LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS DYNELEY, C.B., R.A. 469 
_ Now I must thank you all most kindly for your letters up to the 
25th July, all of which were put into my hands the night of my 
arrival. Part of Robert’s is a curious coincidence as it happened. He 
tells me not to part with “ Bobby” for 500 dollars as I should be 
ready to hang myself if I were taken prisoner in consequence of it, 
which might well be. Now it so happened that the day before my 
capture, Bobby picked up a nail, and was so lame I could not ride him, 
and for that day, the first since my arrival in the country, I was on the 
back of a trooper, or I certainly should not have been taken. I should 
of course have stopped when the gun upset, but when I found the enemy 
coming so close upon me, I should, had I been on Bobby, have gone away 
and of course saved the “ detachment” from falling into the enemy’s 
hands. The first idea that struck me after I was taken was that you 
would think I had been doing something foolish and had got trapped ; 
but the first part of my letter will set you right on that head. I 
assure you the only anxiety I had upon the occasion was the dread of 
your having the news and not knowing what had happened to me. 
However, I sent to Harding the next morning to desire he would write 
and let you all know that I was safe, which I find he was good enough 
to do. 
A very extraordinary circumstance happened to me with respect 
to a dog. When at Castello Branco, I found a very pretty little terrier 
which took a fancy to me, but was scarce ever with me except at 
dinner. IfI rode out he would go with me, but was so wild that he 
was seldom in sight, though he would return home with me. I never 
noticed him much, however, and indeed have often given him a thump 
at.dinner for his ingratitude instead of a bit of meat. He went into 
the field with me the evening of the 11th, and when I got my fall I 
found bim waiting for me, and he never was an inch from me during 
the whole of the two days I was marching, although the Frenchmen 
were constantly kicking him. When I was put into the waggon, his 
anxiety to get to me was so great, that in jumping up he was knocked 
down and run over, but as he had no bones broken I carried him a day 
or two and he recovered. The night I left I was obliged to entice him 
to lie down on my bed with my helmet, and when he was asleep I ran 
away and left him. You may suppose what I felt at leaving him, but 
what could I do? if they had come in search of me and I was in the 
bush, he would have barked and I should have been discovered. 
I only blame myself for one thing, which was not having directed the 
letter [ wrote you to Mr. Freeling. I intended the whole time I was 
writing to have put his name on your envelope that he might have an- 
nounced to you my return, but there were so many people round me I 
knew not what I was about. 
Tell Eyre, Johnny Raw acquitted himself remarkably well on that 
day, for as soon as Reed had given me my horse, he set off at speed 
into the town just as the French entered it. Almost everybody lost the 
whole of their baggage. Newland, Robe and our troop lost every 
stitch, Harding lost a part, my only loss, besides what they took from 
my person, was four shirts, for the washer-woman lost her kit. 
Now for my wants, tell Dubois & Wheeler to set to work imme- 
