oon after the close of the siege just described, I received, in conjunction with others who were similarly entitled, my share of prizemoney on account of the property captured some years before at Copenhagen. Some arrears3 of pay were also supplied by the hands of Major Wells. A little good advice was kindly6 subjoined. We were exhorted7 to save our money, to avoid excesses, and spend with economy. But alas8! how hardly shall they that are rich keep in the path of moderation and humility9. The cash burnt in our pockets. The intimations so civilly given were altogether wasted, and might as well have been addressed to our knapsacks. No sooner did opportunity offer, than the wine-houses washed away, not only all our good advices, but the whole of our hard-earned pittance10 so recently distributed. When a man is determined11 to indulge in liquor, he is almost sure to find some justification12 for it. It is commonly of Dean Aldrich’s sort, more wordy than wise:
‘Good wine, old friends, or being dry,
Or that he may be by and by,
Or any other reason why.’
I am sorry to admit that I was carried away with the 162torrent of sensuality which at this time set in with a kind of powerful flood-tide. Every good impression was well-nigh obliterated13 from my mind. The nice mental perception of right and wrong which I retained as a valued relic14, resulting from my mother’s advices, was nearly blunted; and my subsequent experience has shown me that when once the barrier between vice5 and virtue15 is weakened, or is dimly visible, great danger is at hand. Among other habits unhappily contracted was that of profane16 swearing; which, connected with singing licentious17 ballads18 and free living, completed the depravity of my conduct. And yet I was more proud of my religion than ever; and had any one called in question the infallibility of the Pope, I should have instantly challenged him to fight for the insolence19 of the thing.
It has been observed by an acute military writer, that the talents of Lord Wellington rose with his difficulties; and notwithstanding the serious impediments which obstructed22 the measure, he resolved to subdue23 the important fortress24 of Badajos. He accordingly proceeded to Elvas, which he reached on the 11th of March, and arrangements were immediately commenced for the formal investment of the place. Badajos is a regularly fortified25 town. The garrison26, composed of French, Hessian, and Spanish troops, was now near five thousand strong. Phillipon, the governor, had greatly improved the defences of the place. A second ditch had been dug at the bottom of the great one, which was also in some parts filled with water. The gorge27 of the Pardaleras was inclosed, and that outwork was connected with the body of the place, from whence powerful batteries looked into it. The three western fronts were mined; and on the east, the arch of the bridge behind the San Roque was built up to form an inundation29 two hundred yards wide, which greatly contracted the space by which the place could be approached by troops; and all the 163inhabitants had been compelled, on pain of being sent away, to lay up food for three months.
The plan fixed30 upon by the besiegers was, to attack the bastion of Trinidad, because the counter-guard there being unfinished the bastion could be battered31 from the hill on which Picurina stood. Of nine hundred gunners present, three hundred were British, the rest Portuguese32; and there were one hundred and fifty sappers, volunteers from the third division. In the night of the 17th eighteen hundred men broke ground one hundred and sixty yards from the Picurina. A tempest, which happened to arise, stifled33 the sound of their pickaxes; and though the work was commenced late, a communication four thousand feet in length was formed, and a parallel of six hundred yards, three feet deep and three feet six inches wide, was opened. However, when the day broke, the Picurina was reinforced; and a sharp musketry, interspersed34 with discharges from some field-pieces, aided by heavy guns from the body of the place, was directed on the trenches35. On the 19th Lord Wellington, having secret intelligence that a sally was intended, ordered the guards to be reinforced. Nevertheless, at one o’clock, some cavalry36 came out by the Talavera gate; and thirteen hundred infantry37, under the command of General Vielland, filed unobserved into the communication between the Picurina and the San Roque. These troops jumping out, at once drove the workmen before them, and began to demolish38 the parallel. Previous to this outbreak the French cavalry, forming two parties, had commenced a sham-fight on the right of the parallel; and the smaller party pretending to fly, and answering Portuguese to the challenge of the piquets, were allowed to pass. Elated by the success of their stratagem39, they then galloped40 to the engineer’s park, which was a thousand yards in the rear of the trenches, and there cut down some men—not many, for succour soon came; and meanwhile the 164troops at the parallel having rallied upon the relief which had just arrived, beat the enemy’s infantry back, even into the castle. In this hot fight the besieged41 lost above three hundred men and officers, the besiegers only one hundred and fifty; but Colonel Fletcher, the chief engineer, was badly wounded and several hundred trenching-tools were carried off,—for Phillipon had promised a high price for each. Yet this turned out ill; for the soldiers, instead of pursuing briskly, dispersed42 to gather the tools. After the action, a squadron of dragoons and six field-pieces were placed as a reserve-guard behind St. Michael, and a signal-post was established on the Sierra de Venta to give notice of the enemy’s motions.
On the 24th, the fifth division invested the place, on the right bank of the Guadiana; the weather was fine, and the batteries were heavily armed. The next day at eleven o’clock, the pieces opened, but were so vigorously opposed, that one howitzer was dismounted and several artillery44 and engineer officers were killed. Nevertheless, the San Roque was silenced; and the garrison of the Picurina was so galled45 by the marksmen in the trenches, that no man dared look over the parapet. Hence, as the external appearance of the fort did not indicate much strength, General Kempt was charged to assault it in the night. The outward seeming of the Picurina was, however, fallacious; the fort was very strong; the fronts were well covered by the glacis, the flanks were deep, and the rampart, fourteen feet perpendicular46 from the bottom of the ditch, was guarded with thick slanting47 pales above; and from thence to the top there were sixteen feet of an earthen slope. Seven guns were mounted on the works, the entrance to which, by the rear, was protected with three rows of thick paling; the garrison was above two hundred strong, and every man had two muskets48. The top of the rampart was furnished with loaded shells, to push over; and finally 165some small mines and a loop-holed gallery under the counterscarp intended to take the assailants in rear were begun, but not finished. Five hundred men of the third division being assembled for the attack, General Kempt ordered two hundred, under Major Rudd, to turn the fort on the left; an equal force, under Major Shaw, to turn the fort by the right; and one hundred from each of these bodies were directed to enter the communication with San Roque, and intercept50 any succours coming from the town. The engineers, with twenty-four sappers bearing hatchets51 and ladders, guided these columns; and fifty men of the light division, provided also with axes, were to move out of the trenches at the moment of attack.
The night was fine, the arrangements clearly and skilfully52 made, and about nine o’clock the two flanking bodies moved forward. The distance was short, and the troops quickly closed on the fort, which, black and silent before, now seemed one mass of fire; then the assailants, running up to the palisades in the rear, endeavoured to break through; and when the destructive musketry of the French and the thickness of the pales rendered their efforts useless, they turned against the faces of the work, and strove to break in there; but the depth of the ditch, and the slanting stakes at the top of the brick-work, baffled them.
