SWABEY DIARY. 293 
28th June.—After breakfasting with General Long, who likewise 
asked me to dinner, I rode by his order to investigate the possibility 
of guns passing from the picket ground to the Solano road, which I 
found easy to accomplish. I dined with Handley of the 9th and was 
relieved, and returned here in the evening after passing last night in 
my cloak. 
I find from my ride this morning that the three roads approaching 
Albuera are easily watched and that there are excellent look-out stations. 
The Portuguese and Spaniards take this duty. It appears that Soult 
has never moved from Seville and that the detachment from his corps 
is put under Drouet’s orders. Ballesteros has again fought with Soult 
near Seville. 
29th June.—Still shadowed by the venerable oaks of Albuera. 
30th June.—An account was received of Ballesteros having again 
been engaged with Soult. 
Ist July—The French made a reconnaissance to-day on the Solano 
and Santa Martha roads, which occasioned a smart skirmish with the 
Portuguese cavalry. After everything was supposed to be quiet, at 
about 8 o’clock, the Spanish cavalry to the number of 600 came gallop- 
ing into the wood pursued by about 3800 French who took 200. The 
whole cavalry turned out. ‘The French were so flushed by their success 
that they had the insolence to come into the wood. The picket of the 
3rd Dragoon Guards saved the honour of our camp by gallantly attack- 
ing and charging the enemy with 14 files only. Iieutenant Hilis was 
killed and Captain Watts the other officer severely wounded. My 
guns were first out of the camp, and I was posted with them for the 
night at the cross-roads; of course no clothes taken off, and nothing to 
eat till midnight. In the course of the evening a Spanish dragoon 
came past my post with a Frenchman, who had been shot through the 
breast, on his horse. Less cruel than other Spaniards he was conveying 
him to our camp, but as the man could no longer sit on the horse he 
asked me what he should do with him as he was repeatedly begging 
to be killed. I stopped the first surgeon I could find and got his 
wound dressed, and after refreshing him with brandy and water, put 
him again on the Spaniard’s horse, who promised faithfully to carry 
the poor wretch to Albuera about a mile and a half distant. An hour 
after an officer passing told me that he had seen the man lying on the 
roadside about a mile off, and requested I would send him some assistance. 
I never was so unhappily situated; my post in front of the enemy I 
could neither leave nor weaken, and was actually obliged to refuse the 
least help. I lay down but could not get the Frenchman out of my 
head and at last resolved to run all risks, so took a horse and man and 
wandered about for a long time to try and find him and carry him to 
my guns, where at least the poor wretch could get water. This satis- 
faction however I could not enjoy as I could not find him. I was 
made happy afterwards by learning he had found some compassionate 
creature to take him on a mule to the camp. 
"1 At Ossuma near Seville. Ballesteros surprised Colonel Beauyais, took 800 prisoners and des- 
troyed the French depdt at that place. Napier, Vol. 5, p. 188, 
