March continued—Quintana—Anecdote of Wellington—Morillas—Vittoria—The
Battle—Its Results—Plunder—Kindness to the Enemy—Madame de Gazan—The
Hospital—Sufferings of the Wounded—Estimated Loss.
Head-quarters, Berberena,
June 18, 1813.
MY DEAR M——,
My last left me at Massa, on the other side of the Douro, in a
miserable quarter. On the following morning (the 15th) we marched
for Quintana, on the same side. For about four leagues we proceeded
through a rough hilly country, barren, but at times picturesque. We
passed troops all the way, and at last came to a tremendous long hill
which led us down to Quintana, near the banks of the Ebro. Troops were
descending the hill, infantry, cavalry, and artillery, from eight or
nine o’clock until past four; and at last the baggage, which was kept
waiting on the banks around the road-side, moved on; the scene was very
striking. The artillery was much shaken; some guns were lowered by
hand, with the wheels locked, without horses, and all very gently; four
wheels gave way, and the 18-pounders had to go round by St. Martine.
The valley in which Quintana and six or seven other small villages
were placed, and through which the Ebro passed, was very rich and
beautiful, surrounded with rocky heights and covered with corn,
beans, fruit, vines, trees, &c., and the villages externally very
picturesque. Internally, however, they were most wretched, and my
quarter was misery itself. The people had not seen the French in the
valley for two years, until about ten days before we were there, when
they had been through to collect contributions, and to seize part of a
magazine formed there by Longa. The head-quarters’ house was, however,
good, and near it was a large but unfinished and unoccupied college,
for young persons of both sexes, founded about twenty years ago by
the owner of the head-quarters’ house, by the desire of his deceased
wife, for the education of children of the valley. The great man of
the valley, however, was the owner of the Adjutant-general’s quarter,
and only a Procureur there—a poor abode. I think he was called the
Marquis de Villa Alta. There was a small castle, and the whole scenery,
particularly along the banks of the river, was very delightful. I
longed for a tent, for I could not live in my house in the daytime from
the smoke, and could not sleep in the night from the fleas. The light
division and the fourth were encamped in the meadows across the river,
and added, by their fires and tents, much to the interest of the scene;
the cavalry and artillery passed through the valley. The river runs in
this part about as wide as the Severn above Shrewsbury—less than the
Thames at Maidenhead.
The next day (the 16th) we crossed the river, and proceeded with the
troops between the lofty rocky banks of the river, above the valley,
on a road cut close to the water, and winding alongside the river for
about a league and more, most beautifully! in some respects like the
Wye, the cliffs almost like Cheddar, and wooded to the water’s edge.
The constant line of cavalry and infantry, whenever the eye caught the
winding road, was very picturesque. In two places were the remains of
walls across the road made by Longa or the French—I do not know which.
The road afterwards turned from the river, and through a fine country
brought us to Medina de Pomar, leaving Villa Cayo on our left. Medina
de Pomar, our next head-quarters, was a straggling dirty town, and the
accommodation very moderate indeed. I got a tolerable clean room for
myself at the apothecary’s, but my stable was down a cellar with dark
stairs, and I could scarcely get my animals in or out. The alcalde was
not civil, nor did the people appear glad to see us. The town was very
full, for the Spanish Generals Mendizabel and Longa (the _ci-devant_
Guerilla chief) were quartered there on our arrival, and did not seem
disposed to move for us.
I saw Longa in the street; rather a stout man, well dressed in a
sort of hussar uniform, and looking civilized enough. I was in hopes
of meeting him at Lord Wellington’s, where I dined that day, but he
did not stay. The party of cavalry attending him were all uniformly
dressed, and seemed to me to be more regular than most of the Spanish
regulars. They wore scarlet jackets, and appeared not unlike some
of our volunteer yeomanry cavalry, but they had quite an air of
consequence which was amazing. Longa has left thirty of them and two
officers at head-quarters, as part of the corps of guides, to assist in
keeping up the communications of the army, in which way I have no doubt
they will be very useful.
