A passage led through the house from the farm-yard into the garden, which lies on the north or allied side of the buildings, the door of which was four feet wide; there were also on the same side four windows and ten loop or air-holes, by which any quantity of ammunition might have been thrown in; consequently, the oft-told tale that a breach should have been made on that side but was forgotten, falls to the ground, like many other false reports. A dozen loop-holes in the west or Lion side of the buildings would have added considerably to the strength of the post. Loop-holes were made in the south and east walls as well as in the roofs, and the post strengthened on being occupied by our troops.
A barricade was thrown across the high-road, near the south-east angle of the wall; but there were several drawbacks to the strengthening of this post. The working tools had been lost, the carpenters had been sent to assist at Hougoumont; half of the large west barn door was wanting, and in addition, the post was exposed to a line of batteries, that had been pushed forward upon the inner ridge of the French right wing, at a range of from six to eight hundred yards.
In rear of the interval between Halkett’s and Kielmansegge’s brigades stood the Nassau brigade, three battalions of the 1st regiment of Nassau, under general Kruse.
Upon the left of the Genappe road, in columns just under the crest of the ridge, was the 5th division: the 8th brigade, composed of the 28th, colonel sir P. Belson; the 32d, colonel Hicks; the 79th Highlanders, colonel Douglas, and of the 1st battalion 95th rifles, colonel Sir A. Barnard. In front of the right of the brigade, and about a hundred and forty yards from the cross-road, stood a knoll, in front of which was a sand-hole, (where the Hanoverian monument now stands;) on our side of the knoll and parallel with our front, was a hedge slightly studded with trees, about a hundred and forty yards long. The whole of this ground was occupied by three companies of riflemen, under major Leach, who made a barricade across the road: more of the rifles lined the straggling hedge along the cross-road; their reserve was at the junction of the roads.
On their left was the 9th brigade, consisting of the 1st or Royal Scots, colonel Campbell; the 42d Royal Highlanders, colonel sir R. Mac Ara; the 44th, colonel Hamerton; and the 92d Highlanders, colonel Cameron; their left near the brushwood, upon the rear face of the knoll on our left. From this to Wavre, which is concealed by woods and high ground, and from whence the Prussians had to march, the distance is about twelve miles: consequently the Duke had good reason for calculating on a much earlier support by Blücher.
In Pack’s left front was the 4th Hanoverian brigade, under colonel Best, composed of the militia battalions, Luneburg, Verden and Osterode; the Munden in reserve.
In Best’s left rear, and posted a little under the crest of the ridge, was the 5th Hanoverian brigade, 5th division, under colonel Vincke, in columns of battalions: namely, those of Hameln and Hildesheim, Peine and Gifhorn.
The hamlet of Smohain, with the farms of Papelotte and La Haye, and the houses and enclosures in the valley, were occupied by the second brigade of the 2d Dutch-Belgian division, under general Perponcher. This brigade, under the duke of Saxe-Weimar, was composed of the two battalions of Orange-Nassau, and the 2d and 3d battalions of the regiment of Nassau, the 1st battalion of which was at Hougoumont.