The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-12 00:00:00

BATTLE OF ST. SEBASTIAN.

VICTORY OF THE BRITISTIAEtar.O2Ir.

" (FURTHER TARTICULAItN:s)
4, READ-QuARTEns, ST. Scv,Att?..N, MAY 0.---Yeetcr_
qS: Was a glorious day for the Legion and th(4, hlttse of the
ueen. So successful an action 10s hot been fought
nince the commencement of the wear. A triple line of for-
nidable defences carried after an obstinate
strug le _he_
fences considered by the insurgents as perfeetli (thpregnable
."-Segastihelza, Onohoyla, and a Cott, one of the most
lolltiential men in the province, killed ; their best troops
ellt to pieces, and the conviction that must follow of the im-
tftsibility of standing against the determined gallantry of
Uritish troops, however favoured may be their opponents
lboth by nature and art, will, I am convinced, exercise a
nest demoralizing effect upon the population of the revolted
Provinces.
L" The town of St. Sebastian is built upon a Peninsula
ed by the river Urumea and the ocean, and terminates
t'S a steep and precipitous height of considerable elevation,
Which is constructed the citadel. The road to Passages
is carried over the Urnmea by a bridge, whiell has been de-
stroyed, at the extremity of which starl.'ls a large Convent
dedicated to St. Francis, and considerable village cc-
, °Pied by the enemy. It was a ford on the sea side of this
bridge that our troops adva:aced to the breach in 1813, and it
'as by this same. ford that it was proposed that we should
cross, and carrying the convent and village, re-cross the river
Higher up atLopco,a, and take the enemy's defences in the rear;
utthe ford vits found to be impracticble, and no materials ex-
isting for th,-.3 construction of a bridge, our plan of operations
as chanr,,cd. It accordingly was determined to attack
their lin'es in three columns. The enemy's works, through
"-C ce'dtre of which ran the high road to Hernani, ex-
-ledarta on the right from a considerable eminence up the
.urumea above the San Bartolomeo convent, to the chain
gor hills ou the left, round which winds one of the roads to
Tolosa. Nature and art had combined to rendui thi3 po-
sition, which was, morever, defended by five heavy pieces
of artillery, which swept the ground
hr • in their front in every
ection, extremely formidable. By three in the morning
e troops were formed in three columns, near the ene-
my's first line, which was immediately carried. The Rifle
Aegiment now pushed back the enemy's right, while the
,',fint,elgories, the 3d and 6th Regiments, advanced against
'fie centre of the position. But on this side no progress
Wr-is made, The fire kept up by the enemy was incessant,
and made fearful ravages in our ranks ; it was in fact a
'complete Lattue. So incessant, so deadly was the fire, that
it fairly beat back the head of the column, which thrice strove
ib-
is the line. How the Lieut-General escaped at
is moment is a miracle. He stood upon a barricade, amidst
shower of balls, urging on the troops, but all attempts
to penetrate the enemy's position by that point were
fruitless. In the mean time Generals Chichester and
Shaw's brigades on the right had made considerable pro-
tress ; they carried the works immediately above the
Ajuda convent, and advanced against the last line of in-
trenchments. This consisted of a strong redoubt on
the extreme left, which was connected by a loopholed wall
With the fortifie,l villages and redoubts which extended to
the right of :rho line, nearly a league in extent. Aware
that this re:doubt on the left was the tactical key of the
enemy's position, Generals Chichester and Shaw's brigades,
PPOrtda by two Spanish regiments, made three attempts
tans ° catty it, but in vain. The steep ascent—the muddiness
slippery nature of the ground, neally knee deep from
t.tle late heavy rains—gave the enemy, who fought under
tover of his works, a great advzeiltage. It was now 10
,clock. The Plicenix and S.atamander steamers, which
had come into harbour a. ;Lew moments after the action
4°lTneneed, and which -brought round 1,300 men of the
th and Bth Regiments, opened their fire on the enemy's
thllorks. Such was the precision of the vertical firing, such
e effect of the yells thrown at a distance of 1,500 yards,
that they torn down an epaulement of the enemy's works,
and effected a breach, through which our men entered. In
the mean time the 4th and Bth Regiments had arrived on
int grovaid. They were immediately formed in columns of
cr. by the Lieutenant-General in person, when they
arjAVr.,nced and carried the redoubt at the point of the bayonet.
At this moment the Lieutenant-General and his Staff, as
41e galloped up the steep ascent was loudly cheered—the
redoubt carried—the columns rushed down the road, carry-
ing everything before them ; while the 3d, 6th, and Rifles
advanced from the right and centre, and morticed the works
in their front, upon one of which the Carlists had hung out
a red flag. Just as the last charge was made, the sun
-13urst through the clouds, and the whole population of St.
Sebastian were soon congregated on the Castle-hill, from
whence they could behold every movement of the affair with
as much facility, as a looker-on does the moves of a game
of chess. When they saw the effects of the vertical firing,
the precision with which the shells were thrown, observed
the column of attack advancing up the height, and heard
the wild hurrah floating above the din of battle, a shout of
enthusiastic admiration, I have been told, burst from the
assembled multitude. Our loss has, I am sorry to say,
60" n severe-500 to 600 killed and wounded, including from
to 70 officers ; but as it is impossible at this moment to
Procure returns of the killed and wounded, I hope I have
rather overrated the numbers. The troops behaved admi-
rably
: and the enemy, to do him justice, behaved with dis-
t •
Ligushed gallantry. The Baffries Chapelgories (blue caps)
repelled two attacks with the bayonet.
" The General, on his return, received the most enthu-
!iastie re,zeption, and well does he deserve it. The cool
Intrepid:ktv,
the skill and decision he displayed throughout
Vthe d'ay, were of the highest order. The ladies of the
acC, have shown the greatest attention to the wounded.
Viies of the highest rank have assisted to dress the wounds
of our men.
„l " One curious circumstance of yesterday I cannot omit,
Ilustrating forcibly, as it does, the spirit of fanaticism which
dexercises so baneful an influence upon the minds of the
eluded population of these provinces. In one of the re-
nbts a friar, with the elevated host, was observed encou-
ragingk the Carlist soldiers, and when the work fell into our
Zuds, some of the sacred utensils used in the ceremony of
and c moss were found besmeared with the blood of the dead
dyirjr,-
qor" rneb troops. now occupy the enemy's position, and strong
veil.. Jug parties are actively employed in destroying and le-
' ang the enemy's works.
" The affair of yesterday will, I am convinced, cause in
1 °gland a revulsion of feeling with regard to the Legion.
fact, it is only by actual experience that the formidable
nature of the position carried, and the deadly effects of the
chew 's fire, can be appreciated."

