The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-30 00:00:00

SPAIN.

Fram the Morning Chronicle.)

We are indebted tv a highly-informed staff-officer of the
British Legion in Spain for the following intelligence, upon
the strict accuracy of-whicli our readers may place the ut-
most reliance.

ST. SEBASTIAN, MARCH .21.—You will have heard, ere
this reaches you, of our three considerable actions with the
enemy, in the two first of which we were successful, but not
so in the last, on the 16th ;. nevertheless, our loss on the
latter occasion was by no means so great as that of the Car-
lists, ours amounting to 800, while.theirs is stated at 1,60tL
Whatever this may. have, been,' they unreservedly acknow,
ledge a loss of 2,200 in-.the three actions, while ours did not
exceed, in, all, 1,600 or 1,700, including a large propor-
tion of slight wounds. On the 15th our success was very
brilliant. We went out for the purpose of saving SaarS-'
field's coi is d'arhreo from being compromised in his march
to form a junction with this corps ; but he retreated, with-
out the possibility of making u; acquainted with his inten-
tion,' and thus enabled the rebels to concentrate and direct
their whole force against us. Notwithstanding which, had
our troops conducted themselves with steadiness, we should
with ease have defeated them? so strong were our positioni.
We had not in our lines above 9,000 bayonets, the enemy
above 14,000 or 15,000, A great part, of • our troops.
did not maintain the character th•CY:haVe hitherto acquired,
but fell into confusion ; and so much were they inter-
mixed, one regiment with soother, and such numbers of
Spaniards as well as English had gone to the rear without
the slightest excuse, that though the. attacks of the enemy
were at length repuhied., yet it was- dcemed: necessary to
relinquish what we had Conquered, on the, precedier, day,
and resume- our previous positions. And- here I Must
observe, .that fighting with troops on whom one cannot rely
is by no means a Comfortable occupation! Our General, who
has certainly met with what may be called a reverse, must
prepare to be censured, however unjustly ; but I believe that
Saarilield will, in the public estimation, have the largest
share of blame. We went out to cover him from the danger
of a false and more than hazardous movement, Which he 'as-
sured us-he had determined to make we, therefore, risked
being attacked by the whole of the factious army rather
leave him exposed to the same force. But, in the mean
while, and contrary, it is said, to his positive assurances, he
had retreated, leaving us in the very predicament from
which we were anxious to save him ! However, the
results, take them altogether, arc, probably, unfavourable
to the faction. We retain the commanding position of the
Ametza ; they have lost in killed and wounded a much"
larger number than we have, and more irreparab'y for
them. They are now obliged to leave a larger. force be-
fore us (14 battalions) than heretofore. , The central po-
sition possessed by the enemy gives them all their advan-
tages, and rnany they are. The campaign was to have be-
gun after the junction of Saarsfield's corps and ours ; and
had it so commenced, all the combinations and .efforts of
the Carlists would have proved unavailing. Saarsfield•
must be reinforced to enable him to pass the defiles in pos-
session of the enemy between this and Pamplona. Five
British battalions would finish the war ! I understand that
it is intended shortly to again disturb the rebel forces, but
with such caution as will serve to occupy them without ex-
posing us in the slightest degree to accident. Every da-
mage done the faction here diminishes their power of at-
tacking the other corps. As to the affair of the 16th, we
had every reason to suppose that the Spanish General
was operating against the enemy, and our dispositions
were made for attack, not for defence ; thus our . position, -
though strong, became too far extended. But even this
would have been easily remedied, had some of our troops
conducted themselves in a manner which 'now makes them
heartily ashamed of their conduct. Our loss was not very
considerable : about 800- the last day. The Legion lost
500 in the three days ; but 200 will return to duty shortly.
At present it does not consist, of more than 3,500, including
commissioned officers. I will just add, that bad not the
four regiments in reserve on the left given way to three bat-
talions of the enemy, the affair would have had a very dif-
ferent result." •

" GENERAL ORDER.

