Difficulties encountered by the Prussians on their march from
Wavre; a portion of them are about debouching.—Blücher encourages
them by his presence.—The Duke had been in constant communication
with the Prussians, who take advantage of Napoleon’s neglecting
to protect his right.—Two brigades of Bulow’s corps advance
upon the French right.—A Prussian battery opens fire.—Cavalry
demonstrations.—Napoleon orders De Lobau’s (sixth) corps to his
right, to oppose the Prussians, and brings the old and middle
guard forward.—Bulow extends his line and presses on.—De Lobau’s
guns exchange a brisk cannonade with the Prussian batteries.—La
Haye-Sainte again assailed and set on fire, which was got
under.—Loss of a colour.—Destructive fire of our battery upon the
French cavalry.—Our artillery suffer dreadfully from that of the
enemy.—Hanoverian cavalry quit the field.—A column of the enemy’s
infantry advances and is driven back.—Chassé’s division called
back from Braine-l’Alleud.—Lord Hill’s troops brought forward, a
sight quite reviving.—Struggle at Hougoumont continued.—Adam’s
brigade attacks, drives back the enemy, and takes up an advanced
position.—La Haye-Sainte taken by the French.—The 52d regiment in
line repulses a charge of cuirassiers.—General Foy’s eulogium on
our infantry.—Napoleon’s snappish reply to Ney’s demand.
In consequence of the enemy’s not closely pursuing, between the
evenings of the 16th and 17th, the Prussians from Ligny to Wavre,
these, during their retreat, scoured with strong patrols the
whole country between their own left and the right of Napoleon’s
army, which was then advancing, by the Charleroi road, towards
Waterloo. The movements of both Grouchy and the Emperor were thus
closely observed, and correct information forwarded from time to
time to the Prussian head-quarters. The great vigilance exercised,
not only retarded the communication between the Emperor and his
detached marshal, by forcing the bearers of their dispatches to
take a circuitous route, but also enabled Blücher to perform the
contemplated and most important flank movement, without molestation,
in order to join us on the field of Waterloo. During the battle of
Ligny, some of the Prussian army had shown a bad spirit, and many
even had abandoned their colours and gone over to the enemy; while
eight thousand men belonging to the provinces newly incorporated with
Prussia, had returned home: still the _morale_ of the great mass of
the army remained firm and unshaken. On no occasion whatever did a
defeated army extricate itself with so much adroitness and order, or
retire from a hard-fought battle with so little diminution of its
moral force. The example of their venerable and heroic commander,
“Marshal _Vorwärts_,” as he was termed by his soldiers, no doubt
stimulated their courage. The Prince, notwithstanding his having been
severely shaken and bruised by his fall on the 16th, and his advanced
age and toil-worn frame, was, on the morning of the 18th, early on
horseback amongst those he termed his children. By an order of the
day his troops were thus addressed, “I shall immediately lead you
once more against the enemy; we shall beat him, because it is our
duty to do so.”
[Illustration: (Field-Marshal Blücher)]
The difficulties encountered by the Prussians on their march from
Wavre, by St.-Lambert, to the field of Waterloo, would have put the
endurance of any troops to the test. From the heavy rains, the roads
were ancle deep, and the defiles of St.-Lambert turned into a regular
swamp, almost impassable for men and horses; still worse for the guns
and tumbrels of ammunition. These were very numerous and far from
being well horsed, sinking at intervals up to the axle-trees. The
horses floundering caused a stoppage, and the most robust soldiers
in endeavouring to extricate the guns and ammunition waggons would
drop down, overcome by the fatigue of their exertions, and declare
“they could not get on.”—“But we _must_ get on,” replied their
veteran commander, who seemed to multiply himself, and might be seen
at different points along the line of march, exciting his men to
exertion by words of encouragement: “I have promised Wellington to
be up,” said Blücher “and up we _must_ get. Surely you will not make
me forfeit my word. Exert yourselves a little more, and victory is
certain.”
The duke of Wellington was in constant communication throughout
the day with the Prussians, by means of general Müffling, who was
attached to our head-quarters’ staff, and by colonel Freemantle,
aide-de-camp, colonel Stavely, and captain (now lieutenant-colonel)
Basil Jackson of the Royal staff corps, and on the Duke’s staff.
