After this affair Lord Wellington proceeded to Estremadura, to besiege Badajoz: but the Royal Dragoons remained with the forces left on the frontiers of Portugal, near Ciudad Rodrigo; and they were stationed in advance to cover the front from Villa de Egua to Espejo.
The French army, having been reinforced, and placed under the command of Marshal Marmont, advanced at daybreak on the morning of the 6th of June in two columns, when the light division was directed to retire from Gallegos upon Nave d'Aver, and subsequently upon Alfayetes; and the Royals, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, with a troop of the fourteenth light dragoons, were assembled at Gallegos to cover the retreat. The French brought forward about two thousand cavalry, six thousand infantry, and ten guns; and the Royals confronted this immense force with a degree of fortitude and valour seldom equalled.[57] That celebrated French cavalry officer, General Montbrun, manœuvred to outflank the Royals; but his squadrons were attacked and defeated twice, and the retreat was effected with little loss. For their distinguished conduct on this occasion the Royals were publicly thanked by Lieutenant-General Sir Brent Spencer, who commanded, in the absence of Lord Wellington in Estremadura. They lost on this occasion a troop-serjeant-major, three men, and six horses killed; and nine men wounded.
The Royals subsequently bivouacked near Sabugal, from whence they proceeded to Arronches, and were encamped at the conflux of the Caya and Algrette: towards the end of July they marched to Idanha a Nova, on the frontiers of Portugal; and in August to Villa de Toura and Iteura. Meanwhile Lord Wellington returned from Estremadura, and afterwards blockaded Ciudad Rodrigo. Marshal Marmont advanced; when his lordship raised the blockade, and took up a defensive position, and the Royal Dragoons were posted on the 22nd of September on the Upper Azava. A series of attacks and manœuvres followed, and on the 25th the Royals were in the position of Fuente Guinaldo: from whence they were ordered to retire on the following day; and on the 27th were posted near Alfayates, with a piquet at Aldea de Ponte, which was attacked by the enemy, when Lieutenant Ross had his horse killed under him, and three men and six horses were wounded. On the following day the Royals were with the army in position behind Soito; and Lord Wellington offered battle, but the enemy retired, and the allied army went into cantonments. The Royals were stationed at Adão; subsequently at Espejo, and towards the end of November marched for Meda.
1812
Lord Wellington having resolved to besiege Ciudad Rodrigo, the Royal Dragoons marched to the vicinity of that city in January, 1812, and took post at Villa Turpina, to cover the troops employed in the siege. This city was taken by storm on the 19th of that month, and, when the works were put in a state of defence, the Royals marched to St. Jao de Presquere. The siege of Badajoz—the capital of Spanish Estremadura, situate on a beautiful plain on the banks of the Guadiana, was next determined upon: the army was accordingly put in motion for the south, and the Royal Dragoons, proceeding by way of Abrantes into Spanish Estremadura, were placed under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham; and, having crossed the Guadiana on the 16th of March, advanced upon Valverde and Santa Martha, and thence towards Llerena,—an old town of Estremadura, which once belonged to the knights of St. John. On the 19th of March the Royals were at Villa Franca; but on the advance of Marshal Soult, with a considerable force, they retired. Badajoz was taken on the 6th of April, and Lord Wellington afterwards proceeded to the north; but the Royal Dragoons remained in Estremadura, forming part of the force left in the south under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill.
On the 25th of May a squadron of the Royals, commanded by Major Dorville, proceeded on out-post duty to Llera. On the 27th, at night, the commanding officer ascertained that a French brigade had advanced within a short distance of his post: he therefore retired to a wood about a mile behind the village, and having placed a small piquet on an eminence, with a support at the ford of a rivulet in front of the wood, the squadron bivouacked for the night. In the mean time a brigade of French cavalry, commanded by Brigadier-General L'Allemand, advanced to Llera, and surrounded the village at midnight, expecting to surprise the squadron in its quarters; but on discovering that it had marched, he advanced towards the wood, and, attacking the piquet, wounded and took prisoners one serjeant and five men. Meanwhile the support commenced a brisk fire, and gallantly defended the passage of the ford, and the squadron, not having drawn bit, immediately mounted and formed; when the French, being foiled in their object, retired: the squadron followed, and continued skirmishing with the enemy until they had passed Llera, and then resumed its former post.
On the 11th of June the seventeenth and twenty-ninth regiments of French dragoons, commanded by Brigadier-General L'Allemand, again proceeded to the vicinity of Llera, when Major-General Slade advanced with the Royals and third dragoon guards, and having attacked the French, routed them, and continued the pursuit about nine miles. On arriving at the vicinity of Maguilla the British regiments had another opportunity of charging, when they broke the enemy's first line, sabred many of the men, and took one of General L'Allemand's aides-de-camp prisoner. The British regiments rushed forward in pursuit with too much eagerness, each vying with the other which should most distinguish itself; and in a moment of confusion the French brought forward a reserve, and charged the broken squadrons with such fury that they were obliged to retire.[58] The Royals lost in this encounter one serjeant, eleven men, and six horses killed; also nineteen men, and eight horses wounded; and Lieutenant Windsor, with four serjeants and thirty-nine men, taken prisoners. Lieutenant Windsor and most of the men were wounded before they were taken.
Patroles were afterwards sent on the road to Maguilla, and on the 14th of June a serjeant and twenty-five men of the Royals, with the like number of the third dragoon guards, encountered a squadron of French dragoons, which they charged with distinguished gallantry, and having sabred a number of men, took a captain (the commanding officer of the squadron), with a serjeant and twenty men, prisoners; and captured twenty-three horses.
On the 18th of June the Royals marched for Albuhera: they were subsequently encamped near Llerena, from whence they marched to Los Santos. Meanwhile the forces under Lord Wellington had defeated the French at Salamanca; and on the news of this success Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill advanced. The Royals were in motion on the 30th of July, and proceeded to Villa Franca, and subsequently to Fuente del Maestre.