Sierra de Aya, and the other, on the morning of the 31st, leaving the 9th Portuguese brigade on the heights between the convent and Vera, and Lezaca.

Major-general Inglis's brigade of the 7th division was moved on the 30th to the brigade of Lezaca; and I gave orders for the troops in the Puertos of Echalar, Zugarramurdi, and Maya, to attack the enemy's weakened posts in front of those positions.

The enemy crossed the Bidassoa by the fords between Andara, and destroyed the bridge on the high road, before day-light on the morning of the 31st, with a very large force, with which they made a most desperate attack along the whole front of the position of the Spanish troops on the heights of San Marcial. They were driven back, some of them even across the river, in the most gallant style, by the Spanish troops, whose conduct was equal to that of any troops that I have ever seen engaged; and the attack having been frequently repeated, was, upon every occasion, defeated with the same gallantry and determination. The course of the river being immediately under the heights on the French side, on which the enemy had placed a considerable quantity of cannon, they were enabled to throw a bridge across the river, about three quarters of a mile above the high road, over which in the afternoon they marched again a considerable body, which, with those who had crossed the fords, made another desperate attack upon the Spanish positions. This was equally beat back; and at length finding all their efforts on

that side fruitless, the enemy took advantage of the darkness of a violent storm to retire their troops from this front entirely.

Notwithstanding that, as I have above informed your lordship, I had a British division on each flank of the 4th Spanish army, I am happy to be able to report, that the conduct of the latter was so conspicuously good, and they were so capable of defending their post without assistance, notwithstanding the desperate efforts of the enemy to carry it, that finding the ground did not allow of my making use of the 1st or 4th divisions on the flanks of the enemy's attacking corps, neither of them were in the least engaged during the action.

Nearly at the same time that the enemy crossed the Bidassoa in front of the heights of San Marcial, they likewise crossed that river with about three divisions of infantry in two columns, by the fords below Salin, in front of the position occupied by the 9th Portuguese brigade. I ordered major-general Inglis to support this brigade with that of the 7th division under his command; and as soon as I was informed of the course of the enemy's attack, I sent to lieut-gen. the earl of Dalhousie to request that he would likewise move towards the Bidassoa, with the 7th division, and to the light division, to support major-gen. Inglis by every means in their power. Majorgen. Inglis found it impossible to maintain the heights between Lezaca and the Bidassoa, and he withdrew to those in front of the convent of San Antonio, which he maintained.

In the mean time major-general Kempt moved one brigade of the light division to Lezaca, by which he kept the enemy in check, and covered the march of the earl of Dalhousie to join major-gen. Inglis. The enemy, however, having completely failed in their attempt upon the position of the Spanish army on the heights of San Marcial; and finding that major-gen. Inglis had taken a position from which they could not drive him; at the same time that it covered and protected the right of the Spanish army, and the approaches to San Sebastian by Oyarzun, and that their situation on the left of the Bidassoa was becoming at every moment more critical, retired during the night.

The fall of rain during the even ing and night had so swollen the Bidassoa, that the rear of their column was obliged to cross at the bridge of Vera. In order to effect this object, they attacked the posts of major-general Skerrett's brigade of the light division, at about three in the morning, both from the Puerto de Vera, and from the left of the Bidassoa. Although the nature of the ground rendered it impossible to prevent entirely the passage of the bridge after day-light, it was made under the fire of a great part of major-gen. Skerrett's brigade, and the enemy's loss in the operation must have been very considerable. Whilst this was going on upon the left of the army, Mariscal de Campo Don Pedro Giron attacked the enemy's posts in front of the pass of Echalar, on the 30th and 31st. Lieut.-general the earl of Dalhousie made gen. Le Cor attack those in front of Zugarra

murdi, with the 6th Portuguese brigade, on the 31st; and the hon. major-general Colville made col. Douglas attack the enemy's posts in front of the pass of Maya, on the same day, with the 7th Portuguese brigade. All these troops conducted themselves well. The attack made by the earl of Dalhousie delayed his march till late in the afternoon of the 31st, but he was in the evening in a favourable situation for his farther progress; and in the morning of the Ist, in that allotted for him.

