12 MARCH 1836, Page 16

HENNINGSEN'S CAMPAIGN WITH El/MALACARREGUI.

IN consequence of his enthusiasm in the cause of Don CARLOS, Mr. HENNINGSEN joined the Pretender's army as a volunteer, and served a twelvemonth with theCarlist forces. But his zeal seems to have been tempered with discretion ; as he did not join the cause until ZUMALACARREGUI had given it some degree cf credit, and he quitted it immediately after the death of that chieftain. Of his year's experience lie has published av account, describing the marches, skirmishes, and affairs in which lie was engaged, the characters he met in the armies of CARLOS, and the face of tht! country through which he passed, with occasional notices of the inhabitants. To these the author has prefixed a sketch of the state of society in Spain ; of which he can obviously know no- thing, as he seems never to have been beyond the North-western frontier provinces; and a slight account of the events previous to FERDINAND'S death, and of the early efforts of the Royalists,— both necessary as introductions to Mr. HENNINGSEN'S narrative, and characterized by the one-sided views of a partisan. The expectations of the work, created by the prelusive notice' in the Quarterly Review, have not been fulfilled. The portions of the book relating to general matters cannot be relied on, not only from the partisan spirit of the author, but from a natural want of sobriety and discrimination, and the apparent absence of all instruction or self-training. The personal adventures have a! higher value. Judging from the number of Carlist atrocities which are recounted, the honesty of the writer may be relied on in matters of fact. His subject. has the freshness of novelty, whether we consider the character of the people, the nature of the country, or the minute peculiarities of the warfare waged there ; and his narrative is real and readable. The object of the book is unquestionably to uphold the Carlist cause, but it fails of attaining its end. The general assertions of Mr. HENNINGSEN, like the Tory statements at home, prove too much. According to him, it is not CARLOS, but Conservatism, for which the people are fighting ; and though the representative of Toryism may perish, its spirit is immortal. But if nine-tenths of the Spaniards are in favour of the Pretender, how happens it that the Queen's Government has not been brought to a stand still ? His single facts prove as little for the humanity of his companions in arms, as his general statements for their numbers and power. Such a set of ruthless and bloody miscreants cannot be matched, save amongst pirates; who have often displayed more compunction when their situation would have justified less. It is probable, indeed, that the Christinos are as bad as their op- ponents, (though we suspect their atrocities take a more formal shape, and are rather executions than butcheries ;) but their crimes being mostly described in gross, without the cir- cumstantial enumeration of the Carlists, they are not so strongly impressed upon the reader. We had occasion last week to remark upon the disadvantages of amateurs in war; but the horrors of Miguelites and Pedroites sink into nothing with the atrocities of the Navarrese Guerillas of Don CARLOS. These mountain barbarians seem without any of the faculties of a civilized being. The simplicity of which our author talks, is ignorance; their courage can only be relied upon when under cover; and even their fidelity is a kind of instinctive prejudice, instead of the rational decision of a man. Taking our author au pied de la lettre, Spain can only be looked upon as a nation of savages bent upon destroying each other, and upon whom assist- ance or interference is altogether thrown away. Admitting this to be true, we see no reason wiry one set of adventurers should fall foul of another set ; nor can we perceive any advantage which the mercenaries of Don CARLOS have over those of the Queen. Judging from the volumes before us, Mr. HENNINGSEN'S junction with CARLOS was surprisingly abrupt; his reasons for quitting him are unexplained; and, for aught that appears to the contrary, be may hang as loose upon society as any of those under "EvAsrs,- whom he so civilly designates as the " scum of the nation."

Having mentioned the manner in which the war was carried on, we will pick out a couple of passages to support our assertions.

WHOLESALE MURDER OF PRISONERS.

