42nd and French Lancers.—The 42nd were not so fortunate, although their difficulty gave them the opportunity of again demonstrating the stern stuff of which they were moulded. The 42nd and 44th, the two foremost regiments posted in line on a reverse slope on the top of the Charleroi road, were suddenly and unexpectedly attacked in the rear by the French lancers under Wathier. The 42nd had almost formed square in the tall rye grass, all but the two flank companies having run in to form the rear face, when the leading squadron of lancers drove in the incompleted square, carrying along with it, by the impetus of their charge, several men of these two companies, and by spearing a number created considerable confusion, during which those who had been detached in the mêlée fought back to back until the fire of their comrades drove off the cavalry, and enabled them to rejoin the ranks, where the body of the Black Watch, coolly standing firm, gradually closed up its faces, and bayoneted the daring lancers who had penetrated their square. These brave fellows, however, died hard; they killed the commanding officer, Sir Robert Macara, and wounded the three officers upon whom the command had devolved in the space of a few moments. The 42nd lost at Quatre Bras 298 officers and men killed and wounded.
The 44th were still more unfortunate, for, like the 42nd, they had found a difficulty in forming up in the corn, which was up to their shoulders, and having less time faced their ranks about and waited for the French lancers to get in close before firing a volley. The foremost went down, but those lancers were veterans who did not easily pale before the leaden storm, and individual troopers dashed on; they were, however, repulsed by the rear of the 44th, and galloped away eastward under a fire from the left company of the line. As a result of the cavalry attacks the 42nd and 44th were so reduced in numbers that at 5 p.m., when the first main attack had concluded, the remnants of the two regiments formed in a single square. Pack's Brigade, formed of the 42nd, 44th, 92nd, and 95th, lost in this strenuous engagement 800 out of 2,000 men.
The next cavalry charge fell upon Halkett's division, from which, in response to an appeal from Pack, whose men were out of ammunition, the 69th Regiment had been dispatched to assist. The 69th were later ordered by Halkett's aide-de-camp to form square to receive the advance of Kellerman's cavalry, which had trotted in from Charleroi, but the Prince of Orange unwisely countermanding the order, Kellerman and Guiton, leading the 8th Cuirassiers, passed round the flank of the 42nd and 44th square, and charging the unfortunate 69th in line, completely rolled them up; and within a few moments, of the 580 composing the 69th, 150 were dead or dying. During this unfortunate episode, Mr. Clarke, a volunteer, fought with remarkable desperation, killing three cuirassiers and preserving the colours he was carrying, although he had received twenty-six sabre cuts. Kellerman's success was short-lived, for the British artillery fire had begun to play havoc with his cavalry, while the fierce charge of the squadrons of cuirassiers upon the square of the 28th was repelled by deadly discharges of musketry, and the French cavalry were compelled to flee, and in their wild course, 2 miles from the field, they swept 2,000 dismounted horsemen into the stampede. Another incident should be recorded: the 92nd, having repulsed an attack of cavalry and infantry in an advanced movement, were retiring to the wood, when a French column halted and fired upon the Highlanders; already assailed by a superior force, this notwithstanding they held their ground until relieved by a regiment of the Guards, when they retired to their original position, but not before the regiment had lost 28 officers and nearly 300 men.
Losses at Quatre Bras.—Night compelled the cessation of hostilities, as at Ligny, and the French, having retired to their position held in the morning, left the British in possession of Gemioncourt and the southern end of the Bois de Bossu. The allied army lost at Quatre Bras 3,750 men, and of these 327 killed and 2,156 wounded were British; the French losses were at least 4,500. All those who took part in this battle, where the bull-dog tenacity of the British soldier was shown at its best, were awarded the Waterloo medal. In his dispatch Wellington stated, "I must particularly mention the 28th, 42nd, 79th, and 92nd regiments and the battalion of the Hanoverians." In addition to these the following British regiments were present at Quatre Bras: 2nd and 3rd Batts. 1st Foot Guards; Royal Scots; 32nd, 33rd, 44th, 69th, and 95th Regiments.
