CHAPTER XIV.
Picturesque Quarters—Spanish Reverses—A Strange Adventurer—Spanish Jealousy—Distribution of the Army—A Pleasant Companion—News from the North—Morale of the French Army—The Artillery.Head-quarters, Bera or Vera,Oct. 15, 1813.
Picturesque Quarters—Spanish Reverses—A Strange Adventurer—Spanish Jealousy—Distribution of the Army—A Pleasant Companion—News from the North—Morale of the French Army—The Artillery.
Head-quarters, Bera or Vera,Oct. 15, 1813.
My dear M——,
Ihave now a quarter with a most rural exterior, and a balcony all along the upper story, hung with vines. The picturesque and the comfortable, however, are not always combined, for the room is dirty, and though small has four windows, with only large wooden shutters, and no fireplace.
It will be but a cold winter residence, and I fear even less comfortable in fact than my Frenada habitation. The ground-floor is the stable, the centre devoted to me and to the family, the upper story a great drying-room. The style of the house is, however, pretty.
Several of the best houses are destroyed, nearly all are gutted of furniture, chairs, tables, &c., and many deprived of doors and shutters, for the French camp. The wounded occupy some of the best houses, and in addition to Lord Wellington’s staff, head-quarters, and Marshal Beresford’s, who has returned from Lisbon, we have General Cole’s staff here, and General Alten’s. This place was for two months a sort of neutral ground between the two armies, so you may guess that it is a little deranged. It has been populous, and contained a considerable number of spacious houses, though notmagnificent; yet the room which Lord Wellington occupies is, upon the whole, better than almost any he has had since he was in Madrid. It is well proportioned, has clean walls, and is sufficiently capacious to admit comfortably twenty-five or thirty persons to dinner. Of course he has furnished it himself, for there are only bare walls. The largest house in the place, and the best in point of situation, on a pretty knoll above the town, was made what is called a strong house of, and a regiment of Portuguese are now in it. The squire, I fear, has not gained by this arrangement.
The Spaniards were disturbed early yesterday morning about two miles from this, surprised, and driven from a redoubt, with some loss in prisoners and wounded. I believe, however, that they behaved well afterwards; but a Spanish regiment gave way. That queer playhouse hero, Downie, who was there as a volunteer, rallied them, and conducted them well, but had his horse wounded. He once more exhibited on the Pyrenees the sword of Pizarro, which had so narrow an escape when he was made prisoner in the south. You may remember that he threw it back to his friends across a broken bridge, when he was wounded and cut off by the French. He is, I believe, very brave, and seems to take with the Spaniards, though with us he can scarcely speak without exciting a smile, or even more. He was first a Commissary in the light division.
The day before this little surprise, the English officers at General Cole’s were remarking, that it was only surprising that the Spaniards kept the redoubt and their post; for the officers were never seen there with the men to keep them on the alert, and the men were cooking without arms within twenty yards of the French sentries, quite unconcerned. I hope this little surprise may save us from a greater; but I expect some night that the French will make a night attack upon the Spaniards,though that is contrary to their usual method, which is generally to march two hours before daylight, and begin the attack at break of day.
15th, later.—I have just met Downie, and he says Lord Wellington has admitted that the French were too strong for the Spaniards, and that he had given them a fort to defend too much in advance in the French position. The result, however, is that the French have kept the redoubt, and are at work on it already, and have recovered every house in the suburbs of Zera, or Sara, of which the Spaniards at one time had nearly one half. Many say that this is properly a part of the French position, and does not signify at all. Lord Wellington seems to have a bad cold to-day.
Every one appears to have had some adventures the night I was taken prisoner. General Pakenham’s horse and Captain Eckersley’s fell down from a bank into the river below, and it was so dark that they and two others thought it best to remain there in the trees till daylight, and not stir though it rained. Lord Wellington and all his staff lost their way, and were five hours exploring two leagues home in the rain and dark, and did not arrive until ten at night after various perils. It was a tremendous night. Mr. Heaphy, the artist, who is now here, was nearly being involved in my scrape, and it is said he has, in consequence of these risks, added ten guineas to the price of his likenesses, and made them fifty guineas instead of forty guineas. This is too much for a little water-colour whole length; but he has, I hear, now taken twenty-six, and some excessively like.
