cavalry rode furiously up and down among the small squares of British infantry, seeking some point where they might break in upon them. In the meantime, a brigade of horse-artillery, commanded by Major Norman Ramsay, opened its fire upon the French cavalry, which forced them to retreat repeatedly. They again advanced with new fury. As often as they retired, the British artillerymen rushed out of the squares where they sheltered themselves, and began again to work their pieces. On the part of the French, a most wonderful degree of bravery was displayed in this part of the battle—and, on the part of the British, at least an equal degree of bravery, united with much more coolness.

Two British officers of artillery, being in a square which was repeatedly charged, rushed out of it the instant the cavalry retreated, loaded one of the deserted guns which stood near, and fired it upon the horsemen. A French officer observed that this manœuvre was repeated more than once; and, at the next retreat of his squadron, he stationed himself by the gun, waving his sword, as if defying the British officers again to approach it. He was, however, soon shot by a grenadier; but by this act of self-devotion, he prevented a considerable loss to his countrymen. Other French officers and men also behaved with a wonderful degree of gallantry. One officer of rank, after leading his men as far as they would follow him towards one of the squares of infantry, found himself deserted by them, and instantly rode upon the bayonets, at the same time throwing open his arms as if to welcome the bullet which should bring him down. The cool determined courage of the British soldiers was also remarkable. "Amid the infernal noise, hurry, and clamour of the bloodiest action ever fought, the British officers were obeyed as if on the parade; and such was the precision with which these men gave their fire, that the aid-de-camp could ride round each square with perfect safety, being sure that the discharge would be reserved till the precise moment when it ought regularly to be made. The firing was rolling or alternate, keeping up that constant and uninterrupted blaze upon which it is impossible to force a concentrated and effective charge of cavalry. Thus, each little phalanx stood by itself, like an impregnable fortress, while their crossing fires supported each other, and dealt destruction among the enemy, who frequently attempted to penetrate the intervals, and to gain the flanks, and even the rear of these detached masses. The Dutch, Hanoverian, and Brunswick troops, maintained the same solid order, and the same ready, restrained, and destructive fire, as the British regiments with whom they were intermingled." But though the French had hitherto not been able to break the British line, yet the situation of the

latter was critical. The Duke of Wellington had placed all his best troops in front; and these had suffered so dreadfully, that it became necessary to bring forward troops from the second line, These were not of equal quality, and some of them were found unequal to the task. The duke himself saw a Belgian regiment give way at the instant it crossed the ridge of the hill: he rode up to them in person, halted the regiment, and again formed it, intending to lead them into the fire himself. They accordingly shouted, En avant! En avant! (Forward! forward!)-but as soon as they crossed the ridge of the hill, and again encountered the storm of balls and shells, they went to the right-about once more, and fairly left the duke!! Upon this he brought up a Brunswick regiment, who kept their ground with more steadiness, and behaved very well.

But the

The battle continued to rage with the utmost fury in every part of the line; and "the British army," as Blucher justly said, "fought with a valor which nothing could surpass.' enemy renewed his attacks with such rapidity and vigor, that with whatever firmness the allied army maintained their position, it was impossible but that such heroic conduct, and such continued and immense exertions, must have had a limit. The arrival of the Prussians, therefore, who were known to be advancing to co-operate with them, was most anxiously expected. The Duke of Wellington had dispatched an officer of his staff, about two o'clock, to the head-quarters of Fieldmarshal Blucher, to ascertain his movements, and to know when it was probable his advance would come in contact with the enemy.

Nearly four hours had now elapsed, during which the battle had been maintained with the most determined courage and obstinacy on both sides. Yet it was little in comparison to what followed. It was three in the afternoon. Affairs became more urgent. The enemy having been baffled in every attempt which he had made upon the British lines, except the temporary success at La Haye Sainte, resolved to make some alteration in his plan of attack. He had first tried the right, then the left, and then the right again, in order to force his way; but in vain. By pressing the right wing of the allied army, he seemed to have in view to crush it completely in the contest; and by turning the army by the right, to gain the Brussels road from that direction; thus throwing the whole defeated army of Wellington back in the direction of the Prussians, of whom, in the early part of the day, he seems either to have made a slight account or none at all. If he effected this object, he not only gained the capital of the Netherlands, but cut off all the British supplies and reinforcements advancing from Ostend. In this object he failed. He next made the terrible

attack we have related, from the centre to the British left, endeavouring, at the same time, to force the former, and to throw back the latter upon the beaten troops, and thus separate the whole from the Prussian army. Foiled, however, in both objects, by the bravery and skill of his adversaries, and in a very particular manner by the defenders of Hougoumont, and the heroes on the left, be was compelled to turn his attention, without delay, to accomplish the defeat of the allied army by any means he could. The weakest part of the British line, near the left centre, was therefore the point against which he in future directed his utmost fury. The preceding plans were daring-fitting his genius, and marks Strongly the character of the man; but all his proceedings were in extremes, and consequently dangerous, when undertaken against such adversaries as Wellington and Blucher.

In order to appreciate fully the nature of this contest, we must bear in mind, that the plan laid down by the Duke of Wellington was to act al together on the defensive, till the arrival of the force under Blucher. It is scarcely necessary to add, the plan of the enemy was directly opposite. Their junction he could not possibly prevent, but he was determined to render them of no aail, by the defeat of the one he dreaded most, before the arrival of the other. Bonaparte had hi therto remained on an eminence near La Belle Alliance from whence he had a clear view of the whole field-of-battle. He continued walking in deep thought, sometimes with his hands joined together, and at other times taking snuff copiously, but all the while in great anxiety. The story of his standing upon the observatory, which is a mile disant, is an idle tale. At La Belle Alliance was his station during the afternoon. "It was the re," said Marshal Blucher," that Napoleon was during the battle; it was there he gave his orders, and that he flattered himself with the hope of victory." From this point he contemplated the immediate and complete success of those terrible French tactics, which had so often appalled his enemies. He was, however, much chagrined when he saw some of his best troops, and bis cavalry and cuirassiers, driven back, heels over head, at every onset by the British line, and with amazing carnage. A great part of his army had already been engaged, except his guards, which were the flower of his army, and who idolized and adored him. He, therefore, determined to bring a part of these troops forward, and with all his cavalry, formed into masses, to make one desperate effort against the centre of the British army. Having formed his plan, the infantry and cavalry were formed into columns, and advanced rapidly to the attack, under cover of a most tremendous cannonade, which was directed against the whole line, but severest towards the centre.

The British cavalry was driven to the rear of the BOOK. XV. infantry, after sustaining several charges, in which the carnage on both sides was dreadful. The CHAP. VIII. French cavalry then charged the infantry, who, 1815. being in squares, repulsed them. The enemy, however, returned to the attack, and charged with both infantry and cavalry in such numbers, that it required every effort on the part of the British to resist them; and the combat became close and sanguinary. About 300 pieces of artillery opened against the British lines, the fire from which was incessant and terrible. "It unfortunately," said General Alava, " made horrible ravages in our line, and killed and wounded officers, artillerists, and horses, in the weakest part of the position."

The loss of the third battalion of the 1st regiment of guards, and the rifle battalion of the king's German legion, was immense. Files upon files were carried out to the rear from the carnage ; the ammunition of many of the English soldiers being expended, some fell back to procure it, which, with their continual loss, quite unsteadied the line: this, at one critical moment, was only held up by main strength, the serjeants having placed their pikes in line against the men's backs, not for want of courage in the latter, for they fought most desperately, but because their thinned ranks scarcely enabled them to withstand the overwhelming forces brought against them. Shocking as the slaughter was, it would have been much greater had it not been for the state of the ground, which was thoroughly soaked with rain ; for although this, by preventing dust, afforded better aim to the artillerymen, many shots never rose after they had touched the ground, and none bounded so often as they would otherwise have done. The shells also frequently turned themselves, and, when they exploded, threw up the mud like a fountain.

For more than three hours, the enemy continued to make charge after charge, from one end of the British line to the other, in order to force it' wherever he could. Victory was several times doubtful; but the Duke of Wellington was every where present, exposed to the hottest fire, animating his men. He often threw himself into the midst of the squares, in full determination to stand or fall with them. Indeed, at this period of the battle, he exposed his person with a freedom which, while the positions of the armies and the nature of the ground rendered it inevitably necessary, made all around him tremble for that: life on which it was obvious that the fate of the battle depended. There was scarcely a square › but he visited in person, encouraging the men by his presence, and the officers by his directious. Many of his short phrases are repeated by them as if they were possessed of a talismanic effect. While he stood in the centre of the high road, in‹

1815.

66

I

BOOK XV. front of Mount St. John, several pieces were levelled against him, distinguished as he was by CHAP. VIII. his suite, and the movements of the officers who came and went with orders. The balls repeatedly grazed a tree on the right hand of the road, which tree now bears his name. "That is good practice," observed the duke to one of his suite, think they fire better than they did in Spain." Riding up to the 95th, when in front of the line, and then expecting a formidable charge of cavalry, he said, "Stand fast, 95th, we must not be beat-what will they say in England?" On another occasion, when many of the best and bravest men had fallen, and the event of the action seemed doubtful to those who remained, he said, with the coolness of a spectator who was beholding some well-contested sport, "Never mind, we'll win the battle yet." To another regiment, then closely engaged, he used a common sporting expression, "Hard pounding this, gentlemen, let's see who will pound longest."

Still the French persevered; and, though repulsed in every point, continued their attacks with such impetuosity, that the squares began to assume the appearance of a great reduction of numbers. One general officer was under the necessity of stating that his brigade was reduced to one-third of its numbers, that those who remained were exhausted with fatigue, and that a temporary relief, of however short a duration, was a measure of peremptory necessity. "Tell him," said the duke, "what he proposes is impossible. He, and I, and every Englishman on the field, must die on the spot which we now occupy.". "It is enough," returned the general; "I, and every man under my command, are determined to share his fate."

In order to give our readers a better idea how this dreadful conflict was carried on, it may be proper to explain, at one view, how the attacks of the enemy were made. In general, the whole French artillery first advanced in front, towards the British lines, pouring a most destructive fire of grape-shot and shells into them. Its approach was close indeed. This artillery played upon the British squares, at the distance of 150 paces (375, feet.) Next succeeded the tremendous charges of cavalry and cuirassiers; and, lastly, the bold and determined attacks of the close columns of infantry. These repelled, the enemy retired behind their guns, which again advanced, while the cavalry and infantry re-formed, and prepared to renew the onset in the same order. Το separate the British army-to break through the centre, and to crush their firm battalions, the enemy made the most astonishing and reiterated efforts. Six times, from two o'clock to seven, said the Austrian official report, did Bonaparte make the attempt with equal courage, and as often was he driven back; no troops but the English, said the

same important document, could have resisted such attacks. As the wave impels the wave, so column propelling column advanced to the attack, while the artillery and the mortars scattered destruction along the British line. The French cavalry repeatedly attacked échelon of squares after échelon, and were repulsed ten or eleven times with immense loss. One mass was no sooner repulsed and broken, than another took up its place. The British squares remained immoveable; and nothing could shake them.

The battle was maintained, on both sides, with inconceivable violence. The fire of the artillery and the attacks of the cavalry were so terrible, and so severe, that the allied troops absolutely looked upon the present attacks of the infantry as a breathing time from their unparalleled toils. The anxiety of their illustrious chief for the sufferings of his gallant comrades became great. " I saw him," said a person who was present," pull out his watch several times, calculating, no doubt, when the Prussians would arrive." Would to God," it is said he was heard to exclaim, “Would to God that night or Blucher would come." Blucher, in the mean time, was not idle; but his army had great and unforeseen difficulties to encounter before a junction with the British could be effected. The fourth corps, as we have already observed, had been in motion since four o'clock in the morning. Blucher himself, weary and unwell from the dreadful crush which he had received on the 16th, was in bed when he received the intelligence that the duke was attacked. He instantly arose, followed his army; and, putting himself at the head of the first corps, hastened to the field-of-battle. The cross-roads in that part of the country through which they had to pass were, from the late incessant raios, almost impassable. It was half-past eleven o'clock before the fourth corps arrived at St. Lambert, whither it was immediately followed by the second corps. The Prussians experienced considerable difficulty in passing the defile of St. Lambert, and this, added to the badness of the roads, retarded their march some hours, so that it was past four o'clock in the afternoon before two brigades only of the fourth corps arrived at the covered position which was assigned them. The decisive moment was come: there was not an instant to be lost; and General Bulow resolved to commence the attack with what forces were come up. The Prussians, therefore, immediately advanced towards Planchenoit, against the enemy's right wing. Bonaparte, however, did not lose his presence of mind. He had been aware of a move ment of this description, and had endeavoured to guard against it. From a letter intercepted on the preceding evening, he learned that 15,000 Prussians were to arrive on his right. The rest of the Prussian army he seems not to have thought