of the Guadiana, before you will be required to move to Lobon, &c., in consequence of Soult's movements, there is no occasion for your leaving any body at Merida. If Foy should be moving along the right of the Guadiana, when you shall receive intelligence of Soult's movements, I do not think it would be necessary for you to stay with your whole corps at Merida. General Howard might stay with one British, and Colonel Ashworth's brigade, and the Portuguese cavalry, and a brigade of Portuguese artillery. Of course he would not destroy the bridge till the last moment, and if you should determine to march upon Lobon, you will not destroy the bridge till the last of your troops shall come away.

Tell the Alcalde, or Corregidor, that if we destroy the bridge, I will render it passable again for them; that it is to answer a military purpose, and must be done if necessary. I have not yet heard of Soult's arrival at Llerena yesterday.

'Lieut. General

Believe me, &c.

• WELLINGTON.

Sir R. Hill, K.B.'

General the Earl of Wellington, K.B., to Major General Cooke.

· SIR,

'Camp before Badajoz, 6th April, 1812.

I have the honor to acquaint you, that I approve of your discharging five serjeants from the 87th regiment, according to the request of Colonel Doyle, in order that they may be appointed to commissions in the Spanish service.

'I have the honor to be, &c.

General the Earl of Wellington, K.B., to the Right Hon.

'MY DEAR HENRY,

Henry Wellesley.

Camp before Badajoz, 6th April, 1812. · Alava delivered to me yesterday evening your letters of the 30th March, and of April.

I congratulate you upon being made a Knight of the Bath. You must be introduced by a Knight of some Order, to the person who is to invest you, carrying in your hand the insignia of the Order. The authority to invest you is then read; and the person who is to invest you, must knight you by passing his sword over your shoulder. He then puts the

riband over your right shoulder, and the star on your left breast. The ceremony here generally ends in eating and drinking, &c. &c.

'I have no objection to the delay in sending the garrison to Tarifa till matters shall be settled here; and it will be expedient that Ballesteros should return.

Ever yours most affectionately,

'The Right Hon. H. Wellesley.

'WELLINGTON.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTACK OF BADAJOZ.

(The parts in the smaller print are alterations and explanations afterwards made by the Earl of Wellington.)

"Camp, 6th April, 1812. 1. The Fort of Badajoz is to be attacked at 10 o'clock this night*.

2. The attack must be made on three points; the castle, the face of the bastion of La Trinidad, and the flank of the bastion of Sta Maria.

3. The attack of the castle to be by escalade; that of the two bastions, by the storm of the breaches.

4. The troops for the storm of the castle, consisting of the 3rd division of infantry, should move out from the right of the first parallel at a little before 10 o'clock, but not to attack till 10 o'clock.

5. They should cross the river Rivillas below the broken bridge over that river, and attack that part of the castle which is on the right, looking from the trenches and in the rear of the great battery constructed by the enemy to fire on the bastion of La Trinidad.

6. Having arrived within the castle, and having secured the possession of it, parties must be sent to the left along the rampart, to fall on the rear of those defending the great breach, in the bastion of La Trinidad, and to communicate with the right of the attack on that bastion.

'It is recommended that the attack of the 3rd division should be kept clear of the bastion of San Antonio, at least till the castle which is above and commands that bastion shall be carried.'

* The hour originally named was half-past seven, being immediately after dusk, but it was subsequently changed to ten, in consequence of the arrangements being found to require that delay. The garrison took advantage of the interval between the breaching batteries ceasing to batter, and the commencement of the assault, to cover the front of the breaches with harrows and crowsfeet, and to fix a chevaux-de-frise of sword blades on their summits.

7. The troops for this attack must have all the long ladders in the engineers' park, and six of the lengths of the engineers' ladders. They must be attended by 12 carpenters with axes, and by 6 miners with crow-bars, &c.

8. The 4th division, with the exception of the covering party in the trenches, must make the attack on the face of the bastion of La Trinidad, and the Light division on the flank of the bastion of Sta Maria.

9. These two divisions must parade in close columns of divisions at 9 o'clock. The Light division, with the left in front, the 4th division with its advanced guard, with the left in front; the remainder with the right in front. The 4th division must be on the right of the little stream, near the piquet of the 4th division, and the light division must have the river on their right.

This arrangement of the columns is made in order that the Light division may extend along the ramparts to the left; and that the 4th division, with the exception of the advanced guard, which is to communicate by its left with the Light division, might extend along the ramparts to the right. It may be necessary, however, for these two divisions mutually to support each other, and attention must in this case be paid to the formations,'

10. The Light division must throw 100 men forward into the quarries, close to the covered-way of the bastion of Sta Maria, who, as soon as the garrison are disturbed, must keep down by their fire the fire from the face of the bastion of St Maria, and that from the covered-way.