In these operations, in which a second attempt by the enemy to prevent the establishment of the allies upon the frontiers has been defeated, by the operations of a part only of the allied army, at the very moment at which the town of St. Sebastian was taken by storm. I have had great satisfaction in observing the zeal and ability of the officers, and the gallantry and discipline of the soldiers.

The different reports which I have transmitted to your lordship from lieut.-gen. sir Thomas Graham will have shewn the ability and perseverance with which he has conducted the arduous enterprize intrusted to his direction, and the zeal and exertion of all the officers employed under him.

1

I fully concur in the lieutenantgeneral's report of the cordial assistance which he has received from captain sir George Collier, and the officers, seamen, and marines under his command; who have done every thing in their power to facilitate and ensure our success. The seamen have served with the artillery in the batteries, and have upon every occasion manifested that spi

British navy.

I cannot sufficiently applaud the conduct of Mariscal de Campo Don Manuel Freyer, the commander-in-chief of the 4th Spanish army, who, whilst he made every disposition which was proper for the troops under his command, set them an example of gallantry, which having been followed by the general officers, chiefs, and other officers of the regiments, ensured the success of the day. In his report, in which I concur, the general expresses the difficulty which he finds of selecting particular instances of gallantry, in a case in which all have conducted themselves so well; but he has particularly mentioned general Mendizabel,who volunteered his assistance, and commanded on the height of San Marcial; Mariscal de Campo Losado, who commanded in the centre, and was wounded; Mariscal de Campo Jose Garcia de Paredes, the commanding officer of the artillery; brigadiers Don Juan Diaz Porlier, Don Jose Maria Espeleta, Don Stanislas Sanchez Salvado; the chief of the staff of the fourth army, and Don Antonio Roselly; and colonel Fuentes Pita, the commanding engineer, Don Juan Loarte, of the regiment de la Constitution, and Don Juan Uarte Mendia.

Major-general Inglis, and the regiments in his brigade of the seventh division, conducted them selves remarkably well. The 51st regiment, under colonel Mitchell, and the 68th, under lieut.-colonel Hawkins, covered the change of position by the troops from the heights between the Bidassoa and Lezaca, to those of San Antonio:

guished.

Throughout these operations I have received every assistance from the adjutant-general, majorgeneral Pakenham, and the quartermaster-general, major-general Murray, and all the officers of the staff, and of my own family.

I transmit this dispatch by major Hare, acting assistant adjutantgeneral with this army, attached to lieutenant-general sir Thomas Graham, whom I beg leave to recommend to your lordship's protection.

I have the honour to be, &c.
WELLINGTON.

P. S. I enclose a return of the killed and wounded in the operations of the 31st ult. and 1st inst. and returns of the loss before San Sebastian from the 28th of July to the 31st of August.

Oyarzun, Sept. 1, 1813.

My lord; In obedience to your lordship's orders of the preceding day, to attack and form a lodgment on the breach of St. Sebastian, which now extended to the left, so as to embrace the outermost tower, the end and front of the curtain immediately over the left bastion, as well as the faces of the bastion itself, the assault took place at eleven o'clock, a. m. yesterday; and I have the honour to report to your lordship, that the heroic perseverance of all the troops concerned was at last crowned with

success.

The column of attack was formed of the second brigade of the 5th division, commanded by majorgeneral Robinson, with an imme

diate support of detachments as per margin, and having in reserve the remainder of the 5th division, consisting of major-general Sprye's Portuguese brigade, and the first brigade under major-general Hay, as also the 5th battalion of Caçadores of general Bradford's brigade, under major Hill; the whole under the direction of lieutenant-general sir James Leith, commanding the 5th division.

Having arranged every thing with sir James Leith, I crossed the Urumia to the batteries of the right attack, where every thing could be most distinctly seen, and from whence the orders for the fire of the batteries according to circumstances, could be immediately given.

