1441 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



my, aware of the importance of 

 this post, sent strong reinforce- 

 ments for maintaining it ; and on 

 the other hand successive detach- 

 ments of British troops were or- 

 dered to the attack, and a severe 

 contest took place at this point, 

 which ended in the possession of 

 the heights by the allies. Under 

 cover of this position, sir R. Hill 

 passed the Zadora, and the defile 

 beyond it, and gained possession 

 of a village in front of the enemy's 

 Kne. The difficulties of the coun- 

 try retarded for some time the ad- 

 vance of the other columns to their 

 stations ; they however at length 

 crossed the Zadora at different 

 points, and the divisions forming 

 the centre of the allies moved to 

 the attack of the heights in the 

 enemy's centre. The line of the 

 latter, however, had been so much 

 weakened by the detachments sent 

 to strengthen the post in the hills, 

 that he abandoned his position as 

 soon as he saw the disposition for 

 attacking it, and commenced his 

 retreat in good order to Vittoria. 

 The allies continued to advance 

 over the broken ground, keeping 

 admirable order ; and in the mean- 

 time sir T Graham, commanding 

 the left wing, moved on Vittoria 

 by the high road from Bilboa. 

 A part of his troops turned the 

 enemy's right, and gained some 

 strong heights covering the village 

 of Gamarra Major. This village 

 was carried by storm at the bayo- 

 net's point under a heavy fire of 

 artillery and musketry, and every 

 effort of the enemy to recover it 

 was repulsed. Another village was 

 also carried ; and the possession of 

 these villages intercepted the ene- 

 my's retreat by the high road to 

 France, and obliged them to take 



that of Pamplona. Still they had 

 two divisions in reserve on the 

 heights to the left of the Zadora, 

 and it was impossible to cross by 

 the bridges til! the troops from the 

 centre and left had driven the 

 enemy from Vittoria. This was 

 effected, and the pursuit, in which 

 all joined, was continued till after 

 it was dark. The retreat of the 

 enemy was so rapid that they vrere 

 unable to draw off their baggage 

 and artillery, the whole of which 

 therefore fell into the hands of the 

 victors. Lord Wellington speaks 

 with high encomium of the conduct 

 of all parts of the allied army ; and 

 the victory, so happily named of 

 Vittoria,',will rank among the most 

 signal exploits of this great com- 

 mander. With his usual modesty 

 and caution he has given no esti- 

 mate of the loss of the enemy, 

 which must have been severe ; and 

 only says, that there were taken 

 from them 151 pieces of cannon, 

 415 waggons of ammunition, all 

 their baggage, provisions, cattle, 

 and treasure, and a considerable 

 number of prisoners. Among the 

 trophies was the baton of marshal 

 Jourdan. The loss of the allied 

 army is stated at about 700 killed 

 and 4,000 wounded, of whom the 

 greatest sliare wee British. An 

 additional despatch from his lord- 

 ship, dated on the 24th, mentions 

 the continued pursuit of the ene- 

 my, whose rear reached Pamplona 

 on that day. It also relates that 

 the French general Clause!, with 

 part of the army of the north, and 

 one division of that of Portugal, 

 approached Vittoria on the 23rd, 

 but learning the events that had 

 passed, retired upon La Guardia, 

 and afterwards to Logrogno. 

 On June 25th, an aceount ar- 