Some of our houses begin to improve much, as many of the inhabitants, who must be somewhat used to these events, are returning now with all their doors and shutters, which they had themselves carried off and concealed. Canning’s quarter is suddenly by this means transformed into a comfortable sort of residence.
Head-Quarters, Vera, October 16th.—Here I am still sticking to my post, though in constant pain, and at times bent enough to act the old woman, like Mrs. Sparks. The doctor still says I must, first or last, go to the hot-baths at Sestona, but I fight off as long as possible. Things must mend soon. The ration beef is like shoe-leather; mutton I can scarcely ever get; fowls are 9s.each, and are all snapped up before my man can resolve to give that price for them. Pork, ham, sausages, salt-fish and bacon alone abound.
Every one seems to think that we shall make no other movement until Pamplona falls, which, as usual, is daily expected. The French, in the meantime, are in busy preparation, burrowing and throwing up works, like moles, on every rising ground near them. It does not appear to me that they ever really intended to defend this mountain La Rhüne; they were in some degree surprised, as I told you; they had a notion that we had sent two divisions to Catalonia. They will now probably fight harder for each acre of ground, unless completely turned by numbers, and a decided flank movement from Roncesvalles.
From the reports which are current, the whole of which I dare not mention, it is to be feared that the Spanish Government and Lord Wellington have not gone on well together lately, in spite of outward appearances. The moment any General acts cordially with us, and a measure goes on well, some reason is found for his removal. This ridiculous Spanish jealousy would be endurable if they supported it by exertions of their own, so as to enable us to leave them to themselves; but we are now feeding and clothing their half-starved men in the front, and they are doing very little in the rear to supply those they have, or to increase their numbers. In short, five years’ misery has not yet scourged them into reasonable beings, and turned romance heroes into common-sensesoldiers and practical politicians. The men, however, seem now to fight well whenever they are well led.
October 17th, Sunday, Post-day.—General Graham has acted wisely in going home just now, his age considered. I told Lord Wellington that the French officers said that he (Lord Wellington) ought to die now, for he never would have such another year, and fortune would prove fickle. He laughed, but did not seem disposed to acquiesce in this. He is better.
I have just got four bundles of English hay, about a hundred pounds weight each, which are to last me for ten days. My next forage must be picked up on the hills, or bought in the market in the shape of baskets of coarse river grass.
Head-Quarters, Vera, October 21st, 1813, Thursday.—The week is already half elapsed, and Sunday, the post day, draws near, leaving me with nothing to say. I am like the Spanish country people, who without waiting to hear a question always begin “nada, nada, nada,” or “nothing, nothing, nothing.” They generally add to us “Francese roben” and “rompas todas,” and as the French told me, said to them “Anglesi rompen” and “roben todas,” but always to every one “nada nada.”
I have this last week ridden out for half an hour every day before breakfast, and an hour or two before dinner; and thus exercise myself and my horses in the meadows about here, which are now of course all open, and when it has dried up a little after the rain, make a good riding-school.
The only news here just now is, that Marshal Beresford is to have a separate command of acorps d’armée, not to act separately, but to complete our system, which will be—General Hill, right column; General Sir J. Hope, left column, which Graham had; Marshal Beresford the right centre-column; and Lord Wellington theleft centre: each consisting of different divisions and bodies of the allies.
The French to-day are collecting upon the rising ground near La Rhüne, and our people, thinking that this looked like a threat of doing something, are all on the alert, but I hear no firing. This is another anxious moment, for the fall of Pamplona is daily expected, and the garrison threaten to blow it up, which will make some desperate work.
