CHAPTER V.
Difficulties encountered by the Prussians on their march from Wavre; a portion of them are about debouching.—Blücher encourages them by his presence.—The Duke had been in constant communication with the Prussians, who take advantage of Napoleon’s neglecting to protect his right.—Two brigades of Bulow’s corps advance upon the French right.—A Prussian battery opens fire.—Cavalry demonstrations.—Napoleon orders De Lobau’s (sixth) corps to his right, to oppose the Prussians, and brings the old and middle guard forward.—Bulow extends his line and presses on.—De Lobau’s guns exchange a brisk cannonade with the Prussian batteries.—La Haye-Sainte again assailed and set on fire, which was got under.—Loss of a colour.—Destructive fire of our battery upon the French cavalry.—Our artillery suffer dreadfully from that of the enemy.—Hanoverian cavalry quit the field.—A column of the enemy’s infantry advances and is driven back.—Chassé’s division called back from Braine-l’Alleud.—Lord Hill’s troops brought forward, a sight quite reviving.—Struggle at Hougoumont continued.—Adam’s brigade attacks, drives back the enemy, and takes up an advanced position.—La Haye-Sainte taken by the French.—The 52d regiment in line repulses a charge of cuirassiers.—General Foy’s eulogium on our infantry.—Napoleon’s snappish reply to Ney’s demand.
Difficulties encountered by the Prussians on their march from Wavre; a portion of them are about debouching.—Blücher encourages them by his presence.—The Duke had been in constant communication with the Prussians, who take advantage of Napoleon’s neglecting to protect his right.—Two brigades of Bulow’s corps advance upon the French right.—A Prussian battery opens fire.—Cavalry demonstrations.—Napoleon orders De Lobau’s (sixth) corps to his right, to oppose the Prussians, and brings the old and middle guard forward.—Bulow extends his line and presses on.—De Lobau’s guns exchange a brisk cannonade with the Prussian batteries.—La Haye-Sainte again assailed and set on fire, which was got under.—Loss of a colour.—Destructive fire of our battery upon the French cavalry.—Our artillery suffer dreadfully from that of the enemy.—Hanoverian cavalry quit the field.—A column of the enemy’s infantry advances and is driven back.—Chassé’s division called back from Braine-l’Alleud.—Lord Hill’s troops brought forward, a sight quite reviving.—Struggle at Hougoumont continued.—Adam’s brigade attacks, drives back the enemy, and takes up an advanced position.—La Haye-Sainte taken by the French.—The 52d regiment in line repulses a charge of cuirassiers.—General Foy’s eulogium on our infantry.—Napoleon’s snappish reply to Ney’s demand.
In consequence of the enemy’s not closely pursuing, between the evenings of the 16th and 17th, the Prussians from Ligny to Wavre, these, during their retreat, scoured with strong patrols the whole country between their own left and the right of Napoleon’s army, which was then advancing, by the Charleroi road, towards Waterloo. The movements of both Grouchy and the Emperor were thus closely observed, and correct information forwarded from time to time to the Prussian head-quarters. The great vigilance exercised, not only retarded the communication between the Emperor and his detached marshal, by forcing the bearers of their dispatches to take a circuitous route, but also enabled Blücher to perform the contemplated and most important flank movement, without molestation, in order to join us on the field of Waterloo. During the battle of Ligny, some of the Prussianarmy had shown a bad spirit, and many even had abandoned their colours and gone over to the enemy; while eight thousand men belonging to the provinces newly incorporated with Prussia, had returned home: still themoraleof the great mass of the army remained firm and unshaken. On no occasion whatever did a defeated army extricate itself with so much adroitness and order, or retire from a hard-fought battle with so little diminution of its moral force. The example of their venerable and heroic commander, “MarshalVorwärts,” as he was termed by his soldiers, no doubt stimulated their courage. The Prince, notwithstanding his having been severely shaken and bruised by his fall on the 16th, and his advanced age and toil-worn frame, was, on the morning of the 18th, early on horseback amongst those he termed his children. By an order of the day his troops were thus addressed, “Ishall immediately lead you once more against the enemy; we shall beat him, because it is our duty to do so.”
