594 MEMOIR OF SIR THOMAS MAKDOUGALL BRISBANE. 
Indies, and the other under the Earl of Dalhousie. He selected the third 
division, which he joined at Leo Mill, where he remained until they passed the 
Douro, to attack the enemy at Vittoria, where they were collected in great force. 
Of this battle, Sir Tomas says, “ When we got on the height overlooking the 
town and plain, I examined closely for the French army, but could see no force, 
and therefore was under the impression that there was to be no action. In this, 
however, I was very soon undeceived, by a heavy fire commencing from Lord 
Hill’s division, in the wood on our right, on the morning of the 21st June 1813; 
and, after a considerable period of hard fighting, we saw the enemy give way. I 
was then ordered to pass the bridge of Cadova with my brigade; and so com- 
pletely did we take the enemy by surprise, that I passed a large body of French 
cavalry with the tails of their horses turned towards my brigade. 
«We pursued, and seized a strong position from which we drove the enemy, 
and opened our fire, and continued in pursuit of them through the village of 
Pontaslin, where the enemy were strongly posted, with formidable artillery. The 
remainder of the division joined us in the attack, and we soon drove back the 
enemy, taking from them twenty-eight pieces of artillery, and pressing them 
under the walls of Vittoria, where they were attacked by the whole army and 
completely routed. 
«So signal was the defeat, that King Joseph’s carriages, plate, and wines, 
and everything belonging to him, fell into our hands; and that same evening I 
ate off His Majesty’s plate and partook of his wine. Had I allowed my men to 
follow, and pick up the boxes of money which could have been gathered, they 
might have enriched themselves to a great extent. As it was, 1 waylaid the 
stragglers, and made them disgorge their plunder; and next morning I had three 
such piles of dollars as enabled me to divide five dollars to every soldier be- 
longing to the brigade. This day’s action cost the division severely, as we lost 90 
officers and 1800 men. My Aide-de-camp, Captain Hay, was severely wounded in 
the knee by a grape-shot. The enemy were so completely routed that they fied 
to Bayonne, with the loss of their artillery, camp equipage, and equipments, and 
without even a single gun.” 
It was on the evening of this eventful day that Sir Tuomas, standing on a 
commanding eminence, and while sheathing his sword, remarked to a companion, 
“ Ah, what a glorious place for an observatory !” 
Sir THomas highly distinguished himself at the battle of the Nive, where the 
two brigades under his command had 700 killed and wounded. For his conduct 
in this action he received the thanks of Parliament. He was also present at the 
battles of Orthes and Toulouse. In speaking of the latter, he relates the following 
curious anecdote :—‘ A very singular occurrence happened to myself in this engage- 
ment. While standing on the banks of the canal, exposed to a heavy fire from 
the enemy’s artillery and musketry, a cannon shot took off my cocked hat, spun 
