great coat; he had the gratification of seeing every thing done to his utmost wishes, without finding it necessary, in the least degree, to interfere personally: he wished to let Sir Thomas Graham, whose services had been so great at St. Sebastian, have the credit of fixing the British standard on French ground." The attention of the Marquis of Wellington was now directed towards Pampeluna, which place, after a blockade of three months, surrendered, when the garrison, amounting to about four thousand men, were made pri soners of war. On November 10, the Marquis of Wellington made an attack upon the French, in which he was eminently successful. CHAP. XXVIII. Assassination of Mr. Perceval. Marquis of Wellington's Proclamation on entering France. Battle near Bayonne. We have now beheld, and all Europe, and the world beheld, with astonishment, mingled with admiration, the French driven from the peninsula, by the matchless abili ties, the transcendent talents, the invincible valour, of one of the greatest military heroes the annals of the world record.* While the war had thus been conducted in Spain and Portugal, in a manner so honorable to the military genius of Great Britain, an event of a most distressing nature occurred at home. On May 11, 1812, The following lines, so truly characteristic of the person to whom they were addressed, were presented to the Marquis, when Duke of Wellington, on his return to England: "Not Philip's great and warlike son, Such skill and valour ere did show; Marlbro' himself, was but a Type of Thee." the right honorable Spencer Perceval,† Chancellor of the Exchequer, was assassinated in the lobby of the House of Commons, by John Bellingham. The assassin had furnished himself with a loaded pistol, and took his station so as immediately to perceive the approach of the prime minister, who, receiving the fatal shot, fell, and instantly expired. The whole nation was petrified with horror at this foul murder; and every honor was paid to the memory of Mr. Perceval, which his great talents, his indefatigable exertions, and his incorruptible integrity merited. The right honorable Nicholas Vansittart, was appointed his successor in office. The Marquis of Wellington, upon entering the French dominions, issued the following proclamation, addressed to the French people: 66 Upon entering your country, know that I have given the most positive orders to prevent those evils which are the ordinary consequences of the invasion, which you know is the result of that which your governors made into Spain, and of the triumphs of the allied army under my command. "You may be certain that I will carry these orders into execution; and I request of you to cause to be arrested, and conveyed to my head-quarters, all those who, contrary to those dispositions, do you any injury. But it is required, that you should remain in your houses, and take no part whatever in the operations of the war, of which your country is going to become the theatre. (Signed) "WELLINGTON." The following were the admirable orders given by the Noble Marquis on this proud occasion: 66 Although the country which is in front of the army be an hostile one, the General in chief anxiously desires, ↑ The administration of Mr. PERCEVAL was marked with great poli tical energy; he formed himself upon the model of his illustrious friend, Mr. Pitt. Mr. Perceval was amiable in private, as he was great in public life. In a monody on his death, by an anonymous writer, it is truly said: "Yes, Perceval, thy name shall be that the inhabitants should be well treated, and properly respected, as has hitherto been the case. "The officers and soldiers must remember, that their nations are at war with France, only because he who is at the head of the government of the French nation, will not permit them to be at peace, and wishes to oblige them to submit to his yoke. They must not forget that the greatest evils which the enemy has suffered in his shameful invasion of Spain and Portugal, have proceeded from the disorders and cruelties which the soldiers authorized, and even encouraged, by their chief, committed upon the unfortunate and peaceable inhabitants of the country. "It would be inhuman, and unworthy of the nations to which the General in chief alludes, to revenge that conduct upon the peaceable inhabitants of France; and this vengeance would, in every case, cause the army evils similar, or even greater, than the enemy has suffered in the peninsula, which would be very opposite to the public interest. "The same regulations must, therefore, be observed in the cities and villages of France, as have heretofore been practised by the requisitions and receipts for provisions which may be drawn from the country: and the commissaries belonging to each army of the different nations will receive, from their respective General in