Lord Wellington having resolved to besiege _Ciudad Rodrigo_, the ROYAL DRAGOONS marched to the vicinity of that city in January, 1812, and took post at Villa Turpina, to cover the troops employed in the siege. This city was taken by storm on the 19th of that month, and, when the works were put in a state of defence, the ROYALS marched to St. Jao de Presquere. The siege of _Badajoz_--the capital of Spanish Estremadura, situate on a beautiful plain on the banks of the Guadiana, was next determined upon: the army was accordingly put in motion for the south, and the ROYAL DRAGOONS, proceeding by way of Abrantes into Spanish Estremadura, were placed under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham; and, having crossed the Guadiana on the 16th of March, advanced upon Valverde and Santa Martha, and thence towards Llerena,--an old town of Estremadura, which once belonged to the knights of St. John. On the 19th of March the ROYALS were at Villa Franca; but on the advance of Marshal Soult, with a considerable force, they retired. _Badajoz_ was taken on the 6th of April, and Lord Wellington afterwards proceeded to the north; but the ROYAL DRAGOONS remained in Estremadura, forming part of the force left in the south under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill. On the 25th of May a squadron of the ROYALS, commanded by Major DORVILLE, proceeded on out-post duty to _Llera_. On the 27th, at night, the commanding officer ascertained that a French brigade had advanced within a short distance of his post: he therefore retired to a wood about a mile behind the village, and having placed a small piquet on an eminence, with a support at the ford of a rivulet in front of the wood, the squadron bivouacked for the night. In the mean time a brigade of French cavalry, commanded by Brigadier-General L'Allemand, advanced to _Llera_, and surrounded the village at midnight, expecting to surprise the squadron in its quarters; but on discovering that it had marched, he advanced towards the wood, and, attacking the piquet, wounded and took prisoners one serjeant and five men. Meanwhile the support commenced a brisk fire, and gallantly defended the passage of the ford, and the squadron, not having drawn bit, immediately mounted and formed; when the French, being foiled in their object, retired: the squadron followed, and continued skirmishing with the enemy until they had passed _Llera_, and then resumed its former post.