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mortal glory, and to decisive success.

"Have at them then,

my brave men! Down upon them!" While, like Hector, he perhaps also told them,

"Death is, at worst, a fate which all must try;
And for our country 'tis a bless to die.
The gallant man, though slain in fight he be,
Yet leaves his nation safe, his children free."*

"They replied," said Alava, "with a general hurrah! and while his Grace himself led them on, guiding them with his hat, they marched at the point of the bayonet, to come to close aetion with the Imperial guard."+ But these fled from the fierce onset. At the same moment, the whole British line was commanded to advance. Though after nine hours of the severest fighting ever known, the allied soldiers rushed like lions to the combat. The attack was simultaneous, tremendous, and irresistible. At every point their line swept the field of battle.

"Heaps fall on heaps, the slaughter" Well'sley "leads.

Swift as a whirlwind drives the scatter'd foes,

And dyes the ground with purple as he goes."†

The bravest of their foes fell before them in ranks. They marched over hills of dead, and through rivers of blood. The artillery rapidly followed their career. In bringing the guns up to the front, notwithstanding every care and attention, many wounded were crushed by the wheels, while others were seen holding out their hands, and supplicating that they might not be suffered to run over them. But so thickly was the field covered with wounded, that, in every instance, it was impossible to avoid it. Infinitely worse was the condition of many of the French wounded, who were crushed to death both in the general confusion and flight of their whole remaining army over them, and also by the advance of the allies. Fear and flight, pressed the French army. Their numerous artillery poured forth destruction no longer-their boasted armour could screen the cuirassiers no more. The former became the prize of the conquerors, in the batteries where they stood; and the latter were precipitated headlong from their horses and trampled to death. "We crushed them like lobsters in their shells," was the rough, but just, simile of an eye witness to this dreadful

Pope's Homer. Iliad, Book xv. line 582, &c.

† Alava's official dispatch.

Pope's Homer. Iliad, Book v. line 638, &c.

The French troops were literally thrown backward, heels o'er head; rank upon rank, and column upon column,

"Whole squadrons vanish, and proud heads lie low.

The steeds fly, trembling, from his waving sword;
And many a car, now lighted of its Lord,

Wide o'er the field with guidless fury rolls,

Breaking their ranks, and crushing out their souls."

The French soldiers could be brought to face the British heroes no more. They fled in the " utmost confusion,"† said the British General. "Entire columns," said General Alava, "threw down their arms and cartouch boxes, in order to escape the better," and "abandoned on the spot where they had been formed, 150 pieces of cannon, and all their ammunition and equipages to the conquerors." So impetuous and furious was this attack, that all idea of quarter, on either side, was, for some time, out of the question. The contest thus became a perfect massacre. The French Guard refused to yield, though called upon to do so, and were, therefore, nearly exterminated. The few who escaped fled to the rear, carrying with them disorder and confusion. At the same moment, the Prussian corps under Zeithen, with which old Blucher was, charged the right flank of the enemy near the village of Smouhen. His right wing was broken in three places. The Prussian troops rushed forward at the pas de charge, and attacked them at all points with irresistible fury. The battle at this point also, was, for a considerable time, most furious and most sanguinary. Officers of all ranks exposed themselves like the meanest soldier. Gneisenau, the chief of Blucher's staff, had first one horse killed by a cannon ball, and then another twice wounded by musquet balls. His sabre was once beat out of the scabbard, and once shot to pieces. Previous to the engagement, Bonaparte had carried along with him a farmer of the name of Lacoste, as a guide, to point out to him the country. This man relates, that when Bonaparte saw the Prussian troops advancing, and supposing them to be the troops of Grouchy, he desired an officer to inform him whose colours these were that advanced towards the right?"Prussian," was the reply. It struck him like the

* Pope's Homer.* Iliad, book xi. line 206, &c. t Wellington's dispatch, June 19th.

Alava's dispatch,

head of Medusa. A deathlike paleness, for a moment, overspread his countenance, and anguish rung his heart. This attack of the Prussians was never mentioned by Bonaparte. He felt sore at having committed himself so far as to place his army in such a situation. Let us, for a moment, attend to his account of these matters. We have already noticed his account of three battalions of the middle guard, at half past eight o'clock, attempting to carry an English battery at the point of the bayonet. The consequence of which attempt was, "that, at the close of the day, a charge, directed against their flank, by some English squadrons, put them in disorder. The fugitives recrossed the ravine." "* But not a word of the Prussians. However, these had broken his right wing at Smouhen; and Bulow was fiercely contending for possession of Planchenoit, in his rear. The British poured destruction into his centre and his left. Confusion marched with giant strides. "Several regiments near at hand," said he, "secing some troops belonging to the guard in confusion, believed that it was the old guard, and, in consequence, fled in disorder. The cry, all is lost, the guard is driven back, was heard on every side."+ In vain Bonaparte made a strong effort, by bringing up some battalions of the old guard, which had not yet been engaged, to arrest the flight of the fugitives. It was useless. Intimidated by the confusion around them, overpowered by the recoiling friend and advancing foe, they soon yielded to the alarming torrent. It was at this point where, for some time, it was supposed that the Emperor had been either killed or taken. But he was borne along with the rest. Without disguise—without hope.

