The 8th was the day intended for the attack, but the state of the roads prevented the artillery and some of Sir Rowland’s brigade from coming up; it was postponed therefore till the 10th. This opened with so clear and beautiful a moonlight morning, that it was scarcely perceptible when daylight began to predominate; and men who had served in India were reminded of an Indian sky. Lord Wellington was on horseback at five, and reached the point of attack at six: he found Sir Lowry Cole’s division at its post, with 18 pieces of cannon at the head of the column: it was on a sloping ridge, which ends in a high point above the village of Sarré; and on that point was the redoubt which he was to attack, and which had been made with the greatest care, having a deep ditch, an _abattis_ in front, and _trous de loup_, so named from their resemblance to the pit-falls in which wolves are taken. Giron was close on his left, and Le Cor on the right, both in valleys. Lord Wellington, Beresford, Sir Lowry, General Colville, and other staffs, were in a little grove, which covered them, about 600 yards from the redoubt, walking about till it was light enough to commence the attack. Sir Lowry then drove in the enemy’s piquets, and the horse artillery were enabled to gain the ridge, and open in front of the grove within 400 yards of the redoubt: their fire in return rattled through the branches: Colonel Ross dashed forward, and opened six guns within 300 yards, which riddled the curtain: the French, however, stood firm, till after about an hour’s firing they saw the Spaniards moving to their rear, and the infantry advancing with ladders to escalade them; they then leaped over the parapet and ran: ... they were about 300, of whom some twenty were taken in the ditch, and not more than eight or ten killed. The artillery was then rapidly advanced against the next redoubt on the right, and that cost only about a quarter of an hour, for it was abandoned with discreditable precipitation.