" 19th March, 1837,

" SOLDIERS !—Your gallantry in the memorable days of
the 10th and 15th instant, at the same time that it filled
me with admiration and enthusiasm, inspired me with un-
bounded maim-ice in you, and with the.certainty that you
would march on from victory to victory ; and this confidence
has not. been removed by the results of the occurrences of
the 16th inst—because troops who are capable of conducting
themselves with so much bravery can never fall into a state
of-indiscipline in 'consequence of a momentary reverse. ,
" I repeat that your General has the same confidence in
you ; and that he hope.; to be able, within a short space of
time, to give you an opportunity of exceeding your own
gallant deeds of the 10th and 15th instant. On the 10th
you forced the enemy's lines in front of Alza with the ut.••
Most bravery and good order. During the whole of that
day you repelled the repeated attacks of the enemy against
our left flank with a firmness which reflects additional bril-
liancy upon the Spanish arms, and especially upon the chiefs
who comn7anded that part of our line. On the 15th you co
vered yourselves with glory ;.the gallant regiment of La Prin-
cesa, under the command,of its brave Colonel;'Llanos, charg-.
ing on tile left, took the heights and the foa is of Oriamencl,i at
the point 'of the bayonet ; and the sth division took the for-
tified houses and the Fort of the Vent aby the right. That
day is worthy of commemoration among the most glorious
for the Spanish arms,- and sour country had additional rea-
sons for gratitude towards the chiefs, officers, and troops ;
and 1 beg that the excellent commandant-general, and the
chiefs of -the -5 th division, of the vanguard, and of the- British
auxiliaries—GeneralsJaureguy, Itendon, and Chichester—
to communicate to me the names of those who most distin-
guished themselves upon that occasion.
" The considerable roinforeenriesnt 'received by the enemy
placed him in a situation to deprive us of the palm of vic-
tory 24 the moment when it was almost within our reach.
On our right the enemy was driven back, and we kept our
position with honour ; but on our left he obtained a partial
success, and I deemed it expedient to fall back upon our
former poSitions, keeping possession of the whole of the
ground which we had gained on the right bank of the
Urumea. Thus the fruits of the victory of the preceding
day rare lost. So useless is valour when order and discip-
line are boat sight of. The first duty of chiefs is to watch
over and to cause! to be observed with the most careful at-
tention these most essential points, ; to those chiefs, there-
fore, I address myself ; holding -themselves responsible for
the most rigid observance of subordination and discipline in
their respective corps; which, if they be maintained in the
field, ensure victory ; whilst, if neglected, the opposito result
is inevitable.

" The soldier •is never so formidable as when he is called
'upon to vindicate his honour. Let then, once more
march on .vard to the combat, and show that we ure worthy
soldiers of liberty! Let him Who is not animated with
these sentiments separate himself from our ranks ; for your
General does not choose to be surrounded by any but
those who arc resolved to conquer.
(Signed) " DE LACY EVANS."

" GENERAL ORDER.

'• San Schattian, March 21.

" The Lieutenant-General avails himself of the present
brief interval in the operations to address the Legion on
those of the last few days.
" On the 10th, 13th, and 15th instants of the present
month, your courage and good order at once merited -his
highest approbation and inspired him with unlimited con-
fidence in victory. Nor has that confidence been impaired
by your less steady conduct, and the less fortunate results
of the 16th instant ; because he can trace these results to
causes not likely again to occur. On the loth you at-
tacked in three columns the formidable position of the
Ametza—fthe enemy fled in dismay, as 'they will always do
when you march straight at them with the bayonet, atten-
tive to the orders of your officers, and without stopping to
fire. The 9th, 10th, and Rifles led on this occasion in a
manner worthy of the distinguished character of those corps.
On the 13th the Rifles, 4th, and Bth, and the British
Royal Marines, crossed the Urumea, and rapidly drove the
enemy from .the village of Loyola and the adjacent heights.
" On the 15th, notwithstanding the inclemency of the.
weather, and the almost impracticable state of the country.
victory again crowned your efforts. The whole of the.
enemy's fortified 'positions and the fort of Oriamendi fell
into Onr possession ; in accomplishing which you took a
brilliant part. The Ist, 9th, and 10th, and rifles, were par-
ticularly conspicuous, in conjunction With the Princesa re-
giment, in carrying the enemy's last position, -under a heavy
fire, and without returning a shot.
" 'On.the 16th, when on the eve of following up our suc-
cess by a still more signal operation, the enemy received
large reinforcements. Our troops, fatigued from their ex-
traordinary exertions on the preceding days, and attacked by
a superiority of numbers, retired on the extreme left in some
degree of disorder, imagining that they were in danger of
being cut off by a movement of the enemy to their rear—
while it was the enemy, if our troops had better preserved
order and discipline, who would have been probably de-
stroyed. The position we were on was of the strongest
natint, and one of which the -enemy could. not have: de-