t the money, he was so enraged that he told them all to go
about their business, saying that they were all a set of thieves, and
next time he saw the colonel he had to own, much to the amusement both
of the latter and of the whole regiment, that he had been beaten in
his knowing undertaking.

Massena remained a little more than a month in his position in front
of Torres Vedras, when, owing to want of food and ammunition, he was
compelled to retrace his steps, not being able to get supplies through
Spain, as the guerillas--who were the most warlike and independent
race of the Spaniards, being chiefly offenders who had escaped to the
mountains and there formed themselves into one strong body amounting
to some thousands--were always on the watch for any supplies that they
might catch hold of, more especially from the enemy, and appropriate
to their own use. Much credit is due to Lord Wellington for thus
drawing the enemy to a place such as Torres Vedras, where they could
get no supplies, and further, could gain no advantage, but on the
other hand must have lost some thousands through want, cold and wet.

From Torres Vedras Massena's army proceeded to Santarem, about ten
leagues from Torres Vedras, and there took up his position on the
Tagus, whence foraging parties were sent out to scour the country for
provisions, who committed horrible excesses on the inhabitants,
carrying away their cattle, or any provisions they could lay their
hands on. It was this that chiefly infuriated the inhabitants against
the French, and caused them to retaliate on any of their stragglers or
wounded whom they came across butchering and using them in a most
awful manner; and even then, after all this work, this method of
gathering provisions for so large an army as Massena's was soon
exhausted.

When the French had retreated from Torres Vedras, Lord Wellington left
some troops in charge of his lines there, and followed to Santarem,
but no general battle took place, only small engagements. The enemy
seemed pretty firm to their ground, so Lord Wellington moved his army
into cantonments again. Our detachment was lying some distance from
Santarem on the Tagus; the actual name of the place is blotted from my
memory by lapse of years.

It was rather curious that while there we received our South American
prize money; money taken from the very people we were now allied with,
so that a great part of it was spent amongst them again. Each private
rec