Soon after the cuirassiers had retired, we observed to our right the
red hussars of the Garde Imperiale charging a square of Brunswick
riflemen, who were about fifty yards from us. This charge was
brilliantly executed, but the well-sustained fire from the square
baffled the enemy, who were obliged to retire after suffering a severe
loss in killed and wounded. The ground was completely covered with
those brave men, who lay in various positions, mutilated in every
conceivable way. Among the fallen we perceived the gallant colonel of
the hussars lying under his horse, which had been killed, All of a
sudden two riflemen of the Brunswickers left their battalion, and after
taking from their helpless victim his purse, watch, and other articles
of value, they deliberately put the colonel's pistols to the poor
fellow's head and blew out his brains. "Shame! shame!" was heard from
our ranks, and a feeling of indignation ran through the whole line; but
the deed was done: this brave soldier lay a lifeless corpse in sight of
his cruel foes, whose only excuse perhaps was that their sovereign, the
Duke of Brunswick, had been killed two days before by the French.
Again and again various cavalry regiments, heavy dragoons, lancers,
hussars, carabineers of the Guard, endeavoured to break our walls of
steel. The enemy's cavalry had to advance over ground which was so
heavy that they could not reach us except at a trot; they therefore
came upon us in a much more compact mass than they probably would have
done if the ground had been more favourable. When they got within ten
or fifteen yards they discharged their carbines, to the cry of "Vive l'
Empereur!" their fire produced little effect, as that of cavalry
generally does. Our men had orders not to fire unless they could do so
on a near mass; the object being to economize our ammunition, and not
to waste it on scattered soldiers. The result was, that when the
cavalry had discharged their carbines, and were still far off, we
occasionally stood face to face, looking at each other inactively, not
knowing what the next move might be. The lancers were particularly
troublesome, and approached us with the utmost daring. On one occasion
I remember, the enemy's artillery having made a gap in the square, the
lancers were evidently waiting to avail themselves of it, to rush among
us, when Colonel Staples at once observing their intention, with the
utmost promptness filled up the gap, and thus again completed our
impregnable steel wall; but in this act he fell mortally wounded. The
cavalry seeing this, made no attempt to carry out their original
intentions, and observing that we had entirely regained our square,
confined themselves to hovering round us. I must not forget to mention
that the lancers in particular never failed to despatch our wounded
whenever they had an opportunity of doing so.
When we received cavalry, the order was to fire low; so that on the
first discharge of musketry the ground was strewed with the fallen
horses and their riders, which impeded the advance of those behind them
and broke the shock of the charge. It was pitiable to witness the
agony of the poor horses, who really seemed conscious of the dangers
that surrounded them: we often saw a poor wounded animal raise its
head, as if looking for its rider to afford him aid. There is nothing
perhaps amongst the episodes of a great battle more striking than the
debris of a cavalry charge, where men and horses are seen scattered and
wounded on the ground in every variety of painful attitude. Many a time
the heart sickened at the moaning tones of agony which came from man
and scarcely less intelligent horse, as they lay in fearful agony upon
the field of battle.