There Gallia's soldiers turn their backs for flight;

There Gallia's leader shuns th' unequal fight.

On this side all order was lost. All commands disregarded. Emperor, Princes, Generals, Officers and soldiers fled in dismay, and in the utmost alarm and terror. The soldiers of the waggon train cut the traces of their horses-the artillerymen fled from their guns-the officers of the highest rank were hurried away, and lost in the crowd; and not a single battalion existed, behind which another could rally. In less than half an hour, all the materiel of the army fell into the hands of the

French official account of the battle of the 18th.

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allies. The enemy learned at this moment, by fatal experience, that the cavalry had been too soon and too ill employed. As these had previously been in a great measure destroyed, so the enemy had nothing to cover the retreat of his unfortunate army. That if these troops had been less exposed, the retreat would have been less fatal can scarcely admit of a doubt. It was this want which now rendered defeat ruin. Still the means of retreat, though certain to be disastrous, was not yet entirely cut off. The enemy still held the village of Planchenoit in his rear, with a part of the old guard in reserve. Against them the Prussians advanced. The ground for the attack, on the part of the latter, was extremely favourable. It rose like an amphitheatre, so that the artillery could open from the summit of a great many heights, which rose gradually above each other. In the intervals formed by these, "the troops descended into the plain, and formed into brigades in the greatest order, while fresh corps continually unfolded themselves, issuing from the forest on the height behind them."* Under these circumstances, the Prussians advanced against the old guard stationed at Planchenoit. This determined band, however, stood firm to the last. After several bloody attacks, the place was at length carried by storm. The slaughter was dreadful. The Prussians were so exasperated, that they neither gave nor sought quarter. The enemy had kindled this animosity, and he now felt its bitter consequences. At Planchenoit none escaped. The old guard" said the "The old guard" said the enemy, "which was in reserve, was attacked and completely cut up."+ From that moment, the cry of, All is lost, spread from mouth to mouth throughout the whole French army. It was "a cry of dismay," more bitter than that which resounded round the fatal banks of the Elster-a shriek of despair more freezing than that which echoed along the bleak bosom of the Berezina. The nerves of the bravest tremble to contemplate the scene which occasioned it-the ears of the most thoughtless think they hear the piercing echo. From that fatal moment, the route was general and complete. The road soon became choked with fugitives, equipages, and cannon. The commanders of all ranks were separated from their corps, and hurried along with the multiPrussian official account of the battle of the 18th.

+ French

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tude. In vain Bonaparte at this dreadful hour still attempted to collect some battalions of the old and young guard, which had been least engaged, and with them endeavoured to arrest the torrent; terrified at the scene around them, and pulverised by the cannon, they were overthrown in a moment. They were borne along with the rest, and carried the Emperor with them. The French army fled in such haste, that it hurried away in its route every thing which attempted to arrest its progress. "It soon assumed," said Blucher," the appearance of an army of barbarians." Cavalry, infantry, and artillery, rushed pele mele upon each other, and became blended in one mass of confusion. The dragoons rode over the foot soldiers, and trampled them to death. At the same moment the cavalry and infantry of the allies were close at their heels, and marked their footsteps with blood.

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"Now by the foot the flying foot were slain;

Horse trode by horse lay foaming on the plain."†

"A complete panic," said the enemy, "spread itself throughout the whole field of battle; and they threw themselves in the greatest disorder, on the line of communication: soldiers, cannoniers, caissons, all hurried to this point." It was in vain to attempt to draw order from this confusion-no orders were listened to-no commands were obeyed. "Soldiers of all arms," said the enemy, "were mixed pele mele; and it was utterly impossible to form a single corps." It was half past nine o'clock. The British army continued the pursuit over indiscribable scenes of blood and ruin.

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"Loud o'er the rout was heard the victors cry,
Where the war bleeds, and where the thickest die;
Where horse and arms, and chariots, lie o'erthrown,
And bleeding heroes under axles groan."||

For five miles, which they followed the flying enemy, the route was covered by Frenchmen only. At the farm house of la Belle Alliance, the slaughter was prodigious. The French made a battery of the garden wall, by making holes through it. All the trees in the orchard were stripped by the bullets. Every house, and every hole, was found full of dead and dying French• Prussian official account. + Pope's Homer. Iliad, Book xi. line 139, &c. do.

French official account.

$ Do,

Pope's Homer. Iliad, Book xvi line 454, &c.

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