CHAPTER VIII.
As the Imperial guard retired in the greatest disorder, its retread caused a panic throughout the French army.—The Prussians being relieved from the pressure of the enemy’s righten potence, their operations begin to take effect.—Wellington observing the state of things, determines to attack, and orders the advance of his whole line.—His Grace in front, hat high in air.—Vivian’s hussars get a message from the Duke: they form line, attack and drive off the enemy.—Colonel Murray’s dangerous leap.—Vandeleur’s brigade advanced.—Major Howard killed.—General Cambronne made prisoner.—Adam’s brigade attacks and drives off the rallied force of the Imperial guard.—Lord Uxbridge wounded; sir J. O. Vandeleur commands the cavalry.—Sir Colin Campbell begs the Duke not to remain under the heavy fire.—Adam’s brigade menaced by cuirassiers.—His Grace with but one attendant.—Adam’s brigade falls upon a broken column of the enemy.—Singular encounter and act of bravery.—Repugnance to the shedding of human blood unnecessarily.—Battery and prisoners captured.—Adam’s brigade in the line of fire of a Prussian battery.—The 71st capture a battery.—Prussian dispositions to attack Plancenoit and the French right.—Operations of the allies during this period.—Plancenoit the scene of a dreadful struggle.—Bravery of the young guard, who save their eagle.—Humane conduct of their general Pelet.—Napoleon in a square, much pressed.—Wellington and his advanced troops at Rossomme, where the pursuit is relinquished by us, and continued by the Prussians, who, busy in the work of death, press on and capture sixty guns.—On returning towards Waterloo, the Duke meets Blücher, who promises to keep the enemy moving.—His Grace is silent, sombre, and dejected for the loss of his friends.—Bivac.—Observations.
As the Imperial guard retired in the greatest disorder, its retread caused a panic throughout the French army.—The Prussians being relieved from the pressure of the enemy’s righten potence, their operations begin to take effect.—Wellington observing the state of things, determines to attack, and orders the advance of his whole line.—His Grace in front, hat high in air.—Vivian’s hussars get a message from the Duke: they form line, attack and drive off the enemy.—Colonel Murray’s dangerous leap.—Vandeleur’s brigade advanced.—Major Howard killed.—General Cambronne made prisoner.—Adam’s brigade attacks and drives off the rallied force of the Imperial guard.—Lord Uxbridge wounded; sir J. O. Vandeleur commands the cavalry.—Sir Colin Campbell begs the Duke not to remain under the heavy fire.—Adam’s brigade menaced by cuirassiers.—His Grace with but one attendant.—Adam’s brigade falls upon a broken column of the enemy.—Singular encounter and act of bravery.—Repugnance to the shedding of human blood unnecessarily.—Battery and prisoners captured.—Adam’s brigade in the line of fire of a Prussian battery.—The 71st capture a battery.—Prussian dispositions to attack Plancenoit and the French right.—Operations of the allies during this period.—Plancenoit the scene of a dreadful struggle.—Bravery of the young guard, who save their eagle.—Humane conduct of their general Pelet.—Napoleon in a square, much pressed.—Wellington and his advanced troops at Rossomme, where the pursuit is relinquished by us, and continued by the Prussians, who, busy in the work of death, press on and capture sixty guns.—On returning towards Waterloo, the Duke meets Blücher, who promises to keep the enemy moving.—His Grace is silent, sombre, and dejected for the loss of his friends.—Bivac.—Observations.
The enemy’s troops engaged in the last attack retired in the greatest confusion, which caused an unsteadiness and panic throughout the remainder of the French army. By this, the Prussians were relieved from the determined pressure previously made on them by the French righten potence; and it soon became evident that they were gaining ground. Zieten’s (first) corps had just joined the left of our line by Ohain; Adam’s brigade was most vigorously pursuing the fugitives, and Vivian’s hussars were rapidly advancing on the enemy’s reserve: all these things combined, convinced the Duke thatthe favourable moment for making a general attack, was arrived. Closing his telescope with an air of triumph, he ordered the advance of the whole line. This order was received by the eager remains of the army with loud and tremendous cheers.
“Then, Wellington, thy piercing eyeThe crisis caught of destiny.The British host had stoodThat morn, ’gainst charge of host and lance,As their own ocean rocks hold stanch;But when thy voice had said, Advance!They were their ocean’s flood.”
“Then, Wellington, thy piercing eyeThe crisis caught of destiny.The British host had stoodThat morn, ’gainst charge of host and lance,As their own ocean rocks hold stanch;But when thy voice had said, Advance!They were their ocean’s flood.”
