The charges made by the Life Guards were the most ludicrous. They were never near the enemy, until beyond Vittoria, as I was before them, and was almost run down twice by their anxiety along the road, galloping away without occasion. I leaped a ditch once to avoid them, not wishing to blow my horse as theirs were, at a time when we were on one side of Vittoria and the French on the other. They were afterwards ordered on, but never came up with the enemy. They could do nothing in such a country, with six-foot ditches round the enclosures. Very few of the Spaniards have behaved well this time. They have been generally in the rear; one regiment stood fire well on the 28th, but some ran, and in general I hear they have done little. Longa’s people tolerably here. There has been sharp work on the whole. I should put down the allied losses at six or seven thousand, and the French nearly at eighteen thousand, provisions and all, that is somehow put hors de combat. If the Spaniards will not fight, we can scarcely stand even this advantage long; we shall be ruined by our victories. The French under D’Erlon behaved very well to Colonel Fenwick, who was left wounded; no one was allowed to go to his house as a quarter, and every attention was paid both to him and the surgeon left with him. The latter became so popular that the French liked to be dressed by him, better than by their own surgeons.
August 3rd, six o’clock, evening.—The great men are all come in; and I am told nothing has been done more to-day. The last push over the hills, and out of their position has not been made yet. So at least says General O’Lalor. I suspect the Prince of Orange will carry home these despatches, and I think it but fair now, that he should go and see his intended as a conquering hero. He certainly promises very well. An old man just returned home, is thrashing out his wheat over my head, and has been thus employed all the morning, giving me his dust as well as his noise.
Later, nine o’clock, evening.—Nothing has been done to-day; the French remain in their strong ground above Bera, a league and a half from this. It was found, I believe, necessary to turn it in a regular manner to avoid great loss; for though one brigade of red coats yesterday turned two French divisions off one high hill, we can scarcely expect this to be always the case. I think, therefore, we shall remain here some days at least. I have just heard an anecdote of General Picton. General Cole on the 17th ordered General Byng to retire from a post on a hill which afterwards formed a part of our good position on the 28th. Byng sent to Picton to say what his orders were, and added that though very important, he felt he was not strong enough to justify his keeping it. Picton said to Byng’s aide-de-camp, “No, by G—, he shall not give up the hill; I will bring my division up to support him; but no, your horse is done up, I’ll go myself and tell him;” and he ordered the division to follow. This saved that hill. Another time, General Cole was by orders leaving a hill, when he received fresh orders to occupy it. His men found a few stragglers on the top, and the French main division half way up; but they gave them such a volley and warm reception, that they soon turned back and were off.
We were very nearly destroying some of the French cavalry, and taking two divisions. Two circumstances prevented this. The night we were at Berrueta two of our men straggled, and got taken, and they told the French where head-quarters were. This made them conclude we were strongly posted close by, and they decamped at night instead of the morning, as they had intended. Thus several hours were gained. The next was, that our light division got their orders seven hours later than was expected. Had they been that time sooner up, they would have headed the French division on their road to Echalar, as well as to Lezaca, and from strong ground might have been able to drive them back upon the other divisions, and have surrounded them. Their cavalry also would have been caught on this narrow winding road down by the river, where the baggage was destroyed, with a path in the wood just on the opposite side, from whence our men might at least have picked off the horses if the men chose to run away. This was just missed, however, from these causes, and remains one of the ifs and ands; it is very provoking, for that would have completely crippled them for this year.
A Spanish priest told me to-day that all the priests, nuns, &c., in Spain, were constantly putting up prayers for Lord Wellington, thinking almost everything depended upon him individually, as I believe most people here really think. They were sorry he was so often exposed as he is to fire.
Lezaca, August 4th, 1813.—Nothing is to be done, I believe, to-day. Everything in statu quo; the Prince goes to-night or to-morrow morning with despatches to England, and I shall send this with them.
P.S. It feels, as you may suppose, very strange, after the whirl about to Pamplona, and all the scenes I have witnessed, to be again quietly drawing charges at Lezaca. I have just heard that the French have increased their force much in our front above Bera on the hills, but I think nothing more will be done immediately on our part or on theirs.
CHAPTER XI.
Rejoicings for the Victory—Sufferings of Cole’s Division—Complaints of the French—Statements of a French Prisoner—Decay of Spain—Characteristics of Wellington—His Opinion of Bonaparte—Prospects of a renewal of the Attack—Exchange of Prisoners—Wellington’s Spanish Estate—His opinion of Picton—Disposition of the Army.
Head-quarters, Lezaca,
August 7, 1813.