The American Sharpe Page 15
7th To Sauveterre, 2 leagues, an excellent town larger than Saint Palais, it has the remains of an old castle. There is here a very handsome bridge of three arches, one of which the French have completely destroyed. It is on the Gave d’Oleron. The country about here is beautiful. The enemy have not I hear retired on Bordeaux but on Toulouse. Ponsonby’s Brigade28 of cavalry are coming up and several Spaniards. Snowed the first part of the day.
8th To Orthez four leagues (the French country league is very long, the post league is more than an English league) an excellent [town] larger considerably than Sauveterre, the market was amazingly crowded, and very well & cheaply supplied. Fowls were selling for 3 francs a pair, turkeys 3 francs each & everything in proportion. It is full of wounded and we got bad quarters. The people are not very civil, I met here with the first instance of incivility I have met with in France. The houses about the bridge over the Gave de Pau bear many marks of musket balls and a few of round shot. It is true that Lord Wellington was wounded here the other day29. There is the remains of an old castle here. The roads here are all main roads.
The peasants turned out & fired on our foraging party today, they wounded several horses, mine among the rest.
The action here was very severe, the enemy it is said, fought very well, the 3rd, 4th & 7th Divisions were principally engaged, ours was very little engaged. Our loss is estimated at about 2,200, that of the enemy at 12,000. Snowed in the morning.
9th Through Sallespisse & Sault de Navailles to Hagetmau, a very good large village. I was on forage duty and went from it to Montsoue about 5 miles off, people very civil.
General Beresford with the 4th & 7th Divisions has marched to Bordeaux. Beautiful well cultivated country, snowed.
10th Through Saint Sever (which head quarters have just left for Aire [sur-l’Adour]) and by Saint Maurice [sur Adour] to Grenade [sur l’Adour]. We crossed the Adour by a wooden bridge at Saint Sever, the ground on [the] left bank of the river is very commanding, that on the right quite flat, consequently Marshal Soult could not dispute the passage of the river. Our division which was near here move to the front this morning. The heavy German cavalry in Grenade [sur l’Adour]. Snowed very cold.
11th Through Cazeres [sur l’Adour], close by Aire and through Barcelonne [du-Gers] & joined the division which is cantoned right & left of the road. One battalion went into a small village called Gee [-Riviere]. The country we have been in since crossing the Adour is perfectly flat and very well cultivated.
Aire is on the other bank of the Adour, the[re] is no bridge there. The enemy are about 3 leagues off. A little after passing Aire we passed a division post which divided the department of Landes which we were leaving from that of Gers which we were entering.
12th Our General Court Martial assembled again today at General Kempt’s quarters. Showery.
1st Brigade moved to Sarron. They speak worse French here than at Saint Palais & thereabouts and are an ugly dirty set.
13th Showery. We move tomorrow. It is said that General Hope is besieging the citadel of Bayonne.
14th When the regiment moved, our company made up to 80 R[ank] & F[ile] being first for picquet, went to the bridge of Corneillan with orders to cross it and watch. Corneillan is on a tongue on the left bank of the River Adour and Saint Mont another village each about 1 mile from the bridge, the 2nd Division marched from these villages this morning at 4 o’clock. Their baggage we met with having crossed the river & was marching on Barcelonne. Our situation was thus very perplexing, we began to doubt whether we were on the proper bank of the river, when the Quarter Master General came bouncing in the piquets of the 1st Brigade & he told us that we were wrong, that we had our backs to the enemy, he took us away with him and we joined the division which was beside the main road a little way in rear of Saint Germe. Their orders are to defend Barcelonne to the last. The reason of all this is because Soult is manoeuvring on our right on the other bank of the river. The 3rd & 6th Division have crossed & moved in that direction, the country people talk of an affair on the right yesterday. 12,000 Spaniards are to be up this evening. Beresford’s two divisions have arrived without opposition at Bordeaux where they have been rapturously received, it is said that they have declared openly for the Bourbons.30 Being first for fatigue I was sent to keep stragglers out of our quarters at Gee, to which the regiment returned in the evening with orders to accoutre and pile arms at daybreak and be in readiness to move. Cold day and rather rainy.
15th Fell in and piled arms at daybreak, there are a great number of Spaniards of Freire’s Division31 straggling about here. Cold day & rainy.
