SWABEY DIARY. 29 
Having given a general description, I must now tell the part I per- 
sonally took. Early in the day we feared that we and the cavalry 
should be left inactive ; the first orders we had were to go to the centre 
bridge, wait till its defences were turned, and on the enemy’s retreat, 
cross and support the light division. Accordingly the moment the 
enemy’s right, which we helped along with a few shots, gave way, we 
crossed. At the moment I strongly recommended Gardiner not to follow 
Ross and the light division over the immense hill, but to go round it. 
In doing this we got on the high road and found the French centreresting 
there still unforced. Webber Smith’s, two of Ross’s, and Sympher’s! 
guns all firing on it, though the ground was such that we were all com- 
manded by their artillery, we also fell to, and the shots rattled amongst 
us in thousands but did no harm, and in about a quarter of an hour the 
4th and light divisions forced the centre. The troop immediately lim- 
bered up and, taking the lead of all the artillery, away we pushed through 
the village. At this moment, as Harding has since told me, Lord Wel- 
lington turned to Dickson’ and asked ‘what artillery it was?”’ and when 
informed, he said, “That is something like Horse Artillery.””, Wecame 
into action twice in the centre of the enemy’s columns, but always, such 
was the nature of the country, on low ground. At the last place my 
favorite horse, poor Telemachus, was shot, Sutton being on him, and we 
had hardly got through the second village when in the act of leading my 
guns off the road to an eminence where we were to come into action, [ 
received a ball in my knee, a subject however which I shall quit at 
present, detailing what afterwards happened to the troop. About the 
same spot where I was hit we had one man killed and thirteen wounded, 
twenty-six horses killed and wounded, and a shot cut in two the axle- 
tree of the howitzer limber, killed four of its draught horses, and left it 
a wreck.? Taking up a new position about 400 yards further on, the 
face of the country changed, and as Major Fraser, who was latterly 
with us and delighted with the conduct of the troop, assured me we 
paid the French off in great style, and continued to do s0 till we had 
expended all our gun ammunition. 
i Major Sympher, K.G. Legion. 
2 Lieut.-Colonel Alexander Dickson, Commanding R.A. (Kane’s List, No. 844). The name and 
services of this distinguished officer are so well known and cherished in the regiment to which he was 
so great ornament, that it is needless to do more than enumerate the 17 battles, viz. : Buenos Ayres, 
Grijo, Oporto, Busaco, Torres Vedras, Campo Mayor, Albuera, Almaraz, Salamanca, Vitoria, 
Bidassoa, Nivelle, Nive, Adour, Tculouse, Quatre Bras and Waterloo; and the 18 sleges, viz.: 
Minorca, Malta, Monte Video, Olivenca, Badajos, Badajos, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajos, Salamanca, 
Madrid, Burgos, St. Sebastian, Fort Bowyer, Mobile, M auberge, Landrecis, Phillippeville, 
Marianbourg and Rocroy, at which he was present. He received for eminent services the G C.B., 
the K.C.H., the K.T.S. of Portugal. The Prussian Order of Merit. Spanish Gold and Enamel 
Cross for Albuera. The Portuguese medal for Peninsular war, and the Waterloo medal. Major- 
General Sir Alexander Dickson died, aged 63, in April 1840, when D.-A.-G. R.A., universally 
regretted by his brother officers, who raised to his memory a monument in the Repository at 
Woolwich as a token of their respect and esteem. 
3 Major Gardiner writing from Olite, July 2nd, 1813, about the services of the Royal Artillery 
and of the losses of his troop to the D.A.G. R.A. says, ‘‘ You will be glad to know the services of 
the corps were conspicuous on this day [Vitoria]. ‘ E’ troop suffered nearly as much as at Majala- 
honda, but in a different way, thank heaven. I had 19 horses killed and 10 wounded, one man 
killed, 15 wounded. My friend Swabey is among the latter and I can never cease to regret the 
loss of his services with the troop.’’ 
During this month ‘“‘ E”’ troop lost the services of another excellent soldier, Sergeant James 
Wightman (Kane’s List, No. 1853) who was promoted Sergeant-Major of “‘ F” troop, R.H.A, in 
which he was subsequently held in high esteem. 