At this time, the enemy firing incessantly53 and dangerously, the crisis appeared imminent54; and Kempt sent the reserve headlong against the front; thus the fight was continued strongly; the carnage became terrible, and a battalion55 coming out from the town to succour the fort, was encountered and beaten by the party on the communication. The guns of Badajos and of the castle now opened; the guard of the trenches replied with musketry, rockets were thrown up by the besieged, and the shrill56 sound of alarm-bells, mixing with the shouts of the combatants, increased the tumult57. Still the Picurina sent out streams of 166fire, by the light of which dark figures were seen furiously struggling on the ramparts; for Powis first escaladed the place in front, where the artillery had beaten down the pales; and the other assailants had thrown their ladders on the flanks, in the manner of bridges, from the brink58 of the ditch to the slanting stakes; and all were fighting hand to hand with the enemy. Meanwhile the axe-men of the light division, compassing the fort like prowling wolves, discovered the gate, and hewing59 it down broke in by the rear. Yet the struggle continued; Powis, Holloway, Gips, and Oats, of the 88th, fell wounded in or beyond the rampart. Nixon, of the 52nd, was shot, two yards within the gate; Shaw, Rudd, and nearly all the other officers had fallen outside; and it was not until nearly half the garrison were killed, that Gasper Thiery, the commandant, and eighty-six men surrendered, while a few rushing out of the gate endeavoured to cross the bridge and were drowned. This intrepid61 assault, which lasted an hour, cost four officers and fifty men killed, fifteen officers and two hundred and fifty men wounded; and so vehement62 was the fight throughout that the garrison either forgot or had not time to roll over the shells and combustibles arranged on the rampart.
On the 3rd of April it was evident that the crisis of the siege drew nigh. The British guns being all turned against the curtain, the masonry63 crumbled64 rapidly away; in two hours a yawning breach65 appeared, and Lord Wellington, having examined the points of attack in person, gave the order for assault. The soldiers then made themselves ready for the approaching combat, one of the most fierce and terrible ever exhibited in the annals of war. Posterity66 will find it difficult to credit the tale, but many who are still alive know that it is true. The British General was so sensible of Phillipon’s firmness, and of the courage of his garrison, that he spared them the affront67 of a summons; yet, seeing the breach strongly entrenched68, and the enemy’s 167flank fire still powerful, he would not in this dread69 crisis trust his fortune to a single effort. Eighteen thousand soldiers burned for the signal of attack, and as he was unwilling70 to lose the services of any, to each division he gave a task such as few generals would have the hardihood to contemplate71. Nor was the enemy idle; for while it was yet twilight72 some French cavalry issued from the Pardaleras, escorting an officer, who endeavoured to look into the trenches, with a view to ascertain73 if an assault was intended: but the piquet on that side jumped up, and, firing as it ran, drove him and his escort back into the works. The darkness then fell, and the troops awaited the signal.
With respect to myself, I could not help largely sharing in the general desire to advance; indeed, our duty in the trenches had been so severe that, in spite of approaching peril74, we had no objection to move. I had been stationed in battery number six, and was frequently exposed to a terrific raking fire from the besieged. Directions, I remember, were given on one occasion to fill a quantity of sand-bags. Poor Woollams, a private in the regiment75, and myself, worked together; he held the mouth of the sack open, while I threw in the sand with a shovel76; before we had been long thus engaged, a shell struck his knee, and in an instant severed77 his leg, which dropped on the ground; he fell backwards78, while the shell, which lodged79 in the earth, at a few feet distance had burnt nearly to the exploding point. Aware of the approaching danger, I threw myself on my face; and I had scarcely taken the precaution when the shell burst with ruinous effect. Stones, dust, and fragments of timber were scattered80 in all directions; and among other substances whirled into the air, was the lost limb of my comrade. I knew it while descending82 by the pattern of the gaiter. As the leg was useless, I ran to the sufferer to whom it had belonged, tied my coat-strap round his thigh83 to check the effusion of blood, and, after placing him in a blanket, carried 168him to the nearest hospital, where surgical84 assistance was promptly85 afforded. On my return to the trenches, another friend was borne off, greatly hurt; a comrade was loading his musket, and while the ramrod was in the barrel, the piece was accidentally discharged. The ramrod pierced through his body, and so firmly was the worm-end fixed near the backbone87, that the strongest man among us was unable to move it. He was conveyed to the infirmary, and things went on as usual, as no calamity88 of this sort could be allowed to interfere89 with the duties then before us. The fine young man, whose case is just recorded, recovered from the wound, but was, I believe, eventually drowned in a river near Salamanca. At another time, during a violent cannonade from the besieged, I had been conversing90 with a man on the trenches, when our discussion was closed by a round shot, which took away the head of the respondent, as smoothly91 as if it had been sabred. I was also informed that another of our men had been killed merely by the wind of a cannon-bullet; but as I did not witness the circumstance, I will not vouch93 for its correctness. Not long before the storming parties were selected, a sad instance of the fatal effects of intemperance94 occurred. One of our company was ordered out on duty, but, being in a state of inebriety95, durst not appear. We afterwards missed him altogether; and some time after we found his lifeless body coiled up in a blanket, in a crouching96 posture97, behind one of the tents. Our opinion was that he had crept there for secrecy98, and by some means or other was smothered99. All that remained in our power we did, which was to consign100 his remains101 to the parent earth. The day on which we proceeded to Badajos I received a letter from my brother in Ireland, in which he recommended me to an officer named Carey. After some search I found the gentleman, who received me with genuine kindness, and promised his future patronage102 when the town was taken; an engagement on 169which, from his frank and generous bearing, I at once felt it was safe to depend. But, Lord, what is man, or the best of men? My newly-acquired friend fell while leading on his men; so that our brief intercourse103 was the first and last which this world afforded.
We were now selected and classified for the actual assault. The difficulty was, not to procure104 men enough, but how to refuse applications, for all were ready. Nor were these offers founded in ignorance of the nature of the expected service; the candidates were not such novices105. The watch-word of Nelson was not forgotten,—‘England expects every man to do his duty;’ and the resolution which everywhere prevailed was entered into with a thorough consciousness that life was then scarcely worth an hour’s purchase. And yet every countenance106 was bright, for every heart was firm; and it was clear that the elevation107 and strength of mind so universally prevalent was the effect of principle, well considered and approved. Indeed, there was no stimulus108 at hand to produce superficial excitement; no drops of Scheidam to generate Dutch courage; the men were kept in the utmost silence and order. It is true here and there a soldier might be perceived stealing from the trenches with a little refreshment109 in his canteen for the friend with whom he was to part; and in return, more than one message, the last to be delivered on earth, was sent from many a brave man to mother, wife, or some other valued relative, with directions that if killed the knapsack of a certain number, with its contents, should be duly forwarded. The night was dry, but clouded, the air thick with watery110 exhalations from the river, the ramparts and the trenches were unusually still, yet a low murmur111 pervaded112 the latter, and in the former, lights were seen to flit here and there; while the deep voices of the sentinels at times proclaimed that all was well in Badajos. The French confiding113 in Phillipon’s direful skill, watched from their 170lofty station the approach of enemies whom they had twice before baffled, and now hoped to drive a third time, blasted and ruined, from the walls.
