as we could
conveniently eat at that place, and so at any rate we had the worth of
the sixteen dollars, for this last affair was not found out before we
started.

On another occasion, whilst we were at the same place, some Spaniards
came into our camp with wine for sale, contained in pigskins carried
across mules' backs, one on each side, and whilst the Spaniard was
measuring it out of one skin, a hole had been made in the other with a
penknife, which lightened both burdens at once considerably, much to
the discontent of the Spaniard on finding it out. But I think that all
such lesser manoeuvres as this, though bad in themselves, can be
perhaps looked over in considering the frequent hungry state that so
large a body of men were in during this war.

We remained in this neighbourhood till the latter end of 1811. The
beginning of 1812 opened with the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, where we
arrived and began to break ground on the 8th of February.

We had to commence throwing up our batteries and breastworks under a
particular annoyance from three guns, situated on a fortified convent
a little distance from the town, near where our brigade's operations
were in progress, so our colonel for one volunteered to storm the
convent, which offer was accepted. Several companies, therefore,
including my own, advanced under him unobserved by the enemy in the
darkness of the night, and succeeded in effecting an entrance into the
convent, the garrison being taken by surprise, but managing to decamp.
I then volunteered with a few men to march on up to the tower where
the guns were situated, a priest being made to show us the way, as the
path which we had to tread was so winding. When we arrived at the top,
which must have taken us at least ten minutes, we found no French
there, but the three shattered cannon still remained, which we were
ordered to pitch down, not much improving their condition thereby, and
so we gained the object for which we had come. All the French that
were left in the convent, or at least all I saw there, were two of
their wounded, but they were good enough to leave us a room full of
cabbages, which came in very handy.

After this affair we took up our quarters in the convent, but still
continued our ground work. Once the enemy sallied out of the town and
attacked us during these operations, and a smart brush ensued, but
they were soon obliged to retire again. Now and then the garrison
would greet us with a cannon-