16th Cold but not so much so as yesterday. Walked up to Saint Mont, fine view from it, saw the enemy’s country & picquets. Saw the Chateau de Viella32 where Pierre Soult’s head quarters are. The cavalry picquets of the enemy in front of Tarsac were driven in at one o’clock, there was about a squadron of them who were not at first disposed to go away. Our 2nd Battalion were there to support them.
17th Fine warm day walked to Tarsac, we move tomorrow.
18th The division marched through Saint Germe, Lacaussade, Tasque (here we forded the L’Arros the enemy having destroyed the bridge, though of no use as the ford was passable for everything, we left the main road for Toulouse here & took that for Tarbes on which the enemy have retired. They left this, this morning.) to Plaisance. Part of the division [went] into town and part, among which was our company, crossed the L’Arros which flows here & went into houses there. The houses we went into had been formerly an inn, it has been lately occupied by a French picquet who have completely destroyed it, they compelled the inhabitants to leave it, the poor old man told me with tears, that he was ruined.
The 4th Division are following us on the same road. The 2nd, 3rd & 6th are moving on the other side of the river today.
The bridge here is destroyed as indeed they destroy every bridge, even the most trifling. We are fed routinely on what the country furnishes, which is paid for by ready money by the commissaries.
19th Through Ladeveze [Riviere] (while passing through it heard cavalry skirmishing) to Auriebat on a high ridge of hills from which there is a most beautiful view. Looking to the south is a perfectly level valley through which flows the Adour (at about 5 miles distant is Maubourguet), to the north is also a fine valley, the hills beyond it covered with vines, all the hilly ground grows nothing but vines. We halted here & encamped. There was a murder committed on a peasant last night in the neighbourhood of our quarters. I went out for forage & while going I heard a heavy cannonade; we received our orders to march & I was recalled. Marched along the ridge of Auriebat through Sauveterre, Monfaucon, Barbachen to some farm houses beyond Haget. While on the march we saw fighting which began about the village of Lafitole & continued on the road through Vic [en Bigorre] & beyond it. The civility we met here was very great, the people are however much frightened. I met as I came out of Haget a French soldier walking along fully armed and accoutred, as handsome a Frenchman as ever I saw, he told me when I enquired, that he was a native of Haget & had deserted. Hot day.
The French had prepared a very strong position on the heights above Tarbes with several tiers of redoubts. All three battalions of the 95th were committed to the attack. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Rifles forced the French to retire, but at some cost.
20th Marched through Rabastens [de Bigorre] (very good looking town –Ponsonby’s heavy cavalry there) along to main road to Tarbes where we heard the enemy were in position. On the left of the road was a ridge of heights, to the right of it the country was quite flat. The cavalry moved in our front until they discovered a part of the ridge occupied by the enemy’s infantry, this was about 2 miles from Tarbes. They then halted until our division came up, our 2nd Battalion & the left wing of the 1st was ordered to dislodge them from a woody height a short way in rear of which on another height, they had a very strong column. They gave up this height without opposition, but immediately after made a very determined attempt t
o retake it. They drove in our people that were up there but the remainder of the 1st & the 3rd Battalions 95th arrived just at this time & the rest of the division close at our heels, we drove them back again with great loss. They made no further attempt, however our 3 battalions lost in this short time 9 officers killed and wounded. I never saw on any occasion so many men killed by skirmishers as the many lost on this occasion. Had there been a troop of cavalry with us, they would have made 2 or 3 hundred prisoners. We halted here for some time, during which time we saw the 6th Division move along a ridge to our left, the enemy retiring before them and under their cannonade, the force in our front also went off. We followed them & entered. On the other ridge to our left, General Hill’s Corps at this time engaged with their left.
A strong column of Spaniards moved up between us & the 7th Division. The enemy all retired to another ridge where they showed a great force, the ridge appeared very strong, the 6th Division now moved on the extreme right of it & got on it before dark. We were moved down under the foot of it, to be ready to attack it as soon as the 6th Division should be sufficiently advanced, however night coming on put a stop to our movements & we halted here all night. They showed evident dispositions of retiring before dark, however just about dark they brought their guns to bear upon us & cannonaded until it was quite dark. They had scarcely any lights. This is rather a difficult country he brought us into. Tarbes appears to be an excellent town.
