The National Register. — London, England, 1813-08-22 00:00:00

AUGUST 22=_ TIIE N . The river Lanz runs in the valley which was on the left of the !' allied, and on the right of the French army, along the road to Ostiz. Beyom , this river there is another range of mountains con fleeted with Lizasso and Marcalain, by which places it was now ne ce-sary to communicate with the rest of the army. • I joined the sd a nd 4th di v i s ions just as they were taking up their ground on tl:e (.27th; and shortly afterwards the enemy formed their army on a mountain, the front of which extends from the hhth road to Ostiz to the high road to Zubiri, and they placed one division on their left of that -road on a height, and in some villages in front of the third division. They had here alio a large body of cavalry. In a short time after they had taken np their ground, the enemy i," attacked the bill on the right of the fourth division, which was then occupied by one battalion of the 4th Portuguese regiment, and by the Spanish regiment of Pravia. The troops defended their ground, and drove the enemy from it with the bayonet. Seeing the importance of this hill to our posi tion, I reinfinced it with the 40th regiment ; and this regiment, with the Spanish regiments of El Principe and Pravia, held it from this time, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of the enemy, daring the ;17 th and 28th, to obtain possession of it. Nearly at the same time that the enemy attacked this height on the 77th, they tookpossession of the village of Sorausen on the road to Ostiz, by which they acquired the communication by that• road, and they kept up a tire of musketry along the line till it was dark. We were joined on the morning of the 28th by the sixth division of infantry, and I directed that the height should' be occupied on the left of the valley of the Lanz ; and that the sixth division should form across the valley in rear of the left of the t . ourth divi sion, resting their right on Oricain, and their left upon the heights above mentioned. The sixth division had scarcely taken their position when they were attacked by a very large farce of the enemy, wkich had been assembled in the village of Sorausen. Their front was, however, so well defended by the fire of their own light troops from the heights on their left, and by the fire from the heights occupied by the fourth division and Brigadier General Campbell's Portuguese brigade, that the enemy were soon driven back with immense loss, from a fire on their front, both flanks and rear. In order to extricate their troops from the difficulty in which they found themselves in their situation in the valkl of the Lanz, the enemy now attacked the height on which the left of the fourth division stood, which was occupied by the seventh Cae adores, of which they obtained a momentary possession. They were attacked, however, again by the seventh Caqadores, supported-by Major-Ge neral Ross, at the head of his brigade of the fourth division, and , were driven down with great hose. The battle now became general along the whole front of the heights occupied by the fourth division. and_ in every part in our favour, excepting where one battalion of the tenth Portuguese Re giment of Major-General Campbell's brigade was posted. This battalion having been overpowered, and having been obliged to give way immediately on the right of Nlajor-GeneralßOSS's brigade, the enemy established himself on cur line, and Major• General Kiss was obliged to withdraw from his post. . 1, however, ordered the 'l7th and 48th regiments to charge, first that body of the enemy which had first established themselves on the height, and next those on the left. Both attacks succeeded, and the enemy were driven down with immense loss ; and the (oh division having moved forward at the same time to a situation in .the valley nearer to the left of the 4th, the attack upon this front ceased entirely, and was continued but faintly on other points of our line. In the course of this contest, the gallantifourth division, which has so frequently been diqiiiguished in this army, surpassed their former good conduct. Every regiment charged with the bayonet; anal the 41th, the 7th, '20411, and flour differeut times. Their officers set them the example, and Nlajor•Greneral Ross had two horses shot under him. The Portugnese troops likewise. behaved admirably ; and I had every reason to be satisfied with the conduct of the Spanish regiments del Principe and Pravia. I had ordered Lient -Gen. Sir Rowland Hill to march by Lanz upon Lizasso, as s.ion as I found that Lient.