A struggle of the fiercest and most obstinate character ensued. The seventy-first, seventy-ninth, and twenty-fourth regiments defended the village with the greatest gallantry, disputing every inch of ground. In this state of things, Colonel Cameron of the seventy-ninth, commanding the brigade, was killed, and the enemy continuing to pour in fresh columns, at length succeeded in overpowing the defenders. No sooner however did the assailants attempt to form beyond the houses, than the eighty-eighth, seventy-fourth and eighty-third regiments, advancing to the charge, drove them back into the village with the bayonet, where the contest re-commenced, and continued to be kept up on both sides, with great vigour and obstinacy, till the streets may be said literally to have been covered with blood.

Towards evening the fire on both sides gradually slackened, and the village as if by mutual consent, was divided by the combatants, the upper part being occupied by our troops, the lower by the enemy. The result of these repeated efforts convinced Massena that he had nothing to hope from continuing the contest. During the whole of the sixth an unbroken tranquility reigned in both armies, and on the morning of the seventh he withdrew his troops from the front of our position. The loss of our army in the actions of the third and fifth, amounted to about seventeen hundred men. That of the enemy, from their acting

throughout as assailants, must have been considerable greater. In the village of Fuentes, the lanes, the church, the court-yards, and the gardens were found literally piled with the dying and the dead. We made likewise a considerable number of prisoners. Wellington now marched to meet Soult, who was in motion for Estramadura, and, shortly afterwards, had the gratification of hearing that Massena had so far despaired of success, as to resign the command of the army of Portugal to Marshal Marmont. On the nineteenth of May, he reached Elvas, where he received intelligence of the battle of Albuera. He also learned that the the investment of Badajos had been renewed on the same day, and that Soult was in full retreat towards Seville, followed by the allied cavalry, Lord Wellington then immediately assumed the personal directions of the operations against Badajos; but after loosing five hundred men in the vain attempt to scale the walls, he thought it prudent to raise the siege. He now turned his attention to Ciudad Rodrigo; and, having established his head quarters at Fuente Guinaldo, he sent his battering train and stores from the Tagus to the Douro, and watched for a favorable opportunity of advancing against Rodrigo.

On the sixth of January, 1812, in the following year, Wellington prepared to commence his long meditated attack on Ciudad Rodigo.

SIEGE OF CIUDAD RODRIGO.

Accordingly head quarters were transferred from Frenada to Gallegos; but the [ground being covered with snow, and the weather inclement, the army did not move till the eighth. Our division alone crossed the Agueda, and formed the investment; but the other divisions took part in all the duties of the siege, and were prepared, if necessary, to move to the support of the investing force. Shortly after dark, on the same evening, parties from the third, fourth, and light divisions broke ground before the fortress, under a heavy fire; and a redoubt, situated on the great Teson, was gallantly stormed by a party of the light division, of which my own company formed a part, under Lieut. Col. Colburne. The immediate direction of the siege was entrusted to Sir Thomas Graham, who had succeeded Sir Brent Spencer as second in command. By the capture of the redoubt, a powerful preliminary obstacle to the operations of the bęsiegers was removed. On the night following, the first parallel was established, and the batteries traced out. On the night of the thirteenth, a fortified convent, situated on the right of the redoubt, was attacked and carried by a detachment of light infantry companies supported by Lord Blantyre's brigade. The assailants succeeded in approaching the convent unobserved; and, effecting an entrance, took the garrison by surprise. As

this post was of considerable importance, a lodgment was formed in it, and the sap was carried on to the line of the second parallel. On the fourteenth, the garrison took advantage of a moment when the trenches were unguarded, to make a sortie. By a culpable negligence, the guard, quitting the trenches, were accustomed to depart on observing the approach of the relief. For a moment therefore, the enemy were successful; the workmen, armed only with spade and mattock, hastily retired; but the alarm was instantly given, and the assailants were driven back, without effecting more injury than that of upsetting a few gabions into the sap. In the meanwhile, intelligence was received that Marmont, ignorant of the operations of the allies, was approaching, with the view of throwing supplies into the place. But as this ignorance could be but of short duration, Lord Wellington determined to push forward his advances with the utmost rapidity, in the hope of carrying the town, before Marmont and Dorsenne should be enabled to collect their forces for its relief. In case, however, he should be defeated in this object, preparations were made for encountering the combined army in the field. The divisions in the more distant cantonments, were moved up to the neighborhood of Ciudad Rodrigo ; and General Hill was directed to throw two brigades across the Tagus, to move as occasion might require.

It was considered of importance to gain possession of the Convent of St. Francisco, by which the approaches were enfiladed on the left. Batteries were accordingly erected against it, which speedily destroyed, the defences, and on the night of the fourteenth it was carried by assault. The second parallel was then completed, and progress made by sap towards the crest of the glacis. Advances were likewise made from the left of the first parallel down the slope of the hill, and fresh batteries established, from which an incessant fire was kept up on the fausse braie, and body of the place. On the nineteenth two practicable breaches were completed, one in the fausse braie, the other in the main wall, and preparations immediately made for storming them, though the sap had not been brought to the crest of the glacis, and the counterscarp of the ditch was still entire. The attack of the main breach was committed to the division of General Picton, consisting of the brigade of Major General Mackinnon and Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell. The column was to be preceded by a storming party, consisting of the light companies of the division under Major Manners of the seventy-fourth; and, to divert the attention of the garrison, a demonstration was to be made on the right, by Lieutenant-Colonel O'Toole, with five companies of the ninety-fifth rifle corps, and the light companies of the eighty-third and ninety-fourth. Our 'division consisting of the brigades of Major-Gen