At ten o’clock the whole of the works were to have been simultaneously114 assailed115, and it was hoped that the strength of the enemy would shrivel before this fiery116 girdle; but the disappointments of war are many. An unforeseen accident delayed the attack of the fifth division; and a lighted carcass thrown from the castle falling close to where the men of the third division were drawn117 up, discovered their array, and obliged them to anticipate the signal by half an hour. Then, everything being suddenly disturbed, the double columns of the fourth and light divisions also moved silently and swiftly against the breaches118; and the guard of the trenches, rushing forward with a shout, encompassed119 the San Roque with fire, and broke in so violently that scarcely any resistance was made. General Kempt passed the Rivellas in single files by a narrow bridge, under a terrible musketry; and then reforming and running up the rugged120 hill, had reached the foot of the castle, when he fell severely121 wounded, and being carried back to the trenches, met Picton who hastened forward to take the command. Meanwhile his troops spreading along the front reared their ladders, some against the lofty castle, some against the adjoining front on the left, and with incredible courage ascended122 amidst showers of heavy stones, logs of wood, and bursting shells rolled off the parapet; while from the flanks the enemy plied4 his musketry with fearful rapidity, and in front with pikes and bayonets stabbing the leading assailants, or pushed the ladders from the walls; and all this attended with deafening123 shouts, and the crash of breaking ladders, and the shriek124 of soldiers crushed by violent falls. Still, swarming125 round the remaining ladders, these undaunted veterans strove who should first climb; until all being overturned, 171the French shouted victory, and the British, baffled but untamed, fell back a few paces, and took shelter under the rugged edge of the hill. Here, when the broken ranks were somewhat reformed, the heroic Colonel Ridge28, springing forward, called with stentorian126 voice on his men to follow; and seizing a ladder, once more raised it against the castle, yet to the right of the former attack, where the wall was lower, and an embrasure offered some facility. A second ladder was soon placed alongside the first by the grenadier officer Canch, and the next instant he and Ridge were on the rampart; the shouting troops pressed after them; the garrison, amazed, and in a manner surprised, were driven fighting through the double gate into the town, and the castle was won. A reinforcement sent from the French reserve then came up, a sharp action followed, both sides fired through the gate, and the enemy retired127; but Ridge fell,—and no man died that night with greater honour.
During these events, the tumult at the breaches was such, as if the very earth had been rent asunder128, and its central fires were bursting up uncontrolled. The two divisions had reached the glacis in silence; as yet no stir was heard, and darkness covered the breaches. Some hay-packs were then thrown, several ladders placed, and the forlorn hopes and storming parties of the light division, about five hundred in all, had descended129 into the ditch without opposition130, when a bright flame shooting upwards131 displayed all the terror of the scene. The ramparts, crowded with dark figures and glittering arms were on the one side; and on the other, the red columns of the British, deep and broad, were coming on like streams of burning lava132. A crash immediately followed, and the storming parties were dashed to pieces with incredible violence by the explosion of hundreds of shells and powder barrels. The place which fell to my lot was just in the centre of 172this hurly-burly. With what similitude to illustrate133 our condition at that moment I know not. The regular discharge of musketry at given distances, and the usual clash of arms in field-warfare135 is rather rough, to say the least of it; but the collision of hostile forces in open space, where the combatants may evade136 approaching ruin, is civil pastime compared with this deadly ditch conflict. Each of the men fought as if the issue of the assault depended on his single arm. As to timidity, the thing was unknown; every drum-boy acted well. Shielded by Eternal Mercy, all undeserving as I was, my life was preserved. Not that it then appeared even to myself worth consideration. All thought of self-protection was banished137 from the corps138 in general. Every nerve and muscle was strained to the utmost tension in the struggle; among the whole body there appeared to be only one heart; and in the attempt to reach the ramparts all other considerations merged139. But what an assemblage of furies; the excitement was indescribable. Fancying that the man immediately behind myself did not press forward with sufficient energy, I turned round, and with imprecations of which the bare remembrance causes regret, I declared that if he did not push on I would shoot him. Most likely I was wrong, not only in language but in opinion. I have since thought the man did his best; but in the raging of such a tempest, mistakes were easily made, and the mere92 notion of defective140 effort ignited the passions.
For one instant we stood on the brink of the ditch, amazed at the terrific sight; then with a shout that matched even the sound of the explosion, the men flew down the ladders, or disdaining141 their aid, leaped, unmindful of the depth, into the gulf142 below. The fourth division came running after, and followed with like fury; there were, however, only five ladders for both columns, which were close together; and a deep cut made in the bottom of the 173ditch as far as the counter-guard of the Trinidad, was filled with water from the inundation; into this watery snare143 the head of the fourth division fell, and it is said that above a hundred of the Fusileers, the men of Albuera, were there smothered. Great was the confusion at this juncture144; for now the ravelin was crowded with men of both divisions, and while some continued to fire, others ran down and jumped towards the breach; many also passed between the ravelin and the counter-guard of the Trinidad; the two divisions got mingled145; and the reserves, who should have remained at the quarries146, also came pouring in, until the ditch was quite filled,—the rear still crowding forward, and all cheering vehemently147. The enemy’s shouts were also loud and terrible; and the bursting of shells and of grenades, the roaring of the guns from the flanks, answered by the iron howitzers from the battery of the parallel, the heavy rolls and explosion of the powder barrels, the flight of the blazing splinters, the loud exhortations148 of the officers, and the continued clatter149 of the muskets, made a maddening din21.
Impatient of delay, a heavy column now bounded up the great breach; but across the top glittered a range of sword-blades, sharp-pointed, keen-edged on both sides, and firmly fixed in ponderous150 beams, which were chained together and set deep in the ruins; and for ten feet in front the ascent151 was covered with loose planks152 studded with sharp iron points, on which the feet of the foremost being set, the planks moved, and the unhappy soldiers, falling forward on the spikes153, rolled down upon the ranks behind. Then the Frenchmen, exulting154 at the success of their stratagem, and leaping forward, plied their shot with terrible rapidity; for every man had several muskets, and each musket, in addition to its ordinary charge, contained a small cylinder155 of wood, stuck full of leaden slugs, which scattered like hail when they were discharged. At the 174beginning of this dreadful conflict, Colonel Andrew Barnard had, with prodigious156 efforts, separated his division from the other, and preserved some degree of military array; but now the tumult was such that no command could be heard distinctly, except by those close at hand; and the mutilated bodies, heaped on each other, and the wounded, struggling to avoid being trampled157 upon, broke the formations. Order was unattainable; yet officers of all stations, followed more or less numerously by the men, were seen to start out, as if struck by sudden madness, and rush into the breach. In one of these attempts, Colonel M’Leod, of our regiment, a young man, whose feeble body would have been quite unfit for war, had it not been sustained by an unconquerable spirit, was killed. Wherever his voice was heard, there his soldiers gathered; and with such a strong resolution did he lead them up the fatal ruins, that when one behind him in falling plunged158 a bayonet in his back, he complained not, and continuing his course, was shot dead within a yard of the sword-blades. Two hours spent in these vain efforts convinced the soldiers that the breach of the Trinidad was impregnable. Gathering159 in dark groups, and leaning on their muskets, they looked up with sullen160 desperation; while the enemy, stepping out on the ramparts, and aiming their shots by the light of the fire-balls which they threw over, asked, as their victims fell, ‘why they did not come into Badajos?’
