The division bivouacked for some hours two miles from the town. When the darkness had set in, three hundred soldiers drawn from the 43d, 52d, and the rifle corps, moved under the command of Colonel Colborne[14], to assault the fort of Francisco. The enemy fired about two rounds; our good troops did not allow more time, and the fort was taken. It was situated on a rising ground, six hundred yards from the town, was of a square form, with two small howitzers, "_en barbette_," and had a garrison of two officers and forty soldiers, who were made prisoners. Six or eight others either were killed or escaped into the town, where the drums began to beat to arms, and a furious fire of shot and shell opened on us, while digging a parallel close to the captured fort; the earth being thrown up on the town side. The land is arable, and bestrewn with loose stones, which were flying on all sides from the impulse given by the cannon balls, and the bursting of shells, which were exploding on every side, killing and maiming many soldiers. The great convent of Saint Francisco, in the suburb, was carried a few days before the storming of the town, and also the ruined convent of Santa Cruz. On the morning of the 14th, about five hundred French soldiers made a sortie from the city, and before they retired were very nearly succeeding in entering the batteries, where the battering cannon had been placed the night before. The twenty-four pounders were of iron, mounted like field guns, on handsome carriages, painted lead colour. An hour before dark on this day, the batteries opened within six hundred yards of the ramparts for the purpose of battering in breach. The first, third, fourth, and light divisions, employed in the siege moved by turns from their cantonments, each taking a twenty-four hours' spell.[15] On the 19th of January, the light division was ordered to the assault out of its turn. During the greater part of the day we remained cooking behind the convent of the Norbortins, a most splendid ruin, with very extensive cloisters, situated close on the right bank of the Agueda, three miles S. E. of the town. Soon after three o'clock we moved towards the ground occupied by the foot guards, who were halted one mile and a half from the suburbs of Ciudad Rodrigo. These troops came forward to wish us success, and our band struck up the _fall of Paris_. The third division occupied the trenches, and the garrison must have observed the march of the light division from the ramparts,—extra troops! The governor should have pondered on it! If he had kept a sharp look-out, he must have been expecting the assault. There were two breaches effected in the walls of this town. By the small breach the large one was taken in reverse.