11. The advance of both divisions must consist of 500 men from each, attended by 12 ladders; and the men of the storming party should carry sacks filled with light materials, to be thrown into the ditch, to enable the troops to descend into it. Care must be taken that these bags are not thrown into the covered-way.

12. The advance of the Light division must precede that of the 4th division; and both must keep as near the inundation as they possibly can.

13. The advance of both divisions must be formed into firing parties and storming parties. The firing parties must be spread along the crest of the glacis, to keep down the fire of the enemy; while the men of the storming party, who carry bags, will enter the covered-way at the place d'armes, under the breached face of the bastion of La Trinidad; those attached

to the 4th division on its right, those to the Light division on its left, looking from the trenches or the camp.

'No. 13 will run thus:-after the words "while the men of the storming party who carry bags will enter the covered-way," insert," those of the Light division, at the place d'armes on the left, looking from camp, of the unfinished ravelin; those of the 4th division, on the right of that ravelin, at the place d'armes under the breached face of the bastion of La Trinidad."'

14. The storming party of the advance of the Light division will then descend into the ditch, and turning to its left, storm the breach in the flank of the bastion of Sta Maria, while the storming party of the 4th division will likewise descend into the ditch, and storm the breach in the face of the bastion of La Trinidad.

'The firing parties are to follow immediately in the rear of their respective storming parties.

'Major General Colville will observe that a part of the advance of the 4th division must be allotted to storm the new breach in the curtain.' 15. The heads of the two divisions will follow their advanced guards, keeping nearly together, but they will not advance beyond the shelter afforded by the quarries on the left of the road, till they shall have seen the heads of the advanced guards ascend the breaches: they will then move forward to the storm in double quick time.

'The place here pointed out may be too distant. The heads of the columns should be brought as near as they can without being exposed to fire.'

16. If the Light division should find the bastion of Sta Maria entrenched, they will turn the right of the entrenchment, by moving along the parapet of the bastion. The 4th division will do the same by an entrenchment which appears in the left face, looking from the trenches of the bastion of La Trinidad.

17. The Light division, as soon as they are in possession of the rampart of St Maria, are to turn to their left, and to proceed along the rampart to their left, keeping always a reserve at the breach.

18. The advanced guard of the 4th division are to turn to their left, and to keep up the communication with the Light division. The 4th division are to turn to their right, and to communicate with the 3rd division, by the bastion of San Pedro, and the demi-bastion of San Antonio, taking care to keep a reserve at the bastion of La Trinidad.

19. Each (the 4th and Light) division must leave 1000 men in reserve in the quarries.

• It will be necessary for the commanding officer of the Light division to attend to the ditch on his left as he makes his attack. He should post a detachment in the ditch towards the salient angle of the bastion of Sta Maria, so as to be covered by the angle from the fire of the next bastion on its left, looking from the trenches.'

20. The 4th division must endeavor to get open the gate of La Trinidad; the Light division must do the same by the gate called Puerto del Pilar.

21. The soldiers must leave their knapsacks in camp.

22. In order to aid these operations, the howitzers in No. 4 are to open a fire upon the batteries, constructed by the enemy to fire upon the breach, as soon as the officers shall observe that the enemy are aware of the attack, which they must continue till they see that the 3rd division are in possession of the castle.

'Some signal must be arranged between the commanding officer of the artillery and the officer who shall command the attack on the castle, for ceasing the fire in No. 4.'

23. The commanding officer in the trenches is to attack the ravelin of San Roque with 200 of the covering party, moving from the right of the second parallel, and round the right of the ravelin, looking from the trenches, and attacking the barriers and gates of communication between the ravelin and the bridge; while 200 men likewise of the covering party will rush from the right of the sap into the salient angle of the covered-way of the ravelin, and keep up a fire on its faces. These last should not advance from the sap, till the party to attack the gorge of the ravelin shall have turned it. That which will move into the covered-way on the right of the ravelin looking from the trenches, ought not to proceed further down than the angle formed by the face and the flank.

"It would be better that this attack should move from the right of the sap. The commanding officer in the trenches must begin it as soon as he shall observe that the attack of the 3rd division on the castle is perceived by the enemy.'

24. The remainder of the covering party to be a reserve in the trenches. The working parties in the trenches are to join their regiments at half past seven o'clock.

Twelve carpenters with axes, and ten miners with crowbars, must be with each (the 4th and Light) division. A party of one officer and 20 artillerymen must be with each division.