248 
INQILBY DIARY. 
1811. 
May 9th. 
, 10 th. 
, 11th. 
guns in tlie charges yesterday of cavalry, we dug rows of irons cle loups 
in front of the sight of our battery. The videttes and sentinels were 
posted (and double at night), within pistol shot of each, other,, and the 
Artillery had exchanged grape shot on the 5th from the same bat¬ 
teries, where they continued to take their positions every morning 
before daybreak, and under these circumstances the Armies remained 
in presence of each other for several days. 
In the afternoon the French seemed preparing to retire, by with¬ 
drawing some of their troops from their front and other movements in 
their bivouac. The remainder were paraded in clean white trousers, 
as if being reviewed. 
A Spanish officer of Don Julian’s Corps of Guerillas was killed 
from his own imprudence. An uncommonly thick fog obscured the 
morning and, as the sun dissipated it, this officer made his appear¬ 
ance between the lines of videttes brandishing his sabre and making 
most extravagant gestures. He was as near the French videttes as 
ours, and it was inconceivable what he meant, who, or what he could 
be. Lord Wellington mistook him for a French Dragoon, and instantly 
ordered a soldier of the Guards to fire, who, resting liis musket on one 
of our gun wheels, fired, and, the ball passing through the person’s 
head, he fell dead to the ground. I witnessed myself this singular 
shot, the distance was afterwards measured and found 80 yards. It 
was soon discovered he belonged to Don Julian’s Corps of Guerillas, 
who presently came to bewail the fate of his officer. 
As the morning cleared the French videttes gradually fell back upon 
the wood in their rear, and it was then discovered that, excepting this 
small rear-guard, their whole Army had effected its retreat in the night 
and passed the Aqueda. The cavalry pursued their rear-guard towards 
the Aqueda. We were now enabled to satisfy ourselves of the effect 
of the fire from our guns on the 5th. Where the French cavalry and 
artillery had been formed, 650 yards from our battery, their horses’ 
carcases laid in whole ranks, and, the weather having been for several 
days extremely hot, the stench in the French bivouac was intolerable. 
They had taken off the hides from the most of their dead horses. 
Late yesterday evening several rockets were seen sent up from the 
neighbourhood of the Aqueda, and at midnight a loud explosion awoke 
the whole camp. It turned out the garrison in Almeida had employed 
themselves of late in mining the principal faces of the works, and the 
rockets being signals from the French General of his inability to raise 
the blockade, they charged the mines and having matches to fire the 
trains, they suddenly sallied from the fortress, to the amount of about 
1200 men, and instantly began their endeavours to escape through the 
investing force and effect a junction with the French Army, which had 
advanced to the Aqueda at Puente de Ladron, near Barba del Puerco, 
to favour their purpose. One half succeeded in getting across the 
river, the remainder were either killed or wounded and taken prison¬ 
ers by our troops. 
Marshal Marmont succeeded Massena in the command of the French 
Army and was now directing all its operations. We took canton¬ 
ments in the little village of Quenta de Bruta. 
