241 
ID) dE AS Ee SE VY 
OF 
LIEUTENANT W. SWABRY, R.H.A., IN THE 
PENINSULA. 
EDITED BY 
COLONEL F. A. WHINYATHS, late R.H.A. 
(Continued from p. 199, No. 4, Vol. XXTI1.). 
Tea Wi 
Tue CAMPAIGN From Aprit to November 1812. 
Summary of the Peninsular Campaign from April to November 1812. 
The capture of the important fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and 
Badajos was a great gain to the allies, and a severe blow to the French 
hopes of being able to force the English to evacuate the Peninsula, as 
recorded in Part I. of the diary. Lord Wellington was now no longer 
bound to Lisbon, but had acquired new bases of operations on the 
Guadiana, the Aqueda, and the Douro, and he could choose his own 
field of battle in Spain. Nevertheless the strength of the French 
armies in May 1812, was very formidable, amounting to 170,000 men 
distributed in Andalusia, in Leon, in Old Castile, in Aragon and the 
eastern provinces, whilst Madrid was held by a force under King 
Joseph and Marshal Jourdan. 
The allied British and Portuguese army though much inferior in 
numbers had attained great efficiency ; Lord Wellington, therefore un- 
willing to allow the Spaniards to sink into apathy, decided to continue 
the offensive, and by operating in the north of Spain to liberate if 
possible the southern provinces where the best spirit prevailed, and 
which offered a suitable field for the Spaniards to renew their exertions. 
In accordance with this plan the force under Sir Rowland Hill which 
covered Badajos and held Soult in check at Seville, sent in May a 
detachment which seized and destroyed on the 19th the bridge of 
9 
5. VoL. XXII. 39 
