The first Sunday after the outrage already related, when the chaplain left his station, General Picton took his place. This was the first time he had addressed us. I felt anxious to examine the features of a man who had been so much the public talk on account of his reputed cruelty at Trinidad. I could not deny that I felt a prejudice against him, and his countenance did not do it away; for it had a stern and gloomy expression, which, added to a very dark complexion, made it no way prepossessing; but when he opened his mouth, and began to pour forth a torrent of abuse on us for our conduct, and his dark eye flashed with indignation, as he recapitulated our errors, ‘hope withering fled, and mercy sighed farewell.’ He wound up the particular part of his speech addressed to us with, ‘_You are a disgrace to your moral country, Scotland!_’ That had more weight than all his speech. It sunk deep in our hearts. To separate a Scotsman from his country—to tell him he is unworthy of it—is next to taking away his life. But General Picton was not the character which we, by prejudice, were led to think him. Convinced of the baneful effects of allowing his men to plunder, he set his face sternly against it, but in other respects he was indulgent; and although no man could blame with more severity when occasion required, he was no niggard of his praise when it was deserved. Nothing could surpass his calm intrepidity and bravery in danger; and his presence in battle had the effect of a talisman, so much had his skill and valour gained the confidence of the men under his command. FOOTNOTES: [8] The provost marshal is invested with power to inflict summary punishment on all soldiers whom he may find plundering, or straggling from their regiment. [9] I asked Dennis what the expression meant. He said that during the rebellion, a number of Hessian soldiers had been in Ireland, and an ‘United Man,’ having shot one of them, was busy plundering him, when one of his comrades asked share of the booty. ‘Kill a Hessian for yourself, my gay fellow,’ was the reply. [10] English Robbers. CHAPTER XI. From Torres Vedras, we removed to Alcoentre, a small village some miles in rear of Rio Mayor; and we were kept pretty busy while in it, strengthening our position, making batteries, breast-works, abattis, &c.