Advance in pursuit of the Enemy--Our Forces retreat, in order
to counteract Soult's movements for the succour of
Pamplona--Total defeat of Soult in the several Actions near
Pamplona--Our Forces again advance--Come up with the retreating
Enemy at the Bridge of Yanzi--The Enemy take up a position
behind Vera--A considerable body of the Enemy attacked at the
Pass of Eschallar, and forced to retreat.
We remained in bivouack all night where the battle had terminated; and
did not begin to move till near mid-day on the 22d, when we set off in
the track of the enemy, and at night reached Salvatiera, where King
Joseph had slept the night after the action.
The poor beaten French must have had a long march after the fight, for
this was probably sixteen or eighteen miles from Vittoria. We started
early on the morning of the 23d, and very soon began to overtake the
rear of the enemy. They now resorted to a system of retarding our march,
at once both cruel and cowardly; every village they passed through they
set on fire. Of course this caused us some delay, as the road generally
ran through the middle of the village, and the country on each side was
enclosed, but still nothing could justify such barbarity to the
unoffending natives, who were thus deprived of house and home, and
probably all they possessed in the world. We overtook their rearguard
near a village about two leagues from Salvatiera. They attempted to make
a stand while the village was in flames, but a shrapnell shell from our
horse artillery set them instantly in motion. We came upon a
considerable body of them again near the village of La Cunca, where we
again cannonaded them, and where our people had some slight skirmishing
with their rear.
We encamped for the night near this village, and again started after
them in the morning early. My battalion led the column to-day, the post
of honour. We had marched, I think, about eight or ten miles without
overtaking any of the flying foe before us, but at last we came to an
open country, that which we had traversed being pretty thickly enclosed,
with bad roads and wet weather, which rendered marching very
uncomfortable. Here a halt was ordered, as the enemy was in front in
some force; here for the first time we got upon the great road leading
from Pamplona towards Bayonne; and here, where it turned the corner of a
mountain, forming a pretty acute angle, they had the only gun and
howitzer they had saved from the fight in position, and ready to receive
us. The men of my battalion, and a part of our 1st battalion, were
ordered to put their knapsacks up behind the hussars of the German
Legion, as it was not expected they would be wanted, and it thus
rendered our people better able to run. The enemy appeared to have two
battalions here, one of which remained on the great road near the two
pieces of artillery, while the other moved off more to our right, down a
valley which they imagined would, at the other end, let them out into
the great road again.
We now began to move forward, and as I happened to be the first mounted
person who left the enclosed road we had been in, I was honoured with
the first shot from their gun, which, although a good shot, did me no
injury. Our people now pushed on at them pretty smartly, which caused
them, after firing a round or two more, to limber up and retire with
their artillery, though they of course retired as leisurely as possible,
to give time for their troops, whom they were covering, to get away. The
skirmishing between them and our people continued for about two miles,
they gradually retiring before us; but when they came to a sort of pass
in the road, formed by two rocks nearly meeting in the middle, their
bugles or trumpets sounded first the halt to their troops, and
afterwards the advance upon us. We could not comprehend the meaning of
this, till in a few minutes the battalion which we had observed go down
towards the right, suddenly made its appearance out of a wood among our
skirmishers. Of course a sharp contest now took place, and the firing on
both sides became more brisk; this battalion, it appears, had
miscalculated on getting out of the valley, down which it had retired,
and had been compelled, at whatever risk, to make the great road again
before they passed the rocks before mentioned; and in order to let it do
so, the other skirmishers had advanced to cover its movement. This
battalion suffered considerably before it reached the road, and we did
not get off scot-free, having lost out of our five companies about
twenty-four men.
Our artillery being pretty near at hand, Colonel Ross brought up two
guns, and fired into their retreating column, doing considerable
execution. We now moved forward in close pursuit of the enemy for about
two miles farther, when a shot from Colonel Ross's guns having struck
one of the leaders in their gun, and our people at this time pressing
them so closely as not to give time to disentangle the dead horse, they
unwillingly were compelled to throw their only gun into the ditch, and
there abandon it. We continued the pursuit till we drove them under the
walls of Pamplona, which I understand, poor wretches, they were not
allowed to enter, on account of the scarcity of provisions in that
fortress, and which after events proved was the case. We retired to the
village of Aldava and others in the neighbourhood, where we remained for
the night.
On the morning of the 25th, we advanced on the road to Pamplona, the
enemy having all retired towards France, till we came within about one
mile and a half of it, when we branched off to the left, and moved along
a range of hills at about a mile distant from the works of the place,
till we reached the town of Villaba, on the mountain-road from Pamplona
to France; thus cutting off all retreat from the garrison, and thus in
fact investing the place. During our movements to-day, my people being
in the rear of the 17th Portuguese regiment, I was riding in company
with my commanding-officer at the head of the battalion, when the horse
of the Portuguese major threw out with both his hind feet with all his
might, and struck me with one foot on my thigh, and the other on the
calf of the leg. The blow was so severe that I nearly fainted, and was
obliged to dismount and throw myself on the ground; but as no bones were
broken, I gathered myself up again, and mounted and set off after the
troops.
We encamped on the Pamplona side of Villaba, distant from the former
about one mile and a half. The captain in whose mess I was, with his
company, was that night ordered on picquet within about three quarters
of a mile of the city. I went there to get my dinner, during which
several poor people, who had made their escape from the place, came and
welcomed us in the name of the people, telling us they were heartily
tired of their present lodgers; of course there would be different
opinions among them, but I believe the generality at that time hated the
French most cordially.
There was a division of the French army under General Clausel, which had
not partaken of the flight at Vittoria, being then stationed at Logrona,
and he having learnt the fate of his companions in arms, and their
retreat into France, was moving through the country to our right, in
order to effect his retreat also. Next morning, therefore, the 3d and
our divisions were despatched in pursuit of this French corps. We
marched that day to near Taffala, and halted at the village of Muro, at
the junction of the great road from Logrona with that we now occupied,
but we learnt that Clausel had kept more to his right, and was directing
his course towards the mountain-road, which passes near Caceda and
Languessa, into France.
We accordingly passed through Taffala and Olite, and encamped for the
night. Next day we started early, and moved on till mid-day, when we
halted for an hour or two to cook and refresh near the village of
Murillo del Fruto. We here came upon the river Arragon. This had been
already a long day's march, and the greater part of the division were
ready to lie down now, but a much longer portion still remained to be
accomplished. Accordingly, we set off after a short rest, and traversed
the right bank of this river for about ten hours longer. Night marches
at all times are unpleasant, but much more so on such a road or path as
this was, and every one so nearly tired before beginning it.
We crossed the Arragon at the village of Galla Pienzo, and lay down in a
field not far from the village of Caseda. Very few of the division
reached this place until daylight next morning. But when I got in I
unfortunately lay down on a ridge immediately behind our column, and
where, had I given it a thought, I was continually liable to be
disturbed. And indeed I was most wofully disturbed, for every fresh
batch that came in tumbled themselves down upon me, or in blundering
about in the dark were sure to stumble over me. It must be observed that
my leg by this time, instead of getting better, had begun to swell
dreadfully and to suppurate, consequently I was in a high state of
fever; and to the thumps and kicks which I received in the dark during
this uncomfortable night, I cannot but attribute much of my subsequent
suffering. Next morning we discovered that all our labour had been in
vain, for Clausel had got the start of us, and had got off by another
road into France.
We next day moved into Languessa, from which we were not far distant,
but I could no longer accompany or precede the troops, my leg was now so
bad. I was therefore obliged to get a pillow laid on my holsters, and
then ride with my leg resting upon it, (a most uncomfortable position,
could I have found a better,) while one of my men led my horse, and thus
follow them as well as I was able. We rested in Languessa all the 30th
and 1st July; and on the 2d reached Deriza, having passed through
Monreal. Here I was obliged to be lifted off my horse, and put to bed. I
was almost stupid from the pain I suffered; for my leg was now swoln as
large as my thigh. We next day moved into Villaba, from whence we had
started in pursuit of Clausel, and thence into some villages on the
plain, close to Pamplona. Here I believe some works were thrown up to
shelter the troops, either against the shot from the fortress, or a
sally from the garrison. This continued all next day. I remained very
ill in bed.
On the 5th, the division left this quarter, and set off on the road
towards France; but I could not follow them. I got with great difficulty
from my present station, which was now occupied by other troops, and
stopped at a village, the name of which I forget, just over the ridge
where I received my hurt, and a few miles distant from Villaba. Here I
found out that Dr Jones of the 40th regiment was in the latter town;
and, as he had formerly been in our regiment, I took the liberty of
requesting he would come and see me. This I found out by my servant
going in for provisions. He very kindly came, and gave me the best
advice he could. By this time my leg had burst, and had discharged a
prodigious quantity of matter.
I remained in this village till about the 10th, during which time a
priest had shown himself remarkably kind and attentive; there were very
few inhabitants remaining besides him. He told me in one of the
conversations that I had with him, that, from the first entry of the
French troops into this country, one million had passed out of France
into Spain, for he had had good opportunities of making a just
calculation; and that, out of that vast number, not more than 200,000
had returned, thus proving that the enemy had lost in that country
800,000 men. And this is not to be wondered at, for nearly the whole
population during that time had been in arms against them; and, although
not acting as soldiers in the field, they never failed to assassinate
the French wherever they could accomplish it. He said, moreover, that
Mina, with his little band, could produce documents to prove that he had
destroyed 40,000 Frenchmen.
About the 10th, I set off from this village, as my leg had by this time
become somewhat easier; and, passing through Lantz, Elizonda, and St
Estevan, arrived at Sumbilla on the 13th, still obliged to ride sideways
with my leg over the pillow and holster. Here I found my division; and,
as this journey had again brought my leg to nearly as bad a state as
before, I was obliged to have it opened in two places, but without
reaching the matter, as nothing but blood was discharged.
On the 15th, my division moved forward to the town of Vera, the last
town on the Spanish frontier. Here the enemy had taken up a strong
position, both in front and rear of the town; the front position was on
Santa Barbara, an exceeding high and almost inaccessible mountain. They
were dislodged from the position before the town by my brigade, and
retired into the Puerta, or Pass of Vera. I was not present on this
occasion, having been again compelled to stay behind on account of my
leg. While I remained at Sumbilla, I had been obliged to have my horse
shod by a Spanish blacksmith, who drove a nail right into the quick.
This I did not discover till several days after, when I found my horse
quite lame.
On the 18th, I again crept on after my people, whom I found encamped on
the height of Santa Barbara, from which I before said they had driven
the enemy. Here we remained till the 26th, During this time my horse's
foot had also suppurated, and he was quite unable to move. My leg also
was daily discharging a vast quantity of matter, so that I felt at this
time very uncomfortable; particularly as very stormy weather came on
while we were here, which killed a great number of our animals, horses
and mules, I believe not fewer than seven or eight in one night.
It will be known to the reader, perhaps, that on the 25th, Soult (who
had now been appointed to the command of the French army) made an attack
upon our posts at Roncesvalles and Maya, and had driven the divisions
stationed there from their posts. He moved on towards Pamplona, in hopes
either of beating back our army to Vittoria, (as he vainly talked,) or
of being able to supply Pamplona with provisions, which it greatly
needed. In consequence of this movement of the enemy, we also were
compelled to fall back, although the troops in front of us made no
demonstration of advancing.
Accordingly, on the 26th, we began our retrograde movement, being myself
at that time in as pitiable a plight as can well be conceived. My horse
was so utterly lame, that he could scarcely hop on three legs, while I
was totally unable to walk a step. My kind friend Captain Perceval, with
whom I had long messed, helped me out of my trouble, by dividing the
load of one of his baggage-ponies among the other animals, and lending
it me to ride upon. We retired from the height, and crossed the river
Bidassoa, near Lizacca, through which we passed, and kept along the
mountains on the left bank of that river till we reached a height
opposite Sumbilla, where we pitched our tents, and remained for the
night. We did not move all next day; but just as night set in, we were
ordered under arms, and continued our retreat. This was a still more
distressing night-march than any I had previously witnessed.
We were now, it may be noticed, in the midst of the mountains of the
Pyrenees, where precipices abound; consequently the precaution to avoid
falling over them would be doubled. One little streamlet, I well
remember, delayed the division probably two hours. It came down from the
sides of the mountain which overhung the road, and crossed it at a very
dark and ugly-looking place, making a considerable noise as it fell from
rock to rock. This of course made every one extremely cautious; and in
consequence a poor good-natured corporal, who was killed soon after, got
himself into the middle of the streamlet, and took hold of every
person's hand as he passed, conducting him safely to the other side.
Poor fellow, he was extremely anxious to help me and my miserable little
pony safely over. This and a few other places, something similar,
prevented us reaching our destination till an hour after daylight next
morning, although the whole distance was not more than ten miles.
We arrived at Zubietta in the morning. This place is about a league to
the right of St Estevan, more into the mountains. Here we remained that
day, and the next day moved higher up the mountain, behind the town,
where we encamped, and remained till evening, when we again commenced
our retreat. We had not quite so bad a march of it this night, the road
being much more even, although, just at the outset, our adjutant, in
riding along, had his cap pulled off by the bough of a tree, and in
endeavouring to save it from falling, he pulled his horse right over a
small precipice, which the two rolled down together. Luckily it was not
a deep ravine into which he fell, or he would not have escaped so well:
neither man nor horse were much hurt. We reached the village of Saldias
in the morning, where we remained for the day. Last night my servant
told me he had been obliged to leave my little horse behind, as he could
not get him to hop any farther. I felt grieved at this, for he had
brought me all the way from Lisbon, and shared both my good and bad
fortune; however, it was no use to fret, for that would not improve my
situation, which indeed was not an enviable one, my leg all this time
being extremely painful.
On the 30th, we made an excessively long march, (by day,) and at night
reached Lecumberg, where we encamped. During the latter part of this
day's march, we had heard an incessant cannonade and firing of musketry
in the direction of Pamplona, from which we were apprehensive that Soult
had penetrated too far; but as it did not appear to recede, we believed
our people had been able to hold him in check at least. We were now on
the great road from Bayonne to Pamplona, in order to keep up the
communication between our right, where the fighting was now going on,
and Sir Thomas Graham, who was besieging St Sebastian. We were here also
to intercept any of the enemy's columns that might either advance or
retreat by this road. Towards evening of the 31st, an aide-de-camp
arrived from Lord Wellington, more dead than alive from the excessive
fatigue which he had undergone for the last three or four days, with
news of the total defeat of Soult in the several actions near Pamplona,
termed the Battle of the Pyrenees, and ordering us to retrace our steps,
and again advance. We set off in the evening, and reached Larissa, where
we halted for the night. It was whispered that it was expected we should
have gone much farther this night, but I am not certain whether it is
true; but certainly we might have proceeded to Saldias, if absolutely
necessary.
On the morning of the 1st of August, we again started pretty early. It
was again reported this morning that another dispatch had been received
during the night, directing us to proceed with all haste, as the enemy
were retreating by St Estevan, and that we were to attack them wherever
we met them. We now of course stepped out very freely, and presently
gained Zubietta. Here I had ridden forward to get a shoe fastened on, my
horse having cast one in coming over the mountains; during which time
the quartermaster had been called for some purpose or other, as I was
not there.
My General was not well satisfied: he saw me in this village, and asked
me why I had not been present when I was wanted. I told him the cause,
but he still did not appear satisfied, and, by way of punishment,
directed me to remain in the village till the baggage came up, and show
them the way the division had gone. I may here observe, that it was a
little unreasonable in my General to find any fault with me on this
occasion; for, had I not got the shoe put on my horse, I could not have
been of any use at all as a quartermaster. My punishment indeed was
slight, and I rather think he was glad to find any excuse to delay me
for the purpose for which I was left. I am confident the officers of the
infantry suffered more anxiety and even loss on account of the great
want of farriers or horse-shoers in their regiments, than from almost
any other cause. Without the officer was pretty high in rank, he had not
only to pay most exorbitantly for any thing of this kind which he got
done, but to beg and pray, and to look upon it as a favour conferred on
him. Most of the good shoers were taken by the staff or general
officers, consequently only the inferior ones were left for the
regimental officers, and in several cases none at all. The consequence
of all this was, the loss of several valuable animals, both horses and
mules; besides, in some cases, the officers being rendered incapable of
performing their duty as they otherwise would have done. To this I
attribute a considerable loss in animals during this service. It might
easily be remedied by each infantry regiment having a proper
establishment of farriers, (say two,) with tools, &c. in proportion, and
the means of carrying them; and then every officer, whose duty requires
him to be mounted, might be served. I myself bought tools to the amount
of L.4, and never had but one horse shod with them. I could not get a
man to do it. As soon as I saw the baggage on the right way, I pushed
forward, and joined the division again. We were literally at this time
climbing up a mountain, where I could not ride, but was obliged to crawl
up, and pull my horse after me. My leg by this time had much improved.
We followed the road by which we had retreated a few days before, and at
length came to the rivulet that had so alarmed us all on our
night-march. It was really surprising that we should have been stopped
so long by such a trifle; but in such a situation, and at such a time,
things of that kind are magnified a thousandfold by the imagination. We
passed our old camp ground opposite to Sumbilla, and here we came in
view of the enemy's columns retreating along the road on the opposite
bank of the Bidassoa. This gave our men new life; but here the 52d and
other regiments of the 2d brigade were obliged to halt: they could
proceed no farther.
We had marched by this time to-day two and a half of the stages we made
in retreating; but the 2d brigade had been in the rear of the column all
day, and had consequently suffered much from stoppages, &c. My
battalion, our 1st battalion, and the 43d regiment, continued to move
on, and as they approached, the enemy seemed to acquire fresh vigour. At
length we reached the point of attack,--the bridge of Yanzi,--and here
the 1st battalion turning down towards the river, at once left the wood
and ground above the bridge to be occupied by us. The enemy sent a
pretty strong corps of light troops across, which got engaged with our
people; but we soon drove down through the wood again towards the
bridge. At length, we got two companies posted just over the bridge, in
front of which all the rear of the French column had to pass. Poor
creatures! they became so alarmed, that they instantly began to cut
away, and cast off, all the loads of baggage, and both cavalry and
infantry, &c. to make the best of their way. But the mountain on their
right was inaccessible; consequently they had all, as it were, to run
the gauntlet. Great was the execution done amongst the enemy at this
bridge, and many were the schemes they tried to avoid passing. At length
they got a battalion up behind a stone wall above the road, on the
opposite side, from whose fire we received some damage; consequently
those poor people who had afterwards to pass were not so much exposed.
Just about the close of the business, my kind friend, Captain Perceval,
received a shot through his right wrist. His left hand had been closed
for a length of time before, in consequence of a wound through that
wrist, which had contracted his fingers, besides being lame from a wound
in the hip. Now he was rendered completely useless. Towards dusk I went
with him a little to the rear, and got his tent pitched, and made as
comfortable as circumstances would admit. I pitied the French on this
occasion, they seemed so much alarmed. The whole of their baggage fell
into the hands of our 4th division, who were closely following them up
on their side of the Bidassoa.
In this affair, the French were reduced to a dreadful dilemma; great
numbers of their wounded had been brought off from the battles of the
28th, 29th, and 30th, near Pamplona, which were carried on biers or
stretches by men of this division. When they saw us in front of them,
where they had to pass, as it were, immediately under the muzzles of our
pieces, they were compelled to adopt the cruel alternative of either
throwing their wounded men down to perish, or run the risk of being shot
or taken themselves. I believe the former, shocking as it seems, was
generally adopted; and I have reason to believe that the greater part of
them were thrown into the river; for, from the point where we first came
in view of them to near where this affair took place, the Bidassoa was
literally filled with the dead bodies of Frenchmen, and they could have
come into it in no other way. We lost only a very few men on this
occasion, not more than six or eight, while that of the enemy must have
been extremely severe. Here the effects of rifle-shooting were plainly
visible.
In remarking on this affair, I beg to draw the reader's attention to the
following circumstances; viz. probably never troops made such a march
over such a country before. We travelled at least thirty-two miles over
mountains such as I before described, where you were sometimes nearly
obliged to scramble upon your hands and knees. The day was exceedingly
hot, and occasionally there was a great want of water. I am told that
one of the regiments in our 2d brigade, which, it may be remembered,
were obliged to halt, as they could go no farther, had no less than 200
men fell out, unable to keep up, and that some of them actually died of
fatigue. I heard of one poor fellow, who, when he came to water and had
drunk, lost his senses, fell to the ground, and shortly after expired. I
have reason to be proud of my battalion on this occasion, which, when
the roll was called, just before the action commenced, had only nine men
fallen out; but they had been in the front all day, a great advantage in
marching, particularly over a mountainous country.
This day's work gave me a higher idea of the powers of human nature,
when properly trained, than ever I possessed before; for when you
consider that each of those soldiers carried a weight of not less
probably than forty or fifty lbs. and some much more, it cannot but be
surprising that men should be able to sustain such fatigue for such a
length of time--at the end of which to fight, and gain a victory.
Next morning were clearly observable the effects of the evening's work.
In the house, the yard, and on the road opposite the bridge, were a
great number of dead Frenchmen; and to the rear, by the way they had
advanced, the road was literally strewed with baggage, and equipments of
every description. Some of our people picked up a number of visiting
cards, with General Vandermason on them, very elegant; so that his
baggage, no doubt, had been cast off, as well as that of inferior
people.