Lieutenant-colonel Elphinstone arrived here some time since with Marshal Beresford, from Lisbon. He is now in quarters within a hundred yards of me, across a little stream; my nearest neighbour indeed, except Colonel Ellicombe, in that direction. He is here without his horses, and without much baggage, or many comforts; he is therefore, like myself, buying. His own horses only arrived as far as Ciudad Rodrigo. He has made up his mind to stay till the war is over.
The French, in addition to a few conscripts, who have joined, have called out all the militia in the neighbouring departments. This is a new scene, but I have still great doubts of the policy of entering France at all. The French now suffer severely, and grumble against their own government. Invasion may stir up the strong vanity of a Frenchman, and make him forget his grievances, in order to revenge himself on those who insult his native soil. Five or six subaltern officers have come over here to us; I believe owing to some Spanish connexions generally, or disgust and personal disappointment; and two inhabitants of the village on this side of St. Jean de Luz, Oragne, came over here to avoid serving in the militia, which is now being assembled.
12 o’clock, Friday, 22nd.—Nothing was done yesterday. It was all a false alarm in the front. The French, however, say that we shall be astonished with some extraordinary news in less than three days! Some say theymean from the North, some from Pamplona. If they are bold enough in the latter to dash out in the night against Don Carlos and his Spaniards, I think they would, with the loss of about one-third of their men, fight their way to Jaca, where they have a garrison, and escape. They would of course come out with provisions only, leave mines prepared to add to the confusion, sally out in all directions, and then push on in a body. Don Carlos with all his vigilance would not, in my opinion, be a match for them. He has sent word to the governor that he holds his head answerable for the safety of the works of the town, and two Frenchmen liable to death for every Spanish inhabitant starved.
Saturday, 23rd.—As I have dined alone every day since Sunday last, when I went to Lord Wellington’s, I pick up no news. Your July ‘Edinburgh Review’ is wonderfully fallen off; in parts very tame, and more like a poor imitation of the old ‘Edinburgh Review;’ and yet some of the articles are curious.
We begin to feel the effects of this dangerous coast now. Vessels can even now hardly lie in safety, though shut up in the close harbour of Passages, and the last packet was close in on Sunday last, on the same day on which Major Hare fought his way in, in theLandrail, and was not able to land the mail until yesterday. Major Hare brought papers to the 9th, but scarcely any news. He was closely examined by Lord Wellington when he arrived at dinner-time. He had got up his lesson so badly, that he could answer nothing clearly as to dates, but always ended by a reference to the papers.
It is known that Bonaparte was at Dresden up to the 5th instant, and that nothing was done. This some call bad, some good news. On the whole, I think the latter. Colonel Gordon states that Bonaparte used our position here, as a strong argument with the Emperor of Austria to join him in force, stating nothing could restore mattershere but an entire new army of a hundred and fifty thousand men, who had not known the English, and that he should be invaded unless supported by his father-in-law. This is a queer argument to one who, I suspect, was only hesitating through fear of his son-in-law’s strength being too much for the Allies, and would tell the wrong way. He also states, that Lord Wellington’s true account of Vittoria did harm in Germany, being much under the notions they had entertained of it.
Head-Quarters, Vera, October 24 1813.—Post-day. We remainin statu quo. I see the papers have made rather a pretty history of my capture, treating me as an old gentleman (as just now they well may), and that my younger friends got off. In fact, however, the youngest of the party, Jesse, was the first who was taken. There will soon be some dispute here among the artillery and engineers on the subject of rank and brevet rank.
Head-Quarters, Bera, or Vera, October 31st, 1813.—I have been so worried this week with business and other things that I have not been able to write until the very post-day, so this will be short and hasty. The weather has been trying, one day very cold, and I hoped we were to have clear frost, which, in spite of my open room, is, in my opinion, better than wet. The thermometer got down to 36°, close to where I was shaving, three mornings since; but it soon turned to wet—raw, constant, violent cold wet; north-west wind, and rain in repeated stormy torrents. In camp our poor soldiers have had their tents torn, and almost washed away; then we have had hail followed by snow. Colonel Belson has written to me very feelingly, from the mountains, but seems well.
