APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



223 



which succeeded in inducing the 

 enemy to believe that we should 

 not attack the forts near the 

 bridge, until we had formed the 

 pass, and thus have made way 

 for our artillery. The Lieutenant- 

 General conducted this operation, 

 as well as his former advance, 

 entirely to my satisfaction. I re- 

 gret much that the peculiar situa- 

 tion of Mirabete should have pre- 

 vented my allowing the gallant 

 corps under his orders to follow up 

 an operation which they had com- 

 menced with much spirit, and 

 were so anxious to complete. 



I cannot too strongly express 

 how much I ara sati^fied with the 

 conduct of Major-General Howard 

 through the whole of this opera- 

 tion, the most arduous part of 

 which has fallen to his share ; and 

 particularlj' of the manner in which 

 he led his brigade to the assault. 

 He was ably assisted by his staff, 

 Brigade Major Wemyss, of the 

 50th, and Lieutenant Battersby, of 

 the 23rd Light Dragoons. 



To Major-General Long I ara 

 also indebted for his assistance, 

 although his column was not im- 

 mediately engaged. 



Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart and 

 Major Harrison, of the 50th, and 

 Major Cother, of the 71st, com- 

 manded the three attacks, and led 

 them in a most gallant and spirited 

 manner. 



I have received the greatest as- 

 sistance from Lieut.-Col. Dickson, 

 of the Royal Artillery, whom, 

 with a brigade of 24'pounders, a 

 company of British and one of 

 Portuguese artillery, your Lordship 

 was pleased to put under my or- 

 ders. Circumstances did not per- 

 mit his guns being brought into 

 play ; but his exertions and those 

 of hit officers and men, during 



the attack and destruction of the 

 place, were unwearied. In the 

 latter service, Lieut. Thiele, of 

 the Royal German artillery, was 

 blown up ; and we have to regret 

 in him a most gallant officer : he 

 had particularly distinguished him- 

 self in the assault. Lieut. Wright, 

 of the Ro3'al Engineers, has also 

 rendered me very essential service ; 

 he is a most intelligent, gallant, 

 and meritorious officer ; and I 

 must not omit also to mention 

 Lieut. Hillier,; of the 29th regi- 

 ment, whose knowledge of this 

 part of the country proved of great 

 assistance. 



Your Lordship will observe, 

 from the return of ordnance and 

 stores which 1 have the honour to 

 inclose, that Almaraz had been 

 considered by the enemy in the 

 light of a most important station ; 

 and I am happy to state, that its 

 destruction has been most com- 

 plete. The towers of masonry 

 which were in Forts Napoleon and 

 Ragusa have been entirely levelled ; 

 tlie ramparts of both in great mea- 

 sure destroyed, and the whole ap- 

 paratus of the bridge, together 

 with the work-shops, magazines, 

 and every piece of timber which 

 could be found, entirely destroyed. 



A colour belonging to the 4th 

 battaUon of the Corps Etranger 

 was taken by the 7ist regiment, 

 and I shall have the honour of for- 

 warding it to your Lordship. 



Our loss has not been severe, 

 considering the circumstances un- 

 der which the attack was made. 

 I inclose a list of the killed and 

 wounded. Captain Chandler, of 

 the 50th regiment (the only offi- 

 cer killed in the assault) has, I am 

 sorry to say, left a large family to 

 deplore his loss. He was one of 

 the first to mount the ladder, and 



fell 



