SWABEY DIARY. 1 
now evident cannot support their armies on the frontier of Portugal, 
nor do I think our means of transport for provisions will enable us to 
advance, and to live on the country would be more difficult to us 
than to the French, for the Spaniards will not advance an inch of 
supply without payment in specie. 
28th December.—Harding and Captain Macdonald went to Pena 
Macor to pay their respects to General Alten, he has not yet done him- 
self the honour of requesting this homage from me. 
2Ith December.—Captain Bull and Blachley came over and I was 
persuaded to ride to Pero Vizeu with them, being rather late, Dr. 
Wooldridge ! who was of the party, and I, not being able to ride so fast 
as the others on account of the bad condition of our horses, were left 
behind. I had never travelled this road before, and he, like many 
others, had gone over it with his eyes shut. In this predicament 
darkness overtook us, and after certain perambulations on the moun- 
tains we came to a village. Not a soul nor an inhabited house could 
we find for some time, till at last I dismounted with my gun in my 
hand and discovered a light. On entering the casa two men were 
sitting there who, as usual, declared that they did not know their way 
to Pero Vizeu, though I was sure we were within at least three miles of 
it. As Ihave had to do with these gents before, I asked no further 
questions, but turned the youngest out by the collar and obliged him 
to go with us, though he declared all the time he did not know 
the way; he contrived however to take us by a short road, and having 
been obliged to use him rather roughly, I dismissed him before we 
got to our destination with some vintens,” which put him in a good 
humour. Church bells and guns firing were commenced from the 
town to tell us where we were, for it is very easy in these mountains to 
wander all night close to the place you wish to get into without find- 
ding exactly where it is. We were late for dinner of course, but glad 
enough to getanyatall . . .. . 
30th December.—A bad shooting day with Ramsay*® and Stanhope. 
1 Assistant Surgeon John Wooldridge (Kane’s List, No. 145). 
2 A small Portuguese coin worth 1,44.—F.4.W. 
32nd Captain William Norman Ramsay (Kane’s List, No. 1019) served throughout the cam: 
paigns in Holland, 1793-4, and Egypt, 1800-1. 
In 1809, he accompanied ‘‘ I” Troop to the Peninsula, and served with much distinction in the 
campaigns of 1811, 12 and 13, being on various occasions in command during the absence of 
Captain Bull owing to wounds. 
On the morning of the battle of Fuente de Honor, when on picket with two guns, he was cut off 
by a rapid advance of the French cavalry, but in a very dashing and brilliant manner galloped 
through them and escaped. For many years it has been believed that this exploit was performed 
by the whole troop, but the contemporary evidence of Lieutenant Ingleby, R.A., who was present 
at the battle (see his diary, p. 247, R.A.I. “Proceedings,” May 1893), and the “ Diary of a 
Cavalry Officer,”” p. 100, as well as an account of the affair given in R.A.I. “ Proceedings,” 
Vol. XIX., No. 12, clearly prove but two guns were concerned. It may also be noted that 
the French General Marbot, who was a cavalry officer, and in his memoirs gives a long and 
very detailed account of the battle, makes no mention of the affair, which is improbable had 
the French cayalry but for the moment cut off a whole troop of Horse Artillery. The mistake 
probably has arisen from Colonel Napier’s version of the affair. Vol. III., p. 513. 
The day after the battle of Vitoria, Ramsay had the misfortune to incur the displeasure of Lord 
Wellington (particulars hereafter). He served subsequently with distinction at Nivelle, Nive, be- 
fore St. Jean de Luz, and the operations near Bayonne. 
Major Ramsay when in command of ‘“‘H” Troop met a soldier’s death at Waterloo, univer- 
sally regretted. —F'.4.W. 
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