followed by the 39th and 28th. But before the two latter could arrive, and notwithstanding the desperate fighting of the picket, the Light Companies, and the 34th, d'Armagnac's troops, supported by Abbé, had by numbers and valour combined established themselves on the ridge of the position. Colonel Cameron then sent the 50th to the assistance of the overmatched troops, and that "fierce and formidable" old regiment, charging the head of an advancing column, drove it clear out of the pass of Lassessa. But the French were so many that though checked at one point, they assembled with increased force at another; nor could General Pringle restore the battle with the 39th and 28th Regiments, which, cut off from the others, were forced back, fighting desperately, to a lower ridge crossing the road to Elizondo. They were followed by d'Armagnac, but Abbé continued to press the 50th and 34th, whose line of retreat was towards the Atchiola, where Cameron's Brigade was. "And that officer, still holding the pass of Maya with the left wings of the 71st and 92nd Regiments, brought their right wings and the Portuguese guns into action, and thus maintained the fight; but so dreadful was the slaughter, especially of the 92nd, that it is said the advancing enemy was actually stopped by the heaped mass of dead and dying."*

It was at this moment that General Stewart reached the field of battle. The passes of Lassessa and Aretesque were lost, that of Maya was still held by the left wing of the 71st, but Stewart, seeing Maransin's Division gathering on one side and Abbé's on the other, abandoned it for a new position covering the road to Atchiola, called down the 82nd from that mountain, and sent messengers to the Seventh Division for help. Stewart, although wounded, continued his resistance; but General Maransin suddenly thrust the head of his division across the front of the British, and connected his left with Abbé, throwing as he passed a destructive fire into the wasted remnant of the 92nd, which even then gave way sullenly. The men fell till two-thirds of the whole had gone to the ground, and the left wing of the 71st came into action; * It was as much by their own dead as by those of the 92nd that the French were stopped, as appears from the following account of a 92nd officer. (See page 358.)

*

but one after another all the regiments were forced back, and the first position was lost, together with the Portuguese guns.' Abbé's Division now followed d'Armagnac's towards the town of Maya, leaving Maransin's Division to deal with Stewart in his new position, which was held, though the small British force had shrunk in numbers and was short of ammunition, till a brigade of the Seventh Division under General Barnes arrived from Echellar and drove the French back to Maya ridge, when d'Erlon, probably thinking larger reinforcements had arrived, recalled his other divisions and united his whole corps. His loss was 1500 men and a general.

The above account is taken from Napier's History, who gives, in Appendix No. 4, the following extract from a MS. memoir by Captain Norton, 34th Regiment, showing the situation of the 92nd as it appeared from a distance. The 39th Regiment then immediately engaged the French, and after a severe contest also retired. The 50th was next in succession, and they also, after a gallant stand, retired, making way for the 92nd, which met the advancing French column first with its right wing drawn up in line, and after a most destructive fire and heavy loss on both sides, the remnant of the right wing retired, leaving a line of killed and wounded that appeared to have no interval. The French column advanced up to this line and then halted, the killed and wounded of the 92nd forming a sort of rampart; the left wing then opened its fire upon the column, and as I was but a little to the right of the 92nd, I could not help reflecting painfully how many of the wounded of their right wing must have unavoidably suffered from the fire of their comrades. The left wing, after doing good service and sustaining a loss equal to the first line, retired."

The following more detailed account of the movements of the 92nd, particularly of the right wing, is taken from the memoirs of the subaltern officer who brought it out of the first part of the action.

* "The force of the enemy in our front yesterday is generally estimated at 14,000 men." "I am sorry to say we were so pressed on the height that it was impossible to bring away the four guns which were there; they were spiked and thrown over the cliff."-Sir Rowland Hill to the QuartermasterGeneral, dated 26th July 1813.

