On the first streak of daylight on the 23rd the Regiment was again in pursuit; and fording the Tormes, came up with the French rear-guard of cavalry and infantry, commanded by General Foy. The infantry immediately formed three squares, which their cavalry covered; but these flying on the advance of General Bock’s German cavalry, and leaving the squares unprotected and unprepared, the Germans dashed into two of them, and, not without terrible loss, broke them and cut them up. The third square being at an elbow of roads leading to high ground, retired in good order. The Regiment was ordered to advance; but the enemy’s rear-guard having been thus disposed of by Bock’s Germans, their only office was to follow in pursuit; and soon after they found the rear-guard, consisting of the three arms, posted on some high ground near a village. Lord Wellington, who then happened to be with the Regiment, gave immediate orders for an attack; but on their advance the French broke up and melted away before they reached them.
On the 24th the Regiment moved to Flores d’Avila, passing on the way through Penaranda. After halting during the 25th to refresh the men, as this march had been extremely hot and fatiguing, they proceeded on the 26th to Aldea Seca; on the 27th to Montejo Viejo; on the 28th to Pedrajo de Portellio; and on the 29th to Olmedo. A little beyond this place was buried the body of General Ferey, who had died at Olmedo on this retreat, of wounds received at Salamanca. This was the same man who had attacked the 1st Battalion at Barba del Puerco in March 1810. He had been interred apparently with honour, and a canopy of laurel had been erected over his grave. But the Spaniards, as soon as the French were gone, had dug up his body, and mutilated it, severing his head—noble and soldierlike even in death—from it. But his old foes of Barba del Puerco were more generous. They re-interred his remains, replaced the canopy of laurel which had covered his grave, and exacted a promise from the people of the place that they would respect the remains and the tomb of the fallen warrior.
On the 30th the Regiment forded the Douro and halted on its right bank about six miles from Valladolid until August 1. This halt on the bank of a large river where they could bathe and have their clothes washed, was a great boon to men and officers; for from July 16 they had been almost daily on the march or in action.
On August 1 they proceeded to Tudela del Douro; and passing through Aldea Major, where they recrossed the Douro, and Matta de Qualiaz, bivouacked on the 7th on the right bank of the Penrone.
Marching at daylight on the 8th and passing through Carbonero, they bivouacked on the Eresma not far from Yangues. On the 9th they marched by Madrona and bivouacked at or near a hunting place of the kings of Spain, El Palacio del Rio Frio. On the next day they marched to near Otiro and Madrona-Segovia, not far from the city of the latter name.
On the 11th they crossed the Guadarrama mountains, by the Puerto de Guadarrama, and by an excellent winding road leading over the Sierra and descending the southern slope, and bivouacked in the Park of the Escurial.
Scarcely had the Riflemen taken off their knapsacks when two wild boars made their appearance; and scared at the number and the noise of the men, dashed in among them and knocked over several. But in a moment they had received stabs or cuts from a hundred swords, and in a very few minutes their carcases were cut up and distributed.
On the 12th they halted; and on the 13th Lord Wellington made his entry into Madrid, amidst the congratulations and acclamations of its inhabitants of all ranks. On that day the 1st Battalion marched to Rosas; and a day or two after to Gatafe, about eight miles from the capital. Here, in or about Madrid, the Regiment remained for more than two months.
I have now to resume the account of the two companies (Cadoux’s and Jenkins’) of the 2nd Battalion, which we left at Cadiz. These embarked there and landed with Colonel Skerrett at Huelvas. Thence advancing to San Lucar la Major on August 24, and having driven the French corps of observation from that place, they took post there. On the 26th they marched to the heights of Castileja de la Cuesta, near Seville, where they arrived on the morning of the 27th, about six o’clock. They advanced to the bridge of Seville under a heavy fire of grape and musketry, the two companies of the 2nd Battalion forming the advanced guard. Captain Cadoux, who commanded the Riflemen, with great judgment made a flank movement to the left; and the result was that the enemy fled through the streets of Seville, which were strewn with their dead and wounded. The conduct of this Detachment of the Regiment is mentioned with praise by Colonel Skerrett in his despatch.[118]