Our troops continued to advance in admirable order, notwithstanding the difficulty of the ground. In the mean time, Lieut.-General Sir T. Graham, who commanded the left of the army, consisting of the 1st and 5th divisions, and General Pack’s and Bradford’s brigades of infantry, and General Bock’s and Anson’s of cavalry, and who had been moved on the 20th to Murguia, moved forward from thence on Vitoria, by the high road from that town to Bilbao. He had, besides, with him the Spanish division under Colonel Longa;[16] and General Giron, who had been detached to the left, under a different view of the state of affairs, and had afterwards been recalled, and had arrived on the 20th at Orduña, marched that morning from thence, so as to be in the field in readiness to support Lieut.-General Sir T. Graham, if his support had been required.
The enemy had a division of infantry with some cavalry advanced on the great road from Vitoria to Bilbao, resting their right on some strong heights covering the village of Gamarra Mayor. Both Gamarra and Abechuco were strongly occupied as têtes-de-pont and the bridges over the Zadorra at these places. Brig.-General Pack with his Portuguese brigade, and Colonel Longa with his Spanish division, were directed to turn and gain the heights, supported by Major-General Anson’s brigade of light dragoons, and the 5th division of infantry under the command of Major-General Oswald, who was desired to take the command of all these troops.
Lieut.-General Sir T. Graham reports, that in the execution of this service the Portuguese and Spanish troops behaved admirably. The 4th battalion of caçadores, and the 8th caçadores, particularly distinguished themselves. Colonel Longa being on the left, took possession of Gamarra Mayor.
As soon as the heights were in our possession, the village of Gamarra Mayor was most gallantly stormed and carried by Major-General Robinson’s brigade of the 5th division, which advanced in columns of battalions, under a very heavy fire of artillery and musketry, without firing a shot, assisted by 2 guns of Major Lawson’s brigade of artillery. The enemy suffered severely, and lost 3 pieces of cannon.
The Lieut.-General then proceeded to attack the village of Abechuco with the 1st division, by forming a strong battery against it, consisting of Captain Dubourdieu’s brigade, and Captain Ramsay’s troop of horse artillery; and under cover of this fire, Colonel Halkett’s brigade advanced to the attack of the village, which was carried; the light battalions having charged and taken 3 guns and a howitzer on the bridge. This attack was supported by General Bradford’s brigade of Portuguese infantry. During the operation at Abechuco, the enemy made the greatest efforts to repossess themselves of the village of Gamarra Mayor, which were gallantly repulsed by the 5th division, under the command of Major-General Oswald. The enemy had, however, on the heights on the left of the Zadorra, 2 divisions of infantry in reserve; and it was impossible to cross by the bridge till the troops which had moved upon the enemy’s centre and left had driven them through Vitoria. The whole then co-operated in the pursuit, which was continued by all till after it was dark.
The movement of the troops under Lieut.-General Sir T. Graham, and their possession of Gamarra and Abechuco, intercepted the enemy’s retreat by the high road to France. They were then obliged to turn to the road towards Pamplona; but they were unable to hold any position for a sufficient length of time to allow their baggage and artillery to be drawn off. The whole, therefore, of the latter, which had not already been taken by the troops in their attack of the successive positions taken up by the enemy in their retreat from their first position at Ariñez and on the Zadorra, and all their ammunition and baggage, and everything they had, were taken close to Vitoria. I have reason to believe that the enemy carried off with them one gun and one howitzer only.
The army under King Joseph consisted of the whole of the armies of the South, and of the Centre, and of 4 divisions and all the cavalry of the army of Portugal, and some troops of the army of the North. General Foy’s division of the army of Portugal was in the neighbourhood of Bilbao; and General Clausel, who commanded the army of the North, was near Logroño with one division of the army of Portugal commanded by General Taupin, and General Van-der-Maessen’s division of the army of the North. The 6th division of the allied army under Major-General the Hon. E. Pakenham was likewise absent, having been detained at Medina de Pomar for 3 days, to cover the march of our magazines and stores.
I cannot extol too highly the good conduct of all the General Officers, officers, and soldiers of the army in this action. Lieut.-General Sir R. Hill speaks highly of the conduct of General Morillo and the Spanish troops under his command, and that of Lieut.-General the Hon. W. Stewart, and the Conde de Amarante, who commanded divisions of infantry under his directions. He likewise mentions the conduct of Colonel the Hon. R. W. O’Callaghan, who maintained the village of Subijana de Alava against all the efforts of the enemy to regain possession of it, and that of Lieut.-Colonel Rooke of the Adjutant-General’s department, and Lieut.-Colonel the Hon. A. Abercrombie of the Quartermaster-General’s department. It was impossible for the movements of any troops to be conducted with more spirit and regularity than those of their respective divisions, by Lieut.-Generals the Earl of Dalhousie, Sir T. Picton, Sir L. Cole, and Major-General Baron C. Alten. The troops advanced in échelons of regiments in two, and occasionally three lines; and the Portuguese troops in the 3rd and 4th divisions, under the command of Brig.-General Power and Colonel Stubbs, led the march with steadiness and gallantry never surpassed on any occasion.
Major-General the Hon. C. Colville’s brigade of the 3rd division was seriously attacked in its advance by a very superior force well formed, which it drove in, supported by General Inglis’ brigade of the 7th division, commanded by Colonel Grant of the 82nd. These officers and the troops under their command distinguished themselves.
Major-General Vandeleur’s brigade of the Light division was, during the advance upon Vitoria, detached to the support of the 7th division; and Lieut.-General the Earl of Dalhousie has reported most favourably of its conduct. Lieut.-General Sir T. Graham particularly reports his sense of the assistance he received from Colonel De Lancy, the Deputy Quartermaster-General, and from Lieut.-Colonel Gouverie, of the Adjutant-General’s department, and from the officers of his personal staff; and from Lieut.-Colonel the Hon. A. Upton, A.Q.M.G., and Major Hope, A.A.G., with the 1st division; and Major-General Oswald reports the same of Lieut.-Colonel Berkeley of the Adjutant-General’s department, and Lieut.-Colonel Gomm of the Quartermaster-General’s department.