The four corps of Blücher’s army had been concentrated at and near
Wavre on the evening of the 17th. The guns of the three corps which
had fought at Ligny were refitted, and, as well as the troops,
supplied with a fresh provision of ammunition.
The 4th (Bulow’s) corps, which, up to this time, had not fired a shot
in the campaign, set out at sunrise on the 18th towards the French
right flank, by way of St.-Lambert; they were preceded by strong
patrols to ascertain whether Napoleon had yet taken precautionary
measures to obstruct their junction with us, or to protect his own
right. It was soon discovered that this precaution, so essential to
the protection of his right, had been overlooked by the Emperor:
the Prussians immediately availed themselves of the advantage which
his neglect afforded, by throwing a force into the wood of Paris,
which commanded the defiles of the Lasne and St.-Lambert. Zieten’s,
or the first corps, was to march, by Fromont and Ohain, direct upon
our left; Pirch’s, or the second corps, was to follow Bulow’s: they
were delayed by a part of Wavre being on fire, and by the great
difficulty of making progress through the defiles of St.-Lambert.
They were expected, nevertheless, to be up by or before two o’clock.
It was near five o’clock when the first two brigades of Bulow’s corps
debouched from their covered position in the wood of Paris.
The 15th brigade, under general Losthin, and the 16th under
colonel Hiller, with some cavalry, (altogether about 16,000 men
and forty-four guns,) drew up perpendicularly to the French right
flank; upon which Durutte’s division, which formed the right of the
French main front line, was thrown back _en potence_. The Prussian
commanders detached some battalions to Frischermont and Smohain to
secure their right flank, they also sent a few battalions to the
Lasne, the woods of Virère and Hubremont, to support their left. So
stealthily and cautiously did the Prussians approach Smohain, that
both the enemy and allies seemed astounded upon their debouching from
the enclosures.
General Domont’s cavalry were still _en potence_, but at a
considerable distance from the Prussians, whose advanced batteries
opened upon the French cavalry, although at a long range; but this
was merely to acquaint Wellington and Napoleon of their arrival,
which doubtless alarmed the latter, whilst, by the former, it was
listened to with joy.
Domont sent on part of his force to attack the Prussians, and moved
forward his line. Some Prussian cavalry passed through the infantry
to meet them, and drove back the French advance: the Prussian
cavalry were soon obliged to fall back; but, as their infantry were
advancing, and their artillery kept up a sharp fire, Domont did
not attack. The Prussian battalions, detached to Smohain, cleared
the enclosures, and drew up near the French right flank: they were
attacked and driven back by a part of Durutte’s division; but
upon the Prussians reaching the enclosures and hollow-ways, they
maintained their ground and kept up a rattling fire. This was after
six o’clock. Napoleon had ordered the 6th corps, under count de
Lobau, to move to the right, and take up a position, where, with six
to eight thousand men of all arms, and favoured by the strong ground
in front of Plancenoit, he could keep in check thirty thousand of his
enemies: at the same time the old and middle guard were advanced into
the plain, and occupied the ground vacated by the 6th corps.
Durutte’s light troops had been previously reinforced, and made
a desperate effort to force back the Nassau-men at Papelotte and
Smohain, for the purpose of preventing the junction of Bulow’s corps
with the allied left; but, after a sharp and close skirmish, the
enemy’s intention was frustrated. The Prussian general, observing
De Lobau’s advance, extended his line; his right rested upon
Frischermont, and his left upon the wood of Virère. Part of prince
William’s cavalry was in reserve. De Lobau’s corps moved forward;
Domont’s and Subervie’s cavalry remained as a second line. De Lobau’s
guns soon opened a brisk cannonade upon Bulow’s corps, and were
answered with equal spirit.
La Haye-Sainte[46] was again to be attacked, and the west gates soon
became the scene of a most dreadful struggle and carnage. Colonel
Baring had again applied for a reinforcement and ammunition: the
former was sent; but the latter, of which he stood so much in need,
was not supplied. The gallant defenders were now cautioned to be
sparing of the few cartridges left, and to take deliberate aim at the
assailants, who seemed to press on with renewed vigour.
On this occasion, the enemy set fire to the barn, which caused
considerable alarm to those on the defensive; but, fortunately,
the reinforcement arrived. The Nassau-men, with their huge camp
kettles, which they used as buckets, arrived most opportunely, and
Baring, with his officers and men, soon extinguished the flames,
but not without the loss of many a brave fellow. At this time a
portion of the enemy again succeeded in getting into the little
garden, and made an effort to force an entrance by the back door.
