SWABEY DIARY. 433 
taken prisoner Sir Hdward Paget,' who was riding out of sight in 
front of us, and who, I suppose, would as soon have expected to see the 
devil. 
Directly afterwards we crossed a rivulet,’ and took up a position to 
check the enemy. At the place where our rear-guard forded there was 
a height that entirely commanded us. On it the enemy brought 
up their guns with astonishing rapidity, and from thence fired with 
great execution on the light division as it boldly dashed through the 
water. When all had crossed they turned their fire upon Whinyates’ 
and our guns? which were immediately under their muzzles, and 
unable on account of their height above us to return the compliment. 
Almost the first shot wounded poor Macdonald and three men at my 
gun; Macdonald being so close to me that we touched, I supported 
him till he was carried off. We remained four hours calmly receiving 
the enemy’s fire, and occasionally checking their infantry and keeping 
the passage of the river; Jiord Wellington gave no orders but to 
reserve our fire for formed bodies, nove of which appeared. Many 
were the hair-breadth escapes of men and horses; the wet state of the 
ground, which kept the shot from rising, and the mercy of Providence, 
alone saved us from certain destruction. At 11 o’clock we got to a wet 
camp in the rain and broiled some beef. 
18th November.—We continued our retreat, the road up to our axles, 
objects of misery accumulating at every step, wounded forced to walk, 
dead and dying strewing the road. What hurt me more than any- 
thing else was that from the urgency of the service we were obliged to 
refuse to carry them on our carriages. We encamped again in the wet 
with nothing to change or to eat. 
19th November.—We arrived to-day unfollowed by the enemy at 
Rodrigo, and crossed the Aqueda. There I saw poor Macdonald who is 
seriously wounded by a splinter, of immense size, which passed through 
the upper part of his thigh; it is not thought dangerous but will be a 
terrible trial of constitution. Hncamped in the rain. 
20th November.—Marched at last to quarters in Alamedilha; the 
town so crowded that we could scarcely find room. It appears this 
year that we shall have the start of the people in regard to forage, as 
here it is all unconcealed. 
21st November.—Having a little leisure to think and to write, I 
record my impressions of late events. The fundamental cause of our 
giving up Madrid, I attribute first of all to the total abandonment by 
1 The commander of the French cavalry on this occasion was a Major Mourelle, as will be 
shewn from the following extract. ‘‘ Amongst a number of agreeable persons whom I met that 
evening was a Major Mourelle, who had long served under Napoleon in Italy and Spain, but 
unfortunately for his own interests, had adhered a little too long to Napoleon’s cause. It was 
Major Mourelle who took Sir Edward Paget prisoner at Huebra near Ciudad Rodrigo, on the 17th 
of November, 1812. He wore a seal which was given him by Sir Edward Paget. After ihe peace 
Mourelle was reduce to the rank of Captain. WheaI met him [December 1830] he was in command 
of ie troops at Bintenzorg [Java].” ‘Fifty years in Ceylon,” by Major T. Skinner, c.m.e., 
p. 137. 
We The Huebra, a branch of the Yeltes river, the place of crossing was at the village of San 
unos. 
8 On this occasion 6 of the guns of “‘D” troop were injured by the fire of the enemy.—-F.4.W, 
59 
