While we see in this fact ample proof of the ardour which fired the breasts of our brave Scottish troops, yet we must allow that the mingling of broken infantry with cavalry advancing to an attack, must have materially impeded the impetus and efficiency of both. The cavalry having the advantage of the descent, bore down all before them. Unfortunately this splendid result was not enough for the gallant spirits that achieved it. Wild with their success and carried away by the ardour of the fight, they hurried in utter confusion up the opposite slopes, sabring every living thing that came in their way. This was not the only instance of our cavalry getting disordered and out of hand by their own headlong rashness, and in consequence causing most serious loss of life.
The eagle and colour of the 45th regiment in the French column, attracted the particular attention of sergeant Ewart of the Greys; he gallantly rushed forward to secure the trophy. The following is his account of the affair: “It was in the charge I took the eagle from the enemy: he and I had a hard contest for it; he made a thrust at my groin, I parried it off and cut him down through the head. After this a lancer came at me; I threw the lance off by my right side, and cut him through the chin and upwards through the teeth. Next, a foot-soldier fired at me, and then charged me with his bayonet, which I also had the good luck to parry, and then I cut him down through the head; thus ended the contest. As I was about to follow my regiment, the general said, ‘My brave fellow, take that to the rear; you have done enough till you get quit of it.’ I took the eagle to the ridge, and afterwards to Brussels[35].”
The Greys, with the Highlanders, took and destroyed nearly the whole of the front attacking column. Upon the right of the Greys were the Inniskilling dragoons, who dashed through the straggling hedge[36] down upon the supporting columns, and made fearful havock amongst them; and although they had not the good fortune to capture an eagle, their attack was as brilliant as that of the other regiments of the brigade. On the right of the brigade were the Royal dragoons, as before mentioned, who, like the Greys[37], met the head of the enemy’s column on our side of the Wavre road and hedge; the column threw out a straggling fire, and attempted to repass the hedge; but the Royals were soon among them, cutting and slashing away, and causing a panic, which, from the enemy’s situation, was not to be wondered at. In the centre of this column was the eagle of the 105th regiment; this caught the eye of captain Clarke, of the Royal dragoons. The following extract is from the records of the regiment, page 105: “I was,” he said, “in command of the centre squadron of the Royal dragoons in this charge; while following up the attack, I perceived a little to my left, in the midst of a body of infantry, an eagle and colour, which the bearer was making off with towards the rear. I immediately gave the order to my squadron, ‘Right shoulders forward!’ at the same time leading direct upon the eagle and calling out to the men with me to secure the colour; the instant I got within reach of the officer who carried the eagle, I ran my sword into his right side, and he staggered and fell, but did not reach the ground on account of the pressure of his companions: as the officer was in the act of falling, I called out a second time to some men close behind me, ‘Secure the colour, it belongs to me.’ The standard coverer, corporal Styles[38], and several other men rushed up, and the eagle fell across my horse’s head against that of corporal Styles’s: as it was falling, I caught the fringe of the flag with my left hand, but could not at first pull up the eagle: at the second attempt however I succeeded. Being in the midst of French troops, I attempted to separate the eagle from the staff, to put it into the breast of my coatee, but it was too firmly fixed. Corporal Styles said, ‘Sir, don’t break it;’ to which I replied, ‘Very well; carry it off to the rear as fast as you can:’ he did so. Though wounded, I preferred remaining on the field in command of my squadron, which I did till near seven o’clock in the evening, when I was obliged to withdraw; having had two horses killed under me, and having received two wounds, which confined me to my quarters at Brussels for nearly two months.”
During this conflict, the valley and slopes of both positions presented a sight indeed! they were covered with broken troops of both armies: ours, both infantry and cavalry, bringing up prisoners singly and in groups. Some few of our fellows, until driven back by their officers, were helping themselves to any little valuable article they could lay hand on.
Many French officers were brought up prisoners; they delivered up their swords to our officers. The enemy upon the opposite heights were similarly employed in taking prisoners, and destroying such of our cavalry as had ventured too far, particularly the Scots Greys, who, by their ill-timed impetuosity, lost many men and horses. In fact most of Ponsonby’s brigade, with a portion of the household brigade, animated by their first success, pursued their advantage too far; they crossed the valley in disorder, and galloped up to the French position in two’s and three’s and groups, brandishing their swords in defiance, riding along the ridge, sabring the gunners, and rendering about thirty guns useless: the bugles, or trumpets, sounding to rally, were unheeded.
