SWABEY DIARY. 419 
in some respects a monument of the French activity in making them- 
selves retreats from the Guerrillas. Had they been the original 
builders I should have condemned them for making a place of defence 
that is overlooked. 
It surrendered by capitulation to the Spaniards after Madrid was 
taken ; it ought now to be destroyed. ‘These places, so common near 
Spanish towns, enable the enemy to command the population, whereas 
in the hands of the Spaniards they could never resist the attack of 
artillery, but their ignorance and presumption is beyond belief. ‘T'o 
show the disposition of this province, I need only say that merely to 
protect them whilst transacting business, besides having this castle 
they have in the town barricaded streets and many strongholds. 
dth October.—Still at Consuegra neither pleased nor happy. 
6th October.—Marched all day in pelting rain to Lillo. 
It was a distance of seven leagues and I was three hours in advance 
of the troop searching for quarters. I was the first Briton there just 
as ab Domingo ; the bells rang, and three hundred people stood in the 
rain to welcome in Su Majestad, who wished them @ los infernos. 
Ambrose down with ague. 
7th October—Marched to Villa Tobas to cover the grand Madrid 
and Valencia road, it being reported that Soult’s advance guard was 
now at Minaya, 27 leagues from Madrid, the main body of his army, 
counting Suchet and Joseph, being 65,000 to 70,000 men. We are 
shortly to be joined by troops from Cadiz under Colonel Skerrett,} 
with Ballesteros, General Maitland! and Roche! with the Spaniards at 
Alicante. 
Lord Wellington invested Burgos on the 19th September, and 
the same night with the Portuguese brigade of General Pack, and 
the flank companies of the 42nd, 79th, and 97th regiments, took by 
storm the hornwork on the hill of St. Miguel. The French have made 
the castle very strong, and two batteries have been made against it 
but being commanded have not yet been opened. On the 29th a mine 
was sprung, which madea breach in the wallin front of the castle ; it was 
stormed, but the supports losing their way in the darkness of the night 
the advanced party were driven off. Already we have lost 40 officers 
and 800 men. 
The remains of Marmont’s army under Clausel have passed the Ebro 
and it is said their heavy baggage is gone to Bayonne. 
October Sth.—Wrote up this book from the beginning. Ambrose 
goes to the rear to-morrow. 
d 
[After quitting Toledo some movements of light troops were made 
towards La Mancha probably with the object of observing the direction 
of the march of Soult’s troops. 
The victory of Salamanca and the siege of Burgos afforded the French 
Marshals proof that they could no longer maintain themselves in the 
Fs! Tied acnerel Maiend a ae commanded the allied troops on the eastern coast of Spain. 
neut.-General Roche commanded a Spanish division there. Only a brigade under Colonel Sk 
joined General Hill —7.4.W. i : Saree 
