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

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

530

him with a new and

iderable su

ready on any given point. From all these
sources he drew abundantly, and, in fact, in re-entering
France, Joseph's defeated army fell back upon its resources.
The corps of Foy, Palombini, and Clauzel, which had not
been engaged, and the retreat of which through difficult
passes, it was unfortunately impossible to prevent, would
have been of themselves sufficient to replace it in the state
it was before the battle. If sanguine hopes were entertained
that no powerful collection of force could take place on the
French frontiers, they were chiefly founded on the loss of
artillery, and of the other requisites to constitute an army,
which the fugitives had experienced. These, it now ap-
pears, were found at Bayonne, which had been made a grand
military depot for the French troops in Spain. Their vici-
nity, and the activity and talents of Salmi., appointed to re-
trieve the fortunes of France io the Peninsula, combined with
the obstinate resistance of St. Sebastian, which commands
the road only through which our artillery could be brought
up, and therefore prevented our entering Fiance in force, en-
abled the enemy to assemble the powerful armv,whose first at-
tempt the skill of our Commander and the valour of our troops,
have most completelydefeated. It continues,however,to receive
reinforcements, and it has even been asserted, that Napoleon,
attended by considerable numbers of chosen veterans, was
on his way to take the field against us. This must depend
entirely on the fate of the Armistice in the North, which is
still undecided. It is, therefore, at all events, premature and
highly improbable. But, as whether absent or present, his
orders to his Lieutenant-General are still the same, " to
drive us behind the Ebro," there is no doubt but great
exertions will again be made to obtain that impor-
tant object. It is, therefore, our duty to meet them with
corresponding efforts. Conscious that whatever force
and means we entrust to our tried Commander, will be
wielded in the most useful and glorious manner, let us not
rob him and ourselves of future triumphs, by a ruinous par-
simony. Government arc amply doing their duty, both
towards him and the cause of Continental Independence for
which we fight. Let them be worthily supported by the
national approbation, and the long Peninsular wkulare will at
last be brought to an hunout able and happy termination.

LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY,

MONDA Y, A UG. 16.

WARIDEPARTMENT.--DowNING-STREE; AUG. 16.
His Serene Highness the Hereditary Prince of Orange has ar-
rived at this office with di4patches addressed to Earl Bathurst, by
Field Marshal the Marquess of Wellington, of which the tiollowing
are copies:—

San Estevan, Ang. 1, 1813.
Div Loan,—Two practicable breaches having been effected at
San Sebastian on the '24th of July, orders were g.iven that they
shottld be attacked on the morning of the 25th. lam concerned
to have to report, that this attempt to obtain Pt ssession of the place
failed, and that our loss was •ery considerable.
Marshal Soult had been appointed .Lieutenant de l'C►npereur and
Commander in Chief of the French Armies in Spain and the
Southern Provinces of France, by a [Jeered Imperial on the Ist of
ouly, and he joined and took the command of the army on the 13th
tf July, which having been joined nearly about the same time by
be corps which had been in Spain under the command of General
Clausel, and by other reinforceauents, was called the Army of Spain,

A TTGUST 22.

•
and re-formed into nine divisions of infantry, funning the right,
centre, and left, under the command of General Reilie, Comte
d'Erlou, and General Mime!, as Lientenant-Generals, and a reserve
tinder General %Matte ; and two divisions of dragoons and one of
light cavalry, the two former under the command of Generals 'Fred-
lard and Tilly, and the latter under the comtna.id of General Pierre
Sault. There was besides allotted to the army a large proportion
of artillery, and a considerable number of guns had already joined.
The allied army was posted, as I have already informed your
Lordship, in the passes of the mountains Major Gencral Bylio
brigade of British infantry, and General Murilla's division of
Spanish infantry, were on the right, in the pass of Rinwesvalles.
Lieut.-General Sir Lowry Cole was posted at Visearret, to sotppoit
those troops; and Lieut.. General Sir Thomas Maori, with the
third division at Olaque, in reserve.
L entenant!General Sir Rowland Hill occupied the valley of Bas-
tan with the remainder of the second division and the Portueuese
division, under the Conde de Amarante, detaching titie.ral eanip.
bell's Portuguese brigade to Los Alduides, within the Ft ench ter-
ritory. The light and 7th di visioirt occupied tho- heights of Santa
Barbara, and the town of Vera, and the Puerto de Echalar, and
kept the communication with the valley of Bastin , anti the t;th di-
vision was in reserve at San Estevan. Gen. I.oliga's division kept
the communication between the troops at. Vera and thwie tinder
LieuteGem Sir T. Graham, and Mariseltal del Campo Citron, on the
;great road.