Lord Wellington was at Medina in a large nunnery where there were
twenty-five ladies, who came and played at bo-peep with us in the
chapel, which was a handsome building. The altar was very rich, and
in the centre was a piece of clock-work of small moveable figures
describing the crucifixion.
On that day General Jeron arrived, the General of the Gallician Spanish
army acting with us, and he dined there. Castanos, the former General,
is now a sort of General of two armies, and amuses himself by parading
through all the towns and places in the rear of the army, Burgos last:
I suppose he is employed somehow in this way. Jeron is a man about
thirty-six, I should think, and looks very much like a gentleman and a
man of talent; he is very well spoken of, and considered as one of the
best of the Spanish leaders. Through Corunna we have news to the 6th of
June. Talking during dinner of the late accounts from Bonaparte, and of
the sentimental story about Duroc, which Lord Wellington was laughing
at, General Jeron said, “If there was such a place as hell, he thought
Bonaparte quite right, and that he and Duroc would most certainly meet
again there.”
Yesterday, the 17th, we started again (having had no halts) for
Quincoces, five long leagues almost, towards Vittoria, but to the left:
there our head-quarters were yesterday, in that and the neighbouring
villages. The troops I think were pushed on in this way, from an
account received from Longa and others, that the French rear was still
at Pencorbo, and part even at Briviesca, on the other side of the
Ebro. Longa gave great hopes of doing something. We have, however, our
difficulties from this. We get no corn for the horses, and bread is
very scarce; stores gone for the present, for we outrun our supplies,
and there is very little to be bought. We have bought some and baked
it, to supply us as we go, but some divisions have been for one or
two days entirely without, and others on short allowance. We hope now
soon to get into a better country, towards Vittoria, but Longa and the
French have cleared everything about this country.
Longa, when we came to Quincoces, was ordered on to Orduna, having
had all he could from this place. On taking leave he collected all
their oxen for the plough, ninety in number, all they had left, and
drove them off. The people received us with tears and lamentations,
and with no small fear, not knowing what we should require next. My
patron seemed quite stupified and melancholy. We told this to General
Alava, and he galloped off with two dragoons after Longa’s people and
the oxen, overtook them, and compelled them to restore them to the
owners, to their no small satisfaction. At last we found eight hundred
pounds of bread, that is, flour; half a day’s rations for head-quarters
only. We bought it, paid for it with guineas, and baked it—_voilà la
différence!_ But this cannot last or be general; the divisions cannot
do this.
We last night heard that the French were over the river Ebro, and as
near Vittoria as we were. However, we advanced in hopes of something
arising, and head-quarters were ordered to be at this place, Berberena,
and the neighbouring villages. It was intended that Marshal Beresford
should have been at a village half a league in front of this place, but
when we arrived near here, about nine o’clock, we found two divisions
of the 1st and 5th halted here until further orders. We heard a
cannonading in the front, at this village, and found that the French
were making some stand in a narrow pass near it, and in the village.
Beresford was put into a village to the rear of us, and an order soon
came out for all baggage to proceed to that village for security. Mine
was unloaded; but as I saw the French just before us, only about a mile
off or little more, I made my people all load again and stand ready
to be off, whilst I went with my glass to the end of the village, to
a rising ground, to witness the skirmishing, and to be ready to act
accordingly.
A brisk cannonade was going on, a few shells were thrown, and a light
infantry attack. The French I saw very plainly in the churchyard and
village on the hill beyond. They advanced under a ridge in the ground
and some bushes, where they stood above an hour and more, when I saw
our men and the Portuguese advance gradually and drive them back. The
cannon advanced also, and the French by degrees went out of sight
round the hill, our guns and soldiers after them. Very few I believe
were killed on either side; but our light division I find went round
by Espeja, and, falling in with another division early in the day,
routed them so completely, that two battalions dispersed, and the
light division got a quantity of mules and baggage, with a good deal
of money; some privates got two or three hundred pounds. About three
hundred prisoners were taken, and some of the runaways are still coming
in. One French battalion fled towards Frias, and some Spaniards are
sent off after them.
