GENERAL HISTORY. 



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by the enemy with great obstinacy ; 

 but the Prince at length carried 

 every thing before him, and the 

 French, in abandoning Arcis, left 

 the field covered with their killed 

 and wounded. 



Some severe actions had during 

 this time been taking place oa the 

 side of L\ons, between the cor|)S 

 of the Austrian General Bianchi, 

 and 3Iarshal Augereau. The town 

 of Bourg was thrice taken and re- 

 taken, and suffered greatly ; and 

 the principal part of Ma9oa was 

 burnt down. 



Lord Castlereagh, the British 

 Plenipotentiary at Chatillon, an- 

 nounced that the negociations were 

 broken off on the IStli. 



We are now to revert to the 

 motions of the army under Lord 

 Wellington, which were becom- 

 ing contmually more important to 

 the general cause. The difficul- 

 ties attending advance in a coun- 

 try full of strong posts, intersected 

 by rapid streams, destitute of good 

 roads, and in the face of a vigilant 

 and active enemy, necessarily ren- 

 dered this army later in commenc- 

 ing its operations than those of the 

 other allies had been; but the cha- 

 racter of its great commander 

 could not brook inaction a moment 

 longer than such necessity de- 

 manded. The combined tioops 

 were U-ft on Jan. 18 with their 

 posts on the Gave (or rivulet) of 

 Oleroii. On Feb. 21 his l-ordship 

 crdeied the sixth and light di- 

 visions to break up from the bioi k- 

 ade of Bayonne, and made otlier 

 dispositions for a general move- 

 ment of the army. On the 24th, 

 Lieutenaiit-Cen. Sir Rowland Hill 

 and Lieut. -Gen. Sir Henry Clin- 

 ton, with the divisions under their 

 comiTianii, passed the Gave D Ole- 



VoL. LVL 



ron at different places, and Field- 

 marshal Sir William Beresford at- 

 tacked the enemy's posts on the 

 Gave de Pan, and obliged them to 

 retire. 1 he two above-mentioned 

 commanders then marched towards 

 OitVies, near which the French 

 army was assembled on the 23th, 

 ha.'ing destroyed all the bridges on 

 the river. Several divisions of the 

 combined army marched up and 

 crossed at ditierent points, when 

 the enemy was found in a strong 

 position, with his right on the 

 heij^ht on the road to Dax, and his 

 left on those above Orthes, and in 

 that town, opposing the passage 

 of Sir R. Hill. A general attack 

 of the enemy's centre and both 

 flanks was then ordered, which 

 succeeded in part after a vigorous 

 resistance; but the nature of the 

 ground rendering the first plan of 

 attack impracticable in another 

 point, the General ably altered it 

 in the midst of the action, and at- 

 tacking the enemy's ri^ht posted 

 on the heights at the same time by 

 their right and left, dislodged them 

 and secured the victory. The 

 French at first retired in admirable 

 order, takin^ advantage of the 

 many good positions which the 

 country afforded. Being however 

 closely pushed, and losing many 

 men, their retreat at length became 

 adi'cct Hight, and they were thrown 

 into the utmost confuson. The 

 pursuit continued till dusk, and 

 was resumed the next day, when 

 Lord Wellmgton passed the Adour. 

 His Lordship does not pretend to 

 estimate the enemy's loss, but men- 

 tions the capture of six cannoo and 

 a great many prisoners, and thiit 

 the whole country waa co<erea 

 with their dead, and the descrtioa 

 was immense. A very large ma- 

 [C] 



