On Dec. 8 came the great news that Napoleon had been utterly overthrown at Leipzig, with orders that Wellington was to press the invasion of France. Thrown back from the Nivelle, Soult had himself on the river Nive, south of Bayonne, and here Wellington attacked him on Dec. 9. The operations lasted five days, Soult counter-attacking without success on the loth and i i th, and were greatly complicated by the sudden rise and fall of the rivers, fed by the glaciers of the Pyrenees. Owing to the destruction of a bridge by a flood Soult was able to attack with 30,00o men and 3o guns a force of 14,000 men and 14 guns under Gen. Hill, which stood in isolation about St. Pierre (Dec. 13), but after a very severe action he was repulsed, his losses being 3,00o and the British 1,700. The casualties on the French side for the five days were 5,600 and of the allies 5,000.
Soult then withdrew to a position on the Adour; and meanwhile the European situation again gave Wellington anxiety. The allies after their victory at Leipzig had all fallen at variance with each other, and their military plans seemed to Wellington to be insane. Napoleon, moreover, was negotiating for the detachment of Spain from the side of the allies, in order to withdraw Suchet's troops thence. On this latter point Wellington's mind was soon set at ease (Jan. 9, 1814) through the rejection of Napoleon's overtures by the Spanish Government ; but his misgivings as to the military projects of the allies were justified. However, after much delay through bad weather, by a series of skilful movements (Feb.
17-24, 1814) he manoeuvred Soult out of his position on the Adour, crossed the river-500 yards wide—on a bridge of most ingenious construction, and thus forced Soult into the open.
Leaving Sir John Hope to invest Bayonne and the strong garri son installed there by Soult, Wellington followed the marshal in his retreat eastward, overtook him at Orthez (Feb. 27), and with 34,000 men against 37,000, drove him off with a loss of 4,000 killed, wounded and prisoners, his own casualties being just under 2,000. Soult continued his retirement eastward with Wellington in close pursuit, till days of heavy rain brought the British to a stand still, and contact was lost between the two armies (March 3). Wellington took the opportunity to occupy Bordeaux as his new base on the sea, but Soult hurried his troops as a disorderly mob towards Toulon, not halting till he reached Tarbes (March 8). Then at last he realized that his enemies were stationary some 35m. to the north-west of him, and on March 13 he moved up to Wellington's outposts as if to attack, but thought better of it and on the 16th moved away slowly to southward. He had orders
from Napoleon to keep his field of action as near as possible to the Pyrenees, and endeavoured thus to fulfil them. For all that he knew the emperor would yet hold his own.
These had in fact been most critical days farther north. The Prussians had given Napoleon an opportunity, and he had struck at them a succession of telling blows. Austrians, Prussians and Russians alike were terrified, for all that they outnumbered him by three to one, and staggered back in dismay. Matters remained in doubt till March 25, when Napoleon resolved to manoeuvre against the rear and communications of the allies, and they in turn plucked up courage to ignore him and continue their march to Paris.
On March 18 Wellington, with a force raised to nearly 50,000 men by the arrival of a contingent of Spaniards, resumed his pursuit of Soult and on the 19th was constantly engaged with his rearguard. On the loth Soult fought a useless little combat at Tarbes, which only delayed his retreat to no purpose, and compelled him to take the longer of two roads to his next point, Toulouse. Wellington followed the shorter road, and Soult, in order to anticipate him, was compelled to hurry his wretched troops on with a speed which reduced them to a rabble. Never theless Wellington moved on slowly and cautiously. For one thing the rain was incessant, but even more disturbing was a report which had reached him that Napoleon had fallen back to Orleans. This might mean that he intended to join Soult and raise all southern France against the British and their allies, which would be a serious matter indeed. Not till the 26th did he come up before Toulouse, unaware, of course, that on the previous day Napoleon's doom had been sealed.
The position taken up by Soult was very strong, and could not soon be approached without preparatory operations of extreme delicacy. But, having a beaten army before him, Wellington took every imaginable liberty, and finally attacked on April 1 o in a most primitive and hazardous fashion. His casualties, 4,000 men, were twice as great as Soult's, and the French later were inclined to claim the fight as a victory. But Soult knew better and, evacuating Toulouse on the i2th, continued his retreat. On that day news reached Wellington of the fall of Napoleon. He at once informed Soult, but, through no fault of the marshal, the garrison of Bayonne made a sortie on the night of the i4th, which cost them 90o and the allies Soo casualties. This was the last blood shed. On the 18th an agreement for the suspension of arms was signed and the Peninsular War was over.