them prepare for action, the utmost silence being necessary to ensure success. Though the distance was short, the broken state of the roads, the inclemency of the weather, and the darkness of the morning made progress slow and caused great loss of time; but at last the sight of the enemy's fires delighted the troops by showing that this time the birds had not flown. The whole moved in one column till they arrived within half a mile of Arroyo, where, under cover of a rising ground, they were formed into columns of attack unseen by the enemy, Gerard, with culpable negligence, having no pickets out on that side.

The left column, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Stewart of the 50th Regiment, was composed of Howard's Brigade, viz., the 1st Battalions of the 50th, 71st, and 92nd, Captain Blassiers' company 5th Battalion 60th Rifles, and three field pieces, supported by Morillo's Spanish infantry. The right column consisted of Colonel Wilson's, the Third Brigade, viz., the 1st Battalion 28th, the 2nd Battalions 34th and 39th Regiments, one company 60th, and the 6th Portuguese Caçadores, with two field pieces and a howitzer. The cavalry,

9th and 13th Light Dragoons, the 2nd Hussars of the King's German Legion, and the Conde-de-Penne Villamur's Spanish Horse, formed a third column under Sir William Erskine, and was in the centre.* Major-General Howard commanded the whole infantry. The formation being quickly and quietly completed, the 71st and 92nd and the company of the 60th moved in profound silence directly on the village at quarter distance, the 50th in close column and the artillery being a little in rear as a reserve. The right column, having the 39th as a reserve, moved across the plain to the right of the town, so as to cut off the retreat of the enemy by the roads leading to Truxillo, Merida or Medellin. The cavalry moved between the other two, ready to act wherever its services might be required.

At this moment the storm was succeeded by a calm, the dense fog cleared away about half-past six, just as the left column was entering the town. The 71st went to the left through some olive groves, where they surprised and took a

* The Second British Brigade had been ordered to make a detour and had not come up.

body of cavalry in the act of bridling their horses. The 92nd silently entered the main street leading to the market square, where the French were forming for the march, while some battalions were filing out of the village, one brigade having already marched; then the pipers entering into the humour of the situation, struck up the appropriate air of "Hey, Johnny Cope, are ye waukin' yet?" and the music of the bagpipes and the cheers of the charging Highlanders were the first intimation of their presence. Colonel Cameron, in a letter to General Hope, says “They (the French) were quietly getting under arms for the purpose of proceeding to Merida, and had the attack taken place two hours earlier as intended, I think every man of them would have been taken in bed."

The French troops, cavalry and infantry, who were formed, threw themselves across the street, disputing the passage, and firing on the leading sections of the Highlanders, who dashed forward, and amidst the greatest uproar and confusion drove out of the village those they did not bayonet or capture. The 50th in rear were not idle, and secured the prisoners.

Gerard, who was a brave officer, made the best disposition in his power; he formed the infantry in two large squares just outside the village, where the roads branch off to Merida and Medellin, with the cavalry on the left flank of one of them. The 71st extended, lining the walls of the village gardens and vineyards, and peppered their antagonists in good style, having skirmishers opposed to them, who returned their fire most briskly. On getting to the end of the village, Colonel Cameron found a considerable opening between the vineyards, which admitted about one-half of the battalion in column. The fire of the French riflemen annoyed the head of the column considerably, nor could they advance without being exposed to the fire of the 71st. The men were ordered not to fire, which, says an officer, "was extremely galling to the soldiers, who saw their officers and comrades falling around them, but knowing that the success of an enterprise often depends on the manner in which such orders are attended to, the Highlanders, with a patience not very peculiar to their countrymen, waited the arrival of the decisive moment."

Quoting again from Colonel Cameron's letter to General Hope" However, we got the 71st to cease firing, and to allow us to advance. As each company had cleared the opening, I caused them to deploy to the right into line with the utmost rapidity, as we were then in the presence of the French square of five battalions, which I proposed charging the moment my line was formed. Three companies were scarcely in line when the French square moved off, throwing out a cloud of skirmishers to impede our advance. By this time the other British brigade, composed of the 28th, 34th, and 39th, the British cavalry and Portuguese artillery, having got round the town, were coming up upon their left flank, and the whole followed in pursuit. Your regiment (General Hope was colonel of the 92nd) conducted themselves much to my satisfaction during the whole time, and under the trying circumstances of not one firelock in ten giving fire when attempted to be used." After mentioning that he had been wounded in the hand while preparing to charge, and had his finger amputated "after the business was over"-" poor Captain Donald MacDonald is most dangerously wounded, having his left leg broke, and wounded under the right knee. Captain John Macpherson severely through the left wrist, but in no danger; Major Dunbar is also wounded; we had three men killed and seven wounded. The Light Company was not in action, being in occupation of a village some little distance in rear under Lieut.-Colonel M'Donnell. I am not aware what people in Britain will think of this business, but this corps of the army fancy that having obtained such results with so small a loss renders it unique of its kind, particularly on comparison with the fatal and miserable battle of Albuera."

