[Transcriber's note: Obvious printer's errors have been corrected. Hyphenation and accentuation have been standardised, all otherinconsistencies are as in the original. The author's spelling hasbeen maintained. ]

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY

OF

SERGEANT WILLIAM LAWRENCE, _A HERO OF THE PENINSULAR AND WATERLOO CAMPAIGNS_;

EDITED BY

GEORGE NUGENT BANKES, AUTHOR OF "A DAY OF MY LIFE AT ETON, " ETC. , ETC. 

 London SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE, & RIVINGTON CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET 1886

[_All rights reserved_]

BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 

_Square 16mo, cloth extra, 2s. 6d. Each. _

A DAY OF MY LIFE AT ETON. 

ABOUT SOME FELLOWS; or, Odds and Ends from My Note-book. 

CAMBRIDGE TRIFLES; or, Splutterings from an Undergraduate's Pen. 

A CAMBRIDGE STAIRCASE. 

_Crown 8vo, cloth, 6s. _

WRITTEN TO ORDER: being some Account of the Journeyings of anIrresponsible Egotist, and of How he enjoyed himself thereon. 

LONDON: SAMPSON LOW & CO. , 188, FLEET STREET, E. C. 

PREFACE. 

Sergeant William Lawrence died at Studland in Dorsetshire in the year1867, bequeathing the manuscript of the accompanying autobiography tothe family one of whose members now submits it to the notice of thepublic. Circumstances, which perhaps may be too often interpreted asreally meaning an unfortunate tendency to procrastination, havehitherto prevented it being put into shape with a view to publication:one thing after another has intervened, and the work has been passedon from hand to hand, until after these long years a final effort hasbeen made, and the self-imposed task completed. 

The book is simply sent forth on its own merits in the hope that thereare yet some, if not indeed many whose hearts are never weary of thetales of England's glory in the past, and seek to find in them reasonwhy that glory should be perpetuated. Many an account have we alreadyhad of the victories of the Peninsula and Waterloo, and this but addsone more to the list: though perhaps it may be regarded in somewhat ofa supplementary light, as treating of the campaigns neither from anentirely outside and _soi-disant_ unprejudiced standpoint, nor withthe advantages possessed by one who may have had access to thecouncils of the authorities, but as they were seen by one who came andwent and did as he was told, and was as it were nothing more than asingle factor in the great military machine that won our country thosebattles of which she has so much right to be proud. What criticisms ofthe conduct of the war our veteran occasionally does indulge in are ofcourse chiefly founded on the camp gossip current at the time, and inreading them it must always be borne in mind that events at the momentof their happening often do not present the same appearance as whenviewed from the calmer security of after years, and they must bejudged accordingly. 

As to the style. Lawrence, though he never betrayed the fact to theauthorities during his whole military career, being possessed of awonderful aptitude for mental calculation, and always contriving toget some assistance in concealing his deficiency when his officialduties necessitated his doing so, and though he has carefully avoidedall direct allusion to it in this work itself, never learnt to write, and the first form in which his history was committed to paper wasfrom dictation. The person who took down the words as he spoke them, one of his fellow-servants, was but imperfectly educated himself, sothat it may be imagined that the result of the narrative of oneilliterate person being written down by another was that the stylewas not likely to aspire to any very high degree of literary merit. Still, to preserve the peculiar character of the book, it has beenthought better to leave it as far as possible in its original shape:some emendations have perforce had to be made to render it actuallyintelligible--for instance, in the original manuscript there isscarcely any punctuation from beginning to end, with the exception ofat those places where the amanuensis evidently left off his day'swork; but the language, with its occasional half-flights into a poetryof about the standard of an Eton boy's verses, its crude moralizings, and imperfect applications of old proverbs and fables, has not beenaltered, nor, so far as there can be said to be one, has the method. It is trusted, therefore, that, remembering that the main object inthe editor's mind has been to let the venerable hero tell his story inexactly his own words so far as his meaning can be thereby made out, no one will take any unnecessary pains to count up how often the words"likewise" and "proceed" are repeated in these pages, or to point outthat the general style of the book combines those of Tacitus, Caesar'sCommentaries, and the Journeyings of the Israelites. Nor, it is to behoped, will any one be too severe in his comments on the fact that tothe mind of a man in Lawrence's position the obtaining of a pair ofboots was apparently quite as important an event as the storming ofBadajoz, or the finding of a sack with a ham and a couple of fowls init as the winning of the battle of Waterloo. 

Interesting perhaps the book will prove as giving some of the detailsof what our soldiers had to undergo in those old times of war. Hardships they now have to endure, and endure them they do well, butall must be thankful to know that they are far better off than theirforefathers; who, unsuitably clad, half starved, and with theircommissariat such even as it was disgracefully mismanaged, and yetforbidden very often under pain of death to pick up what they couldfor themselves, submitted on the shortest notice to punishments whichwould nowadays call forth the indignant protests of hosts of newspapercorrespondents; and still in spite of all fought stubbornly throughevery obstacle till they had gained the objects for which they hadbeen sent out. What wonder can there be that under all thesecircumstances we should find our hero somewhat hardened in hisestimate of human sympathies, and not altogether disinclined to vieweverything, whether it concerned life or death, or marriage, orparting or meeting, all in one phlegmatic way, as occurring as amatter of course? What ought to strike us as more curious is that hewas only reduced to that level of intellect where he thought eventhat much of anything at all besides his actual eating, drinking, andsleeping. 

But to go on further would be to depart from the original intention ofletting the book speak for itself. To conclude therefore: there ismuch to wade through, though it is all more or less relevant to theprogress of the story: some readers may like one part and some mayprefer another; and if the pruning-hook had once been introduced itwould have been difficult to decide what to leave and what to take, or whether it would not be better to publish another volume of thethings pruned, since it had been determined to publish at all. But ifthe reader will accomplish the wading to the end, there will he findsummed up in one simple paragraph the autobiographer's own ideas aboutthe merits of his work. May it be received in the same spirit as it issent forth!

CONTENTS. 

 CHAPTER I. Page

 Starting in Life 1

 CHAPTER II. 

 Enlisted and ordered Abroad 9

 CHAPTER III. 

 The River Plate Expedition--Monte Video 16

 CHAPTER IV. 

 The River Plate Expedition, continued--Colonia 26

 CHAPTER V. 

 The River Plate Expedition, concluded--Buenos Ayres 35

 CHAPTER VI. 

 The Peninsula, 1809--Vimeira--Lisbon 42

 CHAPTER VII. 

 Talavera 51

 CHAPTER VIII. 

 1810--Busaco 59

 CHAPTER IX. 

 Torres Vedras 67

 CHAPTER X. 

 1811--Pombal, Redinha, &c. 77

 CHAPTER XI. 

 Siege of Badajoz--Albuera 87

 CHAPTER XII. 

 1812--Ciudad Rodrigo 95

 CHAPTER XIII. 

 Badajoz 107

 CHAPTER XIV. 

 Invalided--Promotion 120

 CHAPTER XV. 

 1813--Vittoria 131

 CHAPTER XVI. 

 The Pyrenees--Villebar 143

 CHAPTER XVII. 

 The Nive--Further Promotion 154

 CHAPTER XVIII. 

 San Sebastian--Nivelle 167

 CHAPTER XIX. 

 1814--Orthes--The Adour--Toulouse 175

 CHAPTER XX. 

 End of the War 185

 CHAPTER XXI. 

 To America and back--Napoleon's escape from Elba 194

 CHAPTER XXII. 

 Waterloo 204

 CHAPTER XXIII. 

 Paris--Matrimony 217

 CHAPTER XXIV. 

 Return to Great Britain 227

 CHAPTER XXV. 

 Family matters 233

 CHAPTER XXVI. 

 Pensioned and Discharged 245

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SERGEANT WILLIAM LAWRENCE. 

CHAPTER I. 

 Lawrence's Parentage -- Birth and early training -- Apprenticed -- He falls out with his master -- Is beaten and resolves to leave -- A few words to masters in general -- Finds a companion -- Precautions against being forgotten too soon -- To Poole _viā_ Wareham -- Engages for a voyage to Newfoundland -- Recaptured and sent back, but escapes again on the way -- Receives some good advice, and starts to Dorchester, picking up some fresh company on the way. 

As I have been asked to furnish as complete an account as I am able ofmy own life, and it is usual when people undertake to do so to startat as early a period as possible, I will begin with my parentage. Myfather and mother were of humble means, living in the village ofBryant's Piddle, in the county of Dorset. My father had been formerlya small farmer on his own account in the same village, but having alarge and hungry family to provide for, he became reduced incircumstances, and was obliged to give up his farm, and work as alabourer. 

I was born in 1791, and, being one of seven children, found myselfcompelled at a very early age to seek my own livelihood as best Icould, so that I had not much opportunity for education, though Icannot say that I thought that much hardship at the time, being fonderof an open-air life. I was employed for some time in frightening thebirds off the corn, for which I received the sum of twopence a day;after which I was advanced to sixpence a day as ploughboy, in whichsituation I remained until I was fourteen years of age. My father thenobtained twenty pounds from a friend, with which he apprenticed me toHenry Bush, a builder living at Studland, a village in the samecounty, for seven years, the agreement being that my master was tofind me in food, lodging, and clothes, and I was to receive no wages. 

I had not been with him very long before I found that he did not suitme as a master at all well. Things went on pretty smoothly for thefirst month or so, that is, while the money for my apprenticeshiplasted; but after that he became rather difficult to please, andbesides took to allowancing me in food, which was a much more seriousmatter both to my mind and palate. 

However, I rubbed on for about nine months, until one Sunday, when Ihad gone out to church in the morning and had happened to stay in thevillage all day, on my return home at last after dark I found thehouse locked up. I accordingly proceeded to Swanage, the nearest town, and called on my master's sister, who lived there, who took me in andwas giving me some supper, when my master chanced to come in himself, and was very angry with me and told me to come along with him, declaring that he would pay me out in the morning. When we got home heordered me to see if the garden gate was closed, which I thoughtrather strange, as it was a thing I had never had to do before; butmeanwhile he slipped upstairs with a horsewhip, which he producedsuddenly in the morning, and gave me a good thrashing before I hadwell got my clothes on. I bundled downstairs pretty much as I was, andout of the house as quick as I could, saying to myself, "This is thelast thrashing I will ever receive at your hands;" and sure enough itwas, for that same week I planned with another apprentice near thesame place, who was under very similar circumstances to myself, totake our departure on the following Sunday; so that was the end of myapprenticeship. 

And I should like here to warn any master whose eye may fall on thisstory not to treat any lad who is put under his care too harshly, asit is very often the means of discouraging him in the occupation he isintended to follow, and of driving him from his home, and even fromhis country, and to his ruin. Thus even in my case it will be seenthat it was all my master's want of kindness that forced me into avery different sort of life to that which my parents intended for me;into one which, though it was not altogether so ruinous, was perhapsmore perilous than many others, and on which I can only now look backin wonder that I have been spared to tell my story at all. 

But I must go back to the day on which myself and my companion hadresolved to leave our homes, which as I have before stated was aSunday, no better opportunity appearing by which we might get a fewhours' start unbeknown to our employers. We met early in the morning, but finding that neither of us had either money or food, and Ilikewise wanting to get hold of my indentures, we waited until thefamily had left the house as usual to go to Swanage to chapel, when Imade my entry into the house by the back door, which was onlyfastened by a piece of rope-yarn. I could not find my indentures, butin the search for them I came upon a seven-shilling piece, which I putinto my pocket, as I thought it might be useful. I also cut aboutthree or four pounds off a flitch of bacon that hung in the chimneycorner, nicely marked to prevent any being lost on account of my lateallowanced state. I did not study that much at the time, however, buttook what I thought we should require, and when I had put it into abag with the necessary amount of bread, we marched off together up toa place near called King's Wood, where we put a little of our breadand raw bacon out of sight, for we were both hungry. Then we went onto Wareham, a distance of about ten miles, where we changed ourseven-shilling piece, and had a pint of small beer to help us in againlightening our bundle; and, after about an hour's rest, proceeded onfor Poole, about nine miles from Wareham. We felt very tired, butstill walked on, and gained our destination at a very late hour, owingto which we had some trouble in obtaining a lodging for the remainingpart of the night; but at last we found one in a public house, wherewe finished our bread and bacon, together with some more beer, thebest day's allowance we had had for some time past. 

We slept very soundly, and in the morning went round to inquire forservice on board the Newfoundland packets. We soon found a merchant ofthe name of Slade, who engaged us for two summers and a winter, myself for 20_l. _ and my companion for 18_l. _ for the whole time, andour food and lodging till the ship left the harbour. But we were notlong in finding that our destination was not to be Newfoundland, foron the very next day my companion's master came to Poole in search ofus, and meeting his own boy wandering about the market, soon wished toknow what business he had there, and took him into custody. Helikewise asked him if he had seen anything of me, and the boy told himI was in Poole, but he did not know where. I at the time was at workon board the ship, but in the evening, having fallen in with the mate, he asked me where I was going. When I said to my lodgings, beginningrather to shake, for I thought by his manner that there was somethingup, he told me that I had better come with him. I did so, andpresently found myself with my companion's master, who finished up forthe night by having me put into gaol. 

Next day we were both taken on board the Swanage market-boat to goback, but when we had got as far as South Deep, near Brownsea Castle, we had to anchor, as the wind was contrary. A number of stone-boatswere lying there at the time, and one of the boatmen, named ReubenMasters, took charge of me to convey me back to my master's house, ashe was going by it; so we landed, and proceeded towards home. When wewere about half a mile off it, however, we met my mistress, who, afterinquiring where I had been, told me that her husband would havenothing more to do with me, but would send me to prison. I could havetold her I did not want to trouble him any more, but I thought I wouldleave that for them to find out; so I went on with the man to the nextgate, when, seeing an opportunity to bolt; I took it and popped overto the other side; and all I heard the man say was, "Well, you may go, and your master may run after you for himself if he likes;" so I knewthere was not much to fear from him. 

I ran down into the common, to a place called Agglestone, which I knewhad once been a great place for foxes, and there I crawled into a holeand remained till dusk. Then I came out of my den, and again made myway to Wareham. I called this time at the "Horse and Groom, " where, having related my story to the landlady, she kindly gave me food andlodging for the night, advising me to go back to my parents and statemy master's behaviour. So next morning, after she had provided me withbreakfast, and some bread and cheese to eat on the way, I set off forDorchester. 

On the road I met with two boys who were going to Poole to try and geta ship bound for Newfoundland. I wanted some companions on my journey, so I told them not to go to Poole, as the press-gang was about, and, when I had been there myself a few days before, had fired ablunderbuss at me, but I happened to pop round the corner and so hadescaped. The boys did not seem fit for soldiers, or sailors either, for they looked as if they had lain in the sun for some time, and oneof them was warped. When they heard my story, they turned back andkept with me. They soon began to complain of hunger, but when I askedthem if they had got any money, they said they had only one shillingand a farthing, with a hundred miles to travel before they reachedtheir home again; so I took out my bread and cheese and divided itamongst us. We were very tired and hungry when we arrived atDorchester, and I tried to persuade them to change the shilling, butthey would not. However, they gave me the farthing; it was not muchcertainly for a hungry boy, but it served to purchase a cake for me todevour; and then I and my companions parted, and what became of themafterwards I do not know. 

CHAPTER II. 

 Lawrence's forlorn state of mind in Dorchester -- He meets with a friend in need, who takes him to enlist -- Is discovered and recovered by his parents, and ordered back sharp to his master -- His military spirit proves too strong for him on the way, and carries him, through the agency of a friendly soldier, first to Bridport, and then to Taunton -- Various further attempts at enlisting, slightly influenced by the disinterestedness of his friend, and ending in his joining the Fortieth Regiment -- Subsequent changes of quarters, and final orders for foreign service. 

Dorchester was only about eight miles from my parents' house, but Ihad never really had one serious thought of going to them. I seemed tomyself to be completely friendless, and wandered through and throughthe town, watching the preparations for the fair, which was to takeplace the next day, not being able to make up my mind what to do orwhere to go. 

At length, more by instinct than aim, I wandered into the stable-yardof one of the principal inns, where I was brought nearer to my sensesby hearing the ostler sing out sharply, "Hullo, my man, what is yourbusiness?" I told him I was a friendless boy in search of someemployment by which I might get a livelihood, as I was very hungry andhad no money, or something to that effect; to which he replied that ifI would brush about a bit, and help him rub over the horses, he wouldfind me plenty to eat. I soon went to work, and finished the task hegave me; and sure enough he fulfilled his share of the bargain bybringing the requisite article in the shape of a lump of bread andbeef enough for two or three meals. After eating as much as I wanted, as I felt very tired, I made up a bed for myself with some straw, andputting the remainder of my meal into my handkerchief to serve as apillow, laid myself down, and the ostler having given me a rug to pullover me, I slept soundly there the whole night. 

In the morning, after I had done a little more in the stable, I walkedout with my new friend into the street, where seeing some soldiers, Itold him I should like to become one. He said he knew where he couldenlist me, and took me straight to the rendezvous, which was in apublic-house, where we met a sergeant of artillery, who gave him twoguineas for bringing me and myself five for coming, and when mymeasurement had been taken, a proceeding which was accompanied with nosmall amount of joking, I was put into an old soldier's coat, and withthree or four yards of ribbon hanging from my cap, paraded the townwith other recruits, entering and treating some one or other in almostevery public-house. 

It almost seemed, however, as if my hopes were again to be blighted, for in the very first house I entered, there sat a farmer from my homewho knew me very well, and exclaimed on seeing me, "Hullo, youngfellow, as you make your bed so you must lie on it. " I entreated himnot to tell my father and mother where and how he had seen me, andmade my exit as quickly as possible; but later in the day Iencountered another man, my father's next-door neighbour, who alsorecognized me immediately. I offered him the price of a gallon of alenot to say anything, and he promised, taking the money, but as soon ashe got home he went to my father and acquainted him with what I was upto. 

How I was spending the rest of the night meanwhile can better beconceived than described; but next morning, as I was going up to theTown Hall with an officer to be sworn in, who should meet us but myfather and mother. On their telling the officer that I was anapprentice, he gave me up to them without any further trouble, exceptthat he asked me what had become of my bounty money, and on findingthat I had only seventeen shillings and sixpence left out of my wholefive guineas, kindly took the care of even that off my hands. Then wemarched off home, and my father went to find out what was to be donein the matter from a magistrate, who advised him to take me back toDorchester to be tried at the next sittings; which advice being actedon, I was severely reprimanded by the bench, and given my choice ofserving my time or else going to prison. Of course I chose the former, and they gave me a letter to take with me to my master. When I gotdownstairs I met the officer who had enlisted me, who told me that ifmy master was unwilling to take me back, he would enlist me again; andfinding on asking me if I had any money that he had taken all Ipossessed, he gave me a shilling and wished me well. 

My father sent me off at once with strict orders to get back toStudland as quickly as I could, and that was all I received from himeither in the way of blessing or anything: so with a heavy heart I setout on my retreat from Dorchester. I had not gone very far when I wasovertaken by a dairyman's cart, in which the owner gave me a lift, asking me where I was bound for. I told him a little of my story, andshowed him the letter, that he might open it and see what was inside:which, when he had done, he said I could go back quite safely, for mymaster would not be able to hurt me. That put me into rather betterspirits, though I did not intend to go back all the same. 

I rode along with the man as far as he went, and then continued onfoot to a village called Winfrith, where I went into a public-house, and feeling hungry, ordered some bread and cheese. A soldier happenedto be in there, who was on furlough, bound for Bridport, and the verysight of him again revived my old spirit and made me long to be likehim. I got into conversation with him, and said how much I wished tobe a soldier, to which he straightway answered that he could enlist mefor the Fortieth Regiment Foot, which gave sixteen guineas bounty. Ithought that was a great deal, and that if I got it I should not wantfor money for some time, so I quickly accepted his proposal: I soonfound out, though, that I was very mistaken in my views about themoney lasting. 

I was rather afraid of finding myself in Dorchester again, so tried topersuade him to go round another way, but we at last slipped throughat night, and got to Winterborne, where we put up, going on nextmorning in the coach to Bridport. I was again baffled for a time onarriving there, for the coachman knew all about me, and remarked in away that was no doubt meant well, that it was but yesterday that myfather had got me out of the artillery. The soldier then asked me if Iwas an apprentice, and I thought there seemed nothing to do but totell him I was: on which he promptly made me get down, and taking meacross some fields to his home, kept me there quietly for three days. 

It seemed best after that to go on to Taunton in Somersetshire, wherewe went to the barracks and saw the colonel, who on the soldiertelling him that he had brought me up as a recruit, asked me of whattrade I was. I replied that I was a labourer, which he said was allright, for labourers made the best soldiers: but he could only give metwo and a half guineas bounty: at which point we parted from him, andwent to try the recruiting sergeant of the Marines, who promised ussixteen guineas bounty when I arrived at the Plymouth headquarters. This did not suit my conductor, however, as there was nothing for himafter paying my coach expenses, so he asked me what I intended to do, and for his part advised me to go back to my master, saying he wouldnot mind the expenses he had gone to for me. But as I had by this timedestroyed the letter, I preferred going back to the Fortieth Regiment, so we went and again saw the colonel, who gave my companion twoguineas, and sent me into barracks. 

Next day I received my clothes, and in about a week more was sworn inbefore a magistrate, receiving my bounty at the same time. Veryshortly afterwards orders came for the regiment to march toWinchester, where we remained for about a month without anything ofany note occurring. I began to drill twice a day directly I joined, and soon learnt the foot drill, after which I was put on to musketrydrill. 

From Winchester we removed to Portsmouth, where we lay for a week, andwere then ordered to Bexhill barracks in Sussex, where our Firstbattalion was lying, and on our arrival a number of men were draftedout of our battalion, which was the Second, into the First, to make ita thousand strong, myself being one of the number. Then orders camefor us to proceed to Portsmouth to embark on foreign service, ourcountry being at the time at war with France and Spain. 

CHAPTER III. 

 Embarkation of the regiment at Portsmouth -- Lawrence's feelings at the time beginning to be rather mixed -- Heartrending partings witnessed and somewhat moralized upon by him -- A few more words of advice, this time intended for apprentices -- Ample opportunity for self-introspection afforded during the first week of the voyage -- Incidents while becalmed -- Arrival at Rio, and entertainment of the troops by the Queen of Portugal -- Monte Video -- Disembarkation and first brushes with the enemy -- Barbarity of the Spaniards -- Lawrence's feelings at last definitely uncomfortable -- Sir Samuel Auchmuty's dislike to finery in soldiers -- The town invested and subsequently stormed -- Lawrence in the forlorn hope -- Surrender of the Citadel. 

We passed the night before our embarkation in the town: a night tomany perhaps the bitterest they had ever experienced, but to myself, on the other hand, one mainly of joy, for I felt that I had at lastoutwitted my pursuers. But though I cannot say that I was yet at allrepentant, it must not be thought that I felt altogether comfortableon leaving my country with all my friends and relations in it, soyoung as I was at the time: more especially when I considered theerrand we were on, and thought that I might never return to see themagain, knowing that they had not the slightest idea of where I was. Inaturally felt rather timid, as all young recruits must feel onentering so soon on foreign service as I then found myself obliged todo. 

But the worst and most disheartening spectacle of all was in themorning when the bugle sounded for the assembly of the regiment; foronly about six women to a company of a hundred men being allowed to gowith us, many who were married had to leave wives and children behind, with the thought that it might never be their lot to see them again. When the order was given to embark, the scene was quite heartrending:I could not see a dry eye in Portsmouth, and if the tears could havebeen collected, they might have stocked a hospital in eye-water forsome months. Husband and wife, father and child, young man andsweetheart, all had to part, and perhaps none were more affected thanthe last, though with least cause: it indeed was dreadful to view. 

I myself was much affected, but it was at the woes of others, for Ihad not one to throw so much as a parting glance at myself; and thus, amid the cheers of the crowd, and with the band playing the tune of"The Girl I left behind me, " we embarked. 

Then I felt quite freed from my pursuers; but in getting out of thefrying-pan I soon found myself into the fire, for as it afterwardsproved I had many men to deal with more difficult than even my oldmaster had been. Thus it is that many are apt to dislike and leavetheir employment through trifles, and in the search for a better oftenonly get a worse one, much to their disappointment. 

The next day we drew out of Portsmouth harbour on our route to SouthAmerica, and sea-sickness soon commencing on board, I was, the worseluck for myself, one of the number that succumbed to it. This lastedfor nearly a week, during the whole of which time we scarcely ateanything; but when we got better, I think our appetites were such thatwe could have readily finished a donkey with a hamper of greens. 

We had good weather until we reached the tropics, when a dead calmfollowed for a fortnight. As we were nearly upon the Equinoctial line, the usual ceremony of shaving took place, which was no doubt veryamusing to those who escaped by treating the sailors to a bottle ofrum, or those who had crossed the Line before; but to us on whom thebarber, who was the sailor who had crossed the Line most often, operated, it was not so pleasant. For the satisfaction of some who maynot quite understand the method of that interesting custom, I willgive the routine, at least as it happened on board our ship, though Icannot altogether say whether the same is pursued universally, A largetub of water was placed on deck, and each one who was to be performedon, sat in turn on the edge; then the barber stepped forward andlathered his face all over with tar and grease, and with a piece ofiron hoop as a razor scraped it off again; after which he pushed himbackwards into the tub, leaving him to crawl out anyhow and sneak offto clean himself. All passed off very well, however, as there wasplenty of rum provided to drink from those officers and men who weremore disposed to join in the pay than the play. 

During the calms, we amused ourselves fishing for dolphins, andpractising for the first time with ball-cartridge, a bottle beingcorked and flung overboard as far as possible to serve as a target, and a dollar being offered to the first man who could break it, eachone firing once. No one broke it, but I got a glass of grog from themajor for being the nearest; so near that I made the bottle spinround. The major remarked that if I went so close as that to aSpaniard I should make him shake; and he likewise asked me what tradeI was in before I joined the army. As I knew I was too far fromEngland now to be sent back, I told him that I was a builder'sapprentice; and he only said, "Well done, my boy, so you preferknocking down houses in the enemy's country to putting them up in yourown?" Certainly at this moment we were having an easy place, but therewas many a time afterwards when I should like to have been given thechoice of laying bricks again. 

After spending about a fortnight in this way, a fair wind blew up, andwe proceeded on our voyage. We called in at Rio Janeiro, the capitalof the Brazilian Empire, lying upon the western side of the entranceto a fine bay which forms the harbour. Our chief object for putting inthere was to take in water and provisions; and whilst we were anchoredthere we went on shore, and the Queen of Portugal reviewed us. Nextday she sent a quantity of onions and pumpkins on board as a present, which we found very acceptable. We stayed there about a fortnight, sailing on next further south to Maldonado, the rendezvous of thefleet, whence after being joined by five thousand troops under SirSamuel Auchmuty, the whole fleet moved on to Monte Video and anchored. 

We lost no time on our arrival there, but early the next morningboats were ordered alongside the troopships to convey us on shore, which movement, as the enemy was on the banks about fifteen thousandstrong to receive us, put rather a nasty taste into our mouths, thereseeming nothing but death or glory before us. The signal was hoistedfrom the admiral's ship, and we started for the shore amid the fire ofthe enemy's artillery. They killed and wounded a few of our men, andsank some of the boats, but as soon as we struck the shore, we jumpedout, and forming line in the water, fired a volley and charged, soondriving them from their position on the bank. We found even as earlyas then that Spaniards were not very difficult to encounter. In caseof a retreat, our boats were still within our reach, but having gainedthe victory, we had no need of them, stopping where we were on thebanks all night. 

Some field-pieces were next sent on shore, and likewise a number ofsailors with drag-ropes to work them, as we had no horses with us, andup to this time no artillery. The country was rather favourable forthe sailors, being very level and mostly green pasture, so that theykept along pretty easily, seeming just in their glory, all this beingnew work to them. After some little firing from the cannon the enemyretreated into the town, which was well fortified. We placed anoutlying picket of some three hundred men to watch the enemy'smanoeuvres, while the body of our army encamped in the rear in a linestretching from sea to sea, so that the town standing upon aprojecting piece of land, all communication from the mainland was cutoff. The country around meanwhile abounded with ducks, geese, turkeys, fowls, and plenty of sheep and bullocks, which it may be made sure ourmen found oftentimes very providential. 

On the third day of our encampment the Spaniards sallied out of thetown to surprise our picket, which being overpowered was obliged toretreat, leaving two grenadiers wounded on the field, whom theSpaniards much to our horror deliberately cut into pieces. But on thebody of our army coming up and charging them, a terrible slaughterensued on their retreat to the town, which amply repaid us for our twogrenadiers; as far as I am able to state, there could not have beenless than three thousand killed and wounded, for the next day we hadactually to bury two thousand of them. Our loss was a mere nothing. 

I remember that I happened to be placed that night on sentry at theroad leading to the town, and not far from a hole where we had buriedfive or six hundred of the enemy. It was the most uncomfortable twohours' sentry I had ever spent as yet, and I kept my eyes more on theplace where the dead were than on the road I was placed to watch, nothaving altogether forgotten the absurd ghost stories of my owncountry. I in a way began to think, too, that I had done a good manythings I should have liked not to, and to regret for the first timeleaving my apprenticeship, my father, mother, and friends, to follow alife so dangerous as I now found this to be, with nothing to expect, as I thought, but to be myself numbered with the slain. I soon becamemore hardened, however, as I was more and more mixed up in similar orworse affairs than these slight brushes with a weak enemy had provedto be. However, at this juncture I took the opportunity to send myfirst letter home, so as to satisfy the folks there of my whereabouts, though I kept from them the more perilous part of my story. 

We reported to the general the circumstances of the Spaniards'barbarity to our wounded comrades, and the answer he gave was that wewere to repay them in their own coin. I may mention here that we allthought Sir Samuel a most excellent commander. He always delightedmost in a good rough-looking soldier with a long beard and greasyhaversack, who he thought was the sort of man most fit to meet theenemy. It was chiefly owing to his dislike to dandyism that wearinglong hair with powder, which was the fashion then for the smartsoldier, was done away with soon after we landed in the enemy'scountry; of course also partly because it was so difficult to get thepowder. 

We never found the Spaniards sally out of the town after this toengage us, as I expect they did not much like the warm reception theyhad received. We set to work building up batteries and breastworks, some three hundred of us being sent to cut down a copse of peach-treesthat was near to make gabions and fascines to form them with. When ourfortifications were completed, which was in a very few days, we beganbombarding the town, for which purpose we had brought up ourtwenty-four pounders from the men-of-war. After about four days' playwe made a breach by knocking down the gate and part of the wall, whichwas six feet thick, and though the enemy repaired it at night with aquantity of bullocks' hides filled with earth, next morning as earlyas two o'clock we advanced to storm the town. 

Captain Renny of ours commanded the forlorn hope. The ladders wereplaced against the hides of earth, and we scaled them under a heavyfire from the Spaniards. We found the earth better stuff to encounterthan stone, and though our poor captain fell in the breach whilstnobly leading on his men, we succeeded in forcing our way into thetown, which was soon filled with the reinforcements that followed us. We drove the enemy from the batteries, and massacred with sword andbayonet all whom we found carrying arms: the general's orders beingnot to plunder or enter any house, or injure any woman, child, or mannot carrying arms, or fire a shot until daylight. On our approach tothe gunwharf of the town, we found some twenty or thirty negroeschained to the guns, whom we spared and afterwards found very useful, chiefly in burying the dead. 

When the heat of the fighting was subsided, the drums beat to assemblyin the square, and orders were then given for the massacre to bestayed, but that all the prisoners were to be taken that we could layour hands on. Our troops were accordingly despatched to the forts andbatteries, and nearly three thousand prisoners were taken; thegovernor of the town giving himself up with all the forts except thecitadel, where there was a separate general in command. The governorsaid he had nothing to do with this, so Sir Samuel sent a flag oftruce to know if the commander would give the place up. The answerbeing "No, " three or four riflemen were placed on a tower sufficientlyhigh and near to the citadel for the purpose of, if possible, pickingout the general and shooting him. This was soon effected, for on hisappearing for a walk on the ramparts in his full uniform, one of themen shot him dead: and when the Spaniards found that they had losttheir commander, they soon became disheartened, and lowering thedrawbridge, came out of the citadel and gave themselves up. Part ofour troops immediately took possession, pulling down the Spanishcolours and hoisting the English flag from the town and citadel intheir stead. We took about four thousand prisoners in all, who weresent on board ship; but where they were taken to afterwards I am notable to state. 

CHAPTER IV. 

 Incidents during the stay at Monte Video -- The beguiling of Goodfellow -- A man hanged and then condemned to be transported -- Matrimonial designs of a Spanish father frustrated -- Advance to and occupation of Colonia -- Heroic conduct of a tallow chandler -- He proves of service in more ways than one -- Expedition to San Pedro -- A battle with a hot breakfast at the end -- Narrow escape of Lawrence from being shot -- Unfortunate results of a combination of booty. 

Now that we had got possession of a fine town, we could lie upcomfortably, only having to put out three or four hundred men onpicket round the walls and see that the gates of the town were closedevery night at sunset and not opened till daylight in the morning, andthen feeling that we could make ourselves quite at home. Theinhabitants were meanwhile not altogether deprived of theirlivelihood, as our general issued a proclamation that they should opentheir shops and carry on their business as usual: and if any declinedto open, he was kind enough to send parties to do it for them. 

