242 SWABEY DIARY. 
boats at Almaraz, the best and shortest line of communication between 
the French armies north and south of the Tagus. This important 
design accomplished, Lord Wellington on June 17th, crossed the 
Tormes near Salamanca, and by July 2nd, succeeded in driving 
Marmont from that neighbourhood towards the Douro; a series of 
manceuvres ensued between that date and July 22nd, upon which day 
the French were defeated at the battle of Salamanca, and then pursued 
to Valladolid, and as they still continued to retire northward, Wel- 
lington re-crossed the Douro, marched on Madrid, drove the King with 
his troops from the place, and entered it on August 12th. 
The allies had thus defeated a powerful army and driven King 
Joseph from the capital, bub as Soult still remained in Andalusia, the 
main object of the campaign—to draw the French armies from the 
southern provinces, so far had not been attained. 
On that account, Lord Wellington directed the troops at Cadiz to 
manoeuvre against Soult’s force, while Sir Rowland Hill, who during 
the period between May and September had been constantly skirmish- 
ing and manceuvring against a portion of the same army under Count 
D’Erlon, took post on the Tagus and marched towards Aranjuez and 
Madrid. At the same time (September Ist) leaving a small garrison 
in the latter place, himself marched northward against the army of 
Portugal now commanded by Clausel. The French fell slowly back on 
Burgos, the siege of which was begun by the allies on the 17th. 
Soult meanwhile finding the war steadily progressing in the north, 
on August 25th, raised the siege of Cadiz and concentrated at Granada, 
where hearing of the movement on Burgos, he marched northward and 
on September 29th, at Albacete, united with the King’s army. 
The approach of these combined armies on Madrid, and the failure 
to carry by storm the castle of Burgos, compelled Wellington on 
October 21st to raise the siege, and in conjunction with Sir Rowland 
Hill’s force to retire on Salamanca, in front of which place they took 
up a position. On November 10th, the French concentrated on the 
right bank of the Torrnes, a force nearly double that of the allies; but 
as the latter were much worn and exhausted by incessant marching and 
constant exposure, Wellington preferred retiring into Portugal to the 
risk of fighting a general action. 
On November 15th, the army therefore broke up from Salamanca, and 
during the three followimg days owing to inclement weather, bad roads, 
and irregular supply of food, the distress of the army was extreme. 
The French light troops pursued them closely for two days causing much 
inconvenience and loss. On November 18th, kead-quarters entered 
Ciudad Rodrigo, and when it was ascertained that the French had re- 
tired from the Tormes, the army was put into winter cantonments. 
In reading the foregoing summary it should be borne in mind that 
«}” troop was with the army under Lord Wellington, while “D” 
troop, to which Lieutenant Swabey was attached, was with that under 
the command of Sir Rowland Hill. 