21st The enemy retired last night, marched through Tournay to Lannemezan, the country from Tournay to Lannemezan terribly wild & uncultivated, good cavalry country. The houses in these towns very decent & full. Rain.
22nd Through Monlong to Gaussan 3 leagues, at Monlong we descended from the heights into the plain country. This is the road to Toulouse but not the shortest, the greatest part of the enemy’s army have retired by the Saint Gaudens road which is the most direct from Tarbes. Very crowded quarters, rain.
23rd Marched by Castelnau [Magnoac], through Thermes [Magnoac], Boulogne [sur-Gesse] to Peguilhan. Fertile country well inhabited. General Hill is on the Saint Gaudens road, the 3rd, 4th & 6th are on this. Head quarters Boulogne.
24th Marched by Anan & through L’Isle en Dodon to Martisserre. General Hill took some prisoners yesterday at Saint Gaudens. Baggage guard & headquarters at L’Isle en Dodon.
25th By Lombez (where we came into the main road) & Samatan to Seysses-Saves off the main road to the left. This is about 5 leagues from Toulouse. The vegetation about Lombez is pretty forwards. Rain.
26th Through Sainte Foy [de-Peyrolieres], St Lys, Fonsorbes to Plaisance [du-Touch] in which place we doubled up with the cavalry by particular order on account of the badness of the weather. We had not been in the village above an hour when I saw the people running about in every direction, carrying away their children & sheep, crying out that the French were coming. I went up to the main street & saw several of the 15th Hussars, both men & horses coming in wounded. I heard afterwards that the hussars established their advanced post at Tournefueille, about 2 miles from here, a village on the Touch, a small stream that the reserve of the post were in front of the village & had taken off their saddles & accoutrements. The enemy came on with about 400 infantry & some cavalry, the advanced troop of hussars in front of the village was obliged to remain skirmishing with infantry until the reserve got saddled & accoutred & retired. The enemy took possession of the post & established a picquet there. This slovenly trick is just like raw English cavalry.
27th The division marched at 8 o’clock to Tournefueille, the enemy were driven over the river & their right brigade cantoned in Tournefueille, we returned to Plaisance.
28th The division marched at daybreak through Cugnaux, halted a long time on the outside of it. The orders were for the Light Division to cross the Garonne at Portet [sur Garonne] and General Hill’s Corps was to cross at Muret. General Hill’s bridge was completely bungled & they had not pontoons enough, Lord Wellington is very angry indeed; the operations being thus suspended, the division was cantoned [at] Cugnaux, the company (which since Cox was wound[ed] on the 20th33 I command) was sent on picquet first, to a large house on the main road to Toulouse, near the village of St Simon from which the enemy retired this morning at 8 o’clock. In the evening the picquets were advanced to a gentle rise in front of St Simon, which commands a good view of Toulouse and is about three miles from it. Fine day – there do not appear to be any men on the heights opposite Portet and Muret.
29th The picquets were altered today, I was moved a little more to my left. Terribly windy last night, rained today.
It is astonishing, the quantity in the houses here every one of which is deserted. The people complain much of the conduct of the French soldiers. Not relieved until late, joined this division which has been cantoned today in St Simon.
30th Rained. Our battalion is the supporting battalion, marched at daybreak to support the picquets & then marched back to our quarters with orders to remain accoutred. Fine evening.
Wellington had General Hill’s corps pass the river south of Toulouse, but found that the approaches to the city from this direction were too low lying and marshy.
31st On a General Court Martial at day break, beautiful day. General Hill has crossed the river, the enemy are at this moment detaching troops towards him. I walked down to the picquets, I saw one column above Toulouse on the road leading from it and one on the heights over the river. Toulouse is a beautiful looking city. The picquets are about two miles from it. The houses appear to be mostly of brick. We expect to move today. The most heavenly day we have had this season.
April
1st The same delightful weather; the vegetation in this valley is very forward. The gentlemen’s Maison de Plaisance34 of which there are great numbers hereabouts and all of which are deserted are very beautiful and contain every comfort. It is really a heavenly country. Lord Wellington thought from the movements of the enemy last night, that they intended an attack on this point & sent an order to General Alten to be prepared, in consequence of which we marched to the front at daylight & returned to our quarters about 2 hours after, all very quiet. Saw the 1st swallow this season today.