It was after eleven o'clock when the attack on the pickets began. As we have seen, the charge of the 50th, following the 34th and 39th, checked for a moment the career of the French; but d'Erlon, availing himself of his great superiority in numbers, charged these corps in front, at the same time sending strong columns on each flank to surround them. At this critical period the right wing of the 92nd, nearly 400 strong, under Major John MacPherson, entered the field and took part in the fray. On their arrival, the Highlanders were a good deal blown, having advanced a mile and a half mostly at the double. The situation of their friends, however, was such that they formed line without a moment's delay and at once advanced. The enemy, seeing their intention to charge, halted, and thereby afforded the 34th and 50th an opportunity of retiring to re-form their ranks. Enraged at the failure of his attempt to capture these two battalions, the French general now turned his fury against the Highlanders and tried to annihilate them by showers of musketry. They, however, nothing intimidated, returned the fire with admirable steadiness and effect. Perceiving that the enemy was acting cautiously, Cameron (Brigadier), wishing to draw him to ground where he could charge him, retired the Highlanders, when the French general, mistaking the reason for the retrograde movement, pushed forward over 3000 troops, who advanced making the air ring with their shouts of "Vive l'Empereur ! Conceiving that the enemy had made up his mind to meet the steel, Cameron ordered the Highlanders to halt-front-and prepare to charge. On seeing them halt, the French did the same, and instantly opened a terrific firè of musketry. this time the space between the combatants was not more than 120 paces, while the enemy numbered about eight to one. From the 92nd to the French front line the ground was almost level, but in rear of their foremost troops was a narrow ravine, behind which rose abruptly a considerable eminence, from the face of which the French fired over the heads of their comrades on the small body of Highlanders. These did not, however, return it, but directed the whole of their fire on that part of the enemy's force stationed on the brow of the ravine nearest to themselves, and so coolly and admirably was it

At

given, that in ten minutes the French dead lay literally in heaps. The slaughter was so appalling, indeed, that the utmost efforts of the officers failed to make their men advance beyond their slain. At times they prevailed on a section or two to follow them, but the sight of their comrades' mangled corpses was too much, they invariably gave way. One officer rendered himself conspicuous by his repeated and gallant attempts to induce his men to charge the diminishing band of feathered bonnets, He advanced alone about fifteen paces before them, struck his sword into the ground, and crossing his arms on his breast, stood facing our men. His noble conduct might have had the effect he desired, a spark from his spirit might have fired the increasing mass of men in the ravine behind him, who might, by sheer weight of numbers, have overwhelmed the Highlanders, had not Private Archibald M'Lean, stepping to the front and kneeling down, taken deliberate aim and shot him.

The officer from whose memoirs I take this account, and who was present, says: "To have killed this officer under any other circumstances than those in which the 92nd were placed would have been considered by us as an act of deliberate cruelty, but when the respective numbers of the combatants are kept in view, every impartial man will admit that the death of the officer was indispensably necessary to our safety. I never felt so much for any individual as for that truly brave man."

During the hottest of the fire, Sergeant Cattanach,* whose place was in rear of the officer commanding his company, tapped him on the shoulder, saying he wished to speak to him. On his officer turning, he said, "Oh, sir, this is terrible work, let me change places with you for a few minutes." Respecting the generous motive of the sergeant in offering to place himself between the bullets and his officer, the latter thanked him, but desired him to attend to his duty in the rear; in a few moments the sergeant repeated his proposal, but being told not to mention the subject again, he resumed his post with a look of disappointment, and shortly after was shot in the groin. His brother, a private, ran to his assistance, when he Sergeant Cattanach belonged to Kingussie.

begged to be laid in rear of the company, but had scarcely spoken when a second bullet killed the brave and warmhearted sergeant on the spot. William Bisset, a private in the same company, was wounded in the thigh. He quitted the scene of action leaning on his musket, blood flowing copiously as he hobbled away; but halting at a little distance to look back, and seeing his comrades still supporting the unequal conflict, he returned and took his place in the ranks. His officer advised him to retire and at least get his wound bandaged, when Bisset said, "I must have another shot at the rascals, sir, before I leave you." He fired once, and was about to have a second shot when a ball broke his arm, and he was compelled finally to retire from the field. Many similar instances of devotion no doubt occurred.

This sanguinary combat was sustained for over twenty minutes, during which time more than half the men had been killed and wounded, and all the officers wounded and carried from the field except two lieutenants, while of the soldiers still standing many were short of ammunition. No help was in sight, and 3000 against 200 is long odds; therefore the senior of the two subalterns decided "under all the circumstances "* to retire, which they accordingly did in perfect order, pursued slowly by the French, who did not take a prisoner but such as fell by the musketry they poured on them during the retreat. This determined and unflinching stand remains an unsurpassed example of the perfection of steady fire-discipline, dauntless courage, and devoted bravery.

On getting behind the height in front of which they had been engaged, they found the 28th and right wing of the 71st hastening to their relief. The former attacked the enemy's leading columns, but soon after, moving down the hill, they joined the 34th and 39th in the valley, and the rear of the shattered band of Highlanders was completely unprotected. Under these circumstances they, with the 50th, retired to the pass, where General Stewart was trying to retard the progress of his opponent. He detached the right wing of the 71st, and part of the 50th, to a position in rear, and at the head of the left wings of the 71st and 92nd awaited the enemy. During * 66 Military Memoirs."