ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
565 
another line of retreat, and moved so as to leave Yittoria on their left. 
The new road, however, led through a marsh, and was soon as impass¬ 
able from the press of fugitives and vehicles upon it as had been the 
other. Thus everywhere there was confusion, and no outlet for escape. 
The rout was in fact complete, guns, ammunition and stores were 
abandoned, and trophies innumerable fell into the victor’s hands. 
While Wellington was thus winning his battle, a detachment of 
Graham’s column had gained the royal road at Durana and had denied 
it to the French. The part of his force, however, which endeavoured 
to cross the Zadora at Gamara Mayor was held in check, and at the 
bridge of Ariaga, which Graham himself had attacked, the French were 
also able to keep their foes stationary. But when Wellington’s advance 
had reached Yittoria, Reille, who commanded the French forces on the 
right, saw his rear threatened by British cavalry, who penetrated 
Yittoria and emerged between that town and the river. The Allies 
were in fact soon coming down on him from Durana, Ariaga and 
Yittoria, and but for a reserve which he had formed at Betonio, and 
which covered his retreat, his situation would have been desperate. 
As it was, he was able to gain Metauco on the general line of retreat 
in some order, although he could not extricate himself without the 
most determined efforts on the part of those he led. Thus ended the 
battle, but not the efforts of the English artillery, for during the pur¬ 
suit they were at hand whenever required, and in the hands of 
Sir Alexander (then Colonel) Dickson, gained high praise from the 
Duke of Wellington. In his despatches he wrote of it, “The army is 
particularly indebted to that corps.” 
The number of guns captured from the French amounted to 151, 
besides 415 caissons, 14,249 rounds of ammunition, 40,668 lbs. of 
gunpowder, and 1,973,400 musket cartridges, besides an immense 
quantity of treasure and other spoils. For the services of the artillery 
on this occasion a special boon was granted to the senior officers engaged 
which was to commemorate, in the words of Lord Mulgrave, the Master- 
General of the Ordnance, to Colonel Dickson, 1 “ The very striking 
and unexampled circumstance of the whole of the British artillery 
having been brought into action, and the whole of the enemy’s artillery 
having been captured.” He goes on to say —“ His Royal Highness 
has been graciously pleased—in consideration of the peculiar circum¬ 
stances above stated—to mark his Royal Highness’s approbation of the 
particular and successful activity of the corps of Royal Artillery under 
your orders, by granting severally to the officers entrusted with the 
command of divisions or brigades an allowance for good service in the 
following proportions :—To the officers commanding divisions, each 10s. 
per diem; to the officers commanding brigades, each 5s. per diem; and 
to yourself a similar allowance for good service of 20s. per diem.” 
These very exceptional rewards, highly complimentary as they were 
to the Royal Artillery, having been decided on without reference to 
the Duke of Wellington, proved anything but the boon intended, and 
to them and the circumstances under which they were granted is to be 
1 See Duncan’s “ History of the Royal Artillery.” 