During the time that we lay there, which I should think was at leastfive months, the only things that occurred that could be called out ofthe way were, I am sorry to say, of rather an unpleasant nature. Onething was that a sergeant and corporal of the Spanish army came indisguise and tried to enlist any of our men who would join theirservice; and unfortunately a sergeant named Goodfellow, one of my ownregiment, accepted their proposals, tempted by the heavy bounty theyoffered. But while passing out of the town in disguise with theSpaniards, he was met and recognized by the general himself and hisstaff: a most unlucky encounter for the three runaways, for they werebrought back again and put under charge immediately, and acourt-martial ordered on them next day. Our colonel, however, imploredso hard for our sergeant's life on account of the regiment's lategood conduct in the field, that the general granted it, and changedhis sentence to one of transportation for life: but the Spaniards werenot quite so leniently dealt with, for they were tried and hanged, tomake sure that they could not repeat their mischievous practices. 

We also found among the prisoners an Irishman who had somehow got awayfrom us over on to the wrong side, and had been fighting against us. He was tried and sentenced to be hanged, and we all had to march upnext day to witness his execution and take example from it. But hislife was not destined to end here, for the rope was not altogether astrong one, and he was fortunate enough when he fell to break it. Directly his feet touched ground, he begged hard for mercy: and therope had made such a terrible mark on his neck that I suppose thegeneral thought he had been hanged enough: so he was sent intohospital, and when he recovered, transported for the rest of the lifethat had thus been given back to him. While he was on his way down thetown to go on board the vessel, I should think that if he had onedollar given him, he had at least half a peck, though I do not expectthey would be much use to him where he was going to. I never heard anymore of him, but I don't suppose many men could say that they had beenhanged and then transported afterwards. 

Another case of desertion was that of an officer's servant, who wentaway with the greater part of his master's clothes, taking with himlikewise a Spanish lady; he was lucky enough to get off safe, andnothing was heard of him afterwards. This was not at all a raretemptation, though, that was put in our soldiers' way; for I wasmyself offered a fortune by a Spanish gentleman, together with hisdaughter, if I would desert and remain in the country. Whenever he metme about he would treat me to anything I liked to name, which Isometimes found very acceptable, and he would often give me money aswell, in hopes of gaining me over in time. He had more chances ofmaking up to me, for I forgot to mention that I had received a slightwound in the left leg in storming the town, which kept me limpingabout and partially disabled from duty for nearly a fortnight; but Idon't think he would have minded his daughter not marrying me inparticular, so long as he could persuade some one. But he happened oneday to leave his horse tied up close to our main guard while he wentinto a kind of public-house, and occupied himself treating some of ourmen; and the fact being discovered by those outside that his stirrupswere of solid gold, when he came out again one of them was missing. Itmust have weighed at least a pound, so naturally he thought it worthwhile reporting the circumstance to the colonel, and a search wasmade; but no clue could be found to the missing stirrup, so he had toride away as best he could with only the other one; so he only cameoff a loser in the end, and he never got his daughter married afterall. 

After staying in the town for the time stated, a thousand of us weredespatched up the river Rio de la Plata to a small place calledColonia, where an army of Spaniards about four or five thousand strongwas lying. We landed with ease, and the enemy retreated out of theplace after firing a few shots, leaving it in our hands, so that weagain found ourselves for a time in comfortable quarters. We placedpickets of two or three hundred men round the place, and fixed a_chevaux de frise_ in the gate, formed of very sharp and pointedswords stuck very thickly into a beam which was made to turn on itsaxis: rather an awkward instrument to face if one is not used to it. Duty at this place was rather hard, owing to there being so few of us, and such a number on picket or at work building some batteries for ourbetter protection. 

At the picket-house, which was some distance from the town, therelived a soap-boiler and tallow-chandler, who was very kind to us whilewe were there on duty, killing a bullock almost every night for ouruse, as he only required the skin and tallow, and any one may supposethat two hundred hungry men knew what to do with the rest of it. Anincident took place during our stay at his house which will show howwell disposed he was towards us. We had passed a very quiet weekthere, when one night the Spaniards passed our picket secretly in thedarkness, fired a volley into the town, and then immediatelyretreated. Our picket only just managed to get through safely into thetown, leaving one of our men asleep in the picket-house, and he mustcertainly have met his death if he had been caught there singly; butthe tallow-chandler, though himself a Spaniard, concealed him under aquantity of dry hides while the enemy were scouring the place insearch of stragglers, and so saved his life. In consequence of thissurprise, still heavier duty was afterwards put upon us, the pickethaving to be augmented to prevent further annoyance. 

Two or three days after this had occurred the tallow-chandler was sentfor to join the Spanish army, no doubt because their general suspectedhim of favouring the English; but he would not go until he hadobtained our colonel's advice, which was that he should go by allmeans, and if he could conveniently come back with full particulars ofthe enemy's strength he should be rewarded. As far as I can remember, he had been away about ten days, when he again made his appearancewith the requisite information. What reward he got I cannot say, butas the result of his tidings, about two or three days afterwards wewere called under arms at midnight and supplied with half a pound ofbeef for each man; the order then being given to return to ourlodgings for two hours, and at the end of that time to fall in again. Meanwhile a number of sailors came from on board our ships to takecharge of the town during our absence, we being now bound for someplace as yet unknown to us. 

A little after two in the morning we left the town with an Indian forour guide. We asked in the best manner that we could where we weregoing to, but all we could understand from him was that we were on theway to fight some Spaniards, which of course we had pretty wellguessed before, and that we should have some four or five thousand ofthem to encounter. This last bit of news made us think that we weregoing to have hard nuts to crack, but we found them a very cowardlysort of folk to deal with, for after marching some five or six miles, we despatched skirmishing parties, who fell in with their picket andtook a few prisoners, and soon made the others retreat without doinganything further than to send up some rockets to alarm the body of theenemy. 

We marched on still further till we came nearly up to them, when wefound a river in our way; fortunately it was not very deep, so wewaded through it under a fire from the Spanish cannon, which killedtwo of our men while in the act of crossing; and as soon as we wereover we formed line and advanced towards the enemy, who lay on somefine rising ground in our front. They had some few pieces of cannonwith them, and opened the first fire with both cannon and musketry, but every shot seemed to rise over our heads, and I don't think thatvolley killed a man. We were up and at them like dragons, wounding andtaking their general with about a hundred and fifty other prisoners;likewise a stand of colours, three pieces of cannon, and theirbaggage. Moreover, we found a nice breakfast cooking for us in theshape of fowls, geese, turkeys, beef, rice, and _calavancos_, (thoughthe latter were rather too warm with cayenne pepper and garlic, ) allof which the enemy had had to leave in his hurry, and which came invery acceptably at the end of a long march. 

The colonel ordered everything to be taken from the prisoners we hadmade, as that was how he had been served himself when he had beentaken prisoner at Buenos Ayres, so we set to clearing them of all theypossessed, their money, which amounted to about two thousand dollars, their clothes, and even their boots. I had a very narrow escape whilethe plunder was going on. I entered one of the enemy's storehouses, atone end of which a quantity of bullocks' hides were lying, at asufficient distance from the wall to allow a man to pass or hidebehind them; and there beside the heap stood a Spaniard whom I knewwell, as he had sold cakes to us while we were at Colonia, and who nowoffered me a pot of honey to eat. I had my misgivings, however, somade motion for him to eat first, for fear of poison; and at the sametime, casting my eye to the left, I saw a Spaniard emerge from betweenthe hides and the wall with a pistol, which he levelled at me. Ibecame pretty active, as may be supposed under the circumstances, andmanaged to guard it off; but the shot whizzed very close to my headnevertheless, which made me very much enraged with the man, anddetermined he should not escape. Unfortunately for him, one of ourdismounted cavalry, an Irishman, came in, and on my telling him therewas a Spaniard behind the hides, who had just fired a pistol at me, "Tare an' 'ounds, " says he, "I'll fetch him out; you stand at one endto stop him with your bayonet while I drive him out. " So Paddy wentround with his sword, and after a little exercise behind, "Look outcomrade, " he sang out, "he's coming;" and sure enough I skewered himto the wall by driving my bayonet right through his body, while Paddycame out and finished him by splitting his head nearly in two with hisheavy sword, remarking as he did it, "Bad luck to ye, I don't thinkye'll ever shoot another Englishman, or Irishman either. " The otherman had meanwhile made off. 

We had taken amongst other things about twenty barrels of gunpowderand a quantity of cigars, which latter, owing to the carelessness ofone man, proved to be more plague than profit; for whilst most of uswere smoking, one of the company, going near the powder, happened tolet a spark fall from his cigar, which resulted in twelve men beingblown into the air: and though none were killed on the spot, they wereso frightfully burnt that several died on reaching Colonia. I believeall that we lost actually killed by the enemy's hand were the two menwho fell in crossing the river. We gave ten dollars to each of thewidows of the men killed, and the rest of the prize-money was divided. 

CHAPTER V. 

 Return to Colonia -- General Whitelock assumes the command of the army in the Plate, and a movement is made on Buenos Ayres -- Studied insolence on the part of certain Indian natives -- Remarkable value attached by them to a British head -- Their eventual punishment -- The troops effect an easy entrance into Buenos Ayres, but, for reasons unknown to the narrator, retreat almost immediately and not very creditably -- Return to Monte Video and final departure from the Plate -- Terrific storm on the way home -- Inconvenient mishap to a soldier -- Christmas in Cork Cove. 

As we had effected all that was wanted at San Pedro, which was thename of the place where we had been carrying on these operations, wereturned to Colonia, dragging back the guns laden with our wounded, and taking with us the prisoners, who had to walk along barefooted, aswe had availed ourselves of their boots. On our arrival at Colonia oursailors saluted us when they saw the number of our prisoners and thethree pieces of cannon we had taken, giving "three cheers for thebrave soldiers. " The prisoners were then sent on board a ship that waslying in the river, and an outlying picket having been posted asusual, the rest of us remained comfortably in the town. Next day thecolonel gave orders for everything belonging to the prisoners, such asclothes, &c. , to be brought out, offering a fair price for them to bereturned to their proper owners, which showed of what a gooddisposition he really was: only he had allowed us to take the thingsbefore as an example. 

We remained here about a month this time, when General Whitelock cameout with a reinforcement and took the command from Sir SamuelAuchmuty, and soon afterwards, some troops being left in charge ofMonte Video, the rest proceeded to Buenos Ayres, calling at Colonia onthe way to pick up our little squad. We landed some miles beforecoming to Buenos Ayres, intending, if possible, to storm the back ofthe town, as it was strongly fortified on the side towards the coast. We were thus obliged to march inland and form encampments, the firstof which was situated a little way from where we landed. 

An incident took place here, which was attended by the death of twomen, a corporal and a private, and likewise the very narrow escape ofa second private. They were engaged in plundering one of the Indianhuts, when the inhabitants fell on them armed, and, catching thecorporal round the neck with a lasso, soon dragged him away, at thesame time knocking the private down and stabbing him; the otherprivate only escaped back to the regiment after receiving asabre-wound which carried the skin and hair off the back of his head. This was a great glory to the natives; they stuck the corporal's headon a pole and carried it in front of their little band when on themarch. They also made use of the rifle and ammunition they had takenfrom him to fire at times into our camp, but fortunately it was a veryharmless sort of practice. 

Next day we again resumed our march, encamping again at night. Iremember that night was very foggy, and an officer and some men havinggone out in search of bullocks for the supply of the army, the officerwas very nearly lassoed by an Indian who came on him suddenly in thedarkness. Fortunately he had the presence of mind to ride after him, which saved his life, for so the Indian could not pull him over; andthen he managed to cut the lasso with his sword. 

As we marched along on our next day's journey, about two hundredIndians kept following us, the foremost of them wearing our deadcorporal's jacket, and carrying his head--I do not exactly know forwhat reason, but perhaps they thought a good deal more of a dead man'shead than we should feel disposed to do. We went on for some distancethrough a great many orange-gardens, till we came to a lane thicklyhedged in on both sides, which was entered by a gate, and there, afterthe body of our army had passed through, some few men, includingmyself, waited in ambush for the Indians, having a reserve placed ashort distance down the lane in case of a combat. The Indians soonapproached, but seemed to have some misgivings, though we could notexactly understand what they said. There being only a few of us, notquite twenty in all, I rather shook in my shoes on seeing theirnumber; but we soon found there was very little occasion for this, foron our firing directly the front party had passed the gate, killingtwo of them and wounding and capturing their chief, who was the onewho was so proud of his head, the rest fled for their lives, notliking the smell and much less the taste of our gunpowder. We pickedup the wounded man and carried him, and left him, more dead thanalive, in a neighbouring village. 

On nearing Buenos Ayres the Light Brigade was ordered on in front, under the command of Colonel Pack, who soon succeeded in taking theBull Ring battery; for Buenos Ayres was much more easy to take thanMonte Video, as it was very slightly fortified towards the country. There were some cannons placed at the end of each street, but theyproved a very small difficulty to be overcome, as there seemed nobodyefficient to work them, and after passing these, our soldiers were soonin possession of the city. Then they hoisted the King's flag on aconvent and waited, expecting every minute that the body of our armywould come up; but instead of this, General Whitelock encamped about amile out of the town and remained there. If he had attended properlyto his business he would have followed up and relieved the brigade;but as it was, the Spaniards rallied and overpowered it. I was withthe main body, and so was not able to enter the city to see what wasgoing on. We all fell under arms when we heard the muskets at work, waiting for the general's orders to advance: but there we lay thewhole night, not doing a stroke, and next day we re-embarked for MonteVideo, having come to some terms, though we were ignorant of that atthe time. 

We remained at Monte Video some two months longer, during whichinterval the ships taken in the harbour were offered for sale, but theinhabitants refusing to buy them, we loaded some ourselves with hides, tallow, and cocoa, and the rest, which were not worth bringing home, were towed out to the mouth of the harbour and set on fire. TheSpaniards had previously blown up a very fine frigate to prevent itfalling into our hands. Part of our army was then embarked for theEast Indies and the Cape of Good Hope, whilst we others went on anexpedition about a hundred miles up the Rio de la Plata to get freshwater, and when we returned proceeded on our way homewards from thatpart of the world. 

The first part of our voyage was very pleasant, the troops in generalkeeping very healthy; but when we had sailed some distance, we had adead calm for a considerable time, which made us much longer on ourvoyage than we had thought for, and consequently our water supply ranvery short, and had to be served out in allowances of half a pint aday. A small supply, however, fortunately came before long. Ourcaptain, seeing a cloud in the distance, foretold that we were goingto have a thunderstorm, and ordered the scupper-holes to be stopped, and all except the watch to remain below. I happened to be one of thewatch at the time, and well I remember how it very shortly after beganto thunder and lighten, the rain falling in torrents for two or threehours; it was the heaviest thunderstorm I had ever witnessed. We baledup some twenty or more casks of water, which was none the better, perhaps, for there being pigs, fowls, geese, and turkeys all over thedeck, but still was very acceptable to us in our parched state, astill that we had had to cook our food and wash ourselves in salt wateronly. 

During the storm our mainmast was struck by the lightning, which splita piece off it from top to bottom, but fortunately did not disable it;but a sad mishap befell one of our men while sitting at mess at thetime, for he was struck dead, his shirt being burnt in places liketinder, and his mess-tin being likewise turned black, while the top ofa bayonet that was standing close to the unfortunate man was meltedlike lead. The blow had shaken our little bark so terribly that thecaptain ordered the pumps to be tried; fortunately there was noleakage to be found, but the lightning must have got well down below, for on opening the main hatchway the sulphur came up enough tosuffocate any one. 

After the storm, the calm still continued, and we had to amuseourselves as best we could with fishing; a few days after a breezesprang up, but it was foul for England, and we had to knock about tilla more favourable one blew up, which finally landed us in the Cove ofCork. We spent the Christmas of 1807 on board, sending on shore forraisins, flour, fat, and beer, and so being enabled to enjoy ourselvesvery comfortably. 

CHAPTER VI. 

 The troops kept in Ireland -- Ordered to Spain to fight new opponents in behalf of their late ones -- Land in Mondego Bay and advance to Vimeira -- A light repast interrupted by a heavy battle -- Battle of Vimeira -- Preliminary skirmishing -- Lawrence's first experience in fighting the French -- A good front-rank man -- Defeat of the French and advance on Lisbon -- The French evacuate the city -- Lawrence's impressions of Lisbon -- Sir Arthur Wellesley made commander-in-chief -- The regiment invalided for a time -- Attempt to join Sir John Moore frustrated -- Seville -- Lawrence's first offence -- He is court-martialled for it and flogged -- Moral reflections on the same. 

We had already laid in our sea stock in preparation to start forEngland, when we found ourselves disappointed of our hopes, for orderscame for us to land in Ireland; and we had to march to Cork and thenceto various other places for six months, nothing of any particular notehappening during the while; and at the end of it, orders again camefor us to embark for Portugal, to drive the French from there, andfrom the Spanish dominions. Thus after we had been in open war againstthe Spaniards, who for the time had been in alliance with the French, or rather had been forced to be so, now that Buonaparte had overruntheir own country and kindled hatred against himself, these sameSpaniards had made peace with us, and sent to us for assistance todrive him out of their country: so that we had to go and fight for thevery nation we had been a few months before opposing in Monte Video, Buenos Ayres, and Colonia. 

After we had all embarked we had still to lie in Cork Harbour, waitingfor the English fleet, and then we sailed from the Irish coast, abouttwelve thousand strong, under Sir Arthur Wellesley, on the 12th ofJuly, 1808. We first touched at Corunna to make arrangements with theSpaniards, and their advice being to land in Portugal, we went toMondego Bay, near the town of Figueras, where we landed, leaving ourbaggage on board. After about five days' march we were joined byGeneral Spencer, and next day our advanced guard had a slightengagement with the enemy at Rorica. Thence we marched on to Vimeira, and were joined by Generals Anstruther and Acland with morereinforcements, and Sir Hugh Dalrymple took the head command from SirArthur Wellesley. 

The village of Vimeira stood in a valley with a fine range of hills tothe westward, and a ridge of heights to the east. Our brigades werestationed on the mountains to the west, whilst our cavalry was postedin the valley, and General Anstruther's brigade lay to the east. 

On the first night of our encampment there, two of my comrades andmyself were strolling over the hills together, when we fell in with ahive of bees, weighing I should think at least a hundredweight, whichwe carried back into the camp: not without difficulty, however, for wefound them very uncivil passengers to carry, and our faces and handswere fearfully stung; but our honey and grapes, for we had profitedtoo from being encamped in some very fine vineyards, paid us for thisa little. Next morning we proceeded to make our breakfast off the samematerials, but we were not destined to finish very quietly, for in themidst of our meal we were disturbed by the near approach of the enemy, and were immediately ordered under arms. 

The right of our line was engaged at least two hours before a generalengagement took place on our side, which was the left, but we wereskirmishing with the enemy the whole time. I remember this well, onaccount of a Frenchman and myself being occupied in firing at eachother for at least half an hour without doing anyone any injury; buthe took a pretty straight aim at me once, and if it had not been for atough front-rank man that I had, in the shape of a cork-tree, his shotmust have proved fatal, for I happened to be straight behind the treewhen the bullet embedded itself in it. I recollect saying at the time, "Well done, front-rank man, thee doesn't fall at that stroke, " andunfortunately for the Frenchman, a fellow-comrade, who was lefthanded, came up to me very soon afterwards, and asked me how I was getting on. I said badly, and told him there was a Frenchman in front, and we hadbeen trying to knock each other over for some time, without either ofus having been able to succeed; on which he asked me where he was, that he might have a try at him. I pointed out the thicket behindwhich the Frenchman was, and he prepared his rifle so as to catch himout in his peeping manoeuvres, but not without himself, as well as I, being well covered by my old front-rank man. By-and-by Mr. Frenchmanagain made his peep round the bush, but it was his last, for mycomrade, putting his rifle to his left shoulder, killed him at thefirst shot. 

After we had been thus employed in skirmishing for some time, a largebody of French made their appearance in our front. Our artillerygreeted them pretty sharply, ploughing furrows through them with balland throwing them into a confused state, after which our columnsadvanced under General Spencer, our cannon still playing over ourheads, until we got within a short distance of the enemy, when wefired and charged them, driving them from the position they hadoccupied after some very severe fighting well kept up for some time onboth sides, and capturing about seven pieces of cannon, withammunition waggons. The loss of the French at this place could nothave been much less than two thousand, though some have reported itless and some more; but it is very hard to arrive at a justcalculation. Our loss was reported to have been about seven hundred. 

After the battle was ended we marched on towards Lisbon, passing onour way about a hundred and fifty carts laden with the enemy'swounded. When we arrived at Lisbon we encamped, so that the French hadno means of communication with the city; as, our fleet lying in ornear the mouth of the harbour, and our army stopping all approach fromthe land, the French in the city were blocked in. On the first nightof our encampment the inhabitants illuminated the part where we lay. We were not destined, however, to be outside the city long, for on theleaders of our army and the French coming to some terms, the Frenchleft with the honours of war, and gladly embarked from the harbour inSeptember. These were the very troops with whom at a later period wehad to contend. 

When the enemy had left Lisbon we took up our quarters in the city, amid the joy and enthusiasm of the inhabitants, who shouted in triumphas the French left, and held illuminations even on the vessels in theharbour for several successive nights afterwards. 

Lisbon then on every side still exhibited marks of that terribleearthquake which almost completely destroyed it in the year 1755. Itwas situated on the right bank of the Tagus, near its mouth, whichforms a very fine harbour; and it stood chiefly on very precipitoushills, of which the highest was occupied by the fine castle of SaintGeorge, which was indeed the principal object that attracted the eyeanywhere from the city. The great squares contained some magnificentedifices, noteworthy for the fineness of their pillars. The streetswere narrow and winding and dirty, and indeed after the French hadleft the whole city was in a most desolate state; but the general viewof the city and its environs from the harbour at a distance was verybeautiful, the sides of the hills being clothed with plantations andnumberless vineyards, and the buildings extending for a mile and ahalf or two miles along the coast. 

Sir Hugh Dalrymple, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and some other of the chiefleaders of our army were then recalled to England to communicate thecircumstances of the terms that had been arrived at in Portugalbetween the two armies: as the rulers, and indeed all classes inEngland received the first reports of them with indignation. This wasthe reason that the inquiry was made, of which the fruits were thatSir Arthur Wellesley was decided on as the proper person to take thehead command of our troops in the Peninsula. 

During our stay in Lisbon our regiment fell ill and was obliged to bereturned unfit for service, which state of things lasted about twomonths. But as soon as Sir Arthur Wellesley returned ascommander-in-chief, we were ordered into Spain, in company with fivethousand Spaniards, to join Sir John Moore's army. We had a long andtedious march until we reached a place called Seville, where weencamped for several weeks, on account of Sir John Moore having beenobliged to retreat; and the French cutting off our communication, wehad to proceed to Cadiz and there embark again for Lisbon. 

I must here relate a circumstance which took place before I proceededfrom Seville, which, although not very creditable to myself, is of toogreat importance as an event in my life to be omitted. I absentedmyself without leave from guard for twenty-four hours, and when Ireturned I found I had jumped into a fine scrape, for I wasimmediately put into the guard-room, and a drum-head court-martial wasordered on me. It was the first offence to cause one to be held on me, but that did not screen me much, and I was sentenced to four hundredlashes. I felt ten times worse on hearing this sentence than I everdid on entering any battlefield; in fact, if I had been sentenced tobe shot, I could not have been more in despair, for my life at thattime seemed of very little consequence to me. My home and myapprenticeship days again ran in my head, but even these thoughts soonlost themselves as I neared the spot where my sentence was to becarried out. I found the regiment assembled all ready to witness mypunishment: the place chosen for it was the square of a convent. Assoon as I had been brought in by the guard, the court-martial was readover me by the colonel, and then I was ordered to strip, which I didfirmly and without using any of the help that was offered me, as I hadby that time got hardened to my lot. I was then lashed to thehalberds, and the colonel gave the order for the drummers to commence, each one having to give me twenty-five lashes in turn. I bore it verywell until I had received a hundred and seventy-five, when I became soenraged with the pain that I pushed the halberds, which did not standat all firm, on account of their being planted on stones, right acrossthe square, amid the laughter of the regiment. The colonel, I suppose, thinking then that I had had sufficient, ordered, in the very words, "the sulky rascal down, " and perhaps a more true word could not havebeen spoken, as indeed I was sulky, for I did not give vent to asingle sound the whole time, though the blood ran down my trousersfrom top to bottom. I was unbound and the corporal hove my shirt andjacket over my shoulders and conveyed me to the hospital, presentingabout as miserable a picture as I possibly could. 

Perhaps it was as good a thing for me as could then have occurred, asit prevented me from committing any greater crimes which might havegained me other severer punishments and at last brought me to myruin; but for all that it was a great trial for me, and I think that agood deal of that kind of punishment might have been abandoned withgreat credit to those who ruled our army; for it is amazing to thinkof four hundred lashes being ordered on a man young as I was, andundergoing all the privations of a most sanguinary war, just for anoffence, and that the first, which might have been overlooked, or atany rate treated with less punishment and a severe reprimand. 

CHAPTER VII. 

 Lawrence transferred into the Grenadier company -- The regiment embarks at Cadiz for Lisbon again in consequence of Sir John Moore's defeat at Corunna -- Hospitality of an English merchant -- March to join Sir Arthur Wellesley at Castello Branco -- The Spanish troops reviewed -- Lawrence's opinion of them -- Battle of Talavera -- Lawrence's opinion of the Spaniards justified -- Severe fighting on the second day of the battle -- Friendliness between the wounded -- Final attack and repulse of the French -- Horrible fate of some of the wounded -- Advance to Oropesa -- The Spanish General Cuesta deserts the wounded at Talavera -- March towards Badajoz -- Privations on the road -- Fresh supply of clothes at Badajoz -- Lawrence invalided to Elvas -- Is cured chiefly by reflecting on his manner of burial -- Returns to Badajoz -- Sir Arthur Wellesley made Viscount Wellington -- End of 1809. 

I remained in hospital about three weeks, and on coming out I wastransferred from the Light into the Grenadier company. 

As I before said, on leaving Seville, which I did in a pretty wellmarked state, of which I bear the remembrances on my back to this dayupwards of fifty years since, we marched to Cadiz and encamped there, intending to embark for Lisbon, Sir John Moore's army having been bythat time repulsed by sheer force of numbers, and himself killed atCorunna. On that night an English wine-merchant asked permission togive each man in our regiment a pint of wine and each woman half thatquantity, with a pound of bread apiece; and accordingly we were alldrawn up in line, and marched into a tremendous cellar, big enough, had they been so disposed, to have admitted the whole regiment, withtwo doors one at each end, at one of which we entered to receive ourshare, and went out by the other. He likewise invited the officers todine with him; and so that night, after drinking the merchant's littlekindness, as we most of us did to pretty quick time, we slept a gooddeal sounder. 

Next day we embarked for Lisbon, and after landing there we proceededsome miles up the country to join Sir Arthur's army in CastelloBranco, making up altogether about twenty thousand English and sixtyor eighty thousand Allies. 

We then advanced across a fine plain, which I should think was morefamed for hares than anything else, for I never saw any place thatswarmed so with that kind of game. They were running in alldirections, and often even right into our lines, for they are stupidanimals when frightened, as they then were by the noise our men made;and I managed to kill one with the muzzle of my musket, and sold it tothe captain of my company for a dollar. 

The bands played each before its own regiment as we crossed the plain, and Sir Arthur Wellesley took the opportunity of reviewing the Spanishtroops as they passed. They looked a fine enough set of men, but theywere fit for scarcely anything except to fall into disorder andconfusion, as we had already found when we had taken the field againstsome of them at Monte Video, Colonia, and Buenos Ayres, the smell ofpowder often seeming to cause them to be missing when wanted, eitherfrom not having been properly disciplined, or else because they hadnot good officers to command them; this, of course, now bringing thebrunt of most of the battles on us. 

We often passed marks of the enemy's encampments, and even encamped ator near the same places ourselves, as close as possible to some riveror large supply of water, a small quantity being of little use for thepurposes of a large body of men like our army, accompanied as it was, too, by horses and wagons and such things. We never caught sight ofthe enemy, however, till we got to Talavera, where we came to anengagement with the French on the 27th and 28th of July, 1809. Thewhole of our line there extended for about two miles, and at times thewhole of it was joining in the general engagement, which came more hotupon us for the reason before described; a great number of theSpaniards even throwing down their arms and fleeing, for which conducttheir general, Cuesta, ordered them to be decimated; but eventually, on the entreaty of Sir Arthur Wellesley, only about forty of them werekilled. General Cuesta, however, really wanted quite as much leadingon as his men, as he was often very obstinate, and refused to fightwhen called upon by Sir Arthur Wellesley. 

After the first day's battle we encamped on the ground we thenoccupied, but the French made another and unexpected attack on us atnight, and at one time had almost gained the heights; but we repulsedthem at last, though after that we had to lie on our arms, expectingevery minute to be again attacked. Some little altercation occurredwith the Spaniards very early in the morning, but it only lasted ashort time; however, about five or six o'clock the French columns wereseen in motion towards our left, and very soon afterwards theyascended the height to attack us, and were only driven back by theheavy fire of our musketry, leaving the ground strewn with their dead. At eleven or twelve o'clock in the day the firing ceased, and a periodof truce was allowed for both armies to collect their wounded, andconvey them to the rear, where, as they lay often intermixed, afriendly intercourse sprang up between them, the Allies and Frenchoften going so far as to shake hands with each other. 

At one or two o'clock the enemy again advanced and recommenced with aheavy cannonade and an attack on the whole British lines, but aftersome very brisk fighting on both sides we repulsed them for the thirdtime, and obliged them to retreat with a loss of some thousands and afew pieces of cannon, the British loss being about a thousand killedand three or four thousand wounded. A very dreadful occurrencehappened after the battle, for the long dry grass in which many of thewounded were lying caught fire, and many were scorched to death beforeassistance could be brought to convey them to hospital in Talavera. Welay that night in much the same state as on that previous, expectingto see our noble enemy again, but we were mistaken, for most of themtook themselves off during the night, and in the morning only theirrear-guard could be seen. 

Next month commenced by Sir Arthur Wellesley leaving the Spanishgeneral Cuesta in charge of Talavera and the wounded, while on the3rd he proceeded to Oropesa, where he expected to come up with andengage Soult's army. But he had not been there long before he foundthe obstinate Cuesta, upon hearing that the enemy was on his flank, had abandoned Talavera, thus leaving nearly the whole of the Britishwounded unprotected. The conduct of Cuesta in thus retreating andabandoning the position and the charge entrusted to him, was almosttoo much for Sir Arthur to bear, particularly as it was afterwardsfound that there was no need for it, as the enemy was at some distanceoff, and not in the least interfering with the Spanish army'smovements. So in this case we would have been much better without hisservices altogether. 

From Oropesa we advanced through a country abounding withdifficulties, the army suffering much during this march from the heatof the weather, the long exposure, insufficient food, and bad roads, and illness being very prevalent. Our provisions rarely exceeded twopounds of meat a day; and sometimes a pint of wheat took the place ofone of the pounds of meat, with occasionally, but very rarely, alittle flour. Our way of cooking the wheat was to boil it like rice, or sometimes, if convenient, we would crack the kernel between twoflat stones and then boil it, making a kind of thick paste out of it. This having so little bread or other vegetable substance to eat withour meat was one of the great causes of illness. 

We halted at or near Val de la Casa as our next stage for Oropesa, and two days after that at Deleitosa; and from there we were marchedto Xaracego, whence, through lack of provisions, we were obliged toproceed to Badajoz, arriving there after being about a fortnight onthe road. On leaving Talavera our clothes had been completelythreadbare, and now, through having no change for so long we weresmothered with vermin. When we had been a little while in Badajoz, however, we were supplied with new clothes, linen, blankets, and greatcoats, our old ones being burnt; and more live stock was destroyed inthe process than there were troops in the country at the time. 

Whilst we were staying at Badajoz, numbers of us fell sick daily, andamongst them was unfortunately myself. We were conveyed to aPortuguese town some four leagues from Badajoz, called Elvas, whichwas the strongest fortified town in Portugal, being very little morethan two leagues from the frontier of Spain. It was situated at thesummit of a lofty hill, and at the other side of a valley was a stillhigher hill, on the top of which was built another strong fort, thetwo together being called Elvas. We invalids occupied the convents ofthe town. 

Our loss here through the sickness, which was some kind of fever, andwas increased through the want of doctors and medicine, was verygreat, cartloads of the dead being carried out of the town every dayfor interment in the ground kept for the purpose outside thefortifications. I recovered sufficiently after about six weeks to beable to get out a little on the ramparts, and there a fearfulspectacle often met my gaze, for the dead were brought out of theconvents completely naked, and after they had been pitched into cartslike so many pieces of wood, were carried out and put into holesscarcely large enough to admit of such a number. This unpleasantoffice of burying the dead fell chiefly on the Portuguese convicts, and it was surprising to see with what readiness these men went towork. They carried one body at a time, having the legs over theirshoulders, and the head dangling down behind them, and when they cameto the graves, on account of the piece of ground appropriated for theburials being so small, they had to pack their burdens with thegreatest nicety. This sight soon cured me, as I thought what a narrowescape I had had of being handled by these same men; and I was glad toget back to my regiment at Badajoz as soon as possible. 

