256 SWABEY DIARY. 
13th June.—Was ordered with two guns on picket duty on the road 
from Usagre to Villa Garcia. General Long! took compassion and gave 
me a dinner. A squadron of the 13th under Major Boyce went to 
Maguilla and brought in 12 of the wounded of the heavy brigade 
left there by the enemy. We took an aide-de-camp and the French 
took two of our officers. Ferrier of the 3rd Dragoon Guards lost his 
horse, and a man of his troop in the most noble manner gave him his, 
saying “ your presence Captain is of more consequence than mine,” and 
he was by that means able to ride off; the man was taken prisoner. 
The Count d’Hrlon treated our people with the greatest kindness and 
every assistance was given to the wounded; he gave the two officers 
money, and they both are to be exchanged for the aide-de-camp. 
14th June-—We marched to Bienvenida one of the best towns I have 
entered, I was so pleased with the people in whose house I was, that I 
stayed talking to them till 12 o’clock. he Spaniards keep very late 
hours and always are gay in the evening, sleeping in the middle of the 
day and rising very early. 
15th June.—At 2 o'clock this morning I was turned out in conse- 
quence of the Spanish cavalry falling back and retiring on us. Sir 
W. Hrskine wanted to fight to-day with the enemy’s cavalry, but after 
standing till 3 o’clock we were ordered to proceed to Los Santos, 
where with much difficulty the 9th, 13th, ourselves and a brigade of 
infantry gotin. Yesterday Strenowitz Sir William Erskine’s aide-de- 
camp being out with 50 men on the same errand on which Major Boyce 
went, fell in with 70 of the enemy’s cavalry and charged them with 15 
men, therest beinginreserve. He gallantly putthem tothe rout, bringing 
in 18 men and another of Lallemand’s aides-de-camp. Our men con- 
sisting of the Royals and 3rd were glad to revenge themselves; one of 
them left the ranks as on the former occasion, and Strenowitz cut him 
down, or he might have been in the same scrape as Slade. 
16th June.—The Enemy advanced by Villa Garcia. 
17th June.—At Los Santos, the enemy still collecting in our front. 
18th June.—Retired to Fuente del Maestro, the infantry having 
already retired to the wood at Albuera. The inhabitants are every- 
where employed in carrying their valuable effects to the houses that 
are usually occupied by the French general officers where it is protected; 
this circumstance proves, if any proof were wanting, the rapacity of 
the French soldiery. I saw one woman carrying a door to a neigh- 
bouring house fearing it might be taken for firewood. 
At Fuente I had my old billet. The people were in great distress ; 
they said they would not care what privations they endured, if we 
would beat the enemy, but they are now certain of losing their harvest. 
Though most reasonable accounts speak of the enemy’s having 3000. 
cavalry and from 15,000 to 16,000 infantry, our force is nearly— 
British infantry 5500 British cavalry 1500 
Spanish infantry 3000 Spanish cavalry 500 
Portuguese infantry 500 Portuguese cavalry 200 
9000 2200 
This perhaps will turn out incorrect. 
1 Brigade-General R. B. Long commanded a brigade composed of the 9th and 13th Light Dra- 
goons and the 2nd Hussars, K.G.L. 
