MILITARY MKM6I11S. 327 



the other over our poor comrade, and with sore hearts left him. About 

 nine next morning, I was aroused from a sound sleep by a soldier of the 

 regiment. He told me that a corpse had been brought in by some Spa- 

 niards, who said it was that of an English officer ; upon which I instantly 

 got up, and limped down stairs as well as I could (for I had been wounded 

 by a spent grape-shot about the middle of the action), when, shocking to 

 relate, I saw the body of poor Bennet brought in a bread-bag. He was 

 still breathing. The dust from the bread, which had almost filled his nos- 

 trils, mouth, and eyes, I quickly removed with a sponge and water. His 

 usual placid smile was still upon his countenance ; but no sooner had this 

 last friendly office been performed, than our lamented comrade, with a 

 deep sigh, expired." 



The wound which our gallant author received, is modestly de- 

 scribed in a note, which we transcribe : 



" About the middle of the action I was struck in the right thigh by a 

 spent grape-shot, and was sent head over heels cut of the ranks. For a 

 short time I remained stunned, and a report was given out that I was 

 killed, when Lieutenant Potter took the command of my company. How- 

 ever, I soon recovered, by the assistance of a fine old soldier of the name 

 of Gough, my right-hand man, who had a canteen of water (a precious 

 thing at such a time), which he poured upon my face, and in about ten 

 minutes, I was able to rejoin my company. On returning to the right, and 

 touching Lieutenant Potter on the shoulder, it created in him no little as- 

 tonishment to see me, as it were, arisen from the dead." 



The following anecdote has a religious solemnity, and at the same 

 time an intense solemnity which we greatly admire. Those Germans 

 must have been models of soldiers. So affectionate, so musical, and 

 so gallant, what an army must not such men have made ! 



" The conduct of the two squadrons of the 2d German hussars was 

 truly fine. It was a curious thing, that the French cavalry were in the 

 same proportion to them that the infantry were to us, more than double. 

 They were led to the charge on the hill in the most gallant manner by Co- 

 lonel the Hon. F. Ponsoriby (now Governor of Malta). Three times did 

 they go through and through the enemy, doing terrible execution, until 

 they completely routed them. The hussars suffered a great loss in Cap- 

 tain Busche, who was mortally wounded, arid died three days afterwards 

 in the same hospital in which our wounded officers were placed, at the 

 Isla de Leon. I shall never forget the night before this brave officer was 

 buried. The whole of his men stood round the coffin in the deepest grief, 

 saying they had lost their father; they sate up all the night singing hymns, 

 the whole joining. It was the most touching scene of devotion that we had 

 ever witnessed ; it would have melted the stoutest heart. At the siege of 

 Copenhagen, while we were under arms one morning, a little before sun- 

 rise, I remember this same regiment of Germans passing us. At first we 

 could not conceive what delightful sounds were approaching, and to our 

 surprise, we found it was the whole of them singing the morning hymn, 

 led by the colonel !" 



These extracts will afford, we trust, a good idea of the matter of 

 the work from which they have been copied almost at random, and 

 also of the manner in which it has been produced. For ourselves, 

 we can say with sincerity that we have not for a long time met with 

 a volume, which has impressed us with so favourable an opinion of 

 the man, and at the same time made us think so much better than we 

 had done of the military profession. The severest thing we shall 



