HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



185 



on tlie right bank of the Agueda, 

 and by another under Junocon the 

 left. A detachment was sent from 

 the corps under Junot, towards St. 

 Felix, to watch and check the mo- 

 tions of the enemy and cover ail 

 the operations of the siege. Bat- 

 teries were erected by the artillery. 

 Theapproacheswereniadethrough 

 difficult ground compo.ed of va- 

 rious strata, sometimes through 

 solid rock, and streamlets of run- 

 ing water. In the morning of 

 the 25th of June a fire was open- 

 ed on Ciudad Kodrigo, from 46 

 pieces of battering cannon, which 

 soon obtained an advantage over 

 that of the garrison. But the 

 Spaniards, wlio had a very numer- 

 ous artillery, brought different 

 pieces into play, and poured a 

 shower of shells and bullets from 

 mortars and obuses on the assail- 

 ants, who in order to cover their 

 advances, found it necessary to 

 attack two convents, which were 

 taken and retaken several times, 

 and not kept by the French at last 

 until they were partly burnt. Pos- 

 session was then obtained of the 

 suburb St. Francis, after an ob- 

 stinate resistance, and several sor- 

 ties. On the 28th, great damage 

 having been done to the walls, the 

 governor, don Andrew Herrasty, 

 wassummonedto surrender, buthe 

 refused to capitulate. Both the 

 garrison and inhabitants, roused by 

 the monks to a high pitch of re- 

 ligious enthusiasm, appeared de- 

 termined to stand out to the last 

 extremity. The firing was then 

 recommenced with increased fury. 

 Batteries were erected nearer the 

 walls, in both of h Inch a practi- 



cable breach, from 15 to 18 fa- 

 thoms in width, was made on the 

 9th of July, in the night of which 

 the explosion of a mine threw the 

 counterscarp into the ditch. This 

 breach being discovered about 

 4. o'clock, P. M. of the 10th, it 

 was instantly mounted amidst the 

 cries of vive I'Empere ,;", by three 

 gallant soldiers, who poured the 

 contents of their firelocks among 

 the garrison : whose fire, which 

 had become feeble for some hours, 

 now entirely ceased. Tiie besieg- 

 ers were marching in columns to 

 the assault, when the white flag 

 appeared. The garrison sur- 

 rendered at discretion. The 

 French were struck with the ap- 

 pearance of subversion and ruin 

 wherever they turned their eyes. 

 Scarcely was a house to be seen 

 entire, or without some trace of 

 the furious siege it had undergone. 

 Of the troopsand inhabitants 2,000 

 were killed. The garrison, to the 

 number of 7,000 deposited their 

 arms in the arsenal. There was 

 found at Ciudad Rodrigo 125 

 piecesof ordnance.mostly bronze, 

 200,000 weight of powder ; and 

 more than a million of cartouches 

 for infantry. * 



The brave garrison of Ciudad 

 Rodrigo was sent to France : but 

 scarcely the half, it was loudly 

 affirmed, ever reached that desti- 

 nation. A great number died of 

 fatigue, and when they had be- 

 come so weak as to be incapable 

 of keeping pace with their escort 

 they were shot. We have seen 

 that this was declared to be the 

 practice of the French by the duke 

 of Albuquerque, who had the best 



• The Prince of Essling to tiie Prince of Ncufchatcl, Camp before Ciudad 

 RodiiKo, 12th July, ISIO. 



