452 LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS DYNELEY, C.B., R.A. 
suppose, he had given me pretty nearly a forlorn hope. However, I 
had but little to do, for very shortly after his Lordship himself came 
upon the hill and ordered the other four guns up for the purpose of 
making an attack from thence upon another hill the enemy occupied 
about 800 yards in our front, which was done by two Portuguese regi- 
ments whom the enemy allowed to gain the height and then repulsed 
with heavy loss, and absolutely followed them within 300 yards of our 
guns, when our canister came into play most beautifully, and they did 
not advance many steps further. They got four guns upon the opposite 
hill several times, but we beat them off each time before they were able 
to fire their second round. We fired that day 492 rounds, nearly the 
whole of which was on columns at not more than 800 yards distant. 
When the French came down from the hill after the Portuguese, they 
had a party following them without arms for the purpose of plundering, 
and I myself saw them strip our wounded naked; however, I am sorry 
to say we, 2.e. the Portuguese, are just as bad, for in riding over the 
field a short time after, I found the poor wretches of Frenchmen lying 
in every direction without a stitch of clothing on. The guerrillas, you 
hear so much of are dreadful fellows for this work. If they find an 
unfortunate straggler alone they instantly put him to death, strip him 
and leave him.. Every day, as we march through the country, we find 
Frenchmen in the standing corn, they had fallen in the rear from sick- 
ness, and remained there two or three days until our troops came up 
and then surrendered themselves. 
Yes, I have seen Master Robin! several times. I shall be most ex- 
ceedingly annoyed if, before this, you have not seen his name in large 
characters in the Gazette. I should much like to be in the Warren? 
when Sergeant Clark brought the newspaper down, I only hope your 
father’s spectacles will not have been mislaid.* I can fancy I see my- 
self ag in old times holding the candle for him. I shall have the most 
infinite pleasure in communicating to my friend Bob the happy state 
his kit isin. The last time I saw him he was complaining dreadfully 
of his baggage having been sent eight leagues to the rear of Salamanca, 
he had not a single article with him but what he stood in, and he 
was wishing he had brought out more things from England. Now I 
shall be able to set his mind at ease by telling him “that fellow 
William ’?3 is into the heart of his kit. Do you remember George 
showing “the Captain” up for having the General’s best shoes out 
a-shooting ; he never forgets any little kindness that is shown him, he 
reminded me the first time I saw him of my attention to him at 
Bloomsbury Square. 
Roda, August 4th.— We marched from our quarter in the middle of 
last night, and arrived here this morning at seven o’clock. Mr, 
Joseph, with his whole force, having taken his departure for Madrid, 
our “ observers”? entered the town of Segovia, but we have not since 
had any communications with them. 
1 Robert Douglas. 
2 The quarters in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. $ 
3 Captain William Douglas, Royal Engineers. He is also mentioned in letter No. 1V.—Ed. 
