Six hospital waggons are just now setting out for another load of these poor wounded fellows!
I do not know what now to do as to proceeding to join head-quarters; for, to our great surprise, last night Lord March was sent over here to tell the Commandant, who was just appointed, that it was discovered that from ten to twelve thousand French, supposed to come from Bilboa, were in our rear, and might be in here soon; that a division of men (I believe General Pakenham’s) was left for our protection, but that every man here capable of bearing arms must be kept in readiness, and every one must be ready to leave this place at an hour’s notice. I now, therefore, do not know what to do exactly, and wish myself at head-quarters. The pay-chest, with about a hundred or a hundred and twenty thousand dollars of French prize money in addition, is still here, and several of the doctors.
In the blue coach was a box of gold in different shapes, which a servant of King Joseph stayed behind to give up to Lord Wellington, and which report says he has given to his own personal staff. But everything was in confusion; even the ammunition waggons were left unguarded, and were broken open to be ransacked, and we have had accidental or intentional explosions almost every hour since. One tumbril with twenty shells was set fire to by the foolish Spaniards yesterday, and several persons were hurt in consequence. Every one is taking and wasting the musket cartridges, notwithstanding Lord Wellington is really in want of some. All, however, are now busy in trying to remedy this confusion.
I hear that nearly one hundred and forty pieces of artillery have been now taken in different states and places between Morillas and Salvatierra. The French, however, have comparatively lost fewer men than we did; the Portuguese more than their proportion; the Spaniards, several. Some corps behaved well, though General Picton said some liked best to fire away and make a noise at a distance.
I fear that few prisoners are taken—as far as I can learn about a thousand; and I suppose they had a thousand killed and wounded, having done us much mischief with their tremendous artillery firing. Their line would not stand at all when Graham advanced to turn them, but they were off so quick that our men opposed to them could not get up to them. Had they waited for a fair attack, the prisoners would probably have been numerous. As it is, the French still have numbers, and, though the equipments of the army are gone, they may, if they can fall back on supplies, be again formidable. Report also says that Suchet is moving fast to join them. Last night, when our head-quarters were at Salvatierra, the rear of the French was three leagues in advance; they are off so quick, the weather is so bad and wet, that I fear we shall have many sick in the pursuit. The result of the whole is, however, the most glorious possible, whatever may be the consequence; never was there for the time an army of sixty or seventy thousand men, as we say, more completely routed and put to flight. Several French Generals are killed, wounded, or prisoners; in officers of rank the French have suffered much.
It is so very difficult to be at all certain as to our own loss, unless one is in the secret, that I shall say nothing but that General Colville, who had a slight knock in the arm, is the only officer wounded of whom I have heard. The 18th Hussars suffered much. I must now see the Commandant, and settle whether to move or not. The reports when not at head-quarters puzzle one very much. A dragoon (Spanish) rode into the town yesterday, and came up to me in the square to ask for the mayor of the town, to tell him that six thousand French were only two leagues off. I took him to General Pakenham, whose division had just arrived. He carried the man off to see what he knew, and said, if true, he would have a dash at them. I suppose this was in part true, from what passed afterwards about the French in our rear; the division of men is still, however, close to us.
Suchet was endeavouring to join the other French army, and was, as the prisoners say, in the neighbourhood of Logrono for that purpose, so that he will soon be with the others. Tarragona we hear is taken, and I conclude Murray is after Suchet. I have had much conversation with the Commissary-general of the army of Portugal, a talkative perfect Frenchman. He has lost everything, and has neither money nor a change of linen, but he seems tolerably happy. He says he had orders to pay out of the Treasury when the fire had commenced, which was madness, and he described the confusion of the fight most eloquently and most truly I am sure. Joseph had sent off a caravan of valuable pictures only the day before, and various kinds of baggage, and a heavy train of artillery. Some of this will, I think, be caught in the confusion, but the pictures probably destroyed.
Head-quarters are to-day at Echarva Aramaz, and I mean to get as near that place to-morrow as I can, or even there, if I can get my baggage over the nine leagues in the bad state of the roads, for it has rained constantly these ten hours. Lord Wellington has not given the box of treasure to his private staff. It has not yet been opened, but is here. Colonel Campbell, who is just come into the town on business, says that the French have committed great ravages on their route from this place, destroying property, committing every excess. A girl at Lord Wellington’s quarters at Salvatierra accuses even King Joseph of an attempt at violence; but I do not believe it. Some very strange things were found in the baggage. I was sorry to find that, except stragglers and more baggage, we have got little more by our pursuit. There are tumbrils I am told to the amount of five hundred, and carriages and carts as many. King Joseph had neither a knife and fork nor a clean shirt with him last night. The loss to the French must be very considerable, though our gain is not nearly so great, from the destruction of many, and the quantity of things taken, to us of little use.
CHAPTER IX.
Pamplona—Pursuit of Clausel—Wellington on the March—Prospects of more Fighting—Effects of the War—The French Position turned—Anecdote of Wellington—Ernani—St. Sebastian—Wellington’s Movements.