About midnight, when two thousand brave men had fallen, Wellington, who was on a height close to the quarries, sent orders for the remainder to retire, and reform for a second assault; for he had just then heard that the castle was taken, and, thinking the enemy would still hold out in the town, was resolved to assail49 the breaches again. This retreat from the ditch, however, was not effected without further carnage and confusion; for the French 175fire never slackened, and a cry arose that the French were making a sally from the distant flanks, which caused a rush towards the ladders. Then the groans161 and lamentations of the wounded, who could not move, and expected to be slain162, increased; many officers, who had not heard of the order, endeavoured to stop the soldiers from going back, and some would even have removed the ladders, but were unable to break through the crowd.
All this time the third division was lying close to the castle; and, either from the fear of risking the loss of a point which ensured the capture of the place, or that the egress163 was too difficult, made no attempt to drive away the enemy from the breaches. On the other side, however, the fifth division had commenced the false attack on the Pardaleras; and on the right of the Guadiana the Portuguese were sharply engaged at the bridge. Thus the town was begirt; for General Walker’s brigade, having pressed on during the feint on the Pardaleras, was escalading the distant bastion of San Vincente. His troops had advanced along the banks of the river, and reached the French guardhouse at the barrier gate undiscovered, for the ripple164 of the waters smothered the sound of their footsteps; but just then the explosion at the breaches took place, the moon shone out, and the French sentinels, discovering the columns, fired. The British troops immediately springing forward under a sharp cover of musketry, began to hew60 down the wooden barrier at the covered way, while the Portuguese, being panic-stricken, threw down the scaling-ladders. Nevertheless, the others snatched them up again, and forcing the barrier, jumped into the ditch; but the guiding engineer officer was killed; and when the foremost man succeeded in reaching the ladders, the latter were found too short, for the walls were generally above thirty feet high. Meanwhile the fire of the French was deadly, a small mine was sprung beneath the soldiers’ feet, 176beams of wood and live shells were rolled over on their heads, showers of grape from the flank swept the ditch, and man after man dropped dead from the ladders. Fortunately, some of the defenders165 having been called away to aid in recovering the castle, the ramparts were not entirely166 manned; and the assailants, having discovered a corner of the bastion where the scarp was only twenty feet high, placed three ladders there, under an embrasure which had no gun, and was only stopped with a gabion. Some men with extreme difficulty got up, for the ladders were still too short; and the first man who gained the top was pushed up by his comrades, and then drew others after him, until many had gained the summit; and though the French shot heavily against them from both flanks, and from a house in front, they thickened, and could not be driven back. Half the 4th regiment entered the town itself to dislodge the enemy from the houses; while the others pushed forward towards the breach, and by dint167 of hard fighting successfully mastered three bastions. In this disorder168 a French reserve, under General Viellande, came on the British advance with a firm and rapid charge, and pitching some men over the walls, and killing169 others outright170, again cleared the ramparts, even to the San Vincente. There, however, Colonel Nugent had taken his station with a battalion of the 38th, as a reserve; and when the French came up, shouting and slaying171 all before them, this battalion, about two hundred strong, arose, and with one close volley destroyed them. The panic then ceased; the soldiers rallied, and in compact order once more charged along the walls towards the breaches; but the French, although turned on both flanks, did not yield. Meanwhile the detachment of the 4th regiment, which had entered the town when the San Vincente was first carried, was strangely situated172; for the streets were empty, and brilliantly illuminated173, and no person was seen; yet a low 177murmur or whisper was occasionally heard, lattices were now and then gently opened, and from time to time shots were fired from underneath174 the doors of the houses. However, the troops, with bugles175 sounding, advanced towards the great square of the town; and in their progress captured several mules176 going with ammunition177 to the breaches. At length the French were beaten back, other parties entered the place, and finally General Viellande, and Phillipon, who was wounded, seeing all ruined, passed the bridge with a few hundred soldiers, and entered San Cristoval, where they all surrendered early the next morning, upon summons, to Lord Somerset, who had with great readiness pushed through the town to the draw-bridge before they had time to organize further resistance.
In these protracted178 conflicts many of the finest soldiers in the British army met their fate, and fell in the firm and vigorous discharge of their duty. Of these, numbers might have been preserved had they chosen to have fallen back; but it was with them a point of honour to gain the breach or die on the spot. So wonderful is the resolution of a noble heart; and so much the more is it to be regretted that power, so morally invincible179, should be employed in the sad purpose of human destruction. For my own part, my mind had been unhesitatingly made up from the first shot that was fired, that so long as life and consciousness continued I would fulfil my commission to the best of my ability. As the battle grew hot I caught the contagion180 that burned all around, and in this desperate and murderous mood advanced to the breach of Trinidad. My pride perhaps wanted to be repressed; and while in the act of marching, I was wounded in the left thigh by a musket-shot, which remains unextracted to this day, and will probably go with me to the grave. At first, not disposed to heed181 the casualty, I affected182 to despise such a trifle, and continued to fight on. Nature, however, refused 178her support; and after firing a few times, I felt myself getting weak and feverish183. What rendered my situation worse was, that at that precise moment the report of an unexpected sally of the French was circulated. Had that been realised, my doom184 would have been sealed, as I could neither resist nor retreat. In this condition, faint with loss of blood, I contrived185 to descend81 into the ditch with the help of my musket. Meanwhile the depth of water by some added inundation had been increased, and no ladder was to be discovered for my ascent on the opposite side. Unwilling to die there, I made another effort, and at length observed a ladder standing20 in front of the ditch. Unable to get up with my musket, I reluctantly left that behind, and scrambled186 up with extreme difficulty. Numerous shots were fired at me while ascending187, and I perceived bullets whistling through the rounds of the ladder, but not one of them struck me. But I was sadly grieved at the loss of my musket; it had been a faithful friend to me; I seldom knew it to fail in the hour of need; the number on it was seventy-seven. Having succeeded in gaining the summit, I found, to my surprise, a young man belonging to the gallant188 Napier’s company, who kindly offered his arm, and supported me to the field-hospital. May the Almighty189 think upon and reward this timely benefactor191! He was amongst the bravest where all were brave, and, though unhurt, had stood in the fore-front and pinnacle192 at the severest point of strife193. With so large an influx194 of patients, it will be supposed that the hospital attentions were not very prompt. I was placed on the ground, with many others in a worse condition than myself, to await my turn for surgical assistance. After some hours I found that unless my wound ceased bleeding I should not long survive; this, with a little contrivance, I managed to effect. But the most intolerable sensation was that of raging thirst; all my worldly substance, ten times valued, would 179have been no price at all for a draught195 of water. Meantime the frost was so severe, that my limbs appeared to be deprived of flexibility196 and motion. In the course of the night, hearing a deep moan at a little distance, I called out, ‘Who is there?’ and was answered, ‘It’s me, Tom.’ The voice was familiar, and I found it was that of Patrick Murphy, an old comrade and countryman in Dalzell’s company, who had fought most nobly through several campaigns. He had been miserably197 burnt while endeavouring to force the breach, and suffered extremely. In the course of a day or two we were placed in military spring-wagons, and conveyed to Elvas. We were afterwards transferred to bullock-carts, a mode of conveyance198 not remarkable199 either for comfort or speed; the carriages were clumsily constructed, and ensured very little in the way of easy riding; added to which, we moved only at the rate of about one mile an hour.