Thus ended the proceedings of 1809. Sir Arthur Wellesley was, afterthe battle of Talavera, raised to the rank of Viscount Wellington. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

 The regiment billeted at Olivencia -- Curious astronomical conjunction -- Lawrence exemplifies the truth of an old proverb at the expense of his hosts, and draws down the wrath of the church on himself -- Succeeds more satisfactorily in the case of his comrade -- The army shifted to the valley of the Mondego -- Lord Wellington's hopes in Almeida and Ciudad Rodrigo being disappointed, it falls back still further to Busaco -- Battle of Busaco -- Lawrence makes a capture, which may be regarded by some readers as emblematic. 

At the beginning of 1810 we proceeded from Badajoz to Olivencia, andwere there billeted on the inhabitants, two or more in a house, as thecircumstances would permit. I remember one very curious thing whichoccurred at this time, which was that the names of the drum-majors ofthe three regiments that were collected in this place were Sun, Moon, and Star, our regiment having the Moon, the Fifty-third the Sun, andthe Ninth the Star, so that if having the Sun, Moon, and Star fightingfor us was any help, they were there all ready. 

I happened to be billeted with a comrade of the name of LewisPhillips, a Welshman, in a house occupied by a respectable but poorman and his wife, whom we found on the whole very kindly meaningtowards us. Their occupation was that of labourers, and at thisparticular season of the year they were employed in pickingolive-berries. Before going out to their work in the morning theywould prepare their supper; which, as it was then Lent, and they werenot allowed to eat meat, consisted, as far as I was able to observe, of a mixture of greens, oil, cayenne pepper, and salt, which theywould leave on the embers in an earthenware jar to be cooked by thetime they came back; and as generally either myself or my comrade wasin the way, they would ask us to occasionally give it a stir. One dayafter I had been there some little time, I was left as cook, andfeeling in rather a mischievous mood, I cut some of my meat up verysmall--not much indeed, as may be supposed, out of the pound, whichwas all that we then received--and put it into the jar; and bynighttime it was so boiled and stirred that even I, who knew it wasthere, could scarcely recognize it. On their return they were veryhungry and soon partook of their _caldo_, as they called it, pronouncing it to be very good, and praising me as the best cook theyhad had for some time, little suspecting what that same best cook hadput into it. I was foolish enough, though indeed I did not expect whata bother I should throw up, to ask them then what they thought was intheir _caldo_, and when I told them there was meat in it, theyexclaimed they had eaten the Devil, or words to that effect in theirlanguage, which we were beginning to understand pretty well by thattime after being so long in the country. When they had been and gotrid of all they had eaten for supper, they reported me to their priestfor making them eat meat in Lent contrary to the laws of theirreligion; and on the priest coming to the house he condemned me forever, and prayed to them telling them not to take any notice, as itwas done against their will and by an ignorant Protestant. 

They never liked me much afterwards, nor set me to watch their_caldo_, and, as they were obliged to have me there still, managed tomake me rather uncomfortable; but this did not altogether debar mefrom continuing my jokes, and more as I thought it was pretty welltime for Lewis to have his turn of it. It happened that Lewisparticularly disliked olive oil, and I was myself very fond of it, and as we were very seldom on duty together, it used to fall to theone off to cook and bring the other his meals to the guard. So one dayI pitched upon a plan by which to take Mr. Taffy in, he being on guardand I the cook that day. I asked him what he would have for hisdinner, and he said some potatoes fried in butter, a piece of bread, and his usual pint of wine: so I got some olive oil, and fried thepotatoes in that instead of in butter; and when his turn came for himto be relieved for a time off sentry, took his meal to him, which, coming as it did when he was very hungry, he was not long in lappingup. I then asked him how he had enjoyed it; and he answered he hadnever had a better meal in his life. I said, "Lewis, I thought you didnot like oil. " "No, no more I do; there was no oil there. " I told himI had fried the potatoes in oil, but I could not make him believe it, so at last I said if he was agreeable I would make another mess in thesame manner when we were both together at liberty. He consented, sothe first time we were both together to dinner I commenced my frying, he being witness to the whole operation, and I found that I succeededbetter in my experiment with Lewis than with the worthy people of thehouse, for after that he could eat as much oil as I could. 

After we had stayed at Olivencia for some weeks, chiefly in order torefresh ourselves after the long and tedious marches, warfare, andillness to which for the last two years we had been subjected, LordWellington removed his headquarters to Visen, and the army went forthe most part into cantonments on the valley of the Mondego. LordWellington knew that his troops were then only strong enough fordefensive operations, and was therefore determined, unless stronglyreinforced, not to take rash measures; but on the enemy's freshinvasion of Portugal he again shifted his headquarters to Celorico. After that we moved on to another small place, called, as far as I amable to remember, Guarda, near Almeida, about eight or ten leaguesfrom Ciudad Rodrigo. 

Almeida was at that time garrisoned by some Portuguese troopscommanded by an English officer. The French had invested it, but LordWellington expected that it would have been able to baffle the enemyuntil the commencement of the rainy season, and would thus retard theenemy's movements. Almeida was a town of very great strength, butMassena opened fire on it about the 23rd of August, and it was obligedto capitulate as soon afterwards as the 27th, a magazine containingmost of the ammunition having blown up, taking with it great part ofthe town and the fortifications; the governor being thus disappointedof his desire to detain the French any longer. In this sad accidenthundreds of the inhabitants and the soldiery, with many of the enemy, who were assembled outside to watch the effect, were launched intoeternity either by the explosion itself or by the huge falling masses. And not only did this misfortune occur, but Ciudad Rodrigo meanwhilehad fallen into the enemy's hands, and thus a way was opened for afourfold contest. 

Owing to these repeated disappointments of Lord Wellington's plans, wewere again obliged to fall back into the valley of the Mondego, crossing that river and taking up our position on the heights ofBusaco, situate about six leagues north-east of Coimbra. Our march wasone of great difficulty, owing to the heavy rains and bad roads; butLord Wellington did his best to provide against these as much aspossible by taking the best road; while, on the other hand, Massena, who was following us up on his way to Lisbon, had taken the veryworst; and what was more, owing to ignorance of the country, hadlittle expected to meet a range of heights with, above all, us on thetop of them, ready to retard his progress as much as possible. 

We arrived at Busaco about the centre of September, and on the 26thour line was formed. Our division, under General Cole, occupied theextreme left of the line, looking down on a flat country, where theBritish cavalry were drawn up in reserve. The divisions of GeneralsHill, Leith, and Picton occupied the right of our line, with the firstdivision, commanded by Sir Bryant Spencer, in the centre. In themeantime the French had taken up their position in front, and asplendid view we had of their encampment from Busaco heights for atime; but it was not destined to be for long that we were to witnessthis fine sight, without mingling some of their best blood with ours, for early on the morning of the 27th they were in active stir, evidently in the full intention of storming our heights. We wereimmediately ordered under arms, and ready, if necessary, to go intoaction. 

Early in the morning the French made their appearance. The actioncommenced on our right and centre, the heaviest fire keeping there thewhole time that the battle lasted, as the division I was in had butslight brushes with them. The French must have lost in this engagementsome four or five thousand men, while we lost little more than athousand: but it must be borne in mind what an immense advantage wehad over them, as, being situated as we were on the heights, we couldwitness their every movement. That night they retreated to their oldposition, disheartened at the little success they had gained, orrather at the actual defeat they had suffered, and not feelinginclined to renew the contest next day: and some very slightengagements were all that ensued, chiefly on the left where the lightinfantry were. 

Whilst strolling about one day on these heights I caught a fine cock, which I tamed by tying him to my knapsack by the leg and carrying himabout with me, much to the amusement of my comrades; for after I hadhad him about a fortnight, he became so tame that he would sit on myknapsack quite quietly, without even the string to his leg. We namedhim Tom, and I took to carrying him about everywhere, even on to thebattlefield; wherever my knapsack went, Tom went too, and when theballs were whizzing about, which he did not seem altogether to like, he would make that curious noise which many may have observed as suchwhich a bird like this would make when pursued or frightened. Heserved, however, to while away many a long and dreary hour pleasantlyby his peculiar little ways, and we all became very fond of him: andhe grew quite fat on the many tit-bits he received from my comradesand myself during our mess, it being quite marvellous to see howregularly he went to each in turn for his contribution. And it wasstill more curious to see how Tom was always ready for action on anymove of the knapsacks, and not only that, but how very seldom he madeany mistake as to which was the right one. However, certain it wasthat after he had inhabited my knapsack for a little time he had madesufficient marks on it that I could never mistake it for any other, soperhaps he went by them as well as myself. 

CHAPTER IX. 

 March To Leiria -- Liberation of Nuns -- Retreat before the French to within the lines of Torres Vedras -- General flitting on the part of the population -- Pitiful scenes on the road -- Lawrence and his comrades cantoned in a cellar at Patamara -- They find a treasure -- The owner doesn't, and makes a disturbance -- Lawrence as an interpreter -- A game of cunning between officers and men, ending in a victory for the latter -- Massena compelled to retreat to Santarem for want of supplies -- The regiment receives its South American prize money, and is promptly put in the way to spend it. 

On Lord Wellington finding that the French intended to alter theirroute, and so escape this formidable height, he retreated towardsLisbon himself, passing Coimbra, at which place the Portuguese tooksome thousands of the French sick and wounded, together with some feweffective troops, who had been left to protect the hospital. FromCoimbra we proceeded farther south, having again to cross the Mondego, which we did in the latter end of September, reaching Leiria on the2nd of October. 

On the march we passed a nunnery, where we halted for about a quarterof an hour. A great many of the nuns were crowding the balconies towatch us, and as the French were following us up pretty close, thecolonel ordered the doors to be broken open by a body of grenadiers, which was soon done, myself being among the number told off for thepurpose. This was not carried out, however, without an accident, forone of the women meanwhile fell from a balcony, owing to the crowdedstate in which they were packed on it. The poor women seemed very gladto get their liberty, for they came out as thick as a flock of sheep, and a great many of them soon passed us bound for Lisbon, beingfearful of consequences if they took any other direction: as theFrench were after us so near as to skirmish with our rear-guard, which chiefly consisted of cavalry. 

Lord Wellington had indeed issued a proclamation ordering all theinhabitants to fall back on the approach of the enemy, and destroy anyarticles that they might possess and were not able to carry with them, that were at all likely to be of any use to the enemy; and sothousands of the population of the country that seemed about to fallwithin the bounds of the enemy's marches were to be seen flying fromtheir dwellings, and our army during its retreat was accompanied bycrowds of miserable men, women, and children, all eager to reach thecapital, as they knew that if they fell in with the French, they wouldbe treated as some had been before, with all the barbarities of anatrocious enemy. I have often heard talk of "moving" in England, andhave seen a cart or wagon with a man driving a load of furniture, atthe rate of three miles an hour, with a woman and perhaps severalchildren sitting on the top, or at the back; but I never before orsince saw such a wholesale move as this was, for every one seemedanxious to carry as many of his effects as he could find room for. Thefarther we proceeded the more confused our retreat appeared, formultitudes were obliged to rest weary and exhausted by the roadside, and often, though made eager in their endeavours as they heard of theenemy's approach to again renew their tedious journey, were founddying or even dead from their hard exertions, and the road waseverywhere strewn with pieces of all kinds of furniture, which thepoor fugitives had vainly attempted to get forward. 

From Leiria we went on further to Torres Vedras, which we gained aftera long, tedious, and impressive march; and there we took up ourposition at some fine breastworks which Lord Wellington had for sometime previous ordered to be thrown up by the Portuguese peasantry incase of the retreat of our army. Now we found how much we needed them, for on the 10th of October the French came in sight of our strongposition, where we had drawn up, determined that they should notproceed one step farther towards Lisbon. 

Massena was rather surprised at our strength, which was quiteunexpected by him. He had thought of driving the English into the sea, but he now found his mistake, so encamped about a mile and a half fromour position. 

On the 14th, however, he attacked our lines near Sobral, but wasrepulsed; and on another occasion a slight skirmish took place on theright of the line, in which the French general, St. Croix, was killedby the fire from our gunboats; but on account of our strong position, the French did not come to a general engagement. 

The cold and rainy weather having now set in, Lord Wellington hadprovided as well as possible for the best reception of his troops, whowere mostly now in cantonments, whilst those of Massena's army weresubject to hardships of the worst description, owing to the cold, wet, and above all insufficient food and raiment, for they were faraway from all supplies from their own country, and there wereguerillas or mountain rebels always on the watch to intercept such aswere sent, while our army was so near Lisbon that it could always getabundance. Our regiment was situated in a village called Patamara, inthe front of our works, where we lay as comfortably as if we had beenliving in peaceful times; though we were so near the enemy that wevery often wandered into the same vineyards, and exchanged complimentsby shaking hands. 

We were cantoned in a large cellar, but it was unfortunately empty, orat least there was no wine in it, and though there was a quantity ofwheat in a vat, we had no need of that, as we had plenty of our ownsupplies. The owner of our cellar generally visited us every day, andwe could not help thinking after a time that he seemed to takeparticular notice of a large box or bin that two of our men were usingto sleep in, so we moved it one morning, and found that the groundunderneath had been disturbed. Of course we thought that there must besome treasure concealed there, so we went to work with our bayonets, having no other tools at hand, and soon we came across a large jar, which we found contained bags of dollars, about two hundred and fiftyin each bag; which treasure we distributed privately among the cellarcompany, carefully breaking the jar and returning the earth to itsproper place, with the chest on the top of it, so that a minute eyecould not have told that it had been disturbed. 

Next morning as usual the owner came, bringing with him two labourers, who set to work filling the chest with wheat from the vat, evidentlywith the intention of making it weighty, he little suspecting that histreasure, which he supposed was underneath, had been divided amongsthis tenants. After that we thought we were pretty right fromdetection, but we were mistaken, for in the morning our restless owneragain made his appearance with the two labourers. I should think thatthat night he must have dreamt of our manoeuvre, for he now shiftedthe wheat back again into its place, moved the chest, and raised theearth and the broken jar, but found the bird had flown. I shall neverforget the rage the man was in. I thought he would have torn the hairoff his head; in fact, he did tear some up by the roots, but he musthave found that a poor way of showing his spite. He cried, "_Ladrone!Ladrone!_" which was his way of expressing "Thief! Thief!" but findingthat we did not take much notice of him, he reported his loss to thecolonel, or rather went off to him with that intention; but as thecolonel did not understand his language, I was sent for, as by thattime I was pretty well acquainted with it; and on my replying to thequestion as to what the Portuguese wanted, that he required a corporaland three privates to guard a stack of wood, the colonel told me tolet him know that he had nothing to do with it. I told the Portuguesethat it was no use his making a noise about the money, as it must havebeen only a little change that he could not conveniently recover, unless he could bring proper witnesses to prove he had put the moneythere. 

That only appeased him for the night, however, for he came botheringthe colonel again next morning. The colonel again sent for me andasked me what on earth this man wanted now, so I was then obliged toadmit the truth. I asked him if he would forgive me for telling him anuntruth overnight, and on his consenting, I told him the Portuguesehad lost a quantity of money, which he put down at seven thousanddollars. The Portuguese's answer to the question who had placed themoney there was that he had himself, but he could bring no witnessesto show that he had really done it, so the colonel said he could havenothing to do with the affair. However, the following morning theplague again appeared, so the colonel to quiet him told him that thegrenadiers had some prize money which was expected in a few days, andwhich he should receive in lieu of what he had lost, which sent theold man off seemingly as satisfied as if he had already got the moneyin his possession, shaking hands with us all round, and bowing andscraping as if we had been so many kings. 

The matter did not altogether rest here, however, for the colonelsuspecting that we were implicated, next day we were ordered as iffor marching, just as if we were going to leave the place that veryday, but the men being quite up to that trick, knowing that the Frenchwere still in front, concealed their shares of the money in and aroundthe cellar. I remember well the manner in which my own and one of myfellow-comrades' shares were hidden: there was a heap of pumpkins inthe cellar, and in one of these we enclosed our money, cutting a pieceout of it of sufficient size to admit the dollars, and after closingit up with the top of the original piece, mixing it again with theremainder of the heap. The company was then marched out into a field, and all our knapsacks and pockets were searched, but even the littlemoney that some must have had before was missing. 

The colonel did not mind being baffled so much as the major did, whotold the colonel that if he left it in his hands he would endeavour tofind the money, to which the colonel replied that he was just the manthe Portuguese wanted. The manner in which this cunning major went towork might have succeeded with men less artful than he found us to be, but every one in the cellar had part in it, so it was to the interestof all to keep the affair secret, and not only that, but every man'sshare in the prize happened to amount to more than the sum which themajor offered to any one who would reveal it. He came to one of thesergeants of the grenadiers and told him to pick out ten of the menwho would be most likely to inform, but instead of doing so, I thinkthe sergeant must have chosen the ten worst rogues in the company. These were then all marched off to the major's quarters, and had inone by one to see him, as he sat with five guineas lying on his table, which he offered to the first who should reveal the mystery: butfinding, after he had interviewed about three of them, that he wasbeing duped, for they all told the same tale, that was that they knewnothing about the money, he was so enraged that he told them all to goabout their business, saying that they were all a set of thieves, andnext time he saw the colonel he had to own, much to the amusement bothof the latter and of the whole regiment, that he had been beaten inhis knowing undertaking. 

Massena remained a little more than a month in his position in frontof Torres Vedras, when, owing to want of food and ammunition, he wascompelled to retrace his steps, not being able to get supplies throughSpain, as the guerillas--who were the most warlike and independentrace of the Spaniards, being chiefly offenders who had escaped to themountains and there formed themselves into one strong body amountingto some thousands--were always on the watch for any supplies that theymight catch hold of, more especially from the enemy, and appropriateto their own use. Much credit is due to Lord Wellington for thusdrawing the enemy to a place such as Torres Vedras, where they couldget no supplies, and further, could gain no advantage, but on theother hand must have lost some thousands through want, cold and wet. 

From Torres Vedras Massena's army proceeded to Santarem, about tenleagues from Torres Vedras, and there took up his position on theTagus, whence foraging parties were sent out to scour the country forprovisions, who committed horrible excesses on the inhabitants, carrying away their cattle, or any provisions they could lay theirhands on. It was this that chiefly infuriated the inhabitants againstthe French, and caused them to retaliate on any of their stragglers orwounded whom they came across butchering and using them in a mostawful manner; and even then, after all this work, this method ofgathering provisions for so large an army as Massena's was soonexhausted. 

When the French had retreated from Torres Vedras, Lord Wellington leftsome troops in charge of his lines there, and followed to Santarem, but no general battle took place, only small engagements. The enemyseemed pretty firm to their ground, so Lord Wellington moved his armyinto cantonments again. Our detachment was lying some distance fromSantarem on the Tagus; the actual name of the place is blotted from mymemory by lapse of years. 

It was rather curious that while there we received our South Americanprize money; money taken from the very people we were now allied with, so that a great part of it was spent amongst them again. Each privatereceived eight dollars, and I believe the serjeants sixteen. 

The Lisbon traders must have got scent of this, for a quantity ofboats laden with little requisites and luxuries ascended the riverfrom Lisbon to trade amongst the soldiers, and so we were soon enabledto rid ourselves of our little spare cash. Our colonel was veryconsiderate to these people, and being determined as far as possibleto prevent all plunder, had their boats or stalls guarded by sentries. This, however, did not altogether hinder some of the more daring fromgetting things on the cheap now and then, but they were so triflingthat they are hardly worthy of mention. 

CHAPTER X. 

 Opening of the year 1811 -- Surrender of Olivencia and Badajoz to the French under Soult -- The French followed up in their retreat from Santarem -- Engagements on the route -- Pombal -- Redinha -- Condexo -- Casal Nova -- Fatal results of having too large a head -- Miranda de Corno -- Poz de Aroce -- Halt at Moira while the French take refuge in Celorico -- The fourth division ordered to Badajoz -- Halt at Portalegre -- Shameful instance of plunder and sacrilege by Lawrence and his comrades -- Campo Mayor -- Outrageous theft from an unprotected female -- A stolen bird turns evidence against its purloiner. 

The remainder of the year 1810 was spent in these cantonments, theFrench still lying in their position at Santarem. But the beginning of1811 brought on us more and fatal work, for Soult's army had investedOlivencia and Badajoz, and obliged them, not being garrisoned by theBritish, but only by the Spaniards, to surrender. The way was thuspaved for one of the worst engagements in the whole Peninsular war; Imean the storming of Badajoz. 

The French did not move from Santarem till the beginning of March, which we discovered on the 6th, and Lord Wellington, having receivedfresh reinforcements from England, determined on following them up. They had taken three routes, and consequently our army had to bedivided too. Our division, which was the Fourth, with the First andSixth divisions, commanded by Marshal Beresford, was to follow by wayof Thomar, and the main body of the army by way of Leiria and Pombal, and so again to unite. 

On our route we came up with the French at Thomar, but on ourappearance they retreated to Espinal, a short distance off Pombal, andtook up a strong position between these two latter places. We followedthem up and combined ourselves again into one body. At Pombal theFrench had tried, but in vain, to retain the old castle situatedthere, and some slight skirmishing had taken place between them andsome of our light troops. At Redinha the third, fourth, and lightdivisions attacked the enemy's left, and after a stout engagement wecompelled them to retire upon their main body, and being likewiseattacked on the right, their whole body was thrown into retreat onCondexo. On our appearance there, they set fire to the place, andagain retreated; their object in burning such a little town beingprobably to prevent our cavalry, cannon, and ammunition from followingthem up too closely. We were, however, delayed but a very short time, for we marched through the burning town, certainly not letting thegrass grow under our feet, as the ground was much too hot. It appearedonce to have been a beautiful town, but after this it was one sad massof ruin. 

The French proceeded from this place to Casal Nova, but were soquickly followed up that Picton's division overtook them and nearlycaptured their leader. Next day we came up with the enemy, posted in astrong position at Casal Nova, and on the 14th of March the lightdivision attacked them and obliged them to retreat to a neighbouringheight, whence after another attack they again found it best to retireon Miranda de Corno. Part of our division was in this engagement, andI never saw cannon play with better or more deadly effect on any bodyof men than ours did on the enemy, situated as they were on theheights of Casal Nova. Yet they left very few dead or wounded on thefield; I think they must have carried most of them away, as the groundwas strewn with muskets and swords. 

The thing I noticed most particularly in this fight was the singulardeath of a man in our regiment, who was named William Halfhead, butconsidering the size of his head, which must have gone a very greatway towards filling half a bushel measure, it was wrongly so, and hewas the sport of the whole regiment, who named him Bushelhead. Hishead was indeed so large that he had to have two caps to make him one. This poor fellow was standing within five yards of me when a shot fromthe enemy's cannon took this same head clean off. I heard one of themen exclaim, "Hullo, there goes poor Bushelhead, " and that was all thesympathy he got. 

One division, under General Cole, proceeded after the enemy toPanella, where it was joined by another, under General Nightingale, and on the enemy seeing how closely they were followed they retreatedfrom Miranda de Corno, setting fire to that town also. We again fellin with them on the banks of a river near the village of Poz de Aroce, where a brisk attack was made on them by the British, and they weredriven from the river in great confusion with a loss of some fourhundred men or more. It has been reported that numbers were evenkilled by their own side, through the darkness of the night and theconfusion arising from their not having expected an attack then. 

We encamped there one day, and then again pursued the enemy, coming upwith them where they were posted behind the river Alva. There they hadsent out four or five hundred foragers in search of provisions: andindeed they must have wanted them badly, for even we that had comefrom the land of plenty at Torres Vedras were at that time in greatwant. We did not, however, let them stay there long enough for thesuppliers to return, for we opened fire on them, and forced them toretreat to Moira, leaving their foraging parties to the mercy of theEnglish and Portuguese, most of them sooner or later falling into ourhands. We crossed the Alva on a floating bridge and halted near Moira, as the enemy had now retreated to Celorico; but here Lord Wellingtonwas obliged to stay the pursuit through want of provisions. 

On hearing of the state of Badajoz he had already determined to sendreinforcements to that place, so our division and one of thePortuguese under General Hamilton, with a brigade of cavalry, weredirected to march southward again and invest Badajoz before thatplace's defences could be repaired by the enemy. Accordingly, on the17th of March, our divisions crossed the Tagus at Tancos, whence weadvanced to Portalegre, halting there for about two days. 

Here I think I ought to relate an incident just to show that theEnglish often committed depredations on the inhabitants almost as badas the enemy. We are often too prone to see other people's andnations' faults, whilst if our own had but the light thrown on them, they would often come up to, if not exceed, those of our adversaries. 

We, at least my company, were billeted in a chapel, at night lying onstraw, which in the morning had to be rolled up neatly in our blanketsso as to make the place look comfortable during the day, a separatelot of straw being allowed for every two men. Very close to thischapel there was situated a farmyard, inhabited by a quantity of pigs:and pork being a thing which the company had not tasted for some time, we made up our minds to have a treat. So one of our number was chosento steal a pig, being, I suppose, one whose fingers were thought welladapted to the purpose. He pitched on a very novel plan of proceeding, for, taking a sergeant's pike, he stuck the pig with it, and thenescaped till the poor animal had died; on which, not being longafterwards, we conveyed it to the chapel. 

We thought that we had done this all unobserved, but the farmer hadeither watched our movements, or must have seen the blood and gone tocount, and so missed the pig, and we soon saw that all was not to passoff so nicely as we expected, for presently he put in an appearance atthe chapel too. Finding, however, that we were too strong for him, and seeing nothing of the missing pig, he went off and reported thecircumstance to our colonel. 

Meanwhile we lost no time in making our plans for a place of securityfor our prize. At first we thought of our straw beds, that is, ofwrapping the pig in the blanket, but our afterthoughts told us thatthat would not be safe. At one end of the chapel, however, there was alarge statue of the Virgin Mary, having on a robe with a long train, and it was under this train that we concealed our prize in the bestpossible manner, so as to baffle any chance of detection by theappearance of the train being altered. And sure enough, it proved tobe the safest place we could have hit upon for our desired end, forvery soon in came the farmer with a priest, and the first thing theydid was to make their obedience to the monument, whilst we were allthe time laughing in our sleeves to think how they were likewisehonouring the pig. 

Something more serious was soon to happen, however, for a very fewminutes afterwards the captain and colonel both came in and orderedevery berth to be examined; but they searched in vain, and pronouncedit to be some mistake on the farmer's part, as in that short time wecould not have cooked, eaten, or otherwise got rid of the pig. Thefarmer, however, still felt certain that we had it, but it could notbe found anywhere in the chapel, so he was obliged to retire withoutany compensation for his unfortunate pig. Then we breathed a littlemore freely at last, for if we had been found out, we most likelyshould have had our grog stopped for some time, and that goes in suchtimes very much against the heart of a soldier. 

Early next morning our kettles were at work in the usual way, cookingour breakfasts, but that particular morning every man of the chapelcompany had a small extra portion in the pot, being his allowance ofthe pig, not much certainly, when it came to be divided amongst somany, about one pound for each man; but even that, and the moreespecially as it was pork, was thought no little of in such times ofshort diet, for we were not over abundantly stocked with provisions. In fact it was chiefly for that reason, and to refresh ourselves fromthe long continued marches, that we were now delaying on our southwardroute. 

On again resuming our march, we arrived in four or five days at aplace called Campo Mayor, where we caught sight of the enemy, but onlyin marching order towards Badajoz. Here I have again to relate anothershameful instance of plunder which happened on the same march. We wereencamped near a village of no particular note, and of which thereforeI did not arrive at the exact name: and a party of men, perhaps to thenumber of about twenty, including myself, were out on the forage, whenwe arrived at the house of a poor woman, who evidently kept a kind ofgeneral shop, though we could not see any other houses near. Four orfive with myself went into the shop and asked the woman if she hadany bread for sale, to which she replied that there was some bakingwhich would be done in about an hour, if we could wait, which weconsented to do; but meanwhile a signal was given to the remainingpart of our company, who, observing that the oven was built out fromthe house, immediately set to work to make a hole with their bayonetsso as to be able to get the bread out. While this operation was goingon out at the back we were amusing the woman with some of ourPeninsular tales in front until the hour had passed; when, on hergoing to draw the bread she found much to her amazement that everyloaf was missing, and daylight gleaming in on her through a hole inthe back of the oven. The poor woman was then in a terrible stew, andwe did all we could to reconcile her to her loss, making out that weknew nothing of the sad business; but this pity did not detain uslong, for we pretty quickly made for the camp and made a first ratemeal off the bread, which was to us then a greater luxury than meat, as we were very seldom supplied with bread, more especially so freshas this, which was smoking hot, though not very well done; but if ithad been dough we could have eaten it at that time. 

On another occasion, on the same march, I caught another cock, orrather took it from a farmyard; but not feeling inclined to betroubled with a second live one, as I had still got Tom campaigningwith me, I gave it three swings by the head, which I thought brokeits neck, and put it away out of sight in my high cap. On my return tocamp, the company had just fallen in on parade, and no sooner had thecaptain passed close to me, than my cap-tenant crew, or made aterrible noise of some sort, much to the astonishment both of myselfand the captain, who said, "Hullo, Lawrence, what have you got there?"I told him a cock, which I had bought when out foraging. "Yes, " hesaid, "you offered four, but took it with five, " meaning, I suppose, my fingers. He was perfectly right, but I did not think it would havepassed off quite so smoothly, as many in the Peninsula were hanged forplunder; all we were allowed to forage for at this place beingprovisions for the horses and mules. 

CHAPTER XI. 

 Commencement of the siege of Badajoz -- Sortie by the garrison repulsed -- Lawrence takes a prisoner, who proves difficult of persuasion -- Lawrence poses as champion of the regimental grog, and is indulged in return with an uncomfortable spell of sentry -- He eventually triumphs -- Move to, and capture of Olivencia -- Separates from a faithful friend -- Return towards Badajoz -- Battle of Albuera. 

From Campo Mayor we went on towards Badajoz, some slight skirmishingwith the enemy's rear-guard taking place on the way, but with verylittle success on either side. We made a stay at Elvas untilpreparations had been made for crossing the Guadiana, and then weproceeded to Badajoz, the town that so pestered the Allies during thePeninsular War. Our brigade took up its position on the north side ofthe town and river, and commenced throwing up batteries. During ouroperations the French sallied out of the town, crossed the river, andattempted to destroy a part of our work, thus actively engaging aboutthree hundred of our covering party, together with a smallreinforcement of grenadiers, which latter, however, soon made thembeat a retreat into the town again. 

I succeeded in capturing a straggler here, but was not able to get himinto our lines by myself, on account of his lying down and refusing tocome; so I broke his musket, but not feeling inclined even then toleave him, I knelt down to protect myself a little from the enemy'sshot, and waited for some assistance. This was not long in coming, forthe colonel, seeing my position, allowed a man, Towser by name, whohad volunteered, to come and lend me a hand, and thus we were enabledto get my captive safe at last to the lines: not, however, withoutsome risk to our own lives, as the enemy were firing at us all thetime from a fort situated a short distance from the river. The man wasnot at all willing at first to walk, so we dragged him by the legalong the ground for some way; but owing to the roughness of theroad, he soon found that he preferred walking. We searched him andfound a doubloon and a half on his person, which Towser and I dividedequally between us. The colonel reprimanded me for running such a riskfor one prisoner, but he was satisfied with my answer, which was thatperhaps the man had been on the alert to fire at some of us, whichmight have terminated in the colonel's own death, or maybe in mine. The colonel had already been slightly wounded in the leg, whichobliged him afterwards to go into the hospital at Elvas, and somethirty-eight of my comrades unfortunately met their deaths in thisaffray. 

The colonel sent a quantity of rum from Elvas to be divided amongstthose men who were in action at the time he received his wound, butthe officer then in charge of us, whom nobody in the regiment liked, only served out the half of it, which only came to about half a pintfor each man, much to the discontent of all. I spoke out and said thatwe ought to have it all, as the colonel had sent it, and we had had tofight hard for it; which so put out the officer that he said I shouldnot have any at all. The sergeant, however, gave me a half a pint withthe rest, unbeknown to the officer, and immediately went and asked himif I was to have any. The officer then told him to "let the rascalshave the lot, and then they would be satisfied, " so thus I came in foranother half pint, which I put into my canteen with some water todrink when I might next be on sentry. 

This came to my turn on the very night following, and as it chanced, Iwas commanded by the same officer that I have been alluding to. It wasnot often that the major went round with the picket, but that night, having taken the colonel's command, he did so, and saw me placed onsentry. I was placed as outlying sentry, and ought to have beenrelieved in three hours, instead of which, out of spite for the rumjob, the officer never came near me all night; in fact, I never saw aman from the time I was put on till I came off myself in the morning. I will give some details of the coincidences of that night, which wasdark but starlight, so that I could just catch a dim glimpse of theenemy's before mentioned fort, and, owing to the heights, was able tosee the town very well. 

The place where I was on sentry was in a field of standing wheat inear, amongst which I sat down and was fairly comfortable for about anhour; after which the enemy seemed to have made out my position, andkept dabbing at me with their muskets for a long time. I could notmake out how it was they had caught sight of me, but after they hadcontinued firing for some time, I at last found out the cause. On mycap there was a large bright brass plate, which no doubt made a slightreflection either from the stars or the light from the town, and sodrew their attention to me. So much for bright dress and brass plates, thought I, though fortunately they had done me no harm; and now forthe remedy that I proposed. I took the loading-rod from my musket, andstuck it fast into the ground, and placing my cap upon it, I proceededabout ten yards to the right and sat down; and it was fortunate that Idid so, for during the night they put two shots through my cap, andthat would have been awkward if my head had been inside. It is not tobe supposed, however, that I sat there bareheaded all night, for I puton my slop or foraging cap, and then sat hearkening to the sound ofchimes and bells pronouncing the hours of eleven, twelve, one, two, three, and four, and the occasional whizzing of shells and shot overmy head. 

