I got upon the best of my two horses, and followed Sir Thomas Picton
and his staff to Quatre Bras at full speed. His division was already
engaged in supporting the Prince of Orange, and had deployed itself in
two lines in front of the road to Sombref when he arrived. Sir Thomas
immediately took the command. Shortly afterwards, Kempt's and Pack's
brigades arrived by the Brussels road, and part of Alten's division by
the Nivelles road.
Ney was very strong in cavalry, and our men were constantly formed into
squares to receive them. The famous Kellerman, the hero of Marengo,
tried a last charge, and was very nearly being taken or killed, as his
horse was shot under him when very near us. Wellington at last took
the offensive;--a charge was made against the French, which succeeded,
and we remained masters of the field. I acted as a mere spectator, and
got, on one occasion, just within twenty or thirty yards of some of the
cuirassiers; but my horse was too quick for them.
On the 17th, Wellington retreated upon Waterloo, about eleven o'clock.
The infantry were masked by the cavalry in two lines, parallel to the
Namur road. Our cavalry retired on the approach of the French cavalry,
in three columns, on the Brussels road. A torrent of rain fell, upon
the Emperor's ordering the heavy cavalry to charge us; while the fire
of sixty or eighty pieces of cannon showed that we had chosen our
position at Waterloo. Chambers said to me, "Now, Gronow, the loss has
been very severe in the Guards, and I think you ought to go and see
whether you are wanted; for, as you have really nothing to do with
Picton, you had better join your regiment, or you may get into a
scrape." Taking his advice, I rode off to where the Guards were
stationed; the officers--amongst whom I remember Colonel Thomas and
Brigade-Major Miller--expressed their astonishment and amazement on
seeing me, and exclaimed, "What the deuce brought you here? Why are
you not with your battalion in London? Get off your horse, and explain
how you came here!"
Things were beginning to look a little awkward, when Gunthorpe, the
adjutant, a great friend of mine, took my part and said, "As he is
here, let us make the most of him; there's plenty of work for everyone.
Come, Gronow, you shall go with the Hon. Captain Clements and a
detachment to the village of Waterloo, to take charge of the French
prisoners." I said, "What the deuce shall I do with my horse?" Upon
which the Hon. Captain Stopford, aide-de-camp to Sir John Byng,
volunteered to buy him. Having thus once more become a foot soldier, I
started according to orders, and arrived at Waterloo.