I have to add with sorrow that the conquest of Badajos was attended with excesses that tend to tarnish200 the soldier’s character. All, indeed, were not alike, for hundreds risked and many lost their lives in striving to stop the violence; but the madness of ungovernable licentiousness201 generally prevailed; and as the worst men were leaders here, all the dreadful passions of human nature were displayed. Shameless rapacity202, brutal203 intemperance, savage204 lust134, cruelty and murder, shrieks205 and piteous lamentations, groans, shouts, curses, the hissing206 of fires bursting from the houses, the crashing of doors and windows, and the report of muskets used in violence, resounded207 for two days and nights in the devoted208 town. Five thousand men and officers fell during the siege; and of these, including seven hundred Portuguese, three thousand five hundred had been stricken in the assault,—sixty officers and more than seven hundred men being slain on the spot. Five generals were wounded; about six hundred men and officers fell in the escalade of San Vincente, as many at the castle, and more than two thousand at the breaches, each division there losing about twelve hundred. Let any man picture to himself this frightful209 carnage taking place in a space of less than a hundred square yards. Let him consider that the slain died not all suddenly, nor by one manner of death; that some perished by steel, some by shot, some by water, that some were crushed and mangled210 by heavy weights, some trampled upon, some dashed to atoms by fiery explosions; that for hours this destruction was endured without shrinking; and that the town was won at last. Let any man consider this, and he must admit that a British army is by no means deficient211 either in physical or moral excellence212.
180
CASTLE OF BADAJOS.
181And it would be unjust to withhold213 the meed of praise from the French. The garrison stood and fought manfully and with good discipline, behaving worthily214. Some of the instances of personal valour on each side were wondrous215. A soldier of the 95th, in his resolution to win, thrust himself beneath the chained sword-blades, and there suffered the enemy to dash his head in pieces with the ends of their muskets; and the foremost man who entered the Santa Maria was an intrepid Portuguese Grenadier, who was killed on the spot. Ferguson, of the 43rd, had received two deep wounds in former assaults; and yet, though not half cured, he was here leading the stormers of his regiment, the third time a volunteer, and the third time wounded. In a former action a French officer was observed in the heat of battle in the act of striking at the gallant Felton Harvey, of the 14th Dragoons, when, on perceiving that he had only one arm, the high-minded Gaul, with a rapid movement, brought down his sword into a salute216, and passed on. Traits like this are worth preservation217.
On alighting from our vehicles at Elvas, we were at first placed in a dark, uncomfortable apartment, adjoining the fortifications; the roof was of arched masonry, and so damp 182on the inner side, that water fell on us in large drops. Our attendants were also nothing to boast of; for under pretence218 of bringing our haversacks containing provisions, they walked away with them altogether,—an evil against which we knew no remedy, being unable, through weakness, to search for the depredators or procure more food. The confusion in this unhappy lazar-house was extreme. Every man naturally thought his own case the most serious, and that it demanded care before all others. We were not, however, destined219 to remain long in these unsuitable quarters. Orders were received directing our removal to Estramores, and our journey thither220 was commenced the same night. The procession was rather melancholy221. Several times we had to halt in order to bury some poor creature, who, exhausted222 by suffering, had fled away. On our arrival at Estramores, we found accommodation more suited to the exigencies223 of the invalided224 guests. A convent, sufficiently225 spacious226, had been fitted up as a military hospital, and was well adapted for the purpose. When able to look around, I discovered several of my former associates. Here lay the man through whose body a ramrod had forced its way. On another couch reposed227 Patrick Marr, a daring fellow, but of bad character. He, with others, had led on the forlorn hope, and was violently struck with a musket-bullet. Then there was a young man named Forbes, who volunteered with myself into the 43rd. In a short period he died. Having an excellent constitution, I soon recovered my health, and in the course of a few weeks was pronounced convalescent.
In the winter of 1812 I was stationed at Gallegos; and on the 13th of January, 1813, was promoted to the rank of sergeant228, in the place of one Hicks, who had recently died at Lisbon. Soon after this professional lift, one of the army physicians was desirous of inspecting such of the non-commissioned officers and men as had been wounded, 183or who, through length and severity of service, were supposed to require rest. Among these, I was one. On entering the room, Surgeon Gilchriest related several particulars concerning my past experience, when my name was included in a list of men who were directed to return to England. We then proceeded without loss of time to Lisbon, escorted by a detachment of the 95th. Mules were provided for us as far as Abrantes, after which we proceeded by water. I am sorry to observe that several of our party, thus indulged, ill requited229 the kindness shown, by drinking to excess; and am sorrier still to add, that I was weak enough to swell230 the number. The consequence was, that after a halt, when the detachment was ready to proceed, we were unprepared. The officer in command, a very young man, mildly remonstrated231 with me on the impropriety of such conduct. I answered with unbecoming rudeness; on which he drew his sword, and I flourished my cane233. Several men, wiser than myself, then interfered234, and mischief235 was prevented. My opinion is, that a man altogether overcome with strong liquor is beside himself, and should be consigned236 to the care of his friends, if he have any, until he is compos mentis, and may be safely trusted in social society. Next day I saw my error, and made an apology for the rudeness of the preceding day. When we had arrived to within six leagues of Lisbon, we landed for a short time, waiting for the return of tide, leaving in our boat a man named Latimer, in company with a Portuguese waterman. During that interval237 Latimer, who was in jesting humour, amused himself by soliciting238 the poor Portuguese to give him cigars. Not receiving what he expected, he foolishly took up a musket, forgetting it was loaded, and presented the muzzle239 to his unfortunate companion, jocularly observing, at the same time, that if he did not give him a cigar he would shoot him. He accordingly snapped the lock, and blew out the man’s brains, which, with part of his skull240, were scattered about the 184boat. On arriving at Lisbon, I was half afraid that the officer with whom I had taken an unwarrantable liberty might call me to serious account for the misdemeanour, especially as it had taken place so soon after my promotion241, when better things were expected; but I had the happiness to find that he knew both how to forget and forgive. He was an English officer; which in every correct vocabulary means a gentleman, and no mistake. He parted with me in excellent humour, and presented me with a small pecuniary242 balance at that time due for arrears of pay.
