The New York Herald Newspaper, July 31, 1873, Page 3

THE FIGHT FOR A CROWN. Graphic Letters from the Corps of Herald Correspondents in the Field. THE WAR IN NAVARRE. How the Carlists Evade the Pursuit of Five Flying Columns. FASCINATIONS OF THE MARCH. veh ELL, The Battling from Opposite Points of View. pe EE A DEADLY AMBUSH. SUES ESP Sa The Carlists Are Inveigled Into a Mountain Pass and Cut to Pieces. — aenrens GUERILLA FLANK ——_-—_—_— Btinging Defeat and Rout of a Repub- lican Column. The Fatigues of Journalistic Campaigning in Spain and the Dangers Encountered by the Herald Correspondents. ATTACK. THREE ENGAGEMENTS. The Pursuit of the Carlists and the Cruelties of the Victors. SANTA CRUZ AMIABLE. Don Alfonso’s Letter to Don Carlos. IruRzUN, Province of Navarre, pa} June 28, 1873, My last letter was dated from Pampeluna, and it mformed you that I was waiting to join areal Qghting column, a party that meant the business of war inearnest. As the fighting column, how- ever, was rather slow in coming to Pampeluna, and as the Maaritt press was daily stating that a battle was imminent befween the Carlists and the army under Nouvilas, I thought it wiser to try once more from Vittoria. On arriving at Castejon, where Mes the junction of the ratiroads from Miranda to Castejon and from Saragossa to Castejon, we heard news of a Breat battle baving. been fought at Miranda at oon that very day, which, as yon may imagine, was gricvous news toa HeRALD special bound to the same place. But at Logrofio, the town where Mves Baldomero Espartero, Prince of Vergara, the horizon cleared up somewhat, and your corre spondent, since he was not present, was delighted to hear that only four Carlists were killed and but two soldiers. Two hours later we ARRIVED AT MIRANDA, the scene of the sanguinary strife of yesterday, and naturally enough proceeded to inquire of every body of the casualties suffered in the battle. The | pflicial account was one lieutenant colonel wounded in the head and one soldier in the right arm; one @ead Carlist and one prisoner. So much ior the re- sults of the great battle of Miranda. If I attempted at this time to give you a detailed | account of the skirmish I should have to ask you to | publish @ map that you might understand what ptherwise would be most confusing; but, bricfy, the cause of the disturbance was that Ollo and Dorregaray, with 5,000 men, had made A MOST EXTRAORDINARY MARCH from Ordufia to Miranda, a distance of forty-two miles, This for a day’s march is most surprising; at least the people of the village and railway station of Miranda think so, for they have uttered in my bearing sufficient ejaculatory expletives, if faith- fully reported, to fill every book in Astor Library. In a long, wavy line the 5,000 men crested the Jow, sinuous hill just in iront of the railway sta- tion, stood there for @ moment, as if to take in ata glance the state of affairs in the Valley of the Ebro; then dashed down the slope, struck off in an oblique direction irom the station, brushing by it and the company of soldiers stationed there, who fired at long range upom them, and, crossing the railway, took up * position upon the brow of a hill Opposite that on which they had first made their appearance. They rested here for over two hours, while mall body of them cut down telegraph | dines and occupied itself in destroying a portion of | the railroad, Having rested, the Carlisis struck off ye northeast direction, and were soon lost among | mountain fastnesses. Other news which I received here was that Brig- adier Castaiion, with 2,000 men, had, two hours be- fore I arrived at Miranda, started in hot pursuit of the Cariists, Powers above! This news quite upset me, and I began to think that fortane, which hitherto had always befriended me, bad quite deserted me; so like a crazed madman my courier, urged by an ir- Fitated employer, ran about the streets offering his | kingdom for two horses and any amount of money besides that reasonable men could ask for such animais; bat, alas! there were no horses at Miranda and only wings would have enabied me to overtake Castaiion. ‘Towards evening, while sipping coffee disconso- | lately at my inn, a telegraphic response came to A TELEGRAM | Thad despatched to Vittoria, which was as follows (though you will not jump up with joy asf did) :— | “‘Nouvilas, the general-in-chief, is at Vittoria. He marches after Carlists to-morrow with two col- ‘umns.”’ This was precisely what I wanted. As Vittoria is but two hours’ distance from Miranda by rail, Nou- | ‘vilas might easily be reached in the early morning. | Upon arriving at Vittoria next morning I cailed | ‘upon the ex-Minister of War and Generalissimo of | Guipuzcos, Biscay, Alava and Navarre, and, pre- | senting my credentials, begged to be permitted to | @ecompany his column. The permission was. read- | fly granted, upon the conditions that I should bring | my own horses and be ready within half an hour. | ‘This was rather short time for preparation to ac- | company an expedition setting out for war, but, | sending my courier to purchase horses, started off | in another direction to collect the usual accontre- | ments of a camp follower, such as blankets, water- proofs, &., &. APTER THE CARLISTS, Exactly at nine A. M. that day the bugle sounded | for the march and two columns, consisting of 2,000 | mén each, under Nouvilas and Portilia respectively, set out from Vittoria to hunt up the Carlists, ‘The enemy, for the search o1 which this force ‘under Nouvilas is organized, consists of bands of Carlists, under the Chiefs Ollo and Dorregaray, and numbers perhaps beswegy three thoussud NEW. YORK HERALD, THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1873.