During the two sieges of Barcelona, made by M. Vendome in 1697, and M. de Barwick in 1713, the first of those Generals attacked, sword in hand, the convent of capuchins situated without the town, with several detachments of foot, and made himself master of it in three hours time with the loss of seventeen hundred men. Marshal Barwick attacked the same convent in 1713: the enemy were equally intrenched, and reckoned to make the French pay as dear for the victory as they had done before; but this General opening a kind of trench before the convent, the enemy, who did not expect to be attacked in form, surrendered at discretion after twenty-four hours resistance. I submit it to the judgment of my military readers, to decide which of these examples is best to follow. [Actually undated, but interesting and relevant]
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