The Twelfth Light Dragoons were actively employed during the operations which followed the retreat behind the Guarena, and on the 20th of July, when the opposing armies were moving parallel to each other, Captain Barton's squadron suffered from a cannonade; this squadron furnished the out-posts at night.
The army subsequently withdrew to the vicinity of Salamanca, where a general action was fought on the 22nd of July. The Twelfth Light Dragoons were stationed on the left, and not far from the rocky Arapiles, and they had the honor of taking part in the overthrow of the French army. The regiment charged twice in the evening, and broke some French infantry, after which a squadron under Captain Andrews moved to Huarte. Its loss was Captain Dickens, one serjeant, one rank and file and one horse killed; two rank and file and three horses wounded.
On the day after the battle, the Twelfth joined the other regiments of the brigade, which had been in pursuit of the enemy's rear-guard, and following the French army in its retrograde movement, arrived at the ancient city of Valladolid, in Leon, on the 30th of July. The pursuit was not continued; but the Marquis of Wellington left a small force in the neighbourhood of Valladolid, including the Twelfth Light Dragoons, and marched with the army to Madrid, a distance of about one hundred miles.
When the allied army had left the vicinity of the Douro, General Clauzel advanced with the French troops which had been defeated at Salamanca, and occupied Valladolid, and Major-General Anson's brigade was withdrawn across the Douro at Tudela in the middle of August, when the Twelfth had one man killed in a skirmish with the French.
On the return of the army from Madrid, the French retreated; the British moved forward, and on the 7th of September the Twelfth Light Dragoons entered Valladolid, and skirmished with the enemy's rear-guard when the bridge was blown up.
Leaving Valladolid the French army retired down the beautiful Pisuerga and Arlanzan valleys; the allies followed, and the ground being favorable for a retiring army, repeated skirmishes took place, in which the Twelfth Light Dragoons were engaged. Arriving at Burgos, the capital of Old Castille, the army halted, and commenced the siege of the castle; the cavalry being pushed forward to Monasterio, where the Twelfth Light Dragoons had frequent skirmishes with parties of the enemy.
The French army having been reinforced and placed under the orders of General Souham, advanced upon Burgos; and this circumstance, with the movements of the forces under Joseph Buonaparte and Marshal Soult, induced the British commander to raise the siege of Burgos castle, and to retire.
During the retreat from Burgos to Ciudad Rodrigo, the Twelfth Light Dragoons were actively employed in covering the rear, and they had frequent rencontres with the French advance-guards, on one of which occasions their commanding officer, Lieut.-Colonel the Honorable Frederick Ponsonby, was wounded; Lieutenant Taylor was also wounded; and the regiment had several private soldiers and horses killed and wounded.
After passing the Agueda the army went into quarters; the Twelfth Light Dragoons were stationed at Oliveira de Condé; and from the period they had taken the field in June, they reckoned thirty-three skirmishes and one general engagement, in which the regiment, or a portion of it, had taken part.
1813