Early in the morning of the 9th of August, the 2nd division, on being
relieved by the 6th, quitted the heights of Maya, and in the evening
encamped within the French territory at Los-Alduides. Next day,
after a long and tough pull, we arrived on the summit of one of the
tremendous ridges near Roncesvalles, on which our companions were so
long engaged on the 25th of July, the rain pelting us with merciless
violence the greater part of the way. Water was much wanted, but the
fog was so dense that the men were afraid to proceed in search of it,
lest they might pop into the enemy's camp in place of their own. A few
men, therefore, from each company, paraded in fatigue clothing, and
formed a complete chain of guides at a few paces from each other, till
they succeeded in their object at some hundred yards distant. From
this wilderness not a house was to be seen, nor a living creature,
save ourselves, our baggage animals, and flocks of carnivorous birds
hovering over the unburied corpses of friends and foes, which strewed
the heights in every direction. Here lay the body of a friend--the
tongue, the eyes, and large portions of the flesh torn from various
parts of the body. There lay a foe with his bowels strewed around
him in every direction. In many parts of the mountain, the birds
were seen in the very act of tearing the flesh from the bones of the
dead, a spectacle of the most sickening and heart-rending description
imaginable.
On the 11th, and subsequent days of August, our engineers chalked
out various redoubts, blockhouses, and breast-works, which when
finished, occupied the following commanding points on the position of
Roncesvalles.
The road from Pampluna into France, after running through the village
of Roncesvalles, ascends about half a mile, then on the summit of
the lowest part of the whole range, branches into two roads, that to
the right, running with an easy ascent along the Spanish side of a
high mountain, till it reaches the summit,--thence two miles down the
opposite side, till it crosses the French frontier, when it runs down
the top of a ridge towards St Jean Peid-de-Port. The left branch first
runs along the side of the mountain, facing the French territory, with
an easy ascent for two miles, then descends rapidly into a deep valley,
whence it again ascends for a mile and a-half, and then descends again
towards Los Alduides.
Our advanced posts were stationed between four and five miles from
Roncesvalles, on the road to St Jean Peid-de-Port, the advanced piquet
being posted at a point where the road has been cut through a rocky
ridge, which runs to the left as far down as the rivulet in the valley,
and on the French side the greater part of it is inaccessible. It was
here that the gallant Byng and his brigade made such a noble stand
against Soult on the 25th of July. On a height immediately in rear of
this ridge, we erected a block-house into which the piquets were to
throw themselves in case of an attack. On another height, a little
in rear of the first, we raised a redoubt, and as it commanded the
road, we planted a few pieces of cannon in it. This fort the in-lying
piquets were to occupy in every case of alarm. On the highest point
of ground, and about half way between the latter and Roncesvalles,
there was another redoubt, and a little in rear of it a block-house.
The face of the hill looking to France was pretty thickly studded with
breast-works, as also was each side of the pass, immediately in front
of Roncesvalles. Two miles from the pass, on the road to Los-Alduides,
a high, and extremely steep narrow ridge, runs straight towards the
French territory. On the highest peak of this ridge, and about a mile
and a half from the road, the advanced piquet of the left brigade was
posted. In a kind of ravine, half a mile in rear of the latter, there
was a captain's piquet, and a little in rear of it, a block-house, into
which the captain was to throw himself in case of an attack. At a
short distance from the road, and a few hundred yards from the ridge on
the left, we raised a pretty strong redoubt, which commanded the road
and ground all around it.
From the day we took possession of those heights, down to the final
surrender of St Sebastian on the 9th of September, we were kept on
the alert, always prepared every morning, an hour before day-light,
for whatever might occur, being in daily expectation of another visit
from our old friend Soult. Our duties all this time were more annoying
than severe, for although our ears were stunned every morning with the
sound of artillery, and often with musketry, under our very noses,
yet our active warlike operations were confined to one or two hostile
demonstrations, and the strengthening of our position in the manner
before related.