(Field-Marshal Blücher)
The difficulties encountered by the Prussians on their march from Wavre, by St.-Lambert, to the field of Waterloo, would have put the endurance of any troops to the test. From the heavy rains, the roads were ancle deep, and the defiles of St.-Lambert turned into a regular swamp, almost impassable for men and horses; still worse for the guns and tumbrels of ammunition. These were very numerous and far from being well horsed, sinking at intervals up to the axle-trees. The horses floundering caused a stoppage, and the most robust soldiers in endeavouring to extricate the guns and ammunition waggons would drop down, overcome by the fatigue of their exertions, and declare “they could not get on.”—“But wemustget on,” replied their veteran commander, who seemed to multiply himself, and might be seen at different points along the line of march, exciting his men to exertion by words of encouragement: “I have promised Wellington to be up,” said Blücher “and up wemustget. Surely you will not make me forfeit my word. Exert yourselves a little more, and victory is certain.”
The duke of Wellington was in constant communication throughout the day with the Prussians, by means of general Müffling, who was attached to our head-quarters’ staff, and by colonel Freemantle, aide-de-camp, colonel Stavely, and captain (now lieutenant-colonel) Basil Jackson of the Royal staff corps, and on the Duke’s staff.
The four corps of Blücher’s army had been concentrated at and near Wavre on the evening of the 17th. The guns of the three corps which had fought at Ligny were refitted, and, as well as the troops, supplied with a fresh provision of ammunition.
The 4th (Bulow’s) corps, which, up to this time, had not fired a shot in the campaign, set out at sunrise on the 18th towards the French right flank, by way of St.-Lambert; they were preceded by strong patrols to ascertain whether Napoleon had yet taken precautionary measures to obstruct their junction with us, or to protect his own right. It was soon discovered that this precaution, so essential to the protection of hisright, had been overlooked by the Emperor: the Prussians immediately availed themselves of the advantage which his neglect afforded, by throwing a force into the wood of Paris, which commanded the defiles of the Lasne and St.-Lambert. Zieten’s, or the first corps, was to march, by Fromont and Ohain, direct upon our left; Pirch’s, or the second corps, was to follow Bulow’s: they were delayed by a part of Wavre being on fire, and by the great difficulty of making progress through the defiles of St.-Lambert. They were expected, nevertheless, to be up by or before two o’clock. It was near five o’clock when the first two brigades of Bulow’s corps debouched from their covered position in the wood of Paris.
The 15th brigade, under general Losthin, and the 16th under colonel Hiller, with some cavalry, (altogether about 16,000 men and forty-four guns,) drew up perpendicularly to the French right flank; upon which Durutte’s division, which formed the right of the French main front line, was thrown backen potence. The Prussian commanders detached some battalions to Frischermont and Smohain to secure their right flank, they also sent a few battalions to the Lasne, the woods of Virère and Hubremont, to support their left. So stealthily and cautiously did the Prussians approach Smohain, that both the enemy and allies seemed astounded upon their debouching from the enclosures.
General Domont’s cavalry were stillen potence, but at a considerable distance from the Prussians, whose advanced batteries opened upon the French cavalry, although at a long range; but this was merely to acquaint Wellington and Napoleon of their arrival, which doubtless alarmed the latter, whilst, by the former, it was listened to with joy.
Domont sent on part of his force to attack the Prussians, and moved forward his line. Some Prussian cavalry passed through the infantry to meet them, and drove back the French advance: the Prussian cavalry were soon obliged to fall back; but, as their infantry were advancing, and their artillery kept up a sharp fire, Domont did not attack. The Prussian battalions, detached to Smohain, cleared the enclosures, and drew up near the French right flank: they were attacked and driven back by a part of Durutte’s division; but upon thePrussians reaching the enclosures and hollow-ways, they maintained their ground and kept up a rattling fire. This was after six o’clock. Napoleon had ordered the 6th corps, under count de Lobau, to move to the right, and take up a position, where, with six to eight thousand men of all arms, and favoured by the strong ground in front of Plancenoit, he could keep in check thirty thousand of his enemies: at the same time the old and middle guard were advanced into the plain, and occupied the ground vacated by the 6th corps.
