Just before moving from our original ground, Prince Blucher and staff, Platoff, &c. came forward to examine the dress of the 42d, 79th, and 92d Highlanders. Many a remark was made, and many a joke cracked at the expense of the philibeg; but Donald, instead of getting sulky on the occasion, took a similar method of being revenged upon the gallant body of foreigners in his front, some of them being attired in uniforms which he considered no less singular than his own.
During the temporary suspension of hostilities, the Arch-Duke Constantine of Russia walked his horse up to the left of the 92nd regiment, and began to scrutinize the dress of the men. Having asked a young lad to show him his bonnet, the poor fellow, either not knowing the rank of the individual who was addressing him, or like some of his companions, thinking him "a queer looking chiel," actually refused. Being then with the Imperial cavalcade, a little in front of the regiment, and aware that his brother's countenance was no great introduction to him any where, the Emperor Alexander galloped up, and in good English, said, "Take off your cap, my lad, and show it to this gentleman." This at once removed the bonnet from the head of the Caledonian, and placed it in the hands of the Russian Prince, who, after examining it for a little, returned it to the owner; the Emperor at the same time remarking to his brother, "Cett un brave regiment." On their progress towards the right, the Emperor, turning to Captain F. said, "This is my brother, Sir, will you have the kindness to show him your sword?" On examining the claymore, the royal brothers returned it, and then rejoined their distinguished friends.
On resuming our arms, the first corps, in column at quarter distance, again manœuvred on the right of the enemy; and the second corps also at quarter distance, turned Clichy, by moving between the village and the reserve. The latter advanced the seventh division at quarter distance, and the fifth and sixth divisions in line. Soon after we moved, the heavy cavalry made a most beautiful charge past our flanks, which completed the rout of the enemy, and was the last offensive movement we made on that memorable day.
It now only remained for us to pay our respects to the Emperor of Austria, and for that purpose, the whole army halted, and the battalions then in line, formed column. In a few minutes, the Duke of Wellington, and the allied Sovereigns, took post on the left of the road leading from Clichy to Newilly, when the whole marched past the Emperor in column of companies at quarter-distance.
The review was attended by almost all the English nobility and gentry then in Paris. Their splendid equipages added much to the interest and magnificence of the scene; for at one time almost every part of the northern slope of Montmartre was completely covered with them. As the army advanced, however, the beaux and the belles retired; and when the allied chiefs took their ground as before-mentioned, the whole group assembled around them, to witness the novel spectacle of a British army passing in review before an Emperor of Austria, under the walls of the metropolis of France.
During our stay in the camp of Clichy, my time was partly occupied in an attempt to reclaim from the paths of vice, without the aid of the "cat o' nine tails," six men, who had repeatedly given but too good proofs that they were ready and willing to engage in the perpetration of almost every description of crime. The measures I adopted on the occasion were the following:—
First of all I divided the company into three classes. In the first were placed the best men,—in the second the indifferent characters,—and in the third the very worst. On the class-rolls being made out, the company was turned out, the roll called, and each individual, on answering to his name, took post in the class to which he was appointed. The rueful countenances which those in the second and third classes exhibited on the occasion, testified at once that none of them before that moment had conceived there was the smallest shade of difference between their own, and the character of the best behaved man in the company; for, on being removed as it were from the society of the latter, I fancied I saw the tear of shame and repentance start in the eye of various individuals, and my conjecture turned out to be well-founded. On the classes being told off, the members of the first were informed that they would have themselves alone to blame, if they were removed at a future period from the proud station they occupied; and those of classes second and third, that it would be equally their own fault, if a month or two hence they should still find themselves in their degrading situations.
This preliminary step being taken, I proceeded to divide the company into six squads, corresponding with the number of desperate characters in it. Each squad, which was composed of an equal proportion of each class, was placed under the orders of a non-commissioned officer. To each squad one of the six bad characters was given in charge, with orders not to permit him to quit the camp either by night or day. This I did not conceive to be any great hardship, as they all slept in the same tents at night, and were all in camp together during the day. But the majority of the company thought otherwise, and demurred at being made responsible for the conduct of others. Being quite determined, however, to make a fair trial of the plan, I gave a deaf ear to their grumbling, and insisted on an implicit obedience to the orders I had given them.
A fortnight passed away, during which time there had been no thefts, nor plundering excursions heard of, in the company. Satisfied in their own minds by this time, that a complete remedy had been found for the evils which had arisen in the company after the battle of Waterloo, all the non-commissioned officers, and a number of the privates of the company, waited on me one morning, apologized for their previous conduct, thanked me for what I had done, and begged me to persevere in the same line of conduct. Encouraged by the prospect of success, I, by way of an additional inducement to good conduct, placed at the disposal of the company five prizes, consisting of useful articles of dress, to be drawn for at the end of the first month, by all those who, during the previous month, had been mustered in CLASS FIRST. The great amusement which the drawing of the little lottery afforded the men, and the keenness with which each individual contended for the lucky numbers, induced me to continue the same plan till relieved in the command of the company, four months afterwards, by which time my success had so far exceeded my expectation, that, previous to handing over the company to my successor, I had the inexpressible satisfaction, of enrolling four of the bad characters in CLASS FIRST, and of seeing them contend with their comrades for the monthly prizes.