population slowly dying to the war or epidemics. The French continued their offensive, incessantly bombing the city and destroying what few buildings were left standing. The fall of the Arrabal The French spent eight days of relative tranquility building new artilleries outside the Arrabal. On February 18, 1809, after deflecting the criticism of Valero de Bernabé and others, a Spanish artillery official tried to ambush enemy troops by throwing a greanade towards them, inadvertently alerting them of the location of his batteries. The French counterattacked with full force, causing significant destruction within two hours. Taking advantage of this, they breached the Arrabal. Sieged by artillery fire, bombs and grenades, Valero de Bernabé's group was forced to leave the San Lázaro battery and retreated towards the square of the Monasterio. The French pushed back the Spanish and killed two generals, including the baron of Visages. Valero de Bernabé was the left in charge of the remaining troops, leading a resistance that was systematically battled on each house and street, but that lost a third of its members overwhelmed by the amount of enemies. This forced them to concentrate on the Tejares battery, their last one left, where the remaining Spanish numbered 1,300 between soldiers and civilians. On the way he met lieutenant Mauricio Alber who noticing that he was only wearing a frock coat gave him an intricate navy uniform. There a reunion was held, where a strategy to move towards the adjacent rural zone of Justibal was discarded due to enemy presence. After seven hours of battle, the group determined that the only option left was to stipulate the condition of the Spanish surrender, which the French opting to ignore capitulations, dividing the captured in groups and stripping them of their weapons and most of their belongings. Taken prisoner, they were transported to the adjacent Molinos within an hour. The French officers separated their Spanish counterparts and were amused how malnourished men could present resistance. Valero de Bernabé was offered a tobacco by a French officer and requested food. There, he encountered a comrade named José Semanat, with whom he discussed their mutual misery and discussed how he was left broke by losing five ounces of gold, being given half an ounce as a gesture of friendship. During the exchange, he noticed that the silver spurs that he was wearing were still in his feet and hid them. The French