The Author taken Prisoner—Kind Treatment by the French General—Life of a Prisoner—Release—Details of the Author’s Captivity—Curious Scene at General Pakenham’s—A Basque Squire.
Bayonne, September 5, 1813.
My dear M——,
When you told me, some time since, that you expected to hear from me from this place, I never expected to have realized in this way your prediction. But as the French all tell me with a shrug, “c’est le sort de la guerre, Monsieur,” I must submit to as great a piece of ill luck as generally falls to a poor man, “dans le meilleur des mondes possibles.”
On the evening of the 30th August I was, as I mentioned to you in my last, stopped from going over to see the storming of St. Sebastian the next morning by the general report that the French were in motion; that an attack was expected on our line at daylight, to relieve that place if possible, and that therefore head-quarters would probably move. So it turned out; at six we heard that the French had all crossed the Bidassoa, and were moving on. The baggage was all ordered half a league up the mountain Yangi, there to wait orders either to proceed further for security if we were pressed, or to return if we repulsed the attack. At seven, Lord Wellington, &c., were off. By nine the town was nearly cleared, and every one in motion.
Nothing can be more stupid than thus waiting a whole day standing with the mules and baggage, to hear the result, without a creature to talk to, and knowing nothing that is passing. One of the officers advised me to go up the hill just above Lezaca, to observe a little what was doing near, assuring me that it was quite safe. Just afterwards Major Canning returned from Lord Wellington with orders, and said he would show us the way to the hill and then go on. I mounted, and set out with Mr. Henry, having sent off my baggage. Mr. Booth, the principal Commissary of Accounts, Mr. Jesse, his assistant, and Captain Hook, the officer who takes all the quarters for every one at head-quarters, determined to join the party. When we had got a little way Major Canning remarked that by going up the first hill we should see sooner what was doing, and could then return to Lezaca, or stay and proceed as was found advisable, and that we should be thus sure of not being cut off from Yangi. This we accordingly did. When half up the hill we observed two battalions resting under arms quietly on the top and having examined them some time with our glasses, thought that they were Spanish; but not being certain (for they are so alike as scarcely to be known at fifty yards distance), we thought it advisable to keep to our left, towards the rear of some of our own red-coats, whom we saw engaged with the French in a wood further on. We did this, and then waited to see whether those two battalions advanced and fired or not, to enable us to be sure, by their fire, to which party they belonged. As they remained at rest, we could not determine this point; and as there was much fern and wood, and we were only about a short half mile off, we determined, for fear of a surprise, to go back, and follow up the mountain Major Canning’s road, where we saw our own red-coats. We did this, and just before we ascended, ascertained that our people were still there; we trusted firmly to their not giving ground, as the French were already much advanced, and this road was the common communication of all our army through Lezaca to Oyarzun and San Sebastian.
About half-way up the hill, or mountain, is a wood, from whence we got a peep at the two battalions. We saw them moving towards the English position, but not firing, and Captain Hook remarked that there were several red-coats amongst them, so they must be friends; but that, however, about a hundred yards further on we should be able to ascertain, and if it were not so we must return.
At the end of the hundred yards the woods ceased, and the two roads up the mountain joined, when to our great astonishment, just as we came one way to the place of junction, two French battalions came up the other, and we found ourselves within twenty yards of each other; Mr. Jesse was still nearer. I heard a cry of qui vive, which put an end to all doubt as to who they were; and after a sort of short pause and drawback in the head of the French column, thinking, I believe, that they were the head of an allied column, several moved towards us, and two levelled at us. Mr. Jesse, the nearest of us, dismounted, and surrendered instantly. The other two jumped off their horses, and, as the side of the mountain was very steep, and no one could well ride after them, they ran down, and the French having incumbrances, I believe they escaped. I now think that was the best plan I could have adopted. At the moment, however, as I was in the road, and nearer to the French than they were, I determined to turn about, and try my horse down the road again the way we came, thinking it a great chance that the only two who levelled, and seemed ready to fire, would hit me. They never fired, but some pursued, and one or two officers on horseback. I galloped down, however, nearly a mile, at the risk of my neck. The road then got steeper, and I looked round to see if any one was nearly up behind me. I pulled up a little, as I found they had not reached my servant, who was above a hundred yards behind me; but, on turning round again to proceed, I saw, in the narrow part of the road just before me, where the descent was steep both ways, one up and one down, six Frenchmen; two in the road, two on each side, all ready with their pieces up to their shoulders. Upon this I pulled up and we had a parley. On my pulling up, and addressing them in French, they seemed in doubt, and spoke some bad French. I then looked about me, to see what chance remained, but seeing that they all levelled again, and cried out “prisonnier,” the risk was then too great for the remotest chance of escape, so I dismounted, and they instantly took down their pieces, and ran up. In a moment, my two horses, and cloak, pistols, sword, telescope, handkerchief, were all gone.
Having received some money just before, and fearing some theft from my Portuguese servants, I had about fifteen doubloons about me, as being the most secure place. One-half they found instantly, and were so pleased that they scarcely searched more, except to take my knife, comb, &c. I then told them that I was no General, having heard a cry before from the battalion of “voilà le Général;” that I was only a civil officer, a non-combatant; but that I had some more money, and if they would then, when they had got everything from me, release me, I would tell them where it was, and give it to them. This I did, thinking as they had got so much booty, they would perhaps wish to keep it secret, not to be called upon to refund any part, and that therefore they would not be sorry to say that I had escaped, and let me go that I might not have to tell the story.
They promised to do this, so I produced the rest, and at the same time contrived to give my watch a twist up above my waistcoat, that when they felt for it, they found nothing, and by this means I contrived to save that.