I have heard more stories of King Joseph from the Paymaster of his head-quarters, Mr. Frayre, who was taken. He said that the King was in the town until our dragoons were close upon it. He then rode quietly along, through the train of carriages and baggage, with Jourdan and his guard in a walk, in order not to give any alarm, until he was out of the bustle. He then changed his coat for a nankeen jacket, and away they all went, galloping off for Salvatierra, on the road to Pamplona. In the first village, a mile or two from Vittoria, there are two turnings, and he was heard to call out, “Par où faut-il aller?” “Tout droit, tout droit,” said Jourdan, and away they went again as hard as they could go. Of the twenty-seven Generals who met in the house at Salvatierra, a great proportion were slightly wounded, and their greetings at seeing each other alive were very loud and sincere. Joseph’s servant had a sort of saddle-bag with him for the King, and that was all their baggage.

I hear that there are two millions of dollars on the road. Just now we are without anything in our military chest to pay for our daily food and expenses, which are very great. Corn for our horses, we got none. Bread is not dear here, or scarce, as yet. Bullocks, I hear, we have bought enough for nearly forty days for the army, in this part of the country, mostly from the mountains. Nine hundred head have been bought within these ten days.

Head-Quarters, Lezaca, July 18th, 1813.—On the 16th I went up to the lighthouse in the evening. I met Baron Constans coming down. The French did him the honour of a cannon-shot, a proof they were touchy. I proceeded within half musket-shot, but at a trot, and they left me quiet. I stayed an hour on the hill; view beautiful, evening clear, scene very interesting. I saw all the French sentries, troops, inhabitants, &c., in the town, and on the island near, in the convent, redoubt, &c. I could see our advanced sentinels and pickets, and those of the French near the convent, within sixty yards of each other in some places, behind ruins, &c. I could also see a long extent of French coast, and many other objects. The ruined convent, and the French sticking to it in several parts and firing, was, however, the most curious and novel.

I came down at seven and rode home quietly by nine in the dark; when, lo! I found an order for head-quarters, baggage, &c., to join Lord Wellington at this place on the mountains, on the frontiers, six leagues of bad road distant.

I was off, however, by eight yesterday morning, baggage and all. The first two leagues were by the high French road, the camina real, through Astigarraja and Oyarzun. At the end of the last town we turned from the great road, which is a broad, well-laid road, and has been very good, though now broken up a little, and very rough. We then went along a paved mountain road, up a valley for half a league, and then began climbing a mountain path over two long hills until we got into this valley, and to this place. There is a great sameness in the scenery—round hills, wooded in part below and a stream—nothing very fine. About a league from hence we saw the camp of the 95th regiment, on a hill above Vera, which is lower down in this valley, and near the immediate frontier division. We also saw the seventh division camp near and the French cantonment bivouac on the opposite hill; for a short time they kept half Bera or Vera; now we have the whole.

We halt here at Lezaca to-day; the Commissariat baggage is ordered a league and a half in the rear in case of an attack. I believe when reinforcements arrive we shall make one. I was sorry to leave St. Sebastian, for an attack was to be made that morning. We heard and saw a violent firing throughout all our route, and I last night heard that the convent had been taken by our men, and some ruins below, &c., and that the new battery had been opened. The French stood firm when the Portuguese advanced, who behaved very well, but when the English regiment which had been ordered up to assist was seen advancing, the sight of the red coats made the French soldiers run, and the French officers were seen in vain beating and pelting them to make them stand. The causeway (as I had seen) below was cut by the French in two places. This stopped our men for a time, and the French attempted to return, but did not succeed; thus matters stood last night. Some of the first division returned from Oyarzun yesterday to help, and we met them on the road. The French surprised about one hundred of the Spaniards in this place a few days since. The noble inhabitants of Saragossa have contrived to open one of their gates, when the French were in the town, and to let in Mina and his men. The Spaniards now have the town. I believe the French still stick to a fortified part, and have destroyed the bridge; this comes from the English Captain who is with Mina, and employed in procuring intelligence. A flag of truce was sent in to the French, carried by Colonel Gordon, this morning—“Pourquoi?” “Je ne’en sais rien.” Lezaca is rather a good village, and has a running stream in it, which might be more used. It was plundered by the French, and now contains nothing, no bread even, only some straw; and we have now been seven days without corn for the poor horses; even grass is here very scarce: we want the course of the Bidassoa to keep up our communications with Irun, &c. The French now interrupt this—the river runs in part through France.

Soult, the great Soult, the Marshal, is said to have arrived, and taken the command against the allies: so say the country people, &c. To-day it is very hot. A report is circulated that the French have attacked us. So adieu for the present.

July 19th, Lezaca.—No fresh news. I am going to ride up a hill, a league off, to the seventh division camp, from whence Bayonne and much of France is visible.

FOOTNOTES:

[4] Mr. Larpent’s opinion on the moral deficiency of the English soldier has astonished many; but it should be remembered that he was a non-combatant, and his professional practice as Judge-Advocate-general brought him more in contact with the delinquents than with the real steady soldiers of the army. Let any reader who inclines to think that the French can outmarch the more robust English, remember the advance of the light division to Talavera under General R. Craufurd, so justly eulogized in Napier’s History. An English soldier becomes sulky, careless, and insubordinate in a retreat; but let a battle be announced, and spirit and discipline reappear together. Witness the conduct of Sir John Moore’s army, when he offered battle at Lugo, and afterwards when he was attacked at Corunna.—Ed.