At day-break on the 31st, the enemy occupied the same ground as on
the previous evening, but soon after, they exhibited some degree of
restlessness, and about eight o'clock they appeared on the wing. From
the thrashing which Soult had received the day before, we knew quite
well that he did not mean to become the assailant, consequently we
prepared to harass him in his retreat, and to prevent as many of his
followers as possible from effecting their escape into their dear
France.
When we started in pursuit of the French corps immediately in our
front, we were not very sanguine of bringing it to action, but as we
proceeded, appearances became more favourable, till at length our light
troops came up with their rear-guard about mid-day in a wood, when
an interchange of the formalities usual on such occasions took place
between them, to the great amusement of the fire-eaters, but to the
great grief of those who wished themselves a thousand miles from the
seat of war.
The main body of the enemy had by this time gained the pass of Donna
Maria. On each side of the road the hill was so covered with large
trees and long brush-wood, that their troops were compelled either to
keep the high road, which was but narrow, or ascend the eminence after
the manner of riflemen, a mode of marching ill calculated for troops
accustomed to move in close order. On arriving at the extremity of
the wood in which our light troops first came up with the enemy, we
found ourselves within three hundred yards of their rear-guard, which
was crowded together on the road, and making what speed they could to
get out of the range of our artillery. This, however, they did not
accomplish so quickly as they wished. Having with some difficulty got
forward one field-piece and one howitzer, their fire was instantly
directed against the confused mass with fatal effect, almost every
shot or shell taking effect. So well directed was the shot, that the
very first knocked down a number of men, and threw the whole body into
such a state of agitation, that they immediately abandoned the road,
and hid themselves amongst the trees and brush-wood. Our artillery
being now no longer useful, the infantry were called upon to play their
part. The 50th regiment ascended the hill on the left of the road, to
operate against the enemy's right flank. The 71st, at extended order,
skirmished with the French along the face of the hill from the right
of the 50th to the road; and the 92d advanced by the high road, and
attacked the enemy in front. These corps were supported by the second
and fourth brigades, second division; and the seventh division, under
the Earl of Dalhousie, moved towards the enemy's left flank, by a road
running parallel to the one on which we were posted. The Brunswick
infantry, and Chasseurs Britannique, being in the seventh division, and
their uniforms having no resemblance whatever to that of any portion
of the British army, our lads, on first getting a glimpse of them in a
wood on the opposite bank of a deep ravine, mistook them for Frenchmen,
and peppered them for a few seconds, till the mistake was discovered.
Pushed hard on every hand, the enemy had no alternative but to
face about and fight for life and liberty. Their skirmishers being
driven in on their main body, from seven to nine thousand strong,
the French opened upon us a smart fire of musketry, which, as their
danger increased, became more and more animated, until their balls
flew over and around us in dreadful quantities. In defiance of their
shot, however, our troops advanced with great spirit, to wrest the
heights from the enemy. But in this they were foiled, and ultimately
forced to retire with very considerable loss. A second attempt was
also unsuccessful. But the third, made in conjunction with the second
brigade, so completely succeeded, that the enemy were driven from the
summit of the pass with great slaughter. Towards the conclusion of the
battle, a musket-ball grazed my head, but I never quitted my corps, and
was quite well again in a few days.
The troops of the second division being much fatigued by the operations
of the 30th and 31st, the pursuit of the enemy was entrusted to the
seventh division, and the former descended the hill and bivouacked.
At the close of this day's engagement I could only muster _thirteen
privates, out of the eighty-two non-commissioned officers and privates
which I carried into action six days before_.
On the 1st of August we once more entered the valley of Bastan, and
in the evening encamped in front of Elizonda. A little after sun-set
we were visited by a terrific thunder storm. The peals were extremely
loud, and the flashes of lightning which preceded them were so vivid,
and followed each other in such a rapid succession, that for several
hours the whole firmament appeared in one continued blaze. In fact,
between the flashes of lightning, the roaring of the thunder, and the
dreadful torrents of rain which battered incessantly on our tents, very
few of us ever closed our eyes.
On the 2d of August the allied army resumed possession or every post
which it occupied on the 25th of July. In the evening the first brigade
marched into Errazu, and next day took possession of its old ground on
the heights of Maya, then thickly strewed with the mangled corpses of
friends and foes.
In the early part of the campaign of 1813, our attendance on divine
worship was very far from being so regular as our worthy chaplain
wished. But this he knew was not our fault, but that of our opponents,
who on almost every Sunday contrived to withdraw our eyes from the
countenance of the minister, and force us to rivet them upon their
darling pastimes. Having been often deprived of a congregation, Mr
Frith, on visiting our encampment on Saturday the 24th of July, said,
on parting with a few of us, "Gentlemen, we shall have divine service
to-morrow, God and the _French_ willing." With what fearful effect the
French again interposed between us and our clergyman on that occasion,
has already been shown.
But Mr Frith was not only an amiable and admirable expounder of the
sacred text, he was also a gallant soldier. Being up with the leading
columns on the 31st July, and seeing the artillery officer at a loss
to find a road through some wood which obstructed his progress, Mr
F. instantly placed himself at the head of the artillery, and never
resigned his post until he planted them on the ground where they were
to open upon the flying host. On perceiving the minister in this new
character, some of our men felt much inclined to treat themselves to a
laugh at his expence. One of them vociferated, "Gude guide us, look at
the clergyman leading the artillery;" to which a second having added,
"'Am sure _he_ has nae business to place himself in danger;" a third,
by way of rejoinder, said, "Haud your tongue, ye gowk, he's the very
man that should be here--_he's prepared_."
