Lord William Bentinck’s subsequent attempt on Tarragona, when Suchet retreated from the Ebro into Catalonia, was equally unsuccessful. Having moved from Villa Franca and advanced across to Ordal, on the night of the 12th of September, he was furiously attacked, and driven back on the main body, with a loss of four guns, and a thousand men _hors de combat_. The British retreated, pursued by Suchet and Decaen; and, after an affair between the Brunswick hussars and a French cuirassier regiment, highly creditable to the former, the English returned to Tarragona, and the French to their cantonments on the Llobregat. Lord William resigned the command to General Clinton, and resumed that which he had previously held in Sicily. PASSAGE OF THE BIDASSAO. Passage of the Bidassao.--Fall of Pamplona. The capture of San Sebastian permitted the allied leader to prepare for a decisive movement so soon as the reduction of Pamplona should warrant his advance across the frontier. The enemy were strongly posted on the right bank of the Bidassao,[255] in front of Vera--and preparatory to assuming the offensive, Wellington determined to force that position and occupy it himself. Every arrangement was made with his habitual secrecy. The fords were sounded and marked by fishermen, who created no suspicion, as, to all appearance, they were following their customary avocation, and hence their proceedings were unnoticed by the French videts. All was prepared for the attempt--and at midnight, on the 6th of October, the British divisions got silently under arms. A storm was raging furiously-- thunder was pealing round them--lightning, in quick and vivid flashes, flared across the murky sky--the elemental uproar was reverberated among the alpine heights above--and a wilder night was never chosen for a military operation. Gradually the tempest exhausted its fury-- the wind fell--the rain ceased--an overwhelming heat succeeded-- and when the morning broke, the leading brigades, at seven different points, plunged into the Bidassao; while a rocket rose from the ancient steeple of Fontarabia, and the signal was answered from the heights by a combined movement of all the divisions there drawn up in order of battle. Perfect success crowned this daring essay. The leading columns were nearly across the river before the French fire opened. Ground, difficult and broken in itself, had been carefully strengthened with numerous field-works; but all gave way before the desperate valour of the assailants. The light division, with the Spaniards under Longa,[256] carried the intrenched position of Puerto-de-Vera. Redoubt and abbatis were stoutly defended; but from all, in quick succession, the enemy was driven at the point of the bayonet. Night fell--the attack had everywhere succeeded--and the victors bivouacked on the field they won; and, for the first time, the allied forces slept upon French ground.