To  give  them  battle  was  Evanses  purpose,  and  bravely  he
fulfilled  it.  On  the  5th  of  May,  at  five  in  the  morning,
the  action  began;  hill  after  hill,  each  strongly  fortified
4md  resolutely  defended,  was  taken.    Out  of  only  about


APPENDIX^  437

8,500  British  troops,  800  men  and  70  officers  were  killed
or  wounded,  in  facing  the  enemy  and  going  forward  on
fortified  lines,  all  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours.  Officers
of  the  French  army  came  from  the  frontiers  of  France  by
sea,  to  observe  the  attack,  hearing  the  rumour  that  it  was
to  be  made.  General  Harispe,  commanding  the  western
army  of  France,  was  one  of  them,  and  wrote  to  our  gene-
ral afterwards,  saying,  that  though  he  was  an  old  general
of  the  empire,  he  had  never  seen  such  gallantry  and
steady  devotion  as  in  our  troops  that  day.  And  well  he
might  say  so ;  there  is  not  in  history  the  record  of  more
gallant  heroism,  than  was  performed  on  that  day.  Had
it  been  for  any  national  object,  England  would  bave  rung
with  the  praises  of  the  legion.  It  was  for  an  object,
about  which  there  were  political  disputes  at  home,  and
little  or  no  sympathy ;  and  English  tory  statesmen  and
tory  newspapers,  had  the  meanness  to  sneer  at,  and  even
belie  the  gallantry  of  the  legion.
