THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
411 
and as we are in expectation of orders to form the Board to carry on a course of 
mortar practice early in the spring, any article or those necessary for any other 
practice will necessarily be at hand. The month of the river Debin (four miles 
from Sutton Heath) affords a good point to land stores at j with our horse artillery 
draft horses there is every facility to forward ordnance and stores to the place of 
practice. 
I have been very desirous of having mortar practice, of which I have seen none 
yet on a scale of anything like sufficient magnitude. 
I think you mentioned to me some time since, that you had been trying on 
Marlborough Downs a mortar with a parabolic chamber, and that it had ranged 
much beyond those in general use. I should be glad to hear any particulars you 
will favour me with, respecting this mortar, or any other improvement you may 
have lately made in our arm. 
In case you would commit to our care the carrying on any experiments, you may 
depend on the greatest care and conformity to any instructions which you may give. 
I write in great haste to save the post. 
Yours sincerely, 
(Signed) AUG. S. PEAZEB,. 
There is a longer range on Sutton Heath than the Drench range at Cadiz. 
Patterns not yet settled, says Lieutenant J. Sinclair, B.A. 
Head Quarters, St Yincents, near Elvas, July 4, 1811, “I gave your 
paper to Major May to read, and several of the captains have taken copies 
of it. The Major says that neither your new shells nor white fuzes ever 
came to hand. * ' * * 
“ I have since learnt that the case shot was used both at Puente d'honor 
and Albuera with the greatest effect.” 
One feels sorry that all the captains did not take copies of “ it.” Perhaps 
they might have done more good had they done so. “ White fuzes ” I 
know nothing about. 
Albuera was one of the toughest fights we have ever fought. May, 1811. 
The Drench under Soult placed fifteen thousand men and thirty guns within 
ten minutes march of Beresford's right wing. A feint attack in front, a 
real attack on the right, and Beresford had to change front to the right. 
No encouraging alacrity this time on the part of our allies. But the Drench 
column never deployed! an enormous unwieldly mass. Southey, the 
historian* says (authority not given), “that the Drench at Albuera suffered 
much from shrapnel during their retreat.” 
Napier says, “ The British had no trophy to boast of, but the horrid piles 
of carcasses within their lines told with dreadful eloquence who were the 
conquerors.” The loss of the allies was about 7000 men, of the Drench 
about 9000.— Annals . 
A cavalry combat . Captain E. C. Cocks, 16th Dragoons, 6th July, 1810, 
says, “'Our artillery were served very well, and with considerable effect. I 
saw several shrapnels burst in the middle of the enemy’s squadron,” &c. 
At the passage of the Tordesillas, July 2, 1812, the enemy's rear guard, 
composed of infantry and cavalry, was attacked by our horse artillery* 
Surtees says, “ Some of our horse artillery came up and fired shrapnel shells 
into it, which did considerable execution; our shell particularly having 
killed and wounded great numbers, among whom was an officer, I think 
one of the handsomest men I have ever seen,” &c. 