_Morillas, Head-Quarters, June 20th._—Our orders yesterday morning (the
19th) were to set out at eight o’clock through Osma, where a little
affair took place the day before, and so on to Escorta, following the
fourth division. We did this, and I was riding with the doctors just
before that division on towards Escorta, when we were told that the
French were only two miles in advance, and that there was nothing
between us. Upon this we turned out of the road into a field of vetches
for the horses, and let the fourth division go by, and have the honour
of preceding us, as we did not quite think the French would run away
at the sight of us civilians. When this division came well up we went
on, passed through Escorta to another village half a league beyond,
and then, by the advice of an officer, who told us they were going to
attack the French, who were strong at this place, Morillas, and that
the passage of the river was to be forced, we ascended a high hill on
our right, which commanded the whole scene of action, and there with
our glasses we could distinctly see everything.
As soon as the light division had got almost round the hill on our
right, from the direction nearly of the Frias road, in order to be
ready to advance and turn the French position, the fourth division
advanced to the village here, and the skirmishing began from the
houses and a chapel on the river. In about half an hour our men
entered the village, and we got about three field-pieces into play
close to it. We then saw the French, who were in considerable force on
the other side, and formed into a crescent on a hill near, begin to
move off, at first gently, but soon in quick time, and a part of our
division was very soon formed beyond the village over the river. The
skirmishing thus went on all the way up the road and hill beyond to
another village half a league further on the hill, where the French
were drawn up in greater force. When our men got up, however, the enemy
went off pretty quickly, and were last night in great force, some say
fifty thousand, in a plain about a league and a half from this, and
about half way to Vittoria.
The pass here was very defensible, and not easily turned; but the
resistance was very slight, and few fell on either side. I suppose
the French were afraid of bringing on a general action by further
resistance. They had not any artillery with them near here, I conclude,
from the fear of losing their guns, as just through and near the
village the road is so bad and narrow, that our baggage, without any
resistance, did not pass through to the two divisions beyond until dark
at eight o’clock, our head-quarter baggage having all followed on here.
Lord Wellington walked into a house and made it head-quarters. I have
a sort of barn here. We have had wet and cold weather for these three
days; I can scarcely keep myself warm to write, though with my cap on
and double waistcoats. This is considered extraordinary here for the
20th of June, though the climate is always much colder and more subject
to wet than in the more southern parts of Spain.
There is a large plain near Vittoria, and then all beyond is hilly
to France. An officer of the 95th was killed on the 18th, and about
seventy men wounded, I hear. Yesterday an officer of the Fusileers was
wounded badly in this village, and lies in a house here: in another
house a very spirited Portuguese (Caçadores) serjeant is also lying
wounded.
_3 o’clock._—The French remain in the valley, but it is thought will be
off to-night.
_Vittoria, June 23rd, 1813._—My last was of the 20th from Morillas, and
on the 21st I arrived here after a scene never to be forgotten. Our
baggage was that morning ordered to remain ready to load until further
orders. The French were very strongly posted at about a league and a
half distance, directly across the road to Vittoria, about sixty or
seventy thousand strong, and extending about a league; their centre
supported by a wood and a small river, their left by strong wooded
hills, and their right on another hill not so strong. The attack was
ordered in the manner you have seen before this in the “_Gazette_.”
General Graham was to turn the French right flank; General Hill their
left. I mounted my horse about nine to see the result, leaving Henry
and everything behind, with directions to do exactly the same as Lord
Wellington’s servants. I got, with Dr. M’Gregor and a few others, on
a hill about a mile from the French, which commanded nearly the whole
scene. At about half-past ten the firing began very briskly on the
hills on the French left. The different ridges were well contested; but
our people constantly, though gradually, gained ground, and advanced
along the top ridge to turn the French. The cavalry were nearly all
close under us to be ready, some in the rear, and one division of
infantry also. General Pakenham’s division was not up at all—it was
four leagues in the rear.