General Ponsonby rode forward to stop their wild career, but he was intercepted in a ploughed field by the lancers, and killed. The command of the brigade devolved on colonel Muter, of the Inniskillings. The enemy’s cuirassiers, lancers and chasseurs, perceiving the isolated and unsupported position of our broken dragoons, rushed forward and made serious havock, pursuing them down the slope into the valley. Those of our men whose horses where blown and exhausted by their recent exertions, became an easy prey to the enemy; but at length the 12th and 16th light dragoons, part of Vandeleur’s brigade, came forward. The 12th, under colonel F. Ponsonby, charged some unsteady infantry in the valley, and then attacked the lancers, whom they overpowered, thus relieving our broken cavalry. In advancing, the 12th suffered most severely from the fire of some of Durutte’s division, who were concealed by a high bank in the valley, in front of our left.
The 16th light dragoons charged some of the enemy’s cavalry; part of Merle’s Dutch-Belgian cavalry came up as a support; a portion went down the slope. Vivian’s brigade moved from our extreme left towards the scene of action, but like Merle’s it was not required. Both sides were now employed in reforming upon their original positions, except our two light cavalry brigades, which took position somewhat more to their right. The skeleton remains of Ponsonby’s brigade, at a later period of the day, crossed the Charleroi road, and joined lord Edward Somerset’s. Meanwhile our rockets were playing with destructive effect upon the enemy, who were rallying opposite to our left.
After this sanguinary conflict, Napoleon rode along his right wing, and as usual he was loudly cheered. Sir Hussey Vivian, who at the time was in front of the knoll on our left, told me that he distinctly saw the Emperor: he was galloping towards some of his lancers that were reforming; upon the near approach of Napoleon they waved their lance-flags and shouted, Vive l’Empereur! Shortly before this, Vivian ordered two of major Gardner’s guns which were attached to his brigade, to open fire. Upon this the French artillery opened, and a shot striking one of our ammunitions tumbrels, it blew up, which called forth a shout from the French gunners.
We may remark upon this attack[39], which the Duke pronounced the most serious that occurred during the day, that it was entirely defeated; that it gave us a great many prisoners, led to our disabling many of their guns, and that its failure frustrated Napoleon’s entire plan. Nor can any doubt be entertained, that if Wellington’s forces on this eventful day had been wholly composed of his Peninsular soldiers, of whom he had said, “I always thought, I could go anywhere and could do anything with that army!” we should not have looked so anxiously for the arrival of the Prussians, nor would they have been up in time to have taken any share in the victory.
Meanwhile the enemy’s attack upon La Haye-Sainte had been continued; they had, as related, dislodged the German riflemen from the orchard and garden, although a most determined resistance had been made by major Baring. During the advance of d’Erlon’s columns, the Duke observed the dreadful havock made by the enemy’s batteries in his front troops posted between the two high-roads, and ordered them to retire behind the crest of the ridge for shelter. This movement was mistaken by Napoleon for one of retreat, and he immediately launched forward Kellermann’s cuirassiers and carabineers to pick up our guns and stragglers, and press our rear. Shortly before this, his Grace advanced a reinforcement to La Haye-Sainte, having observed that the enemy was about to make another attack. Upon the arrival of this reinforcement, Baring tried to recover the orchard, as well as the little garden on our side of the farm, which had fallen into the hands of the French. The Germans were advancing, when they observed some cuirassiers moving forward. Lord Edward Somerset, whose brigade was now in line immediately in rear of this part of the position, had placed two officers on the ridge, to give a signal of the enemy’s advance, in order to time his charge. Upon the cuirassiers approaching the line of skirmishers in front of our right of the farm, these latter ran in upon Baring’s troops, who were near the orchard, and threw them into confusion. They took to flight, but were overtaken, ridden down and sabred. While the cuirassiers were ascending the ridge, our artillery opened with grape and case-shot, which laid many low, and disordered their ranks: they however pressed forward most gallantly. Somerset’s line was now coming over the ridge, led by Uxbridge, and, at the moment our front squares fired into the cuirassiers, the two cavalries dashed into each other: the shock was terrific; the swords clashing upon the casques and cuirasses so that, as lord Edward Somerset humorously observed to me when he visited the field in June 1842, “You might have fancied that it was so many tinkers at work.” But it was of short duration. The British household cavalry soon cleared the ridge of the cuirassiers, although these made a most gallant resistance: they fled down the slope on both sides of La Haye-Sainte, closely followed by the brigade; those on the allied left of the farm, by the 2d life-guards. It was in following up this charge, that part of this brigade mixed with Ponsonby’s broken dragoons on the French position, and fell upon and sabred some of the enemy’s infantry who had been assaulting La Haye-Sainte. Part of the 1st life-guards pursued some cuirassiers, till both became wedged in between the two high banks of the Genappe road, beyond the orchard of La Haye-Sainte. Some of Reille’s troops, who had advanced in support of d’Erlon’s attack, fired down from these banks upon our life-guards, who had to get back to our line as well as they could. Most of the King’s dragoon guards had dashed over the road and were falling back to reform; but they lost many men and some officers, by the enemy’s fire from the little garden of La Haye-Sainte.