[Remainder of letter wanting.]
[On a small sheet separate.]
May 30th.
The mail has been detained, and I therefore open my letter to add that Hill has returned to his old positions after resting his troops a few days at Truxillo. Graham has also returned to his cantonments at Port Alegre, having advanced to Caçeres and Albuquerque to support Hamilton’s Division, in case Drouet had thought proper to assault it in Hill’s absence. Everything is quiet in our front. I am laid up with my broken shin, but more from prudence than necessity. As we are likely to move soon, I thought it best to get it well while I could, for fear that by moving in the heat it might give me a great deal of trouble. It was deep and on the bone, and I sillily neglected it at first. It is now getting much better. The Marshal is quite well. Poor Sewell has left us and gone home ill, I fear very seriously so, whether from his liver or consumption....
Pray see about the places I mentioned, what can be done about them. They are highly desirable in every point of view, and there are several of the same description abroad, but I have no great fancy to go to the West Indies or further East than the Cape, though should such a situation be offered me in the East, I scarce think I could refuse it....
Salamanca, June 17, 1812.
My Dearest Mother,
I have hesitated whether I should write to you to thank you for yours of 30th of May, or to my father for his of 21st and 27th.... We arrived here yesterday, the enemy having retired towards the River Douro, only leaving a small garrison in a fort they have made in the town round the Convent of St Vicente, and round which they have pulled down all the houses. It is, however, a very bad fortification and was not finished. I have therefore no idea that it can stand a day, when our Battery opens, which will be to-morrow morning. We are quite out of danger in this part of the town and very comfortably quartered.
The Army crossed the Agueda in 3 columns on the 13th. The right, commanded by Sir J. Graham, marched by Tamames; the centre, by General Leith, marched by San Meñios; and the left, by General Picton, by St Espiritu and Martin d’El Rio. These roads run parallel very near to each other, so that the Army was nearly assembled every night. On the 13th the River Yeltes, the 14th the Huebra, and the 15th the Valmaza. We saw nothing of the enemy till the 15th. When about two leagues from this the Advance Guard fell in with some Cavalry, about 5 Regts. supported by 1500 Infantry, near the Town, with which our Cavalry skirmished with very little loss, and as our Columns advanced gradually drove them back upon the City, within two miles of which our posts were established. They took from the enemy an Officer and about 20 men. Our loss is 3 Officers wounded slightly, and about 7 men wounded and some horses.