CHAPTER IV.
Hougoumont reinforced, the enemy driven back.—The enemy’s cavalry charge, and are driven off.—Struggle in the orchard continued.—Advance of a column of French infantry, who suffer and are checked by the terrific fire of our battery.—Napoleon directs his howitzers upon Hougoumont, which is soon set on fire; notwithstanding, the Duke ordered it to be held at any cost.—La Haye-Sainte again assailed.—Aruseof the enemy’s lancers.—Fire of the enemy’s artillery increases.—Importance of our advanced posts.—Ney’s grand cavalry attacks; destructive fire of our guns upon them, and their gallantry.—After numerous fruitless attempts against our squares, the enemy get mixed; are broken, and driven back by our cavalry.—Their artillery again open fire upon us.—Extraordinary scene of warfare.—An ammunition waggon in a blaze.—The earth trembles with the concussion of the artillery.—Ney, reinforced with cavalry, continues his aggressions, and, as before, after repeated fruitless attacks, the assailants are driven off.—Terrific fire of artillery.—Not so many saddles emptied by our musketry as expected.—The enemy’s attacks less frequent and animated.—Captain Siborne’s lively description of Ney’s grand cavalry attack.
Hougoumont reinforced, the enemy driven back.—The enemy’s cavalry charge, and are driven off.—Struggle in the orchard continued.—Advance of a column of French infantry, who suffer and are checked by the terrific fire of our battery.—Napoleon directs his howitzers upon Hougoumont, which is soon set on fire; notwithstanding, the Duke ordered it to be held at any cost.—La Haye-Sainte again assailed.—Aruseof the enemy’s lancers.—Fire of the enemy’s artillery increases.—Importance of our advanced posts.—Ney’s grand cavalry attacks; destructive fire of our guns upon them, and their gallantry.—After numerous fruitless attempts against our squares, the enemy get mixed; are broken, and driven back by our cavalry.—Their artillery again open fire upon us.—Extraordinary scene of warfare.—An ammunition waggon in a blaze.—The earth trembles with the concussion of the artillery.—Ney, reinforced with cavalry, continues his aggressions, and, as before, after repeated fruitless attacks, the assailants are driven off.—Terrific fire of artillery.—Not so many saddles emptied by our musketry as expected.—The enemy’s attacks less frequent and animated.—Captain Siborne’s lively description of Ney’s grand cavalry attack.
Skirmishing continued along our whole front: the entire space between La Haye-Sainte and Hougoumont was up to this time defended by Alten’s skirmishers, commanded by colonel Vigouroux, (30th regiment). The light companies of the guards were, as already stated, fully engaged at Hougoumont, to which post, about two o’clock, sir J. Byng ordered colonel Hepburn to advance, with the remaining companies of the 3d guards. When they reached the first hedge of the orchard, in the hollow-way, they met with lord Saltoun, who, in consequence of the severe loss of his light troops, gave up the command to colonel Hepburn, and returned to his own regiment, (the 1st guards,) posted on the main ridge.
General Cooke having lost an arm by a round-shot, the command of the division devolved on general Byng, and the latter’s brigade on colonel Hepburn, who soon after crossed the orchard, driving the French before him, and occupied the south hedge; this he considered his position. The Frenchwent through a gap at the south-west corner of the orchard, into the wood, and, being huddled together, suffered severely from the concentrated fire of their pursuers, as well as from that of the Coldstream upon the scaffolds and through the loop-holes of the wall. I have been told by a British staff officer, who passed along the south hedges on the morning of the 19th, that, notwithstanding he had been at most of the battles in the Peninsula, he had never seen, except at a breach, dead and wounded men lie thicker than along those hedges.
About this time, the 7th hussars were in line, and near the right of the main ridge. Our officers and men were falling fast from the fire of musketry; at length it was discovered that a dropping fire came from a spot covered with standing rye. Sergeant Montague and a few hussars galloped to the place, and surprised a group of the enemy’s skirmishers, all of whom they cut down.
A strong line of the enemy’s cavalry passed Hougoumont on their left, and ascended our position, apparently regardless of the fire of our artillery, although it somewhat disordered their ranks. The 7th, with a portion of the 15th hussars, was led against them. After a few cuts and points, the enemy went about, and rallied behind another well-formed body of their cavalry; we rallied in rear of our position. About the same time colonel Hepburn’s troops were warmly attacked, out-flanked, and again obliged to retire to their friendly hollow-way; but when the enemy passed the south hedge and entered the large orchard, all within musket range got again such a severe fire from the Coldstream at the east wall that they were staggered; Hepburn again advanced, and recovered his position.
