Passages from a Military Journal. 279 



A heavy crash now shook the ground ; part of the wall had fallen, 

 and made the best breach one could desire. A shout came upon our 

 ears out of the rolling clouds of smoke, towards which we were 

 pressing. Crack I crack ! rattle, rattle ! a destructive fusilade 

 now commenced upon the whole front of the building, to clear the 

 parapets of their defenders. 



A few yards further and we were close upon the building. I 

 looked back, but could see nothing of the declivity, and only a file 

 of grim faces black with the smoke, and darting hasty glances on 

 the walls above, the arrowy track of the balls and the falling forms 

 of their crying comrades. Smoke was driving heavily out of the 

 breach ; but our musketeers were pressing through with the most 

 glorious alacrity. The fusilade was still kept hard up upon the walls, 

 and many bodies were tumbling down, pierced with balls or struck 

 with the flying bricks and tiles. The British artillery now ceased 

 their fire, through the fear of injuring their own men under the 

 walls, and storming through the breach. The engineers at this mo- 

 ment came up and assailed the gates. After battering at them for a 

 few minutes another method was adopted, and they were blown up ! 

 The infantry swept through, bayonets fixed, and in full cry. The 

 hussars were now up both with the breach and gates, and dispersing 

 themselves about, so as to secure the entrances, cut down a few 

 stragglers who were under the walls, and firing now and then upon 

 the storming party. 



Our station was for the future to be the moulh of the breach, in 

 which, however, there did not remain much more to effect. Gasping 

 and wounded soldiers were lying about, some of whom I directed a 

 portion of my men to raise and carry from the scene of carnage. 

 The walls above us, as well as the angles of the building, were 

 deserted, and the guns which had been mounted left standing. The 

 moment we had forced the building, the first line of defences was 

 abandoned by the enemy, who betook themselves to the rear of the 

 convent, in hopes by keeping up a fire on us to effect a safe retreat, 

 if they could not prevent the position falling into our hands. Shots 

 and huzzas were still ringing within the area of the convent, and the 

 smoke was rolling over its roofs. The artillery also recommenced 

 a fire on both flanks of the edifice, where some straggling walls 

 might have afforded shelter to the imperial infantry. The ground 

 on each side was swept by the fire of the British artillery, so that a 

 retreat could only be effected from the rear of the building itself. 



After an interval of about twenty minutes, the firing dropped off 

 into scattered and retiring shots ; the smoke began to subside, and 

 it was announced to me that the whole position was in the hands of 



his majesty's forces. Major B at this moment came up to the 



place where I was standing, and after directing the three troops of 

 hussars to return to the opposite side of the fosse, enquired how we 

 had fared in the assault. 



" Not over well, I fear, Major," said I, " but 1 shall know when 

 our muster roll is called over. You are untouched, I see." 



" Et vous, aussi, won ami" he returned. 



" Yes ! under favour of Providence. You have beaten the French 

 out." 



