“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 the victorious cavalry of France, could make the least impression on 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.
FOOTNOTES:
[46] The very dilapidated state of the buildings after the battle, is proof, were any wanted, of the furious efforts made by the enemy to obtain the post, and of the determined desperate courage of the little garrison which defended it. The entire edifice was a scene of ravage and devastation. One half of the little door of the barn, taken away and preserved by the proprietor, was perforated by upwards of eighty musket-balls.
[47] In a work of the highest pretensions, I observe that these dastardly hussars are called Belgians: let the saddle be put upon the right horse: they were the Duke of Cumberland’s Hanoverian hussars.
[48] See his letter of the 17th August 1815, in the Appendix, [No. II.]
[49] The brigade was above two thousand strong.
[50] Although according to appearances, those gentry are quite harmless, and might be stopped like a cricket-ball when bounding along, one of them would take off a leg or an arm, in much less time than the most skilful operator.