—W1TH SUPPLEMENT. four thousand men—certainly not more, though I have heard men say that the number approximated seven thousand men. Ollo and Dorregaray were reported to be making for the Amescuas Mountains after their unexpected appearance before Miranda, and Nouvilas, with his two columns, Was now starting in hot pursuit across the beautiful and rich plain of Vittoria. SPANISH TROOPS march well at all times, but the soldiers of Nouvilas seemed spurred on by acommon ambition or ant- mated by one sentiment, for they tore over the chalk-white roadsin a most extraordinary fash- ion. They had been three months after the Carhsts, marching distractedly here and there under vari- ous chiefs, but invariably the Carlists escaped. ‘The General-in-Chief was always frustrated in his plans; the best laid schemes for the capture of the marauding force of Ollo gil collapsed, and the cause of all this was that some chief's column had not come upto time to close the gates, according to the instructions of Nouvilas. Five brigadiers were returned to Madrid who had been tried and found tobe useless. This time, however, Nouvilas, the General-in-Chief, was almost sure; he had found, after much discouragement, faithful and true re- publican men as brigadiers to command columns, and the confidence with which he seemed to be possessed Inspired the soldiers. Leaving THE HISTORIC PLAIN OF VITTORIA behind us, we were soon confronted by the natural buttresses, spurs, or hog’s-backs aa they may be compared, of the formidable plateau of the Ames- cuas, Whose sides were perpendicular rocky wails rising almost sheer 1500 feet above the turnpike road along which we were then marching. Natur- ally enough when | saw this long line of rocky scarp and rugged ruin of the plateau my mind reverted to ABYSSINIAN MEMORIRS, and I remembered well the saying of a veteran British officer who had witnessed the Carlist war of 1833, when he saw some of the worst passes there, Said he, This portion of Abyesinia reminds me of the Pyrenees, and if this country were peopled with Carlists very few of us, I venture to say, would ever see Magdala,” AS WE ROSE higher towards the clouds we obtained a succession of magnificent views of extensive tracts of level plain, which seemed to be laid out in garden beds for a horticultural exhibition, so kindly had hazy distance hidden trregularities of hedge and fence and uncultivated tracts. The exce'lent turnpike roads resembled sandy footpaths, and were fringed with the serpentine lines of tall, vigorous poplars and well cropped box hedges. Over all floated the haze, like a tenuons azure veil; and when a hait was ordered for the relief of weary foot soldiers struggling up the algzag road, the sweet metallic sound of tower ciocks added to the boly beauty of the scenes on which our delignted eyes rested, At eight P, M. the column commanded by the General-in-Chief in person entered the village of Maestu, while the column of Portilla found refuge for the night ina neighboring village. Nouvilas had very kindly taken your humble special under his own protection and lodged him with far more consideration than his mevite or state deserved, Classed as an oficial on the stati, I was lodged, with my courier, in a very respectable house, and @ lancer was detailed to look after our horses. Rations of grain, bread, wine and meat were served out for us in @ most generous manner, 80 that though the room was poorly furnished and the walls but whitewashed, and the floor creaked dismally under our footsteps, we had no cause to be discontented with the situation, taking into cousideration the fact that the Commanding Gene- ral was lodged no better. It was wonderful how quickly the troops were quartered. Though there were only forty-eight houses in the village, 2,000 troops and about three hundred horses were accommodated, ana thai very evening every manin his heart biessed the gods that provided such an avundance, Who that has been following the American army, with its long lines of wagon trains, loaded with provisions, tents and ammunition, will not remem” ber the many inconveniences the soldier and the camp follower suffered’ Who that has been in such a situation will not remember the hours—the Jong, weary, drowsy hours—one had to wait, after camp was reached, before his supper was ready, and not envy the readiness with which fresh wheaten bread, goed rosy wine and fresh meat were served to us? QUARTERING THE TROOPS. How different also the mode of equipping an ex- pedition ! The soldiers start out from a large town like Vittoria with one change of clothing and 120 rounds of ammunition on their backs, careless of their fate when they arrive in camp, so confident are they that at each village on the way accommo- dation and food for man and beast will be found. There are no wagon trains and bucking mules and mud-drowned animals to impede the way; there are no tents to pitch, no fires to be lighted, no suppers to be cooked, no heavy, indigestible biscuits; no bilious, greasy, fried meat tobe eaten and kill a man’s future powers of degintion and digestion! No; but, in striking contrast, the Spanish soldiers march as if on parade—light, ser- viceable and compact, from village to village and from point to point. THE CARLISTS WALK OFP. We found that the Carlists had passed Maestn, on the road towards Estella, 5,000 strong, and that two hours only before our arrival at Maestu a body of seventy Carlists had taken rations and followed the same road. Leaving Maestu next morning, the tarnpike— chalky, white and hard as iron—led to avery dif- ferent country from the plains of Vittoria. It wound among the defiles and narrow ravines, on each side of which rose steep upright walls of rock or enormous hills, like blunt cones or lengthy lines of forest-clad slope; but the summits of these hilis were ever half obscured by mist and cloud. ‘Those who know what a guerilla war is know what kind of danger surrounds the passage of such aroad as the one I have attempted to describe, and can imagine well how many hundred pairs of eyes were directed towards the suilen summits | hidden in the shadow ; and how men’s hearts must have beaten as they advance towards the base of a more than ordinarily horrent rock or scarp, But fortunately not a shot startied