LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS DYNELEY, (.B., R.A. 413 
LETTER V. 
(To tum Same). 
Vitatva, April 2nd. 
Here I am my dear John having left Maguilla two days since. I 
nelieve it is not intended we should fall further back at present, but 
wait here to see if Soult thinks proper to come on. The report at 
present is that he cannot get together 45,000 men; it is certain that 
at Badajos, Philippon has offered to capitulate provided he may march 
to join the nearest division of hisown army; of course this has not been 
agreed to. I hear them pounding away there as I sit writing. 
I have this instant seen dear little Bobby Lawson! who tells me 
Robert is by this time arrived at Elvas with his 9-pr. brigade. 
I see a great difference between the opinion of the people of Spain 
and that of Portugal as to the French. The Spaniards in the towns 
where I have been do not appear to dislike them much, but the hatred 
of the Portuguese is beyond all belief; it must however be remembered 
that the French left every town they passed through in Portugal a 
perfect ruin. In Spain they have not destroyed a single house; the 
inhabitants pay their contributions and are at peace. 
The “patron” of my house at Villa Franca, asked me yesterday why 
the Highlanders wear the kilt. I told him because it was the custom 
in Scotland. He pressed me much to give him some other reason, and 
then told me that the Count d’Hrlon had informed him that the regi- 
ments had lost their colours in Hgypt, and that therefore the King of 
England had disgraced them by taking away their breeches ; not so 
bad. He also said that Mortier told him he came into this country 
with 20,000 men, that he had since received two strong conscriptions, 
but that at that moment he could not bring 7000 men into the field. 
1Captain R. Lawson, (Kane’s List, No. 943). 