“Then, Wellington, thy piercing eyeThe crisis caught of destiny.The British host had stoodThat morn, ’gainst charge of host and lance,As their own ocean rocks hold stanch;But when thy voice had said, Advance!They were their ocean’s flood.”
“Then, Wellington, thy piercing eye
The crisis caught of destiny.
The British host had stood
That morn, ’gainst charge of host and lance,
As their own ocean rocks hold stanch;
But when thy voice had said, Advance!
They were their ocean’s flood.”
The Duke stood on the rise (immediately in front of the Lion,) with his hat raised in the air, as a signal to advance. The last parting rays of the beautiful setting sun at this moment (a quarter after eight,) shone most resplendently, as if to enliven the scene presented to our view on emerging from the smoke, which had long rendered every object invisible except the flashes of the enemy’s batteries. It was a spectacle never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. Were I to live to the age of Methuselah, never shall I forget that evening. In front might be seen the retiring columns of the enemy, broken and mingled with crowds of fugitives of all arms, mounted and dismounted, mixed pell-mell together. In the right front was a dense smoke, curling upwards, from the smouldering ruins of Hougoumont. Far in the distance to the left front might also be dimly seen the dark columns of the Prussians, many of whom had arrived just in time to witness the overthrow of the French.
During this time Vivian’s hussars had moved to the right, cleared the front and advanced on the right of Maitland’s guards, who with Vandeleur’s brigade cheered them on. On crossing the ridge the smoke was thick, but in the valley it became clear; and several columns of the enemy’s infantry and cavalry, with guns on their flanks and between them, were visible in front. The Duke sent a message to Vivian by colonel Campbell, not to attack till the infantry arrived, unless he thought he could break the French squares. At thismoment several men and horses of the 10th were killed by grape from the enemy’s guns. Vivian observed to sir Colin Campbell that, as our infantry advancing might not be in good order, it would be dangerous to allow the French cavalry to fall upon them, and that it would be better for him to attack at once and drive the cavalry off[71], leaving the enemy’s squares to be attacked by our infantry. To this sir Colin agreed, and returned to the Duke. Vivian now formed the 10th and 18th hussars into one line, and the 1st German hussars in second line. While forming, a broken body of the 23d light dragoons, after being fired into by the 52d, galloped along his front; his right was attacked by cuirassiers, and he lost many men, but he beat off the enemy. Whilst the French were firing grape at the hussars, our own guns were also plying them with shot and spherical case, our gunners taking them for foes. Vivian sent an officer to correct the error.
The 10th hussars, on getting into line, charged and defeated the cavalry in their front. The 2d Germans charged upon the right of the 10th. Vivian now rode to the 18th, who were near the two squares of the old guard which had been left in reserve; they had cavalry and guns on each flank and between them.
The 18th was in line, and as steady as if exercising on Hounslow heath. On reaching its front, Vivian said, “Eighteenth, you will follow me;” on which the sergeant-major (Jeffs,) afterwards adjutant of the 7th hussars, and many of the men, coarsely but fiercely exclaimed with an oath, “Ay, general, anywhere you choose to lead us.” The charge was ordered, and in an instant an attack was made on the cavalryand guns. Colonel Murray, commanding the 18th, in making this charge, leaped his horse over the traces between the wheelers and leaders of a French gun which was dashing across his front in order to escape. The hussars were upon the artillery, slaughtering the drivers and gunners and securing the guns: these destructive engines being silenced, and the sting taken out of their cavalry, our infantry had full scope to act.
In returning from this charge, Vivian found major Howard, with a small body of the 10th, near a French square, from whose fire he was rapidly losing his men. At this moment a fine and gallant soldier, lieutenant Gunning, fell. Vivian observed to Howard, “We have one of two things to do, either to retire a little out of the fire, or to attack;” and seeing some red-coated infantry approaching, who threw out a scattering fire upon the enemy’s square, almost as destructive to friends as to foes, Vivian ordered the charge and accompanied it. The men galloped up to the bayonets of the Imperial guard, and a fierce and bloody conflict ensued. Major Howard was shot by a musket-ball, and fell upon the enemy’s bayonets;
“And he was of the bravest, and when shower’dThe death-bolts deadliest the thinn’d files along,E’en where the thickest of war’s tempest lower’d,They reach’d no nobler breast than thine, young gallant Howard!”
