MEMOIR OE GENERAL SIR EDWARD 
viii 
In the February of that year, the troop embarked for the Peninsula at Portsmouth, 
in six vessels (part of a fleet of sixty sail), under convoy of the “ Comus ” and 
“ Circe” frigates. Off the coast of Portugal, they were encountered by a violent 
storm, and the “Camilla” of 200 tons, having on board Captain Whinyates, 
2 officers, and 36 horses, losing her masts, was in imminent danger of foundering, 
from which fate they were saved by the courage and admirable conduct of the 
gunners on board, to whose assistance too it was mainly due that they were at last 
enabled to make the harbour of Cork, after drifting for fourteen days almost a 
wreck in the Bay of Biscay. Befitting after a delay of some weeks, they again 
proceeded to sea, and disembarked after a prosperous voyage at Lisbon. 
This untoward event had considerable influence on the subsequent fortunes of 
the troop, for, arriving thus in the Peninsula by detachments, it was thereby pre¬ 
vented from at once taking the field; its horses were distributed amongst the other 
troops to supply casualties occasioned in the preceding campaign, and not till 
several months had elapsed, was it again completed and enabled to participate in 
active field operations. This accounts too for Captain Whinyates’ presence on the 
artillery staff at the battle of Busaco, which occurred during this interval, where he 
served as adjutant to Sir Haylet Framingham, commanding Boyal Artillery, and 
with whom he continued until he rejoined his troop on its taking the field previous 
to the battle of Albuera. 
At the latter hard fought and sanguinary victory, he commanded the half-troop 
which was attached to the cavalry on the right; it was here that some of the 
severest fighting took place, owing to the persistent efforts of Soult to turn the 
allied flank—efforts at one time nearly crowned with success ; the half-troop was 
in the very thick of the melee > and the guns were repeatedly charged and ridden 
through by the French cavalry. The conduct of the troop was eulogized by 
Marshal Beresford in his despatch after the battle, and it was again honourably 
mentioned by General Lumley for its behaviour, when following the enemy after 
Albuera he engaged Latour-Maubourg’s division of cavalry at Usagre, in which 
affair the French lost between 200 and 300 dragoons taken prisoners. 
It was also at Aldea de Ponte in September 1811, at San Munoz, on the ford of 
Yeltes, 1812, when five out of the six guns were injured by the enemy’s fire; at 
Kibera in Estremadura, July 24, 1812, and at many other affairs, being always in 
the advance and rear guards. 
For his conduct in the brilliant attack and defeat of Lallemand’s cavalry at 
Bibera, Captain Whinyates was mentioned in public despatches, and Major- 
General Long in his report dwells on “ the rapidity of movement and precision of 
fire of the Horse Artillery, by which the enemy suffered considerably,” adding, “I 
should be wanting in justice, if I omitted to express my admiration of the conduct 
of the artillery under the immediate orders of Captains Lefebure and Whinyates.” 
But it was reserved for the French General Lallemand to pay a still higher com¬ 
pliment, and to render as grateful a tribute to an enemy as is to be found in any 
record; for, during a communication after the action under flag of truce, he made 
particular enquiries for the name of the officer who had commanded the guns near 
the river, and on learning it, sent the following message to Captain Whinyates :— 
“ Tell that brave man,” said he “that if it had not been for him I should have 
beaten your cavalry, but that meeting me in every movement with his fire he never 
would allow me to form for attack.” Say, “that I shall mention his name in 
