In 1812, Wellington, commander-in-chief of the British forces in the Peninsula War, laid siege to Ciudad Rodrigo, a Spanish city held by the French. The 88th regiment, which played a critical part in the taking of the city, suffered heavy losses.
A British officer lay with a shattered leg in a corner. While waiting to be picked up, he heard a footstep, and into sight came an 88th man, staggering with a bundle of spoil he had managed to collect. Thoroughly tired out, the man lay down, placed the bundle under his head, and went to sleep. In a few moments a Portuguese camp-follower peeped round the corner, looked about, substituted a truss of straw for the bundle, and vanished with the plunder which the drunken soldier thought to be so carefully secured.
一八一二年半島戰爭期間，英軍總司令威靈頓攻下法軍扼守的西班牙城市羅德里戈。第八十八軍團在這一役之中，功勞甚偉，傷亡也甚眾。
一個英國軍官一條腿重創，躺在一角，等候擡走。他聽到腳步聲，跟着就看見第八十八軍團一個士兵，拿着一包戰利品，搖搖晃晃走來。那士兵疲憊不堪，頹然躺下，用那包裹作枕頭，呼呼睡去。過不了片刻，隨軍的一個葡萄牙雜役現身，從一角窺伺，再四處張望，然後用一束稻草取代那包裹，提之而去。那沉醉的士兵還以為，包裹用作枕頭，就萬無一失。