Zumalacarregui, as I have said, had ordered quarter to be given during the day ; and the march had already been beat, when those who had been foremost in the pursuit returned, bringing back, after the other six hundred had been de- spatched to the rear, betweeneighty and a hundred fresh prisoners, whom they had captured under the walls of Vittoria. These were sent under escort across the mountains. As night wan coming on, the captain of the company who had charge of them, and who had only been able to assemble thirty men of his company, found himself seriously embarrassed in the narrow and rocky roads, bordered on each side by a thick brushwood. Two of his prisoners had already made their escape, when he sent to Zumalacarregui to inform him of it, and that, as he had only thirty men to guard them, he could not answer for his prisoners. "Get cords," said the General. He was answered, that the Nil. lages had been abandoned;.and that they had searched in vain for some. " Then put them to death—passe los por emus." With this reply the messenger re- turned ; but immediately an aide-de camp spurred after him to say, that care must be taken that Ituralde's division was not alarmed by the firing. The captain, who vas acueld Navarre.. of Mina's school, on receiving the order,

gent for a sergeant and fifteen lancers, and causing his men to fix bayonets, commanded them to charge into the midst of the unfortunate wretches, who were all miserably slaughtered on the spot. The scene is said to have baffled all description ; the unfortunate victims were shrieking for mercy and chirping the knees of their destroyers and their horses : several young officers were amongst the slain.

This is a piece of barbarism on the Christino side— Private as well as political feuds had, long before the death of Ferdinand, disturbed !Whoa ; and armed groups of either party used to go out, on the pre- text of shooting game, but in reality to meet each other in the vineyards and woodlands around the town. The commencement of the civil war was there- fore carried on, particularly in Biscay, with a degree of barbarity which is only witnessed in wars where family is armed against family. I will give an example of cruelty exercised against Zavala, beyond what Europe would be- lieve of the modern ages, and of the party who protects to desire nothing but the improvement of Spain. Having, when pursued, sometimes obstinately defended himself; his two daughters, rho had fallen into the hands of the Christinos, were dragged about, and always carried forward with the tirailleurs in every encounter by the garrison of llilbna, which had daily skirmishes with him. Zavala, fearful of injuring his own children, was obliged to prevent hie parti- sans from returning the enemy's fire, and precipitately to retreat. At length, driven almost to desperation between the reproactes of his party and his pater- nal feelings' he sacrificed the latter to Ilk duty ; and having harangued hie followers, placed them in ambush mar a little village, of which I have fur- gotten the name, situated between (lueruica and the sea. The enemy being informed of the circumstance, advanced along the road, leading forward as usual his two daughters. Zavala, in a firm voice, but with tears in his eyes, ordered his men to open their fire ; and, instantly rushing in with the bayonet, was fortunate enough to recover his children unhurt : they had, however, narrowly escaped, two of those who held them being killed by the first discharge.

Let us turn to more peaceful scenes, and cull a few sketches of landscapes or manners.

FRONTIER VIEW OF FRANCE AND SPAIN.

A row of white stone boundaries, and a few stunted trees along the road, which winds in the middle of a bleak heath-covered mountain, is all that in- dicates the separation of the two kingdoms for so many centuries rivals; yet on looking from this line of landmarks, there was a striking and discouraging difference in the picture which the country we were leaving and the one we were entering presented. In France, many a white village and easarie peeped out from the midst of vines and gardens which covered the slope of the hills, and the scene gave everywhere the promise of plenty and fertility : on turning towards the Spanish side, the mountains seemed barren and rugged, and, towards the horizon,i, of that deep gloomy blue which we only see in the pictures of the old masters, and which is peculiar to the landscape of the South. Bleak, dreary, and uninhabited, the bold and harsh features of the scene were only relieved from an aspect of total desolation by a village or two, built of a dark red stone, and occasional ruins which have remained through the long lapse of years as memorials of woes and feuds of which the origin and history have long since been buried in oblivion.

It was now growing dusk, but we could still discern the sea and the light of the Phare of Bayonne, and of innumerable villages sparkling beneath our feet. Amongst the high barren hills covered with heath, were quietly grazing a few flocks, apparently lett entirely to themselves.