“And he was of the bravest, and when shower’dThe death-bolts deadliest the thinn’d files along,E’en where the thickest of war’s tempest lower’d,They reach’d no nobler breast than thine, young gallant Howard!”
“And he was of the bravest, and when shower’dThe death-bolts deadliest the thinn’d files along,E’en where the thickest of war’s tempest lower’d,They reach’d no nobler breast than thine, young gallant Howard!”
“And he was of the bravest, and when shower’d
The death-bolts deadliest the thinn’d files along,
E’en where the thickest of war’s tempest lower’d,
They reach’d no nobler breast than thine, young gallant Howard!”
The red-coated infantry were colonel Halkett’s Osnabruckers, who shortly before had captured general Cambronne of the Imperial guard[73], and a battery. Adam’s brigade hadfollowed the broken columns of the French guards and Donzelot’s into the valley in advance of the orchard of La Haye-Sainte; but now there was something of more importance on the right of the Genappe road that required their attention; this was three squares of the enemy flanked on their right by cuirassiers: they were the remains of the first attacking column of the Imperial guard, who had been rallied by Napoleon and posted here to cover the retreat. The Duke galloped into the valley to Adam’s brigade, and ordered Sir John Colborne to attack the rallied force of the Imperial guard, saying, “They won’t stand. Go on, Colborne, go on.”
Lord Uxbridge, after having displayed the most brilliant acts of heroism during this sanguinary and arduous day, was about to join Vivian’s hussars, when a grape-shot wounded his right leg, which rendered amputation necessary: the command of the allied cavalry consequently devolved on general Vandeleur, and that of his brigade on colonel Sleigh, (11th light dragoons).
Adam’s brigade pressed gallantly up the slope towards the three squares and the cuirassiers; the former opened a heavy fire from both front and flanks. The Duke was still in rear of the 52d. Sir Colin Campbell, finding the shot fly thick about the Duke, said, “Your Grace, this is no place for you; I wish you would move a little;” to which the Duke replied “So I will, when those fellows are driven off.”
As our line approached, the French squares went about by command; the Duke then galloped forward on the right of Adam’s brigade, which was now about to cross the Genappe road. The cuirassiers accompanying the squares came down the road in a menacing attitude, as if to charge; but as no time was to be lost, the brigade lowered their bayonets, andin their four-deep line pressed on; but the cuirassiers declined the combat.
An incident occurred just at this time, relative to the Duke, which deserves to be noticed, as showing the great watchfulness which he at all times exercised.
Adam, who was now in the valley between the two ridges of the French position, and on the allied left of the Genappe road near La Belle-Alliance, not being able to see at any distance to his right, nor aware of Vivian’s advance, was apprehensive that an attack might possibly be made upon his right flank, which by his movement had become exposed: he therefore desired his brigade-major to proceed, and ascertain whether there were any danger. In performing this duty, the major fell in with the Duke, who was riding at a smart pace, followed by only one individual, whom major Blair addressed but he was immediately interrupted by the remark, “Monsieur, je ne parle pas un seul mot d’anglais.” (“Sir, I cannot speak a word of English.”) The major then stated to him in French the object he was pursuing; and was answered, “Le Duc lui-même a été voir, il n’y a rien à craindre.” (“The Duke has, himself, been to see, there is nothing to fear.”) Upon this the major hastened back with the satisfactory communication.
About a hundred yards on the allied left of La Belle-Alliance, the road running towards Plancenoit becomes a complete hollow-way, out of which a broken column of French infantry was in the act of debouching with some guns, and making a hasty retreat, when the 52d regiment in its advance came right upon them. The infantry tried to escape, and at the same time to defend themselves as best they could. The artillery turned to their left and attempted to get up the bank, but their horses were immediately shot down by the 52d. A young officer of the battery surrendered; but the commander, a veteran who wore upon his breast the decoration of the Legion of honour, stood, sword in hand, in the midst of his guns, and in an attitude of bold defiance. A soldier started from the 52d ranks and made a thrust at him, which the officer parried; a scuffle ensued, the man closed with him, threw him on the ground, and keeping him down with his foot, reversedhis musket to bayonet him. The repugnance to the shedding of human blood unnecessarily[74], (a feeling which we may proudly claim as belonging to British soldiers,) burst forth in a groan of displeasure from his comrades. It came too late; the fatal thrust had passed, and the life of the deserving member of the honoured Legion was extinct. The battery and many prisoners were captured. The brigade, pressing on in pursuit of the squares, got upon the highest point of ground of the French position, and in the line of fire from the Prussian batteries[75]: the Duke sent to Bulow to stop the fire. The 71st, on the right, captured a battery, and one of the guns, being loaded, was turned round and fired into the retreating foe by captain Campbell of the 71st, aide-de-camp to general Adam. It is supposed that this was the last French gun, fired on that memorable day. Soon after, the squares, followed by Adam, halted near the farm of Rossomme, threw away their knapsacks and accoutrements, the better to expedite their flight, and being thus lightened, they disappeared in the twilight.