By the ground gained on the French left, and soon after from General
Picton having got up quite on the ridge of the hills there with his
division, a steep and difficult ascent, the centre were enabled to
advance a little also, and much skirmishing began there near a little
village before us, which was for some time contested. At length, some
guns being brought to bear there, and one also half way up the hill,
the village was passed by our people, and we saw them lying sheltered
under a hill beyond, nearly opposite the wood at the French centre. A
smart contest then ensued. The cannon and a few men from the hill and
village fired into the wood, and a constant firing was kept up from the
wood on our men; the main contest being still, however, on the hills on
the French left. By this time, about one, we on our hill all advanced
to another nearer, to observe more distinctly with our glasses. Soon
after this, General Graham’s attack began on the French right, and
a very brisk cannonade was then kept up right and left. The French
line on the hill on the right and left (for we saw the whole of their
line) began to give way a little, and to put itself in motion, and
the plot then thickened. Still we gained ground, and some of our men
also got close to the wood, and, lying down, kept up a smart fire. The
cannonading lasted two or three hours, the English constantly gaining
ground. Our party moved a second time to a third hill within the
original French picquets, and in front of our cavalry. At last we saw
our line forming gradually under shelter of the rising ground, within
half a mile of the French line and guns. They then advanced, and the
cavalry began to move up—some say rather late, as Lord Wellington was
not there to give the orders.
We then left our hill and advanced with the Household Brigade
constantly as they moved. We now began to see the effects of the guns.
Dead and wounded men and horses, some in the most horrible condition,
were scattered all along the way we passed. These were principally
cannon-shot wounds, and were on that account the more horrible. It was
almost incredible that some could live in the state we saw them. From
my black feather I was taken by some for a doctor, and appealed to in
the most piteous voice and affecting manner, so that I immediately took
out my feather, not to be supposed so unfeeling as to pass on without
taking any notice of these poor creatures. Our hospital spring-waggons
were following, and men with frames to lift up and carry off those
near the roads. Some in the fields about crawled by degrees into the
villages; but hundreds have lain without food or having their wounds
dressed until now, two days afterwards. Parties are sent all over the
contested ground to find them, though the peasants are continually
bringing in the wounded.
On the hill in the centre of the French position, at a village where
we first came in full sight of Vittoria, and about two miles distance,
the contest was very sharp, and the three first guns were taken, with
several tumbrils, and there the first charge of cavalry took place.
The sufferers there were principally Portuguese of the 11th and 21st
regiments, and we had all along seen more of our people wounded than
the French. We now found swords, muskets, knapsacks, &c., in all
directions. The stragglers and followers were stripping and plundering,
and a scramble ensued for the corn, &c., which was in the tumbrils with
the ammunition. The Hussars in their charges suffered much. The Life
Guards I kept close to all the way to Vittoria, and to that time they
were not engaged.
We could hear the whistle of the cannon-shot, and saw the ground
torn up where they struck. Tumbrils and guns were now found upset or
deserted at every half-mile; and when we got near Vittoria the road was
absolutely choked up with them, so that our artillery was some time
stopped. Some of the Life Guards were placed at the gates and in the
streets here, to keep soldiers, &c., out, and to preserve order as far
as possible; and we rode into Vittoria amidst the cries, hurras, and
_vivas_ of the mob, which consisted chiefly of women. We looked into
the stores and found little left, and then passed through the town,
at the further side of which we stopped at a very curious scene. The
French so little expected the result, that all their carriages were
caught, and stopped at this place—three of King Joseph’s, those of the
Generals, &c.; the Paymaster and his chest, the _Casa real_, hundreds
of tumbrils, the wives of the Generals, all flying in confusion;
several carriages upset, the horses and mules removed from them, the
women still in their carriages, and the Spaniards (a few soldiers, but
principally the common people) beginning to break open and plunder
everything, assisted by a few of our soldiers. Upon the whole, our
people got but little of the plunder, except by seizing and selling a
few mules. The seats of the carriages were broken with great stones
and ransacked, and gold, silver, and plate were found in several in
abundance. I took a case of maps, part of Lopez’ provincial set, and a
horse-cloth, which I bought of a Portuguese soldier as a memorial, but
would not meddle with the rest. Maps, books, &c., were thrown aside;
brandy, &c., drank.
