Sir Arthur to lord Castlereagh, April 24, 1809.
‘Cuesta is at Llerena, collecting a force again, which it is said will soon be 25,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry.’
To general Mackenzie, May 1, 1809.
‘They (Victor’s troops) have in their front a Spanish army with general Cuesta at Llerena, which army was defeated in the month of March, and has since been reinforced to the amount of twenty thousand men.’... ‘They will be attacked by Cuesta, who is receiving reinforcements.’
Mr. Frere to sir Arthur Wellesley, Seville, May 4.
‘We have here 3,000 cavalry, considered as part of the army of Estremadura (under Cuesta). Cuesta has with him 4,000 cavalry.’
Sir Arthur Wellesley to lord Castlereagh, June 17, 1809.
‘We had every reason to believe that the French army consisted of about 27,000, of which 7,000 were cavalry; and the combined British and Portuguese force which I was in hopes I should have enabled to march upon this expedition would have amounted to about 24,000 men.’
To lord Wellesley, August 8, 1809.