Major D—— has still got his prize here taken on the field of battle, namely, a Spanish girl, a pony, the wardrobe, monkey, &c., the property of one of King Joseph’s aides-de-camp. I am still kept at work. We yesterday tried two men for plundering Lord Aylmer’s tent in the night whilst he slept.
Out of 500,000l. sterling, the supposed plunder at Vittoria, only about 30,000l. has found its way to the treasury, or military chest. Lord Wellington seems to think the best of Mina, Longa, and the Empecinado; amongst the Spaniards there is much to be done yet, to make them like our vagabonds or the Portuguese, in regard to fighting; for plundering and the “savoir vivre” here without money or rations, they beat us both already; we cannot improve them.
Castanos, the other day at dinner, asked Lord Wellington how Madame Gazan had been treated, as she was accustomed to have a considerable number of lovers? Lord Wellington looked rather drolly at me, and said, she had been treated, he believed, very properly and respectfully. Castanos said, “Elle en serait bien fachée.”
Last week some of the light division had rations of wheat in the grain instead of bread. One fellow, who was sulky, said, he supposed he should have “long forage” next, that is, straw. Another more good humouredly said, he was as strong as a horse now since yesterday? How so? “Why, they have given me a good feed of corn you see, so how could it be otherwise.” We had one very ingenious device by two of our fellows last week; they were employed to take care of two thousand dollars prize, for the benefit of the regiment, and to carry it on a mule or ass given to them for that purpose. General Cole passed this donkey on a bridge, and being irritated from the obstruction caused by the baggage, &c., swore he would upset the whole over the bridge if they were not off. When he had passed, one said, “That will just do, let’s divide the money, and say the General upset it in the river.” This was done, and the report made; something, however, was overheard, and this led to an inquiry, when one of them admitted that this was the case, and that a serjeant shared and proposed the plan. I said that they could only be flogged for this. Lord Wellington therefore said they might as well be tried in their regiment, for three hundred lashes was as good as a thousand, and that to publish these things was only to put similar ideas into other people’s heads.
Lezaca, Head-Quarters, July 23rd.—Lord Wellington and all his party went off at eight this morning for St. Sebastian to see how things are going on. He intends returning to dinner, a late one, though they all have fresh horses on the road. It is feared that his hints have not been attended to, and that the breach has been made too soon before all other things were ready, so that the place of danger is discovered to the enemy in time, perhaps, to enable the French, who are ever quick and ready on these occasions, to let in some sea, and make a wet ditch behind, or to throw up new works, &c. The breach may thus, as at Badajoz, become the worst place of the whole to attack. It is to be hoped that this is only a false alarm; but things do not appear to go on well, unless Lord Wellington or General Murray are on the spot. Lord Wellington is not so easily roused from his bed as he used to be. This is the only change in him; and it is said that he has been in part encouraged to this by having such confidence in General Murray. I understand he was always naturally fond of his pillow. He had rather ride like an express for ten or fifteen leagues, than be early and take time to his work. Upon the whole this may fatigue him less, as being a less time on horseback.
Head-Quarters, Lezaca, July 25th, 1813.—We have now been some time stationary in these mountains, and I am at work again, and have little time, and less to write about. We have been in hourly and nervous expectation of news of the storming of St. Sebastian. It was first to have taken place the day before yesterday, but we were not quite ready; then at five yesterday morning; but either from our shells firing a house near the breach, and the French encouraging the flames to spread, or from their originally setting fire to that part of the town, there was such a considerable fire all around the breach, that it was thought too hot to attempt the storming. It was then, by Lord Wellington’s order, I believe, fixed for this morning, and he has been as usual very anxious about the event.
He was very fidgety yesterday, when I went to him about two poor fellows who are to be hung for robbing Lord Aylmer’s tent; and to-day he came out to the churchyard, where we were listening, about eight o’clock, to judge from the noise of the guns whether our batteries had ceased, and what the firing was. He has been once over himself, but appeared to wish to leave it to Graham, and not directly to interfere. At eleven this morning, however, Colonel Burgh came over with an account of our attempt having failed; that our party (consisting of English, too, and I believe of the 9th and 38th) went up to the breach, then turned, and ran away. This will terribly discourage our men who have to go next, and encourage the enemy. Lord Wellington has ordered his horse, and is going over immediately.
Nothing can be done, however, before the evening or to-morrow morning, as the attack must take place within two hours before or after low water, in order to pass the sands for the breach. I am told the latter is wide and easy, and we cannot tell what possessed our men on this occasion. The object, St. Sebastian, is most important for the army; first, to enable us to keep our ground here, as an appui to the left flank, and secondly, as a safe place for stores, sick and wounded, where, in case of retreat, they may be all left to be brought off at leisure by sea, and also as a refuge for Guerillas, &c. A few things are now beginning to be brought to us in these wild inhospitable regions, but still they are sent from Lisbon by land, with the six weeks’ carriage on a mule to pay for. If some one would speculate to Passages direct, it would fully answer, for Irish butter is 4s. 6d. a pound; sugar, 4s.; ham, 3s.; tea, 20s., the same as that sold at Lisbon for 8s.: and so on.
To-day I am going about three miles up the Bidassoa river to a posada, in which the artillery of Colonel Ross’s troops are quartered, to dine with them. Part of the way to their present quarters from St. Estevan they had to cut their road with spades and pickaxes for the guns; but there they now are safe.
I am sorry to say several of our men (English) desert as well as the foreigners. I have just heard that the cause of their failure at St. Sebastian this morning was partly the same as that of Badajoz formerly—a deep ditch behind the breach, and nothing to fill it up with, if indeed that were possible; but it is said to have been very deep. Our men looked, came back, got for shelter under the wall, and were then ordered back, and they ran a little. This is a much better account of the business. The attack was also too soon, so that the tide prevented one attack from being attempted, and it is feared that our artillery even fired from that cause on the attackers. The French certainly understand sieges better, I think, than we do.