160 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



Rowland Hill, that fort has been 

 blockaded by the Spanish troops 

 above mentioned. 



On the following morning, the 

 15th, the troops under Lieutenant 

 General Sir Rowland Hill conti- 

 nued the pursuit of the enemy, 

 who had retired to a strong position 

 in front of Garris, where General 

 Harispe was joined by General 

 iParis's division, which had been re- 

 called from the march it had com- 

 menced for the interior of France, 

 and by other troops from the ene- 

 my's centre. 



General Murillo's Spanish divi- 

 sion, after driving in the enemy's 

 advanced posts, was ordered to 

 move towards St. Palais, by a ridge 

 parallel to that on which was the 

 enemy's position, in order to turn 

 their left, and cut off their retreat, 

 bythatroad; whilethe2nd division, 

 under Lieutenant General Sir W. 

 Stewart, should attack in front. — 

 Those troops made a most gallant 

 attack upon the enemy's position, 

 which was remarkably strong, but 

 which was carried without very 

 considerable loss. Much of the 

 day had elapsed before the attack 

 could be commenced, and the ac- 

 tion lasted till after dark, the ene- 

 my having made repeated attempts 

 to regain the position, particularly 

 in two attacks, which were most 

 gallantly received and repulsed by 

 the 39th regiment, under the com- 

 mand of the Honourable Colonel 

 O'Callaghan, in Major General 

 Pringle's brigade. The Major 

 General and Lieutenant Colonel 

 Bruce, of the 39th, were unfortu- 

 nately wounded ; we took ten 

 officers, and about 200 prisoners. 



The right of the centre of the 

 army made a corresponding move- 



ment with the right on these days, 

 and our posts were on the Bidouze 

 river on the evening of the 15th. 

 The enemy retired across the river 

 at St. Palais in the night, destroy- 

 ing the bridges, which, however, 

 were repaired, so that the troops 

 under Lieutenant General Sir R. 

 Hill, crossed on the 16th ; and on 

 the I7th, the enemy were driven 

 across the Gave de Mouleon. They 

 attempted to destroy the bridge at 

 Arriverete, but they had not time 

 to complete its destruction ; and a 

 ford having been discovered above 

 the bridge, the 92nd regiment, un- 

 der the command of Lieutenant 

 Colonel Cameron, supported by 

 the fire of Captain Beane's troop 

 of horse-artillery, crossed the ford, 

 and made a most gallant attack 

 upon two battalions of French in- 

 fantry posted in the village, from 

 which the latter were driven with 

 considerable loss. The enemy re- 

 tired in the night across the Gave 

 d'Oleron, and took up a strong po- 

 sition in the neighbourhood of 

 Sauveterre, in which they were 

 joined by other troops. 



On the 18th, our posts were 

 established on the Gave d'Oleron. 

 In all the actions which I have 

 above detailed to your Lordship, 

 the troops have conducted them- 

 selves remarkably well ; and I had 

 great satisfaction in observing the 

 good conduct of those under Ge- 

 neral Murillo, in the attack of Hel- 

 lete on the 14th, and in driving in 

 theenemy'sadvanced posts in front 

 of their position, at Garris, on the 

 15th. Since the 14th, the enemy 

 have considerably weakened their 

 force in Bayonne ; and they have 

 withdrawn from the right of the 

 Adour above the town. 



