The battalion moved forward without interruption until its arrival in the neighbourhood of Orthes on the 25th, and was present at the battle there of the 27th of February; but the division being employed in turning the enemy’s left, the Thirty-ninth did not suffer any loss. Brevet-Major George D’Arcy, who commanded the battalion on that day, was presented with a medal for the battle of Orthes.
The royal authority was subsequently granted for the Thirty-ninth to bear the word “Orthes” on the regimental colour and appointments.
The battalion moved forward on the road to Toulouse, and on the 18th of March fell in with the rear-guard of the enemy, near the village of Castillon, which was driven in. On this occasion Lieutenant Charles Cox was wounded.
The Thirty-ninth having arrived in the neighbourhood of Toulouse, nothing particular occurred until the battle of Toulouse on the 10th of April, when the operations of the division being confined to the left bank of the Garonne, the battalion was only occupied in driving in the enemy’s outposts, and taking some field-works which had been thrown up to defend the entrance to the town. In accomplishing this, Captain Samuel Thorpe, one serjeant, and a few men were wounded.
During the night of the 11th of April the French troops evacuated Toulouse, and a white flag was hoisted. On the following day the Marquis of Wellington entered the city amidst the acclamations of the inhabitants. In the course of the afternoon of the 12th of April intelligence was received of the abdication of Napoleon; and had not the express been delayed on the journey by the French police, the sacrifice of many valuable lives would have been prevented.
A disbelief in the truth of this intelligence occasioned much unnecessary bloodshed at Bayonne, the garrison of which made a desperate sortie on the 14th of April, when Lieut.-General Sir John Hope (afterwards Earl of Hopetoun) was taken prisoner, Major-General Andrew Hay was killed, and Major-General Stopford was wounded. This was the last action of the Peninsular war.
A treaty of peace was established between Great Britain and France; Louis XVIII. was restored to the throne of France, and Napoleon Bonaparte was permitted to reside at Elba, the sovereignty of that island having been conceded to him by the Allied Powers.
In addition to the other distinctions acquired during the war in Spain, Portugal, and the south of France, the Thirty-ninth received the royal authority to bear the word “Peninsula” on the regimental colour and appointments.
Shortly after the termination of the war in Europe, the first battalion of the Thirty-ninth was ordered to proceed to North America in consequence of the hostilities between Great Britain and the United States. The battalion accordingly marched to Bourdeaux under the command of Brevet-Lieut.-Colonel Charles Bruce, and embarked for Canada on the 8th of June.
While the battalion was on its voyage to North America, the Duke of Wellington, prior to the breaking up of the Peninsular army, issued the following General Order:—