Another officer describes how, as the Highlanders were forming for the charge, the French troops showed something like a wavering in their squares, and, declining the honour intended for them, wheeled to the right about and retired towards the steep hill in their rear. He mentions that there were several wonderful escapes, and that Colonel Cameron's life was saved by the hilt of his sword.* The captain of

* Colonel Cameron sent the sword home in December. It is now at Callart, in the possession of his great-niece, Mrs Cameron Lucy. It had been

the Grenadier Company having been wounded, the senior lieutenant, on assuming command of it, made a false movement in deploying, which the Colonel perceiving, he repeated his order in a voice of thunder, and, as was his custom when displeased, he struck his left breast with his right hand, which grasped his sword. The last word of his orders had just been spoken, and his hand had hardly touched his breast, when a rifle bullet shattered the middle finger, passed through the handle of the sword, and struck the breast so violently that, thinking he was shot through the body, he relinquished the command to Major Mitchell; but, recovering directly from the faintness, again took his place with his hand streaming with blood and the finger dangling by the skin, and remained at the head of his Highlanders to the close of the action.

The guns, having been brought up, made havoc in the French ranks as the 92nd and 71st re-formed and advanced; our dragoons and hussars charged and dispersed their cavalry with great loss, but Gerard, wounded though he was, kept his infantry together and continued his retreat along the Truxillo road. The right column of the British was, however, already there, the artillery and cavalry were close on the French flank, the victorious Highlanders were coming fast behind him, his men were falling by fifties. Gerard's position was desperate, yet he would not surrender; but, giving the word to disperse, endeavoured to escape by scaling the almost inaccessible rocks which overhung the road. The 39th and Portuguese turned the mountain by the Truxillo road, while the 28th and 34th Regiments, led by General Howard, followed the enemy, scrambling up the rocks and taking prisoners at every step. An officer of the right column says " Our share of the business among the rocks was a scene of laughter and diversion rather than of bloodshed and peril, for though some of the enemy's Grenadiers discharged their muskets at us before they broke them, the danger was too inconsiderable to be thought of."

The 34th had here an amusing experience of French.

a present from his friend the paymaster, son of Mr Gordon, of Croughly, in Strathaven, a family who have given several officers to the Gordon Highlanders.

character. They were leading up the mountain, and got mixed up with the French regiment of the same number, whose officers, as they tendered their swords on being made prisoners, embraced the officers of the British 34th, saying"Ah, messieurs, nous sommes des frères, nous sommes du trente-quatrieme régiment tous deux." "Vous êtes des braves." "Les Anglais se battent toujours avec loyauté et traitent bien leurs prisonniers." 'Ah, messieurs, la fortune de la guerre est bien capricieuse."

The 92nd and other British regiments desisted from the pursuit only because they, with knapsacks and arms, could not overtake the 600 Frenchmen who alone escaped with Gérard by throwing away their arms and accoutrements.

Gérard's troops were said to be the finest then in Spain, and selected for his expedition, and, as Napier remarks, their resolution not to surrender in such an appalling situation was no mean proof of their excellence.

No enterprise during the war was better planned or executed, and Hill's Division rejoiced in the triumph of their general, which, to one of his humane disposition, was the more grateful that such solid success was gained with little loss to his troops. General Gérard's Corps was almost totally destroyed or dispersed, and the trophies of the action were 1300 prisoners, including the cavalry General Le Brun, Colonel the Prince d'Aremberg,† who was a connection of Napoleon, Lieut.-Colonel Voirol and another lieut.-colonel, Gérard's aide-de-camp, one commissary and thirty captains and subalterns. All the artillery, waggons, baggage, ammunition, and numbers of horses and mules were also taken; in the baggage was the military chest with a large sum of money, and another chest with all the paraphernalia of the Order of Masonry.

"Recollections of the Peninsula." "Ah, gentlemen, we are brothers; we are both of the 34th Regiment." "You are brave men.' "The British always fight loyally and treat their prisoners well." Ah, gentlemen, the fortune of war is very capricious."

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"The Prince d'Aremberg is a great card, being a member of the Confederation of the Rhine and a Prince of the Imperial family."- Letter from Wellington to Hill.

NOTE. -Aroused by the sound of the pipes, the Prince came out half dressed, when a sergeant of the 92nd seized him. He resisted, but the sergeant,