About the time the 2d brigade of guards advanced to Hougoumont, the Brunswickers came into line on the right. A column of French infantry was now seen advancing towards Alten’s and the left of Cooke’s divisions. Our skirmishers were pushed forward to feel them; upon which they changed their direction towards the Hougoumont enclosures through a winding valley, and got as it were under our position, so that they could not be seen. The officer of artillery, who fired the first shot, was posted near where the Lion now stands; judgingthe course they were taking, he allowed them to proceed to a point where he could best exercise his engines of destruction, and opened upon the mass with fearful precision and awful effect. The whole column was thrown into confusion, and moved to some lower ground for protection; there it was reformed, and again put in motion towards the enclosures of Hougoumont; the guns opened once more upon them with similar results, which probably prevented a serious flank attack on this post.
Napoleon, finding his repeated attacks upon Hougoumont quite unavailing, ordered general Haxo to establish a battery of howitzers to set it on fire. The shells fell into the buildings, and flames shortly burst forth: at about three o’clock, the whole of the château and a portion of the out-offices were on fire. From the right of the allied position the appearance was awfully grand. It is surprising that the enemy, with so large a force of artillery, chiefly twelve-pounders, did not level Hougoumont with the ground. With his left batteries near the Nivelles road, from whence it was completely commanded, he might have soon beaten it about the ears of its defenders; he preferred however burning them out with shells.
The Duke considered it of great importance to withhold this position from the enemy, and directed that it should not be abandoned, whilst there was a man left to defend it, although it was in flames. He deemed the maintaining of the post essential to the success of the day’s operations. Many of the wounded who were in the buildings perished in the flames; those in the chapel escaped, as the flames did not extend far beyond the entrance; and it is a remarkable fact, that they ceased at the feet of the wooden image of our Saviour.
“Yes! Agincourt may be forgot,And Cressy be an unknown spot,And Blenheim’s name be new;But still in story and in song,For many an age remember’d long,Shall live the walls of HougoumontAnd field of Waterloo.”
“Yes! Agincourt may be forgot,And Cressy be an unknown spot,And Blenheim’s name be new;But still in story and in song,For many an age remember’d long,Shall live the walls of HougoumontAnd field of Waterloo.”
“Yes! Agincourt may be forgot,And Cressy be an unknown spot,And Blenheim’s name be new;But still in story and in song,For many an age remember’d long,Shall live the walls of HougoumontAnd field of Waterloo.”
“Yes! Agincourt may be forgot,
And Cressy be an unknown spot,
And Blenheim’s name be new;
But still in story and in song,
For many an age remember’d long,
Shall live the walls of Hougoumont
And field of Waterloo.”
The Duke’s orders were carried down to Hougoumont bymajor Hamilton, aide-de-camp to general Barnes, the adjutant-general of the forces, and given to colonel Home, commanding some of the 3d guards on the allied right of the building, near the wood. After delivering the order, major Hamilton went away, but shortly returned and asked colonel Home, if he perfectly understood his Grace’s instructions: “I do,” replied the colonel, “and you can tell the Duke from me, that, unless we are attacked more vigorously than we have hitherto been, we shall maintain the post without difficulty.” Shortly afterwards colonel Home entered the buildings, the greater part of which, together with some stacks, were in a blaze; he found the colonels Macdonell and Woodford in the walled garden, and gave them the Duke’s orders. Colonel Woodford, at this time, commanded in the interior of Hougoumont, and colonel Hepburn in the orchard. To have allowed the enemy to establish himself in such a post, so near our front and flank, might certainly have been followed by the most serious consequences. But why our gallant assailants wasted so much ammunition against brick and stone walls, that might elsewhere have been used with effect against their enemy, is not easily answered. A post of the description of Hougoumont never before sustained such a succession of desperate attacks: the battle began with the struggle for its possession, which struggle only terminated on the utter defeat and rout of the enemy.
The attack upon La Haye-Sainte[42]was repeated, notwithstanding the punishment the enemy had received at the hands of the German rifles. The French again pressed on to closer combat with determined bravery. The principal attacks were directed to the west barn and yard doors leading into the open fields towards the Lion.
About four o’clock, the 13th light dragoons and 15th hussars(part of the brigade in which I served,) were sent off in haste, under general Grant[43], towards Braine-l’Alleud, to watch the movement of a portion of the enemy’s lancers moving in that direction. The 2d German dragoons also were ordered on the same service, to act as a support, if needful.
The fire of the enemy’s artillery had been continued with great vigour; it was now increased upon that part of our position which was between the two high-roads. Our squares, which were lying down behind the crest of the ridge and could not be seen by the enemy, were, in a great degree, protected from the round and grape-shot, but not from the shells, which were bestowed upon them most liberally. They sometimes fell amongst us with great effect. Those missiles may be both seen and heard as they approach; so that by keeping a look-out many lives were saved; the ground too was so saturated with rain that the shells in some instances sunk beneath the surface, and bursting threw up mud and sand, which were comparatively harmless. The oldest soldier however had never witnessed so furious a cannonade. The Duke, writing to lord Beresford, says, “I never saw such a pounding match.” The havock was dreadful in the extreme, for some considerable time before the impetuous Ney came on with his grand cavalry attack, made by forty squadrons. On their right, close to La Haye-Sainte, were the cuirassiers; then the lancers and chasseursà chevalof the Imperial guard. They advanced in lines,en échelons, their left reaching nearly to the east hedge of Hougoumont.
As those on the right neared the ridge, their artillery discontinued firing; and ours opened with grape, canister and Shrapnel shells, which rattled like hail on the steel-clad warriors; but they still pressed on, regardless of our fire, towards the guns, the horses of which had been sent to the rear. Every discharge (the load was usually double,) dreadfully shattered their ranks, and threw them into great disorder; but excited by the trumpets sounding the charge, they rode up to the cannons’ mouths, shouting,Vive l’Empereur!
Our gunners fled to the squares, which were all ranged inchequer; the front ones had advanced again nearly close to the guns. The French, not perceiving the advantage which the squares afforded the gunners, and imagining that they had captured the guns, shouted out in triumph, and then crossed over the ridge; here they were assailed by a rolling fire from our squares, which were all prepared, the front rank on the right knee, the next rank at the charge.
When the cuirassiers had passed over the ridge, they were out of sight of the lancers and chasseurs, who immediately pressed on to share in the contest. Our artillery received them in a similar manner; some of the men rushing back to their guns, and after discharging them at the foe, taking shelter again within the squares, or under the guns. The firing produced a much greater effect upon such of the enemy’s cavalry as were not protected by the cuirass and casque; consequently their ranks were much more disordered than were the cuirassiers’; still they pursued their onward course, passed the guns, raised a shout and swept round the squares. Some halted and fired their pistols at the officers in the squares; others would ride close up, and either cut at the bayonet or try to lance the outside files. No sooner had the broken squadrons passed the guns, than the gunners were again at their post, and the grape rattled upon the retiring hosts; but frequently, before a succeeding round could be discharged, the hostile cavalry were again upon them, and compelled them to seek shelter.
During the cavalry attacks, those of the enemy were at one time on the allied position, riding about amongst our squares for three quarters of an hour; all cannonading having ceased between the two high-roads.
When the enemy’s squadrons became broken and disordered, our cavalry, who were kept in hand till the favourable moment, again attacked them and drove them down the slope, often following too far, by which they burned their fingers, and likewise prevented our gunners from keeping up a constant fire.
Our position was scarcely free from the enemy’s cavalry, before their numerous artillery began to ply us again with shells and round-shot. After the first cavalry charges, our infantry squares, finding the odds in their favour, gainedconfidence, and it was soon evident they considered the enemy’s cavalry attacks as a relief, and far more agreeable than their furious cannonade, which was invariably suspended on their attacking force crowning our ridge. I am confident from what I saw and heard, as well during as after the battle, that our British infantry would rather, when in squares, have the enemy’s cavalry amongst them than remain exposed to the fire of artillery. The 1st foot-guards had the enemy’s cavalry on every side of their squares several times, and beat them off. Our squares often wheeled up into line, to make their fire more destructive on the French cavalry when retiring: on this, the cuirassiers would suddenly wheel round to charge; but our infantry were instantly in square, and literally indulged in laughter at the disappointment and discomfiture of their gallant opponents. Throughout the day our squares presented a serried line of bristling bayonets, through which our enemy’s cavalry could not break. Had the French made their attacks throughout with infantry and cavalry combined, the result must have been much more destructive; for, although squares are the best possible formation against cavalry, there can be nothing worse to oppose infantry. I am not aware of any parallel to the extraordinary scene of warfare which was now going forward: most of our infantry were in squares, and the enemy’s cavalry of every description riding about amongst them as if they had been our own; for which, but for their armour and uniforms, they might have been mistaken.
