In the mean time, the French Infantry in the Wood, finding their advance against the Garden so suddenly checked, endeavoured to turn it by its Left. With this view they were debouching through a large gap in the fence, forming an outlet from the Wood into the Orchard; when Lieutenant Colonel Lord Saltoun, seizing the favourable opportunity, made a most gallant charge upon the head of the Column with the Light Companies of the First Brigade of Guards, and succeeded in driving the Enemy back into the Wood.
Shortly afterwards, a large body of the Enemy's Light Troops began to advance stealthily along the eastern hedge of the Hougomont inclosures, communicating at the same time with the Infantry in the Wood on their Left. This was immediately followed by a direct front attack upon the Orchard; which compelled Lord Saltoun gradually to withdraw his greatly reduced force, from tree to tree, until he reached the hollow way in rear of that inclosure.
The Light Troops in front of Alten's Division, having perceived the French creeping along the hedge so as to turn the Left Flank of Hougomont, were on the point of forming to oppose them; but on the latter being pointed out to the Prince of Orange, who had just come to the front to make his observations, he coolly remarked:—"No, don't stir—the Duke is sure to see that movement, and will take some step to counteract it." He had scarcely spoken, when two Companies of the 3rd Regiment of British Guards, detached from the Allied Line, were seen advancing along the same hedge, in an opposite direction, to meet them.
Lord Saltoun being thus reinforced upon his Left, and the French Skirmishers in his front having become exposed to a sharp flanking fire from the Guards lining the eastern Garden Wall, he resumed the offensive; cleared the Orchard of the Enemy, and reoccupied its front hedge: while the Detachment on the Left drove the French along the outer hedge, and down into the hollow whence they had debouched; and then joined the troops in the Great Orchard. The front Hedge of the Orchard, the front Wall of the Garden, with the Lane and Avenue on the right, constituted at this time the Outer Line of the defence of Hougomont.
During the progress of the contest of Hougomont, Ney had been occupied in making his preparatory dispositions for carrying into execution Napoleon's intended grand attack upon the Centre and Left of the Anglo-Allied line. The troops destined for this service consisted of the whole of d'Erlon's Corps d'Armée, and of Roussel's Division of Kellermann's Cavalry Corps. Their advance was to be covered and supported by no less than ten Batteries, which were now brought forward and posted along a ridge that intervened between the French Right and the Allied Left Wing, affording the guns a range of from six hundred to eight hundred yards of the Duke's Line. These Batteries consisted of the three twelve-pounder Batteries of the First, Second, and Sixth Corps, drawn up with their Left close upon the Charleroi road; of the four Divisional Foot Batteries; of the Horse Battery belonging to Jaquinot's Light Cavalry Brigade; and of the two Horse Batteries of Milhaud's Corps of Cuirassiers, which stood in Second Line, in rear of d'Erlon's Corps—altogether seventy four guns.
This imposing force of Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery, exclusive of the ample Cavalry Reserves at hand, was not more than commensurate with the importance of the object which Napoleon had in view. His aim was not only to turn the Allied Left, but also to force the Centre of the position; and, by gaining possession of the Farms of La Haye Sainte and Mont St Jean, to cut off Wellington's main line of communication by the high road to Brussels, and, at the same time, to prevent any contemplated junction of the Prussian and Anglo-Allied Armies.
This appeared to him preferable to any plan of operation against the Allied Right, where the skilful dispositions made by the Duke would require such a plan to embrace the attack and repulse of the troops occupying Braine l'Alleud, and the Post of Vieux Foriez, as well as the forcing of the position, en potence, held by Lord Hill; a consideration which, combined with a knowledge of the existence of a considerable body of Allied troops near Hal, and the fear of allowing himself to be induced into too great an extension of his own force towards his Left, caused him to resign all idea of attempting any movement of importance in that quarter.
He felt, moreover, that even a successful attack upon the Right would, in all probability, induce the Duke to fall back upon the Prussians; and thus effect that junction which it was his great object to frustrate: whereas, an attack upon the Anglo-Allied Left, which was not so strong, if successful, held out to him the prospect of his being enabled, by aid of the presumed vigorous co-operation on the part of Grouchy, and the momentarily expected arrival of a portion of that Marshal's forces on his own Right, to defeat both Armies in detail.
The Batteries had been regularly posted and fully prepared for action, and the Infantry Columns had advanced to the inner brow of the intervening ridge, when Ney sent word to the Emperor that the preliminary arrangements were completed, and that he only waited His Majesty's Orders to commence the attack. Napoleon immediately took a general view of the Field of Battle, and continuing his observations beyond his Right, in order to discover, if possible, any indication of the approach either of Grouchy or of a hostile force, he perceived in the direction of St Lambert an indistinct mass, having the appearance of a body of troops; and pointing out the object to Soult, who was near him at the time, asked his opinion; whereupon the Marshal observed, that he really conceived it to be a Column on the march, and that there was great reason to believe it was a Detachment from Grouchy. All the Staff directed their telescopes upon the point indicated; and, as the atmosphere was not very clear, different opinions were entertained: some asserting that what had been taken for troops were trees; others that they were Columns in position; whilst several agreed with Soult, that they were troops on the march.