Chapter XIX

Sir Rowland Hill passes the Nive. Battles of the Nive. The French are
beaten in every attempt against us. We dance-in the New-year of 1814
at Arcanguez. Reflections on the past and present situations of the
two armies. Soult manœuvres near Dax. We take the field for a few
days in very inclement weather. Return to cantonments. Heavy fall of
snow in the Pyrenees. Capital woodcock shooting. The army moves to
its right. Our battalion marches to St. Jean de Luz for its new
clothing. Sir John Hope blockades Bayonne. He passes the Adour. The
Guards repulse a sortie from the garrison. We march from St. Jean de
Luz to rejoin the army. Orthes. Handsome peasantry. We rejoin the
Light Division. Soult makes demonstrations against Sir Rowland
Hill’s corps. The 15th Hussars attack a French cavalry post and take
some prisoners. The 7th Division is detached to Bourdeaux. Lord
Wellington marches on Tarbes. Affair near Vic Bigorre. Action near
Tarbes. The French retreat towards Toulouse. We follow them. A
pontoon-bridge is established below Toulouse. The army crosses.

BATTLES OF THE NIVE.

On the 9th of December, Sir Rowland Hill’s corps crossed the Nive by a pontoon-bridge, near Ustaritz. Those troops met with but little opposition, and were established in a position with their left on that river, and their right on the Adour; thus commanding the navigation of the latter, which was highly inconvenient to Marshal Soult. Whilst this was in progress on the right, the Light Division and Sir John Hope’s corps drove back all the French posts in their front, under the protection of their fortified camp near Bayonne. Some hours were spent in a hot fire of light troops, during which Sir John Hope reconnoitered the French entrenched camp; and by this forward movement of his own corps and the Light Division, created a diversion in favour of Sir Rowland Hill, and facilitated his passage across the Nive. Towards evening Sir John Hope’s corps and the Light Division fell back to their former ground.

At daybreak on the 10th, the French advanced in great force from their entrenched camp, driving back the pickets of the Light Division and of the left wing, under Sir John Hope. This was followed by several desperate attacks on the 5th Division, in all of which the French were repulsed with great slaughter, after much hard fighting, wherein the troops under Sir John Hope behaved heroically. During the remainder of the day, Marshal Soult confined his operations to a cannonade on the posts of the Light Division in the churchyard of Arcanguez, and a continual fire of light troops. One of my subalterns, Lieut. Hopwood, was killed on this occasion. He was a good and gallant soldier, and a worthy fellow.

In the course of the night, three German regiments in the French service, who had served many years in Spain, deserted to us with their arms and baggage.

On the 11th, the French again attacked Sir John Hope’s troops; but they were beaten back most gallantly at all points. Things remained tolerably quiet on the 12th, until the afternoon, when there was a brisk fire of light troops on the left. In front of the Light Division, during the 10th, 11th, and 12th, the French constantly employed a swarm of light infantry, with whom we waged a desultory warfare during the whole three days. The enemy constructed a battery for ten guns opposite the Château of Arcanguez, which proved to be precisely what many of us predicted—a mere sham. They had recourse to the same system of humbug at Buzaco and other places, previous to abandoning the position in our front. Soult withdrew, in the course of the night, his whole force from our front, and passing with it to the opposite bank of the Nive, made a furious attack on Sir Rowland Hill’s corps, posted between the Adour and Nive. Nothing could exceed the bravery of the 2d Division, which, though outnumbered beyond all comparison, inflicted a terrible loss on its assailants, defeating them in every attack, and driving them back in confusion under cover of Bayonne, in sight of thousands of their countrymen, who witnessed their disastrous defeat from the walls of the fortress. Finding all his attempts fruitless, both on the right and left banks of the Nive, Marshal Soult allowed us to remain pretty quiet for some time afterwards. He withdrew into his entrenched camp, and the allies occupied their original positions.

On the last day of the year, we got together some females, French and Spanish, and danced-in the new year at the Château of Arcanguez, in spite of our proximity to such queer neighbours as the French advanced posts consisted of.