An ammunition waggon in a blaze passed about this time in full gallop close to our rear, and one of our men, I think Fowler, afterwards the sergeant saddler, drew his pistol and fired at the horses, but without taking effect: the waggon shortly after blew up.
The skirmishing at the farms of La Haye and Papelotte, which were retaken, and in the hamlet of Smohain, went on with unabated fury: the attacks upon La Haye-Sainte and Hougoumont were continued. The artillery on both sides was now pealing forth its thunders: the earth trembled with the repeated concussions. Ney and his Imperial master, no doubt, expected to bear down all before them by the aid of the thirty-seven additional squadrons they were about tobring forward; whilst we could only command in addition two regiments, the 13th light dragoons and the 15th hussars, under Grant, who, on discovering that theruseof the enemy was to draw off a part of our cavalry from the right of our main front line, had now returned and driven some of the enemy’s cavalry down the slope. He was however obliged to retire immediately, as their cavalry was collected in great force in the valley, as also in the hollows near La Haye-Sainte. Being there exposed to the fire of our batteries, the French horsemen would at times call out aloud, “En avant, en avant!(Forward, forward!) here we are knocked to pieces;” upon which their chiefs would again advance and assail our position. About this period our attention was drawn to the firing of a battery in our rear; we all, to a man, looked round, as if by word of command: but found it to be our own guns, which, from the second ridge across the Nivelles road, were firing upon some lancers that were attacking our Brunswick squares upon the rear face of our right wing. They were twice driven off by Bolton’s battery.
The allied position was again cleared of the enemy, and skirmishers were thrown forward along the valley; some were sent to cover the front from the Hougoumont orchard as far as La Haye-Sainte. At this point the attack had been carried on with great vigour: colonel Baring had made another application for rifle ammunition, which, from some cause or other, was not supplied.
Ney’s cavalry attacks were now renewed, his force being nearly doubled by the addition of a part of general Guyot’s heavy cavalry of the guard, and Kellermann’s cuirassiers.
With this additional force, Ney had a stupendous body of cavalry in comparison with ours. The attack, like the previous ones, was covered by a tremendous fire of artillery, which played on every part of our right wing; the round-shot ploughing up the ground, or tearing open the files of the close and serried ranks; shells exploding in all directions; and at every moment the flashes of the guns, amidst expanding volumes of dense smoke, challenging the attention of every man to the sources of destruction, the well-worked batteries on both sides. Nothing could be more imposing than theadvance of Ney’s cavalry, (flanked by infantry to assail our advanced posts,) as they swept up the slope of the allied position under a murderous fire of our double-shotted guns, of which they again succeeded in getting temporary possession. Our devoted squares at times seemed lost amidst the hostile squadrons, who, in vain, made repeated endeavours to penetrate these impregnable barriers; as before, their squadrons got mixed, broken, and their ardour sobered down, when a retrograde movement was commenced, which soon became general.
The allied cavalry, who had been kept in hand to act at the favourable moment, now darted forward and completed the disorganization of the French cavalry. Our undaunted artillery-men, ever on the alert, were to be found at their guns, plying the retiring hostile cavalry with grape, canister, or case-shot.
But the enemy’s cavalry, which frequently reformed in the valley just under our position, where their lances and the tops of their caps might be seen, were soon again on the position and amongst the squares. Some of the most daring would ride up to the squares and cut aside the bayonets. Such parties seldom escaped unhurt: the man, or horse, was almost sure to be brought down; but not near so many saddles were emptied as might have been expected.
During the attacks made by the French cavalry, not a single individual set an example of soldier-like devotedness by rushing upon the bristling bayonets: certainly no agreeable task, nor to be attempted without imminent danger; but one, when required and gallantly done, that raises men to military rank and renown, and that may hasten the crisis and lead to victory. Of the fifteen thousand French horsemen, it is doubtful whether any perished on a British bayonet, or that any of our infantry in square fell by the French cavalry’s sabres; few, comparatively, of the enemy’s cavalry were destroyed, even by our musketry[44].
Many pretend that good infantry in square can resist the onset of cavalry, however skilful, bold and determined: my opinion is the reverse; much depends on circumstances.
The menacing approach of the French cavalry, who rode amongst and round our squares, was not quietly witnessed by our own horsemen: we made many spirited charges between the allied squares, as well as on every side of them. All the British, German, and Tripp’s Dutch-Belgian cavalry, that were between the two high-roads, were more or less engaged during these attacks.
