y miles off, and thence to Vittoria, a still longer march of at
least a hundred and sixty miles, during which some slight skirmishing
took place between the retreating and pursuing armies.

On nearing Vittoria we came up with the main body of the French posted
on some admirable heights, which they had made great use of to prepare
for a stubborn resistance: they not only having the advantage of the
heights, but we the attacking party having to cross a river below by
means of only narrow bridges, which was a great impediment to our
progress.

We arrived and encamped here on the 20th of June. On reconnoitring the
enemy's strong position much doubt was entertained as to our success,
our army being much fatigued after its tedious march and likewise
being very short of provisions. This latter circumstance caused many
to set off that night in search of something to eat; but the only
thing I with several comrades could find was some broad beans, and
those we had to gather for ourselves: we got a good many, but we were
certainly not out for them more than an hour altogether, as nearly the
whole of my party had to go on duty that night, and as it happened at
the general's own quarters, which were in a house which had been
deserted by its inhabitants. We occupied a kind of outhouse adjoining,
and having lit a fire in the centre and found a kettle belonging to
the house, we set to work and cooked a quantity of wheat that we found
stowed away there, and on that made a very good night's meal. I
likewise preserved a quantity and put it into my knapsack for a
favourite comrade who had been left in camp in charge of our beans;
but when I returned I found I need not have done that, for he had had
just as good a meal off the greater part of the beans as we had off
the wheat.

Next morning orders came to fall in under arms ready to advance and
attack the enemy's strong position. Our division, together with the
Third and Seventh, was ordered to advance against the centre of their
lines, so we had to bundle the remainder of our beans into our
knapsacks, for to use my comrade's expression, "it went hard to have
to leave any tommy behind in such times as these." Before we could get
at the enemy we had to cross a narrow bridge, which gave us some
trouble owing to the enemy's cannon, which played pretty sharply on
us: and a shell pitching into one of our ammunition waggons, it
immediately blew up, carrying with it two horses and the unfortuna