The National Register. — London, England, 1813-09-19 00:00:00

NATIONAL REGISTER: 602 LONDON GAZETTE.EXTR.46RDIN:ART, TUESDAY, sEPT. 14, 1813, WAR DEPARTMENT.—DowNiNG-STREET, SEPT. 14. Major Hare has arrived at this office xvitli digpatelies addressed to Earl Bathurst, by Field-Marshal the Margins of Wellington, of 'which the following are copies : Leraca, Sept. ?, 18 IS. Ms• Lonn,—The fire against the fort of San iiehastian was open ea on the ti oth of 'August ' and directed against the towers which &Inked the curtain on the eastern face, against the delay-bastion on the south-eastern uncle, and the termination of the enrtalu of the southern face. Lieut.-Gen. Sir 'l'. Graham had directed that an establishment should be formed on the island of Santa Clara, which was effected on the night of the ‘26th; and the enemy's de tachment on that island were made pi isoners. Captain Cameron, of the 9th, bad the command of the' detachment which effected this operation, and Sir Thomas Graham particularly applauds his conduct, and that of Captain Henderson, of the Royal Engineers. The conduct of Lieut. the Hon. James Arbuthnot, of the Royal Navy, who commanded the boats, was highly meritorious, as like wise that of Lieutenant Bell, of the royal marines. All that it was deemed practicable to carry into execution, in order to facilitate the approach to the breaches before made in the wall of the town, having been effected on the 30th of August, and another breach having been made at the tet initiation of the curtain, the place was stormed at 11 o' c l oc k i n th e d a y on th e :l ist , an d carried. The loss on our side has been severe. Lieut.-Gen. Sir James Leith, who had joined the army only two days before, and Alajor Generals Oswald and Robinson were unfortunately wounded in the brtach ;.and Colonel Sir Richard Fletcher, of the Royal En gineers, was killed by a musket-ball at the Month of the trenches. In this officer, and in Lieut.-Col. Crawford, of the 9th regiment, his Majesty's service has sustained a serious loss. I have the honour to enclose Lieut.-Gen. Sir Thomas Graham's report of this operation, in which your Lordship will observe, with pleasure, another distinguished iustance of the gallantry and per severance of his Majesty's officers and troops, under the most try ing difficulties. All reports concur in praise of the conduct of the detachment Eton the teeth Portuguese brigade, under Major Snodgrass, which crossed the river hennas. and stormed the breach on the right, under all the tire which could be directed aeon them from the castle and taw n. The garrison retired to the castle, leaving about 270 prisoners in our hands ; and I hope that I shall soon have the pleasure to inform your Lordship that we have possession of that post. Since the fire against St. Sebastian had been recommenced, the tne y had drawn the greatest part of their force to the camp of Urogne, and there wag every reason to believe, that they would zpt ak e an attempt to relieve the place. Three divisions of the 4th S panish army, eommande4 by General Don Manuel Freyre, occupied the heights of San ,Alarcial, and the town of Irtrn, by which the approach of San Sebastian, by the high road, etas covered and protected, and they were supported by the Ist division of BritiAt infimtry, imtkr Major-Gen. Howard, and Alajor-Gen. Aylmer's brigade, on their left, and in the rear of him ; and by Gen. Longa's division encamped near the Sierra de Aya, in sear of their right. In order to seem:. them still further, I moved two brigades of the 4th division, on the SWil, to the Convent of Nan Antonio, one of which (General Ross's), under Lieitt.-Gen. 4'ie lion. Sir Lowry Cole, moved up the same day to the Sierra de Aya, and the other, on the morning of the 31st, leaving the 9th Poi , ttivese brigade on the heights between the Convent and Vera, and Lezaca. Major-General Inglis 's brigade of the 7th division was moved on the aoth to the bridge of Lezaea ; and I gave orders for the troops in the I'nertos of Echalar, Zagarramordi, and Maya, to attack the enemy's weakened posts in front of those positions. The enemy crossed the Itidassoa by the fords between Andata and the destroyed bridge on the high road, before day-light on the morning of the 31st, with a vet y large force, with which they made a most desperate attack along the whole front of the position of the Spanish troops on the heights of San Marcia). They were driven bark, some of them even across the r iver, in the most gallant style', by the Spanish troops, whose conduct was equal to that of any troops that I have ever seen engaged ; and the attack ha v i ng b een frequently repeated, was upon every occasion defeated with the same gallantry and determination. The course of the river being immediately tinder the heights on the French side, on which th e enemy had placed a cousiderable qt.antity of caution ) they were SEPT. 19. ; enabled to throw a bridge across the river, about