On the above day the King's Own moved towards the north of Portugal, and rejoined the brigade at Braganza, on the 21st of May. On the 24th the brigade was at Tabara, and on the 26th it crossed the Esla at Pozuela. The enemy made no resistance at the passage of the river, and was compelled to abandon the line of the Douro, by Lord Wellington's advance along their rear. The column to which Ponsonby's brigade was attached, was directed on Valencia, and passing through that town, advanced on Burgos. On the 12th of June, the brigade overtook the enemy's rear-guard on the heights of Estepar, when the King's Own were detached to cut off part of the enemy's force, in which the regiment completely succeeded, making its way to the high road from Madrid, throwing the enemy into confusion on Burgos; a squadron of the fourteenth, with a detachment of the King's Own, charging the enemy's rear, captured a gun: the regiment had captain Sitwell and one private wounded, and five horses killed and three wounded.
During the night of the 12th, the French blew up the castle of Burgos and retired behind the Ebro, which river the brigade, after marching through a wild and difficult region of deep narrow valleys and rugged defiles, crossed at Puente de Arenas on the 15th. Both armies were concentrated, the British on the river Bayas, and the French on the undulating grounds in the valley of Vittoria, where, on the 21st of June, they were attacked by the allied army. The result of this attack was a most decisive victory, the French only carrying from the field two guns; the whole of their immense equipment fell into the hands of the British. Owing to the nature of the field of battle the cavalry could scarcely act,[37] and that arme was principally employed in supporting the infantry, and in the pursuit, which was continued until the enemy had passed Pampeluna. The gallant bearing of the King's Own was rewarded in 1821, with the royal permission to bear the word "Vittoria" on their guidons.
At this period, General Clausel with fifteen thousand men was at Logroño, and of course, was not engaged in the battle; nor was he aware that an engagement had taken place, till he arrived near Vittoria, and found the town in the possession of the British: he then returned to Logroño, and marched upon Tudela, hoping to reach Pampeluna before the British. On the 27th his scheme was discovered, and the Marquis of Wellington detached the cavalry with two divisions of infantry to intercept him. This detached force arrived on the same night at Tafalla and Olieta, and on the next morning advanced upon Tudela, when it was discovered that Clausel, upon receiving intelligence of the force sent against him, had retreated to Saragossa, whence he returned to France by the pass of Jaca, his artillery falling into the hands of the Spanish troops.
On the 30th of June the infantry returned to Pampeluna, and Major-General Ponsonby's brigade remained at Tafalla for eleven days, when forage becoming scarce, it moved to Laraga, and halted there a fortnight.
The cavalry received an order to move to the north on the 27th of July, in consequence of the troops having been forced from the passes of Roncesvalles and Maya in the Pyrenees. The army took up a position at Huarte and Villarba, and the town of Pampeluna was illuminated at the prospect of relief. On the 28th, Soult attacked the British position, but was repulsed with loss; Count D'Erlon's division was compelled to fall back upon Maya, and the British recovered their lost ground. On the 8th of August, the King's Own fell back upon Allo and Dicastello, and on the 27th of December, removed for the convenience of forage to the neighbourhood of Vittoria, occupying the villages of Alegria, Aranjuez, and Troconiz, and remained there until the 24th of February following.
1814
An advance took place, Ponsonby's brigade marched through the Pyrenean mountains by Salinas Bergara, Villa Franca and Tolosa, to St. Jean de Luz in France, halted there two days, and then advanced through Bidart to the Adour, crossing the river on a bridge of boats, and continued to follow the route of the French, who were retreating on Bayonne. The advance was continued through Peyrehorade to Castlenau, and on the 19th of March, 1814, Marshal Soult was discovered in position, with his left at Tarbes, and his right at Rabastens. This right flank was ordered to be turned by a division of infantry, and Ponsonby's brigade of cavalry, and being thus threatened, Soult retired through a strong country by St. Gaudens, upon Toulouse. The British, being obliged to wait for stores, did not advance rapidly, and on the 25th, the King's Own lay at Fontenelle. On the next day the regiment advanced to La Mosquiere, and there came up with a regiment of French Chasseurs à cheval, which it charged and drove beyond Cuneva, taking several prisoners and horses, and seizing a large quantity of bread prepared by the French for their own use. Lieut. Burns' horse was killed, Lieut. Jebb's wounded, and two troop horses killed, but the regiment sustained no further loss.
The army arrived before Toulouse on the 27th of March, and on the 31st, a pontoon bridge being laid at St. Roques, the brigade crossed the Garonne, and seized the bridge on the Arriege, at Cintagabelle. The roads were found so bad in this direction that no further attempt was made, and the troops being recalled, the pontoon bridge was removed to Grenade, a town below Bayonne, and there laid down on the 4th of April. On this day Ponsonby's, with two other brigades of cavalry, and three divisions of infantry, crossed the river, the brigade being quartered at Grissolles, and having a strong piquet on the road to Montauban. In the course of the night the river rose so considerably, that the bridge was obliged to be removed, and the communication was cut off; Soult, however, made no attack, but employed himself in strengthening his position, which covered Toulouse.
On the 8th of April the current subsided, and the pontoons were again laid down. On the 9th the troops were passing the river, and on Easter Sunday (the 10th), Soult was attacked in his position. In this attack the brigade, then commanded by Colonel Lord Charles Manners, was at different periods employed in supporting the Spanish forces, the hussar brigade, and General Clinton's division. It was not a cavalry action, and the only casualties were—Captain Burn, one trumpeter, four privates, wounded: two horses killed. The enemy abandoned his entrenchments before dusk, and took post behind the canal. The King's Own were rewarded for their conduct on this occasion with the royal permission, dated 20th September, 1821, to bear the word "Toulouse" on their guidons.
Marshal Soult retired down the canal on the 12th towards Carcasonne, and on the 13th, hostilities were terminated by the arrival of the news of the abdication of Napoleon, and of the accession of Louis XVIII. to the throne of France; Marshals Soult and Suchet, after a short delay, gave their assent to the new order of affairs, and a line of demarcation between the armies was agreed upon. The King's Own went into quarters at Lanta and Caraman, and remained there until the end of May.