Another drawback as to writing has been this. Three brigades of artillery were moved along La Rhüne mountain, three nights since by night. As they went close to the French pickets, to get from our left to Endage, towardsthe centre, in our front, they have as yet only reached this vicinity, and have halted here. Amongst them was Colonel Ross’s light troops, and Captain Jenkinson, and young ——; the latter came to me here, very miserable, wet, &c. To save him camp I took him in. Here he has been three days, and with my establishment this saves me some trouble. Besides which, one cannot get on well with business with a chum always at hand, in a small room, night and day. He is pretty well, and I conclude will remain at this place until we move—at least until the army moves, which every one expects as soon as the French will give us up Pamplona. This isen trainI conclude. A proposal came out to Don Carlos some days since, but a most unreasonable one; namely, to allow them all to go to France, with arms and baggage, and to be on parole for one year not to serve against us. This was refused. They made a great parade of giving our officers white bread and champagne, and Burgundy, &c., at the interview. So much for humbug. They said, “See howfortswe are.” To which we said, “Let us see how your men are.” Every day’s delay now is very provoking. I hope they will soon surrender.
I wish it were possible to get my chum another quarter, for I work in general at breakfast, at dinner, and in the evening, and a companion is a great inconvenience, though he is very considerate. Pray tell his family, the Colonel, &c., how he is. Captain Jenkinson would not go into a house, but pitched his tent in the wet, and went to bed dinnerless, at four o’clock, from fatigue. He is, however, well now. The work of getting guns along over a clay-road, up a mountain, in the dark, without being allowed to use lights, is no trifling undertaking.
The news from the North is very good, especially the accession of the Bavarians to the Allies; which, from the papers I doubted, but which Colonel Gordon says hisbrother mentions as fact; Lord Wellington tells me, also, that Government at home believe it to be correct. The private letters from the Austrian head-quarters which have reached here, do not say much in favour of the Swedish Prince, and seem to think he has much of French humbug in him—c’est à voir. It is also said that he saves the Swedes, and is always in the rear, surrounded with guards and twenty sentinels. They speak well of the Russian troops, and very ill of the French lads now opposed to them. You will rejoice to hear that we are to have divine service here to-day in the square with some troops. This will not do for me, standing out bareheaded for an hour in the damp; I must remain a heathen a little longer, I fear. Mr. B——, the clergyman who has lately arrived at head-quarters, seemed to be a pleasant gentleman-like man; I have, however, only met him twice.
Two o’clock, Sunday.—Still nothing decisive from Pamplona. To-day’s post brings accounts of no communication for two days, but that the garrison desert twenty a-day, and say that the place is almost in a state of mutiny against the General. To-day the weather has a little cleared up, but our artillery horses are living upon dried fern and corn—no hay, no straw, and very little coarse grass; every one in a fidget to move from hence. Unless we can so maul this French army as to have them at our mercy, and then go where we please, and stop where we please, out of our own moderation, I think we shall not have any quiet winter-quarters this year. As long as anything like an army remains, the French must be doing something to molest us, unless we molest them; and then the great nation can never submit to let our allied army quietly take up their winter-quarters in the French territory—at least I think not. Several of their conscripts have joined them, and they make a parade of drilling them within sight and hearing of our outposts,even in marching without arms, &c. Their deserters say they have about fifty-five thousand men; it is supposed with their conscripts this is rather under the mark. They are throwing up works in all directions all over the country, and making breast-works, redoubts, &c. A breast-work, half round a hill, appears to be turned up in a few nights.
It must be allowed that they are industrious at least, but themoraleof the old soldiers is shaken very much. It is even said that the young ones fight the best of the two. This agrees with the story that we hear from the North: that before the Austrian ambassador left Paris, a letter from Marshal Soult had arrived, stating, that unless he had fifty thousand new men, who had never met the British, he would not answer for the South of France.