At length, after hearing the bells strike the last-named hour, andseeing the dawn, too, beginning to peep over the distant horizon, knowing that my turn to be relieved had long since passed, I put backmy loading rod into its place and my cap on my head, and decamped tothe body picket. There I met the major, who seeing me return, andknowing that it was my turn for rest, asked me where I had been. Isaid, "Were you not with the officer when he placed me on sentry lastnight?" He replied; "Yes, has he not relieved you since?" On which Itold him no, and that I thought it was time to relieve myself, likewise showing him my cap for him to judge what a hot night I hadhad of it. I also gave the reason that I thought for the officer'sspite, which put him out terribly, so much so that he immediatelycalled up the officer, who had retired to rest some hours, and toldhim that if they had not been so near the enemy, he would have had himtried by court-martial for his neglect: which might have ended by hisbeing cashiered out of the service. That was the first and last timethat he ever left me on sentry all night. 

Our stay here, however, was of short duration for we proceeded furthertowards Olivencia, which was garrisoned by about four hundred of theenemy. We crossed the Guadiana near that place on a bridge constructedof empty casks and planks, and sat down before the town about the 11thof April. In a few days our batteries were all ready for action, andon the garrison refusing to surrender, we commenced firing, and soonmade a breach; but at that point the governor, fearing an assault, immediately surrendered, and he and his garrison were all takenprisoners. 

It was at this place that I parted with Tom. For being bothered by thecolonel's servant to let him have my pet, I foolishly consented, though my comrades did their best to persuade me to keep him. He toldme he wanted to take him to England, and gave me a dollar for him, butI afterwards found out that he had killed him for his master's dinner. I think I felt as sorry for that as I ever did for anything, for Idearly liked Tom. 

From Olivencia we marched again towards Badajoz, but owing to Soult'sarmy being on its way to relieve that town, Beresford had occupied theheights of Albuera, about thirteen miles southeast of Badajoz, inorder to check the enemy if possible in their intended object. GeneralCole therefore advanced to Albuera as well, and the action had justcommenced when he arrived. The Allies had taken up their position on afine ridge of heights, and the French under Marshal Soult made theirappearance on the 15th of May. 

On the following morning they made an attack on the right, which wasoccupied by the Spaniards, who soon gave way in great disorder, againleaving the brunt of the battle to the British; and not only that, butalso thus allowing the French to gain part of the heights. A nobleattack, however, was made by the Second division, the first brigade ofwhich in trying to gain the ridge was met by the fierce PolishLancers, who slaughtered a tremendous number of them; in fact, thebattle was at one time thought to have been gained by the French, andmost likely would have been, had not Colonel Harding hurled part ofour division and a reserve Portuguese brigade against the enemy, andso renewed the fight. General Cole himself led our fusiliers up thehill. Six British guns and some colours were then already in theenemy's possession, but Cole's troops soon dispersed the lancers, and, recapturing the guns and colours, drove the French down again inconfusion. 

It is useless for me to give any further details of this celebratedbattle, for it has been already depicted so many times and so muchmore ably than I could do; but the Allies could not have lost lessthan seven thousand killed, wounded and missing, while the French losswas stated to be nine thousand. It was seldom, however, that wearrived at the correct estimate of the enemy's loss, it beinggenerally the custom to state it as greater than ours, and my opinionis that in this battle the Allies lost quite an equal number to theFrench. The Spaniards especially must have sustained a great loss intheir confusion. It was always a bother to get them to stir forwardduring a battle, but retreating was what they were best at, and thenit was always in confusion; at the battle of Albuera indeed whilstthey were in this state they even fired at random, and several shotswent amongst the English. 

General Cole was himself wounded in this engagement, which resulted sosadly for both parties; for it could hardly be termed a victory foreither side, and if so it was a very dearly bought one. Still it waswe who remained on the field in the end. 

CHAPTER XII. 

 The siege of Badajoz converted into a blockade -- Move to Guinaldo -- Lord Wellington as a general -- A slight digression on the horrors of war -- Instances of cruelty by both the French and the inhabitants -- The English not wholly blameless -- Private depredations of Lawrence and his comrades -- Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo -- Capture of a troublesome convent -- A successful assault made -- Scenes in the town afterwards -- Incidents during the cantonments -- Putting it out of sight proves not to be the best way of keeping grog -- Being too sparing to one's beast not always advantageous. 

For the remaining part of the year 1811 both armies were inactive. Thebatteries had been at work at Badajoz and breaches had been made, butthese had proved impracticable, twelve forlorn hopes and stormingparties having advanced into them with no better result than that manymet their deaths and the remainder had to withdraw owing to obstacles. The siege was therefore converted into a blockade, and LordWellington, who after taking Almeida and driving the French out ofPortugal, had come southward with two divisions to reinforceBeresford's army, moved the general South Army into cantonments andencampments near the River Caza, a tributary of the Guadiana. There weremained till July, when we were marched northward again across theTagus, and took up our position at Guinaldo. While there no particularengagement ensued; the enemy indeed falling on another part of ourline, but no success being obtained on either side. 

Although Lord Wellington had now driven the French clean out ofPortugal, he had still other work to do; work that praised him morethan he had been before, work that raised him to higher honours thanhe yet possessed, but likewise work that sacrificed more thousands ofhuman beings than had been through the whole three years. There can beno doubt that if he had had as many troops as the French, he wouldlong before this have driven them out of Portugal and perhaps Spain aswell; he seemed to understand their every movement, and was thusalways ready waiting to receive them; and they on their part seemed tothink they had more than found their match in him, and had become verycautious in contending with him. But he actually had only half theirnumber, or even less, that he could depend on, and these weresometimes not fit for service from want or other privations, as thesetales of the hospitals or rather deadly convents go to prove, where somany of my comrades passed the end of their lives, and their remainswere carried out with no more ceremony than I described as at Elvas. 

The Portuguese themselves were mostly exempt from the actualslaughter, but their country had already been left by the enemy inabout as bad a state as it could; for if it had been infested withswarms of locusts, the devastation could not have been paralleled. Thewar could not have left one family quite untouched by itsdestructiveness or by misery and grief irrecoverable for many years;and indeed, in some cases, for ever, for many a child was deprived ofits father or mother, or even of both parents, and many were theparents who had lost their children; and if any had accumulated alittle fortune then it must have been lost, being ever liable to beplundered by the soldiery. 

It must be said, however, that certainly the Spaniards and likewisethe Portuguese behaved on their part very cruelly to the enemy'swounded, prisoners, or stragglers. I myself was witness to one oftheir barbarous acts. They had laid a ring of straw round a woundedFrenchman and set fire to it, and when the poor man tried to crawlout, he was only received with a pitchfork which sent him again intothe centre. We soon made the Portuguese fly by firing in amongst them;but when we came up to the poor man, his hair, fingers, and face werefearfully burnt already. He implored us not to leave him, but we wereobliged to, and no doubt either the Portuguese returned and killedhim, or else he died of the injuries he had sustained at their hands, or from the wounds that had before disabled him. 

These barbarities, however, the enemy brought on themselves by dealingout the same coin, for they would go on foraging parties, and perhapsfind a whole family or more together trying to protect their verysubsistences, when they would kill the males, serve the females notmuch better, and carry off everything they could lay their hands on ifof any value. Sometimes, however, they were overpowered in thesefreaks, and then they suffered just as bad a fate as I showed justnow; which, after all, is not much to be wondered at. 

I am sorry to say, however, that we ourselves were not quite free fromthe charge of depredations, though we did not carry them on to theextent of bloodshed. An instance of this in which I was myself mixedup happened during our stay at this very place Guinaldo. 

We were quartered nearly twenty in number in two upper rooms of ahouse, of which the family inhabited the lower part. Our beds, asusual, consisted chiefly of straw. An Irish comrade of ours, by nameHarding, whom we named Pig Harding, owing to his always being on thelook out for any cheap pieces he could lay hands on, was quartered inthe same house, and we had not been there many days before he foundabout thirty pounds of sausages curled round the bottom of a largeearthen jar that contained at least ten or twelve gallons of oliveoil, the sausages having evidently been placed there either to keep, or to be out of our sight. Pig, however, who was up to many of theSpanish movements, was not long in finding them; he soon had tried thebottom with his bayonet, and found a prize worth fishing for; and hecame running into our room carrying the sausages, which owing to theiroily state did not fail to leave a trace of their whereabouts. We soonrepaired this defect so as not to be noticeable on the floor, whichwas not kept so clean as it might be, and which our stay there had notimproved much, and then we had a fine meal off our sausages, which, touse Pig's own words, "Blood and 'ounds, _were_ good, very, " and soonthere were very few left. 

After all in the house had eaten sufficient, the rest were given tosome of our comrades in another house, our policy being always to getrid of any plunder as quickly as possible so as to bar detection if itwas found out. There were always plenty to help eat it, and in thiscase every one of the sausages were gone before the woman found outher loss, which was not till next day about dinnertime, when no doubtshe expected to cook the family meal off them. The sausages in thatcountry were generally made of cooked meat flavoured with garlic andcayenne pepper, so that they were fit for eating at all times withoutcooking. When the poor woman found them missing, she soon thought ofthe right parties as the thieves; and with her fingers all drippingwith oil, for she had evidently been feeling for them in the jar, sherushed in crying, "_Ladrone, Ladrone_ (you thieves, you thieves), theFrench are bad enough, but you are worse!" We only laughed at her, soshe reported us to our major, who immediately came to our room andsaid, "Then you are up to your prigging tricks again, " and asked thewoman how much the sausages were worth. She did not fail to askenough, for she said sixteen dollars, which he paid at once, saying hewould deduct it from our pay. 

The major never did as he said he would, however, and we heard no moreeither of the sausages or of our money; but still we did not know thatat the time, and the threat only had the effect of sending Pig offagain in search of something that would at least give us the worth ofour money. He waited till just before we were going to shift fromthese quarters, and then he found out a trap-door, through which hegot himself hoisted up, and found eight sides of bacon there, with oneof which he descended, thinking that would be as much as we couldconveniently eat at that place, and so at any rate we had the worth ofthe sixteen dollars, for this last affair was not found out before westarted. 

On another occasion, whilst we were at the same place, some Spaniardscame into our camp with wine for sale, contained in pigskins carriedacross mules' backs, one on each side, and whilst the Spaniard wasmeasuring it out of one skin, a hole had been made in the other with apenknife, which lightened both burdens at once considerably, much tothe discontent of the Spaniard on finding it out. But I think that allsuch lesser manoeuvres as this, though bad in themselves, can beperhaps looked over in considering the frequent hungry state that solarge a body of men were in during this war. 

We remained in this neighbourhood till the latter end of 1811. Thebeginning of 1812 opened with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, where wearrived and began to break ground on the 8th of February. 

We had to commence throwing up our batteries and breastworks under aparticular annoyance from three guns, situated on a fortified conventa little distance from the town, near where our brigade's operationswere in progress, so our colonel for one volunteered to storm theconvent, which offer was accepted. Several companies, therefore, including my own, advanced under him unobserved by the enemy in thedarkness of the night, and succeeded in effecting an entrance into theconvent, the garrison being taken by surprise, but managing to decamp. I then volunteered with a few men to march on up to the tower wherethe guns were situated, a priest being made to show us the way, as thepath which we had to tread was so winding. When we arrived at the top, which must have taken us at least ten minutes, we found no Frenchthere, but the three shattered cannon still remained, which we wereordered to pitch down, not much improving their condition thereby, andso we gained the object for which we had come. All the French thatwere left in the convent, or at least all I saw there, were two oftheir wounded, but they were good enough to leave us a room full ofcabbages, which came in very handy. 

After this affair we took up our quarters in the convent, but stillcontinued our ground work. Once the enemy sallied out of the town andattacked us during these operations, and a smart brush ensued, butthey were soon obliged to retire again. Now and then the garrisonwould greet us with a cannon-ball, which often did some littlemischief; a sergeant was killed by one, which at the same time tookanother's arm off, and I myself had a narrow escape one day whilst inthe breastworks, from a six-pounder which having struck the convent, rebounded and caught me in the chest. Luckily it was nearly spent, butas it was it knocked me down, and it was some time before I couldrecover my breath, and that not until my comrades had poured some rumand water down my throat. My chest was much discoloured and swollen, through which I was ill for nearly a week. 

By the 19th of January two practicable breaches were made in the wallsof the town, and an attack was ordered. Our colonel volunteered forthe forlorn hope, but it was put under other commanders, being chieflycomposed of the rifles. The main breach was committed to GeneralPicton's division, and the brigades of General Vandeleur and ColonelBarnet were ordered to attack the smaller breach, headed by astorming-party of three hundred men and a forlorn hope, under MajorGeorge Napier of the Fifty-second regiment. The forlorn hope assembledbetween seven and eight o'clock under the walls of the convent we werethen occupying, which protected them a little from the enemy's shot. All was deathly silent amongst those men, who perhaps could not helpthinking that it might be their last undertaking: in fact, this ismuch the worst business a soldier can enter upon, as scarcely anythingbut death looks him in the face. There they were watching with intenseanxiety for the to many fatal signal; and at length the order wasgiven to advance. 

The assault was to be conducted on all sides at once, and in doublequick time the troops were at the breach, although the ladders, whichwere being carried by the Portuguese, when wanted had disappeared. Ourtroops nevertheless pushed onwards and gained the breach, when eitherthrough accident or the neglect of the train-man, a mine was sprungbefore the French were clearly off it, and both French and Englishwere suddenly blown into the air and buried together in the ruin. After the smother had fairly cleared away, our troops met with verylittle difficulty in mounting the breach and scouring the ramparts, the French throwing down their arms and retiring into the town itself, where after a brief contest in the streets, the whole survivinggarrison surrendered; but it was not without the loss of many of thebravest men on our side in the first assault. 

This successful achievement was attended with all the horrors of thesoldiery, excesses, riot, and drunkenness taking place on every side. Houses were plundered of their contents, cellars broken open andemptied, and many houses were even set on fire, amid the yells of thedissipated soldiers and the screams of the wounded. Thus the nightpassed, but in the morning order was a little restored, and those menwho were sensible enough returned to their own regiments. 

About forty-one pieces of cannon, some stands of arms, and a quantityof provisions were taken, besides which the enemy must have lost quitea thousand men, besides the prisoners. Amongst these latter were sixor seven deserters belonging to the Allied army, who were sent totheir respective regiments and probably shot: fortunately there werenone belonging to our division. The Allies' loss was veryconsiderable, being upwards of a thousand also. 

After the reduction of Ciudad Rodrigo, Lord Wellington put it undergarrison and ordered the breaches to be repaired. Then he marchedsouth to watch the proceedings at Badajoz, whilst we again went intocantonments near Rodrigo. 

Some muleteers halted under the protection of our troops at thisplace, laden with rum and biscuits for the supply of the army, overwhich sentries were placed on guard, but instead of guarding, theytook so much rum, which being there generally carried in pigs' skinswas easily got at, that they died in consequence next morning. Likewise one of our cavalry men was here flogged for making away withhis horse's corn to selfishly buy himself grog; and well deserving ofpunishment he was, for the poor horse was miserably thin. In fact, thehorses in general were the same, and it was thought that many wereserved the same; but this man being the first that was caught, wastried by court-martial and sentenced to fifty lashes as an example. The man asked the colonel to look over it as it was his first offence, but the colonel said, "The horse's looks tell a different tale fromthat; he has long had the bitters, and you the sweet, and now it istime things should be the other way round. " Certainly the horses'forage could not at all times be procured, and especially in thewinter, but for that very reason they had more need of it when itcould be. The best horses I saw during the whole Peninsular campaignwere the German hussars': those men were not so fond of drink as ours, which might perhaps account for the condition of their animals, asthey had no more chance of gaining forage than our men had. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

 Lawrence's division marched south to invest Badajoz -- Small choice allowed by the fortunes of war -- In the trenches -- A fort taken -- The town walls breached -- Refusal of the garrison to surrender -- An assault ordered -- Lawrence in the forlorn hope -- A somewhat premature assignation -- Fighting in the breach -- Lawrence wounded -- Fearful scenes on his way to the rear -- He reports on the state of affairs to Lord Wellington -- The story of Filer -- The castle carried after severe fighting, and the English enter the town -- Dreadful excesses on the part of the victorious troops -- Great losses on both sides in the assault -- The end of Lawrence's assignation. 

Our stay at Rodrigo was of short duration, for we were soon orderedsouth to invest Badajoz, which gave us another long and tedious marchof a hundred and fifty miles or more. We arrived there at thebeginning of March, and the third, ours, that is the fourth, and thelight divisions, under the command of Marshal Beresford and GeneralPicton, invested the town. 

We soon broke ground before the town by commencing to throw upbreastworks and batteries. Very heavy rains had just lately set in, but our troops still pursued their undertaking and persevered in thetrenches. A cannonade was kept up from the town, which fortunately, however, did not do much damage; but on the 19th of March the garrisonattacked us, and were only driven back with a loss on our side of ahundred men killed and wounded, and a still greater loss on theirpart. 

I killed a French sergeant myself with my bayonet in this action. I wasat the time in the trenches when he came on the top and made a dart atme with his bayonet, having, like myself, exhausted his fire; and whilein the act of thrusting he overbalanced himself and fell. I very soonpinioned him to the ground with my bayonet, and the poor fellow soonexpired. I was sorry afterwards that I had not tried to take himprisoner instead of killing him, but at the time we were all busilyengaged in the thickest of the fight, and there was not much time tothink about things. And besides that, he was a powerful-looking man, being tall and stout, with a beard and moustache completely covering hisface, as fine a soldier as I have seen in the French army, and if I hadallowed him to gain his feet, I might have suffered for it; so perhapsin such times my plan was the best--kill or be killed. 

About eight hundred of us were every night busily engaged in thetrenches, whilst a large number, who were called the covering party, were on the look out in case of an attack from the enemy. The rainpoured down so fast that balers were obliged to be employed in places, and at times the trenches were in such a state of mud that it was overour shoes. We were chiefly employed during the day in finishing offwhat we had done in the night, as very little else could be done thenowing to the enemy's fire. We had not been to work many days before wegot within musket shot of a fine fort situated a little distance fromthe town, and garrisoned with four or five hundred of the enemy, whoannoyed us rather during our operations. One night as I was working inthe trenches near this place, and just as the guard was about to berelieved, a shell from the town fell amongst them and exploded, killing and wounding about thirty. I never saw a worse sight of itskind, for some had their arms and legs, and some even their heads, which was worse, completely severed from their bodies. I remember mycomrade, Pig Harding, who was working near me at the time, and had, like myself, become hardened to the worst of sights during our sojournin the Peninsula, saying as a joke, "Lawrence, if any one is in wantof an arm or a leg he can have a good choice there;" little thinking, poor fellow, that soon he would himself be carried out, numbered withthe slain. On the morning after this explosion a terrific scene of ourmangled comrades presented itself, for their remains strewed theground in all directions. 

Of course our next thought was how to clear ourselves of thistroublesome fort. Some suspicions were entertained that it wasundermined, so in the dead of night some engineers were sent betweenit and the town to search for a train, and finding that the earth hadbeen moved, they dug down and found the train and cut it off. Then, onthe next night, the Eighty-seventh and Eighty-eighth regiments wereordered up to storm the fort, and succeeded after a brisk action ingaining the place, the most of the garrison escaping into the town. Next morning I entered the fort with the rest, where we found thewounded Frenchmen lying. We relieved their pain a little by givingthem some of our rum and water, and then conveyed them to the rear;most of their wounds being bad, evidently from the bayonet, but notmortal. 

Owing to the success of taking this fort we were enabled to carry onour works much nearer to the town, and by the beginning of April twobatteries were formed within three or four hundred yards of the place:and in about five days, through the effects of our twenty-fourpounders, three practicable breaches were made in the walls. 

Lord Wellington then ordered the town to be attacked on the night ofthe 6th, having previously sent to know if it would surrender: and theanswer being "No, " he asked for the inhabitants to be allowed to quit, as he intended to take the town by assault. In consequence of thissome thousands of the inhabitants quitted the city. 

A storming-party was selected from each regiment, and each of thethird, fourth, and light divisions was told off to a breach. I joinedthe forlorn hope myself. 

Before, however, that I proceed further in my account of thissanguinary affair, I will relate an engagement that myself, PigHarding, and another of my comrades, George Bowden by name, enteredinto before we even started on our way, of which the result showedwhat a blind one it was. Through being quartered at Badajoz after thebattle of Talavera, all three of us knew the town perfectly well, andso understood the position of most of the valuable shops: and hearinga report likewise that if we succeeded in taking the place, there wasto be three hours' plunder, we had planned to meet at a silversmith'sshop that we knew about, poor Pig even providing himself with a pieceof wax candle to light us if needed. 

But all this was doomed to disappointment. We were supplied withladders and grass bags, and having received and eaten our rations, andeach man carrying his canteen of water, we fell in at half-past eightor thereabouts to wait for the requisite signal for all to advance. During the interval our men were particularly silent: but at lengththe deadly signal was given, and we rushed on towards the breach. 

I was one of the ladder party, for we did not feel inclined to trustto the Portuguese, as we did at Ciudad Rodrigo. On our arriving at thebreach, the French sentry on the wall cried out, "Who comes there?"three times, or words to that effect in his own language, but on noanswer being given, a shower of shot, canister and grape, togetherwith fire-balls, was hurled at random amongst us. Poor Pig receivedhis death wound immediately, and my other accomplice, Bowden, becamemissing, while I myself received two small slug shots in my left knee, and a musket shot in my side, which must have been mortal had it notbeen for my canteen: for the ball penetrated that and passed out, making two holes in it, and then entered my side slightly. Still Istuck to my ladder, and got into the entrenchment. Numbers had by thistime fallen: but the cry from our commanders being, "Come on, mylads!" we hastened to the breach; but there, to our great surprise anddiscouragement, we found a _chevaux de frise_ had been fixed and adeep entrenchment made, from behind which the garrison opened a deadlyfire on us. Vain attempts were made to remove this fearful obstacle, during which my left hand was dreadfully cut by one of the blades ofthe _chevaux de frise_, but finding no success in that quarter, wewere forced to retire for a time. 

We remained, however, in the breach until we were quite weary with ourefforts to pass it. My wounds were still bleeding, and I began to feelvery weak; my comrades persuaded me to go to the rear; but this proveda task of great difficulty, for on arriving at the ladders, I foundthem filled with the dead and wounded, hanging some by their feet justas they had fallen and got fixed in the rounds. I hove down three lotsof them, hearing the implorings of the wounded all the time; but oncoming to the fourth, I found it completely smothered with deadbodies, so I had to draw myself up over them as best I could. When Iarrived at the top I almost wished myself back again, for there of thetwo I think was the worse sight, nothing but the dead and woundedlying around, and the cries of the latter, mingled with the incessantfiring from the enemy, being quite deafening. 

I was so weak myself that I could scarcely walk, so I crawled on myhands and knees till I got out of reach of the enemy's musketry. Afterproceeding for some way I fell in with Lord Wellington and his staff, who seeing me wounded, asked me what regiment I belonged to. I toldhim the Fortieth, and that I had been one of the forlorn hope. Heinquired as to the extent of my wounds, and if any of our troops hadgot into the town, and I said "No, " and I did not think they everwould, as there was a _chevaux de frise_, a deep entrenchment, and inthe rear of them a constant and murderous fire being kept up by theenemy. One of his staff then bound up my leg with a silk handkerchief, and told me to go behind a hill which he pointed out, where I wouldfind a doctor to dress my wounds; so I proceeded on, and found that itwas the doctor of my own regiment. 

Next after me Lieutenant Elland was brought in by a man of the name ofCharles Filer, who had seen him lying wounded at the breach with aball in the thigh, and on his asking him to convey him from thebreach, had raised him on his shoulders for that object. But duringhis march a cannon-ball had taken the officer's head clean off withoutFiler finding it out on account of the darkness of the night, and theclamour of cannon and musketry mingled with the cries of the wounded. Much it was to Filer's astonishment, then, when the surgeon asked himwhat he had brought in a headless trunk for; he declared that thelieutenant had a head on when he took him up, for he had himself askedhim to take him from the breach, and that he did not know when thehead was severed, which must have been done by one of the bullets ofwhich there were so many whizzing about in all directions. Some maydoubt the correctness of this story, but I, being myself both a hearerand an eyewitness to the scene at the surgeon's, can vouch for theaccuracy of it. Certainly Filer's appearance was not altogether thatof composure, for he was not only rather frightened at the fearfulexposure of his own body at the breach and across the plain, but hewas evidently knocked up, or rather bowed down, by the weight of hislifeless burden, which he must, if he came from the breach, havecarried for upwards of half a mile, so that, under thesedisadvantages, the mistake might easily have been made even by any oneof harder temperament than his. But the tale did not fail to spreadthrough the camp, and caused great laughter over Filer, sentencesbeing thrown at him such as "Who carried the man without a head to thedoctor?" &c. 

After Lord Wellington had found it useless to attempt to face thebreach with the _chevaux de frise_, he altered his plans of attack. More success had fortunately been achieved in the other breaches, sohe withdrew the men from our fatal breach to reinforce the others, butnot till at least two thousand had been killed or wounded in thissingle assault. He had ordered the castle to be attacked, and aquantity of troops had been supplied for the purpose with longladders, which had been raised against the walls and filled with men:but the enemy showered down a mass of heavy substances, such as treesand large stones, and amongst all a number of deadly bursting shells, and thus broke the ladders and tumbled the men down from top tobottom, crushing still more underneath. 

Yet more men were found ready to push on to the sanguinary scene. Moreladders had indeed to be procured, which caused another great delay, but as soon as they arrived they were quickly hoisted, and theprecaution was taken this time to fix them farther apart, so that ifmore beams were waiting to be rolled over, they might not take such adeadly sweep. 

The second attempt was more successful, for the ramparts were gainedand the French driven back: and a single piece of ground being thusgained, a footing was soon established for many more, who succeeded inturning round some guns and firing them along the ramparts, soonsweeping the enemy off them. 

Fresh reinforcements on both sides shortly arrived at this for ussuccessful spot, but the garrison was soon forced back into the town. The ramparts were then scoured, the breaches cleared, and the _chevauxde frise_ pulled down, and the main body of the English entered thetown. Some opposition had to be overcome in the streets, but that wassoon cleared away, and the French escaped to Fort San Cristoval. 

Our troops found the city illuminated to welcome them, butnevertheless then began all the horrors that generally attended acapture by assault--plunder, waste, destruction of property, drunkenness, and debauchery. I was myself exempt from all this, owingto my wounds, which kept me in camp at the time the town was taken;but though I was at least a mile off, I could distinctly hear theclamour of the rabble, as the guns and musketry had ceased; and nextmorning I hobbled as well as I could into the town with the help ofthe handle of a sergeant's pike chopped up so as to form a stick, andthere sure enough I found a pretty state of affairs. Pipes of wine hadbeen rolled into the streets and tapped by driving the heads in, forany one to drink of them who liked, and when the officers tried tokeep order by throwing all of these over that they could, the men thatwere in a state of drunkenness lay down to drink out of the gutters, which were thus running with all sorts of liquors; doors were blownopen all through the city, both upstairs and down, by placing musketsat the keyhole and so removing the locks. I myself saw that morning anaked priest launched into the street and flogged down it by some ofour men who had a grudge against him for the treatment they had met ata convent, when staying in the town before. I happened to meet one ofmy company, and asked him how he was getting on, to which he repliedthat he was wounded in the arm, but that he had got hold of somethingthat compensated for that a little, showing me a bag of about ahundred dollars that he had succeeded in obtaining, and saying that Ishould not want whilst he had got it. 

But whilst all this debauchery was going on amongst some of oursoldiers, I will give a word of credit to a great many of the morerespectable, who were trying as much as lay in their power to stop theferociousness of the same. That morning I met many about, who saidthey were sorry to think that the soldiers could not carry it onwithout going to such excesses as they did, respectable houses beingransacked from top to bottom, with no regard to the entreaties of thefew inhabitants who remained within the walls. Things that could notbe taken were often destroyed, and men were threatened if they did notproduce their money, and the women sometimes the same. Comparativelyfew murders were, I believe, committed, but some no doubt occurred. 

It was not till the drunken rabble had dropped into a sound slumber orhad died in consequence of their excesses, that the unhappy citybecame at all composed; but in the morning some fresh troops wereplaced on guard, and a few gallows were erected, but not much used. Two or three officers had been killed in the act of keeping order, andI have been given to understand that some of the fifth division, having arrived after most places had been ransacked, plundered theirdrunken fellow-comrades, and it was likewise reported that a few wereeven murdered. Lord Wellington punished all offenders by stoppingtheir grog for some time; but in these times such scenes as these weregenerally found to occur after a place had had to be so hardly foughtfor. No doubt in the present day, at least half a century later, morediscipline is observed in similar circumstances, which must be ownedas a great improvement. 

This same morning the garrison surrendered. Before the assault it hadnumbered about five thousand, but we found that some twelve hundred ofthese had been slain, and now the rest were prisoners; while upwardsof one hundred and fifty guns, eighty thousand shots, and a greatquantity of muskets and ammunition were taken in the place. Ours was amuch severer loss, for nearly five thousand of our men, includingthree or four hundred officers, were either killed or wounded. But itmust be observed that with the circumstances under which our troopshad to fight it was a wonder that they entered the town at all thatnight, every obstacle that a cunning enemy could devise being there tobe overcome. Every kind of combustible deadly in its action was thrownamongst the men; placed in readiness along the ramparts were trees, stones, and beams; and the worst of all was the fearful _chevaux defrise_; in fact nothing had been wanting to discourage the men, who, however, pushed on, being as anxious as Lord Wellington himself to getinto the town. 

All being now over, thoughts of Pig Harding, George Bowden, and ourengagement, ran in my head, and how it had all failed, poor Pig havingreceived seven shots in his body, and George Bowden having had boththighs blown off. Both must have met with instant death, and I myselfhad four wounds and was disabled for some time from getting about. Iresolved then that I would never make any more engagements under thesame fearful circumstances. We missed poor Pig more than any man ofthe regiment, for he passed many an hour away pleasantly with hisjokes, being a thoroughbred Irishman, and not only that, but hesupplied us with many an extra piece of tommy by his roguish tricks. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

 Six weeks in hospital at Estremoz -- A new way to keep up the spirits -- Lawrence allowed to go on to Salamanca at his own risk -- He catches the fever there, and has to go into hospital again at Ciudad Rodrigo -- At last rejoins his regiment -- Cessation of hostilities on both sides, and the British Army goes into cantonments -- Lawrence made a corporal -- The cat's paw comes in for its share of the booty, and gets the chestnuts into the bargain -- A romantic episode to relieve the monotony of war. 

A day or two after these events, the wounded were all conveyed tohospital, some to Elvas and some to Estremoz. I was amongst thelatter, as was likewise my comrade whom I mentioned as meeting me inthe streets of Badajoz, as we were considered better able to stand thelonger journey, the distance on from Elvas to Estremoz being about sixleagues the other side from Badajoz. 

On our arrival at hospital, we were allowed to take in no spirits orwine, which, as we had lately had so much of them, seemed to be moreof a hardship to us than our wounds: but we were not long in working asystem by which we were enabled to procure something to drink. Thewindow of our ward looked out into one of the streets, on the oppositeside of which was a wine shop, which for some time tormented ushorribly: it was something like the fable of the fox and the grapes, sour because it was out of reach. The man of the house was often athis door on the look out, the natives there seeming to suffer fromthat general complaint as much as in our own country villages, whereif there is anything fresh in the streets, perhaps only a strange man, or even one of the inhabitants in a new coat or hat, the whole placeworks itself into an uproar. 

We soon devised a plan to gain our desired end. There was in the warda tin kettle, holding nearly two gallons, and having procured a longstring we put our money into this, and lowered it to the Portuguese, who soon getting used to our plan would put the money's value in theshape of wine into the kettle and again tie it to the string, so thatwe could hoist it up to the window again. After that we arranged forour ward to be pretty well supplied with grog too in the same way. Some suspicions being entertained by the doctor on the inflamedappearance of our wounds, he told us two or three times that he knewwe had been drinking something we ought not, and blew the sergeant ofthe guard up for not being more strict in his search at the door, little dreaming how we had contrived another way to get thisaggravator of our wounds in. But the appearance of our wounds did notstop us from lowering the kettle, which soon went down twice andsometimes three times a day, for the neighbouring wards got scent ofthe affair, and sent money to be lowered as well. 

Thus I passed about six weeks before I recovered sufficiently to getout of the hospital; but many were in a much worse state than myself, some losing their arms, some their legs, and some even dying of theirwounds. One of the slug shots, however, could never be extricated frommy knee, having settled into the bone. I felt it for some time, but inthe end it ceased to trouble me, the bone having probably grown overit. 

