I believe one of the best judges now in Britain has pronounced the
action of the 25th July to be one of the most brilliant achievements
performed during the late Peninsular war. Will posterity credit the
fact, that 2600 British troops not only retained the key of their
position, in despite of the utmost efforts of 11,000 of Bonaparte's
best infantry for nine hours, to wrest it from them,--but on receiving
a reinforcement of 1000 men only, actually re-captured about a mile
of the ground which the enemy had acquired in the early part of the
day? Will posterity believe that 400 British soldiers stretched
1000 Frenchmen dead or maimed on the bed of honour, in less than
half-an-hour? I fear not, without something more than a bare assertion;
and therefore I take the liberty of relating the substance of a
conversation which passed a few days afterwards, between the French
General who commanded on that occasion, and a British Colonel, who was
wounded on the 25th, and from the severity of his wound was obliged to
be left behind when we quitted the valley of Bastan.
The Count D'Erlon, whether from a humane or an interested feeling, I
know not, waited upon Colonel H----, in passing through the village
where the latter was confined to bed, and after condoling with him
on the consequences of the action of the 25th of July, said, "Pray,
Colonel, how many Sans Culottes (Highlanders) have you in your
division?" "One battalion," answered the Colonel. "One regiment of
several battalions, I presume, Colonel," retorted D'Erlon. "No,
General, only one battalion I assure you," replied Colonel H----. The
Count then in a playful manner, and with a smile of incredulity in
his countenance, said, "Come now, Colonel, don't quiz me, do tell me
candidly, how many Highlanders you had in action on the right of your
position on the 25th?" On this query being put, Colonel H---- said,
with great earnestness, "I give you my honour, General, there was only
half a battalion, not exceeding 400 men in all." On recovering a little
from the surprise which this reply created, D'Erlon fixed his eyes on
Colonel H----, and after a few moments pause, said with considerable
emotion, "Then, Colonel, they were not men, they were devils,--for
before that body of troops I lost one thousand killed and wounded."
On calling the roll of the company on our arrival in the bivouac of
Barrueta, I found the casualties of the preceding day to be 11 killed,
and 35 wounded, a considerable portion of whom died in hospital.
I was much gratified on this occasion by a mark or attention and
respect bestowed upon me by the men of my company. We were all without
shelter, and our fare was neither rich nor abundant. To shew their
regard, however, in a way which they truly thought would be most
acceptable to me, the poor fellows, fatigued in body, and distressed
in mind as they were, erected a beautiful hut, and made a neat table
for me, which on awaking from a long nap, I found groaning under a load
of soup, bouilli, beef-steaks, young potatoes, and a bottle of very
good brandy. One word more, I conceive, quite unnecessary, to shew the
dispositions of the men I had the honour to command in the memorable
campaign of 1813.
During the retreat from the right of the position towards the pass
of Maya, I received a message from a wounded brother officer, that
he wished particularly to see me. The moment he observed me, he held
out his hand, and with much feeling said, "O! ---- I am most happy
to see you have escaped unhurt from that dreadful place. I have two
favours to ask of you," he continued, "the first is, to assure Colonel
Cameron that I have never ceased to retain a grateful recollection of
all he has done for me; and the other is, that you will see this purse
conveyed to my relations." Here his voice failed, and a tear started
in his eye. On recovering a little, he, quite aware that his wound
was mortal, again grasped my hand, then raised his eyes, and after
fixing them stedfastly on me for some moments, said, with a smile of
resignation on his countenance, "I fear I detain you, ----, farewell,
my friend, for ever farewell, and may God Almighty for ever bless you."
In the action between the right wing of the 92nd regiment, and the
French on the right, an officer of the latter, rendered himself rather
a conspicuous object to us, by his repeated and gallant attempts to
induce his men to charge our little band. I never felt so much for
any individual as for that truly brave man. Seeing that none of his
followers would move in front, he advanced alone about fifteen paces
before them, struck his sword into the ground, and then crossing his
arms upon his breast, stood facing us several minutes without moving
hands or feet,--our men all the time doing every thing in their power
to bring him down. Their efforts, however, were fruitless, till
one Archibald M'Lean stepped to the front, and kneeling down, took
deliberate aim, and killed him. To have shot this officer under any
other circumstances but those in which the 92nd were placed, would have
been considered by us as an act of deliberate cruelty. But when the
respective numbers of the combatants on that occasion are kept in view,
every impartial man will admit, that the death of the French officer
was indispensibly necessary to ensure our safety.
The following little anecdote speaks more powerfully in favour of
national corps, than volumes written on the subject could possibly do.
The power of national music over the minds of soldiers in the field,
was never more conspicuously displayed, than towards the conclusion
of the action of the 25th July. Thinking that his friends would feel
grateful to him for one or two of his favourite military airs, the
piper-major of the 92nd regiment "Set his drone in order," and made the
hills and the valleys ring with the "Gathering of the Camerons." The
effects were instantaneous. Every man was on his legs in a moment, and
anxiously looking to General Stewart, who was then a few paces in their
rear, wounded in the leg, for an order to advance. He, however, instead
of gratifying the men, warned them of the fatal consequences that might
follow a movement in advance at that particular moment, and desired
the piper not to play again till ordered. In ten minutes, Cameron,
unmindful of the General's injunctions, repeated the dose, which
produced exactly similar effects. Enraged at the piper's disobedience,
General Stewart again stopped him, and forbade him at the peril of his
life to play until ordered. On the arrival of General Barnes, soon
after with the remainder of his brigade, Cameron the piper, conceiving
that in common courtesy he was bound to welcome his friends to share
our dangers, struck up the "Haughs of Cromdale," in his very best
style. At the sound of that well-known national air, the Highlanders
rushed down upon their numerous foes with the most undaunted bravery,
who, panic-struck at their audacity, wheeled to the right about, and
fairly ran, hotly pursued by the whole corps.
In the action between the 92nd right wing and the French on the 25th
of July, William Bisket, a private soldier in the company under my
charge, was wounded in the thigh, and forced to retire. Leaning upon
his musket, he quitted the scene of action, the blood all the way
flowing copiously from the wound. When about two hundred yards from us,
he halted to take a farewell view of his comrades. On perceiving them
still supporting the sanguinary conflict with undiminished ardour, he
rejoined them. Before falling into his place in the ranks, I advised
him to retire, and inquired what motive could have induced him to
return without having his wound even bandaged. Being a quiet and very
worthy character, he replied coolly, "To have another shot at the
rascals, Sir, before I leave you." The gallant fellow fired once, and
was in the act of doing so a second time, when another ball passed
through the bone of his arm, above the elbow, and compelled him finally
to retire from the field, regretted by his admiring comrades.
Captain A.A. of the 71st light infantry, being on out-piquet at the
pass of Maya when the French attacked our position, on the 25th July,
was among the first to observe their advanced columns forming in rear
of the heights. Having communicated this circumstance to Colonel
Cameron, who commanded at the pass, he, in company with some other
officers proceeded to Captain A's. post, to satisfy himself whether the
Captain's suspicions were well or ill founded. After looking at the
French for a few moments through a glass, one of the young officers
remarked, that what Captain A. supposed to be French troops, was
nothing more than a few bullocks. As this remark went to impugn the
vision of the gallant Captain's little grey optics, he very indignantly
retorted in the true Hibernian accent, "By J----, my young friend, if
they are bullocks, let me assure you, that they _have bayonets on their
horns_." Few had greater reason to remember the correctness of the
Captain's remark than the individual who provoked it, for in the action
that followed, he was severely wounded by one of Captain A. A----g's
bullocks, as all Frenchmen were afterwards denominated by us.