us; most wicked- looking places were passed safely; we even passed thst place of terrible reminiscences for Espartero, the Bridge of Urcija, and still NO SIGN OF A LURKING ENEMY. We passed Santa Cruz de Campezu at noon and were soon beyond the confines of Alava and in the Kingdom of Navarre, the stronghold of Carlism. Not an eye now looked on us kindly save from com- pulsion or dread of consequences. We were as perfectly surrounded by enemies as though we were out of Spain and in another nation’s territory in time of war. We passed the night at Murieta, a noted Cartist Village situated at the base of the Amescuas Moun- tains, the well known bhaants of the Carlists, In the morning we held on our way, directing our | steps towards Fraul, a point of the Amescuas Moun- tains lately made famous by the surrender of Colonel Navarro, with 600 troops, to the Carliat chiefs Ollo and Dorregaray. No one could look on the lofty, frowning heights of Braul and the steep, rugged road which led up to it and not sympathize in his heart with the gallant Colonel. Had his troops been clothed in triple armor they never could have reached the heights of Eraul in the face of 5,000 Chassepots pelting them to death with leaden balls. FIRING. While we were endeavoring to picture the post- tion of Navarro the column Was startled out of its feeling of security by several loud reports which boomed defiance from the heights arounu us. But as the enemy were not numerous the Nanking parties soon relieved us from the annoyance, From Eraul we descended to Abarsusa, an an- tique village of the most antique type, situated in a lovely valley, and on the next day continued the march towards Irurzu0, on the Pampeluna ana Alsasua road, A couple of hours from Abarsusa we arrived at a place called the Salinas de Oro, where the turnpike led close between two prominent spurs, above which were three or four rugged, rocky knolls. Yonvilas, an old veteran Of 1883, a witness ana 4 participator in the last Carlist war, chose to diverge from the turnpige and travel along an old Toad that rap parallel With Jt, but oF qeafe dis- tance from the threatening rocks which guarded its passage. As soon as we made our appearance on the summit of the left spur, nearly on a level with the rocks, the Carlists, to the number of TWO HUNDRED GUERILLAS, under a chief called Rosas, began firing from all sides at a rate which would have been murderous had not the prudent old General swerved from the turnpike. The fankers soon disiodged those on the left spur, bat the Carlists on the rignt spur kept up their Sring incessantly as long as the column was in sight, the bullets flying close enough to us; bat only two members of the column were wounded, while the Carlists had three killed. This CHIEF ROSAS is a noted guerilla, who 1s always posted in the neighborhood of the Salinas, on the road between Estella and Pampeluna, to annoy columns who are pressing on after the main body of the Carlists, but is too insignificant to detain a column from the main opject in view. At night, about nine o'clock, we arrivea at Irur- zun, but found it occupied by a column under Brigadier General Castafion, and consequently moved on again to Villanueva; but this place was occupied also, and, though tired and hungry, alter @ march of two leagues, we had to go another league to lava, By what I have writtten above your readers may obtain a glimpse into the real life of A FIGHTING COLUMN, and may know that it is bent on earnest war if it should fortunately meet the Carlists, but that its main occupation consists in marching and counter- marching. In brief, without detailing the inci- dents of daily marches, you must know that the force under Ollo and Dorregaray manages to evade the five columns which pursue it by EXTRAORDINARY MARCHES: from thirty to fifty miles a day, and, being warned of the approach of the columns by volunteer spies, it is not so very easy, afterall, to overtake it. The country is simply a jumble of mountains, small Plateaus, blunted cones, rugged ranges divided, subdivided and separated one from the other by deep and narrow ravines, to enter one of which in pursuit of the Carhsts would be almost certam de- struction to @ column numbering but one-third of the enemy. So that unless the Carlists wish to fight and make a stand, or unless they are at last finally run down, or accidently met by a column, there is not much chance of my being able to describe a battle, though there is a great possibil- ity that, some of these days, YOUR CORRESPONDENT MAY GET WINGED from behind some rock by @ more than usually skilled marksman or a chance bullet, While we were resting the next morning after our eleven league march Nouvilas was studying with Castafion, Portilla and Elie how to meet the thing you wish, was against us, and it was now night; 80, after sending a regiment to Castafion’s aid and a battalion of engineers to secure a pass, we quartered for the night at Irurzun, where, though greatly fatigued, I wrote my last ietter. This morning at six o'clock the column of Novvilas was on the move, breasting a lofty moun- tain, the summit of which was gained three hours laver, while the column of Elio marched along the highway to Lecumberri, the place where this letter is written. After a short breathing pause Nouvilas’ column began to descend the mountain above Irarzun, on the opposite side, and after experiencing a dreary four hours’ march arrived at the village of Ychaso, near the battle field, where we received the news we were all hungering for, and where the disheart- eriDg news of yesterday was dispelled as chatf be- fore the wind. ‘The truthful side of the affair of yesterday is that General Castaiion, ambitious to distinguish him- self and burning to rival the feat of Portilla at Ol logoyen, hurried after the Varlist army as soon as he heard of their presence at Irurzun, and, in his haste to overtake them, made 4 FORCED MARCH, and near the village of Ychaso he came up with them. THE BATTLE. ‘The