-General; Sit' Thomas Pieton and Sir Lowry Cole hail moved trom and Lieut. General the Earl of Dallionsie, from . St. Esteven, t it the sttOr pLice, where both arrived on the 18th, and the .seventh division came to Marcalain. The enemy's force which hid been* in front of Sir Rowland HPI followed his anarchy and arrived at Ostiz oa the a9th. The enemy • le 7ISTE ‘ thus reinforced, and occupying a position in the mountains %voich appeared little liahle to attack, and finding that they could make impression on our front, determined to euleavour to tura oar left by an attack on Sir itowlatitt They reinlorced with one division the troops which had been already opposed to him, occupy lug the same points in the mountain, on which was formed their principal three, bit tier drew into their lea Cie troops which occupied toe heigits oorisite the third division, and they had, during the night of the .9th and 30th, occupied in strength the crest of the monatam me our lett of the Lanz, opposite to the .sixth and seventh di% i•ions ; hits con necting their right in their positiou with Cie divisions detached to attack Lieut.-Gun. Sir Rowland Hill I. however, determined to anaek their position. and ordered Lieutenant-General the Earl of Dallion•ie to posses- himself of the' top of the mountain in fro•it, by which the enemy's right w•mld be turned, and Lientenaut-General Sir Thomas Ponou to cross the heights on which the eneny's left hail stood, and to tom their left by the road to Roncesvalles. All the arrangements were made to attack the front of the enemy's posit Om. as soon as the etfect of these movements on their timk.,,hould begirt to apoear. Major. General the Hon Edward Pakenham, whom Iha I se n t to take the command of the sixth division, Mitior-Geheral Park having been • wounded. turned the -village of Sorausen, as soon as the Earl of Dalhousie had driven the enemy from the mountain, by wheels that flank was defended : and the sixth division. mid Major-General nyng's brigade, which had relieved the fourth division on the left of our position on the road to Ostiz t instantly attacked and carried that Lie ntenant-Getrral Sir Lowry Cole likewise attacked the front of the enemy's main position with the 7th Cacatlores,, supported by the 11th Portuguese regiment, the 40th, and the battalion miler Colonel Bingham, consisting of the (.Teen's and 531 regiment. All these operations obized the enemy to anandon a position which is one of the strongest and most difficult of access that I have yet seen occupied by troops. In their retreat front this position, the enemy lost.a great 11UUl• ber of prisoners. I cannot sufficiently applaud the conduct of all the general offi cers officers, and troops throughout the se operations. Toe attack made by lieutenant aeneral the Earl of Dallionsie was odinirably conducted by his Lordship, and executed by Major-General Inglis and the troops composing his brigade ; anti that by Major-General • the Hon. Edward Pakenham and Major-General Byng, and that by Lient.-General Sir Lowry Cole, and the movemenumade !•y Sir Thomas Pieton, merit my highest commendation. The latter officer co-olwrated is the attack of the mountain by detaching troops to his left, in which the Honourable Lieutenant. Colonel Trench was wounded, but I hope not seriously. While these operations were goiug on, and in proportion as I observed their success, I detached troops to the support of Lieut.. General Sir Rowland Hill. The enemy appeared ilt his frmit late in the morning, and imme diately commenced au extensive manoeuvre upon his kit Ralik, which obliged hint to withdraw from a height which he occupied behind the Lizasso to the next range. He there, however,• main taitied himself, and I enclose his report of the coudnet of the troops. 1 co:diluted the pursuit of the enemy, atter their retreat from the mountain to °Lupe, where I was at sumad, immediately in the rear of their attack upon Lieutenant-Genend Sir Rowland Hill. They withdrew from his front in the nigki; and yesterday; took up a strong position, with two divisions, to ettYer their rear , in the pass of Dona M.via. Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, and the . F.arl. of Dalhousie,' attacked and carried the pass, notwithstanding the vigorous resist.! once of the enemy and the strength of their position. I veil con cerned to add, that Lea -General the Hon. Wat. SteVkirt was %%minded upon this occasion. I enclose Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill's report. Li the mean time I moved with 'Major-General Byna's brigade and the 4th division, under Lieut. General Sir Lowry Cole. I) the pass of Velate opus irnrif a. ill order to the enemy p sition on Dona iMaria Major-General {Wag took, in Elizondo, a large convoy going to the enemy. atria tunic many prisoners. We hare this day continued the pursuit of the etiony hi the rd. ley of the Bidassoa, anti mitoy prisoners and much hagea •e have i j b ee n taken. alajor-Cience„l bis possessed himself of the '1 valley of Bastan, and of the portion on the Peertil de ; atid the army will be this night nearly in the smile positioos Wry occupied on the• trust that 11. R H. the Prince Recent the zutitiuct of the troopa of his Majesty will he siti•fied with ud of his Attic* ou this A immiumni