, 1843-03-04
SIX
OF THE STORMING OF BADAJOZ.

The day was fine, and all the soldier.
IN good spirits, cleaning ,hem>elve:
as 1t for a review. About two O'Clock
| saw poor Harvest; he was sucking
an orange, and walking on a rising
ground. alone, and very thoughtful
1t gave me pain, as | knew he was &c
lead the forlorn hope. He observed
My mind is made up; | am SURF tc
be killed"
At halfpast eight o'clock that nigh,
the ranks were formed, and the roll
called in an nnder-tone. Lieutenant.
Colonel MLeod spoke long and earn.
e>tly 10 the regiment before it joined
the division. expressing the utmost
confidence in the result Of the attack.
and finished by repeating, that he left
it TO the honour of I'll persons 10 pre-
serve discipline, and not 10 commit
any cruelty 20 the poor Inhabitants OF
The town.
The division drew up in the most
profound silence behind the large
quarry, three hundred yards from the
breaches. A small stream separated
us from the fourth division. At ten
Il carcase was thrown from the town
this was a most beautiful fire-work,
and Illuminated The ground for m1ny
huncred ,ards-two or three fire
balls followed, and falling in differ
ent directions showed a bright light.
and remained burning. The s,illaeSs
that followed was the prelude TO one
OF the strangeSt scenes that the in
~agina'ion of man can conceive.
Soon after ten o'clock little whis-
periag announced that the forlorn
hope were stealing forward, followed
by the ~storn;ng parties, composed of
three hundred men, Zone hundred
from each regiment o. the brigade;l
in two minutes the division !oiiowed;
one mnskct shot. no m0rc, was fired
near the breaches by a French soldier
who was on the look out; we gained
or, und leisureIy. but silently; there
were no obstacles. The SGD, 43d
and 95th, closed gradually up 10 col
umn of q1atter distance, left in front;
all was flushed, and the town lay
buried in gloom; the ladders were
placed on the edge of the ditch.
when suddenly an explosion took
place at the foot Of the breaches, and
Il burst OF light disclosed the whole
scene-the earth seemel to rock IN
derus-uhat a sight! The ramparts
crowded with The enemy; the French
soldiers standing on the parapcts; the
fourth division advancing rapidly in
column of companies on a hall circle
to our right, while the short-llved
glare from the barrels OF powder and
combusribIes flying in the air, gave
to friends and foes a look rs if both
bodies of troops were laughing at
each other.
A tremendous firing now opened
on us, and for en- instant we were
stationary; but the troops were no
pGys dauntea. The ladders were
found exactly opposite the centre
breach. and the whole division rush
ed 10 the assault with amazing reso-
luton. There was no check. The
soldiers flew down the ladders, and
the cheering from both sides was fall
Of confidence.
While descending the ladders into
the ditch, a soldier of the SD, in the
hurry, growied out a hearty curse,
and was very angry at my preceding
him. and furious blows were exchang.
ed amongst the troops in their eager
ness 10 get forward; while the grape
shot and musquetry tore open their
ranks. The first offcerI happened
to see down was Captain Ferguson.
who had led on our storming party
here. and at Rodrigo; he was lying
to the right of the ladders, with a
wound on the head, and holdings
handkerchief in his grasp.
snatched it out OF its hand, and tied
il round his head. The French were
then handing over the fire-balls,
produced a sort of revolving
|inht. The ditch was very wide, and
when arrived at the foot of the cen.
ire breach, eighty or ninety men
we're formed. One cried out. "Who
will leadg' This was the work of a
Death. and the most dread
Ful sounds and cries encompassed us.
L was a volcano! Up we went;
,ome killed, and others lmpaled on
Inc bayonents of their own comrades
Or hurled headlong amongst the out
-ageous crowd. |
The cheraur-defr ise looked like in
Vulnerable bayonents. when with
q a yard Of the top, my sensations
mos, extraordinary; | felt half 6