In June the army passed the Agueda river and advanced to _Salamanca_, the French retiring upon Toro, but leaving a body of troops in two _fortified convents_. The FIFTY-THIRD were employed in the siege of these convents, and on the 18th of June Lieutenant J. H. Devenish was severely wounded in the trenches; he died on the 24th, and was buried in the church near the great square of the city. Marshal Marmont advancing to relieve the besieged convents, the regiment was twice removed from the siege to confront the French army; but the enemy did not hazard an attack. On the 23rd of June, when an unsuccessful attempt was made by the light infantry to capture the smaller convent by escalade, the regiment had three men killed; Lieutenant James Hamilton, and seven men, wounded. The progress of the siege was delayed by a scarcity of ammunition, but a supply was received. The smaller convent was captured by storm on the 27th of June; and the attack on the larger one had commenced, when the commandant surrendered. Advancing from Salamanca the army proceeded to the banks of the Douro; but the French having been considerably reinforced, and having crossed that river, the allies fell back to the vicinity of Salamanca, where the two armies manœuvred on the 22nd of July, and the enemy, having weakened his centre in his attempt to turn the right flank of the allied army, Lord Wellington seized the favourable opportunity to commence the battle. The FIFTY-THIRD, with the other corps of the sixth division, supported the fourth division in its attack on the French army, and circumstances occurred which occasioned the regiment to be brought into action before the other corps of its division. The FIFTY-THIRD supported the twenty-third Portuguese regiment; and this corps giving way, the FIFTY-THIRD had to sustain the attack of a superior body of infantry supported by cavalry in front, at the same time they were exposed to the flank fire of the French posted on one of the hills called the Arapiles. The regiment withdrew from this unequal contest in good order, and forming square, resisted the charge of the French cavalry with great steadiness, thus affording an example of what can be effected by a small body of infantry, when charged by very superior numbers of cavalry. The officer at the head of the French dragoons having been wounded close to the bayonets of the square, and the success of the attack of the other regiments of the brigade to which the FIFTY-THIRD belonged becoming evident, the French cavalry retired, taking with them Captain Fehrszen and nine wounded men as prisoners. Lieut.-Colonel Bingham having been severely wounded, the command of the regiment devolved on Brevet Lieut.-Colonel John Mansel.