Passages from a Military Journal* 277 



whole body of the imperial infantry, we drew swiftly off, and once 

 more wheeled round our own gallant red-coats,who"were now pushing 

 forward from the trees, and peppering brilliantly upon the whole 

 face of the already half- shattered building. 



An interval of about twenty minutes. 



From the now constant reports of the artillery on the other side, I 

 knew that the new battery had arrived and were already in heat of 

 action. 



Orders were now issued along the line of British infantry to push 

 on in column, descend the declivity, ascend the opposite side, under 

 the shot of the enemy, and storm the centre tower, forcing the place 

 by either blowing up the gates or scaling the walls in front; ladders 

 for the purpose having been despatched from the main body. 



An aide gave directions to the officer in command of the artillery 

 to cease firing for a short time, in order to let the smoke clear par- 

 tially away and enable the officers to see a little about them. The 

 enemy's fire had intermitted for some minutes, and only a few drop- 

 ping shots fell from the walls. 



The three troops of hussars were directed to dismount, quit their 

 horses, and follow in the rear of the four companies of infantry. In 

 the event of a lodgement being effected, we were destined to follow 

 up the blow, secure the breach, and cut off all straggling parties of 

 the enemy. 



The artillery were directed to reserve their fire until an order was 

 sent to them to re-open. After a round had been fired, the whole 

 corps of infantry was to descend the bank and storm the tower in the 

 centre of the building. The hussars were to follow close, leaving 

 their horses under the charge of a portion of their number. 



An interval in the attack now took place. The officers in command 

 were organizing the light-bobs for the grand attempt, and were pre- 

 paring to put themselves at the head of the advance. The guns and 

 musketry on both sides were silent, and the smoke had cleared quite 

 away only to sweep more strongly over the scene. 



At length all the arrangements were complete. The officers in 

 command galloped to the head of the column, and an aide dashed 

 along the edge of the declivity with orders for the artillery to com- 

 mence a hot and well-continued fire. 



All was again bustle among the artillery ; sponges, charges, and 

 port-fires again in active service. The bang of the first gun rung on 

 the atmosphere, and the globe of smoke which shot from its mouth, 

 expanding as it flew along the ground, rolled quickly out into wreath- 

 ing clouds, and at each increasing circle obscured a greater space. 

 The column began to move. They had orders to descend in com- 

 panies, the rearmost keeping up a lively fusilade upon the walls until 

 it came to their turn to descend. Our first gun was answered by the 

 musketry of the enemy, which rattled from to angle to angle 

 with the most untiring ardour, and was succeeded by the louder re- 

 ports of the ordnance. Clouds upon clouds of smoke were rolling-, 

 circling, and drifting to and fro, sweeping from the shattered walls 

 towards our faces, and meeting those which poured continually from 

 the wood on the right, where the artillery had now become invisible, 