Soon after my arrival at Lisbon, three soldiers were sentenced to death for desertion; and while waiting for conveyance to England, I was ordered, among others, to mount guard at the execution. One of the men, being a Roman Catholic, was attended by a priest of that community; the other two were assisted by a Protestant clergyman. On arriving at the appointed spot, which was on the sands near Belem Castle, a party of soldiers, who were to fire at the culprits was drawn up in front, with their pieces loaded. The sufferers were ordered to kneel at the usual distance; and in sight of all were the graves, prepared for their reception. Just before the signal was given to fire, a dragoon galloped up with a reprieve243 for the Roman Catholic. The man, however, was so enfeebled and overcome that he was unable for some time to rise from his knees, or take the least notice of this extraordinary deliverance. The other two men were shot. Why the distinction was made, I know not; but without doubt, there were circumstances in the conduct of each, that called for lenity in the one instance and severity in the other two.
Our embarkation244 was immediately after effected; and having put to sea, we were favoured with a brief and agreeable voyage to the Isle246 of Wight, at which place we landed, and marched into Albary barracks. In the month of May, 1813, I again joined the 2nd battalion of the 43rd. Nothing 185surprised me more than the number of new faces in the corps. Such had been the ravages247 arising from accident, death, and other mischances of active warfare, that few only of my old associates remained, so that the regiment was to me nearly strange and new. My old ragged248 coat, fairly worn out, was exchanged for a new and handsome dress, ornamented249 with the professional insignia of my recently-acquired rank; and the first time I appeared on parade with the men was on the 4th of June, a day at that time of cheerful and loyal celebration, being the birth-day of the then reigning250 monarch251, George the Third.
In the course of the summer, wishing to see my friends, I applied252 to the colonel of the regiment for a furlough granting permission for that purpose. Leave was given; and, that the service might at the same time be promoted, I was charged with the command of a party of men who were to proceed to, and be stationed at, Castlebar, in Ireland. None but those who have visited and been detained in foreign lands, can conceive aright of the intense desire that arises in the mind at intervals253, to visit the country of their forefathers254.
‘Breathes there a man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land?’
The supposition is incredible. Indeed, any circumstance which, while in Spain, induced me to think of Ireland was affecting; and I well remember the emotion felt on one occasion, merely because, on commencing a march, the band struck up the national air of ‘Saint Patrick’s day in the morning.’ Being directed to embark245 at Liverpool, I hastened there with the detachment, without delay; and having engaged passages on board the packet for Dublin, our luggage was shipped. My evil genius once more prevailed, and was so far present, as to seduce255 me, and of 186course, the soldiers under my direction, to enter a public-house of entertainment for refreshments256, which might perhaps have been dispensed257 with. Forgetting ourselves, which those who love the potent258 glass are sure to do, we remained too long, so that on walking to the pier86 we discovered, to our no small dismay, that the packet had sailed. As negligence259 of this sort amounted to a breach of orders, I was apprehensive260, in addition to the disappointment personally felt, of incurring261 the displeasure of my superior officer; beside which, our property was on board the vessel262. Not a moment was to be lost. I therefore engaged a boat then on the beach, told the master to name his own price, and directed him to crowd all his canvas and strive to overtake the packet. We were instantly on board and under sail, standing out to sea in the track of the departed ship. Unfortunately the wind rose considerably263, which created a great swell, so that after long and wearisome exertion264, we had gained but little on the packet. We were at length perceived by the captain, who civilly shortened sail, lay to, and received us on board. Such are the penalties to be paid for unguarded delay.
Next evening I was refreshed beyond measure by a sight of the Pigeon House in the Bay of Dublin; and soon after placed my feet on Irish soil. One whole week, which seemed to be endless, expired before I had an opportunity of seeing my relatives. At the end of that time I could no longer refrain, and made a forced march to the neighbourhood, with a heart as light and devoid265 of care as may be desired. Every object was delightful266. There was nothing like it any where else: the shrubs267 were so green, the sky was so bright and blue, the air so sweet, and even the earth was more soft and verdant268 than in other regions of the globe. Having to pass near the residence of a beloved sister, who with her husband and family, occupied a farm at Philipstone, I formed a little plan, and pleased myself with it, of taking 187her by surprise. I accordingly walked slowly to the house, as a wandering veteran in search of lodgings269. As I expected, she did not know me; and no wonder. When last in her company, I was a mere gay and laughing youth. Now she saw the weather-beaten sunburnt visage of an unknown soldier, with his knapsack and side-arms, on whose countenance middle age had begun to limn270 a few serious lines. I began by informing her that my billet directed me to her house for quarter. ‘I take no soldiers here; you cannot be received.’ ‘But you will not be so hard as to turn me away! See how late it is.’ ‘Perhaps it may be; but I cannot provide for the like of you.’ ‘Surely that is not what you mean to say; some of your family are, likely enough, gone soldiering, and what would you think if either of them were served so?’ ‘That cannot happen. I had one brother, younger than myself, who listed in the army; but we shall never see him again. He was killed in battle.’ ‘Indeed! Perhaps I might have known him; pray what was his name?’ ‘Why, if it can be of any consequence to you, it was Thomas.’ ‘To be sure it was, sister; and here he is now. What! do you not know your brother?’ I need not describe the raptures271 of the interview. I kissed her; she wept for joy; explanations, inquiries272, and wonderments, almost without measure or end, succeeded. In a few minutes the report of my arrival got abroad. Some thought it unlikely; others were sure it was impossible, unless the dead could be raised. Indeed, I discovered that letters had been received, stating that I had been slain at Badajos. Ocular demonstration273, however, soon settled all debate; and congratulations, such as few but an Irishman yields, were tendered with true sincerity274 and friendship.
I proceeded without loss of time to my mother’s residence. Having been misled by the report of my decease, she could scarcely credit the testimony275 of her senses when I appeared before her. Great indeed was her exultation276 and 188my pleasure at meeting once more on earth. Nor did the time occupied by this social visit hang heavily upon my hands. Among other enterprises which attracted my notice, I made proposals of marriage to an excellent young woman, who was generous enough to listen; the preliminaries were soon arranged; we were shortly after united; and to this day I have reason to be thankful for the choice then made. Beside all this, I had to detail my adventures to numerous groups of listeners, each of whom must have a new version of the strange man’s tale. The thirst was unquenchable for notices
‘Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,
with all the other vanities and circumstance of war. Being in high spirits, aided it is likely with a little vanity, so likely to cleave278 to a man who seeks to recommend himself by feats279 of arms, I had no objection to dwell occasionally upon the perils280 and deliverances of bygone time. But during the whole of this season my spirit was not humbled281 by the least sense of moral defect. I knew nothing of myself. Indeed, such was the loftiness of carriage which I thought it right to assume that it was with me a point of honour never to sustain an affront unavenged. And yet, on looking back, I can trace an invisible but resistless influence, which even then guided me aright, and saved me from various threatening dangers. What I mean is, I was never utterly282 abandoned to my own devices.
