SWABEY DIARY. 489 
Dalhousie whom we found had heard by letter from Macdonald. Iwas 
glad to hear that he was doing well. 
10th December.—Rode all day in the rain to find forage, I am sorry 
to say without success. 
11th December.—It 1s ascertained that Clausel and Souham have set 
off for France with some force in consequence of disturbances.! There 
are only two regiments of cavalry at Salamanca. Soult, it is supposed, 
will winter at Madrid, probably despatching something southward. 
Meantime, Lord Wellington has gone off in person to the Cortes at 
Cadi and declares his intention of entering Spain again at the end of 
March, on which subject my expectations are by no means hopeless. 
Unfortunate Salamanca was given up to four days plunder.? 
12th December.—The rains set in with determined perseverance, 
consequently the exposure of our men in foraging becomes greater 
every day, and our hospitals begin to fill. 
Lsth December.—To-day an unfortunate officer, a victim to the hard- 
ships of the campaign, arrived here on a bullock wain, having been all 
the night before in the rain. His servant came to us to beg a few 
rations. I was surprised to find I had humanity enough to go to see 
his master ; he was in a house or hovel, not proof against the inclem- 
encies of the weather, stretched on the remains of his bed that his 
servant had been able to carry. All his baggage animals were lost, 
and he, without more than a dollar in his pocket, was helpless and 
quite worn out with exposure to the inclemency of the weather. J am 
ashamed to say that the interest I should have felt for any fellow 
creature in such a state of distress was redoubled when I found him 
address me in the most gentlemanly manner. He seemed to me 
worthy of a better fate. I got him removed to a better house though 
there was none in the village capable of affording him the comfort his 
situation required. The Doctor saw him and we gave him tea and 
soup and took every step that suggested itself to assist him. It is not 
usual to find, particularly in soldiers of the line, that dutiful attention 
to their masters which wag evident in this poor fellow’s servant.? I felt 
for him the greatest regard possible on account of his kindness. He 
told us his master had left the army at Burgos, at the commencement 
of the siege, was a little better when he was hurried out of the hospital 
1 This was due probably to news received from Paris of the conspiracy of General Malet, which 
so nearly succeeded in overturning the Empire. The 2nd Vol. of the lately published memoirs of 
the Chancellor Pasquicr adds considerably to our previous knowledge of this strange enterprise. 
Napoleon heard of it December 5th just before he quitted the army at Smolensk during the retreat 
from Moscow, and it most likely determined him to take that step.—(F.A.W.). 
* There does not appear to have been any recognized plundering, but a very bitter feeling existed 
between the Spanish civil and military authorities and the British army whilst the latter occupied 
Salamanea during the retreat from Burgos and Madrid, many acts of violence were committed on 
both sides. See Napier, Vol. V., p. 320, e¢ seq. 
3 Apropos of what is here stated. Captain McCarthy, who was severely wounded at the escalade 
of the Castle of Badajos, and not removed till late in the day following the assault, says in his 
“* Recollections of Badajos,” ‘‘I had strictly ordered my servant to seek for me amone the fallen 
if I did not return from the attack in the morning ; he had, however, remained in charge of my 
baggage he said ; but I said that he had remained, in preference, in charge of a large pot of soup and 
a bag of wine, for regaling himself and fellow servant. I dismissed him ag soon as another could 
be obtained,” : ; ; 