At times it was quite amusing to see some of the foreign troops cut away from the angles of their squares, and our staff officers galloping after them to intercept their flight. It was surprising to see how readily they returned to their squares.
The fire of volleys from our squares did no great damage; the independent file-firing was the most destructive to the enemy’s cavalry, to such particularly as were not clad in steel or brass. The killed and wounded men and horses, the broken guns, etc., afforded excellent cover to the skirmishers, whilst they impeded the movements of the horsemen, and augmented their disorder and confusion.
It is not difficult to conceive from the foregoing circumstances, what was the rage, the ungovernable fury that animated those attacks; and how, after unceasing combats for above two hours, in a limited space, no result was obtained by the French but a most horrible and bloody-carnage. It was one of the greatest of their errors, on that eventful day, to get their cavalry into a labyrinth from which there was no extricating it before the pride of their fifteen thousand horsemen had been completely broken. It was now evident, from the enemy’s attacks becoming less animated and frequent, that they began to see the utter folly of their attempts against our invincible infantry. It is, in my opinion, very doubtful, whether the enemy’s cavalry ever came into actual collision with our squares[45].
It has been said by Napoleon, and it is also the remark of most the French writers, that Guyot went into action without orders. Napoleon dispatched general Bertrand to stop the heavy cavalry of the guard; but they were so engaged that a retrograde movement would have then been dangerous. “This,” Napoleon observed, “had deprived him of a cavalry reserve at about five o’clock, because they went two hours sooner than they should have gone into action, and that the same troops well employed had many times gained him a victory.”
I cannot reconcile myself to the idea that a division of cavalry would go into action without orders; it is much more probable that there was some mistake in the transmission of them: but why was not the advance countermanded? Most of their cavalry movements were so slow towards the end of the day, in consequence of the jaded condition of their horses, and the saturated and encumbered state of the ground, that an order sent on foot might have soon brought them back.
At one time during that memorable afternoon, the ridge and rear slope of our position were literally covered with every description of horsemen, lancers, cuirassiers, carabineers, horse-grenadiers, light and heavy dragoons and hussars; during which our guns stood in position, abandoned by the artillery-men, who took refuge in and around the squares: when at length the enemy’s gallant but fruitless efforts became exhausted, our cavalry appeared and cleared the allied position. On one occasion a body of cuirassiers passed along the Nivelles road, closely followed by a party of my regiment, under captain Verner. Upon the high bank on the right of the Nivelles road, a party of the 51st regiment, under lieutenant Kennedy, was firing upon the enemy, and our advanced files narrowly escaped being shot. As the cuirassiers neared the avenue between the Nivelles road and Hougoumont, they came upon anabattis, or barricade, near which was a party of the 51st, under captain Ross, who fired upon them; about a hundred and fifty were killed, wounded or taken prisoners.
Ney’s grand cavalry attack has called forth the following lively description from the pen of captain Siborne:
“When the tremendous cavalry force, which Ney had now assembled, moved forward to the attack, the whole space between La Haye-Sainte and Hougoumont appeared one moving, glittering mass; and as it approached the Anglo-allied position, undulating with the conformation of the ground, it resembled a sea in agitation. Upon reaching the crest of the ridge, and regaining temporary possession of the batteries, its very shouts sounded on the distant ear, like the ominous roar of breakers thundering on the shore. Like waves following in quick succession, the whole mass now appeared to roll over the ridge; and as the light curling smoke arose from the fire which was opened by the squares, and by which the latter sought to stem the current of the advancing host, it resembled the foam and spray thrown up by the mighty waters, as they dash on isolated rocks and beetling crags: and as the mass separated and rushed in every direction, completely covering the interior slope, it bore the appearance of innumerable eddies and counter-currents, threatening to overwhelm and ingulph the obstructions by which its onward course had been opposed. The storm continued to rage with the greatest violence, and the devoted squares seemed lost in the midst of the tumultuous onset. In vain did the maddening mass chafe and fret away its strength against these impregnable barriers, which, based upon the sacred principles of honour, discipline and duty, and cemented by the ties of patriotism, and the impulse of national glory, stood proudly unmoved and inaccessible. Disorder and confusion, produced by the commingling of corps and by the scattering fire from the faces of the chequered squares, gradually led to the retreat of parties of horsemen across the ridge: these were followed by broken squadrons, and at length the retrograde movement became general.
“Then the allied dragoons, who had been judiciously kept in readiness to act at the favourable moment, darted forward to complete the disorganization of the now receding waves of the French cavalry.”
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