three quarters of a mile above the high road, over which in the afternoon they marched again a considerable body, which, with those who had •cressed the fords, made another desperate attack upon the Spanish positions. This was equally beat bask; and at length finding all their eftbrts on that side hoiden, the enemy took advantage of the darkness of a violent storm to retire their troops from this front entirely. Notwithstanding that, as I have informed your Lordship, T had a British division on each flank of the 4th Spanilli army, I am happy to be able to. report, that the conduct of the latter was so conspi.. enously good, and they were -o capable of delendieg the it post without assistance, notwithstanding the desperate elfin is of the enemy to carry if, that finding the ground did not allow filmy making use of the Ist or 4th divisions MI OW flanks of the enenws attacking corps, neither of them were in the least engaged during the action. Nearly at the same time that the enemy crossed the M 18530411 front of the heights of San Marcia!, they likewi-c crossed that 'iv( r with ;Omit three divisions of infantry in two columns, by the fords below San, in front of the position occupied by the 9th Portuguese brigade. I ordered Major-Ge Hera! In;:lis to stipport this bri.ade with that of the 7th division under his coaanand, and as soon as I was informed of the course of the enemy's attack, I sent to Lieut.- Gen. the Earl of Dalhousie to request that lie will likewise move towards the Bidassoa, svith the 7th division; and to the light division, to support i‘lajor.-Gen. loglis by every means in their power. Major Gen. Inglis found it impossible to maintain the heights between Lezaca and the Bidasso, and he withdrew to those in front of the convent of San Antonia, winch he maintained. In the mean time Major-General Kempt moved one brigade of the light division to Lezmea, by which he kept the enemy in check, and covered the march of the Earl of Dalhousie to join Major-Gen. Inglis. The enemy, however, having completely failed in their attempt upon the position of the Spanish army on the heights of San Marcial and finding that Major-Gen. Inglis had taken a position from which they could not dris e him ; at the same time that it covered and protected the right of the Spanish Army, and the approaches to San Sebastian by ()varmit, and that their situation on the lett of the Bidassoa was heeoming at every moment more critical, retired during the night. The fall of rain during the evening and night had so swollen the Biddasoa, that the rear of their column was obli ge d t o cross at t h e bridge of Vera. In order to effect this object, they attacked the posts of Major Gen. Skerrett's brigade of the light division, at about 3 in the morning, both from the Puerto de Vera and from the h. ft of the Bidassoa. Although the nature of the ground rendered it impossible to prevent entirely the passage of the Bridge after day-light, it wan made under the fire of a great part of Major Gcn. Skerrett'3 brigade and the enemy's loss iu the operation must have been very consider able. Whilst this was going on np,:n the left of the army, Mariscal de Campo Don Pedro Giron attacked the enemy's post in front of the pass, of Echalar, on the MO), and 31st. Lieut.-Gen. the Earl of Dalhousie made Gen. Le Coy attack those in front of Zngarra murdi, with the 6th Portuguese brigade, on the gist ; and the Hon. Major-Gen. Colvill e m a d e C o l. D oug l as attac k the cam. 's pests in front of the pass of Maya, on the same day, with the 7th Portuguese brigade. All these troops conducted themselves well. The attack made by the Fail of Dalhousie delayed his march tilt late in the afternoon of the 31st, but he was in the evening in a favourable situation for his farther provers ; and in the morning of the Ist, in that allotted for him. In these operations, in which a second attempt was made by the enemy to prevent the establishment of the allies upon the frontiers has been defeated, by the operations of part only of the allied army at the very moment at which the town of St. Sely4stians was taken by storm. 1 have had great satisfaction in observing the zeal aiid ability of the officers, and the gallantry and discipline of the sol (hi rs. The different reports which I have transmitted to your Lordship from Lieut.-Gen. Sir Thomas Graham, will have sliewn the ability and perseverance with which he Iris conducted the arduous enter prise entrusted to his direction, and the zeal and exei Lions of all officers employed under him. I fully concur in the Lieut.-Gens. report of the cordial absistance valid' he has receised limn Capt. Sir Cr. Collier, and the officers. seamen, and marines under his command ; who have done ..very thing in their power to facilitate and ensure our success. The seamen have served with the artillery in the batteries, and have upon every occasion inauitiated that spirit is clarduteristic of IL. British Navy,