In the afternoon, it being observed that the enemy held the mountain of Echalar, which standing on the right of our position was in fact in our line of posts, it was resolved to dislodge them. And the 1st and 3rd Battalions supported by the 43rd were ordered to take the position. The 1st Battalion extended to the right, and the 3rd advanced up the face of the hill. A thick fog came on, and though the French kept up a pretty brisk fire they did the Riflemen no harm. For their aim being probably rendered uncertain by the mist, they fired over their heads, and any of their shot which took effect, fell on the 43rd, who were much lower on the hill-side. The 3rd Battalion, advancing up the hill in the fog, found themselves against a rock the top of which was thronged with Frenchmen, who gave them a biting fire. As the Riflemen were unable to climb the precipitous face of the rock, the Frenchmen called upon them with gibes, in the Spanish language, to come on. The Riflemen retreated for an instant to the rocks around, among which finding cover, they kept up a telling fire on the occupants of the rock. And one of the Spanish recruits before mentioned, enraged at the insults of the French, replied to their sneers in most bitter words, which he accompanied with constant shots. But he was soon killed. Now gathering courage they made an advance against the 1st Battalion; but the Riflemen with a shout of defiance repelled them, and they turned and fled; and descending their side of the mountain retreated to their own position.
The men, while the Regiment remained in the neighbourhood, called this mountain ‘Barnard’s Hill;’ in memory of the valour with which Sir Andrew, who commanded on the occasion, had carried it.
An officer of the 1st Battalion had a strange escape in this fight. When the enemy advanced on that Battalion, they made a rush at him, which in trying to avoid, he fell into a bush. They seized his sword, which was not drawn, to drag him out; but it broke away from the belt, and he escaped.
A Portuguese regiment took up the ground the Riflemen had gained; and they encamped near Vera and the Bidassoa.
On the 3rd another division having relieved them, the Regiment returned to their old encampment on the heights of Sta. Barbara, where they remained for about two months.
On August 25, the three Battalions being together, it was resolved to commemorate the anniversary of the formation of the Regiment. A trench was dug round a parallelogram of greensward, which served for the table, while the convives sat on the opposite bank, with their legs in the trench. Many patriotic toasts and many healths were drunk. And the cheering that followed them must have astonished their French neighbours. Indeed they are said to have remained under arms part of the night, expecting an immediate attack. This was, I believe, the first ‘Regimental Dinner.’
On the 31st the storming of St. Sebastian took place. Fifty men under a subaltern of each Battalion of the Regiment were allowed to volunteer for this duty. Lieutenant James Perceval of the 1st Battalion claimed this duty by right of seniority, but William Hamilton, a Second Lieutenant, obtained Sir Andrew Barnard’s permission to accompany the stormers also. Lieutenant Eaton commanded the stormers of the 2nd Battalion. I regret that I am unable to ascertain who led those of the 3rd.
About noon, they moved forward from the trenches, and after five hours’ desperate fighting—for the breaches were found to have fallen in such large fragments as to be almost impregnable, and the resistance of the enemy was most gallant—they entered and took possession of the place. Perceval was severely wounded at the foot of the breach; and Hamilton was also desperately wounded in two places; one ball entered the eye, passed down through the mouth, and was cut out at the shoulder-blade. Both recovered; but Hamilton was never again able to join the Regiment, and was placed on full-pay of it (as First Lieutenant) some time afterwards. Of the 1st Battalion, besides these officers, 2 Riflemen were killed, and 2 sergeants and 4 Riflemen were wounded; of the 2nd Battalion, 3 Riflemen were killed, and 6 wounded; and of the 3rd Battalion, 2 Riflemen were killed and 2 wounded.[126]
But on that same day the Battalions from which these volunteers had been detached had also hard fighting. They had, as usual, been under arms before daybreak; but after dawn the mountains were covered with a thick mist, and as nothing appeared they broke up, and had just returned to their encampment, when the bugles sounded the ‘assembly;’ and a breeze having carried off the mist, the hills on the French side of the river were seen covered with troops. These soon began to descend, and forded the Bidassoa a little below Vera. Some columns also approached Vera in order to cross by that bridge; but the 2nd Battalion were posted here, having two companies at the bridge and in a loop-holed house near it, and the other four in the town. They resisted and defeated the attempt to cross at that point. Meanwhile the 1st and 3rd Battalions, seeing the enemy advancing, thought the attack would be on them. For the French crossed in force, preceded by numbers of skirmishers under cover of the fire of some mountain guns. This fell short at first; and instead of reaching our people some shells fell among their own skirmishers, and caused no little confusion; while the Riflemen, who were looking down upon them, burst forth into a loud and derisive cheer, as each shell fell among them. But when they came across, and our people were to receive them, they turned to their right, and proceeded towards St. Sebastian to attack some Spanish troops on the left of the position the Riflemen occupied, leaving some troops about Vera to keep them in check.