Swarms of their skirmishers passed the buildings and established
themselves immediately under the crest of our position, where they
not only found cover from the fire above, but, as before, cut off the
communication between the farm and our main line. The 5th and 8th
line battalions of the German legion were led against the assailants;
they pressed on at a good pace, the enemy giving ground. A body of
cuirassiers was at hand and fell upon the 5th Germans; but these,
being supported by a portion of the remnant of lord Edward Somerset’s
brigade, suffered but little; the 8th however were dropped upon quite
unawares, and nearly all destroyed. Colonel Schröder was wounded
mortally; ensign Moreau, who carried the King’s colour, was severely
wounded, and the colour carried off by the enemy.
Every arm on the right of our front line was much annoyed by some of
the French left batteries, which had been pushed forward. My horse
was killed by a round-shot from that direction; I was however soon
mounted again on a cuirassier’s horse.
At length lieutenant Louis was ordered to turn two guns upon those on
the enemy’s left; he soon silenced them, and thus rendered essential
service, particularly to us, who being on the right, were completely
enfiladed by them. A battery was run up to the bank on the side of
the cross-road, about a hundred and fifty yards on the Lion side
of where the cross-road leads down towards the north-east angle
of the orchard of Hougoumont. The muzzles of the guns rested upon
the bank, on a level with the ridge in their front, which screened
the carriages and wheels from the enemy’s observation and fire.
Soon after, a strong body of the enemy’s cavalry advanced upon the
battery, which reserved its fire until they came within fifty yards,
when, with terrific effect, it opened, doubly charged with grape.
The space in front of the battery was quickly covered with killed
and wounded. The fire of our artillery during the action surpassed
everything of the kind ever before witnessed, frequently making wide
roads through the enemy’s masses. From our infantry being generally
kept recumbent behind the crest of our position and thus screened
from the enemy’s observation, our gunners suffered most dreadfully
from the constant exposure to the direct fire of the French
artillery, who at times saw nothing else at which to aim.
From certain movements in the enemy’s line, there was reason to
expect an attack of infantry towards the right of Alten’s division.
Part of the King’s dragoon guards and Blues were moved towards that
point. The Cumberland Hanoverian hussars, posted some distance from
the front, were also moved close up to general Halkett’s squares; but
a few musket-balls whistling about them, and a shell falling into a
Nassau square close by, so alarmed them, that they took themselves
off. Upon seeing this, lord Uxbridge sent an aide-de-camp, captain
T. Wildman, to bring them back, but to no purpose, and Uxbridge,
deeming his absence long, sent a second messenger after them, captain
H. Seymour, who, finding that the colonel and his men were anxious
to quit the scene of action, took the former by the collar, and
nearly shook him out of his saddle; he then inquired for the next in
command, but it appeared there was no one; Seymour then laid hold of
the bridle of colonel Hake’s horse, to lead him back to his post,
hoping that the men would follow, but to no purpose: the colonel
and his regiment preferred going to Brussels in whole skins, to the
chance of having them perforated in the field. So strong was their
dislike to the smell of gunpowder, that they had no perception of
the honours that a gallant bearing might win. The cowards proceeded
forthwith to Brussels, spreading a false alarm throughout the
journey. The regiment was soon after disbanded, and the colonel
cashiered[47].
The expected attacking infantry were now seen in motion on the
heights in front of La Belle-Alliance; a body of cuirassiers from
the valley under our position near La Haye-Sainte joined them,
keeping a little on their right rear. As they neared the point about
where the Lion now stands, lord Edward Somerset led part of his
brigade down to meet them: he was received with a heavy fire; his
men however galloped down upon the head of the column, but, being
at this time very much reduced, they could not penetrate it; they
nevertheless checked the enemy. Lord Uxbridge rode up to Tripp’s
brigade, and after addressing a few words to them, turned round to
lead them on: he had scarcely crossed the ridge and begun to descend
the slope towards the enemy, when he found that he was alone, no one
following him; upon which he returned to Tripp, expressed himself in
severe terms, and rode off in anger. After this, one of the German
light cavalry regiments was led on, and it succeeded in stopping the
enemy, but it was much cut up.