In the midst of this, a lady in great distress, well dressed and
elegant, with her carriage in the ditch, and she herself standing
by, appealed to me, and, asking me if I could speak French, said she
was the Countess de Gazan, wife of the French General, and that she
wished to get back to the town, and, if possible, save her horses,
mules, and carriage, and those of King Joseph, which were by. With the
assistance of two hussars, after above an hour, I at last accomplished
this in a great measure; that is, I got the lady, her woman, the
carriage, and four out of six of the animals, to the house of a friend
whom she pointed out to me, and also a few loose things out of the
carriage. The other two animals and the three trunks of clothes had
been plundered before I arrived. I also put King Joseph’s carriage and
horses in their way to the square of the town; I then went and tried to
find out amongst the prisoners a little boy of two years old, a son of
the General, whom some French gens-d’armes had taken from the carriage
to carry off, and who had not since been seen, and whom the mother
thought was taken prisoner. I could not find him anywhere; but I met
Lord Wellington returning to the Palace at ten at night to his quarters
there; and as Madame de Gazan was most anxious that he should know she
was taken, I told him, and also about her boy. He desired me to say
that he could not then see her, but that she might rely on his doing
what he could to find the child, and that she should be immediately at
liberty to join her husband. This I went and told her. I also found an
English aide-de-camp of General Hill, who had been released only the
day before, having been prisoner, and to whom she had been very kind
when he was with the French, and who had, on taking leave, promised, if
the fate of war should make a change in their relative situations, to
return her attentions.
My return and message made her more easy: I fear, from what I have
since heard, that her boy was killed between two carriages; but still
hope he may have escaped. The confusion lasted all night, and indeed,
has continued until now. The event was also so little expected on our
part, that for a long time there were no guards for the prisoners, and
many escaped in consequence, and several are still wandering about the
country.
The next day (22nd) the head-quarters followed the French to
Salvatierra; but I was advised by Colonel Campbell and others to stay
quietly here, and proceed afterwards. I did so, but already repent,
for no place is so certain of news, and so secure, as head-quarters,
though the accommodation is often most wretched. I have been over the
hospital, and the scene which I there witnessed was most terrible;
seventeen or eighteen hundred men, without legs or arms, &c., or
with dreadful wounds, and having had nothing to eat for two or three
days, the misery extreme, and not nearly hands sufficient to dress or
take care of the men—English, Portuguese, Spaniards, and French all
together, though the Spaniards and Portuguese had at first no provision
at all for their people. Half the wounded have been scattered round the
villages in the neighbourhood; and there are still many to come in,
who arrive hourly, and are lying in all the passages and spare places
around the hospital. A Commissary is just established.
Six hospital waggons are just now setting out for another load of these
poor wounded fellows!
I do not know what now to do as to proceeding to join head-quarters;
for, to our great surprise, last night Lord March was sent over here
to tell the Commandant, who was just appointed, that it was discovered
that from ten to twelve thousand French, supposed to come from Bilboa,
were in our rear, and might be in here soon; that a division of men
(I believe General Pakenham’s) was left for our protection, but that
every man here capable of bearing arms must be kept in readiness, and
every one must be ready to leave this place at an hour’s notice. I
now, therefore, do not know what to do exactly, and wish myself at
head-quarters. The pay-chest, with about a hundred or a hundred and
twenty thousand dollars of French prize money in addition, is still
here, and several of the doctors.
In the blue coach was a box of gold in different shapes, which a
servant of King Joseph stayed behind to give up to Lord Wellington,
and which report says he has given to his own personal staff. But
everything was in confusion; even the ammunition waggons were left
unguarded, and were broken open to be ransacked, and we have had
accidental or intentional explosions almost every hour since. One
tumbril with twenty shells was set fire to by the foolish Spaniards
yesterday, and several persons were hurt in consequence. Every one
is taking and wasting the musket cartridges, notwithstanding Lord
Wellington is really in want of some. All, however, are now busy in
trying to remedy this confusion.
