On April 4 George Simmons with a party was in an advanced sap, and observing that some large guns of the place were doing much injury to our artillery in an advanced battery, he selected some of the best shots and directed them to fire steadily into the embrasures. In half-an-hour he found that the guns were not fired so regularly as before; and soon gabions were brought and stuffed into the embrasures. These were withdrawn when the guns were about to be fired. The Riflemen took note of this, and the moment the gabions were removed fired steadily into the embrasure. Very soon the gabions began to be replaced without the guns having been discharged. They were thus effectually silenced. And from daylight till dark Simmons kept up this practice with ‘forty as prime fellows as ever pulled trigger.’ A French officer, probably a celebrated marksman, half hidden, lying on the grass of the parapet, set up his cocked hat some way in front of him to deceive our people, and to draw their fire. Some soldiers by him handed him loaded muskets to enable him to fire more rapidly. Simmons, leaning over the top of the trench, got a good view of this man; he selected a good shot, and being anxious that he should see the Frenchman, desired him to lay his rifle over his shoulder and steady his aim. The Rifleman fired; and nothing more was seen of the Frenchman, whom, no doubt, he killed or wounded, though the cocked hat remained in position until dark. But Simmons, in his anxiety, had forgotten that the priming of the old Baker rifle was close to his ear, which was much burnt and the whole side of his head singed. Some of the best shots in the Regiment were selected also to occupy pits which had been dug between our approaches and the crest of the glacis, in order to pick off the gunners. This was most arduous and dangerous work; for not only were the men exposed to a deadly fire in running out to the pits, and in returning when relieved, but sometimes a man was wounded or killed in the pit, and the relieving Rifleman had to pull him or help him out before he could shelter himself, all the time exposed to a murderous fire from the place. [Illustration: ASSAULT of BADAJOS 6^{TH} APRIL, 1812. E. Weller, _Litho._ _London, Chatto & Windus._ ]