A SPA NISII

In a dirty inn, or posada, worse than the most miserable French public- house, I took up my abode for the night. The reader must not imagine that a Spanish posada is like au inn in any other part of the world, where the traveller generally gets civility at least for his money. The Spanish padrons, or inn- keepers, evince an astonishing nonchalance. The traveller may enter the kitchen, every one seeing him and allowing him to remain all day ; and unless he speaks, no one will ask him his business. To the questions, " What have you got ? " " What good thinos have you to give us ?" Quo acne ustcd? Que Ilene usted de Lucie)? Lo gee ustedes leen traido? " What you have brought with you," is the common answer from the hostess. It is only by dint of teaziog and coaxing that he at last obtains something ; and then he must take it as it conies, and pay what is asked. If it be given at the hour which the paclrona imagines not to be the right one for meals all over the world, be- cause it is not so in her village, it is a very rare and signal favour. Supper was served; it was what I afterwards learned to consider a good supper,—stock- fish, ham, and eggs, all cooked with tomtit and pimento, and soup, or rather a bread-paste.

CASTILIAN PRIDE AND HENNI NGSENIAN REFLECTIONS.

The old and pompous mottoes still preserved beneath coats of arms over the doors of houses sometimes of the meanest appearance, in which, at the present day, there is little more to be seen than the bare walls and windows closed by an old oak shutter, containing a small aperture, sometimes covered by a sheet of oiled paper, may give some idea of what must have been the pride of their forefathers. I remember one motto in particular, of the family of the Bellascoa, which is blasphemously ridiculous- " Antes quo Dios Nesse Dios, 0 qua el sol illuminaba los penascos, Ya era noble la Casa de los Bellascos."

"Before God was God,

Or the sun shone upon the rocks, Already was the house of the Bellascos noble."

These feelings of pride had, however, one good effect—they encouraged notions

of chivalry and a sense of honour, before Cervantes did his best to put them to the rout. The Castilian gentleman was the mirror of truth, high bearing, and generosity, which tempered the cruelty that seems always to tinge the blood of those born beneath the sun of a Southern sky. Similar traits may still be traced in the character of the Castilian. Nevertheless, in those instances in which his ancient spirit of chivalry has abandoned the Castilian gentleman,

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be quickly dwindles in the country to a level with the pea-ant, and in the town becomes that venal thing of selfishness and numbers, with which, when the absolute reign of steam and railroads is arrived, and the world becomes one large smoky city, Hume would people his Utopia.

INFLUENCE OF THE CLERGY.

The influence which the Spanish clergy exercise over the population is not

so immediate as might be imagined. If, for instance, its members in the pro- vinces could have been gained over to preach against Don Carlos, they would not for an instant have been listened to. While they chime in with the public voice, all goes on well; but I question whether even the ban of the Church would cause a single .Navarrese to lay down his arms. In a book expressly devoted to the campaign of the great Carlist leader, some nofee of him seems required at parting, in- dependent of the interest which his brilliant successes excited at the time, and the effects they might have produced on the cause of DM CARLOS. Here is a tolerably distinct account of the tactics of ZUMALACARREGUI, and also a key to his own success and the failures of his opponents. Throughout it was the policy of this treat leader—for such he undoubleay was—on finding himself with Infinitely Inferior numbers and inferior troops, not only to carry on a war of surprise and destruction, in detail, as Mina Mut done, and which is the natural mode of fighting all undisciplined armies, where the nature of the country presents great obstacles, but to accustom Nem to operations of greater magnitude. • • • • Besides carrying on a war of surprises, Zumalacarregui's system was, there- fore, always to fight where he could not lose by it, and in every favourable spot to give battle with sometimes only a handful of men. Generally he chose po- sitions which it was difficult to turn ; he defended them obstinately till the enemy were near taking him in the flank, which nightfall almost always pre- vented. If the positions were forced, it cost a great sacrifice ; and then a retreat

took place, more resembling, from its rapidity, a flight, excepting that the companies and battalions fled altogether, and in good order, their officers in their respective places, and without ever losing a musket. The General wars usually the last of his little army on such occasions. If the enemy attempted to pursue, he was stopped by a few companies, who swept the narraw roads, and covered the retreat. These were only to he driven back by other tirailleurs, who were obliged to proceed with much caution, each man of the Carlists being hidden by a rock, the trunk of a tree, or the evergreen bushes which abound its that country ; while, remaining still, the Carlists not being seen, take a deadly aim at those who are advancing. When at last the game became too hot, and they were too closely pressed by their adversaries, these companies, whose num.-

