Castello Branco, 1 July 1809 Enduring much hardship. Cuesta has a poor opinion of the English. Bonaparte probably only intends a defensive campaign in Spain, If there is to be action in the north hopes Castlereagh will ferret out Paget to send to Spain. ‘Remember Maraletz (? Marie Louise) is a very proper modest personage and highly fitted to Society especially of a genteel kind but she has nothing to do with fighting and Bonaparte never bestowed one glance at her during his career’ Just heard that Joseph Bonaparte has left Madrid with 5,000 men to join Victor at Talavera, Sebastiani to join them and Cuesta has fallen back to Almaraz. French movements in the north, their patrols have been near Placentia, Victor probably bringing them to protect his flank. ‘Cuesta will annoy us, we shall not be able in any concerted plan to count upon him and his freaks are not to be contrould’ Best plan is to manouvre rather than risk a battle. – From: Londonderry Estates – Additional Records Acc: 1193(D),Despatches from Charles William Stewart (1778-1854), Lord Stewart to Robert Stewart (1769-1822), Viscount Castlereagh, from the Peninsula, volume 2