY DIARY. 
247 
Two guns of Major Ramsay’s Horse Artillery were taken, but the 
cavalry charged, and they were recovered. The 7th Division, com¬ 
posed of Hanoverian Light Infantry, Brunswicken, and the Chasseurs 
Britanniques from the Mediterranean, and two British regiments, the 
68th and 51st, received a furious charge, in squares, of the French 
cavalry and caused- them great loss. Protected by the Light Infantry 
Companies of the Guards and of the Highland Brigade* we had ad¬ 
vanced our guns with prolonges, and supported by a fire of grape and 
round shot the right, which gradually retired in admirable order. The 
French Dragoons fell upon these Light Infantry while dispersed, and 
before the Companies of the Guards could reform, sabred the greater 
number of them and made many of the rest prisoners. 
The right wing of the Army now became thrown back with its 
extreme resting upon the Coa. This caused an angle in the position 
of our line at the point where it was intersected by the road from 
Nave d’Aver. The Guards and German Legion had this part of the 
line allotted to them, and one Brigade of 6-prs., and our lines, formed 
a battery (about 200 yards in their front, precisely at this angle) of 
twelve guns, and was supported on each side by the cavalry. The 
left seemed little disturbed. At the centre, the Highland Brigade 
obstinately maintained themselves in the village of Fuentes d’Onore, 
which was now considerably in front of the line. The French pushed 
forward a large battery of guns by the Nave d’Aver road to within 
600 or 700 yards of us, protected and supported by their numerous 
cavalry. A furious cannonade then began, which was long maintained 
on both sides with the same spirit and vigour. Under cover of the 
fire of their battery the French in vain repeatedly attempted to debouch 
from the wood which masked their infantry. To whereever the head 
of a column appeared we turned our attention and diverted the whole 
fire of the guns, and, aided by the cavalry, succeeded in preventing 
their advance. 
The Highlanders, though more than once driven for a few moments 
from their advantages by the accession of fresh troops brought forward 
by the French, finally prevailed, and obtained possession of the village 
of Fuentes d’Onore on both sides of the rivulet, and, as the efforts of 
the French to deploy their columns to attack our line at the angle, 
by the Nave d’Aver road, proved equally fruitless, they at length 
ceased the battle, which had lasted, from the commencement, seven or 
eight hours. (Extract from my letter, dated 8th May, 1811, “ from 
the gun I had, out of 12 men and 8 horses, we lost 6 men and 3 horses ; 
we have killed 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, 1 gunner, 2 drivers, and 9 
horses ; wounded 11 gunners and 2 drivers, amongst whom 5 amputa¬ 
tions, and 13 horses, 2 of which are since dead.”) 
Of 54 gunners and 48 horses exposed in the field, the Brigade had 
in killed, 5 gunners, drivers, and non-commissioned officers ; wounded, 
11 gunners and 2 drivers, five amputations. Horses 25 killed and 
hors de combat ; in the evening we withdrew the guns and bivouacked 
in rear of the infantry. 
In the night the line threw up a breastwork and intrenched their 
position, and the French having threatened to capture or approach the 
1811. 
May 6th, 
