Our paymaster entered the town with a raging fever. His hopes were not realized: he never again beheld his wife or his comfortable fire side. At the end of a few days' anguish he expired, and was buried with the rest.
Captain Poppleton was the commandant at this station. Officers of other corps held similar commands (with certain privileges) at Belem, Santarem, Niza, and other towns for the purpose of regulating quarters for the sick and stragglers of the army.
At the expiration of four unhappy months I became so far convalescent, as to be enabled to proceed to join my corps. I counted every step forward which carried me further from the hated and detestable dépôt, where every surrounding object depicted misery, and where, when the lively army happened to be in motion, such gloomy reports were spread, as to intimidate the sick and frighten the convalescents out of the country. Having passed through Guarda, Sabugal, and several miserable Portuguese villages, at the expiration of five days I reached Fuente de Guinaldo, the head quarters of the division. It is unnecessary to say that a hearty welcome hailed my arrival, and various interesting incidents, which had occurred since I left, were related by my companions, but none were more agreeable to my sanguine mind, than to hear that the division had not fired a shot during the time of my absence; so far dame Fortune had befriended me.
The enemy, under the Duke of Ragusa, had advanced on the 25th of September to throw provisions into Rodrigo, and had attacked the fourth division at Adea de Ponte, and part of the third division, who had distinguished themselves against the French cavalry on the heights near El Bodon, they having made several vain efforts to break their little squares for two leagues over firm charging ground; little, I repeat, because the regiments composing the brigade were very weak in point of numbers.
The light division was stationed on the right bank of the Agueda, hovering on the enemy's left flank; but, owing to the central attack, it was obliged to march à détour, so as to accomplish a concentration with the third division at Fuente de Guinaldo. This was done with the loss of one man, and that was the parson attached to the division, who had entered a house and turned snugly into bed, while the soldiers were shivering on the ploughed ground with keen appetites. During the night, the troops retrograded a short distance, suffering all the while from cold. The march was much impeded owing to a trifling stream in the road, and other obstacles, which the soldiers could not at first surmount, for the extreme darkness. By some accident the parson was not aware of this movement. Towards morning, while wrapped in the arms of Morpheus, he felt a gentle tap, and on opening his leaden eyelids, he saw four French heavy dragoons wrapped in white cloaks, with weather-beaten visages and huge mustachios, (crowned by brazen helmets, surmounted with tyger skins,) hanging over him in deep consultation on the best way of disposing of his person. The debate closed by their allowing him to put on his sable garments, to be conveyed a prisoner to the governor of Ciudad Rodrigo, who, on being informed of his harmless pursuits, gave directions for his liberation, so that he might go in search of the English army. On his being conducted to the gate of the town, the French soldiers rudely divested him of his coat and waistcoat, using their feet besides, in a most unceremonious manner, and left him to pursue his journey in his shirt sleeves.
Although the house occupied by the officers of the company was small, they declared that I should not seek a bed elsewhere; and one of my friends assured me that he would soon supply me with that article. Without further ado he hastily retired, and in a few minutes we heard a great uproar in the street, and, making for the door, we found my friend running towards the house loaded with a mattress on his back, and pursued by a woman out of whose house he had taken it. Rushing into the room breathless and convulsed with laughter, he threw it on the floor, which he had no sooner done than the furious owner burst in, and, laying violent hands on it, began to tug away, showering forth a string of Spanish imprecations, too numerous to mention, but easily to be guessed at by those who have heard such refined salutations from an enraged Spanish muger. It was not until her strength had entirely failed her that she would admit of an explanation; but, on money being offered her, she turned away indignantly; and as she had not shown any relaxation of the muscles of her brown visage, and her large black eyes continued to express unutterable things, the officer thought it better to reload himself and return that which, in a frolicsome moment, he had carried off with so much dexterity; but the woman pulled it from off his shoulder, and, with all the natural generosity of the sex, gave him the use of it, (as it was for a convalescent comrade,) as long as it might be required.
A dance was to take place that evening. The officers, therefore, put on their best uniforms, and decorated themselves with all the precision and care used when about to attend a ball of a more enlightened circle.
On entering the room we observed the females decorated in their best attire and trinkets. The band struck up a bolero; that being concluded, the male peasantry retired, leaving their mistresses to hop down our country dances, and to instruct us in those figures we had attempted to teach them. Generals, and all ranks, mixed in these rustic dances, where a variety of little coquetries were practised on the half-enamoured swains. The smell of garlic was scarce tolerable; but these were no times for niceties.
Every effort was exerted to do ample justice to Christmas. The different officers' messes dined alternately with each other, to partake of lean roast beef and plumb pudding. Poultry was procured; in fact, no expense was spared. A four pound loaf cost a dollar; moist sugar three pecetas a pound, and every other commodity equally expensive; still the festive board was well supplied, and the evenings most joyfully spent.
One of the suttlers who had taken post with our division, to amass a fortune, was a German of ordinary appearance with a pretty wife. Here it so happened that our serjeant-major, a man of portly figure, was possessed of more small talk than usually falls to the lot of men in his station of life; and, being remarkably fond of good living, and other amusements, proved a very losing customer at the above worthy suttler's shop, who could not help seeing the decline of that stock which he had brought from Lisbon at so much expense; besides other annoyances which he could not see. He, therefore, in a fit of extreme irritation, without his hat, made for the commanding officer's quarters, where he entered unceremoniously, and then laid bare all his wrongs. "Sare," said he, "your serjeant major is a very bad man. He drinky my wine. He eaty my sugar. He drinky my tea and my coffee. He kissy my vife, and he kick * * *. Sare, your serjeant-major is a very bad man."