I was let out of the hospital as a convalescent, and billeted in theplace at a house occupied by a widow and her daughter, who were verykind to me during my stay there, which was for about a fortnight. Then I received intelligence that a hundred and fifty others were wellenough to rejoin the army, so I asked the doctor if I might accompanythem. He told me that my wounds were not yet sufficiently set for meto undertake the journey; but I was by this time sick of hospitals, physics, Estremoz, and the lot of it, and was mad to get back to myregiment, so I went to the captain, who was still lying wounded in thehospital, and asked him to speak to the doctor to let me go. Theresult was that next morning I again saw the doctor, who said I couldgo, but I must abide by the consequences myself, as he would not beanswerable for my safety; so about three days after that our littlegroup started on the way to the army, which had meanwhile movednorthward from Badajoz to Salamanca, about two hundred miles distant, which we found rather a tedious march in our then condition. 

I had not been many days at Salamanca before a fever broke out, whichI caught very badly, and so was ordered back into hospital at CiudadRodrigo, along with a number of fellow troops who were troubled with alike malady with myself. On my arrival at the hospital, my hair wascut off by order of the doctor, and my head blistered; and I had notbeen there many hours before I became quite insensible, in which stateI remained more or less for three months, which brought on greatweakness. I received kind treatment, however, from the doctor and ourattendants, and was allowed to eat anything my fancy craved, andamongst other things, without having to resort to any contrivance asat Estremoz, I could get wine. 

After being in hospital nearly two months longer, my strength had comeback enough to allow me to be removed out of the town to a convent, the very one before mentioned which I had helped to storm when we werethrowing up batteries for the assault of the town. There I found anumber like myself who had lately recovered, and amongst them some ofmy own comrades of my own regiment, which made the time pass morelively than if we had been all strangers. By the time my strength wassufficiently recruited to again permit me to go on active service, November had again come round, so that from the time of receiving mywound at Badajoz, at least seven months had passed away before I wasfree from sickness and in a proper condition to again join myregiment. 

The army, including my regiment, had been all this time activelyemployed at Salamanca, Madrid, and Burgos, and after going throughmany long marches and retreats, had again formed at Salamanca, up towhich place the enemy had closely followed them. But owing to theseason being too bad now to carry on the war, both sides felt moredisposed to remain inactive for the remainder of 1812, so LordWellington determined on putting his army in cantonments; and inproceeding to carry out that design, for the enemy had now abandonedfollowing up his retreat, he touched at Ciudad Rodrigo, which affordeda fine opportunity, which I willingly took, of rejoining my regiment. 

I found that our regiment had taken at the famous battle of Salamancaa splendid drum-major's staff from the enemy, which was stated to beworth at least £50, and it must have come in very useful, for ours wasterribly worn and knocked about, being very old, having been itselftaken from the French in Holland, during the commandership of the Dukeof York. 

Soon after I rejoined, we crossed the Agueda into Portugal again, totake up our winter quarters in that country. Although it was not manyleagues from Ciudad Rodrigo to where our cantonments were to be, yetthat small march seemed to be almost going to knock me up, for my legdid not seem altogether strong enough to bear much marching, both ofthe slug shots having entered the sinew under the knee, and while wewere engaged in this march it was kept constantly on the move. However, after we had settled down for about three weeks, I began tofeel more like myself, and was therefore enabled to take my regularamount of duty. 

But after we had been in cantonments some four or five weeks, I was onsentry one day, when to my great surprise, a comrade came to relieveme some time before my usual time had expired, which made me thinksomething must be wrong: so, of course, wishing to know something ofthe matter before I felt disposed to leave guard, I asked the man whatit was all about, and he told me that I had been made a corporal inthe seventh company. I would at the time have much rather remained aprivate in my own company than be made a corporal and be transferredto the seventh; it was certainly better as far as pay went, for Ireceived seventeen pence, whilst before I had received only thirteenpence per day; but I was far from feeling at home in this company, asI lost all my old companions; and not only that, but I then stood sixfeet one inch high, whilst not one man in that company stood more thanfive feet seven inches. I made my complaint to the captain, whopromised that as soon as there was a vacancy, I should go back to myold company, and that cheered me up a little, but made me look withintense anxiety for the change back again. 

Until it occurred, however, I had to change my abode, and live withfour privates of the same seventh company in a private house, thelandlady of which kept as nice a pig in her sty as I had ever seen inthe Peninsula. Close by our quarters was the officers' mess-room, thesergeant of which had offered our landlady sixteen dollars for herpig; but the old woman would not take less than eighteen; so insteadof giving that he offered the four men billeted with me the sixteendollars to steal it for him, in return for the old lady's craftiness, as he had offered quite the fair value. The deed was done that verynight, the pig being conveyed out of sight to the mess room; and inthe morning, when the old lady had as usual warmed the pig'sbreakfast, she found to her surprise the sty empty. 

She soon made a terrible noise over the affair, and immediatelysuspected the man who had offered to buy it; which soon got to hisears, and obliged him to make away with it for a time, for fear ofbeing searched; so he got some of the men to heave it over a wall atthe back of the mess-room. The four men who had stolen it soon gotscent of this, and wishing to serve the sergeant out for his meanness, and likewise have some of the pig, they went, unbeknown of course tohim, and cut off about a quarter of it, which they appropriated to ourown use, and brought back to be cooked in the old woman's house; sothat the sergeant had better have given the two more dollars, and comeby the whole pig honestly after all. 

Some difficulty was experienced by my fellow-lodgers in cooking theirportion, as the landlady had generally before got their food ready;but this was at length accomplished in our own private room, with akettle that we had borrowed from the old lady herself. I likewise hada taste of the poor woman's missing pig, which we found to be verygood and acceptable. Fortunately, she never suspected us at all, butoften talked to us during our stay there, of her sad loss; and indeedshe was in general very kind to us, often going so far as to give ussome dried chestnuts, of which she had an abundance, for a treat. 

After about three months' stay in this place, during which time mycaptain to my great satisfaction found an opportunity of putting meback to my own company, we marched to other quarters about threeleagues off, in a village which had been for the most part deserted, and there we were cantoned, chiefly in empty houses. Whilst we werehere, a very interesting piece of excitement took place, in which oneof the officers of our company, a lieutenant, was the chief actor. Hewas an Irishman, and being likewise a Catholic, had been in the habitwhilst staying at our late quarters of visiting a Catholic chapel; andthere he had seen and fallen in love with a Portuguese general'sdaughter. Correspondence and meetings had followed, unbeknown to thegirl's parents, but owing to our shifting our cantonments, somedifficulty had arisen in the way of their engagements, and so Isuppose they thought it best to arrange one final one, or at any rateone of which the memory was to last some time. One night, therefore, he proceeded with two of our company to the lady's house, where allarrangements had been previously made for conveying her from herprivate window into her lover's arms, ready to elope with him. 

These arrangements consisted of a ladder to be placed at a window, and the goods that she intended taking to be ready on the back of ahorse, and were all carried out by two of the domestic men-servantswho had been bribed, and who also undertook to keep a good look-outuntil the eloping party had got quite clear. But, as it proved, aworse set of people could not have been entrusted with the matter, forno sooner had they received their money, and the little company hadset out from the house on their way to the officer's quarters, thanthe two foolish Portuguese servants immediately raised an alarm, and aparty of six, including these very servants, was sent in pursuit. 

They soon overtook the travelling party, which was obliged to walkslowly owing to the horse laden with the goods; and the pursuers beingarmed with sticks, an altercation consequently took place, in whichthe Portuguese succeeded in capturing the horse and baggage; but theofficer fought bravely for his spouse and was well backed up by hismen, so that he succeeded in carrying her off at any rate. One of thePortuguese, however, lost two fingers in the affray, which was anunfortunate circumstance, and after things had come to this crisis, they left off their pursuit and went home contented in having capturedthe horse and baggage. The lieutenant then succeeded in getting thelady to the cantonments without any further molesting, and on thefollowing morning he took her to a neighbouring chapel and marriedher. 

But the matter was not to rest here; for next morning the old generalwrote to our colonel on the subject, and said he intended to takeproceedings against the lieutenant for stealing his daughter, as hecalled it. Our colonel informed the lieutenant that he was to considerhimself a prisoner, as in such times as these he ought to be thinkingof something else but marriage; but after a fortnight's considerationthe general gave in, and made it all up with his new son-in-law, whowas released and likewise had his wife's horse and baggage given backto him. In return for his good luck he treated the whole of hiscompany to a pint of wine, which was drunk in toasts to the happycouple. 

CHAPTER XV. 

 Breaking up of the cantonments and march into Spain -- Battle of Vittoria -- Lawrence's private performances in the fight -- Rout of the French -- Fatal blunder on the part of the officers -- Lawrence refits himself with boots -- Buonaparte's carriage with its contents captured -- A fine take of mutton -- A good meal and night's rest after the battle -- Paddy's new ingredient for dough-boys. 

We lay quite inactive in our cantonments until May, when preparationsfor the ensuing campaign commenced in good earnest; and about themiddle of that month we left Portugal, bidding adieu to that kingdomfor ever, for we now hoped that the enemy would very soon be compelledto quit the two shattered countries of the Peninsula, where we haddone so much, and of late done it with such success. Much more yet, however, we found had to be accomplished before that hope could befulfilled, as I am now about to relate to the best of my ability. 

We first commenced our march in a northerly direction, crossing theRiver Douro in Portugal; and after about a fortnight's procedurethrough almost insurmountable difficulties we arrived at Zamora, atown in Spain, situated not more than twenty miles from the Portuguesefrontier on the north bank of the said river. The enemy had beenoccupying it lately, but had abandoned it on our approach, so fromZamora we followed them to a place called Valladolid, about seventy toeighty miles off, and thence to Vittoria, a still longer march of atleast a hundred and sixty miles, during which some slight skirmishingtook place between the retreating and pursuing armies. 

On nearing Vittoria we came up with the main body of the French postedon some admirable heights, which they had made great use of to preparefor a stubborn resistance: they not only having the advantage of theheights, but we the attacking party having to cross a river below bymeans of only narrow bridges, which was a great impediment to ourprogress. 

We arrived and encamped here on the 20th of June. On reconnoitring theenemy's strong position much doubt was entertained as to our success, our army being much fatigued after its tedious march and likewisebeing very short of provisions. This latter circumstance caused manyto set off that night in search of something to eat; but the onlything I with several comrades could find was some broad beans, andthose we had to gather for ourselves: we got a good many, but we werecertainly not out for them more than an hour altogether, as nearly thewhole of my party had to go on duty that night, and as it happened atthe general's own quarters, which were in a house which had beendeserted by its inhabitants. We occupied a kind of outhouse adjoining, and having lit a fire in the centre and found a kettle belonging tothe house, we set to work and cooked a quantity of wheat that we foundstowed away there, and on that made a very good night's meal. Ilikewise preserved a quantity and put it into my knapsack for afavourite comrade who had been left in camp in charge of our beans;but when I returned I found I need not have done that, for he had hadjust as good a meal off the greater part of the beans as we had offthe wheat. 

Next morning orders came to fall in under arms ready to advance andattack the enemy's strong position. Our division, together with theThird and Seventh, was ordered to advance against the centre of theirlines, so we had to bundle the remainder of our beans into ourknapsacks, for to use my comrade's expression, "it went hard to haveto leave any tommy behind in such times as these. " Before we could getat the enemy we had to cross a narrow bridge, which gave us sometrouble owing to the enemy's cannon, which played pretty sharply onus: and a shell pitching into one of our ammunition waggons, itimmediately blew up, carrying with it two horses and the unfortunatedriver. But once on the other side of the river and formed into linewe were up and at them in spite of a murderous fire which they kept upfrom their cannon. We soon neared them, fired, and then charged, andsucceeded in driving the centre over the hill. A column of their bodystill appeared on our right, and we immediately received orders towheel in that direction; but the sight of us, together with the playof our artillery on them, was quite sufficient to make them followtheir centre over the hill, whither we pursued them, but were unableto come up with them. 

I came across a poor wounded Frenchman crying to us English not toleave him, as he was afraid of the bloodthirsty Spaniards: the poorfellow could not at most live more than two hours, as a cannon-ballhad completely carried off both thighs. He entreated me to stay withhim, but I only did so as long as I found it convenient: I saw, too, that he could not last long, and very little sympathy could beexpected from me then; so I ransacked his pockets and knapsack, andfound a piece of pork ready cooked and three or four pounds of bread, which I thought would be very acceptable. The poor fellow asked me toleave him a portion, so I cut off a piece of bread and meat andemptied the beans out of my haversack, which with the bread and meat Ileft by his side. I then asked him if he had any money, to which hereplied no, but not feeling quite satisfied at that, I again wentthrough his pockets. I found ten rounds of ball cartridge which Ithrew away, and likewise a clothes-brush and a roll of gold and silverlace, but those I would not give carriage to. However, I found hispurse at last, which contained seven Spanish dollars and sevenshillings, all of which I put into my pocket except one shilling, which I returned to the poor dying man, and continued on my way up thehill. 

There I saw a French officer come out of a low copse close by, andinstantly fired at him, but without doing him any mischief. He madehis way up the hill as quickly as possible, using his sword as awalking-stick, but a German rifleman who had been on the look-out cutoff his communication and succeeded in taking him prisoner. I did nottake any further notice of him, therefore, but proceeded along with mycompany still in pursuit of the French, who were retreating in alldirections in a very disorderly state. 

We might have taken hundreds of them prisoners had it not been forour officers, who in their flurry had mistaken them for Spaniards; forLord Wellington had previously ordered the Spaniards to wear a pieceof white substance round their left arm to make some distinctionbetween the French dress and theirs, which was very similar; but theFrench had got knowledge of this, and a great number of them, who wereobliged in their hurried retreat and on account of the difficulties ofthe road to pass near our lines, had adopted the Spanish white band. Still we fired at them both with muskets and artillery; but when theofficers perceived the white on their arms, without bestowing any moreconsideration as to whether they were the enemy or the Spaniards, theyimmediately stopped us from doing so. As soon as the French in passingobserved this, they sunk into the valley and piled arms as if theywere allies; and directly an opportunity afforded itself, they againtook up their muskets and fired right into our lines, doing terriblemischief. 

I never in all the days of the campaign saw men in such a rage as ourswere with the officers. I really thought that some seriousconsequences would ensue, but as it was, all fortunately passed off aswell as could be expected after such a mistake. For if this trick hadbefore been observed, we might have taken the whole body prisoners bya direct movement of our right flank, as no other way lay open totheir retreat without their encountering great difficulties; but thechance was now thrown away, and repairs could not be made of thedamage done; many in our line having lost their irrecoverable lives, and others being more or less injured. We had only to make whatconsolation we could from beholding the almost express pace of theparty as it retreated from where lay our comrades, either as groaning, wounded, or shattered corpses. 

After their signal defeat at Vittoria, scarcely anything was left opento the French but to cross the Pyrenees into their own territory onthe other side. Numberless quantities of warlike instruments werecaptured, such as cannons, muskets, cartridges, and all kinds ofammunition, besides supplies for the army, food, clothing, and thelike, which were considering our need at the time of great benefit tothe Allies. 

I myself had my feet new rigged after this affair, and it wascertainly not before I wanted a covering for them; there was certainlya part of the upper leathers of my old pair of boots left, but thechief part of the sole was my own natural one belonging to my foot. Ihad some little difficulty in procuring them, however; I happened tosee a shoe-wagon that had been captured from the enemy and was beingfast emptied by a number of our men, so I asked the captain to let mefall out, as my shoes wanted replenishing. He only answered, "No, notuntil the enemy is fairly away, and then you may do as you please;" soI had to disobey orders again, and on the next halt step off to thewagon to see what I could find. There were, however, such a number onthe same errand that I began to despair of getting any boots, but atlength I succeeded in getting into the wagon, and I hove out a hundredpairs or so to the mob, while I took up six or seven pairs for myself, or rather some likewise for some of my comrades, in hopes of makingoff with them quietly. 

My hopes, however, were far from being fulfilled, for no sooner was Ioff the wagon, than I was completely smothered with parties thatwanted and craved for boots equally with myself; so I had to let allmy lot go, finding that I could not get clear, and got back into thewagon. Then I threw out another stock to the barefooted mob, andreplenished my own lot, this time, however, only getting five pairs, and of these I did not succeed in getting off with more than threeafter all. 

I made back to my company thinking to be unobserved, but in that I wasagain mistaken, for the captain himself seeing me called out, "Youwill disobey orders then, will you? and what are you going to do withall those shoes?" I told him I was going to put on a pair as soon aspossible, to which he replied, "Very well, sir, mind you give the restto your comrades;" which I did, as that had been my intention from thefirst; if not, I should not have troubled to get more than one pair, as on such marches as ours it was not likely that any man would careto carry a change in boots, or of anything else but food, which, though seldom denied to us, was more seldom obtained. 

At Vittoria, too, Buonaparte's carriage was captured with some ladiesin it. The French army had retreated to Pampeluna, so Lord Wellingtonsent a sergeant and twelve men under a flag of truce to escort theseladies into the French camp at that place, in return for whichBuonaparte behaved very well, for he gave the sergeant a doubloon andeach of the men one-half of that sum, and had them escorted out of hislines by a French officer. 

Our army meanwhile pursued the enemy until night put an end to ourproceedings, when we encamped two or three miles west of Vittoria, there remaining two nights and one day busily engaged on the foragefor ourselves. Happily thousands of sheep were found, that the enemyhad been obliged to abandon on their retreat. I had been fortunateenough to get one and bring it into camp, and was proceeding to killit by putting my bayonet through the neck, when Lieutenant Kelly ofour company happening to pass, "Hullo, Lawrence, " he said, "you seem acapital butcher. " I said, "Would you like a piece of it?" "I certainlyshould very much, " he answered, "for I am devilish hungry;" so I tookout my knife and cut off one of the quarters just as it was, withouteven skinning it, and gave it to him, saying, "There, sir, you mustskin it yourself. " He thanked me and said, "Never mind the skin, Iwill manage that. "

Not only myself, but several of my comrades had likewise managed toget a share of these sheep, so that night a general cooking ceremonycommenced: our first movement being to go round and gather all the oddsticks we could lay our hands upon, including gates, doors, chairs, tables, even some of the window-frames being knocked out of the manydeserted houses and gathered together in one heap for this greatpurpose; and in a very short time both roast and boiled mutton wereseen cutting about in all directions. Nor had we altogether forgottenour former experience of the beans which were growing plentifully atthat time and place, and we found that night's meal as good a one aswe had tasted for some weeks past. After it was over we lay down forthe night, --a body picket having previously been sent out to guardagainst any surprise from the enemy; but we lay very comfortablewithout being disturbed the whole night, and as our fires did notcease burning we kept very warm as well. 

Next day was likewise chiefly spent by those off duty in search offood, some returning with one or more of such articles as wheat flour, cabbages, turnips, carrots, and beans. A fellow-corporal of mineseeing this, and neither of us having been out, said, "Lawrence, I'llgo and try my luck too, and if the drums should beat for orders, yougo and get them for me, and then we can share the profits of mysearch. " I consented, and he soon went, and was gone for at least twohours before he returned loaded with his findings, having taken hisshirt off and tied the sleeves and collar up, and then filled hisimpromptu sack quite full. He had evidently carried his burden nosmall distance, for on his return the perspiration was running down asbig as peas. "Tare an' 'ounds, " poor Paddy said, for he was anIrishman, "I've got a fine lot of flour, but am as tired as a dog, andas hungry as a hunter. " "Well done, Burke, " said I, for that was hisname, "we will soon have a blow out of dough-boys and mutton. "

I accordingly got a tin dish which I took from a Frenchman atVittoria, and having filled it with our supposed flour, I poured somewater on it, intending to make some balls of dough for the pot; when Isuddenly found Paddy had been making a great mistake and that it wasnothing more or less than lime that he had brought instead of flour. Isaid, "I'll be bothered if you haven't brought home lime for flour;"but Paddy would not believe it, saying it was the best white flour, till I told him to come and see it boiling and smoking in the pot, which quite confounded him, and taking up the remainder in his shirthe hove it out, saying, "Well I'm blessed, comrade, if I ain't offagain, and I'll take good care not to come back again this time till Ihave some good flour. "

He had been gone about an hour when he returned with at least halfhis shirt full, for he had got on the same scent as a great many whohad been before him and were now fast returning already loaded. I thencommenced making the dough-boys by mixing a little salt and water withthe flour, and put them into a kettle swung over a fire on two sticksplaced perpendicularly on each side with a cross-bar on the top, gipsy fashion, and by night our supper was hot and well done. As isperhaps well known, dough-boys cannot be very greasy without fat orsuet of any kind, but they were quite passable in the hungry state wewere then in, and as we had no bread, we used some more of the muttonto help them down. Our fires were then made up the same as the nightbefore, and at the proper time we again retired to rest comfortablyand were soon lost in a profound slumber. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

 Advance to the Pyrenees -- Capture and destruction of a provision train -- Unpleasant episode during Sunday service -- The regiment takes up its position on the heights of Villebar -- The enemy's attempts to dislodge them all successfully repulsed -- Sad death of a straggler -- Lawrence goes to get a watch-chain and has a narrow escape -- Exchange of wounded prisoners -- The French finally driven off the mountains -- The captain of the regiment presented with a testimonial at the French expense. 

On the day after the adventure of the dough-boys we were again orderedto march, and advanced towards Pampeluna; but that town beinggarrisoned by the French, we passed it on our left, and proceeding forsome distance further west, encamped near some hills with strongfortifications on their summit. There we lay a few days, and thencearrived on the heights of Villebar in the Pyrenees in the latter partof July, where we took up our position. Lord Wellington had extendedhis army in a line along the Pyrenees which must have exceeded thirtymiles from the extreme left to the extreme right, and which wouldowing to the difficulties of the mountain barriers have made it veryhard to combine in case of an attack in force by the enemy on anyparticular part of our line. Thus in warfare such as has now to bedescribed we ran more risk than the French, who being able to form intheir own country and drive their body on any part of our line, had aconsiderable advantage over us. 

Our division, with a brigade of the Second and another division of theSpanish, occupied the extreme right, covering Pampeluna. Very shortlyafter our arrival the action commenced on our left; and meanwhilesuspicions were entertained that Soult intended to attack, so as toreinforce and throw supplies into Pampeluna, which was being blockadedby the Allies and in danger of capitulating owing to shortness ofprovisions. Lord Wellington accordingly sent our division to aparticular pass of the mountains in search of the said supplies, andafter marching over hills, mountains, and valleys for at least thirtymiles, we at length fell in with about three hundred carts laden withprovisions and ammunition. They were guarded, however, by a strongbody of the enemy, who soon attacked us; but they met with a strongreception, and after a severe altercation on both sides we succeededin capturing the booty. 

Owing, however, to the difficulty of the country, and our not havingproper means of transportation, we were obliged to set fire to thebread, of which there was a great quantity, although it was the verysubstance of which we were so much in need. It went very much againstour will, but that being the order it had to be attended to; not, however, before some of our men had stocked themselves with a portionthat could reasonably be moved. Then having placed the ammunitiontogether and extended a long train so that at any time it might beeasily blown up, we retired some distance and waited for thereappearance of the enemy, who, most likely thinking we had abandonedsome of the carts, were not long before they came back in strongforce; and on their nearing the fatal machine the train was fired anda great number of them were soon launched into the air. We retreatedafter that as quickly as possible to Pampeluna out of reach of theenemy, falling back that day at least twenty miles; a hard day's workindeed, but not thought much of in those times, when equally hard dayswere so often passed through, especially in a hasty retreat or on awell-fought battlefield. 

We again encamped for nearly a week, during which time we amusedourselves in throwing up huts for officers' quarters, cooking-houses, and the like; and we had settled down so nicely that we had almostbegun to think we were to be stationed there for at least six months. But on the very next Sunday we found that we were mistaken and thatour hopes were to be disappointed. A square had been formed into whicha parson entered to read prayers and preach, and a drum being placedfor his books and a knapsack for him to kneel on, he had proceededwith the service for some little time, when all of a sudden up hejumped with his traps and made a bolt, before any one had hardly timeto see the cause, amid the applause and laughter of the whole of thetroops at his running, which was as fast as his legs could carry him, and looked then as if the poor man might be going on even till now. They used to say that the three scarcest things to be seen in an armywere a dead parson, drum-major, or a woman: the explanation of thiswas to be found in the fact that they were none of them often to beseen on a battlefield; and I think in this case our parson must havetold and frightened all the others in the kingdom, for never afterthat did we have any service in the field. 

But the cause of the sudden flight on the part of the parson provednot to be one entirely of enjoyment, for a large body of the enemyappearing, we likewise found ourselves running about pretty smartlyand preparing for immediate action. The affair lasted hotly till dusk, our division losing some four or five hundred men. When night fell wewere obliged to retreat still further towards Pampeluna, leaving thewounded, with the exception of two grenadiers who had been shot in thethighs, and whom we took turns to carry in two blankets, in theenemy's hands. 

We had to get through a very thick wood of quite three or four milesin extent, which took us the whole night to accomplish; and in themorning when we were finally through, we lay down like so many loadeddonkeys; still obliged, however, to remain in readiness, as weexpected to be pursued. And soon enough we found we were, for we hadnot lain down very long before the enemy came up and charged us hotly, again forcing us to follow up our retreat, without even thinking thistime of our two wounded burdens, who were left to the mercy of theenemy. In a few hours, however, we again joined the main army, orrather got into its line; and pleased enough we all were to get back. 

We were then posted in a strong position on the heights of Villebarwith the Spanish troops on our right. The French soon made theirappearance and attacked the Spanish corps, who fired at them longbefore they came within bounds of shot, not having proper officers toguide them; those that ought to have been leading them on havinginstead placed themselves out of the way, leaving their men to do thedirty work; and of course these latter soon decamped too. Ourregiment, however, was soon on the scene; and hastening in thatdirection, we managed to get there before the enemy had gained thesummit of this important ridge. Orders had been issued by our officersnot to fire till we could do good work; but this soon came to pass, for the French quickly sallied up and fired first, and we returned itin less than a minute. I never saw a single volley do so muchexecution in all my campaigning days, almost every man of their twofirst ranks falling; and then we instantly charged and chased themdown the mountain, doing still further and more fearful havoc. When wehad done we returned to our old summit again, where the captaincheered and praised us for our gallantry, saying that he had neverseen a braver set of men, and that he hoped we would always succeed inpreserving our ground equally well. Our likewise brave enemy triedagain two hours later to shift us and take possession of our ground;but they were again received as before and again sent down the hill. We were again praised by our commander, who said, "I think they havegot enough of it by this time, and won't make a third attack in ahurry;" but we were mistaken, for four hours had not passed beforethey were up again with fresh reinforcements. Some of our men thenseemed to despair, for I heard them even say to the officers who wereso bravely leading us on, "We shall have to be off this time. " "Nevermind, " replied the officers, "keep your ground if possible, and don'tlet yourselves be beaten;" which we did like bricks, for on theirarrival and trying to outflank us, so that we were obliged to wheelround to the left, the right flank opened fire as they were close uponus, and instantly charged right into them with the bayonet, forcingthem to retreat. 

They again fell up to support their other companies, who wereattacking our other flank; but we reloaded and were then ready to meetthem, again pouring another of our deadly volleys into their ranks andthen going at them again with our bayonets like enraged bulldogs. Thefight that ensued was most sanguinary, but we succeeded again indriving them down the mountain at last. I should think they must havenumbered five to our one; in fact the whole of our fourth division wasattacked, but all assisted equally bravely in retaining our positionon the heights and earned great praise from our commanders. I do notmyself think, however, that we could ever have routed so large anumber of the French had it not been for our advantageous ground. SomePortuguese troops likewise behaved very well, but as for theSpaniards, I can safely affirm that after their first retreat I didnot see any more of them again that day. 

We encamped that night on the same ground that we had so welldefended. Our captain, who was as nice a man as ever commanded in thePeninsula, always seeming to share everything with the men and bearthe blunt as well as the smooth, and the losses as well as theprofits, now said, "Come, my brave men, turn to and cook yourselvessomething to eat, for you have earned it well;" an order which we soonset about to obey. A quantity of rum had been sent up for us, so wewere able to sit down tired as we were and enjoy ourselves as ifnothing extraordinary had occurred that day. We then sent out a picketand prepared to take our rest for the night, the French not seeminginclined to sally up any more to engage us on those heights. 

When the returns were called off the list, we found our killed andwounded amounted to seventy-four, but one more of our number was soonto be added to the sum total. A comrade of my own company went insearch of sticks to liven up our fire: I told him to be careful andnot get in sight of the enemy's picket, or they might have a pop athim, and he replied never fear, he would be careful; but the foolishfellow had been gone but a few minutes, when he was shot through theneck. Instead of keeping his own side of the hill, he had diverged onto the other close enough to be observed by one of the enemy'sriflemen, who shot him as I have described. I happened to hear theshot, and found that it had been at him, so I went and dragged himback, pretty quickly as may be supposed, for I was fearful lest Ishould be shot likewise myself. The poor fellow was not dead, butexclaimed, "O corporal, I am a dead man!" When I had got him out ofthe enemy's reach and near our own lines, I took his stock from offhis neck and he expired directly; so I had to leave him and rejoin ourcompany with the news that another of us was gone, making seventy-fivein all. 

On the following morning I happened to observe an officer of theFrench army moving at some distance in front of our lines, havinghanging from his pocket a fine watch-guard, which particularly took myattention and which I thought at the time would look very well on me;and being more daring than wise, I crawled towards him with my musketloaded, and when near enough as I thought to him, I fired; but it didhim no mischief and only made him take himself off at once. I nearlygot into a scrape through it, however, for I was fired at myself inreturn, the bullet fortunately only taking the butt end off my musket. I turned to run off, and another shot hit the knapsack on my back, butI soon got out of reach of their shot again, luckily, as it happened, without any injury; but it must have been a near thing, for when Inext opened my knapsack, I found the ball had gone through the leatherand my thickly-folded blanket and had at last been stopped by the soleof a shoe, and was lying there as flat as a halfpenny and about thesame size. 

The same day we were joined by the Fifty-third regiment LordWellington having sent it on to relieve us in case of another attackfrom the enemy. They offered to occupy our heights, so that we mightfall back to the rear, but our captain would not consent to that;"For, " as he said, "my men have fought well to defend their position, and I think they will be strong enough to keep it. " He proposed, however, that they should keep out an outlying picket, so that wecould take our rest, which would be the best way of relieving us, andtheir commander readily agreed to do so. 

Thus we passed two or three days, both armies remaining inactive. Thenone day a French officer was seen coming up the mountain, having laiddown his sword, so our captain sent a lieutenant who could talk goodFrench to meet him and see what he wanted. He found that he wished toknow if we would allow him to send for their wounded, so an agreementwas entered into that we should take all their killed and woundedhalfway down the mountain, and that they should meet us there withours in return. This plan was soon carried out; and when we had buriedour dead, the wounded were conveyed to hospitals appropriated to themat the nearest convenient place. 

All was still quiet on the following morning, but later in the day thewhole body of our line appeared in motion, and we were ordered incompany with the Fifty-third regiment to attack the enemy's post nearus, acting in conjunction with the other front of our line; and thisbeing done, we soon drove them right off the mountains. The Portuguesetroops in our division fought well in this action. We followed up theretreating French to a village situated in a valley of the Pyrenees, where they were delayed owing to having to cross a river. General Coleimmediately ordered our regiment up to stop them if possible; so offwe went in quick time to the river, and on their seeing they were soquickly pursued and that there was no hope of escaping, they threwdown their arms and gave themselves up prisoners to the number ofabout seven hundred. 

We took a gold-mounted sword from their commander, and a gold plateout of his cap with an eagle engraved on it, which were given to ourcaptain by the regiment as a present, as he was a universal favouritefor his behaviour to the men in general. 

The prisoners were then sent to St. Jean de Luz to be put on boardship, and so conveyed to England. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

 Continued retreat of the French -- Narrow escape of Lord Wellington -- Lawrence volunteers to remove the danger -- Is successful, and earns the praise of Lord Wellington -- Repeated engagements with the enemy -- Lawrence, like most people who try to hedge, nearly comes to grief -- Capture of a bridge and village -- Lawrence, becoming lame, is left on guard over a Portuguese cottage -- Surprises and discomfits a French intruder -- Sad end of a hungry corporal -- Lawrence made sergeant. 

We marched slowly on, following up the enemy as closely as possible, often even having them in sight: and both armies were sometimesencamped for a week at a time, and employed meanwhile in skirmishingwith each other. 

At one of these halts the enemy by some means or other got threepieces of cannon on to the top of a steep mountain, probably by mendragging them up with ropes, as it was impossible for horses to havedone it; and on our entering the valley, Lord Wellington happening tobe with us, a shot from one of these carried his cocked hat completelyoff. Our colonel remarked to him, "That was a near miss, my Lord;" towhich he replied, "Yes, and I wish you would try to stop them, forthey seem determined to annoy us. " Our colonel immediately said hewould send some of the grenadiers up for that purpose, so I, being acorporal and right-hand man of the company, volunteered with a sectionto undertake the job. Six men were accordingly chosen besides myself;rather a small storming-party for the object in hand, as they numberedtwenty-one artillerymen and an officer, according to my own counting. 

I led my little band along the valley and approached the mountainwhence they were tormenting us. The artillerymen kept up a fire at usfrom the cannon, which consisted of light six-pounders, but owing toour movement they could not get the elevation. We slowly scaled thehill zigzag fashion to baffle their aim, until we got so close thatthe cannon could not possibly touch us, owing to a slight mound on thehill. We were then within a hundred yards of them, and I took theirnumber, and found at the same time that they had no firearms with thembut the cannon, which were of not much use at close quarters for sucha few men. I should say we lay there on the ground for at least tenminutes, contemplating which would be the best mode of attack, whilethey were anxiously watching for our reappearance. 