2nd General Hill has been obliged to re-cross the Garonne in consequence of the roads in his front being so destroyed as to be impassable for artillery, he met with no opposition in crossing, nor did he fire a shot while there. A very bad look out.
Wellington now switched his plans to cross the river to the north of Toulouse.
3rd Some pontoons went by last night. There is to be a bridge laid tonight at Grenade about 4 leagues below Toulouse. We expect to move.
4th Received the order this morning at one o’clock, to fall in immediately, march to the alarm post; the division as soon as relieved by the 2nd Division to march on the road to Grenade. The 2nd Division relieved us at about ½ past 3 o’clock & we marched along the road to Grenade until we came opposite to a small village called Gagnac [sur Garonne] about half way between Toulouse & Grenade on the opposite bank [of] the river, when we halted by the road side. The enemy had a cavalry picquet at Gagnac who shortly after went away. Some time after this I saw our cavalry & infantry over the river advancing on the main road towards Toulouse. The enemy had about a troop of cavalry watching the road but I saw no infantry. Very rainy. The division encamped but afterwards part went into houses, I was one of the fortunate ones.
5th Received an order at 3 o’clock to be up at the camp ¼ before 4 o’clock, marched up accordingly. Rained terribly, at about 8 o’clock went back to our quarters & the other three companies came in & doubled up with the three already covered. There are a great number of Spaniards cantoned hereabouts.
6th Rainy.
7th Received an order to turn out at day break & if we heard 3 guns from General Hill to march immediately to the alarm post. Fine day.
8th Had a church parade. We were turned out of our quarters by the Spaniards; the [pontoon] bridge at Grenade was laid down again today & the Spaniards crosse
d. We went back to our quarters.
9th I went out partridge shooting today, the number of partridges here is very great. The division marched at 12 o’clock to a bridge which was making about half way between Grenade & Toulouse. It was to have been made at day break, it was however scarcely begun when we arrived there. Lord Wellington was very angry & blew up the officer35. We marched back to our quarters.
The last battle of the war occurred on Sunday 10th April, when Wellington launched an attack on the French positions on the heights overlooking Toulouse. Unbeknownst to the combatants Napoleon had abdicated but the news had yet to arrive leading to a heavy loss on both sides. The 95th were involved in a diversionary attack whilst the main thrust went in against the French-held heights.
10th Easter Sunday. Marched at about 3 o’clock in the morning & crossed at the above mentioned bridge, marched on the road to Toulouse. The plan of operations was this – the 3rd Division (which was on our right with its right on the river) & our division to make strong demonstrations against the city of Toulouse, the Spaniards, who moved up to our left, to attack the heights in their front. After that the 4th & 6th Divisions, who had moved in the night, had got sufficiently advanced to cooperate in the attack. The position the enemy occupied was very strong, it was not turnable, its right & left being on the canal & the town in its rear as a second line. The ascent to it was a perfect glacis, it was equally strong on all points and the enemy had fortified some houses & a chapel on [the] summit of the ridge & thrown up some closed redoubts. We sent some skirmishers down towards the canal to make a noise, by some mistake the Spaniards attacked before the 4th & 6th Divisions were come up and though they behaved very gallantly were twice repulsed with immense loss, a part of them that retired over the plain to where we were & who were followed by some skirmishers of the enemy, were so panic struck that there was no rallying them. Ours & the 52nd Regiments formed line & run on, the enemy retired. It was not until some time after this that the 4th & 6th Divisions came up, the attack was again renewed & the position at last carried with immense loss, the 6th Division suffered amazingly. The enemy withdrew into the town except from two closed redoubts where the Spaniards attacked. These were cannonaded by a brigade of Portuguese guns which were uncommonly well served, they were commanded by Colonel Arentschildt36 who laid every gun himself. I went into the forts after the enemy retired, which was very soon & saw 6 dead mules inside besides a great number outside the most advanced. Thus at last the whole position was carried, the enemy retired into the town, keeping strong picquets on the road to Perpignan, the only one that now lay open to him. We lay all near the position this night, no baggage.