As the Imperial guard retired in the greatest disorder, its retread
caused a panic throughout the French army.—The Prussians being
relieved from the pressure of the enemy’s right _en potence_,
their operations begin to take effect.—Wellington observing the
state of things, determines to attack, and orders the advance of
his whole line.—His Grace in front, hat high in air.—Vivian’s
hussars get a message from the Duke: they form line, attack and
drive off the enemy.—Colonel Murray’s dangerous leap.—Vandeleur’s
brigade advanced.—Major Howard killed.—General Cambronne made
prisoner.—Adam’s brigade attacks and drives off the rallied
force of the Imperial guard.—Lord Uxbridge wounded; sir J. O.
Vandeleur commands the cavalry.—Sir Colin Campbell begs the Duke
not to remain under the heavy fire.—Adam’s brigade menaced by
cuirassiers.—His Grace with but one attendant.—Adam’s brigade
falls upon a broken column of the enemy.—Singular encounter
and act of bravery.—Repugnance to the shedding of human blood
unnecessarily.—Battery and prisoners captured.—Adam’s brigade
in the line of fire of a Prussian battery.—The 71st capture a
battery.—Prussian dispositions to attack Plancenoit and the French
right.—Operations of the allies during this period.—Plancenoit
the scene of a dreadful struggle.—Bravery of the young guard, who
save their eagle.—Humane conduct of their general Pelet.—Napoleon
in a square, much pressed.—Wellington and his advanced troops at
Rossomme, where the pursuit is relinquished by us, and continued by
the Prussians, who, busy in the work of death, press on and capture
sixty guns.—On returning towards Waterloo, the Duke meets Blücher,
who promises to keep the enemy moving.—His Grace is silent, sombre,
and dejected for the loss of his friends.—Bivac.—Observations.
The enemy’s troops engaged in the last attack retired in the greatest
confusion, which caused an unsteadiness and panic throughout the
remainder of the French army. By this, the Prussians were relieved
from the determined pressure previously made on them by the French
right _en potence_; and it soon became evident that they were gaining
ground. Zieten’s (first) corps had just joined the left of our line
by Ohain; Adam’s brigade was most vigorously pursuing the fugitives,
and Vivian’s hussars were rapidly advancing on the enemy’s reserve:
all these things combined, convinced the Duke that the favourable
moment for making a general attack, was arrived. Closing his
telescope with an air of triumph, he ordered the advance of the whole
line. This order was received by the eager remains of the army with
loud and tremendous cheers.
“Then, Wellington, thy piercing eye
The crisis caught of destiny.
The British host had stood
That morn, ’gainst charge of host and lance,
As their own ocean rocks hold stanch;
But when thy voice had said, Advance!
They were their ocean’s flood.”
The Duke stood on the rise (immediately in front of the Lion,)
with his hat raised in the air, as a signal to advance. The last
parting rays of the beautiful setting sun at this moment (a quarter
after eight,) shone most resplendently, as if to enliven the scene
presented to our view on emerging from the smoke, which had long
rendered every object invisible except the flashes of the enemy’s
batteries. It was a spectacle never to be forgotten by those who
witnessed it. Were I to live to the age of Methuselah, never shall I
forget that evening. In front might be seen the retiring columns of
the enemy, broken and mingled with crowds of fugitives of all arms,
mounted and dismounted, mixed pell-mell together. In the right front
was a dense smoke, curling upwards, from the smouldering ruins of
Hougoumont. Far in the distance to the left front might also be dimly
seen the dark columns of the Prussians, many of whom had arrived just
in time to witness the overthrow of the French.