At last when ready I said, "Now my men, examine your flints andpriming, so that all things may go right. " They did so, saying, "Allright, corporal, we will follow you;" so I too sang out, "Now for agold chain or a wooden leg!" and having told them what to do and toact together, we jumped up, and giving them a volley, we charged thembefore they had any time to take an aim at us, and succeeded ingaining the cannon and driving the men down the mountain to a body oftheir infantry that was stationed at the foot. I immediately made asignal with my cap for our brigade to come up, for they were all readyand on the watch, but we found that the enemy's infantry was likewiseon the move for our height. Fortunately, our brigade was the first toarrive, and reinforced us on the mountain, and on seeing this theenemy decamped. By great luck not one of my men was injured, whilstour volley killed or badly wounded five of the artillerymen. 

After the enemy's retreat, the colonel came up to me and said, "Welldone, Lawrence; I did not think you were half so brave, but no mancould have managed it better. " He likewise praised my sixfellow-stormers, and a short time afterwards Lord Wellington himselfcame up and asked me my name, and on my telling him, said, "I shallthink of you another day. "

These three cannon, which were composed of brass, were now the onlyones we possessed, as owing to the difficult nature of our route ourown had been obliged to be left behind; even the cavalry being of verylittle use in this mountain warfare. Soon after this daring feat ofours, the enemy again commenced their retreat, we still followingclose up to them; but after proceeding some two miles, we found theyhad again halted and were occupying another mountain; so we sank intothe valley, and made ourselves as comfortable for the time as we couldunder the circumstances. We had no tents, and even if we had, we couldnot have pitched them so close to the enemy, so at night we curledourselves well into our blankets and retired to rest on the ground. 

Finding next morning that they apparently did not mean to renew theirretreat without being made to do so, we tried the experiment; but thatday we were defeated in our object, for again, like the fatal fox andgrapes, we could very well look at them but could not get them down. We accordingly brought up by the mountain again that night, and thosewho were not amongst the number told off for picket, which was largeas we were so near the enemy, again retired to rest in their blankets. But next morning, not feeling contented with their prolonged stay, orwith our attack of the day before, which had only failed to move them, we again assailed them; this time with success, for we drove them fromthat mountain and pursued them till they again halted. We followedtheir example, and then we lay again for several days, getting goodand undisturbed rest every night, and only having to send out a picketso as to guard against any surprise from the enemy, this duty, ofcourse, falling equally on all in their turn. 

I think it was about the third day that we were put into advancingorder and were again led on to the attack. When we got within a fewpaces, we gave them our usual volley, and made our charges, which theydid not long stand against before they again started on a slowretreat, we always keeping pretty close to their heels and being veryoften occupied in skirmishing with them. 

I was engaged myself in one of these affairs that happened during ashort stay that we made. A small body of us were out under a sergeant, an Irishman named Ryan, and observing a large force with some of theenemy lurking around the premises, we made towards it and drove thesefew off the place, after which four or five more came out of the houseon our approach and decamped. We entered and found a pig there justkilled; but the butchers had evidently not had time to open it, so weset about taking our turn to do so, but were not allowed time tofinish the job, for we now perceived a large body of French fastcoming up, and we in our turn were obliged to retreat. Sharp enoughwork it was for us, too, for they had got within bounds of shot, andcertainly did not fail to make use of it, following us up and firingat us across a meadow, which I can well remember was surrounded by avery thick thorn hedge, which delayed us very much, as we had to jumpover it; and I not being much of a jumper myself, managed to findmyself in the middle of it. It was a very prickly berth, and becamemore so when our sergeant, who had got clear himself, came to myassistance to pull me through. I got scratched all over, but that wasnot so bad as the thought of the bullets that were peppering throughthe hedge on all sides of me; however, I was extricated at last, though I left most of the back part of my uniform behind, and weproceeded at full speed on our way. We had not gone far, however, whenour poor sergeant was shot down. He appeared quite dead, but I did notstop, for they kept on stoutly pursuing us until they began to beafraid of getting too close to our line, which by this time had made aforward move, both our army and the enemy likewise being still on themarch, and we skirmishing with their rear. 

At one time we came on about two hundred of their stragglers, and wefortunately numbering very strongly, were enabled to engage them anddrive them back. Soon after this I had another very narrow escape. Oneof the enemy had lain in ambush in a thicket at the top of a mountainwhere I myself was straggling. I had no one near me at the time, andthis fellow in the bush fired at me. The shot first took the groundand then bounded up against my brass breastplate, which was fixed onmy cross-belt, and probably served on this occasion to save my life. The Frenchman, as soon as he had spent his shot, bolted; I had my ownmusket loaded at the time, but I did not think of firing, butproceeded after him with all my speed till I came up with him. I didnot think I could run so fast. I have made Frenchmen run before, butit was generally after me. When he saw he was outdone he showed verypoor pluck, for he immediately threw down his arms and gave himself upto me. If he had had any spirit he would not have done that so easily;though certainly I was loaded, while he was not, having, as I beforesaid, exhausted his shot, owing to my plate, however, I am happy tosay, without doing me the slightest injury. 

I then began to strip him of his accoutrements and ransacked hisknapsack, but I was sadly disappointed in finding nothing about him;so I took his musket and broke the stock, and left him, not feelinginclined to be troubled with a prisoner, or to hurt the man in unfairplay. And I likewise felt quite pleased at my narrow escape, as thosesort of things often served as topics of conversation during our nightlounges when we were in pretty quiet quarters. The man himself seemedvery grateful that I did not hurt him after his offence; and the moreso when I returned him his not-fit-for-much kit in his knapsack, nothing of his, in fact, being damaged except his musket; and hewalked away with an air of assurance, without appearing to be in anyhurry or afraid of being overtaken by any other of our men. 

I then went on in search of my comrades, who had by this time left themountain for the neighbouring valley, and after running down theslope, I found them posted in a house situated at the bottom. They hadbeen in search of provisions, but all they found was a cask of sweetcyder, the French having evidently been there before us and the placehaving been ransacked of everything but this. We drank as much as wewanted and put the rest into our canteen, but we were greatlydisappointed in not finding anything to eat, for we were dreadfullyhungry and very short of provisions. 

However, after we had refreshed ourselves with the cyder, at which ourofficer helped us, he ordered us to be getting on, or rather led us onhimself to a small village about half a mile off, which we knew wasoccupied by some French. We found that a river intervened between usand this village, with a bridge over it guarded by about two hundredof the enemy; and a long lane had likewise to be traversed before wegot up to them, in passing through which several of our men werewounded either by some of the enemy lying in ambush or by stragglers. Still we did not take long altogether in arriving at the bridge, andwhen there, having our firelocks all ready, we opened fire and thencharged; but our attack was in vain, for we were met and overpoweredand obliged to retreat behind a large hill at a short distance fromthe bridge. In the course of this short action I saw the Frenchofficer's horse shot from under him, but whether he was injuredhimself I cannot say. 

We rested a short time behind this hill, and came to a determinationto make another attack on the bridge. This time we met with moresuccess, for though we only effected it after a long and severe brush, we made them retreat, leaving the hard fought for but reallyinsignificant bridge in our possession. We found nearly thirty of theenemy lying there killed and wounded, while we only lost about fifteenin all. But we did not delay over our captured bridge, for the bloodof victory once in our veins, we pressed on for more and traced themdown, continually firing as we passed through the village. 

Unfortunately I sprained my foot here, which disabled me fromfollowing, and a Portuguese inhabitant having asked our officer tolet one of our men stay in his house to guard it from plunder whilstwe remained in or near the village, the officer said to me, "CorporalLawrence, you may as well stay with the man as you are so lame, and itwill do to give you a rest. " The company was to go back to the housewhere the cyder had been found, so I was rather glad of thisoccurrence, as I calculated I should get more attention paid me thanif I had been with my comrades. I accordingly seated myself near thedoor of the man's house, and he soon brought me about a pint of winewith a piece of bread, for which I was very grateful, as I was veryhungry and the wine proved to be much more to my taste than myprevious ration of cyder. 

I had not been sitting there long, however, before I heard a heavyfootstep descending the staircase of the house, and on looking up, found it belonged to a Frenchman who had been up there for the purposeof plunder, and was now coming away with a good-sized bundle of cleanlinen under his arm. When he saw me he immediately bolted out of aback door which led into a field. I made a desperate plunge at himwith my bayonet, but owing to my bad foot I could not get near enoughto him to hurt him; still I managed to stop his burden, for he hadforced that against the bayonet to shield himself from it. As soon asI could extricate my musket, I hobbled as quickly as I could to theback door and sent a bullet after him; but he had got some distanceaway, and I cannot say exactly whether I hit him; though I think itbroke his arm, for I saw it drop immediately, and his motion becamemore slackened as he passed out of sight, which contented me as muchas if I had killed him. 

I then went back into the house and blew the Portuguese up for notkeeping a better watch than to let a Frenchman find his way upstairs, as he might have killed us both. The Portuguese said he did not knowhow he got up there, neither did he very much care so long as he wasgone now. I told him I thought he was a very easy-going customer, andpointed out that I had saved his linen for him, and his wife took itupstairs again as if nothing had happened, he likewise remarked thatthere was no fear of the Frenchman having taken any money, for he hadnone. He then gave me some more bread and wine, and when I had stoppedtwo or three hours longer, during which time I drank the wine andstowed the bread into my haversack till I should feel more inclined toeat it, I left them, not feeling altogether safe there, as the enemymight very likely fall back. I returned over our well-deserved bridgeto the cyder-house, as we had named it after the barrel we had foundthere. On my arrival my comrades seemed to smell out my bread, andthey came and hovered round me like bees while I divided it as well asI could, for I was not hungry myself, and it was soon devoured. 

We only stayed about two or three hours longer at this house untilthe army came up, and we again joined our different regiments. Wehalted near this place for the night, and our butchers commenced workkilling bullocks for our supply. I think scarcely a drop of blood waswasted, for even that was caught in our kettles and boiled and eaten, and was found to be very good. Each sergeant had to send in his returnfor the meat required for his company, at the rate of two pounds foreach man; and when he had received it, the cooking immediatelycommenced. 

This was the last cooking that my fellow-corporal Burke, whom I havereferred to before, ever took part in. But before relating how thathappened I may as well mention that the butchers were entitled as asort of perquisite to the bullocks' heels, which they sometimes sold. Burke bought two of these at this place for fifteenpence, and begancooking them in a somewhat peculiar manner, being either too hungry ortoo impatient to cook them properly by boiling. What he did was to putthem on the fire to fizzle just as they came from the butcher, noteven cleaning them, or taking any of the hair off; and every now andthen he would gnaw the portion off that he thought was done, in orderto get the underdone part closer to the fire. In this way he finishedboth the hocks, and for a time seemed satisfied, evidently thinking hehad had a good supper. 

But he had not counted on his digestion, for having eaten so much onan empty stomach, and that too almost raw and mixed with a fair amountof soot, for the fire was not altogether clear, it was not long beforehe felt it begin to disagree with him, and he commenced to writheabout and was in fearful agonies all night. The doctor of the regimentwas sent for, but he could do nothing for the man, and in the morninghe was no better. We were then ordered to follow up the enemy, so thathe had either to march on in this state or be left behind. He chosethe former, so I got him along by helping him for about a mile, whenhe suddenly without saying a word to any one fell out of the ranks, lay down on a bank by the roadside, and expired in a few minutes. Iwas very much hurt at this, for he was one of my best comrades, butthere was no help for it, and we had to leave him and march on. 

We did not come in contact with the enemy at all that day, andencamped for the night, as we thought, but it afterwards proved to befor nearly a fortnight. Towards the end of that time, our captain, whowas my best friend in the whole regiment, rejoined us, having beenleft behind owing to a slight wound which he had received while onthe march three or four weeks previously, but of which he had nowquite recovered. Our company was at that time very short of sergeants, for which I shall afterwards account, so he recommended my promotionto fill one of the vacancies to the colonel, who gave him a writtenorder for the purpose, and I was put into the place of poor Ryan. I ofcourse was very proud of my new title, and not only that, but Ireceived one shilling and elevenpence pay per day, being an additionalsixpence on what I had formerly. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

 The regiment refitted with clothing and provisions at St. Jean de Luz -- Comments by Lawrence on the shameful behaviour of certain sergeants of his regiment -- Marches and countermarches in the mountain passes -- Lawrence temporizes as cook in behalf of his officers, and is rewarded with an extra allowance of rum -- A wet night -- Fall of San Sebastian -- Lawrence acts as medical adviser to his captain and gets more rum -- Battle of the Nivelle and the French driven well into their own country. 

Very shortly after my promotion we were ordered to St. Jean de Luz, where we received new clothes, and high time it was that we did sotoo, for our old ones were scarcely worth owning as rags and fearfullydirty, the red of them having turned almost to black. I ought to havereceived a sergeant's suit, but owing probably to the quartermaster'sobstinacy I only got a private's, the same sort as I had had before. Here we likewise received a good supply of bread and rum, which seemedto us like a new and even a luxurious diet. 

I may as well here give the details about the sergeants of ourregiment. I was the only one in my company where there ought to havebeen six when I was promoted, so the whole duty fell heavily on me. The rest had been wounded at some time or other before, and then neverpushed on much to get back to their regiment; many when recoveredpreferring to skulk in the hospitals in paltry situations such asdoorkeepers or ward-masters, so getting a little extra pay, and then, as I shall again have occasion to show, being too ready to make theirappearance when the war was over. Fortunately, however, they then metwith no great encouragement. They had really plenty of opportunity tofollow up the regiment if they had chosen, but I suppose they thoughtthey were best off out of the smell of powder, and probably they were, but still that does not throw a very creditable light on them. 

After we had received our clothes and provisions, we did not lie longat St. Jean de Luz, but again started on our marches, cruising aboutin the Pyrenees. For some time nothing of any particular note occurreduntil we again fell in with the enemy, who were stationed in hutswhich they had erected in the various valleys. We attacked them, andsome sharp work ensued, for they did not seem to like the idea ofabandoning their houses, which were much more comfortable than theopen winter air, but we at last drove them off and took possession oftheir habitations, which a part of our army occupied. As for ourregiment itself, we marched up the side of a mountain and encampedthere. 

We again found ourselves very short of provisions there, and besidesthat the rain was falling in torrents all night. We had nothing overour heads at first to cover them, so we set to and gathered a quantityof grass, sticks, stubble, and like things, and made a kind of wall tokeep off a little of the wind and beating rain; and then we tried tomake up our fires with anything we could get together, but owing tothe wetness of the substances, they were not very lively, and it was along time before we could get them to burn at all. 

Our captain asked me if I could boil him a piece of beef, so I toldhim I would try and see what I could do to make the best of the badcircumstances, and accordingly I and a corporal of my company at onceset to work, first placing our hanger over the fire and then swingingthe kettle on it with the beef. The beef nearly filled the kettle, andthough it was pouring with rain, it was a very awkward place to getwater, as there were no springs near and no tanks to catch the rainin; consequently we had only about a quart of water in the pot, whichhad all boiled away before the beef was done. However, the captain wasimpatient for his supper, so it was taken up to him as it was, thepot-cover serving as a dish and a wooden canteen as a plate. I put itbefore him with salt on the edge of the canteen, and I likewise gothim a piece of bread, which by the time he had it was nicely soaked bythe rain--indeed we had not a dry thread on us by this time. The nextbother was for a fork: I had a knife myself, but had lost the fork, soI got a stick and sharpened it at one end and gave him that as asubstitute, and was rewarded by his praising me for my goodcontrivance. 

Colonel Thornton coming up meanwhile, he was invited by the captain topartake of some of the beef, and he gladly accepted, as he said he wasvery hungry; so another plate, knife, and fork were wanted. I borrowedmy comrade the corporal's canteen and knife, and manufactured anotherfork like the former to serve for the colonel, and they both said thebeef was very good, but not very well done, which it certainly wasnot, for though it went down sweet like most things in those times, the inside was certainly hardly warm. 

The colonel sent me to the quartermaster for a canteen of rum, whichwas equivalent to three pints, for which purpose another canteen hadto be borrowed, but when I returned to him with it he said, "That'sright; now go and drink it. " I took it off to my comrade, and we bothsat down under our artificial wall close by our fire to try and enjoyourselves as best the inclemency of the weather would allow us, keeping, however, near our officers' green-carpeted nature'sdining-room, so that if we were wanted we could hear them call. Butwhen they did so, which was in a short time, it was for us to clearaway, with orders at the same time to keep the remainder of the beeffor ourselves; so we removed our dinner traps, passing a good manyremarks in a jocular spirit on our green pasture, wet cloth, and ourscientific dishes, plates, knives, and forks, much to the amusement ofthe colonel and captain who were looking on, and then sat down to ourown supper, which we very much needed. I remember remarking to mycomrade that we had not done so badly over our cooking after all, butperhaps it was only the hunger that made us think so. After finishingour supper and drinking the greater part of our rum, which no doubtgot to a certain extent into our heads and served to keep out the coldand wet and make us generally comfortable, we curled ourselves intoour blankets and lay down on the wet ground to rest. 

The rain descended in torrents all night and completely soaked us, but the morning broke out clear, and after we had disposed of the restof our beef and rum, we joined all hands at work in wringing andshaking the water out of our blankets before putting them up into ourknapsacks. We were obliged to do this while they were damp for fear ofan attack from the enemy, it being a general rule to keep all inreadiness; and, indeed, on this occasion it was not more than an hourafter these preparations that the French assailed us. Not beingwilling to show fight, we retreated on that occasion, having nothingto attend to but ourselves and our kit, for we were without baggageand cannon. After a ten miles' journey or so we again halted expectingto be attacked again very soon, for which emergency we hastilyprepared, needlessly, as it proved, however, for we eventually stoppedhere quietly for a month. 

During this time that I have been speaking of the siege of SanSebastian had been going on, the town having up to this time beenalready attacked twice, but without success. Lord Wellington nowordered twenty men out of each regiment of our division to act inconjunction with the besiegers, and soon after they arrived, the orderbeing given to attack, after about two hours' fighting they succeededin capturing the town and driving the garrison into the castle, whichwas likewise obliged to surrender in about a week. Though there weremany deaths occasioned in this siege, strange to say the whole twentymen of our regiment returned unhurt. 

I remember during our stay here, our captain was fearfully troubledwith the toothache. At last one night, after trying in vain to endurethe pain, he came to me and said, "O sergeant, I am still troubledwith the pain! What can you advise me for it?" I recommended him justto take a pipe of my tobacco, for I knew that would be a good thingfor him, but he never could bear tobacco, so that it wanted a gooddeal of persuasion to at last make him consent to prefer the remedy tothe pain. As he had no pipe of his own, I supplied him with theimplement and some tobacco, and he began to smoke. But he had not beenat it long before he said, "Why, sergeant, this will never do! Theplace seems whirling round. Here, take the pipe, for I feel preciousqueer; but my tooth is much better, and after all you are not such abad doctor. " He gave me half a pint of rum, and for a long time Iheard nothing more of his toothache. 

We stayed here, as I said before, about a month, and then again movedon after our enemy, our cavalry, pontoon bridges, and artillery comingon by the most convenient passes of the mountains. While on the marchwe often had slight skirmishes with the enemy, but no regular pitchedbattle until we came to the Nivelle, where Soult had taken up a strongposition. There our army halted in line, determined to attack andproceed if possible into France, as nothing more remained to be donein the Peninsula, Pampeluna having been obliged, owing to shortness ofprovisions, to surrender on the last day of October. 

The Third, Fourth, and Seventh divisions, under Marshal Beresford andtheir respective generals, occupied the right centres of the line. Wecommenced the attack early on the 10th of November on a village whichwas defended by two redoubts. One of these our division took underGeneral Cole, driving the enemy to some heights in the rear, where weagain attacked them and drove them over the Nivelle. 

After this we went into cantonments for a few weeks, but owing to theunsettled state of the French army who had attacked our left, andthen, having failed, had proceeded against our right which wascommanded by Sir Rowland Hill, Lord Wellington ordered the Sixth andour division to reinforce the right. We only arrived there, however, just in time to hear that the action was all over, the defeat of theenemy and their enforced retreat still further into their own countryhaving been accomplished without our assistance. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

 Advance to Orthes -- Lawrence moralizes again on the vicissitudes of war -- Losses of his own regiment during the campaign -- Proclamation by Lord Wellington against plunder -- Passage of the Adour -- Battle of Toulouse -- Casualties in Lawrence's company -- Sad death of a Frenchman in sight of his home -- The French evacuate Toulouse -- News arrives of the fall of Napoleon -- Lawrence on ambition -- The army ordered to Bordeaux to ship for England. 

After remaining inactive for the most part during the rest of 1813and until the February of the next year, we again made an attack onthe French, who were lying near a village of which I do not rememberthe name, and drove them behind a river. There they took up a freshposition, but retained it only two or three days, again shifting andopening a way for us to proceed on our way to Orthes. 

And so after nearly six years of deadly fighting, we had got clear outof Spain and Portugal and carried the war into our enemy's verykingdom. Portugal and Spain had long had to contain the deadlydestroyers, but now the tide was changed, and it was the inhabitantsof the south of France who were for a time to be subjected to thehateful inconveniences of war. They had little expected this turn intheir fortunes: Napoleon had even at one time had the ambitious ideaof driving us out of the Peninsula, but he now found us forcing hisown army into its own country: he had at one time thought that hewould subdue Europe, but had while labouring under that error beensubdued himself. 

And all this was very much to our gratification, for we had long beenlooking forward to this result, being entirely sick of Spain. As forthose places which had become so famous through us, we could not helpthinking and referring back to the many comrades we had left there intheir cold graves. Since our regiment had left for Ireland on thisexpedition nine hundred strong, fifty-one hundred men had joined usfrom our depōt, but at the time of our march to Orthes we did not inspite of this number more than seven hundred. I do not mean to saythat we lost all these in battle, though I can safely say we did thegreater part, either killed or badly wounded: but of course many mustbe reckoned who fell by disease, or as some did from their owndrunkenness or gluttony, assisted by the inclemency of the climate;nor must those skulkers, of whom there must have been so many throughthe whole campaign, be forgotten. 

Lord Wellington had watched with hatred the many excesses committed bythe enemy on the Portuguese and Spanish inhabitants during the latecampaign, and had determined, now he had carried the war into France, to set them for the future a better example; and accordingly he issueda proclamation that no plundering was to be carried on, on pain ofdeath, which was much to the credit of our noble commander. 

We arrived in France at a wrong time of the year to see its beauties, but from what I could then judge it abounded in elegancies andvarieties of taste, such as vineyards, oranges, pomegranates, figs, and olive-trees to any extent, not altogether unlike the productionsof Spain. 

On nearing Orthes, we found the French had taken up a very strongposition on a range of fine heights stretching from Orthes to St. Boes, and we were ordered in conjunction with the Seventh division tocross a river and attack the latter place, which had one of theheights occupied by the enemy at the back of it, giving them acommanding view of the place. Some delay was occasioned at the river, for there being no bridge, a pontoon was obliged to be thrown across;but this being accomplished, our divisions were soon over it, andbeing joined by a brigade of cavalry and artillery, we formed line andmarched on St. Boes. The village was stoutly defended by the enemy, who on our nearing them fired briskly at us, for a long time standingtheir ground and trying hard to retain their charge; but they soonfound they had sharp taskmasters to deal with, for our troops of theFourth division under General Cole poured in on them like lions, andforced them after a violent resistance to start out of the place andtake refuge on their strong heights. 

We followed them up, but found that there they were for a long timemore than a match for us, as they had such an advantage in the ground. We rushed up the formidable heights, but were again and again drivenback by the fearful play of the enemy's artillery, the position beingonly accessible in a few places, and those so narrow that only a smallbody could move on them at once. But even with these disadvantages andthe enemy's cannon playing on them our men, after receiving fresh andstrong reinforcements, carried the heights; and not only this, but thewhole of the army having been similarly engaged on the right, hadmeanwhile succeeded in driving the enemy from their lines there, capturing a great number of prisoners in their retreat, the cavalrypursuing them closely; and some field-pieces were likewise taken. 

The enemy then fell back on the River Adour, the allied army soonfollowing and engaging them in slight attacks in various parts of theline, till at last the French again took up a position on the heightsnear the town of Tarbes, on the said river; but they did not stay longthere, being soon driven away by the Allies and retreating towards St. Gaudens. Thence they were again driven with great loss to themselvesand a very trifling one to the Allies, this time to Toulouse on theGaronne, where they stood on the defensive on some more heights on theright bank of the river with every assailable part strongly fortified. 

Some difficulty was met with in our march, owing to the chief of thebridges being destroyed and having to be replaced by pontoons, andthose that were not destroyed being strongly fortified. One of thesewas guarded by some French cavalry, whom we annoyed very considerablyby our fire as we approached them, having in case of their making anattack on us a fine artificial ditch to fall back into where it wasnext to impossible that they could get at us; our fire was made moredaring by our knowing there was a body of hussars waiting out of theirsight, ready to fall on them if they moved on us. We soon enticed outa body of about three hundred, who crossed the bridge under ourretreating and destructive fire, and on their near approach we fellinto our ditch, while at the same time our cavalry came up, and someclose shaving ensued, a large quantity of spare heads, arms, legs, aswell as many horses being soon strewn about the ground. 

But this was not the worst part of our day's work, for after they hadbeen tumbled back over the bridge, our division came up and wefollowed them right up towards their heights, keeping Toulouse somedistance to our right. Before we reached the heights, however, we hadto attack and carry a small village they were occupying. This was thecommencement of the action of that bloody day which cost the armies onboth sides numbers of their best men. It was fought on the EasterSunday of 1814. 

From the village we proceeded over some difficult ground to attacktheir right under a brisk fire from their artillery, so brisk, indeed, that one of General Cole's orderlies had his horse shot under him; andthen we formed line and dashed up the hill, which was defended by somethousands of the French, nearly half of whom were cavalry. We soonreturned their fire, which at that time was a perfect storm of grapeand canister, and directly we got near we charged them, but in vain, as owing to the sudden appearance of some of their cavalry we had tohalt and form square: and indeed we must have been routed altogetherby their combined infantry and cavalry, had not our Rocket Brigadestepped forward and played fearful havoc among their cavalry, drivingthem back. I had never before seen this rocket charge and have nevereither since; by all appearance it was most successful in this case, for it soon turned them to the right-about, and made them retreat. 

The Spaniards were chiefly engaged on our right, and I never saw themfight better, for they seemed on this occasion as determined as theBritish: and indeed of the two they suffered most, as the French, knowing them to be cowards, thought they would be certain of somesuccess in that quarter, but they stood their ground well, only a fewof their number getting into confusion. 

When once we had gained this advantage and taken a part of theirheights, our artillery joined us, and their play together with ouraction soon made the French fall back on their works at Toulouse, whilst we remained on our newly won height overlooking Toulouse andthere encamped. I remember well the loss of a man in my company inthis action, who had entered the army during the war for a period ofseven years at first, and this period having expired for some time, hewas mad to be out of these constant scenes of bloodshed and conflicts, but owing to the continuation of the war he had not been allowed todepart. He was not the only one in this plight, for there werethousands of others like him in the army, and several in my owncompany alone. Sixteen guineas had been offered to each for theirservices for life, and many had accepted, while many had refused, andof course amongst the latter was the man of whom I am speaking. Hisname was William Marsh, and he was a native of Bath in Somerset. Hewas by trade a tailor, and earned many a shilling at his trade in thearmy from various of his comrades who employed him. As I said, thepoor man was sick of war, and before entering this very action hadbeen wishing he could have both his legs shot off, so that he might beout of the affair altogether; little expecting that it might really bethe case, or nearly as bad, for he had not been in action long beforehis wish was accomplished, as he was shot through the calves of bothhis legs by a musket-ball which took him sideways and pierced rightthrough. Poor Marsh did begin to sing out most heartily, and Icouldn't help saying, "Hullo there, Marsh, you are satisfied now yourwish is fulfilled, I hope. " He begged and prayed me to move him out ofthe thick of the fight, so I dragged him under a bank and there lefthim, and from that time till now I never saw or heard anything more ofhim. He was far, however, from being mortally wounded, though perhapsfrom neglect it may have turned to something fatal. 

Another of our comrades in the front of our line had his footcompletely smashed by a cannon-ball pitching right on to it, yet hemanaged to hobble to the rear in that state on his heel. I felt quitehurt for this poor fellow, who was a brave soldier, and seemed to beenduring great agonies. 

Night having drawn in, all firing ceased, and the men set to examinethe ground they had gained, chiefly to find firewood. I happened to beabout when I came across a Frenchman who had been badly wounded andhad crawled under a bank: I went up to him and asked him if I could doanything for him. He had been shot in the stomach, and when he askedfor water and I gave him some out of my canteen, which was nearlyfull, of which he drank heartily, in a very short time it only fellout again through his wound. But the most astonishing thing was thathe pointed me out his father's house, which was as far as I couldjudge about half a mile off, and said that he had not seen his parentsfor six years, for since he had come back to this place, he had notbeen able to fall out to go and see them. He begged me to take him sothat he might die there in the presence of his parents, but I told himI could not do that, as there were a quantity of French there. However, I got an old blanket and wrapped it round him, making him ascomfortable as I could under the circumstances, and seemingly muchbetter resigned to his fearful fate, and then I left him and returnedto my own place of repose, and after eating my supper and drinking myallowance of grog, I wrapped my own blanket round me, lay down, andwas soon unconscious in sleep. I woke early in the morning, and havingnothing particular to do, I crept out of my blanket and put all thingsstraight; and then, more out of curiosity than from any other motive, proceeded to the poor Frenchman to ascertain if he was yet living;but his death must have taken place some hours before, as he was quitecold and stiff. 

The loss of the Allies in this conflict was over four thousand inkilled and wounded, more than two thousand being of the British, whilst that of the enemy was upwards of three thousand. But then theremust be considered the advantageous ground they fought on, and thefearful havoc they made in our ranks before we were able to return ashot. 

Lord Wellington now finding that Toulouse would not surrender, orderedfortifications to be thrown up for the reduction of that place, butthey proved to be unneeded, for in the dead of the night the Frenchdisappeared from the place and retreated in a south-easterly directiontowards Villefranche. We were soon following them up, and part of ourarmy had slight skirmishes with them, but we never again saw theirmain body in that part of their country, for a day or two after ourmove from Toulouse the news came of Buonaparte's overthrow and theproclamation of peace, Buonaparte himself having been sent to theisland of Elba. This was indeed good news for most of our troops:certainly for the young officers it took away many chances ofpromotion, though it made death less likely as well; but ambitionsometimes leads a man a long way out of his course, and very oftenadds tenfold to his sorrow. After the arrival of this welcome news, weencamped for three or four days longer to give our commander time toform his next plans. We were then ordered to Bordeaux to ship for ourisles, the Spaniards and Portuguese being sent to their own country. 

CHAPTER XX. 

 General delight at the end of the war -- March to Bordeaux -- Kind reception of the troops by the inhabitants of the country on the way -- Particular good fortune of Lawrence -- Great attention on the part of his host -- A magnificent dinner -- Singular effects of a campaign on Lawrence's taste for feather-beds -- He tells of moving accidents, &c. , &c. , and excites the pity of his hostess -- Two men sentenced to be flogged, but begged off by the inhabitants of the town -- Arrival at Bordeaux -- Encampment on the Garonne -- Fraternizing of the natives and the troops -- Good times in camp -- Sudden influx of skulkers, who, however, receive but as poor a welcome as they deserve. 

Things now seemed to assume an entirely different aspect, indeed totake a new birth altogether. All were in a most joyous state, and nonemore so than the Spaniards, who were always only too ready to give upfighting. The Portuguese had always shown themselves the better racein the field of action, but they likewise now enjoyed the thought ofreturning to their own country, although it had been so pillaged. Ihad many a long conversation with stragglers of both these nationsbefore we started on our long march, and so I had an opportunity ofstudying their thoughts on the subject. 

We did not seem to be in any hurry to quit the country beforeeverything was thoroughly arranged, and having no enemy pushing on ourrear, we were often billeted at towns and villages longer than we needhave been, which caused our march to take more time to accomplish, butmade it much more comfortable. We were generally billeted on theinhabitants during our halts, the best billets being of course chosenfor the officers, then for the sergeants, and then for the corporalsand privates, the numbers being suited to the accommodation of theplaces; but I very seldom had more than one with me besides myself. 

The inhabitants could not have behaved better to us if they had beenour own countrymen; and I well remember how at the last stage where weput up before coming to Bordeaux two of us, myself and a private ofthe same company, were billeted at quite a gentleman's house, theowners of which were unusually kind to us. We found we had completelyjumped into clover, and fortunately it happened to be Saturday night, so that our halt was till Monday morning; not that Sunday in thosetimes had been used to make much difference to us, for two of ourbloodiest conflicts had happened on that day, but in this case, ourhaste not being urgent, it gave us a kind of sweet repose. 

As soon as we arrived at our house we were shown into our room, whichwas a very nice one and beautifully furnished; and when we had takenoff our accoutrements, we went downstairs to a sort of bath-room, where we had a good wash in tubs of water that were placed inreadiness for us. Then the gentleman had some clean stockings broughtup to us, and when we had made ourselves comfortable he sent up to ourroom a loaf of bread and a large bottle of wine holding about threepints, which we found most acceptable; and it not being long beforethe family's dinner was ready, our hostess would insist on our diningwith them. For my own part, not being used to such pomp, and neverhaving before even seen it, being more accustomed to the kind ofdinners and suppers in which I have described our own colonel andcaptain as taking part, I would sooner have crept out of theinvitation; but being pressed we consented, and having been shown intothe dining-room, we sat down to an excellent repast with nobody elsebut the lady and gentleman. 

