The disastrous issue of the battle of Vittoria, and subsequent retreat
of the French army into their own country, having convinced Napoleon
that neither his brother Joseph, nor Marshal Jourdan, were qualified to
lead the armies of France to victory, he instantly dispatched Marshal
Soult from Germany, with unlimited powers, to take the command of the
French army on the lower Pyrenees, and oppose the farther progress of
the British General in that direction. From the first moment of Soult's
appointment being known to us, we anticipated warm work; and he seemed
determined that we should not be disappointed. On the 23d of July he
issued an order of the day, intimating that his instructions were "to
drive the English from the lofty heights which enabled them proudly to
survey their fertile vallies, and chase them across the Ebro." "Let the
accounts of our success," continued Soult, in the true Napoleon style,
"be dated from Vittoria, and the birth-day of the Emperor celebrated
in that city." This, although sheer bombast, was not a little ominous
of what was to follow,--broken heads and mutilated limbs.
On the 25th of July, the day which developed to us the mighty plans
by which Soult intended to carry the orders of the Emperor into
execution, the allied army occupied the following positions, extending
from Roncesvalles on the right, to St Sebastian on the left. The third
brigade, second division, commanded by General Byng, formed the extreme
right, and occupied a strong post, three hundred yards into the French
territory, which commanded the high road from St Jean-Pied-de-Port to
Roncesvalles, five miles in rear. This brigade was supported by the
fifth Spanish army, under General Morillo. The fourth division was
encamped on the heights in front of Roncesvalles, a few miles in rear
of the others;--and the third division were in position at Olaque, in
readiness to move to wherever their services might be most required.
A few miles to the left of the fourth, Brigadier-General Campbell's
brigade of Portuguese infantry occupied Los Alduides, a French village,
to keep open the line of communication between the right wing and
centre, under Sir Rowland Hill, in the valley of Bastan.
The left wing, under Sir Thomas Graham, consisting of the first and
fifth divisions, was engaged in the siege of St Sebastian. On their
right, the Spanish corps of Generals Longa and Giron extended from the
vicinity of the latter towards the heights of Santa-Barbara, where, and
at Puerto-de-Eschelar and Vera, the seventh and light divisions were
posted.
The troops entrusted with the defence of the heights of Maya, and
valley of Bastan, were stationed as follows:--The fourth brigade,
second division, occupied the village of Errazu; and a Portuguese
brigade, under the Conde de Amarante, a position in the mountains in
front of that place. On the summit of the ridge, over which runs the
high road from the valley of Bastan into France, the 71st and 92d
regiments were encamped,--the latter two hundred yards to the left of
the road, and the former three hundred yards still farther to the left.
The 50th regiment were detached about half-a-mile from the right of
the 92d, and lay encamped half-way down the ridge on the Spanish side.
Three pieces of Portuguese artillery occupied the space between the
road and the 92d; and the 82d regiment, from General Barnes' brigade,
seventh division, were posted about a mile from the left of the 71st.
The second brigade, second division, were encamped in the valley, a
little in front of the town of Maya, having the 34th regiment advanced
towards the summit of the heights on the right of the position, on
which that brigade had strong piquets posted; and the Spanish General
O'Donnel, the Conde-del-Abisbal, formed the blockade of Pampluna, with
a force of from ten to fifteen thousand Spaniards.
A little after 11 o'clock, A.M. on the 25th of July, the enemy,
ascending the heights by a mountainous path which leads from the
French village of Espalete to the Spanish village of Maya, attacked
our piquets on the right with great fury. The latter, on the first
appearance of the enemy, were reinforced by the light companies of the
second brigade, and subsequently by the 34th, 39th, 50th, and right
wing of the 92d regiment. The first assault of our old friend Druet,
the Count D'Erlon, was sustained by the piquets and light troops with
much spirit, but the overwhelming numbers of the enemy rendered all
their efforts to retain their ground unavailing. The 34th regiment
being the nearest corps to the point attacked, were soon on the spot,
and attempted to arrest the torrent; but, from a similar cause, were
nearly cut off. The 50th arrived at the scene of action at this
ticklish period--charged the advanced columns of the enemy, and in
conjunction with the 34th and 39th, which had followed the 50th, gave
a temporary check to their career. But the Count D'Erlon, availing
himself of his great numerical superiority, charged these corps in
front, and detached strong columns round their flanks, in order to
surround them. At this critical period the right wing of the 92d
regiment, nearly 400 strong, entered the field, and took part in the
fray. On their arrival, the Highlanders were a good deal blown, having
advanced from the pass about a mile and a-half, at a hurried pace. The
situation of their friends, however, was such, that they formed line
on coming in sight of the enemy, and were ordered forward by Colonel
Cameron, who commanded on the heights at the time, without a moment's
repose. The enemy perceiving our intention was to charge them, halted,
and thereby afforded the 34th and 50th regiments an opportunity of
retiring, and re-forming their ranks. Enraged at the failure of his
attempt to capture those two battalions, the French General turned his
fury against the Highlanders, with an intention of annihilating them
with showers of musketry. They, however, nothing intimidated, returned
the fire of their opponents with admirable effect. Perceiving that
D'Erlon was acting cautiously, Colonel Cameron withdrew the right wing
of the 92d, in order to draw the enemy to a piece of ground where he
could charge them. In this he partly succeeded; for the French General,
mistaking our voluntary retreat for a constrained one, pushed forward
from three to four thousand of his troops, who on advancing towards
us, made the air ring with their shouts of Vive l'Empereur. Conceiving
that the enemy had made up his mind to prove the point of our bayonets,
Cameron retired about thirty paces, and then ordered his men to
halt--front--and prepare to charge. On seeing us halt, the enemy did
the same, and instantly opened on us one of the most terrific fires of
musketry which we had ever witnessed. At this time the space between
the combatants was not more than one hundred and twenty paces, while
the numerical force of the enemy was nearly eight to one against us.
