SWABEY DIARY. 197 
murder, shrieks and pitious lamentations, groans, shouts, im- 
precations, the hissing of fires bursting from the houses, the 
crushing of doors and windows, and the reports of muskets 
used in violence, resounded for two days and nights in the 
streets of Badajos! On the third, when the city was sacked, 
when the soldiers were exhausted by their own excesses, the 
tumult rather subsided than was quelled. The wounded men 
were then looked to, the dead disposed of”! Napier, Vol. 4., 
p. 431, et seq. 
Badajos was called by the Romans Pax Augusta,* by the Moors, 
Badaxos. It was besieged in 1168, by Alfonse Henry, founder of the 
Portuguese monarchy, to which it was even then considered one of the 
best barriers, and has always, even in the time of the Romans, been an 
object of importance, but more so than ever since the foundation of 
the kingdom of Portugal. The English laid siege to it ineffectually in 
the war of Succession. 
9th April.—In camp. 
10th April.—Soult having retired from Villa Franca as soon as he 
ascertained the fall of Badajos, we advanced to Santa Martha, the cavalry 
to Los Santos, Villa Franca, etc. 
11th April.—Received a most unexpected route back to Olivenga. 
After all our glorious projects I do not much relish it. Halted to-day 
at Toro de Almendral. 
12th April.—We received no orders to march to-day. The rest of 
the army is breaking up to proceed to the north. Our cavalry having 
advanced suddenly on the enemy as far as Llerena, the light brigade, 
14th, 16th and 12th, being in front were opposed to a considerable 
force of the enemy. A plan was formed for cutting them off from 
Llerena, which did not entirely succeed ; they were, however, charged 
while in column of half squadrons by the 5th Dragoon Guards. Our 
fellows rode at the flanks of the column. Sir Stapleton Cotton, in 
person, and Colonel Hlley, the Adjutant-General, led the regiment and 
rode in front of the line. We lost 18 killed and 30 wounded, and took 
150 prisoners. We killed and wounded great numbers. 
Received a route for the north, Marmont having suddenly advanced 
in that qnarter and threatened Ciudad Rodrigo. It rained all day, and 
we did not get to Hlvas till past dark, the distance being very great. 
1“ But the strong desire for glory was, in the British, dashed with a hatred of the citizens on an 
old grudge, and recent toil and hardship, with much spilling of blood, had made many incredibly 
savage.’ Napier, Vol. 4, p. 419. 
“The people, on our passing through from the south, were in a most wretched state, and said 
fee ee soldiers had killed 85 inhabitants. I believe 82 was the fact.” Cavalry Officer’s Diary, 
p. 146. 
? Corrupted by the Moors into Paxagusta, Baxagus, Badaxos. As one of the keys of Portugal, 
Badajos has often been a place of importance in war. It was besieged in vain by the Portuguese in 
1660, and again by the allies in the Spanish war of Successionin 1705. During the Peninsular war, 
Badajos was besieged by the French in 1808 and in 1809, and again in 1811, when it surrendered 
on March 11th to Soult. It was thrice besieged by the English under Wellington: first on the 17th 
April, 1811, after the conquest of Olivenga, when the approach of Soult, to its relief, caused 
the siege to be raised on the 14th May. Secondly, after the battle of Fuentes de Honor and 
Albuera, the city was invested from the 27th May to the 10th June, but in vain; the third invest- 
ment on the 17th March, 1812, ended in its capture on the 6th April—F..4.W. 
