I am particularly indebted to Lieut.-General Sir T. Graham, and to Lieut.-General Sir R. Hill, for the manner in which they have respectively conducted the service entrusted to them, since the commencement of the operations which have ended in the battle of the 21st; and for their conduct in that battle; as likewise to Marshal Sir W. Beresford, for the friendly advice and assistance which I have received from him upon all occasions during the late operations.
I must not omit to mention likewise the conduct of General Giron, who commands the Galician army, who made a forced march from Orduña, and was actually on the ground in readiness to support Lieut.-General Sir T. Graham.
I have frequently been indebted, and have had occasion to call the attention of your Lordship to the conduct of the Quartermaster-General, Sir G. Murray, who in the late operations, and in the battle of the 21st June, has again given the greatest assistance. I am likewise much indebted to Lord Aylmer, the Deputy Adjutant-General, and to the officers of the departments of the Adjutant and Quartermaster-General respectively; and also to Lord FitzRoy Somerset, and Lieut.-Colonel Campbell, and those of my personal staff; and to Lieut.-Colonel Sir R. Fletcher, and the officers of the Royal Engineers.
Colonel H.S.H. the Hereditary Prince of Orange was in the field as my aide-de-camp, and conducted himself with his usual gallantry and intelligence.
Mariscal de Campo, Don L. Wimpffen, and the Inspector-General, Don T. O’Donoju, and the officers of the staff of the Spanish army, have invariably rendered me every assistance in their power in the course of these operations; and I avail myself of this opportunity of expressing my satisfaction with their conduct; as likewise with that of Mariscal de Campo, Don M. de Alava; and of the Brig.-General Don J. O’Lawlor, who have been so long and usefully employed with me.
The artillery was most judiciously placed by Lieut.-Colonel Dickson, and was well served; and the army is particularly indebted to that corps. The nature of the ground did not allow of the cavalry being generally engaged; but the General Officers, commanding the several brigades, kept the troops under their command respectively close to the infantry to support them, and they were most active in the pursuit of the enemy after they had been driven through Vitoria.
I send this dispatch by my aide-de-camp, Captain Fremantle, whom I beg leave to recommend to your Lordship’s protection. He will have the honour of laying at the feet of His Royal Highness the colours of the 4th batt. 100th regt., and Marshal Jourdan’s bâton of a Marshal of France, taken by the 87th regt.
I enclose a return of the killed and wounded in the late operations, and a return of the ordnance, carriages, and ammunition taken from the enemy in the action of the 21st inst.