During this time Vivian’s hussars had moved to the right, cleared
the front and advanced on the right of Maitland’s guards, who with
Vandeleur’s brigade cheered them on. On crossing the ridge the smoke
was thick, but in the valley it became clear; and several columns
of the enemy’s infantry and cavalry, with guns on their flanks and
between them, were visible in front. The Duke sent a message to
Vivian by colonel Campbell, not to attack till the infantry arrived,
unless he thought he could break the French squares. At this moment
several men and horses of the 10th were killed by grape from the
enemy’s guns. Vivian observed to sir Colin Campbell that, as our
infantry advancing might not be in good order, it would be dangerous
to allow the French cavalry to fall upon them, and that it would
be better for him to attack at once and drive the cavalry off[71],
leaving the enemy’s squares to be attacked by our infantry. To this
sir Colin agreed, and returned to the Duke. Vivian now formed the
10th and 18th hussars into one line, and the 1st German hussars in
second line. While forming, a broken body of the 23d light dragoons,
after being fired into by the 52d, galloped along his front; his
right was attacked by cuirassiers, and he lost many men, but he beat
off the enemy. Whilst the French were firing grape at the hussars,
our own guns were also plying them with shot and spherical case, our
gunners taking them for foes. Vivian sent an officer to correct the
error.
The 10th hussars, on getting into line, charged and defeated the
cavalry in their front. The 2d Germans charged upon the right of the
10th. Vivian now rode to the 18th, who were near the two squares of
the old guard which had been left in reserve; they had cavalry and
guns on each flank and between them.
The 18th was in line, and as steady as if exercising on Hounslow
heath. On reaching its front, Vivian said, “Eighteenth, you will
follow me;” on which the sergeant-major (Jeffs,) afterwards adjutant
of the 7th hussars, and many of the men, coarsely but fiercely
exclaimed with an oath, “Ay, general, anywhere you choose to lead
us.” The charge was ordered, and in an instant an attack was made on
the cavalry and guns. Colonel Murray, commanding the 18th, in making
this charge, leaped his horse over the traces between the wheelers
and leaders of a French gun which was dashing across his front in
order to escape. The hussars were upon the artillery, slaughtering
the drivers and gunners and securing the guns: these destructive
engines being silenced, and the sting taken out of their cavalry, our
infantry had full scope to act.
In returning from this charge, Vivian found major Howard, with a
small body of the 10th, near a French square, from whose fire he was
rapidly losing his men. At this moment a fine and gallant soldier,
lieutenant Gunning, fell. Vivian observed to Howard, “We have one of
two things to do, either to retire a little out of the fire, or to
attack;” and seeing some red-coated infantry approaching, who threw
out a scattering fire upon the enemy’s square, almost as destructive
to friends as to foes, Vivian ordered the charge and accompanied
it. The men galloped up to the bayonets of the Imperial guard, and
a fierce and bloody conflict ensued. Major Howard was shot by a
musket-ball, and fell upon the enemy’s bayonets;
“And he was of the bravest, and when shower’d
The death-bolts deadliest the thinn’d files along,
E’en where the thickest of war’s tempest lower’d,
They reach’d no nobler breast than thine, young gallant Howard!”
The red-coated infantry were colonel Halkett’s Osnabruckers, who
shortly before had captured general Cambronne of the Imperial
guard[73], and a battery. Adam’s brigade had followed the broken
columns of the French guards and Donzelot’s into the valley in
advance of the orchard of La Haye-Sainte; but now there was something
of more importance on the right of the Genappe road that required
their attention; this was three squares of the enemy flanked on their
right by cuirassiers: they were the remains of the first attacking
column of the Imperial guard, who had been rallied by Napoleon and
posted here to cover the retreat. The Duke galloped into the valley
to Adam’s brigade, and ordered Sir John Colborne to attack the
rallied force of the Imperial guard, saying, “They won’t stand. Go
on, Colborne, go on.”
Lord Uxbridge, after having displayed the most brilliant acts of
heroism during this sanguinary and arduous day, was about to join
Vivian’s hussars, when a grape-shot wounded his right leg, which
rendered amputation necessary: the command of the allied cavalry
consequently devolved on general Vandeleur, and that of his brigade
on colonel Sleigh, (11th light dragoons).
