e general himself and his
staff: a most unlucky encounter for the three runaways, for they were
brought back again and put under charge immediately, and a
court-martial ordered on them next day. Our colonel, however, implored
so hard for our sergeant's life on account of the regiment's late
good conduct in the field, that the general granted it, and changed
his sentence to one of transportation for life: but the Spaniards were
not quite so leniently dealt with, for they were tried and hanged, to
make sure that they could not repeat their mischievous practices.

We also found among the prisoners an Irishman who had somehow got away
from us over on to the wrong side, and had been fighting against us.
He was tried and sentenced to be hanged, and we all had to march up
next day to witness his execution and take example from it. But his
life was not destined to end here, for the rope was not altogether a
strong one, and he was fortunate enough when he fell to break it.
Directly his feet touched ground, he begged hard for mercy: and the
rope had made such a terrible mark on his neck that I suppose the
general thought he had been hanged enough: so he was sent into
hospital, and when he recovered, transported for the rest of the life
that had thus been given back to him. While he was on his way down the
town to go on board the vessel, I should think that if he had one
dollar given him, he had at least half a peck, though I do not expect
they would be much use to him where he was going to. I never heard any
more of him, but I don't suppose many men could say that they had been
hanged and then transported afterwards.

Another case of desertion was that of an officer's servant, who went
away with the greater part of his master's clothes, taking with him
likewise a Spanish lady; he was lucky enough to get off safe, and
nothing was heard of him afterwards. This was not at all a rare
temptation, though, that was put in our soldiers' way; for I was
myself offered a fortune by a Spanish gentleman, together with his
daughter, if I would desert and remain in the country. Whenever he met
me about he would treat me to anything I liked to name, which I
sometimes found very acceptable, and he would often give me money as
well, in hopes of gaining me over in time. He had more chances of
making up to me, for I forgot to mention that I had received a slight
wound in the left leg in storming the town, which kept me limping
about and partially