The column, in filing out of the right of the trenches, was, as before, exposed to a heavy fire of shells and grape shot, and a mine was exploded in the left angle of the counterscarp of the horn-work, which did great damage, but did not check the ardour of the troops in advancing to the attack. There was never any thing so fallacious as the external appearance of the breach; without some description, the almost insuperable difficulties of the breach cannot be estimated. Notwithstanding its great extent, there was but one point where it was possible to enter, and there by single files. All the inside of the wall to the right of the curtain formed a perpendicular scarp of at

least 20 feet to the level of the streets: so that the narrow ridge of the curtain itself, formed by the breaching of its end and front, was the only accessible point. During the suspension of the operations of the siege, from want of ammunition, the enemy had prepared every means of defence which art could devise, so that great numbers of men were covered by entrenchments and traverses, in the horn-work, on the ramparts of the curtain, and inside of the town opposite to the breach, and ready to pour a most destructive fire of musketry on both flanks of the approach to the top of the narrow ridge of the curtain.

Every thing that the most determined bravery could attempt, was repeatedly tried in vain by the troops, who were brought forward from the trenches in succession. No man outlived the attempt to gain the ridge: and though the slope of the breach afforded shelter from the enemy's musketry, yet still the nature of the stone rubbish prevented the great exertions of the engineers and working parties from being able to form a lodgment for the troops, exposed to the shells and grape from the batteries of the castle, as was particularly directed, in obedience to your lordship's instruction: and, at all events, a secure lodgment could never have been obtained without occupying a part of the curtain.

In this almost desperate state of

the attack, after consulting with colonel Dickson, commanding the royal artillery, I ventured to order the guns to be turned against the curtain. A heavy fire of artillery was directed against it; passing a few feet only over the heads of our troops on the breach, and was kept up with a precision of practice beyond all example. Meanwhile I accepted the offer of a part of major-general Bradford's Portuguese brigade to ford the river near its mouth. The advance of the 1st battalion, 13th regiment, under major Snodgrass, over the open beach, and across the river; and of a detachment of the 24th regiment, under lieutenant-colonel M'Bean, in support, was made in the handsomest style, under a very severe fire of grape. Major Snodgrass attacked and finally carried the small breach on the right of the great one, and lieut.-colonel M'Bean's detachment occupied the right of the great breach. I ought not to omit to mention, that a similar offer was made by the 1st Portuguese regiment of brigadiergeneral Wilson's brigade, under lieutenant-colonel Fearon; and that both major-general Bradford, and brigadier-general Wilson, had, from the beginning, urged most anxiously the employment of their respective brigades, in the attack, as they had so large a share in the labour and fatigues of the right attack.

Observing now the effect of the admirable fire of the batteries against the curtain, though the enemy was so much covered, a great effort was ordered to be made to gain the high ridge at all hazards, at the same time that an at

tempt should be made to storm the horn-work.

'It fell to the lot of the 2nd brigade of the 5th division, under the command of colonel the honourable Charles Greville, to move out of the trenches for this purpose, and the 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots, under lieutenant-colonel Barnes, supported by the 38th, under lieutenant-colonel Miles, fortunately arrived to assault the breach of the curtain, about the time when an explosion on the rampart of the curtain (occasioned by the fire of the artillery) created some confusion among the enemy. The narrow pass was gained, and was maintained, after a severe conflict, and the troops on the right of the breach having about this time succeeded in forcing the barricades on the top of the narrow line wall, found their way into the houses that joined it. Thus, after an assault which lasted above two hours, under the most trying circumstances, a firm footing was obtained.

It was impossible to restrain the impetuosity of the troops, and in an hour more the enemy were driven from all the complication of defences prepared in the streets, suffering a severe loss on their retreat to the castle, and leaving the whole town in our possession.

Though it must be evident to your lordship, that the troops were all animated with the most enthusiastic and devoted gallantry, and that all are entitled to the highest commendation; yet I am sure your lordship will wish to be informed more particularly concerning those, who, from their situations, had opportunities of gaining