About the time that Howard was killed, Vandeleur’s brigade was spanking along under the east hedge of Hougoumont; and overtaking some of the flying enemy between the Hougoumont enclosures and Rossomme, they made some charges and captured a great number of the enemy.
As soon as a part of Zieten’s corps had joined our left, Blücher ordered the battery to open fire, the infantry to descend into the valley of Smohain, and in conjunction with the troops of Nassau to attack the French, who had been reinforced in order to prevent a junction between Bulow’s corps and the allied left.
Zieten’s advance infantry pushed down into the valley,where some shots were exchanged by mistake between them and the Nassau troops: the mistake was soon rectified, and both bodies united advanced, and dislodged the French from the houses in the valley of Smohain, and the farms of La Haye and Papelotte. It was about eight o’clock, when Zieten’s advance cavalry drew up on our left, and an infantry brigade and the reserve cavalry of general Pirch’s (second) corps joined Bulow, and in conjunction made the following dispositions for the third attack upon Plancenoit:
General Ryssel’s and colonel Hiller’s infantry brigades of the 4th corps under general count Bulow, and general Tippelskircher’s brigade of general Pirch’s (second) corps, formed in columns of battalions; on the left was a regiment of prince William’s reserve, and two battalions of infantry with their skirmishers in front; and three cavalry regiments, part of prince William’s, were in rear of the above brigades.
In rear of this cavalry was general Krafft’s infantry brigade of the 2d corps in reserve; and on the right of the infantry brigades were three lines of cavalry, under general Jurgass; and upon their right, and advancing simultaneously with the attack upon Plancenoit, were Hack’s and Losthin’s infantry brigades of the 4th corps; in their rear were three battalions, part of Hack’s brigade. On the right of those brigades was a small force of cavalry, part of prince William’s, and upon their right were four battalion columns, part of general Steinmetz’s brigade of general Zieten’s (first) corps. Upon the ridge on the allied left, was part of general Röder’s cavalry that had just reached the field, and whose battery opened fire in place of one belonging to the allies that had expended all its ammunition. A few battalions were detached to the left of Plancenoit, to secure the flank, and, if possible, to turn the enemy’s right. The whole Prussian force was preceded by skirmishers, and their batteries were most advantageously placed upon the heights.
A squadron of Prussian cavalry beat back a company of the Imperial guard from the farm of Chantilly, above Plancenoit. The latter retired upon the wood at the farm of Caillou, closely pursued by the hostile cavalry, which was beaten off by the Imperial baggage guard. The Prussian dragoonssoon returned in such force, that the Emperor’s suite, with bag and baggage, made a hasty flight towards Genappe.
Whilst Blücher’s army stood as stated, Wellington had defeated both the attacking columns of the Imperial guard; and Adam’s brigade was driving them and Donzelot’s division, that had broken and mixed with them, across the field, toward the Genappe high-road. Vivian’s brigade and the 2d German light dragoons were setting forward at a long trot towards the French reserves, drawn up between La Belle-Alliance and Hougoumont.
The whole allied line was now advancing, flanked on the left by Prussian cavalry. The enemy showed little resistance to any part of it. As Hepburn issued from the orchard of Hougoumont into the open fields, the enemy went off, scarcely firing a single shot. Those in the wood made a little resistance, until they saw that all their army was in full flight. The cavalry on the French left went off in order, skirmishers out covering their retreat. Bachelu’s and Foy’s divisions moved off, on witnessing the defeat of the second column of the Imperial guard: on seeing this, the troops holding La Haye-Sainte abandoned it. Alix’s, occupying the sand-pit and knoll, gave way on the advance of Lambert; and Marcognet yielded and broke before the advance of Pack and Kempt. Durutte’s division broke before Zieten’s and the duke of Saxe-Weimar’s advance. De Lobau, on seeing the troops on his left giving way, together with the flight of the Imperial guard, followed by British troops whom he perceived in his rear, as well as the now vigorous attack of Bulow, and the probability of his being cut off from all retreat with his whole corps, rushed into the stream of fugitives, that had set in towards Rossomme and Genappe.
