On the 17th they fell in before dawn. The rain still fell in torrents. Early in the day the French cavalry pressed the rear-guard, and the 1st Battalion took possession of some high and broken ground on each side of the road, and one or two companies were thrown out as skirmishers to check their advance. But as the enemy continued to press on, and were very numerous, the skirmishers were called in. When running in on the Battalion they passed Lord Wellington; he called out to them: ‘Be cool, my lads; don’t be in a hurry.’ But the French were close upon them; and they, as well as the Commander-in-Chief, were obliged to retire. While this was happening the Riflemen were surprised to hear the sharp crack of rifles in their rear. The occasion of this was that some of the French dragoons crept, under shelter of a wood, near the baggage and made a dash across the road at it, took some, and made prisoner Lieutenant Cameron, who was on the baggage-guard. But as the head of the Division appeared almost immediately, they let him go. Riflemen were immediately sent into the wood on each side of the road, and a few shots from them soon drove off the dragoons. This was the same party which afterwards made a similar dash at Sir Edward Paget as he was riding alone in an interval between the 5th and 7th Divisions, and took him prisoner. In the afternoon the Regiment reached the edge of the table-land, whence the ground fell with a long open slope to the Huebra. As soon as they began to descend it, the enemy, who had assembled a large force of infantry and artillery under cover of the wood, opened a severe fire of cannon and musketry, while their cavalry hovered on the flank, watching for an opportunity of dashing at them, if any confusion had occurred. Nevertheless the Light Division went down that hill with all the deliberation and all the steadiness of a field-day. They forded the Huebra, which was rapid and breast-high, near San Munoz, under this fire; followed down the slope by the French skirmishers, whom one company of the 1st Battalion, extended, kept in check; and these were the last men who passed the Huebra on that day. On reaching the other side the Division formed column of battalions, and showed such a front that the enemy evinced no disposition to venture further. The loss of the Regiment was considerable, and would no doubt have been larger, but the ground was so soft from the continued rain that many of the shells buried themselves in the mud and were harmless. This day’s march was even more harassing than the preceding ones. The constant marching in slushy mud, and continuance in wet shoes, had made the men’s feet very sore; and they often struck them against the stumps of small trees, which had been felled, but, being covered with mud, were not seen. This added much to their sufferings: many men fell out from sheer inability to march, and were made prisoners; and some died.