126 SWABEY DIARY. 
Almeida was by this means discovered. Next morning 14 Spaniards, 
all men of respectability, were hung 
24th Januwary.—Dyneley returned with Fa ane whi alos fon mean 
quarters, his wound proves to be a mere scratch . . . 
oth January.—Heard complaints of our soldiers at Rodriwor “fhe 
conduct appears to have been highly licentious. 
The works are being restored and the 5th division holds the place 
till it is fit to give up to the Spaniards. 
“The duration of the siege was twelve days, or half the time 
originally calculated upon by Iiord Wellington. The manner 
in which he assaulted the place before the fire of the defence 
had been in any way lessened, and before the counterscarp 
had been blown in, were the true causes of its sudden fall. 
Both the military and political state of affairs warranted this 
neglect of rules. The assault was confined to the 3rd and 
light divisions. ‘The great breach was cut off from the town 
by a perpendicular descent of 16 feet, and the bottom was 
planted with sharp spikes, and strewn with live shell; the 
houses behind were all loop-holed and garnished with mus- 
keteers, and on the flanks there were cuts, not indeed very 
deep or wide, and the French had left the temporary bridges 
over them, but behind were parapets so powerfully defended 
that it was said that the 3rd division could never have carried 
them had not the hght division from the smaller breach taken 
the enemy in flank. The French fought bravely in the breach 
and by their side many British deserters, desperate men, were 
bayonetted. The French lost 300 men, and 1500 prisoners 
were taken. The loss of the allies was 2 generals, 90 officers 
and about 1200 men.” 
“The excesses committed by the allied troops were very disgrace- 
ful, throwing off all the restraints of discipline the soldiers 
were not to be controlled. The town was fired in three or 
four places, the men menaced their officers, and shot each 
other; many were killed in the market-place, intoxication 
soon increased the tumult, disorder everwhere prevailed, and 
at last the fury rising to absolute madness, a fire was wilfully 
lighted in the middle of the great magazine, when the town 
and all in it would have been blown to atoms, but for the 
energetic courage of some officers, and a few soldiers who still 
preserved their senses.1 The Spanish people were allies and 
1 Captain William Jones (Jack Jones of Busaco celebrity) made himself remarkable immediately 
after the assault of Ciudad Rodrigo. A French officer having surrendered to Jones, Jack made use 
of him somewhat as Valentine is represented to have used Orson—to show quarters for his men— 
and having placed some of them in a large store, the French officer led the way into the church, in 
front of which Lord Wellington and some of the staff were collected. Some fire had been lighted 
already (supposed by Portuguese soldiers) on the pavement, and the Frenchman entering and seeing 
the fire, instantly started back, exclaiming ‘Sacré bleu!’ and ran out with looks of utmost horror. 
Jones not understanding French did not catch the idea:  Sacré bleu’ puzzled him, until going fur- 
ther in,he saw powder “about the floor and powder barrels near the fire. ‘ Saeré bleu’ became at 
once identified with powder, and he immediately got the help of two or three of his men (whose 
names are not known), and carried with his own hands the powder barrels out of the way of 
immediate danger. This deed passed unrequited at the time: let the memory of it now receive our 
admiration.” Extract from Record of 52nd Light Infantry. 
