About four or five thousand Spaniards moved by us whilst we halted and went up that way. I conclude that this was part of the support alluded to. General Hill was attacked again, and I understand beat Count D’Erlon (Drouet) back with great loss. When this had put all matters straight again, on that side, at least, we were to proceed. At last came orders to advance to Lanz, and we moved again. We drew up first, however, on one side to allow eighteen hundred prisoners to march to the rear,—a very pleasant sight. I spoke to several, and found all of the 17th regiment, who were numerous, to be Italians, principally Genoese. They said that they hated the French, but were forced to fight in Spain against their inclinations. All the prisoners seemed quite tired of Spain, and were as anxious as most of our people never to see it again. They said that Soult was more in the rear, and did not intend to fight that day, which was true, I believe, for he waited for General D’Erlon to get up from St. Estevan towards Lanz. General Monceau, I believe, commanded.
We were again a second time stopped under some trees, for Lord Wellington had ordered the French to be moved from their position beyond Ostiz, and driven to the vicinity of Lanz; the baggage was halted till the result was known. In the villages and on the road, which was strewed with pouches, empty knapsacks, and broken muskets, we passed several bodies all stripped, and in some places could scarcely avoid treading on them, by the horse stepping over a leg or an arm. In one place on the road was a half-buried Frenchman, which the horse had again laid bare. The doctors determined to halt, and encamp under some trees; and if my baggage had been near me to stop it, I should have bivouacked with them, having no tent. As it was, I proceeded, got a wretched quarter at Ostiz with Colonel Waters and seven countrymen, just come from the mountains, at about nine o’clock, got a beefsteak at eleven, and to bed at half-past twelve.
The next day, 31st, orders came to proceed to Lanz, and wait further instructions. There we arrived about ten o’clock, and I turned my horses into the forage remaining in the French camp of the night before, and got some collected for the mules. Thus we remained loaded until four o’clock without orders. Lord Wellington then sent on for fresh horses and his light canteens, and of our own accord we unloaded to relieve the animals, but for a long time durst not unpack. At last, General Murray came in, and ordered some dinner; but telling us that he had no authority to direct others to do the same. We were all to go to our old quarters; but, not liking in this state of things to go over to Arriez, my old place, where I had lost myself in the night, I got a room at Haines’s, and some dinner, hung my baggage cover up for a door, and went to sleep on the table to avoid the fleas.
The next day, 1st of August, about six o’clock, orders were issued to advance to Berrueta, and there to remain, waiting orders again. We returned over this mountain thus the third time, and got to Berrueta about one o’clock. I called at Almendoz in passing, to remind the patrona of the house that I had told her we should beat the French, near Pamplona, and be back in a week. I was so in five days, and found her more miserable than before, having been plundered by the French. I gave the green Indian corn the French had left to my horse, and wished her good-bye. About two o’clock, we heard that we had driven the French off the hills above St. Estevan, and also through the town, and head-quarters were to move on to St. Estevan directly. We did so, and got there by five o’clock; the French having been driven out between twelve and one. We saw about a dozen French, just killed, close to St. Estevan. So we go on, you see.
The French being driven in, about two leagues towards Lezaca and Echalar, Longa and the Spaniards, and the light division, made a long march back that day, the 1st of August, towards their own ground above Lezaca, going more round, however, towards Echalar. By this, the 95th fell in with the French at the bridge, where the road to Lezaca turns off from that to Echalar, headed them, killed and wounded about a hundred, and, without discovering it, before dark, drove much of their baggage up the valley round again towards St. Estevan. By this movement, the French being then headed at the Lezaca valley, went the Echalar pass and road instead, and in confusion; and the baggage walked into the fourth division just as they advanced next morning.
Yesterday, the 2nd of August, our orders were to proceed again to Lezaca. We started, and got into all the baggage of head-quarters (three divisions) eight miles extent of loaded mules in a string. There was a halt of about four hours, and no one could move. This continued until we got near where the baggage had been caught, which was the cause of the stoppage. After fighting by all the baggage, and leading my horse along some very dangerous places, where, if he had slipped, he must have fallen down to the river (and four to five mules actually did so), I got to the scene of the captured baggage, and then went quietly on. For nearly two miles there were scattered along the road, papers, old rugs, blankets, pack-saddles, old bridles, girths, private letters, lint, bandages, one or two hundred empty and broken boxes; quantities of intrenching tools, rags, French clothes, dead mules, dead soldiers and peasants, farriers’ tools, officers’ boots, linen, &c. There were also the boxes of M. Le General Baron de St. Pol, and several private officers’ baggage; the principal thing taken seemed to be the ambulance du 2ème division; that is, the field hospital of the second division. There were still more things worth picking up, and some soldiers digging up three live mules out of an old limekiln near the road-side. This caused stoppages and confusion.
Just beyond the bridge of Yanza the French were crawling off, who were wounded by the 95th the night before, and we twice met small parties of prisoners going to the rear, abused not a little by the plundered and exasperated villagers. The prisoners told me that the country people about these mountains were “diablement méchant,” and treated them very ill. The truth was, however, that the French began this treatment; for though they had behaved well in advancing, they had plundered and destroyed considerably in their retreat, and much wantonly. I told them they ought never to have come and entered Spain, to which they replied, “We never wished to do so; it is not our fault.”
About three o’clock, I went round to see what was going on, but my horse was tired, and I was not able to get up, to see the French driven from the hill above Echalar, and also from the hill occupied by the light division. In short, all our old position, and a little more, was gained last night.
In our advance again, we also saw some of the effects of our own retreat. In one place was an ammunition-waggon, with six dead mules, which had all rolled down the mountain together. I ascertained that it was English by sending a muleteer down for some papers in the waggon, which turned out to be our printed blank artillery returns. I also saw four other wheels and parts of carriages, and it is said that we lost a howitzer. Colonel Ross’s troop suffered the most in this way. The French seemed to have made this advance as a desperate push to relieve Pamplona and St. Sebastian. The garrisons of both sallied; that of Pamplona was driven back directly, as I hear: that of St. Sebastian (as we are told) surprised us in the trenches napping, as the heavy guns were all embarked for security, and nothing going on, and carried off three companies of Portuguese. This, it is to be hoped, is exaggerated. Near Elisondo, I hear, we took thirty cars of bread and brandy, and some baggage also—a day’s bread for two divisions; and many are now fighting without it on both sides. There is no delivery of bread to-day, even for head-quarters; corn for the horses we have had none this week.
Head-quarters have stray papers to the 19th, which I am reading whilst the fighting is going on. One great amusement in these papers, to me at least, is the excess of lies, the impudence, the abundance of them, and then the blunders, and ignorance of what is going on. You will be surprised at the contents of this, when you get the Gazette account, as you will probably long before you receive this. I told you that the beaten army would return in a month: whether they will muster again this year, and attack, depends, in my opinion, upon the fall of Pamplona and St. Sebastian, and the northern war. Pamplona is starving; at least it is without meat; but I still doubt, except that this sudden effort proves it to be in danger. It is merely more closely invested by small gun redoubts—no battering gun has ever been near it, at present only about six thousand Spaniards watch it, and I think if they choose they might be off, only much harassed by our cavalry.