Durutte’s light troops had been previously reinforced, and made a desperate effort to force back the Nassau-men at Papelotte and Smohain, for the purpose of preventing the junction of Bulow’s corps with the allied left; but, after a sharp and close skirmish, the enemy’s intention was frustrated. The Prussian general, observing De Lobau’s advance, extended his line; his right rested upon Frischermont, and his left upon the wood of Virère. Part of prince William’s cavalry was in reserve. De Lobau’s corps moved forward; Domont’s and Subervie’s cavalry remained as a second line. De Lobau’s guns soon opened a brisk cannonade upon Bulow’s corps, and were answered with equal spirit.
La Haye-Sainte[46]was again to be attacked, and the west gates soon became the scene of a most dreadful struggle and carnage. Colonel Baring had again applied for a reinforcement and ammunition: the former was sent; but the latter, of which he stood so much in need, was not supplied. The gallant defenders were now cautioned to be sparing of the few cartridges left, and to take deliberate aim at the assailants, who seemed to press on with renewed vigour.
On this occasion, the enemy set fire to the barn, which caused considerable alarm to those on the defensive; but, fortunately, the reinforcement arrived. The Nassau-men, with their huge camp kettles, which they used as buckets, arrivedmost opportunely, and Baring, with his officers and men, soon extinguished the flames, but not without the loss of many a brave fellow. At this time a portion of the enemy again succeeded in getting into the little garden, and made an effort to force an entrance by the back door. Swarms of their skirmishers passed the buildings and established themselves immediately under the crest of our position, where they not only found cover from the fire above, but, as before, cut off the communication between the farm and our main line. The 5th and 8th line battalions of the German legion were led against the assailants; they pressed on at a good pace, the enemy giving ground. A body of cuirassiers was at hand and fell upon the 5th Germans; but these, being supported by a portion of the remnant of lord Edward Somerset’s brigade, suffered but little; the 8th however were dropped upon quite unawares, and nearly all destroyed. Colonel Schröder was wounded mortally; ensign Moreau, who carried the King’s colour, was severely wounded, and the colour carried off by the enemy.
Every arm on the right of our front line was much annoyed by some of the French left batteries, which had been pushed forward. My horse was killed by a round-shot from that direction; I was however soon mounted again on a cuirassier’s horse.
At length lieutenant Louis was ordered to turn two guns upon those on the enemy’s left; he soon silenced them, and thus rendered essential service, particularly to us, who being on the right, were completely enfiladed by them. A battery was run up to the bank on the side of the cross-road, about a hundred and fifty yards on the Lion side of where the cross-road leads down towards the north-east angle of the orchard of Hougoumont. The muzzles of the guns rested upon the bank, on a level with the ridge in their front, which screened the carriages and wheels from the enemy’s observation and fire. Soon after, a strong body of the enemy’s cavalry advanced upon the battery, which reserved its fire until they came within fifty yards, when, with terrific effect, it opened, doubly charged with grape. The space in front of the battery was quickly covered with killed and wounded. The fire of ourartillery during the action surpassed everything of the kind ever before witnessed, frequently making wide roads through the enemy’s masses. From our infantry being generally kept recumbent behind the crest of our position and thus screened from the enemy’s observation, our gunners suffered most dreadfully from the constant exposure to the direct fire of the French artillery, who at times saw nothing else at which to aim.
From certain movements in the enemy’s line, there was reason to expect an attack of infantry towards the right of Alten’s division. Part of the King’s dragoon guards and Blues were moved towards that point. The Cumberland Hanoverian hussars, posted some distance from the front, were also moved close up to general Halkett’s squares; but a few musket-balls whistling about them, and a shell falling into a Nassau square close by, so alarmed them, that they took themselves off. Upon seeing this, lord Uxbridge sent an aide-de-camp, captain T. Wildman, to bring them back, but to no purpose, and Uxbridge, deeming his absence long, sent a second messenger after them, captain H. Seymour, who, finding that the colonel and his men were anxious to quit the scene of action, took the former by the collar, and nearly shook him out of his saddle; he then inquired for the next in command, but it appeared there was no one; Seymour then laid hold of the bridle of colonel Hake’s horse, to lead him back to his post, hoping that the men would follow, but to no purpose: the colonel and his regiment preferred going to Brussels in whole skins, to the chance of having them perforated in the field. So strong was their dislike to the smell of gunpowder, that they had no perception of the honours that a gallant bearing might win. The cowards proceeded forthwith to Brussels, spreading a false alarm throughout the journey. The regiment was soon after disbanded, and the colonel cashiered[47].
The expected attacking infantry were now seen in motion on the heights in front of La Belle-Alliance; a body of cuirassiersfrom the valley under our position near La Haye-Sainte joined them, keeping a little on their right rear. As they neared the point about where the Lion now stands, lord Edward Somerset led part of his brigade down to meet them: he was received with a heavy fire; his men however galloped down upon the head of the column, but, being at this time very much reduced, they could not penetrate it; they nevertheless checked the enemy. Lord Uxbridge rode up to Tripp’s brigade, and after addressing a few words to them, turned round to lead them on: he had scarcely crossed the ridge and begun to descend the slope towards the enemy, when he found that he was alone, no one following him; upon which he returned to Tripp, expressed himself in severe terms, and rode off in anger. After this, one of the German light cavalry regiments was led on, and it succeeded in stopping the enemy, but it was much cut up.
During this time, Wellington, observing that Napoleon’s attention was directed towards the Prussians advancing upon his right, and his Grace seeing there was no danger of his own extreme right being disturbed, had ordered lord Hill to move Chassé’s Dutch-Belgian division from Braine-l’Alleud towards the scene of action. Some short time afterwards, the hero of Almaraz and Aroyo-de-Molinos brought into front line Duplat’s German legion brigade, followed by general Adam’s light brigade, which latter took position on the rear slope of our right wing; those were followed shortly after by colonel Hugh Halkett’s Hanoverians. Altogether these reinforcements, with the batteries accompanying them, were a sight more reviving to our part of the line than a double share of grog, though even that would have been most welcome. Soon after the Germans had passed us, the steel-jacket cavalry were at them while in motion; but the Germans, several of whom in advance were riflemen, emptied many a saddle and made many a horse rear, plunge and fall, and ultimately beat off the cuirassiers.
Lord Hill rendered himself most conspicuous by the energy and zeal he displayed, and the efforts he used to support the gallant defenders of Hougoumont, as also to repel the repeated desperate assaults upon our right wing; thus vigorouslyassisting the chief, under whom he had immortalized himself during the Peninsular campaign.
(Lord Hill)
Our 23d fuzileers, who came into front line after Byng’s brigade was advanced to Hougoumont, and suffered severely from the enemy’s fire, received an unfriendly visit from some cavalry, whom they eventually disposed of in most gallant style.
At this time part of the Brunswick troops were with us on the right, and Duplat’s Germans with part of Halkett’s Hanoverians were between the right of the main line and Hougoumont orchard. These, with the troops at the loop-holed wall and hedges on the right and along the avenue, were kept wide awake, particularly those under Hepburn in and aboutthe orchard, which must have changed masters at least a dozen times during the day.
Adam was now in our left rear, and his men most anxious to have a blow at their old acquaintances. Their wishes were soon gratified, by orders from the Duke in person, to drive back some fellows, as his Grace always called them, who had crept close up to our ridge, near where the hedge-row is on the road side between the Lion and Hougoumont; they were concealed by the smoke of the crashing fire which they threw into our gunners and front squares. The order was received with joy from the white cravat man whom they were wont to follow, and acknowledged by a hearty cheer from the Lights, who felt gratified that the old order of things was about being renewed, and that they at Waterloo, as well as through the Peninsula, should take an active part in the battle’s front.
