[51] General Foy, no doubt, alludes to the right-shoulder-forward movement of Adam’s brigade, together with the movements of Maitland’s and Halkett’s brigades, towards the close of the day. Foy had also, before the battle began, declared to the Emperor, that he had an infantry opposed to him, which he (Foy) had never known to yield.
[52] Halkett’s left, (30th and 73d regiments,) in square, was attacked eleven times by the enemy’s cavalry.
The late lord Harris, (then colonel of the 73d.) in a letter which I have, alludes to the gallant conduct of these two regiments in the following manner. “My impression is that the gallant and enduring stand made by the 30th and 73d regiments against thirteen charges of cuirassiers and an unceasing discharge of artillery for seven hours, besides the fact of successfully driving the French cavalry away by a charge in square, has not been done sufficient justice to by historians of the battle, with the exception of a French writer.” Would that his Lordship had survived to have read my pages!
CHAPTER VI.
La Haye-Sainte strengthened by the enemy, who drive our riflemen from the knoll and sand-pit, and throw a crashing fire upon our front troops, who return it with vigour.—The enemy push forward, between La Haye-Sainte and our position, some guns that fire grape, but are soon dislodged.—Destructive fire of our rifles upon the cuirassiers.—Our guards and Halkett’s brigade assailed by skirmishers, who are driven off.—Prussian force in the field.—The Prussians approach Plancenoit.—De Lobau falls back.—Prussian round-shot fall at La Belle-Alliance.—The young guard sent to Plancenoit.—Blücher informed of Thielmann’s corps left at Wavre being vigorously attacked.—Desperate struggle at Plancenoit, which is reinforced by the enemy, when the whole Prussian force is driven back.—Onset follows onset.—The Duke, by aid of his telescope, looks for the Prussians.—Hougoumont continues a scene of carnage.—Our centre suffers dreadfully from the crowds of skirmishers who now press on in swarms.—French battery pushed forward, and dislodged by one of ours.—The 30th and 73d colours sent to the rear.—The Duke is coolness personified.—The troops murmur to be led on to try the effect of cold steel.—The Prussians keep up a cannonade.—Our line remains firm.—More Prussians swarming along.—Napoleon’s doom soon to be sealed.—Imperial guard formed into columns of attack.—Many of our guns rendered useless.—Disorder in our rear.—Our army much reduced; those left are determined to conquer or perish.—Vivian and Vandeleur’s brigades move from the left to the centre, which gives confidence to the few brave fellows remaining.—His Grace observes the enemy forming for attack, and makes preparations to receive the coming storm.—Colonel Freemantle sent in search of the Prussians.—Our centre continues a duelling ground.—Gallant conduct of the prince of Orange, who is wounded.—The Nassau-men and Brunswickers give way in confusion; Wellington gallops up, and aided by Vivian, Kielmansegge and other officers, puts all right again.
La Haye-Sainte was no sooner in the power of the French troops, than they received orders to press as much as possible that part of our line, and clear the way for the Imperial guard.
In order to avail themselves of the advantages of so valuable a position, they loop-holed the gable-end of the house, erected a scaffold along the garden wall, cut holes through the garden hedge, resembling windows, and threw a force in advance of the garden, which was protected from the fire above by the natural slope, in addition to an artificial bank that abutted upon the natural one, extending from the north-east corner of the garden wall along the road side to where the monument to colonel Gordon is erected. This breastwork enabled the enemy to throw a front fire into our riflemen at the knoll and in the sand-hole, as well as an oblique fire into Lambert’s and Kempt’s brigades along the Wavre road. Those arrangements were scarcely completed, when a rattling fire was thrown among our sand-larks, who, being unable from their position to return it with any effect, took to flight towards their reserve, followed by all our riflemen from the knoll. The enemy immediately sent a force to the knoll and sand-hole, which severely annoyed our 27th; who, until the advance of the whole line, were, with the other troops on that part of the front, kept under a very galling fire; at times, muzzle to muzzle. The French brought two guns round the garden hedge, and, placing them between the north-east angle of the garden wall and our position, threw grape-shot into the 1st, 4th, 27th, 28th, 40th, 79th, and 95th; but, before they had time to fire a second round, a concentrated fire from our riflemen destroyed their gunners; they then pushed on a crowd of skirmishers, who, protected from our fire, crept along the banks, close in upon Alten’s, Lambert’s and Kempt’s troops. As we could not get at them with powder and ball, it was thought advisable to try the effect of steel: colonel Ompteda led on the 5th German line; upon which they gave way, and took shelter, as well as they could, round the garden hedge, when a line of cavalry from the hollow rushed upon the Germans; and, as captain Kincaird of the rifles observes, “Every man of them was put to death in a short time, except an officer on a little black horse, who went off to the rear like a shot out of a shovel.” Some of our light cavalry attempted to rescue the Germans; and our 95th, who had previously pointed their rifles at the cuirassiers, but had suspended their fire through fear of destroying our own infantry, now let fly and entirely cleared the whole front. Their skirmishers then moved to the left, towards Halkett’s brigade and the 1st guards; the eagle eye of the Duke saw it, and he ordered the guards to form line and drive the enemy off, which they did, when some cuirassiers approached, but our lads were in square again. The cuirassiers moved off, receiving the fire from the squares of the guards, as well as from those of the 52d and 95th.
LA BELLE-ALLIANCE.