first view Castafion got of the Carlists was of three battalions, conspicuously displayed on the summit of a hill spur, the slope of which was ag smooth as the glacis ofa fort, Leaving the sheiter of the village of Ychaso, the column breasted a hiliside and came upon @ level terrace, clothed with low thorn bushes and fern, in fall view of the Carlist battalions. Posting his artillery at the distance of 1,000 yards from the smooth slope of the hill on which the Carlists were posted and spreading his column betore them, he opened fire, No sooner had he begun to engage the enemy than he found, to bis dismay, that the Carliats were posted along an arc of two miles in length, on commanding positions, whence every man of his column was distinctly visible and at the mercy of the enemy if he held his position long enough, Prom five thousand to six tnousand Carlists were 1m bis front and flanking him, while a more ex- posed position than he occupied could hardly have been devised. THE SAD MISTAKE, While he was thus rapidly learning the difficul- ties of his position the three battalions which had jured him to such a fatal trap began to move down the smooth slope with fixed bayonets, while in front he perceived a similar movement of the enemy. Halting but a tew minutes to punish the Carlists descending the smooth hillside, with smartly plied Remingtons and artillery, he was about to order @ retreat to the village, when he was met unexpectedly by a body of the enemy, who pushed on resistlessly at the bayonet point to Carlists. The result of the council was that Por- | capture the artillery. A nervous effort on his part tilla was ordered to the Amescuas to take up a | saved one of his guns, but the other was taken be- position above the villages of Ollogoyen and Ga- | yond hope of recapture, as the Princess’ battalion miza; that Eho continue his march towards | of his column became panic-stricken and fled, an Alsasua to prevent the enemy from going to Gui-.| example which was soon followed by the remain- puzcoa; that Castafion, with his 1,700 men, pro- | der of the column. But, with the exception of ceed to the gate of the Amescuas, near Bakedano, while Nouvilas was to hurry forward after the rapid-going Carlists and endeavor to drive them between two fires or where they should be eligible to attack, During the following three days we experienced very hard work. It wos not so much from the ra- pidity at which we travelled, but from the duration of the march, that it became wearying. The bugle woke us all up at half-past five A. M., and by the time some of us could dress the vanguard was on the march. Ateleven A. M. we halted for break- fast at a village, or under the trees, on a mountain slope; attwo P.M. the march commenced again and lasted until seven P. M., when, of course, we were all 60 fatigued that nothing was thought of much but sleep. On the third day we arrived at Estetla, the Car- lists but a few hours in our front, marching toward a ravine that led by Portilla’s position. Long be- fore the Carlists’ approach the pickets saw them advancing, and, in obedience to orders, retreated hastily to the main body of the government column, which was at once SILENTLY PREPARED FOR ACTION. Portilla had placed his troops admirably on two commanding hills, which guarded the entrance to the pass. The Carlists were permitted to pass on Undisturbed until three-fourths of their number had entered the gaping ravine, when suddenly, at the sound of a bugic, two pieces of artillery and 2,000 Remingtons opened upon them to their utter confusion and dismay. They were rallied from the shock, and endeavored to stand their ground, but the position of the troops and the coolness with which they plied their Remingtons proved too much for them, and, to escape utter annihilation, the retreat of the Carlists was ordered. Their loss, as staved officially by Portilla, were sixty killed and 300 wounded, almost all of whom were leit on the field. The loss of the troops was smail, as might have been expected; but four were killed and sixty to seventy Wounded, many of which were too slight to be considered as wounds. We arrived to-night at irurzun, where we have received very grave news, indecd, but this wiil form the subject of another letter. Still After the Carlists—Our Correspond- ent Investigates the Carlist Victories — Castanon’s Surprise and Defeat. LEcumBERRI, Province of Navarre, Spain, Jane 27, 1878. } We returned from Estella aimost by the same way we had entered it, but, animated by the blow Portilla had given the Carlists at Ollogogen, our vanguard was exceedingly busy this time in making prisoners of Carlist scouts, who could not escape in time to avoid a small cavalry detach- ment that was constantly on the aiert. When we arrived in the neighborhood of the ill-omened rocks of Salinas de Pro we struck across a lofty mountain, and, descending, visited the valleys of Goni and Olio, At tne village of Ollo we heard bad news, which wae that the railway station at Irurzan had been attacked by Ollo’s Cartlist army, and seventy soldiers who guarded it had surrendered after very ineffective daring. By one of those incredible marches of the Carl- ists it seems that, alter being so sadly defeated at Ollogoyen by Portilla, they had made a retrograde movement, and hastened back to Irurzun to find it utterly unprotected. When the General-in-Chief heard this news, in- stead of proceeding to Pampeluna, us he had in- tended to do, he ordered a move upon Irarzun, where we arrived last night, not only to verify with our own eyes what we had heard at Oliv, but to hear the sound of excessive firing and to see pale-faced fugitives from a battle fought yesterday afternoon, ‘The news these fugitives told us was exceedingly disheartening, and for 4 moment tt really looked as if we should have to confess ourselves thoroughly beaten. ‘Castafion’s column, 1,700 strong, had been totally deieated by 5,000 Carlists, under Ollo and Dorregaray; the artillery had been