SWABEY DIARY. 295 
General Hill’s column marched to Llerena and got possession of that 
pass over the mountains to Seville. We with General Long’s brigade 
encamped for the first time in quiet, and slept in our beds, which was 
a luxury of such value as only those who have experienced great 
fatigues and hot suns without rest can appreciate. The hard work 
and exposure has done much to weaken us by sickness. 
Sth July.—Shaded in the woods of Villa Garcia. We received the 
particulars of Lord Wellington’s attack on the forts at Salamanca in 
which Captain Hligé! of the Royal Artillery was killed and Lieutenant 
Love was wounded. 
9th July.—Rode in the evening to Llerena where I was admitted by 
a priest to the private Chapel of the Cathedral; here he showed us 
with the most ridiculous reverence the relics of Nossa Senhora de 
Granada the patroness of all Spain. 
>» 
10th July.—This morning at 3 o’clock our column advanced on 
Maguilla. On our route we heard General Hill’s column engaged 
towards Berlanga, we hastened to his assistance, but before we ar- 
rived he had gained his object by driving the French cavalry out of the 
place. As they did not retire out of sight we manceuvred some time 
and did not get off our horses till 7 o’clock. After this our men to 
their great credit, as they were without orders, foraged for their 
horses. 
1th July.—We retired by Ayllones to our camp at Villa Garcia, but 
not till we had remained a long time underarms. We got in by 5 
o'clock. 
12th July.—tIn consequence of the enemy’s cavalry having occupied 
Berlanga, on our leaving it, yesterday we made a feint of retiring to 
bring him on, and a design was formed to surprise and attack him. 
We marched accordingly at 2 o’clock in the morning, but owing to Sir 
William Erskine’s halting us for two hours on the road, General Slade 
with the “heavies” arrived and waited for us near Berlanga. The 
heavy brigade was sufficiently strong to have beaten the enemy but were 
as usual restrained and dispirited. It scems to be the system to do 
everything to make our fine fellows afraid of their enemy. We are 
daily harassed in the sun and our ardour is imprudently restrained. 
We remained in the fields till 1 o’clock when we went into cover at 
Ayllones for a few hours which we enjoyed in shaving and cleaning 
ourselves. At 8 o’clock we were turned out to return to our camp at 
- Villa Garcia, where through the darkness and mistakes of the guides 
we did not arrive till 2 o’clock in the morning. 
13th July.—I was agreeably surprised by a letter from Mr. Walcott, 
and another from the Captain. I was fatigued and knocked up but 
their receipt reanimated me, and I felt more pleasure and happiness 
than has been my share since I entered the Peninsula. I immediately 
set my writing desk on the ground and answered Mr. Walcott’s, and 
wrote to Maurice. No news from the enemy. A letter from Newland 
1 Captain John P. Hligé (Kane’s List No. 978) killed 19th June, 1812, 
