[310] This interview was denied by Robinson in his Life of Picton (i. 294) on the mere allegation of some of Picton’s staff that they had not heard of it, or been present at it. But the evidence of William Campbell, Craufurd’s brigade-major, brought forward by Napier at Robinson’s challenge, is conclusive. See Napier, vi. pp. 418-19, for the ‘fiery looks and violent rejoinders’ witnessed by Campbell. Picton had been specially ordered to support Craufurd if necessary. See Wellington Dispatches, v. pp. 535 and 547.
[311] This came from the extreme hardness of the soil, which induced the builders of the 18th-century enceinte to put less earth into the glacis than was needed, since it had to be scraped up and carried from a great distance, owing to the fact that the coating of soil all around is so thin above the rock.
[312] Wellington to Hill, Alverca, July 27, ‘There is not the smallest appearance of the enemy’s intending to attack Almeida, and I conclude that as soon as they have got together their force, they will make a dash at us, and endeavour to make our retreat as difficult as possible.’
[313] For details of this combat see Foy’s observations on p. 97 of his Vie Militaire, ed. Girod de L’Ain.
[314] For a narrative of these obscure campaigns see Schaller’s Souvenirs d’un officier Fribourgeois, pp. 29-37.
[315] See ibid., pp. 32-3.
[316] For a narrative of these interesting but obscure movements, see Schepeler, iii. 596-9. It is impossible to give a full account of them here, but necessary to mention them, to show the Sisyphean character of Bonnet’s task.
[317] This version of the cause of the disaster is given by Soriano da Luz (iii. 73) from the mouth of an artillery officer (one José Moreira) who had it from the only man in the castle-yard who escaped. This soldier, seeing the train fired, jumped into an oven-hole which lay behind him, and chanced not to be killed.
[318] Sprünglin’s Journal, pp. 444-5.
[319] There is a good account of this interview in Sprünglin’s Journal, p. 445, the diarist having accompanied Pelet into the town.