I hear that nearly one hundred and forty pieces of artillery have
been now taken in different states and places between Morillas and
Salvatierra. The French, however, have comparatively lost fewer men
than we did; the Portuguese more than their proportion; the Spaniards,
several. Some corps behaved well, though General Picton said some liked
best to fire away and make a noise at a distance.
I fear that few prisoners are taken—as far as I can learn about a
thousand; and I suppose they had a thousand killed and wounded, having
done us much mischief with their tremendous artillery firing. Their
line would not stand at all when Graham advanced to turn them, but they
were off so quick that our men opposed to them could not get up to
them. Had they waited for a fair attack, the prisoners would probably
have been numerous. As it is, the French still have numbers, and,
though the equipments of the army are gone, they may, if they can fall
back on supplies, be again formidable. Report also says that Suchet is
moving fast to join them. Last night, when our head-quarters were at
Salvatierra, the rear of the French was three leagues in advance; they
are off so quick, the weather is so bad and wet, that I fear we shall
have many sick in the pursuit. The result of the whole is, however,
the most glorious possible, whatever may be the consequence; never was
there for the time an army of sixty or seventy thousand men, as we say,
more completely routed and put to flight. Several French Generals are
killed, wounded, or prisoners; in officers of rank the French have
suffered much.
It is so very difficult to be at all certain as to our own loss,
unless one is in the secret, that I shall say nothing but that General
Colville, who had a slight knock in the arm, is the only officer
wounded of whom I have heard. The 18th Hussars suffered much. I must
now see the Commandant, and settle whether to move or not. The reports
when not at head-quarters puzzle one very much. A dragoon (Spanish)
rode into the town yesterday, and came up to me in the square to ask
for the mayor of the town, to tell him that six thousand French were
only two leagues off. I took him to General Pakenham, whose division
had just arrived. He carried the man off to see what he knew, and said,
if true, he would have a dash at them. I suppose this was in part true,
from what passed afterwards about the French in our rear; the division
of men is still, however, close to us.
Suchet was endeavouring to join the other French army, and was, as the
prisoners say, in the neighbourhood of Logrono for that purpose, so
that he will soon be with the others. Tarragona we hear is taken, and
I conclude Murray is after Suchet. I have had much conversation with
the Commissary-general of the army of Portugal, a talkative perfect
Frenchman. He has lost everything, and has neither money nor a change
of linen, but he seems tolerably happy. He says he had orders to pay
out of the Treasury when the fire had commenced, which was madness,
and he described the confusion of the fight most eloquently and most
truly I am sure. Joseph had sent off a caravan of valuable pictures
only the day before, and various kinds of baggage, and a heavy train of
artillery. Some of this will, I think, be caught in the confusion, but
the pictures probably destroyed.
Head-quarters are to-day at Echarva Aramaz, and I mean to get as
near that place to-morrow as I can, or even there, if I can get my
baggage over the nine leagues in the bad state of the roads, for it
has rained constantly these ten hours. Lord Wellington has not given
the box of treasure to his private staff. It has not yet been opened,
but is here. Colonel Campbell, who is just come into the town on
business, says that the French have committed great ravages on their
route from this place, destroying property, committing every excess.
A girl at Lord Wellington’s quarters at Salvatierra accuses even King
Joseph of an attempt at violence; but I do not believe it. Some very
strange things were found in the baggage. I was sorry to find that,
except stragglers and more baggage, we have got little more by our
pursuit. There are tumbrils I am told to the amount of five hundred,
and carriages and carts as many. King Joseph had neither a knife and
fork nor a clean shirt with him last night. The loss to the French must
be very considerable, though our gain is not nearly so great, from the
destruction of many, and the quantity of things taken, to us of little
use.