The left of our guards was brought slightly forward, to be parallel with the left or second attacking column of the French guards[66], who, passing the eastern boundary of Hougoumont obliquely on their left, were saluted, en passant, by Hepburn’s skirmishers. Notwithstanding this, they pursued their onward course with the greatest sang-froid through the valley, towards the spot where their first column was so severely engaged; our artillery on the ridge, from the Nivelles road to the curve in our line, was in full play upon them; the fire of our guns fell with ruinous precision upon the dense mass, and made them suffer dreadfully: but the men who had often, in a doubtful field, wrested victory from the obstinate foe, advanced firmly, their front and flank, as usual, covered by a numerous body of daring skirmishers, the smoke of whose rattling fire concealed at times the advance of the column. The fire of our guns was so severe that some cuirassiers were sent to charge the batteries: this they did, and succeeded in driving the gunners away. They also drove in the skirmishers of Adam’s brigade: upon which, a squadron of the 23d light dragoons was sent down into the hollow near the orchard of Hougoumont. The cuirassiers advancing again, the 23d, under lieutenant Banner, charged them in flank, and drove them back upon their infantry columns, whose fire turned our dragoons about. They galloped back towards our lines, followed by some cuirassiers, most of whom, as well as their other cavalry, had, upon the advance of the Imperial guard, been drawn off and rallied on their own position between La Belle-Alliance and Hougoumont. Our officers on this part of the line were intently observing the movements of the enemy’s column; and our few fine fellows at the guns, disregarding the fire from the enemy, played incessantly with deadly aim into the close deep masses of infantry: changing, as the distance diminished, from round to grape and canister, and to double charges.
As the column neared the ridge, the French became impatient under this destructive cannonade; and their skirmishers rushed forward, prolonging the attack to Donzelot’s division on their right, which, in a line of battalion columns, with their guns between them and on their flanks, and preceded by a crowd of daring skirmishers, were again assaulting the remains of Alten’s division, as above related. Our gunners, under this close and severely-telling fire, could not long stand to their guns, but either lay down beneath them, or dropped behind the ridge; an expedient to which our artillery-men had frequent recourse during the day. Some brave fellows now and then would hastily load and fire, and again seek shelter. D’Aubremé’s and Vandeleur’s brigades sustained some casualties by this column’s fire.
General Adam, and colonel Colborne of the 52d, (of the unmatched Peninsular school,) had been watching the enemy’s columns, and the latter, (a real fire-eater,) upon his own responsibility, brought forward the right shoulder of his regiment, placing it across the oft-mentioned bit of hedge-row, and nearly parallel to the left flank of the attacking column.
Thus was executed, with judgment, promptitude and spirit, worthy of the high character of the corps and its commander, a movement, which eventually enveloped the enemy’s column in an angle, at the apex of which was a battery, whose double-charged guns soon carried death and destruction through the mass, whilst a rapid and continued rolling fire of musketry assailed its front and flanks.
The Duke having seen the guards placed in their position, rode a little to the right, and observing the 52d in a favourable situation, sent to sir Henry Clinton to move forward the rest of Adam’s brigade to charge the Imperial guard, that, with drums beating and deafening shouts of Vive l’Empereur! now crowned the summit of the position. The fire of Napier’s and Vandersmissen’s batteries, and of the British guards, opened on them, but still they gallantly pressed forward, as did also the columns of Donzelot, upon Alten’s division; and the rest of d’Erlon’s columns en échelons, on their right of La Haye-Sainte, moved forward towards Lambert’s, Kempt’s and Best’s brigades. The fate of the battle seemed to quiver on the beam, when the 52d in its complete four-deep line, previously screened from the enemy’s view by the crest of our ridge, moved down in the most compact order upon the left flank of the Imperial column. The column halted, formed front to its left, and opened, from its long flank, a most galling fire upon the 52d. The latter also halted, and poured a most deadly fire into their ranks: the finest infantry the world produced, thus confronted each other. At this moment (about eight o’clock,) the 2d battalion of the 95th rifles came up on the left, and fired into the head of the column[67]. The 71st and the 3d battalion of the 95th were also rapidly advancing. This terrific fire told with most awful effect on the flank of the mass, already torn by the close discharges of case and grape-shot from our guns. From whose rapid fire, together with the musketry, a dense cloud of thick smoke hung on the ridge, and completely enveloped the contending parties. A still more rapid roll of musketry marked the highest efforts of the conflict, when on a sudden it began to slacken. Sir John Colborne gave the word to charge, which our men answered by three hearty cheers and louder than the shouts of Vive l’Empereur[68]. The French column now seemed to reel to and fro under the heavy fire, and in truth it was unable to advance and unwilling to retire. It was in a position too trying even for its experienced veterans, notwithstanding they were animated by the best spirit. But the most daring in its ranks, and there were many, made a determined resistance, and seemed to linger on the spot; one of these, no doubt, was Ney, who, upon the rout of the first column, joined the second and led that also[69].
The confusion and disorder which had been increasing, at last became uncontrollable. With the exception of the two rear battalions of the old guard, under general Cambronne, which alone retained the least semblance of order, the second attacking column of the Imperial guard shared the fate of the first. They fled, and in their flight carried with them most of Donzelot’s columns, which had prolonged the attack to the Genappe road against Alten’s division, as previously mentioned, and were now falling back into the valley, from whence they had emerged to make the attack. Whilst the 52d and the second battalion of the 95th were pressing forward in pursuit, over ground literally covered with dead and dying, a body of broken horsemen dashed through the smoke upon their front: they concentrated their whole fire upon the new comers, until they discovered them to be a part of the 23d light dragoons pursued by some cuirassiers; one of whom breaking through the 52d was killed in the rear by the sergeant-major; another was also cut down by an officer.
The front was scarcely cleared of the cavalry, when three of the enemy’s guns opened a fire of grape, at about four hundred yards in prolongation of its right flank: colonel Colborne galloped to the right of his regiment, and exclaimed “Those guns will destroy us!” when instantly the right section, under lieutenant Gawler, wheeled up and drove them off. The rest of the regiment continued the pursuit of the broken columns.
Colonel Hugh Halkett, on perceiving the forward movement of Adam’s brigade, moved upon its right rear with the Osnabruck militia. Vivian’s hussar brigade and the 2d German light dragoons were immediately advanced to attack the French reserves, drawn up between La Belle-Alliance and Hougoumont[70].
The feelings of our great antagonist on witnessing the total overthrow of his devoted guards, his last hope, and the death-blow to his political existence, may be imagined, but not described.
At this time, (eight o’clock,) says captain Siborne, the general disposition of the Prussian forces, relative to that of Wellington’s army, was, that the advance-guard of Zieten’s (first) corps had joined our left; part of Pirch’s (second) corps, with his reserve cavalry, had joined Bulow, who was on the advance, his right to attack Lobau, and his left to make a third attack upon Plancenoit. The French opposed to them appeared determined to make a stand at all points.