t.
St S (Extract of another letter.)
intiiAsT, MAY 6n e bginni of th ac-
te at, the menrAN
marched up to.—l theth firste lines,ng our lose was
14,1:3";e, the enemy poured their shot through the loopholes
h . from behind the parapet like rain. One regiment that
.tkr`d made a circuitous movement to get into the flank of
e"ese lines, came into the road right in front of some forti-
fies
couses, which presented to them nothing but a wall full
(tri 00pholes. The men faltered—the. moment was most
Ala Cal. The Lieutenant-General himself advanced, and
al Ina himself on a thing ground, exposing himself for
;mut two minutes to a very heavy fire, took off his hat, and
Lust it encouraged the soldiers. Men,' said he,. we
ti-ist distinguish ourselves to-day, or forfeit our character as
nabshmeril" It was enough.; they advanced, and the
aftem
Y afraid of being flanked, fell back on their .second
Here they made a most resolute defence, and two
1,,,-'oll3ts to carry these lines proved unsuccessful—our men
lite,:c‘ driven back. From a large house which they had
"gIY fortified they kept up a terrible fire. About this
Ce Lord John Hay arrived with the Phcenix and Sala-
.tvrcler steamers, with troops from Santander. The troops
tZe. immediately landed, and marched to reinforce the body
4,),'''lng the large fortified house. The Phcenix threw
me shells into it, which opened the breaches. A new
britjTge was made, which is talked of as one of the most
this ant things ever witnessed. No one outdid another in
‘wr,---all did as much as human strength and the coolest
tairr could accomplish.. One of Colonel Harley's officers
kr) tillte Harley said to the soldiers—' Now, men, we'll have
[ilv°:;scose, no firing at men behind walls. Fix bayonets
ialK into them, and skewer the scoundrels behind their
1114' The charge was made, and, as they walked up to
le4,Lncs, Colonel Harley laid hold of a man's shoulder and
him ; thought lie was hit ; but he was sick.
'4%7°,4 a moment or two, vomited a glass of wine off his
e.,'esisu, Which had soured, not having tasted any thing else
%Iltit.`" previous afternoon, and without saying one word
„i"tled the charge.
'4,`"nong the troops who so gallantly distinguished them-
the 3in this last charge were many raw recruits. One of
11,ti:Iteers who commanded them told me they asked
4et th.e ball or the powder should be put into the mus-
hwd rBt* His answer was—' You've nothing to do with
gad ret' or balls : fix your bayonet, bold fast your musket,
Fade uo it through every one that stands before you.' It
Priaill'e remember the remark of our friend —, that a
44e r3ldier was fit to face the enemy whenever he could
end off a ball-cartridge.
tt.kr 4 our friend, Brigadier-General Shaw, caused his friends
Leading his men to the charge he took off
I,t'eril;„";',u. Was in the act of waving it round his head and
E' wasaying :Cneal on, when suddenly he fell.. It was thought
Qt, but he got up again and continued the charge,
tr'erel slipped his foot."

li
Th"lt()M A CORRESPONDENT OF THE Times.)
pli,,
b e its English showed as much bravery and good disci-
, etn - a ,
jt , I
think troops I ever saw. The loss of officers has
eta f 'lnk, owing more to their being conspicuous ob-
i °the,. or the fire g
I to • Porti of the enemy than any other cause ; but
ftile rie " ascribe it to the backwardness of the men,and
it was eessitY, therefore, of setting them an example. No
wiel t. t
fraken in the action by the English marines, but
leh the °ln Lord J. Hav's vessel made the breach by
Y entered the works of the Carlists before St. Se.
•