The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-31

|
for not having been present at what seemed to
| be the most important battle SINCE the beginning
| of this war. or sent at once an express to st.
Jean de Luz carrying q telegram to you, while
myself went on my way to the battlefield, another
three days march distant from Vera But no
sooner had I reached Janzy than had reason to
suspect the veracity of the news The capture OF
Nouvnas began already to be contradicted before
left Vera, while the information got at Janzy
caused me to believe that the whole OF the report
was q fabrication. i wondered only how IL had got
an Official stamp to It and how the commander OF
Fort Pea de Ia Plata could have been so indiscreet
as to order festivities without being quite sure
that there was occasion for them. BY and by, on
joining the headquarters, ! learned the whole
truth both concerning the real nature Of the en-
gagement and the way In which the disfgured
report Of IL had reached US.
THE BATTLE AT EULArR
Early in the morning Of July II the united troops
Of Dorregaray and Ollo marched under the general
command Of Elio toward Eulate. They followed .
road below the mountains, and though the presence
in the neighporhood OF at least one republican col
umn was known TO the Carlists General Eio did
not seem to care much about II, knowing that as q
consequence OF his last movements tho numerical
strength Of the enemy was greatly decreased and
that his forces must. BESIDES have been weakened
through the constant marches the republican
troops were lately subjected to. AC eight In the
morning. however, the approach OF Brigadier
General POrtilia's column having been announced,
the Carlist Commanders Chief led the main part
Of hts troops up tho adjoining mountain with .
view to take position on them which would have
enabled him to rout the enemy had he
insisted upon moving onward. POrtila knew
the danger he was exposed to, and performed
feat very uncommon with the republicans Leav-
ing everything heavy, including his cannon, down
in the valley, he climbed up the heights with the
whole OF his infantry 80 dexterousiy as to puzzle
the most enduring Carlist The fight was thus
offered and taken, and sharp musketry flre had
| been opened towards ten O'Clock between Aramen-
da ana Ganuza, speedily gaining extension, SO
| that towards midday the whole Of the mountains,
nearly az far a. Murietta we're covered with sharp.
shooters, giving thus the whole engagement the
aspect Of great utpost skrmlsh. The fight lasted
till six in the evening" without any more important
result than that OF either side losing some fifty
or sixty men, shooting several prisoners and re.
treating at nightfa towards the respective places
they were marching to-the republicans south
wards towards Estells; the Carlists northwards
towards Lecumberri. But, while the fight was
| thus going on on the heights, coup de main had
been attempted by a small Carlst detachment
| down In the valley. Knowing that POrtilla had
LEFT behind his artillery and baggage a handful Of
men attempted to take possession Of them, and
would certainly have succeeded had not part Of
another Colonel Castahon's) column been at
tracted by the firing and marched to the rescue oil
Portila. The republican general had thus not lost
either his cannon or his ammunition or his cash box,
containing, as had been reported nearly $50, 900;
| but he had narrowly escaped losing Them This
| abOrtive attempt was however, speedily trans.
| formed into something quite dnerent-thanks to
| the vivid imagination or, perhaps to the shrewd-
ness OF a deserving republican sergeant. Having
taken flight from the field and having
| seen the Carlists rush towards the point
were Portlllas artillery had been left,
the worthy republican, disguised in the uniform
OF a killed Carlist Officer, reached Fort Peha de Ia
Plata with the report OF great victory, the news
OF which, he said, he had been in all hurry commits
stoned TO bring over TO France and to make known
! to the world The loyal feelings Of the commander
of the fort would not allow him. OF course, to dis
believe advantageous report, and 80 bells were
ordered to be rung, wine to be distributed,
to be celebrated and all the rest Of it, while the
deserving sergeant was safely escaping into France
via Sare, probably never to be heard of again. The
only practical
RESULT OF THE FIGHT OF THE 21sr
was, Notwithstanding all that the wire had
spread about 1t the world. simply that the
Carlists, who were already by no means rich in
cartridges, had used several thousands Of them and
were therefore in much worse position than be-
| fore. BY way OF explanation might, perhaps, be
permitted to add here that the cartridge difficulty
arises with the Carlists, in the first place. from the
fact that they have no end OF variety in the pat
terms OF their guns. The same battalion has often
| every Imaginable description Of firearms, from the
| Berdan and the Remington down to the medieval
trdbalCoS And in the second place. they not able
yet to manufacture the cartrdge-shells required by
| the new patterns of guns. Consequently they are
I dependent upon the supply OF these from France,
aud, the frontier watched pretty closely great
| quantities Of these shells conHscated and the
armies Of Don Carlos are left thus quite helpless.
should the Queen of Seas, which has just left Eng
land with several thousand guns and 10000 car
trldges, not be able to safely land its cargo. the
promoters Of legitimacy in Spain will have still
| many hard days to see.
| THE BATTLE AT IRURZUN.
Yet, however badly supplied the Carlist bands
generally are the main body OF them, under Ono,
| had at all events sufficient quantity OF ammu-
| milton to fight again a couple Of days after the
! Eulate affair. After having gwen DAYS rest to
| his troops General ole marched towards Lecum-
berrl, and was on the 24th. at night when Joined
| him, approaching Irurzun, little place on the
junction Of the highroad from Tolosa to Pampeiuna
and OF the branch railroad from Alsasua to Pampe-
luna. Irurzun, otherwise not even a village is q
most important strategic point on account OF its
position, and the republicans had strongly fortified
IT and kept there garrison OF some one hundred
and fifty men. "You came Just in time to see q bit
Of lunl' SAID the Old General to me. 1--WE
mean tn take the little redoubt tomorrow
before march any further; so, If you
are not too tired, get up early and come
! with u.s. At FIVE on the next morning the whole
force was Oh, consisting Of six battalions, with
! three cannons. General oLo. with q battalion ana
a hall, was marching in advance; Dorrcgaray,
| with three battaons formed the main body, while
the Commander-in-Chief was following him with
the rest OF the force as rear guard. On reaching
the heights, OHIO at brought forward his little
cannon, while his sharpshooters spread in the
bushes down the hill but there being no work for
them at all, since the republicans kept strictly