captured, | and wbat remained of the column were no longer men and soldiers, but cowards and fugitives, fy- ing in terror towaras Pampeluna, throwing their arms and knapsacks away in their fight.” Four hours more of daylight, or had we arrived four hours euriler, or even two hours, and the coup de grace promised you in my telegram would have been effected thoroughly. But it was now seven P.M, and ‘THE BATTLE FIRLD ‘was six miles away in the heart of the mountains, somewhere behind the two rocks near Irurzun, known as Dos Hermanas, or the Two Sisters. As we were all drawn up in line waiting orders came two messengers from Castafion with an urgent entreaty that aid would be sent to him, as he had only 800 men left of his column, which were posted in a village, where they bad determined to resist until relief came. At the same time also, like vuitures scenting prey, the column of Elioy Rey, 2,000 strong, came in, marching from lava, apparently fresh, though they had marched a long distance, and half an hour later came information that General Portilla, ten leagues off, between Tolosa and Irurzun, was advancing towards us. Thus we had SIX THOUSAND REGULAR SOLDIERS, ‘with artillery and cavalry, eager and burning to avenge the defeat of Castafion, and had we, as every one wished, but four hours more of daylight AOt A Caruist could have cacaped, But juck, or the Princess’ battalion, what was left of the column took retuge in the village of Ychaso, whence they opened a smart fire upon their bold enemy and succeeded in repelling the attack which was in- tended. Had Olio and Dorregaray been as wise as they are prudent a general and bold attack upon the village must have been followed by an imme- diate surrender of Castafion and the remainder of the column. Fortunately, however, tor the good name of the Spanish Republic, the Carlists de- sisted from further attack to convey their wounded away and bury some of their dead. On riding over the battle fleld to-day with sore ofthe officers of the staff I was surprised at the strange results of what the Cariists must natu- rally consider a victory. Out of the thirty-two dead bodies left on the field twenty-two were those of soldiers and ten were Cariists. Thirty-eight Cartisis were buricd yesterday by their comrades, thus making the number forty-eight dead on their side. AS we advanced towards this town we passed Arruiz, where lay two dead Carlist captains, and in the house of the Curé of Lecumberri. with whom 1am lodged, Don Carlos Caro, Count of Altabura, nephew of Elio, the Carlist Commander-in-Chief, is at this moment dying, and in a house near by the son of General Villanette is also dying trom a shot wound near the heart. Fourteen Carlists have died in the hospital of Lecumberri to-day, and from the nature of the wounds of others I presume several more must die to-night. The sum total of THE CARLIST DEAD, thus far, numbers 66, while the wounded whom we have at this hospital number 69. The loss of the troops amounts to 24 killed, 68 wounded—7 oftl- cers—and several soldiers prisoners, A VICTORY (1), After a rest of two hours at the village of Ychaso the colamn of Nouvilas, accompanied by the col- umn of Castaiion, now reorganized, marched to Lecumberri, where we found the column of Elio y Rey. morning for Leiza, whither I expect we shali go to-morrow. It is said they have boasted they have obtained a great victory. Having satisficd myself of the truth of the above facts, | can only add that the victory has been dearly bought, and that no sane geueral would care to obtain many more suca victories. The Three Carlist Battles—The Herald Correspondent on the Highway—March- ing and Countermarching. LECUMBBERI (Navarre), June 27, 1873. Though my instructions implied that I shonia send in, more or less regularly, my reports of what is going on in the unbappy Basque Provinces, I must confess I do not see yet how | shall be abie to do so, Not only are there seldom means for send- ing letters from the heart of Navarre or Biscaya to any place where they could be posted with any- thing like safety, but no human being here could find strength or time to write even short notes every day while things go the way they sre going now. Five or #ix hours fs all that ts given to us in the way Of rest or stoppage trom CONTINUAL MARCHING weder 4 burning sun through mountain paths scarcely practicable even sor goats and sheep. For these last twelve days I had never more than three consecutive hours sleep, for though actual march- ing ceases oiten (but by no means always) with nightfall, two or three hours are always lost in search of some ood and night shelter both for man and horse or mule, if one is lucky enough to have either. Andon the next morning, before day bas quite appeared, all must be off again, with limbs a8 Gviff as timber and with no more substan- tial means for keeping body and soul together than can be got Out of a mere prospect of having at midday some bread and wine and at nightfall some intolerable oil soup. To write under such circumstances becomes almost impossibie, and s few words, written with a view to be con- cealed (rom republicans on bite of paper almost as thin and small as those used by the balloon post during the Paris siege, is all that can be possibly sent witad a0 express, in the shape of some old ‘woman, carrying it on foot to Bayonne or St. Jean de Luz, to be telegraphed thence. This ts the only way in Wich even “His Majesty Charies VII.” gets informed when any fignt of his partisans tak | piace, and the same way was used to iniorm the readers Of the HERALD O1 the rough facts of which [have now to give @ more detailed account, UNDER WAY. After the visit to Santa Cruz’s headquarters, of which the H#Rap had a report, I left Vera with an escort of four men the famous curé had granted me, and with the intention of joining the Com- | mander-in-Cllel’s staf, the exact whereabouts of which was teed not known and had to be made outon the way. All that was known was that the } united troops of Dorregaray and Oilo, as well as the cavalry of Perulla, were united under the General-in-Chief?s command, and were mancu- vring somewhere im Biscaya, for the sake, as it was believed, of getting some ten thousand guns ship- ped from England and disembarked near Bilboa. So, at least, spoke all the Carlist newamongers. But the guns in question hed then even not leit England, and, in fact, were about te be seized by since have not yet reached the Spanish coast, The trath was that Nouvilas pursued Ollo ‘with nearly the whole of his troops, divided in five strong columns, and that the Carlist com- | 4,500 men, very badly supplied with cartridges, had to march over all the Basque provinces to avoid Aghting and to tireoutthe enemy, Marching is, besides, the usual Carltst resource for getting pro- visions. They know that if they remain a few days at the same place it 1s at once exhausted in every- thing that concerns fooa and forage, and that the country people, however devoted to the Carlists, begin te grumble. Consequently the policy ts to be always on the move, a policy all the more convent- ent as the warriors of Chartes VII. are a set of peo- ple to whom marching, when no fighting is to be gt, seems to be quite as indispensable as water to fish, All these considerations had their weight with old GENERAL OLLO, whose intimate knowledge of the country and the people daves from the seven years war of Charles V., when he commanded a brigade. And so skil- fully had he now caloulated his movements through Alava and Biscaya, that notwithstanding a con- stant close pursuit of an encmy five times as strong as himself, he had not lost a dozen men, with nearly tour weeks of this sort of manwu- vring. To overtake a General under such circumstances ja not an easy task, and Santa Cruz's officers told me I must consider myself very lucky if lever reached my destination. There were cases, they said, when letters sent to the headquarters were travelling about the mountains for two months, to no better purpose tnan that of falling into the hands of the republicans at last. The safest way, they.said, was to go towards Estella and to awatt somewhere about that piace the General's return to the province of Navarre. I left Vera accord- ingly, with my four men, and@ reached the Pass of The Carlists, we hear, left this town this | the British government, and though set at liberty H Las Amesouas after three days mountain marching from four in the morning till five or six at night, which I considered then to be very hard work, and which, as I learned subsequently, was mere chiki’s play. Though of the four men escorting me three could not speak a word in any dialect except the Basque, one at least spoke a little Spanish, and so we got along pretty fairly, without meeting any republi- cans and without any other accident worth relating except the usual bother about lodgings, food, forage and horse shoes, which were wanted daily. But for the whole of the tnree days we had not the slightest communication with the outer world. The few highlanders we met wore not able to tell us anything about what we wished to know, and it was only toward the close of the third day’s moun- tain march, that Providence sent us a messenger in the shape ofa DON MANUEL, A YOUNG PRIEST, and until lately professor of history at the Sem- inary of Pampeluna, and now officially a member of the “Red Cross” Association, and unofficially the great link of communication between General Ollo and Don Carlos. It would seem that the young and sharp looking priest, coming up the mountain on his mule, and escorted by two Car- lists disguised as countrymen, was rather fright- ened upon first observing us coming down towards him, as he took us for a republican patrol. But, having recognized my red mare and a kind of British neck protector we had together organized on our hats at Urdat, he did not run away into some inaccessible eagle's nest, but bravely came towards us. He had a heap of in- formation, all of which turned out most servicea- ble. First of all, he declared that we bad no need to march any further, as General Ollo was coming this way and would reach Las Amescuas in a couple of days. He had not only escaped from Nonvilas’ pursuit, but had manceuvered #0 suc- cessfully as to divide toe republican forces. Part of them had been sent towards Pampeluna to rein- force the column stationed at Elizondo and St. Esteban; another portion went towards Tolosa to look after Santa Craz, who, after burning Beasain, entered Algeria and threatened Villafranca, while another strong detachment had to be left at Vit- toria. Witha view still more to upset Nouvilas’ calculations, General Ollo had just given an order, of which the young priest was the bearer, to attack Elizondo if in any way possible. The scarcely formed and still catridgeless detachment of Mar- quis Las Hormazas, stationed at Urdat, the garrison of the Fort Pefiu de la Plata, the troops of General Lissaraga, stationed in and about Lecumberri, and those of Santa Cruz occupying Vera were all to join thetr efforts 12 this operation. The whole question was to know whether Santa Cruz would agree to the plan and consent to co-operate with his personal enemy, General Lissaraga. The refractory Curé had the best and most efictently armea troops, numbering nearly one thousand men, with two cannons, and his co-operation was, therefore, most important. The young clerical messenger carrying the order entertained great hopes that the Curé, with whom he was a great friend, would not resist his patri- otic eloquence and consent to make the coup. So sure of it, imdeed, seemed he to be that he per- suaded me to return and go with him, promising @ much more friendly reception from Santa Cruz than that Ihadon my first visit. As he assured me, besides, that Elio was not likely to fight in Las Amezcoas, consequent on his not having any am- mution to waste, and that the General’s plan was now to come as near to the French frontier as