SWABEY DIARY. 191 
in great confusion, and in such numbers that they were taken for the 
enemy’s cavalry charging and fired at accordingly, by which unfortunate 
mistake an assistant-surgeon of the 31st, a sergeant, and two men were 
lulled, and a heutenant and paymaster wounded ; but worse than all, the 
enemy was alarmed and the enterprise frustrated. Our guns came 
into action by General Graham’s order at a dark wall supposed to be 
an enemy’s column; we fired nine rounds before the General would be 
convinced of his mistake. The cavalry column might have been in 
time, but the ground did not admit of their pursuing the enemy. . Bull 
fired by order, two or three shots entirely out of range! It is ridiculous 
that general officers should not be better informed on these subjects. 
We remained in the fields till 11 o’clock, when we took up our quarters 
in Llerena, and had the mortification to learn from the Spaniards that 
the French had no notice of our rapid advance. 
27th March.—Marched for Maguilla, where we lay with pickets in. 
sight of the French, who are said to be in force at Guadacanal. Having 
been two nights without a bed and much fatigued I hoped our baggage 
would join us this evening, but in this was disappointed. I, however, 
pulled my clothes off and wrapped myself in my blanket, having a 
wretched billet. Much firing heard from Badajos, and reports in cir- 
culation that General Hill had been engaged. 
28th March.—Cavalry and 6th division pushed on in advance, much 
skirmishing with the enemy, but no particular occurrence. 
29th March.—I may call this the first day I have had a little time to 
spare for thinking, and having my baggage up I wrote to Maurice. 
Intelligence was received that La Pina, the Spaniard, was in force on 
this side of Seville with 10,000 men, but the French are collecting their 
troops, and it is supposed we shall retire. 
30th March.—Was sent by order of General Graham to reconnoitre 
the road from hence to Usagre and to report if there was one to that 
place between Llera and Valencia de las Torres; this was a ten league 
job. No new route was to be found, the route by Valencia being the 
best ; there are, however, three, by Higuera, Valencia and Llera. 
31st March.—Marched for Usagre in a north-east wind with terrible 
rain, distance five leagues, which performed, we had to send the horses 
a league for forage. 
We understand here that a person from this place gave the French 
at Llera intelligence of our rapid movement to surprise them. 
ist April—Marched to Villa Franca. Our billets were to-day 
splendid; some of the rooms were painted with great taste, chandeliers 
were suspended in them, and the floors were matted, the style entirely 
Italian. The beds had counterpanes of satin with lace borders and 
fringe ornaments, but oh comfort where are you gone? 
We saw Lord Wm. Russell” here, who had just been at Elvas. We 
1 Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham left the army in July, 1812, for six months, owing to 
some disorder in his eyes, which threatened loss of vision of one of them; this circumstance may 
account for his mistake.—Wellington Despatches, Vol. 9., pp. 267, 273. 
~2 Captain Lord George Wm. Russell, 23rd Light Dragoons. 
2 ~ x £ x 26 
