Leaning back against the tree General Cordoava could see the Carlists gathered around the village of Zuniga. If they were going to destroy them a frontal assault would need to be supplemented by a movement to cut off their escape route.
"Bring General Oraa here," said the commander to his aide who hurried off.
He stood there looking at the Carlists while he waited without the assistance of his telescope until he heard the horses moving towards him. He slowly shifted his gaze towards his subordinate.
"You will take 6 Battalions towards Acedo and cross the Ega there."
Oraa looked at the map he had in his hand. He nodded and saluted his general and rode off to make disposition of his troops. Cordova saw to his own and soon the forces were splitting and Cordova was making as much of a spectacle of his approach to the bridge as possible.
Soon puffs of smoke were emanating from the walls beside the bridge as the Carlists fired at the approaching government troops. Cordova sent ordered two battalions up to his side of the bridge and men were soon firing in rapid succession at each other across the river.
The men parted as the cavalry moved up and charged across the bridge driving the Carlist back on the other side before retreating back. Zumalacarregui quickly rushed another battalion forward to fill the gap. Soon units moved forward to the banks of the river on both sides and a steady rolling thundered echoed up and down the moving water.
Cordova was watching the Carlist general, when he saw him ride east he knew that Oraa had been spotted. Soon some of the few units not engaged at the river were moving east and it wasn't long before gunfire erupted in that direction as well.
The Carlist cavalry came storming up to the river front and then turned and headed east too.
"Either Oraa is giving the Carlists more trouble than I imagined or this attack is going to be one dimensional soon," he thought, seeing the cavalry go, "either way if we break through here Zumalcarregui will have no cavalry to slow us down."
He moved to the hill behind him and could see the attack unfolding on his right. Smoke filled the area between the woods and the river and Carlists were retreating. It was impossible to see what had become of the cavalry at first as they had moved around the tree line but then he saw them moving West in flight.
As the cavalry galloped away the line defending the river started to waver and then broke. Soon the entire Carlist force was in retreat, Oraa pursuing them by himself as Cordova tried to shake his men into columns to cross the bridge and get on the Carlists heels.