The table was laid out most gorgeously with glittering silver, whichcame very awkward to our clumsy hands, as we had been more accustomedto using our fingers for some years; to set off which gorgeousness ourwaiter, who was evidently the family footman, wore an out-of-the-wayfine and ugly dress, with his hair plastered up with white powder, ofwhich I had such an aversion during the first part of my stay in thearmy. A most palatable dinner was served of which I freely partook, though I had very little idea of what it consisted, and some good winewas likewise often handed round with which our glasses were constantlykept filled. 

After dinner was over, the white-headed gentleman entered with coffee, a fashion which then surprised us very much; but nevertheless, moreout of compliment than because we needed it, we took a cup each withsome sugar-candy which was also handed round to sweeten it. When thatwas finished, just to keep us still going, the gentleman asked us ifwe smoked, and on our saying we both did, the bell was rung, and thefootman entering with tobacco, we took a pipe with the gentleman, thelady having previously retired into the drawing-room. Then gettingmore used to the distinguished style, and the wine no doubt havingmade us more chatty, we for a time thoroughly enjoyed ourselves withour pipes, and began to feel new men with all our grandeur. 

We were next invited to partake of tea in the drawing-room, but beingvery tired, we begged to be excused; and this being granted, thebed-candles being rung for, and having wished him good-night, we wentto our room and there had a hearty laugh over the evening's business;though we had not been able to understand half what the gentleman hadsaid, not being used to the French so well as to the Spanish language. We retired to rest in a fine feather bed, which being a luxury we hadnot seen for years, was consequently too soft for our hard bones, andwe found we could not sleep owing to the change. My comrade soonjumped out of bed, saying, "I'll be bothered, sergeant, I can't sleephere!" "No, " said I, "no more can I;" so we prepared our usual bed bywrapping ourselves into a blanket, and then with a knapsack as apillow we lay on the floor and soon sank into a profound slumber. 

Late in the morning, for we had overslept ourselves, the servantknocked at the door and said breakfast was waiting; and in a veryshort time the master himself came up and knocked, and on our callingto him to come in he opened the door, and looking in, found we hadbeen sleeping on the floor. On his wanting to know if there were fleasin the bed, or what was the cause of our lying on the floor, we madehim understand as well as we could, but it must have been veryimperfectly at the best. He then went down again, and we soonfollowing him, found an excellent breakfast ready, of which we made afirst-rate meal, and after they had left us, for they had finishedlong before us, my comrade and I agreed that we had fallen on lucknow, and no mistake. 

Very soon after we had finished our breakfast, the servant entered toconduct us to the drawing-room, which was splendidly furnished, thoughfor my own part I would rather have been down in the kitchen. We wentin, however, and our hostess took down a book describing the Frenchand English languages, so that they might understand some of our wordsbetter, and again asked us the reason why we did not sleep on our bed. I told her we had not slept on a feather bed for six years, andanswered her other questions, giving her a slight description of thetrials of a soldier in the time of war. She was very much touched, andcould not forbear from crying, more especially when I added that twoprivates were to be whipped that very morning for having got drunkovernight and making a disturbance in the town, to serve as an exampleto the regiment. They had been tried by court-martial and sentenced toa hundred lashes, to be administered in the town and witnessed by theinhabitants. 

Although it was Sunday, the drums beat for the regiment to assemble, and the men were brought into our square; and their sentence havingbeen read in the presence of all, the first man was led to thehalberds, and the drummers got ready to begin. But five or sixgentlemen of the town made their way into our square and begged thecolonel so hard to let them off, as that was the general wish of theinhabitants, that at last he dismissed the victims with a reprimand. The two then thanked the colonel, but he told them not to do so, forhad it not been for the timely interference of the gentlemen, he wouldhave given them every lash. All were then ordered to disperse, and Ireturned to my excellent quarters, where we again received for therest of the day no end of kindnesses in the way of luxurious meals, luncheons, dinner, and coffee, together with plenty of wine, andbefore we went to bed, brandy was introduced as a finish: and havingtaken a hot glass of that with water, we retired and slept in asimilar way to the night before. 

On the following morning we had to assemble by seven o'clock, so notime was allowed us for breakfast; but our host had ordered ourcanteens to be filled with their best wine, and a parcel of sandwichesto be made up for each of us. We shook hands with the gentleman, dulythanking him for his kindness, and, rejoining our regiment, were soonon the march again for Bordeaux, which being not more than a day'smarch distant we reached the same night. We encamped at a place twomiles off the city on the banks of the River Garonne, to which evenlarge ships were able to ascend. Here we lay for five or six weeks, during which time the inhabitants made many excursions from the cityespecially on Sundays, to inspect our army, swarms of costermongerslikewise visiting us every day with wine, spirits, bread, meat, fish, and fruit of every description for sale. Every Sunday afternoon thebands of all the regiments played, while the French amused themselveswith dancing, many of them, both male and female, on stilts, whichentertained us more than anything, and besides this there were allkinds of other jollities in which our soldiers freely joined. 

And now I will take the opportunity of saying a few more words asregards the skulkers. As soon as the peace was declared no less thanseven sergeants of my own company alone had either at this place or onthe march thither made their appearance from the snug dens where theyhad been lying, most of whom had been occupying themselves with sometrivial employment in the pay of the Spaniards or Portuguese, but hadnow at this crisis abandoned whatever they had been doing, for fear ofbeing left in the country, or perhaps because they thought that theymight still come in for a share of the praise and pay. Before theyappeared I was the only sergeant in our company, while if the propernumber had been there, there would have been six. I do not mean tosay that there had been no cause at first for their staying behind, for there were some laid up like myself at Elvas and Estremoz, but itwas their duty to follow up the regiment when they were able, as I haddone myself. 

The captain of my company, who had been like myself through the wholecampaign excepting when actually in hospital, pretended not to knowthem when he saw them, and asked them, "Where on earth do you comefrom? you certainly don't belong to my company, by your appearance. "He then called me to say if I knew them. I remarked, "They seem tohave been in luck's way about their clothes, at any rate;" and so theydid, for whilst ours were as ragged as sheep and as black as rooks, theirs were as red and new as if they had never been on, and theirshoes were to match, whilst ours were completely worn out by ourcontinual marches, the captain's being quite as bad as any private's. 

We found that two of these men had left the regiment for hospital onour retreat from Talavera, and had never shown themselves since, theothers having been away in like manner for rather shorter periods. Nowthe whole had returned we were overstocked with sergeants, having twomore than our complement, so our captain sent the two who had beenlongest absent to the colonel with a written request that they shouldbe transferred somewhere else; the other five he allowed to remain, but only for as short a time as possible till he could get rid of themalso, as he told them his company should not be disgraced by themlonger than he could help. He likewise told them that many of hisprivates deserved the stripes more than they did; and indeed it wasnot long before he got them transferred, and their places filled up bysome of the braver heroes from among such of the privates as had atall distinguished themselves in any conflict. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

 Embarkation of the troops -- Lawrence's regiment sent to Ireland -- He receives his pay for the war and promptly spends it -- Ordered on foreign service again to the West Indies -- Terrific storm which compels the fleet to put back into Cork -- Arrival at Barbadoes -- Death of a young captain from fever -- Jamaica -- Discovery of a female stowaway -- Lawrence told off to deposit her on shore -- The regiment proceeds to New Orleans -- A new kind of fortification to be stormed -- Doings in camp on Dolphin Isle -- Return to England -- News arriving of Napoleon's escape from Elba, the regiment is sent on at once to Flanders -- Ghent -- March to Brussels. 

After remaining at Bordeaux for five or six weeks the army embarked onboard ships bound for various parts of the British Isles. Our regimentwas again despatched to Ireland, most of us being Irish. We wereconveyed thither by the _Sultan_, a fine man-of-war with seventy-fourguns. We had a very good passage, and amused ourselves very much withthe sailors on board, who on their part had many a good laugh at ourgeneral ragged appearance. We landed in Ireland at Monkstown, nearCork, and marched thence to Fermoy, whence after lying two three daysin the barracks there, we proceeded to Athlone in West Meath, where wewere stationed for about two months. 

The regiment had never been settled with during the whole of ourPeninsular trip of six years, though money had been advanced to us atvarious places, so now while we were waiting at this place theaccounts were made up, and some of our sergeants found they had asmuch as 50_l. _ or 60_l. _ to receive. My own lot amounted to 40_l. _, Ibeing one of the younger sergeants. When our pay had been given us aweek's furlough was granted to the whole regiment, and no doubt mostof the money melted away in that period--at least, I know mine did, for not having been in the British Isles for so long, we were allresolved to have a spree. I never went away from Athlone, however, thewhole time, but slept in barracks every night, though there was noduty to be done as the militia were ordered out for that. I knew thatit would be useless to cross the Channel in that short time to see myparents, though I should have liked to have done so, but I did notaltogether forget them, and wrote to them to ease their minds about mywhereabouts; as I had written to them during my stay in the Peninsula, and I thought they might have been anxious about my safety when theyheard or read about the scenes that were taking place there, asparents naturally are about their children, be they ever so rackety. 

But we were not allowed to stay here even in peace long, for at theend of the two months we were again ordered on foreign service, andmarched to a place called Mallow in Cork, whence, having been joinedthere by our second battalion, and having had all the men fit forservice drafted out of that into ours, we proceeded to Cork itself. This was a fine place for our captain to get rid of the remainingskulkers, and he left them behind, much to their annoyance, in thesecond battalion. 

From Cork we proceeded to the Cove to embark, after a stay in Irelandnow of about three months altogether; and when all was in readiness onboard the ships, we set sail for the West Indies. It can be betterimagined than I can describe in what sort of spirit we began thisother war, scarcely having slipped out of one field before we werelaunched into another; but as they were the usual thing on ourembarkations, the same scenes that took place at Portsmouth will serveto picture those at Cork: they did not tend to enliven us much, butthey were soon forgotten when we got to work talking over and tellingour new comrades the many tales of the Peninsula. 

After launching out of Cork Harbour, however, a terrible gale blew up, which obliged us to put into Bantry Bay for a time. One of our shipswas lost on the rocks, but fortunately all on board were saved. Theyhad lost all their accoutrements, however, so they were taken on boardvarious ships, and as soon as we got fairer weather we returned to theCove to await a fresh supply, which was at least three weeks incoming. Then we again set sail, amusing ourselves on the voyage as webest could; and having good weather, we arrived as soon as could beexpected at Barbadoes, and anchored there for a short time. One of thecaptains of my regiment, who had probably seen enough of war tosatisfy him, had before our start sold his commission to a youngerofficer who gave him 1200_l. _ for it; but, singular to say, the veryfirst night of this our anchorage this poor young man went to sleep onshore, and, catching a fever, was brought on board and a few hoursafterwards was a lifeless corpse. Owing to the infectiousness of hisdisease, he had to be immediately sewn up with two of our large shotin a blanket, and the funeral service being read by an officer asthere was no minister on board, he was put into the sea. 

From Barbadoes we sailed to Jamaica, and anchored off Port Royal. Asingular circumstance occurred during our stay there: a girl wasdiscovered who had been concealed on board at Cork by some of thesailors in a bundle of straw unbeknown to the captain of the ship. This being the best place for shipping her back to England, she wasobliged to leave her accomplices at once, and I being sergeant of thewatch was called to take her on shore to Port Royal with two privates. We took her to a kind of public-house, where, although it was twoo'clock in the morning, the people were still amusing themselves indancing to some rough music of their own, the whole of them beingblacks. We asked for the landlord, and on his soon making hisappearance from among the company, as black as a crow and stillsteaming with the dance, I inquired if the girl could have a bed therefor the night. He said, "Yes, for a dollar. " I thought that was astiffish price for a night considering it was two o'clock in themorning, but I paid him the sum and left the poor unfortunate girlthere while we returned to our ships. I was very sorry for her, as sheseemed nearly broken-hearted, but I could do no more for her under thecircumstances, and I hope she got safe back to England after all. 

After about a week had elapsed a gun-brig arrived to convey us toNorth America, England being then at war with the Americans, and wewent on in her to the mouth of the River Mississippi. There wedisembarked into barges holding about a hundred troops each, andhaving been towed up by other small sailing and rowing boats toOrleans, were put on shore near that place, our body consisting offive English and two black regiments, with a battalion of marines. 

We marched on the same day and encamped about two miles from the city. Skirmishing was kept up with this our new enemy during the night, butwithout any great casualty happening. On the following morning, however, we advanced in a body to attack a battery that had beenconstructed near the city, chiefly out of barrels of brown sugar. Wewere at first warmly received with the cannon and musketry plantedthere, but they soon got tired of our Peninsular medicines: I supposethe pills disagreed with them, for they were very quickly obliged toretire into the city and no more fighting ensued; and some termshaving been hinted at, when the black regiments had eaten a quantityof the fortifications, which they seemed to be very fond of, and wehad put some into our haversacks as likely to be useful to sweeten ourcocoa, we returned to our boats, and dropping down the river to apiece of land called Dolphin Isle, there encamped again. 

The island was uninhabited, except that there were plenty ofalligators, racoons, and oysters there; but we had plenty ofprovisions, that is, in the shape of meat and flour, though no bread, which inconvenience was from the want of ovens. We soon set to work, however, to construct one by burning a quantity of oyster-shells forlime, and having mixed that with sand and water we made some very goodcement; after which we got a lot of iron hoops from the vessels, withwhich we formed the arch, and so we put one oven together; and I muchdoubt if it did not bake as well as any English one, considering thestyle of dough that we had. After it had been found to answer so well, at least twenty more were constructed on the once desolate but nowbusy little isle. We were constantly on the coast in search ofoysters, of which there was an abundance; and some of the moreindustrious of us even collected them for sale among the troops whoeither preferred buying them to taking the trouble of collecting themfor themselves, or else were unable to go on the sands on account ofbeing on duty. They were sold very cheap, however; I have known half abushel go for one dollar, which was certainly not much for the troubleof getting them. 

During our stay here a playhouse was likewise erected, and some of themore clever among the officers and men amused the troops in that way. The scenery was rather rude, to be sure; but with these and variousother games and freaks the three months that we lay there passed offvery pleasantly The poor blacks, however, suffered dreadfully from thecold, it being then winter, and they had to be sent back to their owncountry long before we left. 

Our chief reason for lying there so long was to see all settled and towait for orders before we proceeded back to England. When the orderdid come, joy was in every mouth, for this was indeed a short campaigncompared with our Peninsular affairs, and it may be supposed we wereby no means sorry for that. We embarked on board the same ships, andagain tacked to the West Indies to get provisions at one of theSpanish islands, where we took on board live cattle and water, and asfood for the former a kind of cabbage, which on account of their sizewere called cabbage-trees. 

Thence we proceeded on our route to Portsmouth, and had a verypleasant voyage with fair weather prevailing; but when near England wefell in with an English frigate, which informed us that NapoleonBuonaparte had left the island of Elba with a small force and hadlanded in France to collect more troops. This was indeed adisappointment to me, for I felt sure that if he again intendeddisturbing Europe, we should have to be on the scene again. But inanother way it caused no small amount of stir on board, for the youngofficers, who were looking ravenously forward to promotion, were sorejoiced at the news that they treated all the men to an extra glassof grog, to make everybody as lively as themselves. 

Nothing else of any particular note occurred on our voyage, andhaving arrived near Portsmouth a signal was raised, and we fell in onthe quarantine ground, hoisting a yellow flag for a doctor to inspectus on board. When he came he found all on board our ship to be in verygood condition, which was reported to the general, and the very nextmorning he signalled to us to weigh anchor and proceed to Flanders; sowithout setting foot on English ground we again went on our way tomeet our common enemy. This time, however, he was not in his oldquarters, but in the north of France, where he had collected more thana hundred thousand troops. 

I left Portsmouth this time with a good deal lighter heart than I hadlast, being now more used to war and hardships than to peace andplenty, though perhaps I would rather have landed than proceed on thiserrand; and, indeed, there were many of us who had left wife andchildren at home who went off with a very sad heart. 

Our voyage this time was a very short one, only occupying one day; andearly on the following morning we arrived in sight of Flanders andthere brought up at anchor. Very shortly some small vessels camealongside to convey us to the quay at Ostend, where we landed, andafter marching about half a mile we came to a canal, where we embarkedin large open barges, in which we were towed by horses past Bruges, about twelve miles off Ostend, to Ghent, which at a wide guess mightbe twice the same distance further. We landed at Ghent and lay thereabout nine days, while Louis XVIII. Was staying in the town, hehaving been obliged to flee from Paris by that old disturber after ashort reign of about ten months. 

At the end of the nine days the drums beat at midnight, and we arrayedourselves in marching order as quickly as possible. The landlord ofthe house where I was staying had got up, and would kindly insist onfilling our canteens--that is a capacity of about three pints--withgin, giving us as well some bread and meat each, and warning us tolook out, for he knew the French were coming. All having assembled atthe rendezvous, orders were given to march on to Brussels immediately. I could not exactly say what the distance was, but it was probably notless than forty miles, taking us two days of hard marching toaccomplish it. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

 Waterloo -- Dreadful night before the battle -- Opening of the battle -- Unpleasant contiguity with a shell -- A recruit taken suddenly and conveniently ill -- The regiment in the thick of it -- Rout of Napoleon's Bodyguards -- Repeated charges of the French infantry and cavalry successfully repulsed -- Lawrence in charge of the colours -- Death of his captain -- Gallant stand of the British until the arrival of the Prussians -- Lawrence on the tactics of the enemy -- The French finally driven off the field by Blucher's army -- Bivouac on the enemy's ground -- Fatal results of trifling with a powder-wagon -- Lawrence's supper in danger -- He invites a guest to supper, who, however, takes French leave -- On the march again. 

On the 17th of June, 1815, we marched through Brussels, amid the joyof the inhabitants, who brought us out all manner of refreshments. Iheard some remarks from them to the effect that we were all going tobe slaughtered like bullocks, but we only laughed at this, tellingthem that that was nothing new to us. Some of the younger recruits, however, were terribly downcast and frightened at the idea offighting, but I have often found that it is these most timid ones whowhen they come to an actual battle rush forward and get killed first;probably owing to the confused state they are in, while the moredisciplined soldiers know better what course to pursue. 

From Brussels we marched to about five or six miles out of the town, not far from the village of Waterloo, when our commander sent hisaide-de-camp to Lord Wellington for general orders how he was to act, or as to what part of the line we were to fall in at. The ordersreturned were that we were to stay in our present position till nextmorning, so that night we crept into any hole we could find, cowsheds, cart-houses, and all kinds of farmstead buildings, for shelter, and Inever remember a worse night in all the Peninsular war, for the raindescended in torrents, mixed with fearful thunder and lightning, andseeming to foretell the fate of the following morning, the 18th, whichagain happened to be Sunday. 

The allied army had on the 16th and 17th been attacked by Napoleon'slarge forces at Ligny and Quatre Bras, but neither side had obtainedany great success, beyond thousands being killed on both sides; duringthe night of the 17th, therefore, firing was continually going on, which I could distinctly hear, in spite of its being considerablydrowned by the thunder. All that night was one continued clamour, forthousands of camp-followers were on their retreat to Brussels, fearfulof sticking to the army after the Quatre Bras affair. It was indeed asight, for owing to the rain and continued traffic the roads werealmost impassable, and the people were sometimes completely stuck inthe mud: and besides these a continual stream of baggage-wagons waskept up through the night. 

Early in the morning of the 18th we were again put on the march tojoin our lines, our position being in the reserve, which included theFourth and Twenty-Seventh Regiments, together with a body ofBrunswickers and Dutch, and formed a line between Merk Braine and MontSt. Jean on the Brussels road. Our regiment took the left of thisroad, but did not remain there long, for the French were seen inmotion, and on their opening fire from their cannon we soon marched upto action in open column. 

During this movement a shell from the enemy cut ourdeputy-sergeant-major in two, and having passed on to take the headoff one of my company of grenadiers named William Hooper, exploded inthe rear not more than one yard from me, hurling me at least two yardsinto the air, but fortunately doing me little injury beyond theshaking and carrying a small piece of skin off the side of my face. Itwas indeed another narrow escape, for it burnt the tail of my sashcompletely off, and turned the handle of my sword perfectly black. Iremember remarking to a sergeant who was standing close by me when Ifell, "This is sharp work to begin with, I hope it will end better:"and even this much had unfortunately so frightened one of the youngrecruits of my company, named Bartram, who had never before been inaction and now did not like the curious evolutions of this shell soclose to him, that he called out to me and said he must fall out ofrank, as he was taken very ill. I could easily see the cause of hisillness, so I pushed him into rank again, saying, "Why, Bartram, it'sthe smell of this little powder that has caused your illness; there'snothing else the matter with you;" but that physic would not contenthim at all, and he fell down and would not proceed another inch. I wasfearfully put out at this, but was obliged to leave him, or if he hadhad his due he ought to have been shot. From this time I never saw himagain for at least six months, but even then I did not forget him forthis affair of cowardice, as I shall have occasion to show hereafter. 

The right of our line had been engaged some little time before wewere ordered up, and then our position was changed, we having to crossthe road and proceed to the right of a farmhouse called La HayeSainte. Owing to the rain that had been peppering down the whole nightand even now had not quite ceased, the fields and roads were in afearful state of dirt and mud, which tended to retard our progressgreatly as well as to tire us. It made it very bad too for the actionof cavalry, and even more so for artillery. 

About ten o'clock the action of the day began at Hougoumont on ourright, and from there it fell on our centre, where we were attacked bya tremendous body of cavalry and infantry. The fire, however, whichhad been kept up for hours from the enemy's cannon had now to beabated in that quarter, owing to the close unison of the two armies. And from this time onward we endured some heavy work throughout theday, having constantly to be first forming square to receive therepeated attacks of their cavalry, and then line to meet theirinfantry, charge after charge being made upon us, but with very littlesuccess. At the commencement the commanding officer was killed by amusket-shot, but his place was soon filled up. 

On our left on the turnpike road was placed a brigade of Germancavalry with light horses and men. When Buonaparte's Bodyguards cameup they charged these, making fearful havoc amongst their number; theywere routed and obliged to retreat, but the Life Guards and ScotchGreys fortunately making their appearance immediately, some closehandwork took place, and the Bodyguards at last finding their match, or even more, were in their turn compelled to fall back before thecharge of our cavalry, numbers of them being cut to pieces. Stillnothing daunted, they formed again, and this time ascended at us; butof the two, they met with a worse reception than before, for weinstantly threw ourselves into three squares with our artillery in thecentre; and the word having been given not to fire at the men, whowore armour, but at the horses, which was obeyed to the very letter, as soon as they arrived at close quarters we opened a deadly fire, andvery few of them wholly escaped. They managed certainly at first tocapture our guns, but they were again recovered by the fire of ourthree squares; and it was a most laughable sight to see these Guardsin their chimney-armour trying to run away after their horses had beenshot from under them, being able to make very little progress, andmany of them being taken prisoners by those of our light companies whowere out skirmishing. I think this quite settled Buonaparte'sBodyguards, for we saw no more of them, they not having expected thissignal defeat. 

That affair, however, had only passed off a very few minutes beforetheir infantry advanced and we had again to form line ready to meetthem. We in our usual style let the infantry get well within ourmusket-shot before the order was given to fire, so that our volleyproved to be of fearful success: and then immediately charging them wegave them a good start back again, but not without a loss on our sideas well as on theirs. And no sooner had they disappeared than anothercharge of cavalry was made, so that we again had to throw ourselvesinto square on our old ground. These cavalry had no doubt expected toappear amongst us before we could accomplish this, but fortunatelythey were mistaken, and our persistent fire soon turned them. We didnot lose a single inch of ground the whole day, though after thesesuccessive charges our numbers were fearfully thinned; and even duringthe short interval between each charge the enemy's cannon had beendoing some mischief among our ranks besides. 

The men in their tired state were beginning to despair, but theofficers cheered them on continually throughout the day with the cryof "Keep your ground, my men!" It is a mystery to me how it wasaccomplished, for at last so few were left that there were scarcelyenough to form square. 

About four o'clock I was ordered to the colours. This, although I wasused to warfare as much as any, was a job I did not at all like; butstill I went as boldly to work as I could. There had been before methat day fourteen sergeants already killed and wounded while in chargeof those colours, with officers in proportion, and the staff andcolours were almost cut to pieces. This job will never be blotted frommy memory: although I am now an old man, I remember it as if it hadbeen yesterday. I had not been there more than a quarter of an hourwhen a cannon-shot came and took the captain's head clean off. Thiswas again close to me, for my left side was touching the poorcaptain's right, and I was spattered all over with his blood. One ofhis company who was close by at the time, cried out, "Hullo, theregoes my best friend, " which caused a lieutenant, who quickly steppedforward to take his place, to say to the man, "Never mind, I will beas good a friend to you as the captain. " The man replied, "I hope not, sir;" the officer not having rightly understood his meaning, the latecaptain having been particularly hard on him for his dirtiness, givinghim extra duty and suchlike as punishment. This man, whose name wasMarten, was a notorious character in the regiment, and I was myselftolerably well acquainted with him, for he had once been in mycompany; but on account of the same thing, dirtiness in his person, hehad been transferred to this the fifth company, where neither thispoor captain had been able to reform him, try however hard he might. Still he was for all this an excellent soldier in the field. 

But now I must get on to the last charge of cavalry, which took placenot very long after this. Few as we were, when we saw it coming weformed squares and awaited it. Then we poured volley after volleyinto them, doing fearful execution, and they had to retire at lastbefore the strong dose we administered; not, however, without ourlosing more men and so becoming even weaker than before. We weredreading another charge, but all the help we got was the cry of "Keepyour ground, my men, reinforcements are coming!" Not a bit, however, did they come till the setting sun, in time to pursue our retreatingenemy; the Prussians under Marshal Blucher having been detainedelsewhere, and although long expected, only being able at this periodto make their appearance at last. 

I must say here that I cannot think why those charges of cavalry werekept up against our unbroken squares, in spite of their being soconstantly sent back. It is murder to send cavalry against disciplinedinfantry unless they have artillery to act in conjunction with them, in which case they might possibly succeed in routing them if theycould take advantage of their falling into confusion, but nototherwise. 

We were indeed glad to see the arrival of these Prussians, who nowcoming up in two columns on our left flank, advanced on the enemy'sright. Lord Wellington, who was ever enticing his army on, now came upto our regiment and asked who was in command. On being told it wasCaptain Brown, he gave the order to advance, which we received withthree cheers, and off we set as if renewed with fresh vigour. Theattack was now being made by the whole line, together with thePrussians, who had come up fresh and were therefore more than a matchfor the harassed French. They soon forced the French into a downrightretreat by their fire, and the retreat becoming universal, the wholebody of the French were thrown into disorder and pursued off the fieldby Blucher's fresh and untired infantry and cavalry. 

We followed them ourselves for about a mile, and then encamped on theenemy's ground; and if ever there was a hungry and tired tribe of men, we were that after that memorable day of the 18th of June. Then thefirst thing to be thought of was to get a fire and cook some food, which was not so easy, as wood was scarce and what there was was wetthrough. One of our company, named Rouse, who went out in search ofsticks, came across one of the enemy's powder-wagons that we had takenin the battle amongst the rest of the many things, and immediatelycommenced cutting the cover up for fuel; but his hook coming incontact with a nail or some other piece of iron and striking fire, asa natural consequence the remains of the powder in the wagon explodedand lifted the poor fellow to a considerable height in the air. Themost remarkable thing was that he was still alive when he came downand able to speak, though everything had been blown from him exceptone of his shoes. He was a perfect blackguard, for although he was ina most dangerous state he did not refrain from cursing his eyes, whichhappened, as it was, to be both gone, and saying what a fool he musthave been. He was that night conveyed to Brussels Hospital with therest of the many wounded, and died in a few days, raving mad. 

We succeeded, however, in getting a fire at last, and then as Ihappened that night to be orderly sergeant to our general I went andreported myself to him. He was at the time sitting on a gun-carriageholding his horse, and when he saw me, said, "That's right, sergeant;I expect two more sergeants directly, but I wish you would meanwhiletry and get some corn for my poor horse. " Off I went accordingly, andfound two bushels or so in a sack which had evidently been left by theenemy, as it was on one of their cannon. When I opened the sack Ifound to my great surprise that it likewise contained a large ham andtwo fowls, so I asked the general if he would accept them; he, however, declined, saying he would take the corn, but that I mightkeep the meat for myself, advising me, however, to keep it out ofsight of the Prussians, who were a slippery set of men and very likelyto steal it if they saw it. 

I prepared the hanger for the pot as quickly as possible, puttingcross-sticks over the fire at a sufficient distance to prevent themigniting; but before I had finished doing this a quantity of thesesame Prussians whom the general had been watching and warned meagainst passed by; and two of them coming to my fire to light theirpipes noticed the ham, and remarked that it looked good. I thought itbest to take my sword and immediately cut them off a piece each, andthey relieved my fears by going off seemingly quite satisfied. Theywere evidently on the march following up the French, for the wholenight we could hear the distant sound of cannon and musketry from theFrench and Prussians, Lord Wellington having completely given up thepursuit to Marshal Blucher. 

I pretty quickly put my ham in the pot after that, and the twosergeants coming up, I set them to pick the fowls, and these soongoing in after the ham, in two hours were pretty well done. About thistime I heard a Frenchman groaning under a cannon, where he was lyingon a quantity of straw. I thought he was badly wounded, and perhaps ashungry as myself, so I went to him and told him as well as I was ableto stop till our supper was cooked, and then I would bring him some;but when it was ready and I had cut off some bread, fowl, and ham, andtaken it to the place where I had seen him, he had gone. For onereason I was not sorry, for he left his straw, which made a very goodbed for us three sergeants, the ground itself being unpleasantly wet. I think perhaps this Frenchman must have been a skulker, or he wouldnot have ventured to escape. 

We sat down ourselves, however, and made a very good meal off our hamand poultry, and I can safely say we enjoyed our mess as much as menever did, for I, for one, had had nothing to eat since early in themorning up to that time. After that, as the general did not want usfor anything, we retired to rest on our straw, but I was too tired togo to sleep for a long time, and lay contemplating the scenes of theday. I was merely scratched on the face myself during the whole day, besides being a little shaken by the bursting of the shell Imentioned; but this scratch had been terribly aggravated by a privatewho had been standing next to me having overprimed his musket, withthe consequence that when he fired, my face being so close, the powderflew up and caught my wound, which though only originally a slight onesoon made me dance for a time without a fiddle. 

Of the general loss on that blood-stained day I am unable to give anexact account, but it must have been enormous on both sides, for threehundred of my regiment alone were missing; and this was not so great aloss as that of some regiments, for the one on our right lost sixhundred, chiefly from the continual fire of shot and shell that theFrench cannon had kept up between the charges. But now there was verylittle delay; and early next morning we were again put in motion, toprevent our enemy, if possible, from getting any breathing time. ThePrussians were at least twelve hours in advance of us, so that wereally had not much to fear; but still some doubt was entertained asto whether the enemy would make another stand in their own territory, and in all probability such would have been the case if Blucher hadnot been pushing so close on their heels. I very much doubt, too, if, had not the Prussians come up when they did, both armies would nothave remained on the field of Waterloo, and perhaps have joined battleagain in the morning, for the French had been expecting freshreinforcements after their defeat; but these not arriving and we beingincreased in numbers, no resource was left them but to retreat. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

 Advance to Paris -- Lawrence on the general fickleness of humanity -- Flight and surrender of Napoleon -- Enthusiastic reception of Louis XVIII. By the Parisians rather snubbed by Lord Wellington -- Lawrence assists in escorting Louis to his throne -- Comfortable quarters in Paris -- Various historical events of more or less importance -- Review and sham fight -- Sequel to the story of the sickly recruit -- An incorrigible subject -- Flogged four times, and then drummed out of the regiment -- Another very simple tale of true love, but one in which Lawrence is this time more immediately concerned -- Married, though not exactly settled -- Departure from Paris. 

Our march now lay in the direction of Paris, and being made all in thedaytime, caused us very little fatigue, as we halted often, besidesalways encamping or billeting at night. We never fell in with theenemy ourselves, though some few collisions took place between thePrussians and French after this, and likewise some towns were taken byour army; but beyond that our march was generally quiet, and wecontinued on to within a few miles of, and in sight of Paris, where weremained for a short time, coming up here with our allies thePrussians. They had already opened fire on that city of despotism, which was returned faintly by the enemy; but once the balance isturned, and once a man, however great, is defeated, all seem toforsake him, and he immediately becomes an usurper, as was shown to betrue in this Napoleon's case. There is not a doubt that the populacewould have held to him if he had been a conqueror, but as it was, thewhole city now changed its sentiments from Napoleon to Louis XVIII. , who had advanced with us with about fifty of his own guards. 

On our approach to the city the inhabitants soon sent a flag of trucefor terms, and the firing having ceased on both sides, these wereagreed upon, and the city gates were opened. Napoleon Buonaparte hadpreviously flown to the coast to get a ship to America, but notfinding one at hand, and fearing that if he stayed on land he might onaccount of his unpopularity be taken prisoner by his own bloodthirstypeople, he went on board and gave himself up to the captain of one ofour ships of the line, a seventy-four called the _Bellerophon_. Iremember that owing to that event she was very commonly known amongstus as the "Billy Ruff'un, " and we used to aggravate the people not alittle on our march into the city, by singing, "God save Buonaparte, who has fled and given himself up to the Billy Ruff'uns, " inopposition to their cry of "God save the king;" thousands of themhaving come out with white cockades in their hats to welcome the king. They even wanted to take the horses out of his carriage and draw himinto the city, but Lord Wellington would not allow this, knowing welltheir changeable disposition, and fearing they might make their king ahead shorter by the morning. 

