In the mean time, the attack upon La Haye Sainte had been renewed with the same fury as before. Major Baring on perceiving the advance of the Enemy's Columns, sent an Officer to the position with this intelligence, and repeated his request for ammunition. The Light Company of the 5th Line Battalion of the King's German Legion was sent to his assistance; but the supply of ammunition, of which he stood so much in need, was not forthcoming: and he therefore, after waiting half an hour longer, during which the contest was uninterrupted, despatched another Officer on the same errand. This application proved equally unsuccessful. He received, however, a reinforcement of two Flank Companies from the 1st Regiment of Nassau.
The great struggle was again at the open entrance to the Barn; and the French, finding all their efforts to force an entrance so obstinately and successfully frustrated, had recourse to the expedient of setting the place on fire. A thick smoke was soon observed issuing from the Barn. The greatest consternation pervaded the little garrison; for although there was a pond in the yard, there were no means at hand for conveying the water to the point of danger. Major Baring, whose anxiety was extreme, glancing his eye at the large camp kettles borne by the recently arrived Nassauers, instantly pulled one from off a man's back: several Officers followed his example, and filling the kettles with water, carried them in the face of almost certain death, to the fire. The men hesitated not a moment. Every kettle was instantly applied to the same good office, and the fire was fortunately extinguished; though at the sacrifice of many a brave soldier. Several of the men, although covered with wounds, rejected all persuasion to retire. Their constant reply was, "So long as our Officers fight, and we can stand, we will not stir from the spot." At length the Enemy, wearied out by this most resolute and gallant defence, once more withdrew.
At the commencement of this attack, while one portion of the Enemy's force was principally directed against the western entrance of the Great Barn; the other, leaving the Buildings on its right, advanced higher up the slope, as if intending either to penetrate the Farm by the Garden, or to cut off its communication with the main position.
The Prince of Orange, conceiving this to be a favourable opportunity for attacking the French Column, ordered the 5th and 8th Line Battalions of Ompteda's Brigade of the King's German Legion to deploy and advance. The Line was quickly formed; and the Battalions, bounding across the narrow sunken road, rushed forward, at a charging pace, driving the Enemy before them. But a body of Cuirassiers, that had unsuccessfully charged the Left Squares of Kielmansegge's Hanoverian Brigade, whilst those Battalions were advancing, came upon the Right Flank of the latter, unexpectedly for both parties. The 5th Line Battalion, which was on the right, having been supported in sufficient time by Somerset's Heavy Cavalry Brigade, suffered little loss; but the 8th Line Battalion—being on the left, and more in advance, in the act of charging when the Cuirassiers appeared—was completely surprised, and its Right Wing cut down and dispersed. The Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Colonel Schröder, was mortally wounded: several other Officers fell: Ensign de Moreau, who carried and defended the King's Colour, having been severely wounded, as also the Serjeant who afterwards held it, the Enemy succeeded in carrying off the prize. Major Petersdorf, the next in command, collected the scattered remnant of the Battalion, and posted it in rear of the hollow way.
The moment the Anglo-Allied Right Wing became cleared of the presence of the French Cavalry, it was again exposed to a furious cannonade. Several of the guns along the main ridge were by this time disabled. Major Bull, who had been obliged at an earlier period to withdraw his Howitzer Battery to the Second Line for the purpose of repairing casualties and completing ammunition, advanced again to his former post in the Front Line, along with Major Ramsay's Horse Battery, during the Second general Charge of the French Cavalry. These Batteries suffered severely from Piré's guns, stationed on the extreme Left of the French Line. Bull directed Lieutenant Louis to turn his two right guns towards them, and it was not long before this Officer succeeded in silencing them; a service which, as they enfiladed the Allied Right Flank, was of considerable advantage, during the remainder of the Battle, to all the Batteries and troops in this part of the Field.
The Duke, considering that a reinforcement of Artillery was particularly required in front of Cooke's Division and the Brunswick Infantry against which the Enemy was evidently preparing fresh attacks, ordered up Lieutenant Colonel Dickson's British Horse Battery, commanded by Major Mercer, and Major Sympher's Horse Battery of the King's German Legion, into the Front Line: the former, to the left of Lieutenant Colonel Smith's Horse Battery, in front of the Brunswickers; and the latter further to the left.
Major Mercer's Battery had barely time to get into action, when a heavy Column of Cavalry, composed of Horse Grenadiers and Cuirassiers, was seen ascending the ridge, and advancing at a rapid rate directly towards the spot upon which it had taken post. The guns, which were nine pounders, were each loaded with a round and a case shot; and were run close up to a bank of two or three feet in height, which descended from the narrow cross road along the ridge, and which thus formed a sort of genouillère to the Battery. In front, the summit of the ridge consisted of a flat surface, of forty or fifty yards in width, whence the ground descended rapidly towards the plain that divided the two Armies. The Column continued to advance until it came quite close upon these guns, the muzzles of which were nearly on a level with the cross road; when it suddenly recoiled from the very destructive fire with which it was received. The horsemen of the leading Squadrons faced about, and endeavoured to force their way to the rear; confusion ensued, and the whole mass broke into a disorderly crowd. Several minutes elapsed ere they succeeded in quitting the summit of the ridge, during which the fire from the Battery was incessant; and, from the shortness of the distance, the size of the objects, and the elevation of the ground on which they stood, the consequent carnage was truly frightful. Many, instead of seeking safety in retreat, dashed through the intervals between the guns, and surrendered: but the greater part, rendered desperate at finding themselves held, as it were, in front of the Battery, actually fought their way through their own ranks; and, in the struggle, blows were exchanged on all sides. At length, the wreck of this formidable Column gained shelter under the slope of the ridge, leaving the summit encumbered with its killed and wounded.
About the same time, a strong Column of French Infantry, supported by Cavalry, was advancing against the Centre of the Anglo-Allied Right Wing. Whilst the opposed Batteries were concentrating upon it a vigorous fire, Lord Uxbridge brought forward Somerset's Heavy Cavalry Brigade from its position on the right of the Charleroi road, for the purpose of attacking this Column; and also ordered up, in support, Trip's Dutch-Belgian Carabinier Brigade. The attack was made with great gallantry by the Household Cavalry, which succeeded in checking the advance of the Enemy; but, having been so much reduced in numbers, it was unable to penetrate the Column, which received it with a heavy fire. As Somerset retired; the French Cavalry by which the Column had been supported, prepared to advance.
Trip's Dutch-Belgian Cavalry was now at hand. Uxbridge, pleased with their fine appearance, and desirous of exciting in them a courageous enthusiasm, placed himself conspicuously in their front, and ordering the "Charge," led them towards the Enemy. He had proceeded but a very short distance, when his Aide de Camp, Captain Horace Seymour, galloped close up to him, and made him aware that not a single man of them was following him. Turning round his horse, he instantly rode up to Trip, and addressed himself to this Officer with great warmth. Then, appealing to the Brigade in terms the most exhorting and encouraging, and inciting them by gestures the most animated and significant, he repeated the Order to charge, and again led the way in person. But this attempt was equally abortive; and Uxbridge, exasperated and indignant, rode away from the Brigade, leaving it to adopt any course which its Commander might think proper: and as the French Cavalry, to which this hesitation was but too manifest, was now advancing rapidly to the attack, the Dutch-Belgians went about, and retired in such haste and disorder that the two Right Squadrons of the 3rd Hussars of the King's German Legion experienced the greatest difficulty in maintaining their ground, and avoiding being carried along to the rear by these horsemen in the wildness of their flight.