Adam’s brigade pressed gallantly up the slope towards the three
squares and the cuirassiers; the former opened a heavy fire from both
front and flanks. The Duke was still in rear of the 52d. Sir Colin
Campbell, finding the shot fly thick about the Duke, said, “Your
Grace, this is no place for you; I wish you would move a little;” to
which the Duke replied “So I will, when those fellows are driven off.”
As our line approached, the French squares went about by command; the
Duke then galloped forward on the right of Adam’s brigade, which was
now about to cross the Genappe road. The cuirassiers accompanying the
squares came down the road in a menacing attitude, as if to charge;
but as no time was to be lost, the brigade lowered their bayonets,
and in their four-deep line pressed on; but the cuirassiers declined
the combat.
An incident occurred just at this time, relative to the Duke, which
deserves to be noticed, as showing the great watchfulness which he at
all times exercised.
Adam, who was now in the valley between the two ridges of the
French position, and on the allied left of the Genappe road near La
Belle-Alliance, not being able to see at any distance to his right,
nor aware of Vivian’s advance, was apprehensive that an attack might
possibly be made upon his right flank, which by his movement had
become exposed: he therefore desired his brigade-major to proceed,
and ascertain whether there were any danger. In performing this
duty, the major fell in with the Duke, who was riding at a smart
pace, followed by only one individual, whom major Blair addressed
but he was immediately interrupted by the remark, “_Monsieur, je ne
parle pas un seul mot d’anglais_.” (“Sir, I cannot speak a word of
English.”) The major then stated to him in French the object he was
pursuing; and was answered, “_Le Duc lui-même a été voir, il n’y
a rien à craindre_.” (“The Duke has, himself, been to see, there
is nothing to fear.”) Upon this the major hastened back with the
satisfactory communication.
About a hundred yards on the allied left of La Belle-Alliance, the
road running towards Plancenoit becomes a complete hollow-way, out of
which a broken column of French infantry was in the act of debouching
with some guns, and making a hasty retreat, when the 52d regiment
in its advance came right upon them. The infantry tried to escape,
and at the same time to defend themselves as best they could. The
artillery turned to their left and attempted to get up the bank,
but their horses were immediately shot down by the 52d. A young
officer of the battery surrendered; but the commander, a veteran who
wore upon his breast the decoration of the Legion of honour, stood,
sword in hand, in the midst of his guns, and in an attitude of bold
defiance. A soldier started from the 52d ranks and made a thrust at
him, which the officer parried; a scuffle ensued, the man closed with
him, threw him on the ground, and keeping him down with his foot,
reversed his musket to bayonet him. The repugnance to the shedding
of human blood unnecessarily[74], (a feeling which we may proudly
claim as belonging to British soldiers,) burst forth in a groan of
displeasure from his comrades. It came too late; the fatal thrust
had passed, and the life of the deserving member of the honoured
Legion was extinct. The battery and many prisoners were captured. The
brigade, pressing on in pursuit of the squares, got upon the highest
point of ground of the French position, and in the line of fire from
the Prussian batteries[75]: the Duke sent to Bulow to stop the fire.
The 71st, on the right, captured a battery, and one of the guns,
being loaded, was turned round and fired into the retreating foe by
captain Campbell of the 71st, aide-de-camp to general Adam. It is
supposed that this was the last French gun, fired on that memorable
day. Soon after, the squares, followed by Adam, halted near the farm
of Rossomme, threw away their knapsacks and accoutrements, the better
to expedite their flight, and being thus lightened, they disappeared
in the twilight.
About the time that Howard was killed, Vandeleur’s brigade was
spanking along under the east hedge of Hougoumont; and overtaking
some of the flying enemy between the Hougoumont enclosures and
Rossomme, they made some charges and captured a great number of the
enemy.