We were often at a loss during this inactive period how to pass a few
of the dull hours, which hung heavily on our hands, for none could with
safety leave the camp for more than an hour at a time, and there, our
amusements were extremely limited. The _fire-eaters_ took delight in
watching the progress of our field-works, reconnoitring the enemy's
advanced posts, and the roads leading to them. The politicians confined
themselves to their tents, and explored the pages of the weekly packet
of London and Edinburgh newspapers, which we received at that time
pretty regularly. Those to whom the rattle of the dice had greater
charms than the sounds of musketry, generally assembled around a tent,
or under a large tree, and when the company was numerous, those who
could not be accommodated with active employment, laid bets upon the
issue of each game. Whist, however, was the favourite game amongst
the officers, many of whom, or their heirs, have still depending
considerable sums of money on the issue of rubbers begun in 1813. On
the 25th July, a whist party had finished one game, and were nine all
of the second, when the bugle called upon them to take part in a game
of a very different description. Conceiving that they might steal as
much time as would permit their bringing the second game to a close,
they actually played it out, and then rushed from the tent, the whole
exclaiming, "We will finish the rubber when we return, the game is
single to single." The rubber is, however, still in dependence, for the
same party never afterwards met. Two of them were wounded the same day;
another was taken by the enemy on the 30th, and the fourth who escaped
the balls of the enemy in Spain, is the only one of the four now alive.
A newspaper was the most acceptable present which any friend could
send to us, during the Peninsular contest. The French officers
acknowledged to us frequently, that they were miserably ill-informed of
the issues of their most important movements and engagements. Papers
they received, but their contents were generally so much at variance
with the truth, that it was quite a common saying, "he lies like a
Moniteur," or "he lies like a bulletin." Even the generals of brigade
were often kept in ignorance as to the result of their most important
operations. For example, General Foy was so imperfectly informed in
regard to the issue of the battle of Vittoria, that he sent a flag of
truce by an aid-de-camp for the loan of a London newspaper containing
the details of that celebrated engagement. The General's request was
complied with. In a few days the paper was returned, along with a few
others of Parisian manufacture. This was done by Foy, to shew us that
it was his wish to lessen the horrors of war as much as was consistent
with that military etiquette so necessary to be observed by every
officer entrusted with the command of the advanced posts of an army, in
the presence of an enemy.
Having alluded to advanced posts, I may state that to ensure the
complete safety of a camp, every out-lying piquet should be accompanied
by two officers, when the opposing armies are encamped close to each
other. Many things frequently conspire to render the private soldier
more inclined to resign himself into the arms of sleep, on going on
sentry, than to watch with that caution so essentially necessary to
the safety of himself and friends. In bad weather, for instance, or
after a long and harassing march, it is often difficult to keep the
sentries from indulging in a fatal nap, though there are few of
them but know that by doing so they may probably entail on the army
defeat or disgrace. In such circumstances the duties of an officer
are unremitting, and frequently so severe, that he is forced, through
exhaustion, to lessen the number of his visits. The consequence of
this is, that the sentries are but too apt to indulge in sleep. If,
in addition to a piquet of this kind, an officer has one or more
non-commissioned officers piquets under his charge, or if his own
sentries should be widely extended, it is totally impossible for one
officer to pay that attention to the whole, during the night, which
the safety of the main body of the army so imperiously demands of him.
Either he must neglect the main body of his piquet, or the detached
piquets and sentries. If he visits the sentries, he must leave the main
body of his piquet in charge of the sergeant, or delegate the duty of
visiting the sentries to the latter. Now, although the non-commissioned
officers in general are much inclined to conduct themselves correctly
on such occasions, still we must not forget that they have not the
same inducements to a zealous and faithful discharge of their duty
which their superiors have, and, on that account I should conceive it
prudent, to avoid the alternatives previously alluded to, by appointing
two officers to every out-lying piquet,--for a trifling inattention on
the part of the sergeant has been, and may again be productive of most
disastrous consequences.
From the surrender of St Sebastian to the capitulation of Pampeluna,
on the 31st of October, we felt much more at our ease than we did
previous to the first event. For the fall of the former not only
lessened Soult's inducements to attack us, but added a considerable
number of troops to our effective force in the field. Our amusements
were also increased by this event. From that period we occasionally
descended to the village of Roncesvalles, and treated ourselves to a
comfortable dinner, and a tolerable bottle of country wine. For some
time we had excellent _races_ once a-week, and a _bull-fight_ every
Thursday. The mounted officers, who were lovers of the chase, had a
rich treat afforded them two or three times every week by Sir Rowland
Hill, whose pack of hounds was much at the service of the officers of
his corps. About the middle of October, however, our situation became
rather uncomfortable. The ground was so saturated with moisture, that
wherever we encamped, in a day or two the whole of our encampment was
a perfect puddle. Previous to this we had slept on the ground, but we
latterly made little bedsteads of the branches of trees, and by raising
them about nine inches from the earth, and covering them with a little
straw, grass, or fern, we reposed as comfortably as we ever did on the
best down bed in England. The weather at last became so very bad,
that all the troops on the right of the position were recalled from
the heights, save the out-lying piquets, and a body of 500 men, called
the in-lying piquet, to support the others in case of an attack. On
the 27th of October I made one of the party of 500. When we moved from
Roncesvalles the morning was fine, the frost was severe, but there was
not a breath of wind. In the afternoon the sky overcast,--soon after
snow began to fall, and before sun-set the wind began to whistle. Every
thing now portended a storm, and to meet it we made every preparation
in our power. Throughout the whole of the night the snow fell, and the
wind howled, and at day-break on the 28th, the snow was drifted to a
considerable depth. At ten o'clock, A.M. on the 28th, we were relieved
by new bodies of troops, and instantly bade adieu and for ever to the
right of the allied position at Roncesvalles.
