following year in a second edition of that portion of Napier's History relating to the storm of Ciudad Rodrigo, the first having stated that "Mr. Gurwood, who, though wounded, had been among the foremost at the lesser breach, received the governor's sword."
The writer of the paper in The Cyclopœdia says that the statement of Colonel Gurwood was irreconcilable with that of Major Mackie. I do not see this at all. Lieutenant Mackie supposed that the sword of an aide-de-camp was the sword of the governor, and while he was protecting two French officers, Lieutenant Gurwood came up and obtained the sword of the governor. There is nothing irreconcilable here. The luck was on Gurwood's side in getting the governor's sword, and as no doubt was thrown on the truth of Gurwood's story, his finding the French officer whose life he had saved does no more for his case than Major Mackie's finding the two French officers whose lives he had saved would have done for his case. No one that knew Colonel Gurwood or Major Mackie would have doubted their word as men of veracity and honour.
Colonel Gurwood's narrative of his adventures during that night is one of the most valuable