No two Generals ever possessed, in a more eminent degree, the
confidence and esteem of their troops, than Sir Rowland Hill and Sir
William Stewart. The many amiable qualities, and public and private
virtues possessed by the former, endeared him to every individual
under his command. Spurning the airs which Generals sometimes assume,
not with the view of rendering their troops more perfect in their
field movements, but to annoy and harass those very individuals by
whose exertions they are endeavouring to raise themselves to rank and
honours, Sir Rowland Hill's sole delight consisted in providing for his
troops,--seeing them comfortable, contented, and happy,--easing them
at all times of as much fatigue as his duty would permit,--and, when
an opportunity offered, in directing with proper effect their warlike
energies against the enemy.
Some individual or individuals were kind enough to bestow upon Sir
William Stuart the appellation of the enthusiastic madman. I only pray,
that in every future war in which my country may be engaged, every
officer, from the general of division, to the youngest ensign, may
prove himself worthy of being admitted a member of that distinguished
body of which the gallant and enthusiastic General was one of the
chief ornaments. Sir William Stewart was without doubt an enthusiast
in his profession. On service, his military duties engrossed his
whole attention. Late and early he was to be seen visiting the
out-posts,--reconnoitring the approaches towards his posts and
encampment, from the advanced posts and encampment of the enemy,--or
in making observations, which, in case of an attack from, or upon the
enemy, might be of service to him in making the necessary disposition
of his troops. And in regard to the comfort, &c. of the men, he trod as
nearly as possible in the footsteps of his gallant superior.
Sir William being wounded in the leg on the 25th of July, was
reluctantly forced to leave us on the 27th. But on hearing of the
battle of the 30th, he caused his leg to be properly bandaged, and
with a pillow fastened so as to keep the leg from coming in contact
with the stirrup, or the sides of the horse, mounted, and rejoined
us a little before we came up with the French on the 31st. The loud
and enthusiastic cheers of the soldiers welcomed him back. But their
joy was soon turned into mourning,--for in less than three hours a
musket-ball passed through the General's arm, a little above the
elbow, and compelled him once more to go to the rear. On rejoining the
division a few weeks afterwards, a party of the private soldiers of the
92d, placed themselves near to the road by which Sir William had to
pass to their corps,--and on his arrival, one of them stepped forward
and said, "Oh, General, ye maun drink wi' us!" to which unexpected
request the latter replied, "With all my heart, my man." On taking the
cup in his hand, Sir William expressed himself much gratified by their
attention, and in finding them in such good health and spirits,--and
then returning it, rode off towards the encampment, where the rest of
the regiment, drawn up in front of their tents, received their General
and friend with joyous acclamations, every bonnet flying into the
air as high as its owner could heave it. The concluding part of the
ceremony, though gratifying to the feelings of Sir William, had nearly
proved the means of depriving him of one of his personal staff, whose
horse having never before been honoured with a Highland welcome, was so
unprepared for such a reception, that it wheeled to the right about,
and to the great amusement of the spectators, but to the imminent
hazard of the rider's neck, galloped down the hill at a winning pace.
When the French attacked the heights of Maya, on the 25th of July,
a great proportion of the baggage animals of the 92nd regiment were
five or six miles from the encampment on a foraging excursion. In
this number both my company and private mules were included. Some few
returned in time to carry away the tents and baggage; others, in making
the attempt, were taken by the enemy, but my two, when about half a
mile from the camp ground, seeing the French quite close to it, wheeled
about, and by the great exertion of the batman escaped, but the fatigue
proved too great for my company mule, for it was seized with an inward
complaint, and died a few days after.
I provided another mule for the company, and applied for compensation,
which I received in the following year. Having lost at the same time
all my personal baggage, except a few articles saved by the attention
of my servant, who emptied his knapsack of his own property, and filled
it with mine; I made out a list of the articles I had lost, affixed to
each the price at which I could replace it, and transmitted the state
signed by the commanding officer to the secretary of the Board of
Claims in London. Along with this I also transmitted a separate note of
a few articles of use to the men, which I had paid for on taking over
the accounts of the company. Some time after, I received intimation
that I was to be allowed the value of the last mentioned articles, but
not a farthing of the value of my own baggage. To be deprived of _any_
compensation for articles which I had _actually_ lost, I certainly
considered a great hardship, and I do so still; for some who did not
lose so much (though perhaps their all) received the _full allowance of
Forty Pounds_.
The members of the Board, I conceive, must have been influenced in
their decision, by the fact, that my private mule was preserved,
nothing being more natural than for them to conclude, that as my
mule had been saved, so must my personal baggage also. Though their
decision, therefore, may have been warranted by the facts before
them, yet I think that before they had decided upon my claim under
these circumstances, the members of the Board should have applied to
the commanding officer, whose signature was affixed to the list of
articles, to know whether my mule had been in camp any time from the
first appearance of the enemy, to the period we abandoned our all to
them. Had they taken this trouble, they would have discovered that _a
more just claim for compensation was never laid before them_. Having
neglected to do so, however, I am still minus the value of my baggage,
and my claim still remains in the office of the Board of Claims,
furnishing rather strong testimony against the old maxim, that "Honesty
is the best policy."