. Battles of the nineteenth century . ortuguese, and the ist Battalion of theLusitanian Legion. (The trench-guards and the forlorn hope fell unnoticed, in the mist that veiled their darkuniforms. They waited the arrival of the forlornhope to begin the attack. At length a sentrypeered over the parapet : something had caughthis quick ear, for he cried Qui vivcf^ andthere was a moment of keen suspense. Not satisfied, he again challenged, and, receiv-ing no reply, fired his musket into the darkness ;and instantly the drums of Badajoz beat to arms. Still, for ten minutes more the riflemen lay THE T
. Battles of the nineteenth century . ortuguese, and the ist Battalion of theLusitanian Legion. (The trench-guards and the forlorn hope fell unnoticed, in the mist that veiled their darkuniforms. They waited the arrival of the forlornhope to begin the attack. At length a sentrypeered over the parapet : something had caughthis quick ear, for he cried Qui vivcf^ andthere was a moment of keen suspense. Not satisfied, he again challenged, and, receiv-ing no reply, fired his musket into the darkness ;and instantly the drums of Badajoz beat to arms. Still, for ten minutes more the riflemen lay THE TAKING OF BADAJOZ. 261 motionless, until the forlorn hope came up, and trenches and broken ground, and, filing over the then, each man sighting carefully at the heads Rivillas by a narrow bridge, reached the foot of above the rampart, they poured in a volley, and the castlewall under a heavy fire,the attack began. Brave Kempt, who afterwards fought at It was unfortunate—as it happened—for Waterloo, fell, badly wounded, and as thev. the next they wereleaping, sliding, climb-ING (/. 262). Wellington wished all our assaults to take placebimultaneousl}-, but it could not be undone ;moreover the garrison threw a huge mass ofcombustibles, called a carcass, from the walls,and b} its powerful blaze they saw the 3rdDivision drawn up underarms; so, Stormersto the front ! was our cry, and we rushed on■with an uproar of cheers and shouting. The ladder-parties and those carrying thegrass-bags ran forward, scrambling across the carried him back he met Picton hurrying to take-command with his sword drawn. The 3rd Division had only twelve ladders, andeighty to a hundred men were all that couldmount at a time ; but they reared them againstthe masonry, and fought with each other whoshould be first to ascend. 262 BATTLES OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. Stones, earth, live shells, beams, heavy shot,and a rain of musket balls poured down ; thosewho reached the top were stabbed and flung onto the ot
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