On the 1st of January, 1814, nothing extraordinary occurred. We could not, however, but reflect, that the war, which had commenced on the 1st of August, 1808, in the Peninsula, was still going forward, and that there was no apparent chance of its termination. It was a great consolation to look back to the spring of 1810, when Marshal Massena boasted he would drive us into the sea, and to contrast that period with the present. Four years had now elapsed since that threat was held out; and, instead of finding ourselves performing the part of Newfoundland dogs off the coast of Portugal, the British army had expelled the imperial legions from the Peninsula, and planted its standard in France.

Early in January, Marshal Soult manœuvered on the right and rear of Sir Rowland Hill’s corps, crossing the Adour near Dax. The 3d, 4th, and 7th Divisions moved against him, by which he was obliged to retire to his former ground. About this period, the Light Division moved nearer the Nive, and part of Sir John Hope’s corps took up our ground. We were for several days called into the field, from cantonments, in dreadful weather, in consequence of some movements of the French beyond the right of the army; but, with the exception of some skirmishing between the light troops, nothing occurred worth noticing. Heavy snow fell about the end of January, which drove the woodcocks in great abundance from the Pyrenees into the low grounds, by which I profited, and had some capital sport.

About the middle of February the army was put in motion, the divisions following in succession to the right. The Light Division crossed the Nive on the 16th, and encamped near La Bastide, where we remained, in severe frosty weather, for several days. New clothing had arrived from England for the army; and as we were nearly in rags, and our wearing apparel patched with sundry colours, one regiment was sent back at a time, to St. Jean de Luz, to receive its clothing; and as soon as it rejoined the army, another was sent down, and so on in rotation.

On the 20th of February, the turn arrived for our battalion; and having received our clothing on the 23d, we posted back on the 24th towards the army, which was advancing on the Gave d’Oleron, where Marshal Soult was concentrating his army. Sir John Hope, with the 1st and 5th Divisions, Lord Aylmer’s brigade, and some Spaniards, remained to blockade Bayonne. A part of his corps crossed the Adour below Bayonne by means of rafts and boats; and soon after they were over the river, the French made a sortie and attacked them, but were driven back with the greatest gallantry by the Guards.

Passing through Ustaritz, La Bastide, and Garris, on the 25th, 26th, and 27th, our battalion reached St. Palais on the 28th, on our way to rejoin the army. Here we were ordered to halt until relieved by the first regiment that should pass, and it occasioned our remaining there until the 7th of March, when we pushed on in all haste to the front. A multiplicity of rumours reached us every day and every hour while at St. Palais; amongst others, that a general action had been fought near Orthes. We could not, however, collect any positive information, and were consequently in a state of suspense and anxiety by no means enviable.

The 7th of March brought us to Sauveterre, a tolerably good town, standing in a fertile valley, through which the Gave d’Oleron flows. On the 8th we reached Orthes, a good town on the Gave de Pau. I there saw, in the market-place, as handsome a collection of female peasants, and with as beautiful complexions, as are to be found in England. The inhabitants every where received us with kindness and hospitality; and either were, or affected to be, heartily tired of war and conscriptions, and prayed for a new order of things and a new ruler.

The French Basques are a remarkably handsome race, and very like the Basques of Spain. In no part of France have I seen any people so good-looking, or whose manners I like so much. Their country is, in general, beautiful, and abundantly supplied with provisions, which we found exceedingly cheap, although the large armies of France, England, Spain, and Portugal, were congregated in that department. The Basques pay great attention to their horned cattle, which are worked in carts, and are generally, whilst in their stalls, covered with large white linen cloths, similar to those we use for our horses in the summer months.

We joined the Light Division on the 11th at Barcelone, where we heard particulars from our friends of the battle of Orthes, which had been fought during our peregrinations in search of the clothing. Fate ordained that we should not take share in a battle which gave additional laurels to the army and to its consummate chief. The 2d and third battalions of our corps were present.

On the 14th, Soult made demonstrations against Sir Rowland Hill’s corps on the left bank of the Adour, which caused the 3d and some other divisions to cross to his support, and the Hussar brigade and Light Division to be under arms the whole day on the right bank. Nothing of importance, however, took place.

On the 16th, some squadrons of the 15th Hussars, supported by the 2d battalion of the 95th Riflemen, attacked a post of French cavalry near the village of St. Germain, and took thirty prisoners. Our loss was trifling. About this period the 7th Division was detached to Bourdeaux, to feel the pulse of the people in that quarter. The 1st and 5th Divisions were blockading Bayonne, so that Lord Wellington had with him only the 2d, 3d, 4th, 6th, and Light Divisions. What cavalry regiments were with the blockading army before Bayonne, I do not know; nor whether any accompanied the 7th Division to Bourdeaux.

On the 18th of March, Lord Wellington advanced in the direction of Tarbes; Sir Rowland Hill’s corps, with the 3d and one other division, marching by the left bank of the Adour; the Hussar brigade, the Light Division, and another, by the right bank.

On the 19th, the light troops of the 3d Division had some warm work near Vic Bigorré with the French rear-guard, which was falling back on Tarbes by the left bank of the Adour.

ACTION NEAR TARBES

On the 20th, the Hussar brigade and Light Division continued their march on Tarbes, and we soon came up with the enemy, posted on a long ridge of formidable wooded hills near the town. The Light Division was directed to attack this position in front, whilst another division should outflank its right. Sir Rowland Hill was at the same time driving before him, on the other side of the river, a body of the enemy, which were also retiring on Tarbes. The fight soon began.

It so happened, that on this day the only troops of the Light Division engaged were the three battalions of the 95th Riflemen, which were let loose about the same instant, and ordered to attack the heights at different points; all of which fully succeeded, and the enemy was soon dislodged. The French being reinforced, tried to retake the ground which they had lost. We inflicted on them, however, a severe loss, and drove them back in great confusion. The vineyards near the scene of action were covered with their killed and wounded in all directions. They then retreated on their reserves, which were formed on another ridge about a mile distant. The contest was not of long duration, but it was extremely hot; and in less than half an hour, our corps lost eleven officers killed and wounded, and an equal proportion of men.

The troops with whom we had been engaged belonged to the division of General Harispe, which had recently joined Marshal Soult from Catalonia; and, having been accustomed for many years to oppose imperfectly organised Spaniards, probably did not calculate on so warm a reception as they met with at Tarbes.

Lord Wellington was about to attack the French again in their new position, but they would not wait for us; and retreated several miles until they reached another range of hills, very defensible, and covered by a small river. Night came on before arrangements could be made for turning them out of it; and they cannonaded us as we took up our ground opposite to them. The night was cold and dreary; and as the baggage did not arrive, we stretched ourselves on the ground supperless. In the course of the night the French retreated, and we followed them several days in the direction of Toulouse.

It is impossible to conceive any people more diametrically opposite in manner, person, costume, language, and in every respect, than the Gascons (amongst whom we now found ourselves) and the Basques. The latter are in general tall, handsome, cleanly in their persons, and becomingly dressed; whereas the Gascon peasantry are short, ugly, ill-dressed, and dirty; and, moreover, speak a terrible jargon.

The rains continued to fall so heavily and incessantly, that we concluded the long-protracted contest between the French and allied armies would be terminated by a deluge, and our marches and countermarches cease. In spite of all these foretellings and prognostications, we still waded, day after day, through mud and water to the knees, and came up with the French rear-guard on the 26th between Plaisance and Toulouse, where our cavalry lost some men and horses in a skirmish. The next day our 3d battalion had a brush with the French light troops near Tournefuille.

The 29th brought the Light Division within two miles of Toulouse, and we occupied a straggling village called St. Simeon; a long chain of French pickets being near at hand, between our quarters and the city. The army remained tolerably quiet for a few days, when a pontoon-bridge having been thrown across the Garonne, some miles below Toulouse, two divisions of infantry crossed, and were followed some time after by the Spanish army of General Frere.