night, when we reached the camp of Doninos, and were obliged to encamp upon ploughed ground. The storm burst over Salamanca soon after our departure, and while crossing the river we beheld her lofty turrets encircled with lightning. A more awful thunder storm I never before remember to have witnessed.

22d. The day had scarcely dawned when we were roused by a sharp firing of musketry on the banks of the Tormes, in the direction of Santa Martha. During the night the enemy had passed the whole of his force (excepting one division) over to this side of the river, and was now disputing with our troops the possession of two very high hills, called the Sisters-Arapiles, from their exact likeness to each other, situated on the right of a position which they had taken in front of a large wood. The enemy succeeded in occupying one of these hills, but the other was held by a brigade of Portuguese troops under Brigadier-Gen. Pack, and formed the extreme left of the position, which our divisions were ordered to occupy. The two hostile armies having thus at length

posted themselves within cannon-shot of each other, an engagement seemed inevitable, and at ten o'clock the head-quarters and army-baggage were ordered to fall back into the woods near Aldea Guella de Boveda, as the enemy's intention seemed to be, by an extension of his left, to cut off our retreat upon Ciudad Rodrigo. It was one of the hottest days I can remember, and at noon not a breath of air was found to move a leaf of the trees. The troops being all under arms in an open position, were anxious to engage the bold and enterprizing enemy.

BATTLE OF SALAMANCA,

Wednesday, July 22d, 1812.

The twenty-second was the day,

And be that day revered,

When ranged near fifty thousand strong,
The hostile force appeared.

His numbers far beneath the foe
Our Hero sought to cheer;

Th' unequal force brave Wellington
Disdain'd to feel or fear.

Fierce was the fight of that dread day,

And long continued so;

Till Marmont wounded fled the field-
Then terror struck the foe.

The two armies had faced each other all the morning, neither of them seeming willing to commence the attack; but about 3 o'clock in the afternoon the enemy was ob served to be strengthening and extending his left, and information was brought that the division which he had left at Babila Fuente, on the other side of the Tormes,

was passing the river. In anticipation of these movements, the 3d division, under the command of Major-General Pakenham (which when the army passed the river last night, remained to observe the French division at Babila Fuente), had received orders to withdraw quietly from its position on that side of the river, assemble on the bridge of Salamanca, and instead of joining the left or centre of our army, as might have been expected, from being nearest, to march away to our extreme right, where the enemy anticipated no such opposition, and were actually moving with the apparent view of turning our right, when thì division (which but a few hours before they knew to be several leagues distant, and on the opposite side of the river), met them with its usual spirit, and drove them back at the point of the bayonet. Thus began the famous battle of Salamanca; and the action soon became general: for Lord Wellington observing how they had by this movement. weakened their centre and right, and what efforts they were making to retrieve their error, ordered a general attack along the

whole line.

The battle now raged with great fury the enemy so far from shrinking from the contest met it with unusual ardour, and conscious of their superiority in numbers, seemed to anticipate our total overthrow. The 3d division, in its advance, fell in with fresh columns of the enemy, and was very severely engaged. The brave General Pakenham, as he passed the several regiments, encouraged the men by bidding them to remember Assaye, Egypt, Fuentes and Badajos, and was several times observed in the hottest fire, with his hat off, cheering and encouraging the troops, who drove the enemy before them with so much spirit, that in some instances the very colours of our regiments waved over the flying battalions of the enemy, and almost unassisted by cavalry they made many prisoners. In the centre the 4th division became opposed to so very superior a force, that the Portuguese troops thereof were compelled to give way; but Marshal Beresford being on the spot ordered up the 6th division, under MajorGeneral Clinton, which became so severely engaged, that it lost near two thousand men,