During this time, Wellington, observing that Napoleon’s attention
was directed towards the Prussians advancing upon his right, and
his Grace seeing there was no danger of his own extreme right being
disturbed, had ordered lord Hill to move Chassé’s Dutch-Belgian
division from Braine-l’Alleud towards the scene of action. Some short
time afterwards, the hero of Almaraz and Aroyo-de-Molinos brought
into front line Duplat’s German legion brigade, followed by general
Adam’s light brigade, which latter took position on the rear slope
of our right wing; those were followed shortly after by colonel
Hugh Halkett’s Hanoverians. Altogether these reinforcements, with
the batteries accompanying them, were a sight more reviving to our
part of the line than a double share of grog, though even that would
have been most welcome. Soon after the Germans had passed us, the
steel-jacket cavalry were at them while in motion; but the Germans,
several of whom in advance were riflemen, emptied many a saddle and
made many a horse rear, plunge and fall, and ultimately beat off the
cuirassiers.
Lord Hill rendered himself most conspicuous by the energy and zeal he
displayed, and the efforts he used to support the gallant defenders
of Hougoumont, as also to repel the repeated desperate assaults upon
our right wing; thus vigorously assisting the chief, under whom he
had immortalized himself during the Peninsular campaign.
[Illustration: (Lord Hill)]
Our 23d fuzileers, who came into front line after Byng’s brigade was
advanced to Hougoumont, and suffered severely from the enemy’s fire,
received an unfriendly visit from some cavalry, whom they eventually
disposed of in most gallant style.
At this time part of the Brunswick troops were with us on the right,
and Duplat’s Germans with part of Halkett’s Hanoverians were between
the right of the main line and Hougoumont orchard. These, with the
troops at the loop-holed wall and hedges on the right and along the
avenue, were kept wide awake, particularly those under Hepburn in and
about the orchard, which must have changed masters at least a dozen
times during the day.
Adam was now in our left rear, and his men most anxious to have a
blow at their old acquaintances. Their wishes were soon gratified,
by orders from the Duke in person, to drive back some fellows, as
his Grace always called them, who had crept close up to our ridge,
near where the hedge-row is on the road side between the Lion and
Hougoumont; they were concealed by the smoke of the crashing fire
which they threw into our gunners and front squares. The order was
received with joy from the white cravat man whom they were wont to
follow, and acknowledged by a hearty cheer from the Lights, who felt
gratified that the old order of things was about being renewed, and
that they at Waterloo, as well as through the Peninsula, should take
an active part in the battle’s front.
His Grace was here again exposed to a shower of leaden hailstones,
one of which severely wounded in the shoulder our fire-eating
adjutant-general, sir Edward Barnes, who sported a gold-embroidered
scarlet coat; most of our staff officers wore blue frock coats in the
field.
Adam’s fine fellows were much excited, and forward they pressed
up the slope, in line, four deep; for some reason, their old
acquaintances, the French infantry, would not stay to receive them,
but made a retrograde movement down the outer slopes, followed by the
brigade, until its right, which was thrown rather forward, was near
the corner of the orchard of Hougoumont, and its left at the point
where the valley terminates, in right front of the Lion. The brigade
was formed of the 71st and two companies of the 95th on the right;
the 52d in squares of wings in the centre, and the second battalion
of the 95th on the left. Here, as if to fetch up for lost time, they
were continually pounded by the artillery, and charged by cavalry.
Soon after five o’clock, La Haye-Sainte was taken by the enemy,
who, led by Ney, and perceiving that the fire of the defenders had
greatly slackened, made a rush at the open barn door, and broke open
the west yard-door: some climbed upon the wall and fired down upon
our poor fellows, who, for want of cartridges, could not return the
fire. After a desperate struggle at the western gate and barn door,
with the sword-bayonet, and butts of their rifles, they were obliged
to retreat to the house, where, in the passage through the house to
the garden, the remains of the gallant little garrison, with their
spirited commander, made a most determined resistance. They were
ultimately obliged to abandon the post altogether, and to fall back
upon the main position. This was what the French erroneously called
carrying the village of Mont-St.-Jean, (full three quarters of a mile
off). We can afford however to be good-tempered at their mistake;
for the taking of the _farm-house_, La Haye-Sainte, which was in our
front, (while Mont-St.-Jean was in our rear,) was the only advantage
they gained during the battle. It seems that the loss of this post
displeased the Duke[48]. Yet the place was most gallantly defended as
long as there was a round of ammunition to use.