As soon as a part of Zieten’s corps had joined our left, Blücher
ordered the battery to open fire, the infantry to descend into the
valley of Smohain, and in conjunction with the troops of Nassau to
attack the French, who had been reinforced in order to prevent a
junction between Bulow’s corps and the allied left.
Zieten’s advance infantry pushed down into the valley, where some
shots were exchanged by mistake between them and the Nassau troops:
the mistake was soon rectified, and both bodies united advanced, and
dislodged the French from the houses in the valley of Smohain, and
the farms of La Haye and Papelotte. It was about eight o’clock, when
Zieten’s advance cavalry drew up on our left, and an infantry brigade
and the reserve cavalry of general Pirch’s (second) corps joined
Bulow, and in conjunction made the following dispositions for the
third attack upon Plancenoit:
General Ryssel’s and colonel Hiller’s infantry brigades of the 4th
corps under general count Bulow, and general Tippelskircher’s brigade
of general Pirch’s (second) corps, formed in columns of battalions;
on the left was a regiment of prince William’s reserve, and two
battalions of infantry with their skirmishers in front; and three
cavalry regiments, part of prince William’s, were in rear of the
above brigades.
In rear of this cavalry was general Krafft’s infantry brigade of
the 2d corps in reserve; and on the right of the infantry brigades
were three lines of cavalry, under general Jurgass; and upon their
right, and advancing simultaneously with the attack upon Plancenoit,
were Hack’s and Losthin’s infantry brigades of the 4th corps; in
their rear were three battalions, part of Hack’s brigade. On the
right of those brigades was a small force of cavalry, part of prince
William’s, and upon their right were four battalion columns, part of
general Steinmetz’s brigade of general Zieten’s (first) corps. Upon
the ridge on the allied left, was part of general Röder’s cavalry
that had just reached the field, and whose battery opened fire in
place of one belonging to the allies that had expended all its
ammunition. A few battalions were detached to the left of Plancenoit,
to secure the flank, and, if possible, to turn the enemy’s right. The
whole Prussian force was preceded by skirmishers, and their batteries
were most advantageously placed upon the heights.
A squadron of Prussian cavalry beat back a company of the Imperial
guard from the farm of Chantilly, above Plancenoit. The latter
retired upon the wood at the farm of Caillou, closely pursued by
the hostile cavalry, which was beaten off by the Imperial baggage
guard. The Prussian dragoons soon returned in such force, that the
Emperor’s suite, with bag and baggage, made a hasty flight towards
Genappe.
Whilst Blücher’s army stood as stated, Wellington had defeated both
the attacking columns of the Imperial guard; and Adam’s brigade was
driving them and Donzelot’s division, that had broken and mixed
with them, across the field, toward the Genappe high-road. Vivian’s
brigade and the 2d German light dragoons were setting forward
at a long trot towards the French reserves, drawn up between La
Belle-Alliance and Hougoumont.
The whole allied line was now advancing, flanked on the left by
Prussian cavalry. The enemy showed little resistance to any part of
it. As Hepburn issued from the orchard of Hougoumont into the open
fields, the enemy went off, scarcely firing a single shot. Those in
the wood made a little resistance, until they saw that all their
army was in full flight. The cavalry on the French left went off in
order, skirmishers out covering their retreat. Bachelu’s and Foy’s
divisions moved off, on witnessing the defeat of the second column of
the Imperial guard: on seeing this, the troops holding La Haye-Sainte
abandoned it. Alix’s, occupying the sand-pit and knoll, gave way on
the advance of Lambert; and Marcognet yielded and broke before the
advance of Pack and Kempt. Durutte’s division broke before Zieten’s
and the duke of Saxe-Weimar’s advance. De Lobau, on seeing the troops
on his left giving way, together with the flight of the Imperial
guard, followed by British troops whom he perceived in his rear, as
well as the now vigorous attack of Bulow, and the probability of his
being cut off from all retreat with his whole corps, rushed into the
stream of fugitives, that had set in towards Rossomme and Genappe.
