SWABEY DIARY. 89 
trated within a short distance of this place; which communication 
induced us at that time of night to get to the store and draw three 
days’ forage and provisions to carry us on; on this service I was up all 
night, and at 3 o’clock in the morning the troop turned out. One of 
Harding’s troop horses was destroyed this day, in consequence of a 
kick which broke his thigh. He left three at Castel Branco and re- 
ceived five cast horses. Newland left one and received four, I left 
two and received four. N. lost a mule stung by a viper on the side. 
28th September.—Our route was to Val de Lobo, but missing our 
way, as well as the Dragoons, we went through Pena Macor, where in 
the middle of the town an infantry regiment, the Buffs, crossed our 
line of march and delayed us nearly an hour. In descending the steep 
hill through Pena Macor, No. 2 ammunition wagon overpowered the 
shaft horse, and he was precipitated clean through a wall three feet 
thick, neither man or horse being hurt. We halted in the middle of 
the day at Meimoa, but hearing of the probability of an action, and 
fearing that there was a possibility of the French cutting us off, know- 
ing that they had cavalry in the neighbourhood we marched again at 
5 o’clock in the evening, and marching all night got to Sabugal at 
3 o’clock, regularly escorted by the Dragoons. During the night, in 
order to get my forage cart along, I was obliged to go back on foot 
four miles, and did not see a soul the whole way; this was a trying 
moment, and I thought of England and those I prized most who were 
at a distance. When I met the carriage, much exertion got it up the 
tremendous hills. It knocked up six horses and also repeatedly 
stopped, and I had not only this difficulty to oppose, but the impatience 
of the Dragoon officers who were the rear-guard. On getting to 
Sabugal our tents had not arrived, and I very quietly laid my mattress 
on the ground, spread my tarpaulin over me, and went to sleep, the 
dew that fell was immense, but I felt no inconvenience. No. 6 gun was 
overturned on the side of a hill, and the wheel driver much hurt. 
29th September.—We found ourselves packed to such disadvantage 
when daylight came that we immediately changed the place and occu- 
pied a hill overlooking Sabugal, to get to which a bridge passes the 
Coa. It was near this place that so many French were destroyed in 
passing the river, by our advanced-guard, when Masséna retreated from 
Santorem. 
This occurred on the 3rd of April, 1811. Lord Wellington wrote 
of it thus :—“ We have given the French a handsome dressing, 
and I think they will not say again that we are not a manceu- 
vring army. We may not manceuyre so beautifully as they do ; 
but I do not desire better sport than to meet one of their columns 
en masse with our lines. The poor 2nd Corps received a terrible 
beating from the 43rd and 52nd on the 3rd ; 
They tell me that the 2nd Corps lost 2500 on the 8rd at Sabu- 
gal! Their loss must have been enormous certainly, but I can 
hardly believe somany.” ‘ Wellington Despatches,” Vol. VIL., 
pp. 424-441. 
We got intelligence here of a gallant action fought at the advanced 