The Conde del Ahisbal blockaded Pamplona.
On the v4th, Marshal Soult collected th.• tight and left wings of
his army, with one division of Ilk centre, a:i:! two divisions of vav:ti.
ry, at St. Jean de Pied de Port, and oo toe v:)th attacked, with Oi7-
t‘l eel) and .10,0c0 men, 6411.13)11g'. post Ott Itoncesvalies.
Gen. Sir L. Cole moved to his support with the 4tli divisi, is, awl
these officegs were enabled to maintain am post throughout the
day. But the enemy turned it in the afternoon ; .o.d Lit iit..Gen.
Sir L. Cole considered it to be iteeesary to withdraw in Ile night ;
and lie marched to the neighbourhood of Zubiri.

In the actions which took place on this day, the %06 regiment
distinguished themselves.
Two divisions of the centre of the enemy's army attacked Sir R.
Hill's position in the Puerto de Maya, at the lical of the valley of
Bastan, in the afternoon of the same day. The !mint of the action
fell upon Major-Gen. Pringle and Majoi• Gen_ AValker's bt igades in
the second division, under the command of Lieu..-Gen. the Hon.
W. Stewart. These troops were at first obliged to give way ; but
having been supported. by Major-Gen. liaines's brigade of the ith
division, they regained that part of their post. which was the key of
the whole, and would have enabled them to re-assume it, if circum-
stances had permitted it : but Sir R. Hill having been apprised of the
necessity that Sir L. Cole should retire, deemed i, expedient to
withdraw his troops likewise to hurita ; and the enemy did not ad-
vance on the following day beyond the Puerto de Maya.
Notwithstanding the enemy's supetiority of numbers, they ae-
quir,:d but little advantage over these brave troops during the seven
hours they were engaged. All the regiments charged with the
bayonet. The conduct of the it:id regiment, which moved up with
Major-General Barnes's brigade, is particularly reported.
• Lieut.-Gew. the Hon. W. :Itewart was slightly wounded.
I was not apprised of these events till late in the night of the
25th and 16th ; and I adopted imine.liate measures to concentrate
the army to the right, still providing for the siege of San Sebastian,
and for the blockade of Pamplona.
This would have been effected early on the "7th, only that Lieut.-
Gen. Sir Lowry Cole and Lieut.-Gen. Sir ThomasPieton concurred
in thinking their post at Zubiri not tenable for the time during
which it would have been necessary to wait in it. They, there-
fore, retired early on the :'7th, and took up a position to cover
the blockade of Pamplona, having the right, consisting of the Sd
division, in front of Huarte, and extending to the bills beyond
()fez, and the left, consisting of the 4th division, Major-Gen.
.Dyngs, and Brigadier-Gen. Campbell's Portuguese brigade, on the
heights in front of Villalba, having their left at a chapel behind Sa-
misen, on the high road from Ostiz to Pamplona, and their right
resting uponiin height which defilided the high road from Zubiri
and Roneesvalles. Gen. Igurillo's division of Spanish infantry, and
that part of the Conde del Abisbal's corps not engaged in the
blockade, were in reserve. From the latter, the regiment of
'lra% ia, and that of El Principe, were detached to oceiwy part of
the hill on the right of the fourth division, by which the road from
Zubiri was defended.

The British cavalry under Lieut.-Gen. Sir Stapleton Cotton were
placed near Marie on the right, being the only iiround on wiiich
it was possible to use the cavalry.

year. also presented
of disciplined troops