pos- ble, with a view to get fresh supplies, I thought I was justified in following Don Manuel’s advice. A return journey was at once resolved upon, and another three days’ march brought us once more to Vera. SANTA ORUZ was really much more amiable this time, and a dinner I had with him on this occasion is worth a separate report when the present narrative is con- cluded, Don Manuel was not mistaken as to the result of his visit. After a couple of hours’ private talk with nim Santa Cruz consented to Ello’s de- mands, and communications were sent to the troops at Lecumberri and Urdox to put themselves in readiness to marcn on Elizondo, Meanwhile Don Manuel had to proceed further—to France— being the bearer of letters for Don Carlos. The young priest was kind cnongh to take a few notes for the HERALD too, and Santa Craz pushed his courtesy with him so far as to propose to see him to the frontier. A few horses and mules were sad- dled, inclading one for your correspondent, whose own animal was quite broken down alter the six days’ march, and Don Manuel was marched off un- der escort of Santa Cruz himself, his body guards little partie de plaisir had, however, a very unfa- vorable result as far as the Elizondo expedition was concerned. Scarcely had we left Vera ani be- gun to ascend the mountains surrounding it than the little horse of SANTA CRUZ STUMBLED against one of numberless loose stones obstructing the mountain path here, fell down and the famous Curé was thrown off, with his head against a rock. He remained senseless for more than a quarter of an hour, tothe indescribable anxiety of his body guard and of Don Manuel; but as he ts quite re- stored at this moment the accident does not de- serve any farther mention, except in 80 far as it prevented the Elizondo expedition being «arcie’ out. Don Manuel had to proceed ‘urther all by himself, while your correspondent was left with no better prospects than those of either attending to Santa Crus’s bruised head or to resume once more the tiresome journey southward. While he was thus meditating as to what was the proper course for him to take church bells began to ring suddenly and cries of joy spread on all sides in the otherwise quiet and deserted streets of Vera, “what is the matter?’ was @ question on every- body’s lips. “GREAT VICTORY!” “Nouvilas had been taken prisoner with bis whole stair)” captured!” ‘An order had been just received to serve masses and distribute wine to the soldiers!" were the answers given by those who seemed to know something. On my callingupon Don Crus Ochoa, a kind of head staff officer of Santa Cruz, 1 learned that message had just been received from the commander of Fort Pefia de la Plata about &@ great victory obtained by Dorregaray and Ollo at Eulate, near the old battlefield of Eraul; that Nouvilas had beer made a prisoner, over @ thou- sand guns captured, several cannons and a lot of money and smmunition taken. Festivities were ordered to be celebrated everywhere and full par- ticulars of the glorious achievement of the army of Charles VII. were expected to-morrow. 1 need not say how great was my despair at having missed witnessing so important an engagement and how mupnder-in-chiel haying, op the whole, pcarcelx i anzions J waa to gum vp in my mind al) sho. | luna, and a representative of the HERALD. This original | 3 excuses I could brivg forward to justify myselr for not having been present at what seemed to be the most important battle since the begmning of this war. Off I sent a once an express to St. Jean de Lag carrying a telegram to you, while E myself went on my way to the battlefield, another three days’ march distant from Vera. But no sooner had I reached Janzy than I had reason to suspect the veracity of the news. The capture of Nouvilas began already to be contradicted before I left Vera, while the information I got at Janzy caused me to believe that the whole of the report ‘was a fabrication. I wondered only how it had got an official stamp to it and how the commander of Fort Pefia de la Plata could have been so indiscreet as to order festivities without being quite sure that there was occasion for them. By and by, on joining the headquarters, I learned the whole truth, both concerning the real nature of the en- gagement and the way in which the disfigured report of it had reached us, * THR BATTLE AT EULATE. Early in the morming of July 21 the united troops of Dorregaray and Olio marched under the general command of Elio toward Eulate. They followed a road below the mountains, and though the presence in the neighborhood of at least one republican col uma was known to the Carlists General Elio aid not seem to care much about it, knowing that as a consequence of his !ast movements the numerical strongth of the enemy was greatly decreased and that his forces must, besides, have been weakened through the constant marches the republican troops were lately subjected to, Ac eightin the morning, however, the approach of Brigadier General Portilla’s column having been announced, the Carlist Commander-n-Chief led the main part of his troops up the adjoining mountain with a view to take a position on them which would have enabled him to rout the enemy had he insisted upon moving onward. Portilla knew the danger he was exposed to, and periormed a feat very uncommon with the republicans. Leav- ing everything heavy, inoluding his cannon, down in the valley, he climbed up the heights with the whole of his infantry so dexterously as to puzzle the most enduring Carilst, The fight was thus offered and taken, and @ sharp musketry fire had been opened towards ten o’clock between Aramen- dia and Ganuza, speedily gaining extension, 80 that towards midday the whote of the mountains, nearly as fay as Murietta, wore covered with sharp- shooters, giving thus the whole engagemest the aspect of a great outpost skirmish. The fight lasted till six in the evening, without any more important result than that of elther side losing some fifty or sixty