PENINSULAR WAR Manuscript journal of Lieutenant William Swabey of 'E' and 'D' Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, comprising closely-written entries written almost daily from 27 July 1811 to 21 September 1812, beginning with the voyage to Portugal via Falmouth (where he visits a tin mine), arriving at Lisbon and first impressions ('...The people are indolent and filthy to a degree scarcely credible... their cookery consists of a vile jumble of oil and onions...'), the countryside ('... little cultivation, sickly inhabitants and bad roads...'), the depot at Abrantes ('...thousands of mules are employed...'), foraging for food ('...my heart bled to be obliged to take it from the inhabitants...'), wildlife ('...swarms of red legged partridges... Wolves, wild boars and deer abound in these mountains...'), at Salgueiro and Guarda, hearing the guns at Ciudad Rodrigo '...in all directions...' and news of the relief ('...some of the men were so drunk that they fired promiscuously... and killed many of their comrades...'), markets ('...one of the best markets for English quartermasters... many articles of British manufacture to be purchased...'), report of the relief of Badajoz ('...the space on the parapet was filled with chevaux-de-frise made of swords and the ground was covered with a platform of spikes...') and the aftermath ('...Two hours plunder was allowed but I believe little was found...'), on Lieutenant-Colonel Waller taking command, his views '...in direct opposition to Lord Wellington's...', General Hill's success at destroying the bridge at Almaraz ('...will embarrass Marmont...'), in pursuit of bandits, at Albuera ('...the position is not very strong but exceedingly judicious...'), skirmish with the French ('...the picket of the 3rd Dragoon Guards saved the honour of our camp...'), skirmish at Villalba ('...one of my shots killed 2 of the enemy...'), responding to news of actions elsewhere ('...we heard General Hill's column engaged towards Berlanga, we hastened to his assistance, but before we arrived he had gained his object...'), news of Salamanca ('...the French army is dispirited and discontented... [illustration of the line of attack]... A general salute was fired in honor of Lord Wellington's success...'), and of his old troop outside Madrid ('...the rascally Portuguese... turned tail and ran back on MacDonald's guns, and so mixed with them that he could neither fire nor retire...'), crossing the Tagus on a pontoon bridge ('...General Howard... ordered us to halt and put the infantry over first notwithstanding the representation of General Tulloch who had orders to press one of his brigades of Portuguese artillery on to Talavera... heartily sick of the infantry, whom I never wish again to see except in the field of battle...'), and much else; ownership inscription 'Wm Swabey Lieut' on inner front board and 'William Swabey August 21st 1810' on inner back board, last 15 leaves reversed comprising notes on the French economy and extracts from 'Sir John Moores Campaign in Spain', many amendments, corrections and deletions, some dates corrected in pencil in another hand, 352 pages, some additional pages of text affixed, dust-staining and marks, edges frayed, some loose and excised leaves, first leaf torn with loss, original ruled vellum, ink inscription on upper cover, marked and worn, some loss to spine, 4to (190 x 158mm.), 27 July 1811 to 21 September 1812; in a black cloth solander box by The Chelsea Bindery Footnotes: 'HEARTILY SICK OF THE INFANTRY, WHOM I NEVER WISH AGAIN TO SEE EXCEPT IN THE FIELD OF BATTLE'. William Swabey (1789-1872) received a commission in the Royal Regiment of Artillery as Second Lieutenant on 1 July 1806 and, in 1807, he took part in the expedition against Copenhagen. He describes here his participation in the Peninsular campaign from July 1811 to August 1812, but served there until June 1813 when he was wounded at the battle of Vittoria, necessitating his return to England. He recovered enough to return to the army and was present at the battle of Toulouse in 1814 and throughout the 1815 Waterloo campaign. He was to serve in the army for 18 years and, following his retirement, he and his family emigrated to Prince Edward Island in Canada of which his friend, Sir Charles Fitzroy, was Lieutenant-Governor. A farmer and landowner there, he also enjoyed a prominent political career on the Executive Council and Board of Education and was given a public banquet before his return to England in 1861. His sabretache illustrating battle honours for Peninsular and Waterloo is illustrated on the British Empire website. Swabey's journal gives an evocative account of the everyday life of a soldier on the march. Food and the acquisition of provisions are a preoccupation, and he describes endless marches in torrential rain ('...a 'Portuguese Shower'... a storm for eight hours...'), only to end up in a succession of different billets ranging from the bare ground under a tarpaulin ('...obliged to lay my head on my wet saddle bags...') to the casa of a Marquis, where they crushed the rats with ecclesiastical volumes from his fine library. He reads '...Carleton's Memoirs... Pasley's Military Policy... Don Quixote...', attends a bullfight ('...afforded little amusement, and gave few specimens of courage...'), falls drunk into a hole and holds a generally poor opinion of the locals ('...he was obliged to go up to his middle in water, and like a true Portuguese cried like a child... they refused to act as guides till I got off and loaded one of my pistols, when I found them reasonable and civil...'). In a moment of compassion in the midst of war he talks of saving a wounded Frenchman when others had abandoned him ('...could not get the Frenchman out of my head and at last resolved to run all risks...'). Our diary was published firstly in 1895 and again more recently as Diary of Campaigns in the Peninsular for the Years 1811, 1812 and 1813 (Ken Trotman military history monographs, no.2, 1984), the text of which continues after the end of our journal. Swabey's earlier diary describing the expedition against Copenhagen, The Diary of First Lieutenant William Swabey, Royal Artillery, 28 July to 31 October 1807, was published by Major John H. Leslie, R.A, in 1916. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: • • Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing