Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/268

 Millan and Osma, took all its baggage and three hundred prisoners, and proceeded towards Vittoria, halting on the 20th near Pobes.

On 21 June 1813 Ross took part in the battle of Vittoria, and pursued the enemy until 24 June right up to Pampeluna. Wellington's despatch of 24 June referred to Ross's troop having taken a foremost part in the pursuit of the enemy and the capture of their sole remaining gun. Ross was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel for his services at Vittoria, dated 21 June, the day of the battle, and participated in the good service allowance granted by the prince regent to the officers commanding divisions and batteries of artillery (Ross received a pension of five shillings a day).

Ross next took part in the endeavour to intercept General Clausel, whose rapid movement, however, baffled the attempt. He then followed the route of Hill's corps, but on reaching Trañeta turned to the left down the valley of Baztan, and remained near San Estevan from 10 to 25 July, when he marched his troop to Yanzi, and on the following day joined Sir Rowland Hill at Irueta. On the 27th Ross marched towards Lanz, and on 30 July took part in the battle of the Pyrenees. On 3 Aug. Ross went to Andonin, near Passages, to obtain new carriages, wheels, &c., and on 20 Aug. was able to report all his carriages repaired and the troop fit for service.

On the 30th the horse artillery marched to Irun, and on the following day Ross took part in the action of San Marcial, near Irun. He returned to Andonin, where he remained until 6 Oct., when he received orders to be at Oyarzun at 2 A.M. on the 7th. On that day he was engaged in the battle of the Bidassoa, moving to the attack near Irun at 7.30 A.M., and in less than two hours the river was crossed and the enemy beaten from all their positions. Ross's troop was moved into the pass of Vera, and on 10 Nov. was engaged in the battle of the Nivelle, and took part in the attack on the village of Sarre and on the strong redoubts which the enemy had constructed on the heights around it. Clausel was strongly posted on a ridge, having the village of Sarre in front, covered by two formidable redoubts—San Barbe and Grenada. The country in front was so difficult and impracticable for artillery that Clausel's astonishment was great when eighteen British guns opened upon these redoubts at daylight. Under the effect of the powerful artillery fire poured upon San Barbe, the infantry of the fourth division stormed and carried that redoubt. Ross then galloped his troop to a rising ground in rear of the Grenada redoubt, and by his fire upon it enabled the infantry to storm and carry it as well as the village of Sarre, and to advance to the attack of Clausel's main position. Part of this position was carried, but Clausel stood firm, covered by another redoubt and a powerful battery. These were splendidly silenced by Ross's troop, the only battery which, after passing Sarre, had been able to surmount the difficulties of the ground. The British infantry then carried the redoubt, drove Clausel from his position, and forced the French to retire. The rout was complete. Wellington, in his despatch of 13 Nov. 1813 from St. Pé, refers to this brilliant incident. It was also mentioned in a debate in the House of Commons on the ordnance estimates in 1845 by Sir Howard Douglas, as a strong reason for not reducing on the ground of economy so splendid a corps as the horse artillery.

On 8 Dec. Ross received orders to join Sir Rowland Hill at La Resson, and on the following morning he covered the brigades of Generals Pringle and Buchan in forcing the fords of the river Nive, opposite that place. On the 10th, the enemy having retired into their entrenched camp, Ross moved his troop to the village of St. Pierre, two miles from Bayonne, and was engaged on the 13th in the battle of St. Pierre, where his horse was killed under him. Lieutenant-general Sir William Stewart (afterwards Marquis of Londonderry) [q. v.], under whose orders Ross served, in a letter to Sir Rowland Hill of 14 Dec. 1813 expressed his high opinion of the services of Ross on this occasion, and recommended him for brevet promotion; while Sir Rowland Hill highly commended him to Wellington.

On 7 Jan. 1814 Ross sailed from Passages on two months' leave of absence, arriving at Falmouth on the 17th; owing to the roads being blocked with snow, he took nine days to get to London. The peace of 1814 led to the return home of the ‘Chestnut’ troop, which, after Ross's departure, had been engaged at the passage of the Adour and the battle of Orthez. Ross resumed the command at Warley, where on 10 May 1815 he received orders to again prepare it for service. On 27 May he marched for Ramsgate, embarked the troop on the 30th, landed at Ostend on 1 June, and arrived at Perk on the 13th. On the 16th he marched through Brussels to join the reserve. At daybreak on the 17th he marched with the reserve towards Gemappe, met the army falling back on Waterloo, and retired with it.

At half-past ten o'clock in the morning of