During this time Plancenoit had been the scene of a most dreadful
struggle: the French in the churchyard held out, and the Prussians,
finding it of no avail to continue the attack in front, turned the
village on both flanks, driving the Imperial guard before them; the
latter, finding that they should be cut off from all retreat, fell
into disorder, and mixed with the general mass of fugitives, who
were flying in all directions towards Rossomme and La Maison-du-Roi,
followed by the Prussians, who made a dash at the eagle of the
Imperial guard. General Pelet called out, “_A moi, chasseurs! sauvons
l’aigle, ou mourons autour d’elle!_” (“Rally round me, chasseurs!
let us save the eagle, or die protecting it!”) Upon this they formed
square, and saved the eagle and the honour of the regiment[76].
About nine o’clock, Napoleon threw himself, with a few of his staff,
into a square of the 2d chasseurs of the old guard, that had been
under Cambronne; but upon the approach of our cavalry he galloped
away. Wellington, with our advance brigades, reached the farm of
Rossomme, between which and La Belle-Alliance some Prussian cavalry
and our 18th exchanged blows, and some lives were lost. The 11th
light dragoons and 1st German hussars were also nearly coming in
contact with each other, owing to the dimness of the twilight.
An arrangement had been previously made by Wellington and Blücher,
that the allied army should halt here, and that the Prussians should
pursue and harass the routed enemy. The Duke was now, with all his
advance, a little beyond Rossomme, upon a particular knoll with a gap
where the Charleroi road cuts through it, which can be distinctly
seen from most parts of the right of the allied position.
As the Prussians passed us, (for I had the honour and good fortune to
be an actor in this scene,) I heard their bands play, “God save the
King!” which soul-stirring compliment we returned by hearty cheers.
In the pursuit of the enemy from Rossomme to Genappe, the Prussian
lance and sabre were busy in the work of death. Many a brave soldier,
that had escaped the bloody field, fell that night beneath the
deadly steel. In vain did the French make a feeble effort to check
the Prussians at Genappe, by barricading its long and narrow street
with their remaining guns and tumbrels. So entirely had their defeat
destroyed their discipline, that the Prussians, by the first sound
of the trumpet, beat of drum, or their wild hurrah, overcame every
obstacle, and, pressing on, they captured sixty pieces of cannon.
The Duke, after clearing the high-road and its left of the allied
troops, in order to give full scope to the advancing Prussians,
to whom he relinquished the further pursuit of the flying enemy,
remained for some time with his advanced troops on the right of
Rossomme in conversation with general Vivian, colonel Colborne and
others; after which, promising to send the provisions up, his Grace
turned his horse round and rode away. On returning leisurely towards
Waterloo, about ten o’clock, at a short distance before reaching
La Belle-Alliance, he, aided by a clouded moon, descried a group
of mounted officers making towards the Genappe high-road from the
direction of Frischermont; the Duke turned off to meet them: it
proved to be Blücher and his staff; they most heartily congratulated
each other on the glorious result of the contest in which they had
been so intensely engaged. The conference lasted about ten minutes,
when the veteran Blücher, promising to leave his inveterate foe no
rallying time on this side of the frontier, shook hands with his
Grace and proceeded to Genappe, sending forward to general Gneisenau,
who led his advance-guard, orders to press and harass the enemy, and
not suffer the grass to grow under their feet, or even allow them
to take breath. Bulow’s corps, which led the pursuit, was supported
by Zieten’s. Pirch’s corps received orders to turn round and strike
across the country, and, if possible, to cut off marshal Grouchy’s
retreat.
Our gallant chief returned over the field to Waterloo, and before
reaching La Haye-Sainte was obliged to quit the high-road, on account
of its being completely blocked up with guns and tumbrels, many of
which were upset and lying topsy turvy; whilst the frequent snort and
start of the horses told but too clearly that the ground they trod
was studded and strewed with the slain. His Grace, on regaining the
high-road, was so affected by the cries of the wounded and moans of
the dying, as to shed tears, and on his way did not exchange a word
with any of his suite, composed only of five persons, one of whom,
the late sir Colin Campbell, was armed with a cuirassier’s sword.