In our progress back to our encampment, the snow dealt with us
mercifully; but we had scarcely reached our tents when it resumed the
tricks of the preceding night, and continued to fall, without the
smallest intermission, till one or two o'clock next morning, by which
time it was a foot and a half deep in the valley, where not drifted,
but on the hills it was in some places twelve feet in depth. Part of
the out-lying piquets were covered, and had to be dug out of the snow
in a pitiable state: some of them lost the use of their limbs.
In consequence of the quantity of snow which fell on my tent on the
night of the 28th, the pole of it snapt in two places about four
o'clock, A.M. on the 29th, and, without any warning, down came canvass,
pole, and snow on the top of me. My bed being nine inches from the
ground, the snow and canvass pinned me so completely to it, that on
awaking, I fancied myself bound hand and foot, for neither the one
nor the other could I move. Respiring for some time with considerable
difficulty, I began seriously to think that some persons were
attempting to smother me. But recollecting at length the position of my
bed, I made an effort to throw myself from it, which with difficulty I
accomplished. Placing my head under the bed, I breathed more freely;
and, after a great struggle, I pulled a penknife from my pocket, cut a
hole in the canvass, made my escape, and after wandering fully half an
hour, I at length got under the protection of a friend, the pillar of
whose house was made of sterner stuff than my own.
On the same day the brigade marched into Roncesvalles. General Byng
being in possession of a house which was handed over for the officers
of the 92d regiment, he, in the handsomest manner, not only gave up the
greater part of it instantly, but sent us all a kind invitation to dine
with him, which the field-officers, and a few more, accepted.
About the middle of October, General Mina and his Guerillas encamped in
our neighbourhood. Strolling one day in the vicinity of the Spanish
encampment, I was accosted by an officer in very good English. I soon
discovered that he was a Frenchman, who had spent some time in London.
At a subsequent period he entered the service of Napoleon, and served
as an officer in a cavalry regiment till December 1812, when he married
a Spanish lady, _took leave of his countrymen_, and joined Mina, by
whom he was appointed a lieutenant in one of his _French companies_,
of which he had one in every battalion. These companies were composed
almost exclusively of deserters, and Mina as a mark of regard, _or
something else_, assigned to them the _post of honour_ in every action.
Of this the lieutenant complained bitterly, but without sufficient
cause,--for what could Mina do with the deserters, but place them in
situations where the eyes of all his corps could be upon them. Had he
adopted a different course, he would not have acted with his usual
sagacity. For when two nations are at war, and a native of the one
betrays his country by deserting to the enemy, the latter, however much
they may be gratified with the _treasonable act_, never can have any
regard for the TRAITOR. For having betrayed his paternal country, it is
but natural to infer, that on the very first favourable opportunity he
will betray his adopted one. The lieutenant, however, seemed to me to
have taken a diametrically opposite view of the matter, and as it is
much to be feared that ninety-nine out of every hundred of deserters
apply the same flattering unction to their feelings on taking the rash,
the fatal step, officers cannot too often explain to their men the
heinous crime of desertion, and endeavour to show them that it is the
TREASON, and NOT the TRAITOR, which finds favour in the eyes of those
to whom the latter tenders his services, on deserting the standard of
his native land.
The French cavalry regiment to which this officer was attached, having
been cannonaded for some time by the British, in November 1812, with
little effect, the French soldiers, who had never before been opposed
to British troops, indulged in a hearty laugh at the expense of our
artillery officers. By and bye, however, our artillery having got the
proper range, sent a _Shrapnell_ amongst them with fatal effect. The
gay and joyous countenances vanished in a moment, for _eleven_ men had
fallen, and none had discovered whence the messengers of death had
sped on their fatal mission. Another shell followed close in the wake
of the first, and doing similar execution, threw the whole corps into
confusion, and some of them walked their horses slyly away. During this
state of excitement, a third shell struck the enemy's column with as
fatal effect as its predecessors, when the whole regiment scampered
from the field, exclaiming that _the devil had taken command of the
British artillery_.