My furlough having expired, I returned to England, and landed at Liverpool, in the winter of 1814; which was remarkable for one of the hardest frosts known in this country for many preceding years. I received orders from the paymaster to proceed to Kent, with a party of recruits destined for that district; and as most of the young fellows were rude and unruly, and strangers to military restraint, it required no common share of firmness, tempered with 189discretion properly to conduct and manage them. I arrived, without missing a man, in the vicinity of Maidstone. Just before entering the town, one of the most ungovernable of the squad43 contrived to dip his hands in mischief; nor was his mouth entirely guiltless. Having run up a score at one of the road-side inns, for liquors had and drunk, he was unable to pay the reckoning; when being minus of ready cash, he proposed leaving some valuable equivalent in the hands of the landlord, as a temporary deposit, to be shortly redeemed283; this consisted of a bundle, containing, he averred284, much valuable property. We had not proceeded far on our journey, when poor Boniface came running after us, stating that on opening the package it contained nothing but a few worthless rags. Meantime the shuffler285, apprehensive of detection and no doubt conscience-stricken, had purposely out-walked us, and was considerably in advance when the plaintiff overtook us. We could only pity his sad case, and preach caution for the future. The troublesome personage just adverted286 to was the author of more mischief. At our next halt, under the influence, it is probable, of the late excesses, he quarrelled with the servants in the house; and being a powerful man, of about six feet two inches in height, soon cleared the public room of its inmates287; getting into the street, he threw off his coat, and gave a general challenge for a fight. The invitation was properly rejected; and, like many other violent spirits, he was eventually subdued288, and marched quietly to quarters.
Here I received unexpected orders to proceed to Plymouth. On my arrival there, I was stationed in the citadel289. My removal was providential. I here met with an old friend, by whose side I had fought in Spain; he had received a commission as captain in the 2nd battalion. The last time we had met was on the ramparts of Ciudad Rodrigo, where he was dreadfully scorched290 by an explosion of combustibles. He introduced me in a very handsome 190manner to several officers in the garrison, and made honourable291 mention of my former conduct; by his influence I was also appointed colour-sergeant to the company. While at Plymouth, an order was issued which gave the soldiers liberty to attend such places of public worship as they thought fit, only it was expected that each should keep to his own community. When the order was read, I fell out for the Roman Catholic, where I continued some time to attend. The truth is, it mattered little by what name my religion was designated; for it was utterly worthless. I recollect292 that, one wet Sunday morning, it was my turn to march the catholic party to Stonehouse chapel293. The piety294 of the others was about equal to mine. Finding ourselves rather damp from the rain, it was proposed that instead of going to mass, we should adjourn295 to the next public house. This was agreed to without a division; and there we remained till night-fall. Meanwhile I was a mighty190 advocate for papacy; indeed few were louder than myself if challenged on the score of my religion. In the month of March, 1817, the second battalions296 of several regiments297, in order to reduce them to the peace establishment, were disbanded; and that in which I served was of the number. We were inspected, previously298 to dismission, by the medical officer; and though my services had not extended the length required by rule, yet, in consideration of the wounds I had received, I was placed upon the pension-list for an allowance of one shilling per diem. Thus disengaged from the toil299 of military avocation300, I felt desirous of directing my steps homeward again; I accordingly crossed the channel, and arrived safely at Portarlington, Queen’s County, in the month of May.
Coming events again introduced me to the army. In November, 1819, the pensioners301 were called up for examination, that those who were fit for service might be enrolled302 as a veteran battalion. For that purpose I went to Carlow, 191and was deemed by the inspector303 fit for the duty required. After continuing there several weeks, directions were received, ordering that the whole of the sergeants304, excepting four or five, should be dispensed with. The matter was decided305 among us by lot, and the decision happened to be against me. As I was placed by this event in disadvantageous circumstances, and excluded from the rank to which I felt myself entitled, I at once enlisted306 in the 7th foot, intending to serve my full period of time, and be thus ultimately entitled to an increased pension. With this view I resolved to conduct myself with strict propriety232. But what are human resolutions? Can the Ethiop change his skin, or the leopard307 her spots? Just as soon can man reform himself, independently of divine principles. Without descending to particulars, I relapsed into conviviality308 and habitual309 dissipation. Strong drink ruined all my existing prospects310. There were several religious men in the regiment, who expostulated with me on the folly311 of such conduct; but such were my ignorance and depravity, their words were as an idle tale. Nor, in fact, was I in other respects at home in the regiment. I missed the partners of my former dangers and hard service, men who not only talked of war, but had turned the tide of battle. We had also certain interests in which we seemed to be proprietors312 in common; and now I felt myself comparatively alone, and among strangers. We lay for some time at Newcastle, and from thence removed to Tynemouth Castle; while at the latter place, I was the means, under Providence313, of saving the life of a fellow creature. During a heavy gale314 of wind, a sloop315 was driven ashore316 near the barracks, and all hands on board were in danger of perishing. The waves broke frightfully over the deck, sweeping317 in their course every moveable and threatening quick destruction to the ship. The crew clung to the rigging with trembling and uncertain grasp. Hundreds of spectators lined the shore 192but though all felt deep concern, none knew how to assist. At last a rope was by some means conveyed from the vessel to the beach, and soon after hauled tight; a young sailor and myself then ventured on it, through the surf, and reached the vessel in safety. Among others, the captain threw himself overboard, but missed his hold of the rope, and sank. He was under water some time, when I dived in search of him, and having fortunately grasped him by the hair, was able to raise his head above the surface of the water. The next moment we were both struck by a powerful wave, which sent us with rapidity on the shelving rocks, where we were picked up by several persons who came to assist. I was much exhausted for several hours, but in the evening was sufficiently recovered to walk to the inn, and inquire for the captain’s welfare. He had been carefully attended, and, though much bruised318, was doing well. He knew me at the first glance, and exclaimed, ‘That’s the man that saved my life. I hope the country will reward him.’ Several gentlemen frequenting the Library and Reading-room, who saw the occurrence, were equally loud in their praises; and a clergyman, I understood, moved that I be rewarded with ten pounds and a silver medal. For distinctions so flattering I ought perhaps to be grateful; for they are all the reward I ever had. Why the worthy319 captain should expect the country to produce a premium320 for the saving of his life, I am at a loss to conjecture321. One would have thought that the onus322 of doing that might have been laid upon a party much easier of access. Never from that time did I hear from these eloquently323 grateful parties.
