40 SWABEY DIARY. 
the senior Subaltern, ‘Where is Captain Ramsay ??—‘ Gone 
up the river to find a ford.’ ‘ Who is next in command ??— 
‘Captain Cator. ‘Where is Captain Cator ??—*‘ Gone down 
the river to find a ford.’ Lord Wellington then turned to 
one of his Staff and said, ‘Place Captain Ramsay under 
arrest and order Captain Cator to take command of the troop.’ 
My father got his orders and the Staff went away. Hvery- 
thing was done to explain the circumstances, but Lord 
Wellington’s reply was always, ‘if I can’t get an officer to 
obey my personal orders he is no good to me.’ ” 
Sir John continues-—— 
“T have heard my father, Alec Mac! (as he was called by his pals), 
Brereton, and Henry Blachley often talk about Ramsay’s 
arrest, and when I was in Spain, at St. Sebastian, after the 
Carlist war? was over, I went, with the aid of ‘ Napier’s: 
Peninsular War,’ to the very spot where the bridge stood which 
the French had blown up, and where Ramsay was placed 
under arrest. It was very interesting. 
I remember also the following incident being spoken of in con- 
nection with the battle of Vitoria. 
During the battle ‘I’ troop had almost fired away all their 
ammunition. Ramsay told my father to fill up the waggons 
with what was left in his part of the troop and to go to the 
rear for more. This was done. On his way to rejoin the 
roads were impassible and the half troop had to go across 
country ; the plain of Vitoria is low with wide ditches; as 
they proceeded they overtook a regiment of cavalry pounded. 
The limber gunners got out their spades and made a way 
across for the guns, which enabled the cavalry to follow, 
and by this means they were in time to take part at the 
close of the action.” 
Norman Ramsay remained in arrest till after the fall of St. 
Sebastian and the entry into France. During these operations 
he remained with the troop and appears to have performed 
ordinary and routine duties as, between May and December 
18138, the muster rolls and pay lists are all signed by him. 
His arrest seems only to have precluded him from taking 
command in the field. But though we do not know the actual 
date of his release we have an account of what took place from 
the pen of Assistant Commissary Henegan® who was present. 
—(F.A.W). 
1 The younger of the two Alexander Macedonalds, both of whom were C.B.’s, he served through- 
out the Peninsular War in “ A”’ troop, and was 2nd Captain of ‘‘ H,’’ Norman Ramsay’s troop at 
Waterloo. General Macdonald married a sister of Brigadier-General Fox-Strangways who was 
killed at Inkerman. 
The elder Alexander Macdonald commanded the six troops of Horse Artillery attached to the 
cavalry at the battle of Waterloo. Neither of these officers must be confused with the Robert 
Macdonald who commanded ‘‘ ”’ troop during a portion of its service in the Peninsula.—(¥.4.W.) 
2 The Carlist war terminated in 1839. 
3 Later Sir Richard Henegan (Kane’s List No. 35, page 195). 
