AA, SWABEY DIARY. 
End of Diary. 
The severe fighting in the Pyrenees cannot be better described 
than in Lord Wellington’s own words.—(F.A.W.) 
To Harl Balhurst, August 3rd, 1813. 
He writes— 
“We have had some desperate fighting in these mountains, and I 
have never known the troops behave so well. In the battle 
of the 28th we had hard fighting, and in my life I never saw 
such an attack as was made by General Barnes’s! brigade of 
the 7th division, upon the enemy above Hschalar yesterday ; 
the loss of the French is immense. I understood that they 
say themselves that they have lost 15,000 men, that is what 
I estimate their loss; but if they acknowledge that number, 
I ought to estimate it at 20,000 men, which is the number 
more generally believed.” 
To Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Graham, August 4th, 1813. 
He writes— 
“The French army must have suffered terribly. Between the 
25th of last month and the 2nd of this, they were engaged 
seriously not less than ten times ; on many occasions attacking | 
very strong positions, in others beat from them and pursued. 
IT understand the officers say they have lost 15,000 men, I 
thought so, but as they say so, I now think more. I believe 
we have about 4,000 prisoners. It is strange enough that 
our diminution of strength to the 31st does not exceed 1500 
men; although I believe our casualties are 6,000 men.” 
To Lieut.-General Lord W. Bentinck, August 5th, 1813. 
He writes— 
“T never saw such fighting as we have had here. It began on the 
25th, and excepting the 29th, when not a shot was fired, we 
had it every day tillthe 2nd. The battle of the 28th was fair 
bludgeon work. The 4th division was principally engaged ; 
and the loss of the enemy immense. Our loss has been very 
severe, but not of a nature to cripple us.” 
Conclusion. 
Lieutenant Swabey left the army on sick leave soon after the last 
entry in his diary, which ends abruptly, and did not rejoin his troop 
till April 1814, just in time to take part in the battle of Toulouse. He 
was shipwrecked during his voyage to France, but of this, and the other 
events of the time, there is no record by hispen. Nor, it is greatly to be 
1 The attack on a part of the French army in a strong position on the heights of Eschalar on 
August 2nd, 1813, by the gallant Barnes, caused a distinguished officer to say, ‘‘ Barnes set at the 
French as if every man had been a bull dog and himself the best bred of them all.’’ Waterloo 
Roll Call, p. 28. 