From the 92d, to the French front line, the ground was almost level,
but immediately behind the enemy's advanced body, and from the opposite
bank of a narrow ravine, rose rather abruptly a considerable eminence,
from the face of which the French musketry told with fatal effect on
their opponents. This, however, the Highlanders did not return, for
conceiving that the French General wished to get quit of them by a
general charge, the 92d directed the whole of their fire against that
part of the French force stationed on the brow of the ravine nearest
themselves, and which was so coolly and admirably given, that in ten
minutes the enemy's dead lay literally in heaps. The slaughter was so
appalling indeed, that the utmost efforts of the French officers to
make their men advance in front of their slain, failed. At times they
prevailed upon a section or two to follow them,--but whenever they
obtained a glimpse of the mangled corpses of their comrades, which
every where surrounded them, they invariably gave way, and retired
from the scene of blood. For more than twenty minutes the Highlanders
sustained the unequal conflict, at the expiry of which more than one
half of the men had been killed and wounded; and all the officers
wounded, and borne from the field, but two lieutenants.
Being one of the two, and the senior in rank, I found myself at
once placed in a situation of considerable importance, surrounded
with difficulties, and beset with dangers on every hand. The enemy
immediately opposed to us was certainly not fewer than 3000,--our
numbers had by this time been reduced to something under 200, and
a great part of them had no ammunition. Thus situated, and with no
friends in sight to render us assistance, it appeared to me that the
most prudent course I could adopt, under all the circumstances, would
be to retire, particularly as it became every moment more and more
evident that the French General's object was either to annihilate us
with his fire, or surround us with his endless masses. We retired
accordingly, pursued slowly by the enemy, and without the loss of a
man, but such as fell by the terrific showers of musketry which they
poured on us during the retreat.
On our arrival behind the height on which we had been engaged, we found
the 28th in close column, and the right wing of the 71st hastening
forward to our relief. The former attacked the enemy's leading columns,
but soon after moving down the hill to the right, the Bragge Slashers
joined the 34th and 39th regiments in the valley, and left our rear
completely uncovered. Under these circumstances, the 50th and
shattered remains of the 92d right wing retired towards the pass, where
General Stewart, who had now arrived from Elizonda, was making the
necessary preparations to retard the progress of his opponent.
Detaching the right wing of the 71st, and part of the 50th, to a
position in rear, General Stewart, at the head of the left wings
of the 71st and 92d, awaited the enemy. The latter, after a little
skirmishing, brought forward a strong body of infantry to overpower
all opposition. Seeing that a general affair would be attended with no
favourable result at this point, General Stewart, after a few rounds,
withdrew the advanced wings, and marching them through the intervals
between the 50th and 71st right wing, placed them again in position
about two hundred yards in rear of the latter. The enemy followed, and
were warmly received by the 50th and 71st. A smart firing took place,
which, as before, ended in the retreat of our friends through the
intervals between the left wings of the 71st and 92d. In this manner,
each half of the troops alternately retiring, we retrograded fully a
mile, when, being reinforced by the 82d regiment, we halted.
At the commencement of the action, Colonel Cameron adopted the
necessary precaution of detaching Captain Campbell of his own corps,
with 150 men, to the summit of the rock of Maya, it being the key to
the whole position. From this formidable post the little garrison
rendered us considerable service; for the face of the mountain being
every where covered with whinstone blocks, Captain Campbell, in
imitation of Andrew Hoffer in the Tyrol, hurled them down on the
pursuers, and frequently with great effect.
But neither stones, bullets, nor bayonets, checked the progress of the
enemy, for the second brigade having deviated from the natural and
prescribed route, retired across the valley of Bastan, some miles to
our right, and left us in numbers from 2000 to 2500 to contend against
eight or nine thousand. The consequence of this false movement was such
as might have been expected. The enemy seeing the two bodies completely
separated, followed up the advantages they had gained over our column,
and at length pressed us so warmly, that General Stewart, in order to
stop the farther effusion of blood in a hopeless cause, dispatched an
order to the troops on the rock to retire. It was then about seven
o'clock in the evening. Fortunately, however, the cheers of the troops
at the base of the hill, reached the summit of it before the bearer
of the order. These cheers were occasioned by the arrival of General
Barnes with the 6th regiment, and some Brunswick infantry, being the
remainder of his brigade. A more seasonable reinforcement no troops
ever received. On the first appearance of it, our lads were perfectly
frantic with joy. Being seated at the time, they, although greatly
fatigued, sprung upon their feet, and then, without _either asking_
or _obtaining_ permission to advance, rushed down upon the enemy with
irresistible force, and drove back his numerous hordes in the finest
style imaginable. Taking it for granted that we had been reinforced,
D'Erlon retired about a mile. In order to strengthen our line we had
received a great addition to our numbers, General Stewart caused the
covering sergeants to take ground in the usual regular manner, by which
operation he intended to convey to his opponent an idea that he only
waited for the light of a new day to renew the combat.
Marshal Soult having attacked at day-break the same morning the right
of our army at Roncesvalles, with an overwhelming force, Generals Cole,
Picton, and Byng, after doing every thing in their power to repel the
attack, were ultimately compelled to yield up their position to the
enemy, and draw off towards Pampluna--the relief, or re-provisioning of
that strong fortress being the enemy's principal object. To frustrate
his designs, it became necessary for Lord Wellington to concentrate a
considerable portion of his army in a position in front of Pampluna.
For that purpose we retired from Maya the same night, and after a
fatiguing night's march, halted next morning at seven o'clock, on a
height in front of Barrueta.