chief, orders relative to the mode of payment for the provisions, and the time within which the payments must be made." General Sir Rowland Hill reconnoitred the enemy's posts at the tete de ponte at Cambo, on November 12, and again on the 16th, when the French withdrew, having blown up the bridge. On the 18th, the enemy reconnoitred Sir John Hope's advanced posts, on which 'occasion General Wilson was wounded, Sir William Beresford drove the French from their posts across the river Urdaines, and established his own there. French now occupied a position in front of Bayonne. The enemy having moved out of their camp with their whole army, they drove in the pickets of the right division, and of Sir John Hope's corps; and made a most desperate attack upon the post of the former, at the chateau and church of Arcangues, and upon the advanced The posts of the latter, on the high road from Bayonne to St. Jean de Luz, near the mayor's house of Biaritz. Both attacks were repulsed in the most gallant manner by the troops, and Sir John Hope's corps took about five hundred prisoners: the brunt of this action fell upon the first Portuguese brigade, under Brigadier-general A. Campbell; and upon Major-general Robinson's brigade of the fifth division, which moved up to their support. Sir John Hope received a severe contusion. When night closed the operations, the enemy were still in large front of the allies; and on the following day, they made another attempt to drive in Sir John Hope's pickets, and attacked his posts, and were again repulsed. The attack was recommenced on the succeeding morning, with the same want of success. The French now withdrew into their entrenchments, and passed a large force through Bayonne, with which they made a desperate attack upon Sir Rowland Hill. The Marquis of Wellington dispatched Marshal Beresford to reinforce Sir Rowland, with, the sixth division; the fourth division was also sent to his assistance. Prior to Sir W. Beresford's arrival, the troops of General Hill had defeated and repulsed the enemy with great s The principal attack was made along the high road from Bayonne to St. Jean de Port, The French retreated to Bayonne. On January 21, 1814, the enemy withdrew all their outposts in front of the entrenched camp at Bayonne, between the river Adour, and the left of the river Nive. On March 14, Sir Rowland Hill passed the Gave d'Oleron, at Villenave, with the light, second, and Portuguese divisions, under Baron Alten, General Sir William Stewart, and Marshal Don Frederick Lecor; while General Sir Henry Clinton passed with the sixth division between Montfort and Laas; and General Sir Thomas Picton, with the third division, made a feint to attack the enemy's divisions at the bridge of Sanveterre, which 'caused the French to blow up the bridge. Don Murillo drove in the enemy's posts near Navarrens, and blockaded that place. On March 23, Marshal Beresford attacked the French in their fortified posts, and obliged them to retire; he then took possession of the village of St. Boes. Colonel Colbourne, with the 52d regiment, VOL. IL-35. 3 A was ordered to attack the enemy who were posted on the heights; he was supported by brigades of the third division, commanded by General Brisbane, and Colonel Kean, by Major-general Anson's brigade of the fourth division; General Picton's third division, and Sir Henry Clinton with the sixth division: the French retreated with the greatest precipitation, and in the utmost confusion. A great number of prisoners were taken, and six pieces of cannon. The whole country was covered with their dead, and the desertion from the enemy was immense. The allied army now passed the Adour, and Marshal Beresford made an attack upon Mont de Marsan, where he took a large quantity of provisions. The citadel of Bayone was invested by Sir John Hope, who also took the village of St. Etienne. On March 7, Lord Wellington dispatched General Fane to take possession of Pone; and on the 8th he sent Marshal Beresford to Bourdeaux, which city the Marshal triumphantly entered, the inhabitants having declared for Louis XVIII. and hoisted the white flag. A grand deputation, headed by M. Lynch, the mayor of Bourdeaux, met the victorious army, and conducted it into the city amidst every demonstration of joy. His Highness the Duke D'Angouleme had been sent for express to Bourdeaux. The deputies repaired to his Royal Highness at the head-quarters of the Marquis of Wellington, at St. Jean de Luz; and his Royal Highness soon after repaired to Bourdeaux. CHAP. XXIX. Operations of the Russian and Prussian Armies. Battle of Haynau. Battle of Leipsic. Entrance of the Allies into Paris. 1813, THE allied Russian and Prussian army, had 1814. its head-quarters at Wartzen, near Bautzen, on May 20. General Count Witgenstein now proposed to take up a position in Upper Lusatia. The |