Private journal of Judge-advocate Larpent, attached to the head-quarters of Lord Wellington during the Peninsular war, from 1812 to its close

21 June 1813

Battle of Vitoria

MY DEAR M ,

I HAVE repented staying two days at Vittoria. The consequence has been that I fell in with all the fagged division of the army, and found every hole full of troops, and nothing to eat or drink. The roads were poached up knee-deep with clay, and I have almost knocked up both myself and my animals. Yesterday I had no dinner, and to day no breakfast, and the first day I was twelve hours on the road going six leagues to a place two leagues beyond Salvatierra; from thence I got in thirteen hours more to Orunzun, eight leagues. There my baggage did not arrive in time, and I went to bed without dinner and without anything except the comforts of a Spanish cottage.

ANECDOTES. 179

I believe King Joseph's gallantry in trying to seduce a young girl at Salvatierra, the night of the battle of Vittoria, was mentioned in a former letter by me. In this valley he performed a most noble feat : after the dinner given him by his patron and the neighbours, he permitted or ordered his servants to sweep off and carry away all the utensils, table-cloths, spoons, &c. The Padre at Arriez, our last place, told General Wimp- fen that he had there carried off the sheets. This is a noble exit ; and all his suite were without a change of linen.

WELLINGTON'S SPANISH ESTATE. 233

We understand here that it was not until three days after the news of the battle of Vittoria arrived that any one durst inform Bonaparte of it. This last battle will very probably be almost entirely concealed from him. As we are now both in statu quo as to place, this may perhaps be managed : though the enemy are about fifteen thousand men minus to what they were before the attack at Maya began. From intercepted letters we find that, in reports even to each other, the French lie considerably, or at least misrepresent, for the good of the service, and this will present a good opportunity, as Bonaparte is so far off.

MY DEAR M ,

SEVERAL of our Yittoria sick and wounded now begin to return and join their regiments. Major Free- mantle came back just in time for dinner yesterday, and amused us with an account of all your madness in England about the battle of Vittoria.