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musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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arrears
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| n.到期未付之债，拖欠的款项；待做的工作 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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exhorted
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| v.劝告，劝说( exhort的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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humility
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pittance
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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14
relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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15
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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16
profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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17
licentious
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| adj.放纵的，淫乱的 | |
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18
ballads
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| 民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴 | |
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19
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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20
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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21
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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22
obstructed
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| 阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止 | |
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23
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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24
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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25
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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26
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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27
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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28
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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29
inundation
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| n.the act or fact of overflowing | |
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30
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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31
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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32
Portuguese
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| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
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33
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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34
interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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35
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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36
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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37
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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38
demolish
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| v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等) | |
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39
stratagem
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| n.诡计，计谋 | |
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40
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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41
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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43
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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44
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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45
galled
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| v.使…擦痛( gall的过去式和过去分词 )；擦伤；烦扰；侮辱 | |
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46
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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47
slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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48
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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49
assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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50
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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51
hatchets
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| n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 )；恶毒攻击；诽谤；休战 | |
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52
skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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53
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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54
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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55
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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56
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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57
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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58
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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59
hewing
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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60
hew
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| v.砍；伐；削 | |
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61
intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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62
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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63
masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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64
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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65
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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66
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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67
affront
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| n./v.侮辱，触怒 | |
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68
entrenched
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| adj.确立的，不容易改的(风俗习惯) | |
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69
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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70
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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71
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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72
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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73
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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74
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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75
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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76
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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77
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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78
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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79
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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80
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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81
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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82
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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83
thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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84
surgical
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| adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的 | |
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85
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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86
pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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87
backbone
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| n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气 | |
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88
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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89
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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90
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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91
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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92
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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93
vouch
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| v.担保；断定；n.被担保者 | |
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94
intemperance
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| n.放纵 | |
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95
inebriety
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| n.醉，陶醉 | |
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96
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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97
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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98
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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99
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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100
consign
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| vt.寄售（货品），托运，交托，委托 | |
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101
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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102
patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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103
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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104
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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105
novices
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| n.新手( novice的名词复数 )；初学修士（或修女）；（修会等的）初学生；尚未赢过大赛的赛马 | |
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106
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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107
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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108
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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109
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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110
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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111
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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112
pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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113
confiding
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| adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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114
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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115
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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116
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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117
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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118
breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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119
encompassed
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| v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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120
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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121
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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122
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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123
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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124
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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125
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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126
stentorian
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| adj.大声的，响亮的 | |
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127
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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128
asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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129
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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130
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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131
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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132
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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133
illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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134
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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135
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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136
evade
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| vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避 | |
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137
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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138
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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139
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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140
defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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141
disdaining
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| 鄙视( disdain的现在分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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142
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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143
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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144
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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145
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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146
quarries
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| n.（采）石场( quarry的名词复数 )；猎物（指鸟，兽等）；方形石；（格窗等的）方形玻璃v.从采石场采得( quarry的第三人称单数 )；从（书本等中）努力发掘（资料等）；在采石场采石 | |
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147
vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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148
exhortations
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| n.敦促( exhortation的名词复数 )；极力推荐；（正式的）演讲；（宗教仪式中的）劝诫 | |
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149
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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150
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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151
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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152
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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153
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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154
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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155
cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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156
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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157
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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158
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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159
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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160
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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161
groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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162
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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163
egress
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| n.出去；出口 | |
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164
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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165
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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166
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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167
dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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168
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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169
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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170
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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171
slaying
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| 杀戮。 | |
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172
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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173
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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174
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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175
bugles
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| 妙脆角，一种类似薯片但做成尖角或喇叭状的零食； 号角( bugle的名词复数 )； 喇叭； 匍匐筋骨草； （装饰女服用的）柱状玻璃（或塑料）小珠 | |
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176
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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177
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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178
protracted
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| adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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179
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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180
contagion
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| n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延 | |
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181
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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182
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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183
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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184
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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185
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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186
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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187
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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188
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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189
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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190
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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191
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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192
pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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193
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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194
influx
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| n.流入，注入 | |
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195
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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196
flexibility
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| n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性 | |
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197
miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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198
conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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199
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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200
tarnish
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| n.晦暗，污点；vt.使失去光泽；玷污 | |
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201
licentiousness
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| n.放肆，无法无天 | |
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202
rapacity
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| n.贪婪，贪心，劫掠的欲望 | |
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203
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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204
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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205
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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206
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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207
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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208
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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209
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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210
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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211
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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212
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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213
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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214
worthily
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| 重要地，可敬地，正当地 | |
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215
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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216
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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217
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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218
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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219
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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220
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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221
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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222
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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223
exigencies
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| n.急切需要 | |
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224
invalided
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| 使伤残（invalid的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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225
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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226
spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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227
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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228
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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229
requited
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| v.报答( requite的过去式和过去分词 )；酬谢；回报；报复 | |
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230
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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231
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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232
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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233
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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234
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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235
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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236
consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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237
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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238
soliciting
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| v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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239
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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240
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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241
promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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242
pecuniary
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| adj.金钱的；金钱上的 | |
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243
reprieve
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| n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解 | |
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244
embarkation
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| n. 乘船, 搭机, 开船 | |
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245
embark
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| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
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246
isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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247
ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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248
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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249
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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250
reigning
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| adj.统治的，起支配作用的 | |
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251
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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252
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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253
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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254
forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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255
seduce
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| vt.勾引，诱奸，诱惑，引诱 | |
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256
refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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257
dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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258
potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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259
negligence
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| n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意 | |
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260
apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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261
incurring
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| 遭受，招致，引起( incur的现在分词 ) | |
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262
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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264
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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266
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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267
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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verdant
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| adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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limn
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| v.描画；描述 | |
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271
raptures
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| 极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 ) | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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276
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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277
fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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278
cleave
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| v．(clave；cleaved)粘着，粘住；坚持；依恋 | |
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feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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283
redeemed
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| adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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averred
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| v.断言( aver的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；证明…属实；作为事实提出 | |
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shuffler
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| n.曳步而行者； 洗牌者； 轮到洗牌的人； 做事漫不经心者 | |
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adverted
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| 引起注意（advert的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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287
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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adjourn
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| v.（使）休会，（使）休庭 | |
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battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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299
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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avocation
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| n.副业，业余爱好 | |
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pensioners
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| n.领取退休、养老金或抚恤金的人( pensioner的名词复数 ) | |
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enrolled
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| adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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sergeants
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| 警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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307
leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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308
conviviality
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| n.欢宴，高兴，欢乐 | |
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309
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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310
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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311
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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312
proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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313
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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315
sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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316
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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317
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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318
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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319
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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320
premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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321
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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322
onus
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| n.负担；责任 | |
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323
eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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