I see your papers make Endage a fortified place—it is a great heap of ruins; never strong, only once a fortified village. It was nearly destroyed about the year 1790 by the Spaniards, and has never recovered itself. In return, Fontarabia, once really rather a strongly-fortified town, was soon afterwards blown up by the French, and the works are for the most part still in ruins. The town has not suffered much, for this was only a military operation. Of all the ruins we have made amongst us in Spain, even including Badajoz, and Rodrigo, and Almeida, it is said St. Sebastian is the most complete. It was a large, handsome, and thriving town four months since: one side of one street alone remains entire! every street is barricaded and blockaded! Rubbish up to the one pair of stairs windows, and walls half down, make it dangerous in wind to walk anywhere. Beside this, the large wooden balconies, hanging about by a few beams at the two pair of stairs windows, threaten every moment to fall, even where the walls are sound. Some repairs are being carried on, however, in a few buildings; at leastpreparations are being made, by clearing, and the works are in progress towards a state of defence. Most officers think the destruction so great that it can scarcely ever be a good town again—that is, as a town; as a fortified place, with much labour, it may. The French garrison were so disheartened in the castle, that they could not be made to do more, I understand from the engineers, for it was still tenable for some time longer when it surrendered. When the town was first taken, and our men were all drunk about the place, committing every disorder, the Governor was doubting about a sortie to recover it; thinking, however, that we must have fresh men near at hand, in case of such an accident, kept sober and together, he gave up the idea. Many say, that if he had done so, such was the disorganized state of our men, that it would have succeeded. His own men were very much weakened and dispirited.
Most of the light division tents in front here have been declared unserviceable from rents, &c. The men are still returned healthy, to the astonishment of all, even the doctors, who say the consequences of this must soon appear. Wine is dearer, which is a good thing, and I believe our men bear this cold wet weather better than heat.
Tell John his two newspapers of the 20th have been in great request. I believe only Dr. M’Gregor had one besides Lord Wellington. They have been much read, and I have now enclosed one to Colonel Belson, which will probably be the only one in his division. It happened to contain almost all the news of the last week.
Lieutenant-colonel Elphinstone is still here. I understand that he got a queer answer from Lord Wellington when at Lisbon, which brought him here in such a hurry. When he became senior officer of the corps here, he wrote up for instructions from Lisbon, and to ask what Lord Wellington wished him to do, and where he was togo as Chief Engineer in the Peninsula? The answer was, that as Chief Engineer in the Peninsula he would best know where his proper place was. Up he came by sea in a week, in consequence.
A man to thrive here must have his wits about him, and not see or feel difficulties, or start them, to go on smoothly. People wonder at Lieutenant-colonel Dickson, Portuguese service, and only (barring brevet rank) a captain of artillery in our service, commanding, as he has done now ever since Frenada, all the artillery of both nations, English and Portuguese. He has four seniors out here, but all young comparatively also, who have submitted hitherto. E—— says it should be a General’s command to be done properly, with proper officers under him; others say the old artillery officers have rather changed their sex, and are somewhat of old women.
Lord Wellington seems to favour the latter opinion a little. I conclude that he finds it answer in practice. As an instance of this, it may be stated that in the pursuit after the battle of Vittoria in the bad roads, Lord Wellington saw a column of French making a stand as if to halt for the night. “Now, Dickson,” said he, “if we had but some artillery up.” “They are close by, my Lord.” And in ten minutes, from a hill on the right, Lieutenant-colonel Rose’s light division guns began bang—bang—bang! and away went the French two leagues further off. I fear if there had been a General, that we should have had, instead of this, a report of the bad state of the roads, and the impossibility of moving guns. In fact, this same brigade of guns, with their mounted men, took the last French mortar near Pamplona, and Lord Wellington passed whilst they were putting it to rights to proceed. They had killed two of the horses in it the day before.