254, SWABEY DIARY. 
Sth June.—Morillo and the Conde Penne Villamur advanced by - 
Usagre to Maguilla and Llerena. 
Ith June.—I read Spanish to-day and kept as much as possible 
indoors, the heat being terribly oppressive. 
10th June.—-Spent this day much the same as yesterday. 
11th June.—Marched at 6 o’clock in the morning to Sancho Perez 
by Los Santos, they are both very good towns. I rode from Sancho 
Perez in the evening to the famous town of Zafra, the centre of trade 
in these parts. When I mention trade I do not mean anything but 
domestic trade; here are jewellers’ shops, and every article is to be 
purchased. In the church at Zafva there is a very tolerable picture of 
the crucifixion. The convent has been rendered fit for defence by the 
French, probably against the Guerrillas, since it is pierced all round 
with loop-holes for musquetry, if assailed by Gannon and regular troops 
if must soon fall. 
There is an order to-day, to register for each brigade a certain 
number of Lemonade! (sic). These fellows are Galicians, and perhaps 
the most extraordinary pedestrians in the world. From the rapidity 
of their journeys we suspect them to be spies for which reason a certain 
number are registered and allowed, all exceeding that number are taken 
up. 
12th June.—Marched at 3 o’clock in the morning for Bienvenida 
where we learnt the unwelcome intelligence that General Slade and his 
brigade, the Royals and the 8rd Dragoon Guards, had been beaten 
by an inferior force of French Cavalry under Lallemand. The affair 
took place on the banks of a ravine running between Maguilla and 
Valencia de Torres and was principally owing to the following circum- 
stances: the Conde de Penne and General Slade were to move in 
concert on Azagua to drive in the French Cavalry; Lallemand was on 
the road making a reconnaissance. General Slade’s advanced Squadron 
charged by order; the enemy’s advance however did not wait to re- 
ceive them, and in an unprecedented and shameful manner every man of 
our brigade broke to pursue. Lallemand saw the confusion and im- 
mediately came on with a small reserve when the consternation was 
so general that our brigade did not rally as it ought to have done, but took 
to its heels, and lost 164 in prisoners instead of annihilating the whole 
of the French whom they nearly surprised for they found them on the 
edge of a ravine which can only be passed by files. his is the first 
instance of English cavalry being defeated. In consequence we re- 
mained in harness all day and at 3 o’clock marched to Usagre where 
we encamped in the open plain in the sun and remained all night. 
[When I was with Sir Rowland Hill’s corps in the summer of 1812, 
a Brigade of Cavalry commanded by Major-General Slade was very 
much compromised with some French Dragoon Regiments at a spot 
between Maguilla and Valencia de la Torres; their meeting was nearly 
1 The word should probably be either Lamonados meaning inhabitants of a plain without stones, 
essentially a Galician word, or Limonados used locally for bullock drivers.—F.A. 1, 