While Adam’s brigade was in its advanced position, it was frequently
charged, and, on one occasion, when in line; the 52d, directed by
the Duke in person, stood firm and received a charge from the French
cavalry, but without any effectual result to the enemy. Nor ought our
foes to have expected anything else[49], as they had not succeeded
against any of our skeletons of squares, when they themselves were
in their full strength and vigour. There is not a doubt that our
gallant enemy and admirer, general Foy, who commanded a division on
that great day, and was stationed in the field beyond the orchard of
Hougoumont, alludes to this brigade and Maitland’s 1st guards, with
Halkett’s, when he says:
“We saw these sons of Albion formed upon the plain, between the wood
of Hougoumont and the village of Mont-St.-Jean. Death was before them
and in their ranks, disgrace in their rear,” (and I hope will ever
remain a long day’s march). “In this terrible situation, neither
the cannon-balls[50] of the Imperial guard, discharged almost at
point-blank, nor the _victorious_ cavalry of France, could make the
least impression on the immovable British infantry: one might have
been almost tempted to fancy that it had rooted itself in the ground,
but for the majestic movement[51] which its battalions commenced
some minutes after sun-set, when the approach of the Prussian army
announced to Wellington that he had just achieved the most decisive
victory of the age.”
We may imagine that those steel-clad gentlemen had some particular
pique against the 1st foot-guards and Halkett’s brigade, from the
repeated visits they paid them. The lancers also did the same.
Whatever was the cause, not a brigade in the line was visited more by
the enemy’s cavalry than sir Colin Halkett’s[52]; and they were not
forgotten by the Duke, who frequently passed the brigade, it being
rather a central point. The Duke at one moment sent colonel Gordon
to Halkett, to inquire what square of his was so much in advance: it
was a mass of killed and wounded of the 30th and 73d, of his brigade,
huddled together, which his Grace, through the smoke, had mistaken
for a square.
An incident occurred, as related by Siborne, worthy of notice:
“It was about six o’clock, that Napoleon replied to Ney’s demand
for fresh infantry, ‘_Où voulez-vous que j’en prenne? Voulez-vous
que j’en fasse?_’” (‘Where can I get them? Can I make them?’) an
expression, the force of which is rendered sufficiently obvious by
the critical circumstances of his position, and clearly proves that
his operations had taken an unfavourable turn.
[Illustration: (end of chapter; decorative separator)]
FOOTNOTES:
[46] The very dilapidated state of the buildings after the battle,
is proof, were any wanted, of the furious efforts made by the enemy
to obtain the post, and of the determined desperate courage of the
little garrison which defended it. The entire edifice was a scene
of ravage and devastation. One half of the little door of the barn,
taken away and preserved by the proprietor, was perforated by upwards
of eighty musket-balls.
[47] In a work of the highest pretensions, I observe that these
dastardly hussars are called _Belgians_: let the saddle be put upon
the right horse: they were _the Duke of Cumberland’s Hanoverian
hussars_.
[48] _See_ his letter of the 17th August 1815, in the Appendix, No.
II.
[49] The brigade was above two thousand strong.
[50] Although according to appearances, those gentry are quite
harmless, and might be stopped like a cricket-ball when bounding
along, one of them would take off a leg or an arm, in much less time
than the most skilful operator.
[51] General Foy, no doubt, alludes to the right-shoulder-forward
movement of Adam’s brigade, together with the movements of Maitland’s
and Halkett’s brigades, towards the close of the day. Foy had also,
before the battle began, declared to the Emperor, that he had an
infantry opposed to him, which he (Foy) had never known to yield.
[52] Halkett’s left, (30th and 73d regiments,) in square, was
attacked eleven times by the enemy’s cavalry.
The late lord Harris, (then colonel of the 73d.) in a letter which I
have, alludes to the gallant conduct of these two regiments in the
following manner. “My impression is that the gallant and enduring
stand made by the 30th and 73d regiments against _thirteen_ charges
of cuirassiers and an unceasing discharge of artillery for seven
hours, besides the fact of successfully driving the French cavalry
away by a charge in square, has not been done sufficient justice to
by historians of the battle, with the exception of a French writer.”
Would that his Lordship had survived to have read my pages!