Lord Wellington himself seemed knocked up yesterday; he ate little or nothing, looking anxious, and slept nearly all the time of sitting after dinner. I think he was not quite well, and anxious, no doubt. Lord March was sent off to General Graham, at Tolosa; he returned yesterday, and reports that General Graham had entered Tolosa, which might have been well defended. He blew open the gates with a nine-pounder, and so got in. General Foy, however, had taken a position beyond, with eighteen thousand men, in such a strong country, that Graham dared not attack him, and Lord March thought the loss would be great if we did, unless we could turn it by a circuitous march. He said the country was in that direction full of positions; in short there is much yet to do.
Tarragona is, I believe, not taken at last. General Murray re-embarked when Suchet’s army came that way. This, as a plan to free Valencia, has, I believe, answered, and Elio, &c., have advanced. Longa’s people have behaved well in another affair since the battle. The day after to-morrow I expect to be either in sight of Pamplona again, or to be on the way towards the Tolosa road; but time will show.
From this place, which is a large village on a hill, we have a full view of a long range of the Pyrenees, which I have been spying at with a good glass. They are fine mountains, but much less so, I think, than the Alps. I see much snow on them, but no glaciers. The shapes are more picturesque, but less astonishing and sublime. We are, however, far off, and perhaps I do not do justice to these hoary gentlemen. There is no snow summit so far as I can see, only great lodgments of snow.
Huarte, July 2nd, in front of Pamplona.—As expected, we yesterday set out on our way back here, a short cut over the sierra, to Monreal—the day before yesterday sending the guns, &c., round by Taffalla, and from Monreal here yesterday. This is a wild road, and yet not very picturesque. About this place we have a fine plain, in which Pamplona stands. The town is invested, but I believe that is all, and no steps have yet been taken for the siege; the place is strong, and we have as yet no guns for the purpose. We yesterday found the suburbs burning, the work of the French, and more women sent away from the town. The town looks handsome, but somehow has disappointed me. A French party also still holds out at Pancorvo; the worst of all, however, is the bad news from General Murray. It is said that he went off in such a hurry when he heard of Suchet’s approach, that, without waiting to know his exact danger, or where Suchet was, he embarked, leaving all his battering artillery, or as some say twenty pieces, with all the ammunition, &c., belonging to them, in a perfect state for the use of the French; and this when, in fact, he had four days to remove it in, and when the Admiral offered to undertake to bring it off. I am glad, however, to hear that Lord William Bentinck has arrived to take the command. The odds are, however, that the Spaniards will get a beating under Elio before our men join them again; it is now said that Suchet left five thousand men at Valencia also. In short, in this game of chess we are playing, there is almost always some bad move to counteract Lord Wellington’s good ones.
It is now said that we are not to wait here for the siege, but to move towards Bayonne, and the King’s army, which is said to have taken up a position on the frontiers. We expect to move towards Roncesvalles to-morrow; but this is not settled. In my opinion we should have done this immediately, without going after Clausel; but no doubt Lord Wellington knew best what to do. We have to-day cold rainy weather again, bad for men in camp. This place, Huarte, is rather a large village with tolerable market. Villa Alba, half a mile off, where some troops are posted, seems better still. We are about two miles from Pamplona, across a little stream, now from the rains become a respectable river. The great distress at present is for horseshoes, and to-morrow I expect a mountain march.
It is now stated that we took fourteen hundred prisoners altogether in this late battle, not wounded, eleven hundred wounded, and about seven hundred and fifty were found dead; the prisoners reckon their own loss at eleven thousand. However, as they say, thousands ran away over the mountain, and left the army altogether, this must be exaggeration. If the armistice produces a Russian and Prussian peace, and we are left here to Bonaparte’s sole attention and undivided care, I fear we may again see the neighbourhood of Portugal before six months are passed, notwithstanding the late most glorious victory.
Head-Quarters, Ostiz, July 3rd (Civil Department at Boutain).—Here we are now within five leagues and less of France, and on our way, at least, towards Bayonne. General Hill is, I believe, to be to-day at Estevan, and we have some men in France, at St. Jean Pied de Port. General Foy’s (French) eighteen thousand have left their position beyond Tolosa, having given the great convoy three days more time to be off. This convoy had the pictures, immense service of plate of the King, three hundred pieces of heavy artillery, &c.: I think we might have caught it had we known how things were going on. They have now retreated to France, and I believe Graham after them. All cars and wheel carriages remain at Orcayen, near Pamplona; I guess, therefore, we shall soon be back again, and perhaps proceed against Suchet, if he joins Clausel at Saragossa, as his orders, from intercepted letters, were supposed to be. Your proverb, however, vedremo co’l tempo, applies here, as well as everywhere. Dr. M’Gregor is very much engaged, and if this wet weather continues will, I think, be more so. I am so cold now that I am writing with my coat buttoned up, and my hat on, and we have constant showers. For about three hours the day before yesterday it was excessively hot. So we go on! As yet we have seen nothing very beautiful on this road, but it may mend. I am hungry, tired, and worried, and must send this off to Ostiz: so adieu.
Lord Aylmer has now a brigade, and has joined it as Major-general. General Pakenham is the Adjutant-general. Three thousand of our men wounded at Vittoria.
Head-Quarters, Lans, July 5th, 1813 (Civil Department, the Spaniards and Artillery at Arriez).—We were yesterday ordered to proceed to Lans, but not very early, as the French were in the neighbourhood. It rained all the way, and was very cold and uncomfortable, and what added much to the unpleasantness of the journey, was the horrible road and the loss of my horse’s shoes. The first league of this camina real was a narrow lane of large loose stones, nearly the size of my head, with all the interstices filled with good Brentford slop, half a foot deep; baggage constantly stopped the way. About half way, however, I bribed a Spanish farrier to put me on three Spanish shoes, until the heads of the nails half an inch square, upon six of which heads in each shoe the horses walk, as the shoe never touches a stone; these skaits are, however, much better than nothing. Having stopped an hour in the rain for this, I proceeded, and at Lans found an order to go on half a league on the left. We are almost all here, or close by, except the Adjutant-general’s and Quarter-Master-general’s departments, and except Marshal Beresford. The latter was to have been in my house, but did not like it, and found a place at Lans. The quarter being vacant, I popped into a large rambling black place, with long tables and benches, like your servants’ hall, great stables, &c., all under one roof.
The villages are nearly all alike in general shape and accommodation;—scarcely any cottages but farm-houses, and I suppose the great tables and benches they all contain have been in better times used for the workmen to dine. This has been the character of all the villages for the last ten or twelve miles, and they lie very thick, four in sight here, and probably ten within a league. The hills around are all covered with wood; the valley almost knee deep with grass for hay, and abounding in corn; the walks further on towards the mountains very pleasant; fine oaks and rocks, &c.; the climate very cold for England in July, and wet; the verdure like that of Ireland; plenty of sheep on the mountains, but little to be had here except milk. At Lans there was pork at a penny a pound, and French brandy.