Count Damas has just informed me, that Lord Wellington has now crossed both the Gaves, and is near Orthes; but we have no authentic news from him. All accounts agree that General Picton was wounded in the affair on crossing the Gave; but, it is said, not badly.
I picked up this morning a Spanish paper, and on making it out, found that it was a letter from a Spanish officer in camp, near Bayonne, telling some friend in the rear that Murillo and Mina had beat the French across the Gave, and were in pursuit along with two English divisions, having taken forty guns, &c., and adding that the inhabitants were muy malos, but that we treated them as well as Spaniards, and that they, the Spaniards, were ordered to do the same, but that we should see, &c.
Head-Quarters, St. Jean de Luz, February 28th, 1814.—Lieut.-Colonel C—— has now returned here, and we have at length some authentic accounts of what has passed. Lord Wellington was at Orthes, where he left him, intending to stay there a short time to arrange communications with General Hope’s column, &c. Our men forded the Gave de Pau, and drove the enemy from Orthes. As they made some stand in that town, it was a little rompé’d, as we call it. General Picton was not wounded, and our loss has been inconsiderable upon the whole. Colonel C—— returned by my old road through Peyrehorade, Ramons, and across the Adour, at Port de Lanne, and so to Bayonne, and then across the new bridge here. He found the first division driving the French from the heights above the citadel of Bayonne, close into the town last night. This was done, but with some loss and much firing. Those hills are important, for in some measure they command the citadel. To-morrow we march to join head-quarters. I believe we shall not pass the new bridge, as a Spanish army crosses that way, and will occupy it all day, and the road also; in addition to which, we have hitherto only cavalry patroles along that road, and the French have halted a force at Dax, or Acts, or Ax (in the different maps). I understand that we are to go by Ustaritz, Hasparren, Garris, Sauveterre, and Orthes. This is a roundabout bad road, but will be a new country to me. The weather most luckily continues fine hitherto.
Our accounts from the interior are, that Toulouse and Bordeaux are both ready to hoist the white flag, and only wait for our sanction and declaration. This point of etiquette may spoil all. I think we should declare our readiness to support them the moment they declare publicly their readiness to take that part. This is a critical moment. Many are alarmed at Schwartzenburg’s not having made more progress; he seems to have hung back, for his army was stronger than Blucher’s, and was forwarded six weeks since, and yet we only hear of Blucher being near Paris. I must now prepare to “romper de march” as Jack Portugoose calls it. So adieu.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Passage of the River—Start for Orthes—Effect of the Battle—Feelings of the French—Wellington wounded—St. Sever—Church and School—Aire—Wellington on the Conduct of the Allies—Indurating effects of War.
Head-quarters, St. Sever,
March 5th, 1814.
My dear M——,
Here I am with head-quarters, and within two leagues of my old quarter, Mont de Marsan. We have had a most unpleasant, and, for the baggage animals, a most laborious journey, from the terrible state of the weather—hail-storms, rain-storms, with violent south-westerly winds almost all the time. By warm clothing and good living I have escaped with only one day’s return of rheumatism, which has now gone off, and I feel in very tolerable repair.
On the 1st of March we left St. Jean de Luz, and passed the grand bridge below Bayonne, in sight of, and I really believe within gunshot of the walls. We all filed over in safety, and then along the sea-wall for half a mile, with water on both sides, to Boucaut. I was surprised that the animals were not more alarmed.