WATERLOO
After Quatre Bras Marshal Ney fell back upon Frasnes, and the wearied British, with their allies, piled arms, lighted their camp fires, and laid down to rest upon the field which they had so hardly held. The Prussians, after an intensely obstinate struggle, had been forced to retire to Ligny, when Blucher determined to unite with his 4th Corps and concentrate on Wavre. Wellington, recognising the importance of keeping in communication with the Prussian General, decided to fall back upon a position fronting the village of Waterloo, which, by the way, had already been selected by the British commanders as a suitable battleground. In retiring from Quatre Bras, the British cavalry were attacked by the French, and the 7th Hussars and squadrons of the 11th and 23rd Light Dragoons charged without success. The Life Guards, however, under Lord Uxbridge, compelled the enemy to retreat, and the British were allowed to quietly take up their position, which they did in decidedly inclement weather, rain falling heavily most of the day, and the night closing wild and stormy. Violent winds, heavy rain, thunder and lightning added to the discomfort of the cheerless bivouac of the allies. The Duke of Wellington and his staff occupied the village of Waterloo, while Napoleon with his brother Jerome and his generals passed the night of the 17th in a farm-house half a league from the Château de Hougomont, which, in advance of the right centre of the British, was held by detachments of the Brigade of Guards and about 300 Nassau Riflemen. This was considered by Wellington to be the key to the position, and how well the Guards maintained it is a matter of glorious history. It is estimated that the allied forces numbered 74,400, and the French 90,000, when just before noon Joseph Bonaparte directed the 2nd Corps to advance against Hougomont. "The British batteries opened on the French masses as they debouched—their own guns covered their advance—and under the crashing fire of 200 pieces of artillery—a fitting overture for such a field—Waterloo opened, as it closed, magnificently."
The Guards at Hougomont.—The Nassau light troops were soon forced from the wood surrounding the Château by overwhelming numbers, and the enemy pressed on to the Château, but the vigorous and disconcerting fire of the Foot Guards arrested them while daring charges compelled the French to give up possession of part of the wood. They were not, however, to be denied, and with great determination repeatedly assaulted the Château. During one of these attacks so closely did they press that the Guards not only lost their position in the garden, but falling back rapidly on the main building could not securely close the gate of the yard, and a number of daring French soldiers entered; the fire of the defenders, however, followed by a courageous sortie from the Château forced the French from the yard, but only after a most gallant struggle between the combatants. Then Lieutenant-Colonel (afterwards Sir James) Macdonnell, with the assistance of Captain Wyndham, Ensigns Gooch and Hervey and Sergeant Graham of the Coldstream Guards, closed the gate, but not until, as Captain Siborne relates, the French soldiers had fallen "a sacrifice to their undaunted and conspicuous gallantry." Failing to take the Château by assault, the French artillery was turned upon the old building; soon the tower was in a blaze, and, the fire reaching the chapel, a number of wounded—friend and foe—perished in the flames, which strangely enough are stated to have ceased at the feet of a wooden image of Christ. But when the shades of evening fell, the Coldstreams and Scots Guards still held Hougomont, despite the repeated attacks of 30,000 men, and when the day had been decided it was found that in the sanguinary conflict which had raged so long around this advanced position 6,000 men had been killed. 1,500 were killed within half an hour in the four-acre orchard; 600 French fell in the attack on the Château and farm; 1,100 British were killed in the orchard and meadow; 400 near the farm-garden; 25 in the garden; and 2,000 of both armies behind the great orchard. Opposite the gate of the Château 300 British soldiers lie buried.
The Death of Picton.—The second attack was made by D'Erlon, with the whole of his corps, against the left and centre; fortune favoured them temporarily when they obtained possession of Papelotte and La Haye Sainte. In repelling this attack the gallant Picton fell. The 5th division, waiting until the heads of the enemy's columns were within 40 yards, delivered a terrible volley, which annihilated the leading sections and put the main body into confusion. Picton, seizing the opportunity, called upon the men to "Charge!" but the word had hardly thundered from his lips ere a bullet pierced his forehead, and he fell from his saddle mortally wounded. The loss of a commander frequently means defeat, but "as he fell he heard the Highland lament answered by the deep execrations of Erin, and while the Scotch slogan was returned by the Irish hurrah his fading sight saw his favourite division rush on with irresistible fury. The French column was annihilated, and 2,000 dead enemies told how desperately he had been avenged. This was probably the bloodiest struggle of the day; when the attack commenced—and it lasted not an hour—the 5th division exceeded 5,000 men; when it ended they reckoned scarcely 1,000!"