The king therefore slept that night at St. Denis, a few miles fromParis, and on the following morning about three thousand men withcannon and cavalry were ordered to convey him into the city, amongstwhom was myself. We started at about eleven or twelve o'clock, stillnot knowing how we should be welcomed, which was the reason for thislarge force being thought necessary; but as we met with no oppositionat the entrance, the bands of each regiment soon struck up, and onproceeding through the streets we found flags from endless windows, and the cry, "God save the king!" resounding everywhere. Ourdestination was of course the palace, where the king was again placedon his throne, with a strong guard to protect his person. 

After this we saw no more of Napoleon's army, nor did we want to much, for most of us had had quite enough of it at Waterloo, and now wefound ourselves comfortably quartered at the different barracksthroughout the city, where we remained for three months or so scarcelywanting for anything but money. During this time it became my duty tobe one of the king's guard two or three times at the palace, which wasa splendid place, with fine grounds and a beautiful river running atthe back. Nothing of particular note occurred whilst we were stayinghere, and on leaving it at the end of the time we encamped on MarshalNey's own property in front of his residence or palace. At that timethere could not have been much less than two hundred thousand troopsencamped in various parts of and around Paris, and those all offoreign nations: truly a downfall for that noble but despotic city. 

In the November of the same year Marshal Ney was brought to justice asa traitor. He was tried by his own country's law, Lord Wellingtonhaving nothing to do with the matter, and being found guilty, wasshot. I believe that he was generally liked by the army he commandedthrough nearly the whole of the Peninsular campaign. 

The Bourbons, on their part, were evidently not liked by the French, for the next heir to Louis XVIII. Was assassinated in the streets. Hisduchess however, very shortly afterwards had a son, and so there wassoon another of the family in the way. Still these ill-disposed Frenchpeople could not rest, and the next thing was that two men were caughtin the act of undermining the palace, with a view to blow the duchessand her child up. They were tried and sentenced to be guillotined, butthe sentence was never carried into effect, as the duchess, in spiteof her husband having been killed by the same party, begged theirlives of the king, and they were transported for life instead. 

During our stay in the environs of Paris the whole army was reviewedby two English Dukes; one of them was the Duke of York, but theother's name I am not able to give, as I never heard. A sham fight waslikewise held, in which I should say more powder was thrown away thanat Waterloo itself; and I am positive I was quite as tired after it asat Waterloo, for it lasted all day, and a great deal more marchingtook place than did there, for we were on the move the whole time, while at Waterloo we did not advance or retreat more than a hundredyards during the entire action. 

The inhabitants kept up a continual market at the rear of our camp, which was always guarded by sentries to prevent plunder, and so wecould always easily obtain supplies of every description. 

While we were lying there several of the wounded who had recoveredrejoined the army from Brussels, and with some of these Bartram madehis appearance, the man whom I mentioned as having smelt powder at thebeginning of the 18th of June, and having so cowardly fallen out ofhis rank. As soon as I saw him I put him in the rear-guard as aprisoner, and reported him, as it was my duty to do, to the captain ofmy company. Next day a court-martial was ordered, I being the chiefbut not the only evidence against him, and being sentenced to threehundred lashes as a punishment for absenting himself from the field ofaction, he was tied up and received every lash. 

This may seem to some a hard case, three hundred lashes for absentinghimself, but it must be remembered that had there been many like thisman, for I cannot call him a soldier, that day would most decidedlyhave ended in favour of the French. When taken down he was sent tohospital for three weeks and then came back to us, but even then hewas not quite free, for I had orders from the captain to examine hiskit to see if everything was complete, and I found his knapsackcompletely empty. I then searched his pouch and found all hisammunition gone. I was not much surprised at this, knowing that he didnot like the smell of powder; but I reported these circumstances tothe captain, who ordered him back to the rear-guard as a prisoneragain; and the next day another court-martial was held on him formaking away with his kit, and he was sentenced to three hundred morelashes, of which strange to say he received every one without cryingout. He seemed to be a man without any feeling, for it may be prettywell taken for granted that the drummers did not fail in their dutytowards such a man as this, for there is no one they feel morestrongly against than a coward. 

He was then sent for three weeks more to the hospital, and at the endof the time again joined; but the poor fellow must after that havebeen very miserable, for all his comrades shunned his society andwould scarcely speak to him at all; and not only that, but having hada new kit and sixty rounds of ball-cartridge supplied to him, he hadsixpence a day stopped out of his money till they were paid for, hispay being only thirteenpence a day, so that after another sixpence hadbeen stopped for his food he had only one penny per day to take. Ineed hardly say that he was consequently always without money, and atlast we missed him for two or three days, after which he returned, having again lost his kit. We found he had been into Paris and sold itfor those two or three days' maintenance, so he was again sent to therear-guard and reported, again court-martialled and sentenced to threehundred lashes, and again received the whole to the very letter andsent to hospital for the same time. When he again rejoined he went onbetter for a while, but on our regiment afterwards getting to Scotlandhe transgressed and was flogged for a fourth time, and when he cameout of hospital the colonel ordered his coat to be turned, and a largesheet of paper to be pinned on it with the words, "This is a coward, avery bad soldier, and one who has been whipped four times;" and he wasthen drummed out of the barracks, and I never saw anything of himagain, which I was not sorry for, as he gave me more trouble than allthe rest of my men put together. 

The reason of our stay in and about Paris so long was to see LouisXVIII. Thoroughly fixed again and in power on his throne. The armiesbeing now moved into winter quarters chiefly in cantonments, ourbrigade took its route to St. Germains, which lies ten or twelve milesto the north-west of Paris on the River Seine, where we remainedquartered a few months. 

It was owing to this long stay, and my happening to see a young womanwho gained my affections, that it fell out that I first then thoughtof marriage. For outside the barrack-gate where we were quartered wasa movable stall, which was spread out in the day with fruit, spirits, tobacco, snuff, &c. , and was cleared away at night. This was kept bythe woman whom I afterwards made my wife. Her father was a gardenerin business for himself, and this was the way in which he disposed ofmost of his goods. My first introduction was through my going topurchase a few articles that I wanted from her, and it very shortlybecame a general thing for me to dispose of the chief of such time asI had to spare at the stall; and thus the attachment was formed ofwhich I am happy to say I never afterwards repented. 

I happened to be at the stall one day when I saw a soldier of theTwenty-Seventh Regiment, which was stationed at the barracks as wellas ours, deliberately take half a pound of tobacco which was alreadytied up off the stall and attempt to get off with it. But that didn'tsuit me, so I pursued and overtook him, and delivered him over to hisown regiment to dispose of as they thought best after I had told themthe circumstances. I told them too that I didn't wish to prosecute himmyself, so I never heard anything more of him. I took the tobacco, however, back to my intended, who of course was pleased, as what youngwoman would not have been under the circumstances we were then in? Andso our courtship went on; but for a very little while, for once wewere enamoured of one another we were not long in making things allsquare for our union. 

I made my intentions known to my captain, who I knew would not object, and he signed my paper to take to the colonel, whose permission I hadnext to get. The colonel could not understand at first my marrying aFrenchwoman, but he nevertheless consented, saying that she would doto teach the soldiers French, but that he advised me to wait till Igot to England. But having got the grant, it was a question of now ornever for me; so I made arrangements with the army chaplain, who fixedthe time and we were duly united. It cost us nothing, for neither theparson nor clerk looked for any fee, neither were we troubled with anywedding-cake, but simply took ourselves off for a day's merrymaking. 

My wife's maiden name had been Marie Louise Claire, but owing toBuonaparte's first wife having been Marie Louise too, she had beencompelled to drop that name and assume that of Clotilde; aproclamation having been made that no one should be called MarieLouise but the Empress, and so by that vain freak of Buonaparte's allin France who were called Marie Louise had to change their names. 

Of course before marrying her I had explained to my wife the course oflife she would have to put up with, and that at any moment we mighthave to proceed from her native place, and even might be recalled toEngland, but she did not mind the prospect of all this. And at lengththe time arrived that we had to go, for orders were given, and that onvery short notice, that we were to prepare to resume our march. Afarewell had then to be taken of her parents, whom we expected neverto behold again, and this cast a slight shadow for a time over mywife's countenance, but it quickly passed away within the next fewsucceeding days. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

 The brigade quartered near Cambray -- Outrage on a native farmer -- The perpetrators convicted and hanged -- Lawrence sent to Valenciennes to learn the sword exercise -- March to Calais and embarkation for Scotland -- Tedious voyage -- Kind reception by the inhabitants of Bridlington -- Lawrence finds a silk dress rather a superfluity on a campaign -- Shields -- Excursion over the glass-works -- Final landing at Leith and march to Glasgow. 

From St. Germain we proceeded to Cambray. We were billeted at avillage near Cambray called Aresne, where we had very good quartersand found the people particularly kind, and after remaining there ashort time we were moved to a neighbouring village, where we gotequally good quarters. 

But here another of those unpleasant things happened which often haveto occur that proper discipline and justice may be kept up. A part ofthe Twenty-Seventh Regiment was billeted at a village near where wewere situated, most of whom were I believe Irish; and two of the moreruffianly, knowing that a farmer who lived close by had gone tomarket, and would probably return laden with the value of the goods hehad sold, laid wait for him with the intention of robbing him; andhaving met him, they fell upon him and left him in a corn-fieldevidently for dead, first stripping him of everything valuable abouthis person. There the man lay till his friends becoming uneasy at hislong absence a search was made and he was tracked to his mournful bed. He was not dead when found, and so was conveyed to his house andproperly attended to by a doctor, and at the end of a week he was ableto give an account of the ill-treatment he said he had received at thehands of two soldiers who were quartered in the village occupied bythe Twenty-Seventh Regiment. 

One of the officers was consequently informed of the occurrence, andimmediately went to the farmer to learn the rights of the story. Theman could not tell the amount of money that had been taken from him, but he said he could recognize the men again. As soon, therefore, ashe was able to walk, the officer took him down the ranks of hisregiment, and certainly he proved to be correct about recognizingthem, for he immediately picked out two men who were found to havebeen out at the time described. They were conveyed as prisoners to theguard-room, and reported to the general, who immediately ordered acourt-martial, and, accepting the evidence of their sergeant, whopronounced them to be as often tipsy as not, found them guilty, andthey were sentenced to be hanged. The sentence was, however, firstsent to be approved of by Lord Wellington, who sanctioned it andreturned it; and the execution was accordingly ordered to be carriedout. 

The men were allowed a week to prepare themselves for their awfuldoom, and at the end of that time the brigade was called together totake warning from their unhappy fate. It was on a Monday morning thatwe formed square round the gallows which had been erected for theoccasion; and all being ready, the men were brought under the gallowsin a spring-wagon guarded by a sergeant and twelve men of their ownregiment, one of which latter having adjusted the ropes, the chaplainread the service. Then the question usual in these cases was put, butall they had to say was that they were both guilty and hoped thiswould be a warning to their comrades. The chaplain then left them, andon the wagon being moved along they were left dancing on nothing. Thepoor fellows were not long in expiring, but they were left one hourbefore they were cut down, during which time we had to retain ourpost, and at the end of it each regiment retired solemnly to its ownquarters, leaving a company of the men's own regiment to bury them. 

During the brigade's stay near Cambray an order was received that acaptain and five sergeants from each regiment should be sent toValenciennes to learn the sword exercise; so Captain Barnard of my owncompany was chosen, and amongst the five of our sergeants myself. Westarted accordingly to Valenciennes, which was about twenty-five orthirty miles from Cambray, and remained there six weeks till we gotsick enough of the sword exercise, having six hours a day of it forthe whole six weeks except on Sundays. At the end of that time weagain joined our regiment, which had been ordered to returnimmediately to Scotland. 

The day after our arrival the regiment was put on the march forCalais. We were quartered in cantonments every night, and at one ofour sleeping-places I met a Jew, and having a silver watch to disposeof, I asked him what he would give me for it. He replied fifteenfrancs and a silk dress, which I took, and when we arrived at Calaiswe changed the French money into English; but since I had left my owncountry the coinage had been altered, which bothered me a little atfirst sight, and certainly did not bring me any gain. We lay inCalais two nights, where I and my wife got very comfortable quarters. I may as well say here that she had borne the marches quite as well asI did, if not in some cases better. 

Three colliers had been contracted with to convey our regiment toScotland, and from the appearance of the vessels themselves, I verymuch doubted, if bad weather should set in, that we should ever reachLeith, the port we set sail for, they being the rickettiest oldwatertubs I ever saw. Leith was supposed to be three days' sail fromCalais with a fair wind, but we had a foul one nearly the whole time, and we were seven weeks on the voyage, having to put in at Bridlingtonin Yorkshire to wait for this fair wind. My wife, who had never beforeseen salt water, was at first ill and found the whole voyage terriblylong and tedious; but to me, who had long since learnt not to betroubled with trifles, it mattered not weather or no, and I was bythis time thoroughly used too to long voyages by water after myAmerican trips. 

Our stay at Bridlington lasted three weeks. The first night we werethere, the mayor invited the officers to dine with him, and sent aquart of beer on board for each man, and half that quantity for eachwoman. During our stay here too, we were allowed to go on shore in theday but obliged to be on board by nine o'clock at night. Theinhabitants were particularly kind to us, amongst other thingsoffering our women their houses to wash their clothes in, which offermany accepted. And here I at last got a chance to get rid of my silkdress, which was a thing that my wife hardly required while travellingabout, and I had been trying to dispose of it ever since I obtainedit. I used to visit a public-house in the neighbourhood where Inoticed the daughter of the place, a fine-looking girl, used to sporther silk dress, so I sold her mine for fifty shillings and a gallon ofbeer, which latter I gave to her customers. 

At last the favouring breeze sprang up, and we again attempted toproceed on our voyage. We were a whole day getting opposite Shields, and a pilot was signalled for, but before he arrived we were againobliged to fall back to Bridlington, which took us but nine hours todo, during the whole of which time the vessel rolled fearfully, andthe women especially began to despair. Our stay lasted for ten daysthis time, and then we proceeded again to Shields, where we lay for aweek, being likewise allowed to go on shore there. Our walks on shoresometimes extended to the coal-mines, and we also went over theglass-manufactories, which last amused my wife more than anything. The workmen made her a smelling-bottle and me several pipes and awalking-stick of glass, for us to see the process. 

From Shields we proceeded to Leith, and landed, and all our baggagebeing examined at the customs-house, I thought what a capital thing itwas that I had sold my dress. That night we remained in Leith, and onthe following morning were ordered to march to Glasgow, which wereached on the third day. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

 Lawrence receives news of his father's illness, and starts with his wife on a six weeks' furlough -- Voyage to London -- They meet an agreeable fellow-cab-fare -- Are cheated by Lawrence's own countrymen -- At last reach his native place -- Excitement among the inhabitants -- Lawrence is received by his sister, who immediately asserts her privilege of making him tidy -- First meeting with his parents -- Reception of his wife by his relatives -- The inconveniences of glory -- Expeditions to various branches of his family -- General grief at his departure not appreciated at its full value by Lawrence -- From Dorsetshire to Scotland by road -- Mrs. Lawrence distinguishes herself above her countrywomen and outwalks a British soldier -- Return to Glasgow -- The regiment presented with a new set of colours. 

The barracks at Glasgow we found to be comfortable; and after lyingthere about three months, the winter of 1817 set in, and furloughswere granted for two months to a part of the regiment. As I had a wifewith me and my home was so far away, I gave my furlough to afellow-sergeant that he might go to Ireland; but I wrote home and toldthem I had arrived in England, and very soon received an answer backfrom my mother to say my father was ill, and if I did not come then, perhaps I should never see him again. I consulted my wife as to thejourney, and she readily consented to come with me, so I made up mymind to try for another furlough. I accordingly took the old lady'sletter to the captain, who said, "Well, sergeant, there are so manygone that I don't know whether the colonel will let you, but we willask him;" so we went to him, and on hearing the nature of my case hereadily consented to allow me six weeks, and signed my furlough. Helikewise advanced me one shilling per day for the six weeks, and as Ihad lately received my Waterloo prize-money which was twenty pounds, Istarted off with that, having previously bought some requisites inclothing and a watch, the sort of things that make one feel a littlemore respectable. 

My intentions were to proceed to Leith to get a vessel bound forLondon, and then to walk the remaining distance, which is upwards of ahundred miles. The first day's march brought us twenty miles nearerLeith, and we accomplished the remaining part on the following day;and the next morning I went in search of a vessel, and finding a Leithtrader bound for London, I took passage in her for two, the captaincharging two guineas and a half including board. We were to sail nextday, and true to time we started, but owing to a heavy wind we wereobliged to run in and anchor at Berwick. While there a revenue cutterwhich was cruising about came too close to us and knocked our littlevessel's bowsprit off, disabling her for three days; but when all wasput right we again set sail, and having a fair wind soon arrived inthe London Docks. 

It being night we remained on board till the following morning, when, after having had our breakfast, we started for Piccadilly, which wefound after a good deal of inquiry. A hackney cab then drove up to usand the driver wanted to know where we were going, and on our tellinghim and asking him the way, he said he would put us into the rightroad for two shillings. I offered him eighteenpence, but he would nottake that, so we got him to show us the way and proceeded on walking. We had not got farther than Hyde Park Corner, however, than we wereagain overtaken by the same cab, and the man stopped and said that hethought he could take us for the money now. He had one gentleman, anEnglishman, inside already, but evidently the sharp fellow was lookingout for a double fare; so he asked this gentleman if we might getinside as we were going in the same direction. He politely and readilyconsented, and we were forked in by cabby, who then shot off as if thewhole road was his own. 

I was under the necessity of talking French to my wife, as she couldnot understand English, which of course I made known to the gentleman, who replied that he knew a little of that language himself. Then, noticing my Waterloo medal on my breast, he said, "I see you have beenin the battle of Waterloo, sergeant?" "Yes, " I replied, "and in manyother battles besides Waterloo;" and so a conversation ensued and wesoon became quite friends. He wished to know where I was bound for, and when I told him, he politely asked me to spend a week at his houseon the way, saying I should not want for anything; but I told him thereason of my hurry, thanking him for his kindness, and his stagehaving expired at this period he got out. But he would insist ongiving my wife five shillings and paying our fare: we then shook handsheartily and parted, he wishing us good-speed on our journey. 

After that we walked on some distance till we came to a village wherewe found the Salisbury road-wagon put up, and being very hungry weentered a public-house and had some tea, and waited there till teno'clock. I was enjoying myself over my tobacco, when at nightfall someten or twelve customers came in and I spun them a pretty good yarn, making them shake with laughter; but what amused them most, though itannoyed my wife a little to see them laugh at what she could notunderstand, was to hear me and her talk French together. At teno'clock the party broke up and I called for my bill, which wasfourpence for a glass of gin for myself and eightpence for the boilingwater for our tea, which was much to my surprise, as we had found ourown food, tea, and sugar. I asked the landlady if it was not amistake, and when she said no, I told her I wished she and her chargeswere at the other side of the moon. However, I paid her, though I gaveher to understand that if we had been in the enemy's country we shouldhave got our boiling water for nothing. 

We then joined the road-wagon, which was to start for Salisbury atmidnight. I spoke to the wagoner, who agreed to take us for twoshillings and told us we could get in at once; so, as we were verytired, we did so, and lying down, soon fell fast asleep; and when weawoke we found ourselves jogging on towards Salisbury, where wearrived late the next night. I paid the man his well-earned twoshillings, besides which I had treated him to sundry refreshments onthe way; and we remained at Salisbury for the rest of the night, starting early on the following morning for Blandford. We marchedseven miles before breakfast, and after it did not halt again till wegot to Blandford, where we stayed the night; and next morning, whichwas Sunday, proceeded on towards my native village, which is abouteight miles from Blandford. 

We arrived there during church service in the morning, and passingthrough the churchyard as a near cut, went up the village, inquiringat several houses where John Lawrence, my father, lived. I found itwas at the same house where I was born, but strange to say I did notat all hurry myself to get there. I had found from the neighbours thathe was still living and much better, so I was at ease on that point. 

At last, however, I strolled into a house, the owner of which I wellknew before I entered on my rambling life, but who was now turned intoan old woman, and I asked her the same question that I had already putto others in the village, saying that I had seen my parents' son, andhad got a message for them. But woman's piercing eyes are not soeasily deceived, and she recognized me as a Lawrence, though she didnot know whether it was William or John. I certified as to that much, and she immediately ran off to bring my sister. As may be wellimagined in a country place like that, we two strangers, one of usdressed as a soldier, and our entering so many houses, had already setthe place all of a stir to know who we were, and now directly it wasfound out, it was telegraphed all through the village. Before I couldget to my own door my sister was upon me, and did try to kiss me, certainly, but I had not shaved since I left Scotland, and now I had along thick beard and moustache, so that the attempt was almost afruitless task. She cried out, "Come in; why don't you shave?" so Iasked her if there was any barber handy. "No, " she replied, "but I'llshave you, for I always do father, " so in I went. My father and motherwere still out at church. My wife meanwhile could hardly make outthese scenes that were transpiring, not seeming to dare to interruptthe proceedings with one French word to me; and my sister not havingyet thought to ask me who this mysterious woman was, she followed meindoors without any questioning and like myself sat down. I pulled offmy knapsack, and the shaving-tackle was brought out; but it put me somuch in mind of the ceremony with the iron hoop when we crossed theLine that I became impatient, and opening my knapsack took out my ownrazor and finished myself. 

By this time church was over, and putting my head out of the door Ibeheld my brother, who could scarcely speak to me owing to hisfeelings. I found both my father and mother had stopped to take thesacrament, but when it was over I suddenly saw the old lady who hadgot scent of the matter coming along like a spread-eagle with the sameold black bonnet and red cloak on that she had when I left her. I wentto meet her, but she was so overcome with emotion that I had to leanher up against the house to prevent her falling, and then I proceededon to the old man, who was quite infirm and hobbling along behind ontwo sticks, and I need hardly say that he behaved worse than any ofthem at my strange and sudden appearance. I led him in and got himwith difficulty to a chair. None of us then spoke for a long time, butat last the old man gave utterance to, "My child, I did not expect tosee you again. " It was indeed sixteen long years since I had left themat Dorchester. 

My wife, though of course she could not understand a word, was muchaffected by this scene. I now began to throw a word or two to heroccasionally in her own language, which surprised them a good deal, and no less were they astonished when I told them she was my wife. Nodoubt she felt queer with all strangers round her and in a foreignland, which to her was like a new world, but by the evening we wereall reconciled to each other; and by that time too we had dozens offriends and neighbours in to see us. My wife particularly wished toknow what all these people wanted, as so many could not be allrelations, so I told her that they had chiefly come to see her, asthey had never seen a Frenchwoman before; but of course she would notbelieve this piece of flattery. 

I then thought of wetting the subject a little, but there was nopublic-house in the village, the nearest being at Piddletown aboutthree miles off. However, I got one of my brothers to go even thatdistance, and he having brought back four gallons, we made ourselvescomfortable till ten o'clock, when we retired to rest in the same roomthat I had slept in eighteen years before. 

After a good night's rest we rose early and found all recoveringthemselves, except perhaps the old lady, who had not yet done piping. After breakfast I took a walk round the village and fell in with theclergyman of the place, who would insist on taking me to his house andgiving me some ale; and when he had once got me there, he kept me forat least an hour, the chief topics we talked about being the war andthe religion of the countries I had been in. I was glad enough to getaway from there, but I had to spend the whole of that day in visitingthe people of the village; and the next day I had to occupy stillworse, for my mother brought out every letter sent by me during myabsence from the first to the last, and made me listen to them beingread, which by the time night came on had almost sent me crazy. Iadvised her to burn the lot, but that only made her put them back intheir place again, saying, "Never, William, so long as I live. "

We passed the next two days visiting such of my brothers and sistersas lived more near, and then as I could not rest in one place forlong, on the third morning I set out with my wife for Corfe Mullen, about twelve miles off, to see another brother who was a farm-labourerthere. After some few inquiries for George Lawrence I found out hishouse, and was answered at the door by his wife, who of course had noknowledge who I was, though I had known her before her marriage. Shedid not ask me in, but pointed out a barn, where she said I would findGeorge. I went over and he was there threshing, so I said, "Well, friend, do you thresh by the day or the quarter?" He answered, "By thequarter, but I cannot do much of it. " He stared at me, for I had on myregimentals, but I did not yet make myself known. Then I asked him ifthere was a public-house handy. He said there was one just below, so Itold him that if he would go there with me I would treat him, as hismust be hard work, and he thanked me and led the way. 

I ordered some beer and tobacco with pipes, and after that took off myshako which I could not bear any longer, and he immediately recognizedme as his brother William. We then went to his home to be introducedto his wife, and we stayed there two days, after which we returned toBryant's Piddle and remained with the old people for the rest of theeighteen days I had allotted for our stay out of the six weeks; thegoing and returning taking away above half our furlough. The morningwe left was quite as bad as the morning of my appearance, my wife, who had got used to the old people, being quite as loud as any ofthem; till at last being sick of the whole affair I buckled on myknapsack, and bidding them good-bye, as quickly as possible tookmyself off, leaving my wife to follow with my brother to Dorchester, he having volunteered to go with us as far as that. 

I had planned out a different way for my journey back, intending tofind a ship at Bristol to take us to Scotland and with this view Iproceeded westwards, parting from my brother at Dorchester. We found apublic-house by the roadside a little way from Dorchester, and afterstopping there for the night, continued through Sherborne towardsBristol. On the way we fell in with one of the light company of myregiment, called Warren, who said he was going to London to get a shipback to Scotland; but when I told him of my way of getting there, heimmediately said he would go with us; only he had got no money, andhoped I would lend him some. I declined doing this as I had verylittle myself, but I told him that if he liked to come and live as wedid, I would pay for his food and lodging till we got to the regiment, to which he consented and we marched on together. 

But when we got to Bristol we found there was no ship going toScotland, so my wife who was an excellent walker proposed going allthe way by road; and accordingly on the following day we started, doing generally two stages a day, through Gloucester, Worcester, Manchester, and Carlisle, and so to Glasgow, a long and tedious march. Our companion, who was anything but a pleasant one, left us atManchester. We returned to the barracks just one day before my timeexpired, with only twopence-halfpenny in my pocket and having had tosell my watch for subsistence on the way. After reporting myself, however, I drew my remaining tenpence per day for the six weeks, apenny being deducted from my pay per day for small-beer, which was notallowed while I was away. Soon after our arrival at the barracks mywife became very ill owing to having been frost-bitten during themarch, and remained so for upwards of a week. 

We had not been here very long before General Sir George Osborne, thehead colonel of our regiment, came expressly to review us; he being avery old man, and not having seen his regiment for some years. Aftergoing through our facings, we were arranged in a square, into whichthe old gentleman entered and presented us with a new stand ofcolours; then he addressed us as he said for the last time, and hopedhis colours would endure as well as our old ones had and be crownedwith an equal amount of victory. On them were engraved in giltletters, "The Peninsula" and "Waterloo. " He then took a farewell leaveof his regiment, as he doubted if he would ever see it again, and wereturned triumphant with our new colours to the barracks. But I may aswell add here that every man received sixpence from the old colonel todrink his health. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

 Reduction of the army -- Lawrence sent up to London, where he is valued for his pension -- Returns to his home -- Thence to Studland, and obtains work -- Called out on service again, and sent to Ireland to suppress smuggling -- Ingenious devices in that line by the inhabitants of Dingle -- Finally discharged at Plymouth -- Settles down at Studland again, and commends his narrative to the public. 

Very shortly after this the army was reduced, and our regiment wasmade six hundred instead of a thousand strong. First all the old anddisabled were discharged, and then lots were cast for the remainder, and the lot falling on me amongst the sergeants, at the end of about amonth I and nine others were ordered to Chatham. We marched to Leith, where we embarked on the Leith packet, and after some very roughweather landed at Gravesend and proceeded to Chatham, remaining theresix weeks while we were waiting to pass the board. Then we re-embarkedon a small craft at Gravesend and went up the river to the Tower ofLondon, whence we marched to Chelsea Hospital. The next morning, afterwe had been examined by the doctor, we were called up before the boardone at a time. I was asked my age and time of service, and one of thegentlemen called out "Seven!" but the doctor immediately said "Nine!"as I had a wound in my knee; they evidently meaning that I should haveninepence a day as my pension, as that was what was settled on me forlife. I then went to the office, where I received my expenses toDorchester, to the amount of one and tenpence for myself, andthree-halfpence for my wife for every ten miles; and with that westarted off for Bryant's Piddle again, and walked every step of theway, not, however, meeting any such kind gentleman this time as we hadon our last route to the same place. 

When we arrived we found them all as well as when we had left; but Idid not want to stay there long, so on the following morning I tookleave of them and proceeded with my wife to Studland, the place whereI had been apprenticed, as I claimed that rightly as my parish. I putup at the public-house till I could procure a house and somefurniture, which last took me about a week, and then my nextundertaking was to try for work, for it may well be imagined that mywife and I could hardly live on my pension of ninepence a day. I soonobtained employment on a farm close by, for which I received tenshillings a week. I was only in the capacity of a labourer, and itcertainly seemed to come very hard at first, but I soon got used toit, and I worked for this master for nine months. He had been formerlya captain in the navy, and I found him very sharp but very just. 

My reason for leaving him was a sudden call I received to again jointhe army. I started on the fifth of November, 1819: I was ordered toPlymouth, where I joined the Third Veteran Battalion, which was abouta thousand strong at the time, and from Plymouth we went on toIreland, where we landed at the Cove of Cork and marched through Corkto Fermoy. We went on next day to Templemore, which took us two orthree days, and after staying there about a month, three companies ofthe regiment, myself being one of the number, were ordered to Traleein county Kerry. When we arrived at Tralee a detachment of alieutenant, myself, a corporal, and seventeen men were ordered nextday to go to Dingle, which is situated on a large tongue of land, andhere we were again stationed in barracks for about a year, ourprincipal duty being to guard the coast against the smuggling that wasat that time being carried on to a very great extent. 

We were chiefly under the command of the coastguard captain, whosename was Collis. It was astonishing to see the many manoeuvres whichthe inhabitants practised in this art of smuggling. I remember oncebeing called out by the captain to search a house that he had receivedinformation about as containing a quantity of smuggled tobacco. I wentwith twelve men and the captain to the house, and at the door we weremet by three ruffianly-looking Irishmen, whose conversation we couldnot understand at all: however, we passed on and searched the house, at one end of which were standing three cows, which did not seem to meat the time to be very homely guests. At first we could find nothing, so we were proceeding to search the outside, when I saw the three menlaughing. Not feeling at all satisfied I turned the cows out andlooked under the litter, where I discovered a trap-door, under whichwhen I had opened it I found a flight of steps leading into a cellar, which contained upwards of twenty bales of tobacco. This made themen's countenances change instantaneously. We brought this up, butstill not being content we searched farther into the garden, andfinding that ground had lately been moved, we disturbed it again andturned up about twelve bales more that were concealed there. These weconveyed in press-carts to the captain's house, and received a goodsupper for our services and extra pay, mine amounting to half a crownand the privates' less in proportion. On another occasion, when wewere again out on the search, we passed what we thought was a funeral, to which we presented arms, but which we afterwards found was nothingbut smuggled tobacco put into a box of the shape of a coffin with apall over, and in this way conveyed into security. Such and similartransactions were frequent during our stay here, the inhabitants beingof the very wildest sort. Once even a cotton-ship drove ashore, and wehad the greatest difficulty in keeping them from plundering it. 

At last, however, we were ordered back to Plymouth, so had to march toWaterford Harbour, whither after joining our other companions atTralee we proceeded, and embarking on board a transport, arrived atPlymouth about June in the year 1821. Thus finally ended my militarycareer, which had lasted seventeen years and seven months, the greaterpart of the time having been spent on active service. I was dischargedon the same pension as before of ninepence a day, that having beenstopped during my stay in the Third Veteran Battalion. 

From Plymouth I and my wife marched back to Studland, where we took ahouse, and my master immediately took me back to work. I driftedabout, however, between one or two trades, and finally took a littlepublic-house, where I and my wife lived pretty prosperously till shedied. I began to feel rather unwell, too, and thought it best to giveup working and the public-house: so I wrote to the authorities atChelsea, and obtained through the influence of a kind gentleman anaddition of threepence a day to my pension, making a shilling in all;and with that I am now living in a house that was bequeathed to me foras long as I live by my late master, as comfortably as thesecircumstances and the interposition of a few friends can make me. 

And to conclude I may add that I have striven here as well as myfaculties will allow, though I know that is imperfectly, to sum up asit were in a small compass, so that they can be read over in a fewhours by the residing populace, the leading scenes of my life, coupledas they have been with the various campaigns I served in; and thoughI am sorry that I cannot give the reader fuller details of thePeninsula and Waterloo, yet I think that if any even of my comradesthemselves who went through the same campaigns, were to take up mywork to examine it, they could not say that such information as I havebeen able to give has been wrong. 

THE END. 

 LONDON: PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LIMITED, 52, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE.