Chapter XVIII

We celebrate the anniversary of the formation of our corps. St.
Sebastian is stormed and taken. The French pass the Bidassoa near
Vera. Part of the Light Division engaged in that town. The French
attack the Spaniards, and are repulsed. They retreat to the
Bidassoa, and force the bridge of Vera at night. Movements of the
Light Division on this occasion. Lord Aylmer’s brigade joins the
army from England. The left wing of the army passes the Bidassoa.
The Light Division and Spaniards storm the entrenchments in the pass
of Vera. Gallantry of Lieut.-Colonel Colbourne’s brigade. A French
gun-brig destroyed by British cruisers, in sight of both armies.
Horrible weather in our mountain encampment. Tents continually blown
down. Violent snow-storm. Two Portuguese soldiers of the pickets die
from cold. Pampeluna surrenders. The army invades France. Battle of
the Nivelle. Approach Bayonne. French entrenched camp. Position of
the allied army. Soult reconnoiters our line of pickets. Skirmishes.
The Light Division drives back the French advanced posts in its
front.

From the 3d of August to the 30th, nothing very particular occurred. A Spanish army blockaded Pampeluna; and Sir Thomas Graham carried on the siege of St. Sebastian. The French were busily employed in strengthening their position by numerous field-works, which we could plainly see without the assistance of our telescopes. The enemy being so near us, we could never venture to wander far from camp, not knowing the moment we might be attacked, either by day or night.

The 25th of August being the anniversary of the formation of our corps, the three battalions of it determined, if our French neighbours did not interfere, to dine together, on the banks of the Bidassoa, in our camp-ground. Having constructed a long rude table, with benches round it equally so, seventy-three officers sat down to such a dinner as we could scrape together, under a large hut made of the branches of trees, and within a short distance of the most advanced French sentinels. They looked down on us from the heights of Vera, but were too civil and well-behaved to disturb the harmony of so jovial a set of fellows. Neither vocal nor instrumental music was wanting after the feast; and, with the aid of cigars and black strap, we enjoyed the most extraordinary _fête champêtre_ I ever witnessed;—as may easily be imagined, from the singularity of our situation, and the possibility of our being hurried from the festive board to stand to our arms.

On the 31st of August, St. Sebastian was stormed by the 5th Division, and by detachments from the Light, and some others. After a bloody and most severe conflict, in which more determined bravery and perseverance were never evinced, and wherein a most terrible loss was sustained, the town was taken, and the French retired into the citadel. There they maintained themselves until the 8th of Sept., by which time our mortar-batteries obliged them to capitulate, after they had made a noble defence.

On the same morning that St. Sebastian was stormed, the French presented at Vera, opposite to the Light Division, a force estimated at 15,000 men, which immediately commenced fording the Bidassoa below the town, and from thence marched in the direction of Oriazun and St. Sebastian; leaving, however, a sufficient number to guard the pass of Vera and the bridge. Throughout the day, the 2d battalion of the 95th and the 1st Caçadores were warmly engaged in and about the town of Vera and the churchyard, and suffered considerably. We lost some men also from several mountain-guns, which the French brought into the pass to cover their troops in fording the Bidassoa.

In the course of the day the French attacked some Spanish troops, who conducted themselves with great spirit, and repeatedly repulsed the enemy. Lord Wellington was on the spot, and headed the Spaniards in their charge. The French, completely routed, fell back towards the Bidassoa; but heavy rains having swollen the river and rendered the fords impassable since the morning, they had no resource but to force the bridge of Vera about midnight of the 31st. This post was defended by two companies only of our 2d battalion, who, although they inflicted a severe loss on the enemy, as their dead bodies on and near the bridge plainly told the next morning, could not stop 10,000 Frenchmen. Captain Cadoux, who commanded the two companies, was killed in the gallant defence of the bridge, with many of his men.

Some hours before this attack at the bridge took place, General Kempt’s brigade was ordered to cross the Bidassoa at the bridge of Lezacca, and to operate on the left of the river. I happened to have command of the pickets of his brigade that night, and was ordered to descend from the heights of Santa Barbara as soon as some Spanish troops relieved me, when I was to follow the brigade across the Bidassoa.

I have been out in all kinds of weather, in all seasons; but the thunder, lightning, and rain, the roaring of the Bidassoa and its tributary streams, the utter darkness which succeeded the vivid flashes of lightning, and made our descent down the sides of the mountains, by the narrow rocky paths, so slow and tiresome, rendered that amongst the most dreary nights which I can call to my recollection. In addition to this, we knew the enemy were near us in great force at different points; the two brigades were separated by a rapid river; we knew not what had been the result of the attempt to storm St. Sebastian in the morning, nor of the attack of the French on the Spaniards. In short, all was uncertainty and darkness, which we trusted the morning would do away with; and so it did. St. Sebastian was taken; and the Spaniards had defeated the French, who finally regained their old position in the pass of Vera, after losing many men in forcing the bridge. Here terminated Soult’s second attempt, which was fully as unsuccessful as that which he made in July to relieve Pampeluna.

At this period Lord Aylmer arrived from England, with the 76th, 62d, 84th, and 85th regiments, which formed a brigade under his command, and was not attached to any division.

PASSAGE OF THE BIDASSOA, AND STORMING THE FRENCH ENTRENCHMENTS AT VERA.

The two armies remained tolerably quiet, after the late operations, until the beginning of October, when Lord Wellington made preparations for crossing the Bidassoa with the left wing of the army. Having established a pontoon-bridge near the mouth of the river, the 1st and 5th Divisions, and Lord Aylmer’s brigade, under Sir T. Graham, attacked the enemy on the 7th of October, and forcing the passage of the river with great bravery and determination, carried all the works constructed for its defence, with the loss of many men. At the same moment, the Light Division, the Spanish army of Andalusia, and General Longa’s guerillas, stormed the French entrenchments in the pass of Vera.

As our division was engaged many miles distant from Sir Thomas Graham, I am unable to detail particularly the operations of the left wing. I know, however, that Sir T. Graham planted the British standard that day on the soil of France. But a word or two about the work chalked out for the Light Division.

The business commenced by our 3d battalion climbing a small mountain, on which the French had a strong advanced post. After a sharp conflict, the enemy were driven from it; and if the evidence of impartial spectators may be credited, the business was done in handsome style. From the summit of this hill we were able to reconnoiter the whole of the French entrenchments in the higher mountains beyond it. Art and nature combined had certainly given it a formidable appearance, particularly that portion allotted to the 2d brigade of the Light Division to assault, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Colbourne, of the 52d regiment, an officer possessing the most cool and determined courage, coupled with excellent judgment and considerable experience. The Spaniards were already engaged on our right, and General Kempt’s brigade was enabled, by a movement to its right and a flank fire on their entrenchment, to dislodge a strong force of French infantry, who must have been made prisoners, if they had not bolted like smoked foxes from their earths.

During those operations, Colonel Colbourne’s brigade had a much more arduous task to perform. His opponents could not be taken in flank, and he was therefore obliged to advance straight against them, entrenched up to their chins. The impetuosity of the attack made with the bayonet by this brigade, headed by Colonel Colbourne, and its brilliant success, are like many other conflicts which took place during the Peninsular war, not coming under the head of general actions, but imperfectly known except to those engaged in the operations on the spot. A succession of redoubts and field-works were carried by the bayonet, and those who defended them were either shot, bayoneted, or driven off the mountain. The 52d regiment, the 2d battalion of the 95th, and the 1st Caçadores, which composed this brigade, suffered very severely.

The pass of Vera was now gained; but the French still held the mountain of La Rhune, which overlooked us, out of musket shot. The Spaniards skirmished with them at its base, and attempted to dislodge them; but night closed without their having accomplished it.

The 2d, 3d, 4th, 6th, and 7th Divisions made no movements that I am aware of on the 7th of October; but remained to guard the passes of Echelar, Maya, and Roncesvalles. The following day the French abandoned the mountain of La Rhune, seeing that Lord Wellington was arranging matters to drive them from it. Our division constantly afterwards had a picket of three companies on that mountain, amongst some ruins called the Hermitage of La Rhune.

Being under arms, as usual, an hour before daybreak, we heard one morning a cannonade at sea. Our glasses were pointed in that direction as soon as the daylight broke sufficiently, and we perceived a French gun-brig, which had endeavoured to escape out of the harbour of St. Jean de Luz, and to creep along the French shore, beset by a British gun-brig, and a man-of-war schooner. In a short time the French crew took to their boats and escaped ashore; and their vessel, in which they had left slow matches, blew up with a great noise. This hubbub was increased by our men cheering at the catastrophe of their French neighbours; and as we were not far from their advanced posts, they had the double satisfaction of seeing one of their vessels of war destroyed at the mouth of a French harbour, and of hearing thousands of Englishmen exulting at it.

Pampeluna, although closely blockaded, and the garrison nearly in a state of starvation, still held out; and it was pretty well understood, that we waited only for its surrender to advance into France. A continuation of tremendous gales of wind and rain tormented us for a whole fortnight, which blew down our tents as fast as we pitched them, and almost tore them to pieces; so that we were never dry.

Being on picket at the Hermitage of La Rhune early in November, as furious a gale of wind, with heavy snow, came on, as I ever recollect. To light fires was impracticable; and I believe that troops have but rarely been exposed for twenty-four hours to such weather on so unsheltered a spot. Two Portuguese soldiers belonging to the pickets were carried down to the hospital at Vera next morning in a state of insensibility, and died the following day.

The weather was so inclement during October and the early part of November, that were I to enter into detail, and to describe the actual state of our canvass habitations during the many weeks which we encamped on the pinnacles of the western Pyrenees, I might be accused of colouring matters too highly, except by those who were present. It is enough to say, that day or night we were never dry; springs bubbled up from the ground on which our tents stood, and we began to think it was really time to seek winter-quarters in more hospitable regions.

Pampeluna surrendered about the beginning of November, and the 10th of that month was the day appointed for the invasion of France, and a general attack on the enemy’s position, which stretched from the sea near St. Jean de Luz, several miles along the front of the different passes.

To give a minute detail of the operations of each separate division, I do not pretend. The left wing was now commanded by Sir John Hope, who had succeeded Sir Thomas Graham, that officer having returned to England: it consisted of the 1st and 5th Divisions, and Lord Aylmer’s brigade, with some Portuguese troops; and had its left on the sea, near the main road from Irun to St. Jean de Luz. On Sir John Hope’s right, on La Rhune, was the Light Division; and on its right were the 2d, 3d, 4th, 6th, and 7th Divisions, and a large body of Spaniards. Each division was to form its own reserve, and was directed to attack the points specified for it on the chain of hills where the French were entrenched.

We were ordered to leave our camp early on the night of the 9th, and to approach, in great silence, as near as possible to their advanced pickets. No horses were to accompany the troops, lest their neighing might alarm the enemy’s pickets, and put them on the _qui vive_. No fires were to be made, and every thing was to be as silent as the grave. The Light Division lay down at the back of some rocks, in front of which we were to sally forth at break of day, and to assault the enemy’s advanced position on a detached mountain, called La petite la Rhune.

The signal for the whole army to advance to the attack, was a cannonade on a French redoubt, at Sarr, or Zara, opposite the centre of our army. We had been standing to our arms more than an hour before day dawned, straining our eyes towards the French position, and, as the light faintly appeared, momentarily expecting to hear the cannonade, as a signal for a powerful army of British, Portuguese, and Spaniards, to rush forward at the same instant from the different passes of the Pyrenees, and to invade the “sacred territory of France.” Whatever fire-eaters and salamanders may say to the contrary, such moments as those which intervened from the time day began faintly to dawn, until it became sufficiently light for the signal of attack to be made, and for the army to be put in motion, are far more trying than the actual strife when once fairly begun.

BATTLE OF THE NIVELLE

_Nov. 10th._—The fire of artillery in the centre at length opened. The Light Division descended the face of the mountain in columns of battalions, our front covered by skirmishers, and crossing the valley which separated us from the French, instantly attacked La petite la Rhune, on which they had constructed a star redoubt of stone. The rapidity of the attack was such, that in less than half an hour from its commencement the enemy were driven off the hill, and the redoubt was in our possession. This success was not attained without a heavy loss. Our division re-formed columns of attack on La petite la Rhune, whence we could now plainly see the whole chain of entrenchments filled with French infantry, the redoubts bristling with cannon, and every thing ready for our reception. The other divisions had also driven in the enemy’s advanced posts, and a sharp fire of musketry for some miles to our right and left was kept up.

It is impossible to conceive a finer sight than the general advance of our army from the Pyrenean passes against the French position. Almost as far as the eye could reach, was seen one sheet of flame and smoke, accompanied with an incessant fire of light troops, and frequent volleys of musketry, as the lines and columns approached the entrenchments. An order now reached the Light Division to advance from La petite la Rhune, to cross the valley in our front, and to storm the enemy’s works, in conjunction with the other five divisions, and the Spaniards which were on our right. Long and severe was the struggle; but each division succeeded in forcing the enemy from the numerous entrenchments which were met at every step, and in driving them off their strong position, with the loss of all the heavy artillery mounted in their works. A battalion of the French 88th regiment were made prisoners by the Light Division in a redoubt on the summit of the position.

The commandant of our battalion, Colonel Barnard, was shot through the body whilst leading it against the entrenchments. His instant death was expected, the ball having entered his breast and lodged under the shoulder-blade. No man would have been more universally or deservedly regretted, had the ball proved fatal; and his recovery caused the most lively satisfaction and pleasure to all under his command.

The troops on the left, under Sir John Hope, drove the enemy before them; and by their intrepidity and determination overcame numerous obstacles, both natural and artificial, which they encountered in their advance. Marshal Soult withdrew his army across the Nivelle during the night, and destroyed the bridges over it near St. Jean de Luz, evacuating that sea-port. From thence he fell back towards Bayonne. The allied army bivouacked for the night on the heights which it had taken.

We moved forward the following morning by execrable roads, flooded with rain, and in a few days took up a line of posts within a few miles of Bayonne, in front of which Marshal Soult had formed an extensive entrenched camp. The allies were posted with their right on the river Nive, and the left on the sea at St. Jean de Luz, having a strong cordon of pickets along the front of the cantonments, which consisted of such villages and farm-houses as lay within the line. Field-works were formed in front of it also, at certain points, as a security from any sudden attempt which the French might make from their entrenched camp. The country was intersected, and the roads were of the worst and deepest description.

The Light Division was stationed at and near Arcanguez, the château of that name being allotted for our battalion, which we strengthened by digging trenches round it. The churchyard of Arcanguez was also converted into a sort of garrison by the 43d regiment. Marshal Soult reconnoitered our line of posts on the 18th of November, which brought on a skirmish with our pickets, as also with some troops of the 3d Division on our right.

On the 23d of November, the Light Division drove in the French pickets, and occupied a much safer and more contracted line for our own. Nothing particular occurred from that day until the 9th of December. We were always under arms an hour before daybreak, men and officers sleeping accoutred, being so near the French outposts.