The Military Sketch-Book, Vol. 2 (of 2): Reminiscences of seventeen years in the service abroad and at home — John Shaqi
The Military Sketch-Book, Vol. 2 (of 2): Reminiscences of seventeen years in the service abroad and at homeMaginn, William
General
The Military Sketch-Book, Vol. 2 (of 2): Reminiscences of seventeen years in the service abroad and at home
Maginn, William
Bushrangers; Military biography; Soldiers -- Conduct of life
In my way I passed through the bivouac of the Spanish army which
blockaded Pamplona, and there beheld a most sublime spectacle--it was
the celebration of their religious rites, the mass, in the open air,
close to a ruined house. It was now sunrise, and the hour with the
circumstances of the time, gave the uncovered and kneeling soldiery a
most interesting appearance. The priest was a bald and reverend looking
man, and his sacerdotal robes made him look like a patriarch. I stopped
in a reverie of admiration--out of which, however, I was roused in a
few minutes by the sound of distant firing on the heights; so I left
the Spaniards to their prayers, and galloped on towards where there was
something going on, which to me was far more interesting.
In about ten minutes more I was upon the mountain where our division
was drawn up: they had not yet fired a shot, nor seen a Frenchman,
but expected every moment to be engaged. The scene of action here, is
to be imagined by the reader placing himself ideally on the top of a
bold hill, or moderately sized mountain; in front, and on each side,
are similar hills or mountains--some smaller--some greater; far in the
front the higher Pyrenees; and, behind, the wide plain, on which stands
Pamplona. Over this scene let him then throw the most picturesque
foliage--a village or two in the distant valleys--the ground spread
with heath and furze: thus he will have the view of where the gallant
battle of the Pyrenees was gained, after four days of terrible
contest. The fight here was very different from a fight on a plain:
in this it was a continual attempt on the part of Soult, with all the
force he could collect, to pass the hills, for the relief of Pamplona,
and as continual a resistance on the part of the allies--hill after
hill was attacked and defended with the most heroic energy on both
sides. But our people performed a still more glorious and prodigious
task; for not only did they defend their own position, but attacked
Soult’s, which was stronger than their’s; and thus for the second time
during the campaign, made a wreck of the French army!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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