During this time Plancenoit had been the scene of a most dreadful struggle: the French in the churchyard held out, and the Prussians, finding it of no avail to continue the attack in front, turned the village on both flanks, driving the Imperial guard before them; the latter, finding that they should be cut off from all retreat, fell into disorder, and mixed with the general mass of fugitives, who were flying in all directions towards Rossomme and La Maison-du-Roi, followedby the Prussians, who made a dash at the eagle of the Imperial guard. General Pelet called out, “A moi, chasseurs! sauvons l’aigle, ou mourons autour d’elle!” (“Rally round me, chasseurs! let us save the eagle, or die protecting it!”) Upon this they formed square, and saved the eagle and the honour of the regiment[76].
About nine o’clock, Napoleon threw himself, with a few of his staff, into a square of the 2d chasseurs of the old guard, that had been under Cambronne; but upon the approach of our cavalry he galloped away. Wellington, with our advance brigades, reached the farm of Rossomme, between which and La Belle-Alliance some Prussian cavalry and our 18th exchanged blows, and some lives were lost. The 11th light dragoons and 1st German hussars were also nearly coming in contact with each other, owing to the dimness of the twilight.
An arrangement had been previously made by Wellington and Blücher, that the allied army should halt here, and that the Prussians should pursue and harass the routed enemy. The Duke was now, with all his advance, a little beyond Rossomme, upon a particular knoll with a gap where the Charleroi road cuts through it, which can be distinctly seen from most parts of the right of the allied position.
As the Prussians passed us, (for I had the honour and good fortune to be an actor in this scene,) I heard their bands play, “God save the King!” which soul-stirring compliment we returned by hearty cheers. In the pursuit of the enemy from Rossomme to Genappe, the Prussian lance and sabre were busy in the work of death. Many a brave soldier, that had escaped the bloody field, fell that night beneath the deadly steel. In vain did the French make a feeble effort to check the Prussians at Genappe, by barricading its long and narrow street with their remaining guns and tumbrels. So entirely had their defeat destroyed their discipline, that the Prussians, by the first sound of the trumpet, beat of drum, ortheir wild hurrah, overcame every obstacle, and, pressing on, they captured sixty pieces of cannon.
The Duke, after clearing the high-road and its left of the allied troops, in order to give full scope to the advancing Prussians, to whom he relinquished the further pursuit of the flying enemy, remained for some time with his advanced troops on the right of Rossomme in conversation with general Vivian, colonel Colborne and others; after which, promising to send the provisions up, his Grace turned his horse round and rode away. On returning leisurely towards Waterloo, about ten o’clock, at a short distance before reaching La Belle-Alliance, he, aided by a clouded moon, descried a group of mounted officers making towards the Genappe high-road from the direction of Frischermont; the Duke turned off to meet them: it proved to be Blücher and his staff; they most heartily congratulated each other on the glorious result of the contest in which they had been so intensely engaged. The conference lasted about ten minutes, when the veteran Blücher, promising to leave his inveterate foe no rallying time on this side of the frontier, shook hands with his Grace and proceeded to Genappe, sending forward to general Gneisenau, who led his advance-guard, orders to press and harass the enemy, and not suffer the grass to grow under their feet, or even allow them to take breath. Bulow’s corps, which led the pursuit, was supported by Zieten’s. Pirch’s corps received orders to turn round and strike across the country, and, if possible, to cut off marshal Grouchy’s retreat.
Our gallant chief returned over the field to Waterloo, and before reaching La Haye-Sainte was obliged to quit the high-road, on account of its being completely blocked up with guns and tumbrels, many of which were upset and lying topsy turvy; whilst the frequent snort and start of the horses told but too clearly that the ground they trod was studded and strewed with the slain. His Grace, on regaining the high-road, was so affected by the cries of the wounded and moans of the dying, as to shed tears, and on his way did not exchange a word with any of his suite, composed only of five persons, one of whom, the late sir Colin Campbell, was armed with a cuirassier’s sword. The Duke was sombre and dejected, as well he might be: grimDeath had been busy, and had had a regular gala-day amongst his Grace’s old and well-tried friends, who had followed him in distant climes, and through many an arduous and hard-fought field. The Duke, on this occasion, might have exclaimed with Pyrrhus, “Such another victory, and we are undone!” We may readily believe, that in writing the next day to the duke of Beaufort and the earl of Aberdeen, his Grace only yielded to the genuine dictates of his heart, when he expressed in these, as well as other letters, “The losses I have sustained, have quite broken me down; and I have no feeling for the advantages we have acquired[77].”