His Grace was here again exposed to a shower of leaden hailstones, one of which severely wounded in the shoulder our fire-eating adjutant-general, sir Edward Barnes, who sported a gold-embroidered scarlet coat; most of our staff officers wore blue frock coats in the field.
Adam’s fine fellows were much excited, and forward they pressed up the slope, in line, four deep; for some reason, their old acquaintances, the French infantry, would not stay to receive them, but made a retrograde movement down the outer slopes, followed by the brigade, until its right, which was thrown rather forward, was near the corner of the orchard of Hougoumont, and its left at the point where the valley terminates, in right front of the Lion. The brigade was formed of the 71st and two companies of the 95th on the right; the 52d in squares of wings in the centre, and the second battalion of the 95th on the left. Here, as if to fetch up for lost time, they were continually pounded by the artillery, and charged by cavalry.
Soon after five o’clock, La Haye-Sainte was taken by the enemy, who, led by Ney, and perceiving that the fire of the defenders had greatly slackened, made a rush at the open barn door, and broke open the west yard-door: some climbed upon the wall and fired down upon our poor fellows, who, for want of cartridges, could not return the fire. After adesperate struggle at the western gate and barn door, with the sword-bayonet, and butts of their rifles, they were obliged to retreat to the house, where, in the passage through the house to the garden, the remains of the gallant little garrison, with their spirited commander, made a most determined resistance. They were ultimately obliged to abandon the post altogether, and to fall back upon the main position. This was what the French erroneously called carrying the village of Mont-St.-Jean, (full three quarters of a mile off). We can afford however to be good-tempered at their mistake; for the taking of thefarm-house, La Haye-Sainte, which was in our front, (while Mont-St.-Jean was in our rear,) was the only advantage they gained during the battle. It seems that the loss of this post displeased the Duke[48]. Yet the place was most gallantly defended as long as there was a round of ammunition to use.
While Adam’s brigade was in its advanced position, it was frequently charged, and, on one occasion, when in line; the 52d, directed by the Duke in person, stood firm and received a charge from the French cavalry, but without any effectual result to the enemy. Nor ought our foes to have expected anything else[49], as they had not succeeded against any of our skeletons of squares, when they themselves were in their full strength and vigour. There is not a doubt that our gallant enemy and admirer, general Foy, who commanded a division on that great day, and was stationed in the field beyond the orchard of Hougoumont, alludes to this brigade and Maitland’s 1st guards, with Halkett’s, when he says:
“We saw these sons of Albion formed upon the plain, between the wood of Hougoumont and the village of Mont-St.-Jean. Death was before them and in their ranks, disgrace in their rear,” (and I hope will ever remain a long day’s march). “In this terrible situation, neither the cannon-balls[50]of the Imperial guard, discharged almost at point-blank, nor thevictoriouscavalry of France, could make the least impressionon the immovable British infantry: one might have been almost tempted to fancy that it had rooted itself in the ground, but for the majestic movement[51]which its battalions commenced some minutes after sun-set, when the approach of the Prussian army announced to Wellington that he had just achieved the most decisive victory of the age.”
We may imagine that those steel-clad gentlemen had some particular pique against the 1st foot-guards and Halkett’s brigade, from the repeated visits they paid them. The lancers also did the same. Whatever was the cause, not a brigade in the line was visited more by the enemy’s cavalry than sir Colin Halkett’s[52]; and they were not forgotten by the Duke, who frequently passed the brigade, it being rather a central point. The Duke at one moment sent colonel Gordon to Halkett, to inquire what square of his was so much in advance: it was a mass of killed and wounded of the 30th and 73d, of his brigade, huddled together, which his Grace, through the smoke, had mistaken for a square.
An incident occurred, as related by Siborne, worthy of notice: “It was about six o’clock, that Napoleon replied to Ney’s demand for fresh infantry, ‘Où voulez-vous que j’en prenne? Voulez-vous que j’en fasse?’” (‘Where can I get them? Can I make them?’) an expression, the force of which is rendered sufficiently obvious by the critical circumstances of his position, and clearly proves that his operations had taken an unfavourable turn.
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