152 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S13. 



lington did not delay to put in 

 execution a meditated operation 

 against the troops opposed to him 

 in France. From the beginning of 

 August they had occupied a posi- 

 tion, with their right upon the sea, 

 in front of the town of St. Jean 

 de Luz, their centre on a village 

 in Sarre and on the heights behind 

 if, and their left on a strong height 

 in rear of Anhoue, and on a moun- 

 tain protecting theapproach to that 

 village ; and the)' had one division 

 at St. Jean Pied de Port, which 

 joined the rest after the allied ar- 

 my had crossed the Bidassoa. The 

 whole of this position, naturally 

 strong, they had fortified ; their 

 right, especially, was made so se- 

 cure, that it was not thought ex- 

 pedient to attackit in front. Heavy 

 rains obliged lord Wellington to 

 defer till the 10th of November 

 his attempt, the object of which 

 was, to force the enemy's centre, 

 and establish the allied army in 

 rear of their right. The attack 

 was made in columns of divisions, 

 each led by a general officer, and 

 having its own reserve. Sir Row- 

 land Hill directed the movements 

 of the division on the right, and 

 marshal Beresford those of the 

 centre. For the particulars of these 

 complicated operations, we refer to 

 the Gazette. They began at day- 

 light, and their variety, with the 

 resistance experienced, caused it 

 to be night at the time when the 

 army had effected the purpose of 

 gaining the rear of the enemy's 

 right. On the next morning the 

 French were pursued across the 

 Nivelle, which river they had 

 passed after quitting during the 

 night all their works and posts in 

 front of St. Jean de Luz ; and on 

 the following night they retired to 



an entrenched camp in front of 

 Bayonne. " In the course of these 

 operations (says lord Wellington) 

 we have driven the enemy from 

 positions which they had been for- 

 tifying with great labour and care 

 for three months, in which we 

 have taken 51 pieces of cannon, 

 6 tumbrils of ammunition, and 

 1,400 prisoners ;" and his lordship 

 expresses his satisfaction at being 

 able to report the good conduct of 

 all the officers and troops. The 

 loss in his army, though severe, 

 he represents as not so great as 

 might have been expected. It did 

 not comprise any general officer. 



Another considerable conflict 

 with the French in their own ter- 

 ritory occurred in the following 

 month. After their retreat from the 

 Nivelle, they had occupied a very 

 strong position in front of Bayonne, 

 under the fire of that place, and 

 including posts on the rivers Adour 

 and Nive. It had been lord Wel- 

 lington's determination, tocross the 

 Nive immediately after the passage 

 of the Nivelle, but heavy rains 

 prevented his moving the troops 

 from their cantonments till De- 

 cember 8th. On the 9th he di- 

 rected the right of the army under 

 sir R. Hill to pass at one point, 

 while the sixth division under sir 

 H. Clinton should pass at another, 

 and both operations succeeded com- 

 pletely, the enemy being driven 

 from the right bank of that river, 

 and retiring towards Bayonne. A 

 series of movements ensued on 

 both sides, during the 10th, 11th, 

 12th, and 13th, connected with 

 the passage of this river, in which 

 the enemy made several desperate 

 attacks upon parts of the allied 

 army, which were repelled with 

 great gallantry, but for the parti- 



