SPENCER THOMAS VASSALL, being designed for a military life, obtained an ensigncy in the 59th regiment of foot, at the early age of twelve. He soon afterwards embarked for Gibraltar, where he served during the memorable siege, and from that period until his gallant career closed on the ramparts of Monte Video, he was uninterruptedly engaged upon active service in almost every part of the globe. He was twice with the army in Flanders, once in the West Indies, several times on the coast of France, and once on that of Spain. He was the first man that landed in the Isle Dieu, and planted the British colours there. He formed part of both expeditions to Holland; in the last of which he was ordered by the Duke of York to attend General Don to the enemy's camp with a flag of truce. On that occasion, when Brun, the French commander in chief, in a fit of rage, pretending to suspect the motives of the mission, declared to General that he was determined to treat him as a spy, he turned round to Major Vassall, and said with a contemptuous smile, "Pour vous, monsieur, je vous plains," Vassall receiving the proffered sympathy with merited contempt, immediately replied, "Sir, I disdain your pity, and am ready to share the fate of my general." After experiencing every kind of indignity, and having been twice led out for execution, these brave men were at length released, and allowed to return to England. Shortly afterwards Major Vassall purchased the lieutenant-colonelcy of the 38th regiment, and was for some years stationed in Ireland, where it was his fortune to be the field officer, of the day in Dublin, on the memorable 23rd July, when Lord Kilwarden, and many others were killed by the insurgent populace. His cool determined conduct upon that occasion obtained for him the high commendation of the Irish Government, and of the commander in chief. He subsequently embarked with his regiment for the Cape of Good Hope, and assisted at the capture of that important settlement; of the town and fortress of which he was appointed commandant. This lucrative and honorable post he resigned to embark with his regiment in the second expedition dispatched to the coast of Spanish America, and there he found a soldier's grave in gallantly leading his troops to the assault of Monte Video His conduct, his courage, his fate are so faithfully depicted in the following letter from his orderly serjeant, to Sir Home Popham, that we know not how we could better close this summary of his valiant achievements.  Monte Video, 10 Feb. 1807.
  SIR, Pardon the liberty I am taking, as the gratitude I owe to my ever lamented and best friend, Colonel Vassall, obliges me to give you and his friends an authentic account of his last; I being his orderly serjeant, and the chief person to witness his bravery, and the gallant manner in which he acquitted himself in doing his duty, in that unfortunate hour in which he fell. On our approach to the wall we missed the breach; the grape and musketry flew so hot it drove the men into confusion, and would have made numbers of them retreat but for his exertions. When he observed any of the men stoop or flinch, he cried out as loud as possible, "Brave 38th, my brave men, don't flinch; every bullet has its billet. Push on, follow me, thirty eighth!" He rallied them repeatedly in this manner, until he got them inside the breach. He immediately directed a party to take possession of the corner battery next the sea, which was done in a few minutes, and another, under the command of Major Ross, to advance to the great church, and he was advancing himself to the main battery on the right, when a grape shot broke his leg, and as soon as he fell he cried out, "Push on, somebody will take me up, my good soldiers, charge them, never mind me; it's only the loss of a leg in the service." He sat up, and helped to tie on a handkerchief to stop the blood, and cried out all the time of the action, "I care not for my leg, if my regiment do their duty, and I hope they will." As soon as the town surrendered he heard the men cheer, he joined them with as great spirits as if nothing had happened, and called to me to have him carried to the head of his regiment. I feel to the heart for his family. I could wish to have fallen with him, sooner than part with a man who was so good a friend to me.
At half-past three on the morning of the 3rd, he received his wound; at one o'clock on the morning of the 7th, he departed, and at eight the same evening he was interred at the entrance of the great church, with all military honors.
I am, sir,  Your very humble obedient servant,
    B. MATHEWS.
The remains of this gallant soldier we at first interred in the grand church at Mon Video, with military honors, but were after wards removed to England, and deposited in the family vault in the church of St Paul's, Bristol, where a monument, designed by Flaxman, executed by Rossi, and erected by Colonel Vassall's widow, bears the following inscription;