The Duke was sombre and dejected, as well he might be: grim Death
had been busy, and had had a regular gala-day amongst his Grace’s
old and well-tried friends, who had followed him in distant climes,
and through many an arduous and hard-fought field. The Duke, on this
occasion, might have exclaimed with Pyrrhus, “Such another victory,
and we are undone!” We may readily believe, that in writing the next
day to the duke of Beaufort and the earl of Aberdeen, his Grace only
yielded to the genuine dictates of his heart, when he expressed in
these, as well as other letters, “The losses I have sustained, have
quite broken me down; and I have no feeling for the advantages we
have acquired[77].”
Napoleon, after quitting the square, which was about midway between
La Belle-Alliance and the farm of Rossomme, rode on our right of
the road for some distance, escorted by the gallant remains of the
horse-grenadiers of the guard, the only force in the whole French
army that now retained the least semblance of order. But finding the
ground very heavy, he crossed the road at La Maison-du-Roi, and rode
along a cross-road which was also in a very bad state: he then made
for the high-road again, passed Genappe, and arrived at Quatre-Bras
about eleven o’clock; thence he proceeded to Charleroi.
The remains of the allied army bivacked on what had been the French
position. The 52d, 71st, and 2d and 3d battalions of the 95th,
halted on the ground that had been occupied by the Imperial guard in
reserve, near the farm of Rossomme. The remains of my regiment, with
Vivian’s brigade, went to the vicinity of the farm of Hulencourt: I
accompanied general Vivian and colonel sir E. Kerrison to the farm,
acting as orderly, and still mounted on the cuirassier’s horse.
Thus closed upon us the glorious 18th of June. Fatigue and extreme
exhaustion, following such exertions and such excitement as had been
our lot that day, left us little power to reflect either upon the
completeness of our own triumph, or the extent of the disasters that
overtook the remains of our vanquished foes. These fled in utter and
hopeless disorder before the Prussians, who dashed into the pursuit,
and continued the work of slaughter with a ferocious and avenging
spirit, which the conduct of the French two days before had provoked.
Had however the enemy’s cavalry been husbanded, the headlong rush of
the victors might have been sufficiently checked, to have allowed the
French army to retreat in something like order. But the wreck of that
fine army fled, or rather was driven from the long-disputed field, in
the wildest disorder and confusion.
More important or decisive events than those which so quickly
succeeded each other from the 15th to the 18th of June, never before
graced the pages of history. Never did the events of a few days
produce such important consequences.
We, the conquerors of Waterloo, and many of us certainly never
expected so glorious a termination to the battle, were glad to lie
down among the dead and dying, and snatch a few hours of necessary
repose:
“Piled high as autumn shocks, there lay
The ghastly harvest of the fray,
The corpses of the slain.”
The battle might be described as having been a succession of
assaults, sustained with unabated fury, and often with a boldness
and effect that much perplexed our troops and put their firmness to
the test. Every renewed attack diminished our numbers, and still the
survivors yielded not an inch of ground, and, even without orders,
made good the gaps. No other troops in the world would have endured,
for so long a period, so terrible a struggle. Our Imperial antagonist
admitted that we went through and stood to our work, unlike any
troops he had ever seen before and the fact is well authenticated,
that Napoleon repeatedly complimented us on our incomparable
steadiness and forbearance. But this is not to be wondered at, when
our chief, he who had so often directed our energy, affirmed that he
had “never seen the British infantry behave so well.” Our glorious
contest had been maintained against the most renowned legions of
Europe, who had never before shown such uninterrupted audacity
and intrepidity. They were led by generals of undoubted skill and
gallantry, who with their brave troops had won laurels in many a
hard-fought battle, and who believed themselves to be, what their
ambitious chief had so often declared, invincible, and as such they
were still regarded by most of the continental nations. At Waterloo
we had to contend against soldiers of undaunted spirit, full of
enthusiasm and careless of life. Never did these heroic men, grown
grey in victories, better sustain their reputation than on this
occasion. The French are a brave people, and no troops in the world
surpass, if any equal them, for impetuosity of attack; but many men
will stand fire and face distant danger, and yet shrink from the
struggle when closing in desperate grasp with an enemy. It is not
bravery alone which decides the battle, calmness is often absolutely
necessary, and in this, the most valiant are at times found wanting.
