proached. Many volunteers from the other divisions of the army had joined
the fifth division, and, notwithstanding the bravery of the troops, and the
judicious arrangements of Sir James Leith, as they advanced they were mowed
down like grass by the musketry of the defenders, particularly from the horn-work, and the shell and grape shot from the batteries of the castle. The storm had now become a desperate one; but the presence of their commander,
who stood in a commanding and most exposed situation, about thirty yards in advance of the debouche from the trenches, and who conducted the attack in a truly heroic style, inspired them with unshaken confidence as they
threaded their way through the large masses of the wall thrown down by the explosion of two mines; and general Robinson's brigade advanced to the breach,
although for a long time no one outlived the attempt to gain the ridge of the
wall. As they filed onwards they stumbled over their prostrate companions;
and so great was the slaughter, that Sir James was obliged to send a staff officer with directions to remove the dead and the dying for the passage of the troops. About the same time, Sir James Leith was thrown to the earth in an insensible
state by the rebound of a plunging shot which had struck the ground; but refusing to quit the field, he continued to issue his orders in his usual precise and energetic manner, and while he was himself stooping to the ground cheered forward his troops.
Major-general Hay's division, consisting of the Royals, ninth and thirty-eighth regiments, and a column of Portuguese infantry, forded the Urumea, and reached the lesser breach, under a very heavy and destructive fire. The British had persevered under a most murderous shower of round shot, grape, and musketry, to force an entrance into the town for two hours; and general Robinson's brigade had ascended to the crest, where he was severely wounded, whilst a fire of artillery had been directed against the curtain, passing only a few feet over their heads on the breach, which produced an immediate and advantageous effect. But although the exterior wall was completely beaten down, together with the houses fronting the interior, the inner retaining wall which added greatly to the strength of the curtain, was as perfect and perpendicular as at first, varying from sixteen to thirty-five feet of altitude from the level of the town. Forty-seven pieces of heavy ordnance, playing from the choffres and hills, over the heads of the British troops, a mode of attack which evinced the resolution and self-confidence of colonel Dickson and Sir Thomas Graham, who had recourse to it, as well as the skill of the British artillery, dispersed the fire of musketry, soon dismounted all the guns but two, and had the effect of driving the enemy back. To descend into the town by the breaches was yet found impracticable, for the enemy had constructed traverses, behind which were stationed French grenadiers, who put to death in safety the gallant soldiers, as they attempted the passage, capable of admitting only one at a time; and yet their commander was convinced, and by his personal courage had shown that he was so, that British troops were invincible, and would do what human power could accomplish. A great explosion had taken place along the line of the wall, of fire barrels, live shells, and hand grenades, which had been placed in rear of the traverses by the besieged, and cleared it of the enemy. Under the panic occasioned by this catastrophe, the soldiers of general Hay's brigade, now commanded by colonel Greville, the Royal Scots, and ninth regiment, under colonel Cameron, entered by the passage along the curtain, close to the exterior wall, which was capable of admitting only one at a time; and charging the enemy at the point of the bayonet, down the flight of steps which led from the cavalier bastion, entered the town, and maintained their ground. Sir James Leith, who had long directed the progress of the