men, shooting several prisoners and re. treating at nightfall towards the respective places they were marching to-—the republicans south- wards, towards Estella; tne Carlists northwards, towards Lecumberri. But, while the fight was thus going on on tle heights, a coup de main had | been attempted by a small Carlist detachment down in the valley. Knowing that Portilla had Jef bebind his artillery and baggage, a handful of men attempted to take possession of them, and would certainly have succeeded had not part of another (Colonel Castafion’s) column been at tracted by thefiring and marched to the rescue of Portilla. The republican general had thus not lost either his cannon or his amunition or his cash box, containing, as had been reported, nearly $30,000; but he had narrowly escaped losing them. This abortive attempt was, however, speedily trans- formed into something quite diferent—thanks to the vivid imagination or, perhaps, to the shrewa- ness of a deserting republican sergeant. Having taken to fight from the feild, and having seen the Carlists rash towards the point were Portilla’ artillery had been left, the worthy republican, disguised in the uniform of a killed Carlist officer, reached fort Peja de la Plata with the report of a great vietory, the newa of which, he said, he had been in all hurry commis- sioned to bring over to France and to make known to the world. The loyal feclings of the commander of the fort would not allow hin, of course, to dis- believe so advantageous a report, and go bells were ordered to be rung, wine to be distributed, masses to be celebrated and ali the rest of it, while the deserting sergeant was safely escaping into France, via Sare, probably never to be heard of again. Tho only practical RESULT OF THE FIGHT OF THE 2lsT was, notwithstanding ail that the wire had spread about it over the world, simply that tne Carlists, who were already by no means rich in cartridges, had used several thousands of them and were therefore in a much worse position than be- fore. By way of explanation, I might, perhaps, be permitted to add here that the cartridge dificulty arises with the Carlists, in the first place, from the tact that they have no end of variety in the pat- terns of their guns, The same battalion has often every imaginable description of firearms, from the Berdan and the Remingten down to the medirval (rabucos, And, in the second place, they are not able yet tomanu/acture the cartridge-shells required by the new patterns of guns. Consequently, they are dependent upon the supply of these from France, and, as the frontier is watched pretty closely, great quantities of these shells are confiscated, and the armies of Don Carios are left thus quite helpless, Should the Queen of Seas, which bas just left Eng- land with several thousand guns and 1,500,000 car- tridges, not be able to safely land its cargo, the promoters of legitimacy in Spain will have still Inany hard days to see. THE BATTLE AT IRURZUN. Yet, however badly supplied the Carlist bands generally are, the main body of them, under Olo, bad atallevents a suMcient quantity of amma- nition to fight again a couple ef days after the Bulate affair, After having given a day's rest to his troops General Olle marched tewards Lecum- berri, and was on tie 2th, at night, when I joined | him, approaching Irurzun, a little place on the | junction of the highroad from Tolosa to Pampeluna and of the branch ratiread from Aisasua te Pampe- Irurzun, otherwise not even a village, is a most important sirategic pomt on account of its position, and the republicans had strongly fortiNed it and kept there @ garrison of some one hundred and fifty men. “You came just in time te see a bit of fun!” said the eld Genera! to me. “We mean to take the little reaoubt to-morrow befere we march any further; s0, if you are not too tired, get up early and come with us.’’ At five on the next morning the whole force was of, consisting of six battalions, witn three cannons. General Olio, with a battalion and a half, was marching im advance; Dorregaray, witu three battalions, formed the main body, while the Commander-in-Chiet was following him with the rest of the force as @ rear guard. On reaching the heights, Ollo at once brought forward his little cannon, white his sbarpshooters spread in the bushes down the hill; but there being no work for them at all, since the republicans kept strictly within their fortifications, the sharpshooters were soon recalled and the little cannon set to work. ‘The main body and the rear guard reached their positions when the cannon had been fired only twice and without apparently harting the enemy. ‘The third shot, however, was more efficient, hav- ing entered the wall of a house which was turned into @ kind of citadel of this miscrosoopic fortress. The fourth shot smashed @ good deal of the outside palisade. The fifth and sixth did not hurt anybody or anything, while the seventh took off almost the whole of the roof of the citadel. “Staya moment,” said old Ollo; “there is no use wasting ammunition that way. Send them word to surrender.’ A white flag was at once made with a handkerchief and one of Dorregaray’s aides-de-camp sent parieying. Ip “No end of guns and cannons had been | less than halt an hour A WHITE FLAG Was HOISTED from the enemy's side, and about one-hundred and fifty prisoners, with one cannon, two gan carriages and a quantity of ammunition were in the hands of the Cartiste. Truly, one could not have seen @ more bloodiess fight. Nota single man seems to have been killed in the redoubt, while the Carlista had only about a dozen wounded, the garrison. having fired rather sharply from bebind thelr pali- sades and fortified baiconies and windows of the houses, The prisoners were @& once disarmed some of them divested of their uniforms, too, and sent off towards Pefia de la Plats, while the fort was ocoupied by @ company of Oharies VII.’s vol- unteers. In one word, the whole affair was transacted in CONTINVED ON SIXTH PAGE,