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'clock in the day on the :list, and
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 Spanish 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 having been
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 the
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 obliged to cross at the
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. Colville made Col. Douglas attack 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,