Never did a battle require more cool and determined courage than
that of Waterloo. Nothing can be more trying to troops than passive
endurance of offence; nothing so intolerable as to be incessantly
assailed, and not permitted in turn to become assailants. A desperate
struggle in a well-contested battle field, differs greatly from
acting on the defensive, from holding a position, or from being
attacked and not allowed to return the aggression of an enemy.
There is an excited feeling when assailing, which stimulates even
the weak-hearted, and drowns the thought of danger. The tumultuous
enthusiasm of the assault spreads from man to man, and timid spirits
catch a gallant frenzy from the brave.
[Illustration: (end of chapter; decorative separator)]
FOOTNOTES:
[71] My gallant friend and companion in arms the general[72] who,
on all occasions, from my attending him as orderly, at the close of
the day of Waterloo, until his death, so kindly took me by the hand,
thought that what had occurred at Marengo, (when Kellermann’s cavalry
charged the advancing columns of Austrian grenadiers, and Desaix
with a small force attacked their front and snatched a victory which
the Austrians considered they had previously gained,) might probably
take place at Waterloo, and was therefore most anxious to drive the
enemy’s cavalry off, and prevent a like occurrence.
[72] _See_ general Vivian’s letter, Appendix, No. VII, p. 274.
[73] It was Halkett himself who marked out Cambronne, and having
ridden forward at full gallop, was on the point of cutting down the
French general, when the latter cried out for quarter and received
it. This fact does not well agree with the words popularly ascribed
to Cambronne, “_La garde meurt, et ne se rend pas_.” After having
surrendered, Cambronne tried to escape from Halkett, whose horse
fell wounded to the ground. But in a few seconds Halkett overtook
his prisoner, and seizing him by the aiguillette, hurried him to the
Osnabruckers, and sent him in charge of a sergeant to the duke of
Wellington. Cambronne was subsequently sent to Ostend, with count de
Lobau and other prisoners. It was only the old guard that wore the
aiguillette.
The words ascribed to Cambronne, “The guard dies, it never
surrenders,” of which we see such numbers of engraving, and which
illustrates so many pocket handkerchiefs, and ornaments so much of
their crockery, etc., have, notwithstanding they were never uttered,
made a fortune: all French historians repeat them. I am in possession
of a letter, written to me by a friend of Cambronne’s, and who asked
the general, whether it was true that he had uttered the words in
question; the reply was, I quote Mr. E. S. Dickson’s own words,
“_Monsieur, on m’a débité cette réponse_.” (“The answer has been
placed to my account.”)
[74] It is notorious, that in the bosom of the truly brave, a spark
of humanity is always smouldering, even when the ferocity of war
rouses the savage passions to the greatest fury. The case above,
that of major Toole, 32d regiment, (page 57,) that of general Pelet,
(page 132, note,) together with the anecdote of the French skirmisher
with lieutenant-colonel F. Ponsomby, (Appendix, No. VI,) prove the
difficulty of making brave men hate each other.
[75] Good proof, were it wanting, who first drove the French back,
and led the van in pursuit.
[76] Let it be recorded to general Pelet’s credit, that he prevented
the butchery of some Prussian prisoners, whom their captors, in their
fruitless rage, were eager to sacrifice.
[77] _See_ Appendix, No. II, p. 216; or _Dispatches_, vol. XII, p.
488-489.