ber it was impossible to ascertain, easily effected their escape. man, like a fox or wolf, traversed hill and dale, rock and ravine, and at night joined his comrades, who, by that time, had rapidly retired so far that it would have been impossible to overtake theta. If they were adventurous enough to follow them, they found the rear-guard in good order waiting for them ; and is here soy thing like a plain or piece of table-land intervened, the Carlist cavalry was so dis- posed a. to charge them before they could form on the open space.

All night the Carlist army occupied always nearly four times as many villages

as their adversaries, as they had no fear of extending their line, being l'abri dune surprise," on account of their intelligence, kept up through the count' y by their spies and particlas. Every thing went on with them as usual—the soldier receiving his full rations; while their adversaries, who perhaps had flattered themselves with a victory, were often obliged to bivouac in the mountain or to occupy some miserable village which could not even shelter their officers; the men perishing with cold, and always either bread or meat, or wine, and some- times the whole of their rations, being deficient. By night they durst not stir, even to retreat ; and the next day, if they advanced, they Mural the indefatigable chief occupying a similar position a mile or two further on ; if they retired, he followed on their rear. There was thus no proportion between the loss of the Carlists and the Christinos : the latter, therefore, in case of success, only ob- tained the empty honour of having purchased at an immense loss of life the power of occupying an unimportant spot.

Of ZUMALACARREGUI himself our author speaks in strains of hyperbole; and without giving in to the exaggerated estimate of. Mr. HENNINGSEN, it must be admitted that he was an extraor- dinary man. When he joined the Carlists, after having escaped from his surveillance at Pampeluna, they were reduced to the lowest ebb, from internal dissensions, uniform ill success, and want of arms. By his energy and management, he restored con- fidence and harmony, established a rough discipline, introduced a system of tactics fitted for the mode of warfare adapted to the country, and armed and clothed his gradually-increasing numbers by spoils stripped from his slain enemies. What was more, by discovering the principle of mountain warfare, (for this merit must be conceded him,) and applying it uniformly and upon a large scale, he was enabled to defeat the most pow, rful armies sent against him ; and by the terror of his name to infuse a courage into his own troops, and a timorous caution into his own oppo- nents, which served him better than physical force. Whether this prestige would have operated in the plains, and have sufficed to carry him to Madrid without opposition, (to which place he in- tended, says our author, to have marched when CARLOS forced him to proceed to Bilboa,) may be questioned ; and if not, he most likely would never have reached it. ZUMALACARREGUI, doubtless, had studied- the theory of tactics during his leisure, as Mr. HENNING- SEN asserts he had ; but he would probahly have found considera- ble difficulty in getting his barbarians to practise them, or even to have stood for a length of time a regular fire unsheltered. At the same time, it must be said that he displayed no scientific strategy during his campaigns. His successes arose from a series of sur- prises or stratagems; the only two battles that he can be said to have fought, were affairs with detachments carried by a sudden attack—coups de main upon a large scale. He once, from an ac- cident, reversed his usual mode of fighting, attacking the Chris- tinos when advantageously posted; and, notwithstanding all his efforts, was repulsed. Little is said of CARLOS in the volumes before us; and that little does not alter our estimate, made from the statements of the titular Baron DE Los VALLES, that he was a solemn incapable. He seems never to act save for mischief. We only hear of his sentencing prisoners to death, and forcing his General to Bilboa, where he was killed, instead of suffering him to march on Madrid. According to Mr. HENNINGSEN, ha is, "like all the Bourbons," too scrupulous of doing what he thinks wrong. As, according.to this writer's own showing, not much fewer than 100,000 lives have been sacrificed since his entrance into Spain, and a mass of misery inflicted (upon his friends only) which it is dreadful to read of, his mode of thinking must be lax.