Napoleon, after quitting the square, which was about midway between La Belle-Alliance and the farm of Rossomme, rode on our right of the road for some distance, escorted by the gallant remains of the horse-grenadiers of the guard, the only force in the whole French army that now retained the least semblance of order. But finding the ground very heavy, he crossed the road at La Maison-du-Roi, and rode along a cross-road which was also in a very bad state: he then made for the high-road again, passed Genappe, and arrived at Quatre-Bras about eleven o’clock; thence he proceeded to Charleroi.
The remains of the allied army bivacked on what had been the French position. The 52d, 71st, and 2d and 3d battalions of the 95th, halted on the ground that had been occupied by the Imperial guard in reserve, near the farm of Rossomme. The remains of my regiment, with Vivian’s brigade, went to the vicinity of the farm of Hulencourt: I accompanied general Vivian and colonel sir E. Kerrison to the farm, acting as orderly, and still mounted on the cuirassier’s horse.
Thus closed upon us the glorious 18th of June. Fatigue and extreme exhaustion, following such exertions and such excitement as had been our lot that day, left us little power to reflect either upon the completeness of our own triumph, or the extent of the disasters that overtook the remains of our vanquished foes. These fled in utter and hopeless disorderbefore the Prussians, who dashed into the pursuit, and continued the work of slaughter with a ferocious and avenging spirit, which the conduct of the French two days before had provoked.
Had however the enemy’s cavalry been husbanded, the headlong rush of the victors might have been sufficiently checked, to have allowed the French army to retreat in something like order. But the wreck of that fine army fled, or rather was driven from the long-disputed field, in the wildest disorder and confusion.
More important or decisive events than those which so quickly succeeded each other from the 15th to the 18th of June, never before graced the pages of history. Never did the events of a few days produce such important consequences.
We, the conquerors of Waterloo, and many of us certainly never expected so glorious a termination to the battle, were glad to lie down among the dead and dying, and snatch a few hours of necessary repose:
“Piled high as autumn shocks, there layThe ghastly harvest of the fray,The corpses of the slain.”
“Piled high as autumn shocks, there layThe ghastly harvest of the fray,The corpses of the slain.”
“Piled high as autumn shocks, there layThe ghastly harvest of the fray,The corpses of the slain.”
“Piled high as autumn shocks, there lay
The ghastly harvest of the fray,
The corpses of the slain.”
The battle might be described as having been a succession of assaults, sustained with unabated fury, and often with a boldness and effect that much perplexed our troops and put their firmness to the test. Every renewed attack diminished our numbers, and still the survivors yielded not an inch of ground, and, even without orders, made good the gaps. No other troops in the world would have endured, for so long a period, so terrible a struggle. Our Imperial antagonist admitted that we went through and stood to our work, unlike any troops he had ever seen before and the fact is well authenticated, that Napoleon repeatedly complimented us on our incomparable steadiness and forbearance. But this is not to be wondered at, when our chief, he who had so often directed our energy, affirmed that he had “never seen the British infantry behave so well.” Our glorious contest had been maintained against the most renowned legions of Europe, whohad never before shown such uninterrupted audacity and intrepidity. They were led by generals of undoubted skill and gallantry, who with their brave troops had won laurels in many a hard-fought battle, and who believed themselves to be, what their ambitious chief had so often declared, invincible, and as such they were still regarded by most of the continental nations. At Waterloo we had to contend against soldiers of undaunted spirit, full of enthusiasm and careless of life. Never did these heroic men, grown grey in victories, better sustain their reputation than on this occasion. The French are a brave people, and no troops in the world surpass, if any equal them, for impetuosity of attack; but many men will stand fire and face distant danger, and yet shrink from the struggle when closing in desperate grasp with an enemy. It is not bravery alone which decides the battle, calmness is often absolutely necessary, and in this, the most valiant are at times found wanting. Never did a battle require more cool and determined courage than that of Waterloo. Nothing can be more trying to troops than passive endurance of offence; nothing so intolerable as to be incessantly assailed, and not permitted in turn to become assailants. A desperate struggle in a well-contested battle field, differs greatly from acting on the defensive, from holding a position, or from being attacked and not allowed to return the aggression of an enemy. There is an excited feeling when assailing, which stimulates even the weak-hearted, and drowns the thought of danger. The tumultuous enthusiasm of the assault spreads from man to man, and timid spirits catch a gallant frenzy from the brave.
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