Preparations were subsequently made for besieging Badajoz, and the Guadiana was passed in boats in the early part of April; on the night of the 16th of April an outpost of the Thirteenth Dragoons, which had been relieved by a squadron of Portuguese cavalry, was surprised by a body of French troops from Olivenza, and only twenty men escaped. The loss was three men wounded, Captain Morris, Lieutenant Moss, fifty soldiers, and sixty-five horses taken prisoners. The imagined security of their position, induced by the Portuguese squadron being in their front, and their consequent neglect of due precautions, led to the surprise of this party, by an overwhelming force of the enemy, when totally unprepared for resistance. This was not forgotten,—and the Thirteenth never gave occasion for the repetition of a similar severe but wholesome lesson during the remainder of the war.

The siege of Olivenza was undertaken by the fourth division, and the army advanced to drive the French detachments from the province of Estremadura. The British and Portuguese cavalry arrived at Los Santos on the 16th of April, and fell in with a body of French heavy cavalry, when the leading troops of the Thirteenth, under Captains Boyse and Macalister, promptly formed and checked the advance of the enemy. The remainder of the regiment, commanded by Colonel Head, quickly formed line,—charged,—cut down many of the enemy,—took two officers and a number of men and horses,—and continued in close and rapid pursuit for several miles, successfully frustrating every attempt of the French to rally, and driving them from the field in utter confusion. The enemy suffered a very severe loss in killed and wounded. The left squadron of the Thirteenth, partly formed of the men who had escaped on the 6th instant, had the satisfaction of recapturing some of their horses and accoutrements, and severely revenging their own and their comrades' mischance on some of the very authors of it, who were among their opponents on this occasion. It was observed that these men displayed the most determined gallantry: nothing daunted by the superior numbers of the enemy immediately opposed to them, they rushed fearlessly into their ranks, and committed terrible havoc with their sabres. Captain Doherty had a horse shot under him in this affair. The French commander, whose gallant bearing in leading his men to the attack was long a theme of admiration among the officers who witnessed it, was killed by private James Beard of the regiment, much to the regret of those who had observed his gallantry.

On the 19th of April eighteen men, who had escaped from the enemy, rejoined the regiment.

The Thirteenth Regiment of Light Dragoons remained in advance when the siege of Badajoz was undertaken; but withdrew, with the other cavalry, on the advance of Marshal Soult, (who had collected an army to succour that fortress,) and joined the forces under Marshal Beresford at Albuhera, at which place a general engagement was fought on the 16th of May. Two squadrons of the Thirteenth were posted near the river above the bridge, with orders to defend it, and had opportunities of making some successful charges against the enemy's cavalry, who attempted to cross the stream. The other two squadrons were posted to keep in check a considerable body of the enemy's cavalry, but they were not seriously engaged, and their loss was limited to one horse killed, and one man wounded.

Marshal Soult, having been repulsed, retired, and the Thirteenth Dragoons were sent in pursuit of the enemy. The French rear-guard having been driven from Usagre, that post was occupied, on the night of the 24th of May, by a portion of the troops under Major-General Lumley; the Thirteenth being in bivouac near the town. The French advanced on the following day, when some sharp fighting occurred, in which the third dragoon guards and fourth dragoons distinguished themselves. The conduct of Colonel Head, of the Thirteenth Dragoons, as well as of every officer and soldier present, was commended in Major-General Lumley's despatch.

The siege of Badajoz having been resumed, Marshal Soult's army, strongly reinforced, again advanced; Marshal Massena's army also marched into Estremadura, and the allies again raised the siege of Badajoz, and took up a position behind the Caya, where the enemy did not venture to attack them. When the French armies retired, the Marquis of Wellington proceeded towards the Agueda, leaving the Thirteenth Dragoons in the Alemtejo, under Lieut.-General Hill; they were formed in brigade with the ninth dragoons and second hussars, of the King's German Legion, under Major-General Long, and were stationed at Villa Viciosa, and afterwards at Monforte, a small town nineteen miles from Portalegre.

From Monforte, the Thirteenth Dragoons marched, towards the end of October, to the Spanish frontiers, and with other troops under Lieut.-General Hill, were engaged in the surprise of a French force under General Girard at Arroyo de Molinos. By forced marches, performed in stormy weather, the British arrived in the vicinity of the village at day-break on the morning of the 28th of October; a storm of rain with a thick mist concealed the advance, and the French were surprised in the act of assembling to commence their march. The cavalry marched with every precaution to avoid giving the alarm. The enemy's troops were soon broken; their artillery was captured by a squadron of the Thirteenth, commanded by Captain Mansell Bowers, and their infantry, attempting to escape by climbing steep mountains, were intercepted, and the greatest part made prisoners. Captain Bowers, with his troop of the Thirteenth, pursued a body of French cavalry, and captured a number of men and horses. The conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Muter, who commanded the regiment on this occasion, was commended in Lieutenant-General Hill's public despatch.

Towards the end of December Lieut.-General Hill again advanced, and the Thirteenth Light Dragoons were employed in an attempt to surprise a body of French troops under General Dombrouski at Merida. On arriving at La Nava, three hundred French infantry and a party of hussars were found in the town; they immediately retired,—the infantry in square; and the Thirteenth and second hussars of the King's German Legion pursued. Some sharp skirmishing occurred, but the ground favouring the French, they made good their retreat to Merida, and informing General Dombrouski of the approach of British troops, he retreated during the night. The regiment afterwards returned to Monforte; its loss, in the skirmish between La Nava and Merida, was three horses killed; eleven men, five officers' horses and fifteen troop horses wounded; one man missing.

On the decease of Lieut.-General Francis Craig, the colonelcy was conferred on Lieut.-General the Honorable Henry George Grey, from lieut.-colonel of the Seventh Light Dragoons, by commission dated the 30th of December, 1811.

1812