A FATAL OARLTST MARCH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 35, 10 February 1875, Page 4

A FATAL OARLTST MARCH.

The correspondent of the Morning Post sends the following particulars of a fatal Oarlist march. The letter is dated Lesaca, November 13, and is ps follows: — "I have witnessed many nasty scenes during my campaigning, and have seen death in almost every form, but God grant that I may never again pass through like scenes of agony to those of yesterday. Death in any form brings with it a feeling of awe to the spectator, and whether assisting at a peaceful deathbed, or watching the distortions of one dying of a bayonet wound, one always feels more serious and thoughtful after a spirit has taken its flight. Yesterday, however, it was reserved for to see the agonising sufferings of more than 50 poor wretches freezing to death. To explain the occurrence it will be necessary for me, though greatly against my will, to refer lo the famous Beige of Irun. I say greatly against my will, for it is painful to me to mention an event replete with culpable negligence, disgraceful ignorance, and incomprehensible incompetence. Although the above remarks may cost me my commission, I cannot maintain silence; and, besides, 1 wish lo show that, although a Carlist officer, I am just as ready to denounce a piece of bungling when it occurs as to fulfil the much more agreeable task of signalling a victory. However, to return to my subject. It was deemed necessary to send reinforcements from our division of Biscay to assist in the seige of Irun; and as we were ordered to march as fast as possible, General Besj^iz ordered me to accompany a battalion tb%JDyarzun, and to explain that anWjber battalion would follow as quickly \s possible. The poor boys were only too delighted to know that they were going to smell powder, and in two days we reached the Andoain, distant 64 miles from the point of our departure. The/ day succeeding our arrival we were/ placed undei the command of Brigadier Saldaendo, of whom I shall say nothing. Daring this day our brigade, compos dtl of four battalions and four steel guius, remained in complete inactivity, notwithstanding that we could hear trie guns of the Republicans attacking Oyarzun, and bad we advanced in qooperation with our forces in the town we should have placed the enemy between to fires. However, the Brigadier Salduenda knew better, so we remained in inactivity. Yesterday, as all our positions bad been lost in detail, and m there was nothing more to lose, the\ brigadier, in order to curry out some strategic plan which had existence only in his brain, ordered a forced march of 35 miles over a mountain path leading over the highest mountaius in this portion of Spain. The day was bitterly cold, with a cutting wind, accompanied by a drizzling rain, a day when 10 miles would have been too long a march for any troops in the world, but bravely the poor lads bre&g:ed the mountain, and for three or four hours advanced perfectly against the wind and rain, badly clothed and booted, or to speak more clearly, neither clothed nor booted, as they had nothing but blouses aud asparagatos (cloth slippers with cord soles.) As we ascended higher and higher, what had been rain below was here a blinding snow, and of course the cold had increased terribly. The path is the bleakest of the many bleak ones in Guipuzcoa; not, a Bingle house ia to be seen in the whole 35 miles, and adding to this the blinding snow, at a height of at least 3000 ft., a mild idea may be formed of our journey. At twelve o'clock we halted for half an hour, but did not"" give the men sufficient time to make fires, so that we stood shivering in the freezing cold for thirty long minutes./ From this moment commenced the frightful eeenes to which I have referred. Our batlalion formed the rearguard, and shortly after leaving out halting-ground I saw a man staggering along the path. I thought he was drunk, and spoke roughly to him, but, in reply, he only gazed vacantly at me &ud tried to speak, but could not. I then observed thai the poor fellow was shivering like an aspen Itfef, and his teeth were chattering. I then ordered two men to help him along, and made him run to try and renew the circulation, but the attempt was in vain as he was barefooted , A few minutes afterwards we found another unfortunate wretch lying curled up in a ball, moaning with pain aud evidently dying. Shortly afterwards I saw two poor comrades lying together with a blanket over them, aud, raising the blanket, the glazed eye and the solitary spot below the eye told the sad tale. Like scenes now became more frequent, ahu\ many Jay dead in the path, our horses*, jumping over the bodies. A dreadful terror bow took possession of all, and it now became a regular race, the men running at racing speed, aod soon I found myself one of the last, as I too was on foot, it being impossible to ride, such was the frightful cold. lam powerless to describe the events as they occurred, as I am perfectly unnerved and unstrung, as I remember the pleading looks of the unfortunate wretches, and the agonised shrieks of the dying. Some were sitting on a bank laughing vacantly, and others were on their knees hugging their rifles, and some were quietly eating bread as if nothing were happening; but of all those who once sat or fell down by the waysfiie not one is living to-day. One sergeant I lifted on to my horse, and brought him along four or five miles, when he : could Bit on the horse uo longer, end j

fell off. I (hen carried him on my alioulderß until I felt the frightful fatal numbing cold stealing over my whole body, and felt my brain going. Then, and not till then, I placed him down, and — the thought is awful — left him to his fate. I knew there was no remedy, as if I had continued I should have fallen myself without saving him. But st iit the thought ia frightful; and his frozen look of despair as he said, "Dejame no puedomas" will accompany me to my tomb. Along the road were scattered rifleß, knapsacks, cartridges, and accoutrements, and 1 saved more than one by making him throw away all impediments and run frantically. I saw an old man on his knees praying his last prayer, and other scenes enough to drive one mad. The list has not been called, but I expect the number of deaths during the fatal march wad not less than 100, as I saw myself 50 dying fellow-creatures. I can write no more. All I hope is that a just punishment will fall on the shoulders of those guilty of the barbarous murder of so many poor fellows."