Soon after daylight, we were ordered to fall in, and move forward
towards Vera. Just as we cleared the bridge, old Douro, with his staff,
came riding up, who, when he saw how we had handled the enemy the night
before, gave his head a significant nod, and smiled, which conveyed most
intelligibly his approbation. We soon reached the neighbourhood of Vera,
behind which, in the pass of that name, as before stated, the enemy took
up a strong position, from which their picquets had never yet been
driven. We were ordered to encamp a little below the bridge leading to
Lezacca, between that and Vera, while the other regiments were intended
to occupy the heights of Santa Barbara, from which we had before
retreated. But towards mid-day it was discovered that the enemy still
had a considerable body of troops in and about the pass of Echallar, a
few miles to our right. Our brigade was therefore ordered again under
arms, with the intention of co-operating with the 7th division in an
attack upon those people. It was a thick mist, so that we could scarcely
see twenty yards before us; but when we reached the bottom of an
immensely high hill, on which the enemy were posted, we presently
discovered whereabouts we had them.
Our 1st battalion extended to the right, and my battalion moved straight
forward up the hill. For a considerable time the enemy's fire did us no
injury, being deceived, I imagine, by the denseness of the fog. They
fired almost always over our heads, some of which shots struck the men
of the 43d, a considerable way below us. At length we began to approach
the summit of the mountain, where the enemy were of course much more
condensed, the ground they had to occupy being much smaller. Our people
were advancing regularly up the hill, when we run right up against a
rock, on the top of which was collected an immense body of the French,
and from whom our people received a most destructive fire, knocking down
fourteen men in an instant. This unlooked-for circumstance checked our
people, and made some of them retire for an instant behind a broken part
in the mountain, from which they kept up the best fire they could.
During this transaction, the French, who were not more than ten or
twelve yards distant, were calling out to us in Spanish to advance, and
abusing us most lustily. A Spaniard (one of the recruits I formerly
mentioned) was so much annoyed, that he began in his turn to abuse the
French; and, as if words were not enough, accompanying them with the
best shot he could give them. Poor fellow, he was instantly shot through
the body, and fell to rise no more.
They now began to get courage, and made a show of advancing upon us:
they did do so on the right against our 1st battalion, but my
commanding-officer calling out to cheer our people, set up a shout,
which had the effect of intimidating them, and they did not dare to
advance. I was now sent away by Colonel Barnard to request the 43d (who
were behind us) to send a company to support our 1st battalion, which
they instantly did; and just as I returned, I found the French had
evacuated the rock from which they had annoyed us, on the top of which
we found a great number of caps and pouches, &c., belonging to men who
had fallen there. We followed them over the hill, but they now gave us
leg-bail, posting down into the valley towards France with all
expedition.
The 7th division had some pretty sharp work before they dislodged the
people in front of them, and had suffered very severely in effecting
their object. When every thing was settled, one of our men thought he
saw a man hiding behind a tree just below us: he went to see what it
was, and dragged out by the neck a French soldier of the 2d light
infantry. Poor fellow, he came out shrugging his shoulders, and, putting
on a most beseeching look, begged we would spare him, as he was only a
"pauvre Italien." Of course no injury was done him, only the soldier who
took him claiming and taking from him his knapsack, which appeared a
fine full one, and which he appropriated to himself. I thought it cruel,
and would have prevented it, had my voice been of any weight; and yet,
had it not been taken from him now, it would very soon after, when he
became a prisoner.
One battalion was ordered to remain and occupy this hill, which
dreadfully alarmed me, lest it should be ours, for it was bitter, bleak,
and cold. Luckily a Portuguese battalion was ordered up, and we returned
to our snug camp by the river side; and here, as if to crown our good
fortune, one of our men, who had been left behind in charge of the
tents, had got some meat roasted for our mess, of which we all partook
with great delight and thankfulness.
A friend of mine of our 1st battalion, during the advance the French had
made upon that battalion, was nigh falling into their hands. They rushed
at him, but he perceiving, and endeavouring to avoid them, fell into a
bush, which scratched him most wofully, and in the fray lost his cap and
sword. They grasped at the latter, (which was not drawn,) but which
luckily broke loose from the belt, or they would have had him. This hill
was always known afterwards by the name of Barnard's Hill, in honour of
Colonel Barnard, who commanded on the occasion.