My best respects to my uncle and aunt. I hope they are well. I feel much obliged to my aunt for her kindness to my family, and should I ever return to England, I hope to have the pleasure of thanking her in person. Let me know if you hear anything of poor John. I am very anxious. I hope Charles is better. For God's sake, mind he is not ruined by a pack of d——d quacks; let some regular practitioner see him. I must request you will take care of his education as well as Betsy's. I shall charge my mother with neglect if this most essential point is omitted. My dear Ann, I hope, is well and attentive to my mother. I have a lot of trinkets for her if I can find means of sending them. Some days back I sent a Spaniard into Ciudad Rodrigo to buy some buttons (curious silver ones). I shall preserve them for Ann. On the receipt of this note, write immediately and let me know when I am to expect Joseph. I remain, with my love to my dear mother and family, your affectionate son, Geo. Simmons, Lt., 95th or Rifle Regiment. CAMPAIGN OF 1812 The commencement of the year 1812 found the British army in the Peninsula much scattered by reason of the difficulties of provisioning it. Soult, operating in Andaluçia, had towards the close of 1811 detached a force to besiege Tarifa, and at the end of January attempted to storm it, but was repulsed with heavy loss and retired on Cadiz. Napoleon at this time was concentrating all his energies on his disastrous attempt to subjugate Russia, and in order to augment his forces in that country, had recalled some 60,000 of his best troops from Spain. It was at this juncture that Wellington, taking advantage of the disorganised state of the French forces in the Peninsula, which, in addition to being divided into three separate armies, were widely distributed in order to obtain supplies, decided on a winter campaign, and unexpectedly invested the strong fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo. After a siege of only twelve days, pushed forward with extraordinary vigour, with the object of obtaining possession of the place before Marmont could assemble a sufficient force to render assistance to the besieged garrison, Ciudad Rodrigo was stormed. In this desperate undertaking Generals Craufurd and Mackinnon, fifty officers, and 650 men fell in the breaches. The French loss was only 300. Marmont, having failed in his attempt to collect sufficient forces to raise the siege, on hearing of the fall of the place, retired on Salamanca.