ttle -- Friendliness
between the wounded -- Final attack and repulse of the French --
Horrible fate of some of the wounded -- Advance to Oropesa -- The
Spanish General Cuesta deserts the wounded at Talavera -- March
towards Badajoz -- Privations on the road -- Fresh supply of
clothes at Badajoz -- Lawrence invalided to Elvas -- Is cured
chiefly by reflecting on his manner of burial -- Returns to
Badajoz -- Sir Arthur Wellesley made Viscount Wellington -- End
of 1809.

I remained in hospital about three weeks, and on coming out I was
transferred from the Light into the Grenadier company.

As I before said, on leaving Seville, which I did in a pretty well
marked state, of which I bear the remembrances on my back to this day
upwards of fifty years since, we marched to Cadiz and encamped there,
intending to embark for Lisbon, Sir John Moore's army having been by
that time repulsed by sheer force of numbers, and himself killed at
Corunna. On that night an English wine-merchant asked permission to
give each man in our regiment a pint of wine and each woman half that
quantity, with a pound of bread apiece; and accordingly we were all
drawn up in line, and marched into a tremendous cellar, big enough,
had they been so disposed, to have admitted the whole regiment, with
two doors one at each end, at one of which we entered to receive our
share, and went out by the other. He likewise invited the officers to
dine with him; and so that night, after drinking the merchant's little
kindness, as we most of us did to pretty quick time, we slept a good
deal sounder.

Next day we embarked for Lisbon, and after landing there we proceeded
some miles up the country to join Sir Arthur's army in Castello
Branco, making up altogether about twenty thousand English and sixty
or eighty thousand Allies.

We then advanced across a fine plain, which I should think was more
famed for hares than anything else, for I never saw any place that
swarmed so with that kind of game. They were running in all
directions, and often even right into our lines, for they are stupid
animals when frightened, as they then were by the noise our men made;
and I managed to kill one with the muzzle of my musket, and sold it to
the captain of my company for a dollar.

The bands played each before its own regiment as we crossed the plain,
and Sir Arthur Wellesley took the opportunity of reviewing the Spanish
troops as they pass