With the tables turned, the French dragoons chased the British until the horses of both sides were too exhausted for the battle to continue.

The action took place during the Peninsular War, near Maguilla, Spain, a distance of 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of Llerena.

On 6 April 1812, the Siege of Badajoz ended when the Anglo-Portuguese army under the Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Wellington stormed and captured the fortress.

The emperor handed control in Spain to his brother King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan.

[2] In May 1812, Hill conducted a successful raid which resulted in the Battle of Almaraz and the destruction of a French bridge across the Tagus River.

Meanwhile, British engineers led by Henry Sturgeon repaired the broken Alcántara Bridge; this permitted the Allies to transfer troops between the northern and southern sectors two weeks faster than the French were able to.

Wellington took 48,000 troops to the northern sector to operate against Marmont, leaving 18,000 with Hill to face d'Erlon's corps.

The British commander planned to have Hill and Spanish leader Francisco Ballesteros make alternate threats against Soult's army.

[5] On 1 June 1812 in the Second Battle of Bornos, Conroux's men were surprised but they rallied and drove off the 8,500 Spanish troops with 1,500 casualties and four guns.

Soult wished to smash Ballesteros or capture Tarifa, but when Hill began to advance, the French marshal had to drop his plans.

Soon afterward, the British dragoons encountered the main body of Lallemand's brigade arrayed in battle order.

Instead of reforming his brigade, Slade plunged after the fleeing French, "each regiment vying with the other which should most distinguish itself", as he later proudly reported.

Lallemand had held a squadron in reserve, and now this small, but compact force crashed into the disorderly clump of British horsemen.

The flight ended near Valencia de las Torres, a village about 4 miles (6 km) from Maguilla when both sides had exhausted their horses.

[11] After the battle, a very irritated Wellington wrote to Hill: I have never been more annoyed than by Slade's affair, and I entirely concur with you in the necessity of inquiring into it.

Marshal Soult ordered d'Erlon to force Hill to fight a battle, or at least prevent him from sending reinforcements to Wellington.

Hill expected to be attacked because the Allies had intercepted messages from King Joseph demanding that d'Erlon assault his foe.

The Anglo-Portuguese soldiers had to endure the stench of the hundreds of imperfectly buried corpses from the Battle of Albuera the previous year.

D'Erlon reported to Soult that Hill had 25,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry, and plenty of artillery; he believed it would be foolhardy to attack.

He expected a battle near Fuente del Maestre on 4 July, but the French withdrew when their left flank was threatened.

[15] On 7 July, d'Erlon abandoned a strong position at Valencia de las Torres when Hill again turned his left flank.