\46 ANNUAL REGISTER. 1813. 



trophies to boast of. The enemy 

 took no guns to the heights, and 

 he retired too expeditiously to en- 

 able me to reach him. Those which 

 he used in the latter part of the 

 day, were posted in the gorge of 

 the defile, and it would have cost 

 us the lives of many brave men to 

 take them. 



In the dusk, the allied army 

 returned to its position at Castalla, 

 after the enemy had retired to 

 Biar. From thence he continued 

 his retreat at midnight to Villena, 

 which he quitted again this morn- 

 ing in great haste, directing his 

 march upon Fuente de la Higuera 

 and Onteniente. 



But although I have taken no 

 cannon from the enemy, in point 

 of numbers his army is very con- 

 siderably crippled ; and the defeat 

 of a French army, which boasted it 

 never had a check, cannot fail, I 

 should hope, in producing a most 

 favourable effect in this part of the 

 Peninsula. 



As I before mentioned to your 

 lordship, marshal Suchet com- 

 manded in person. 



The generals Harispe, Habert, 

 and Robert, commanded their re- 

 spective divisions. I hear from all 

 quarters that general Harispe is 

 killed ; and I believe, from every 

 account that I can collect, that the 

 loss of the enemy amounts fully to 

 3,000 men ; and he admits 2,500. 

 Upwards of 800 have already been 

 buried in front of only one part of 

 our line; and we know that he has 

 carried off with him an immense 

 number of woun-Jed. 



We had no opportunity of mak- 

 ing prisoners, except such as were 

 wounded ; the numbers of which 

 have not yet reached me. 



I am sure your lordship will hear 



with much satisfaction, that this 

 action has not cost us the lives of 

 many of our comrades. 



Deeply must be felt the loss, 

 however trifling, of such brave and 

 gallant soldiers ; but we know 'it 

 is inevitable, and I can with truth 

 aflSrm, that there was not an offi- 

 cer or soldier engaged, who did rrot 

 court the glorious termination of 

 an honourable life, in the discharge 

 of his duty to his king and to his 

 country. 



The gallant and judicious con- 

 duct of these that were engaged, 

 deprived much more than half the 

 army of sharing in the perils and 

 glory of the day : but the steady 

 countenance with which the divi- 

 sions of generals Clinton and 

 Mackenzie remained for some 

 hours under a cannonade, and the 

 eagerness and alacrity with which 

 the lines of attack were formed, 

 sufficiently proved to me what I 

 had to depend on from them, had 

 marshal Suchet awaited the attack. 



I trust your lordship will now 

 permit me to perform the most 

 pleasing part of my duty, that of 

 humbly submitting, for his royal 

 highness the Prince Regent's ap- 

 probation, the names of those offi- 

 cers and corps which have had the 

 fortunate opportunity of distin- 

 guishing themselves, in as far, at 

 least, as has yet come to my know- 

 ledge. 



Colonel Adam, who commands 

 the advance, claims the first place 

 in this honourable list. I cannot ' 

 sufficiently praise the judicious ar-^ 

 rangements he made, and the abi- 

 lity with which he executed his 

 orders on the 12th instant. 



The advance consists only of the 

 2nd battalion 27th regiment, corti- 

 manded by lieut.-col. Reeves ; 



