200 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



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, Zugarra- 

 murdi, 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 morn- 

 ing 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 con- 

 duct was equal to that of any 

 troops that I have ever seen en- 

 gaged ; and the attack hdving been 

 frequently repeated, was, upon 

 every occasion, defeated with the 

 same gallantry and determination. 

 The course of the river being im- 

 mediately 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 tlieir eflbits on 



that side fruitless, the enemy took 

 advantage of the darkness of a vio- 

 lent 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 iih Spanish army, I am 

 happy to be able to report, that the 

 conduct of the latter was so con- 

 spicuously good, and they were so 

 capable of defending their post 

 without assistance, notwithstand- 

 ing the desperate efforts of the 

 enemy to carry it, that finding the 

 ground did not allow of ray mak- 

 ing use of the 1st or ith divisions 

 on the flanks of the enemy's at- 

 tacking corps, neither of thera 

 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 occu- 

 pied by the 9th Portuguese bri- 

 gade. 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 ene- 

 my's attack, I sent to lieut-gen. 

 the earl of Dalhousie to request 

 that he would likewise move to- 

 wards the Bidassoa, with the 7tli 

 division, and to the light division, 

 to support major-gen. Inglis by 

 every means in their power. Major- 

 gen. Inglis found it impossible to 

 maintain the heights between Le- 

 zaca and the Bidassoa, and he 

 withdrew to those in front of the 

 convent of San Antonio, which he 

 maintained. 



