On 29 December Moore's army was in retreat with the French advanced guard closing in on the hard-pressed British rearguard until the two sides clashed at the bridge over the Esia river close to the village of Castrogonzalo. The bridge had been partially destroyed by Robert Craufurd's Light Brigade, forcing the French, under General Lefebvre-Desnouettes, one of Napoleon's own personal favorites, to look for another way across. A suitable ford was duly found close to the village and soon French cavalry were splashing and swimming through the icy waters to reach the opposite bank where Paget's piquets were hovering. Lefebvre-Desnouettes had with him tout squadrons of chasseurs of the Imperial Guard, about 600 in all, who were faced initially by around 100 men of the 7th, 10th and 18th Hussars under Colonel Otway who rode forward to meet them. The British hussars were driven back and, letting off their carbines and keeping a respectful distance, retired to be joined by three troops of the 3rd Hussars KGL under Captain von Kerssenbruch and Lieutenant Jansen. At this point. General Charles Stewart arrived on the scene and took command from Otway. Stewart charged the French a second time and his men cut their way through the first French line before being brought up by their second, whereupon, being outnumbered, they hacked their way out and fell slowly back. Stewart rallied the men and drew them off carefully towards the town of Benavente, about three miles back, where he knew Paget was lying in wait with his reserves.

    Paget, who sat on his horse 'twirling his moustachios', had been watching intently from behind some houses and was waiting patiently for Stewart to buy him some time in order for him to get the 10th Hussars organised and ready for the charge. Meanwhile, Lefebvre's chasseurs came on confidently, continuing their forward movement under the watchful eyes of Napoleon himself, who had come forward to view the action from some heights overlooking the Esla. The Emperor was not to enjoy the spectacle that unfolded before him, however, for as his chasseurs neared Benavente the 10th Hussars, with Paget at their bead, came charging out from their concealed position amidst the cheers of the locals who turned out to watch. With the 18th Hussars in support, Paget and the 10th swept forward, driving the French back pell-mell towards the Esla where they were forced to turn and fight. Many of the French chasseurs plunged into the river and tried to swim back but others, whose horses were blown after the chase back from Benavente, could not do so and were forced to fight. In the melee that followed over fifty chasseurs were cut down and either killed or wounded with the British hussars suffering a similar number of casualties. In addition, seventy-two French cavalry were taken prisoner including two captains and the most famous prisoner of them all, Lefebvre-Desnouettes himself. It was a small but well-executed attack by Lord Paget which, coming as it did just a few days after Sahagun, confirmed his status as the finest cavalry commander the British Army possessed.

GALLOPING AT EVERYTHING