Of all the troops comprising the Anglo-Allied Army at Waterloo, the most exposed to the fierce onslaught of the French Cavalry and to the continuous cannonade of their Artillery, were the two British Squares posted, during a very great portion of the Battle, in advance—at times, considerably so—of the narrow road which ran along the crest of the Duke's position. They consisted of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Guards, belonging to Maitland's Brigade; and of the 30th and 73rd Regiments acting together as one Corps, belonging to Halkett's Brigade. It was upon these troops that fell the first burst of the grand Cavalry attacks; and it was upon these troops, also, that the French Gunners seldom neglected to pour their destructive missiles, so long as they continued to constitute, by their exposed position, such prominent marks for their fire.
An attack upon the Square of the Guards by Skirmishers has just been described; and it was not long after this that the Square of the 30th and 73rd was attacked by some French Artillery, which trotted boldly up the slope directly in front of those Regiments, and having approached within a fearfully short distance, unlimbered two of its guns, from which several rounds of grape were discharged in rapid succession, into the very heart of the Square. Awful gaps were made in its devoted ranks; but the readiness and alacrity with which they were filled up, at the commands of their Officers, by men prepared to share the same fate as that which had befallen their predecessors, was truly heroic. That an occasional murmur broke forth, cannot be denied—not, however, at their exposed situation, but at the stern refusal to allow them to charge the guns; near which the French Cavalry was hovering, ready to take advantage of any such attempt.
The Duke was frequently an eye witness of this devotedness of his soldiers; but when asked for support, his reply was that there was none to spare; or, if for permission to attack, that this could not be granted; and, if any intimation were made to him that it might become necessary to fall back a little out of fire, it was met, in a cool and decided tone, that every man must stand his ground, and that there must not even be a semblance of retreat.
The reinforcements from Reille's Corps having moved to Hougomont, the Skirmishers in and around this Post were relieved upon all points. The Wood, as also the fences on either flank, soon swarmed with Tirailleurs; and the brisk rattle of musketry that followed, intermingled with shouts of "En avant!", seemed to betoken a determination on the part of the French that the capture of La Haye Sainte should not be their only triumph achieved in front of the Anglo-Allied Army. Everywhere the assault was bravely met by the gallant defenders of the Post. The Flank Companies of the Guards, within the walls and buildings, held at defiance every attempt of their assailants to dislodge them from their cover. By this time, all the outhouses were on fire, with the exception of those that fronted the Wood. The roof and upper storey of the Château had fallen in, and flames continued bursting forth on all sides with the greatest fury. The heat had become so intense as to produce upon the men whose duty brought them within its influence, a feeling of suffocation; while the frequently emitted volumes of thick smoke gave an indistinctness to every object around them. Yet so admirable was the system of defence, so perfect were the discipline and the order, maintained throughout this trying scene by the devoted garrison, that the Enemy completely failed in forcing an opening at any one point. The well maintained fire from the walls was such as to deter the French from attempting an escalade.
Whilst the central portion of the Tirailleurs kept up an incessant fire from behind the hedge and trees facing the south buildings and the Gardens, the remainder pressed on in crowds against the inclosures by which the Post was flanked. On the right, the 2nd Battalion of the Coldstream Guards, lining the hedge that bordered the main approach to the Château, successfully withstood this furious onset. On the left, the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Guards, in the Orchard, having suffered such frightful losses, found it impossible to stem the overwhelming torrent, and speedily fell back upon its friendly hollow way. The French Tirailleurs, pushing forward in pursuit, were staggered by the sudden and vigorous fire opened upon them by the troops within the eastern Garden Wall; and the 3rd Guards having, in the mean time, been reinforced by the 2nd Line Battalion and the Light Companies of du Plat's Brigade, drove the Enemy back to the front hedge of the Orchard; whence they were shortly, in their turn, compelled to retire.
Again the flank fire from the eastern Garden Wall, combined with that in front from the defenders of the Orchard, as they reached the rear hedge, compelled the Enemy to fall back. The 3rd Guards once more lined the front hedge; and also, in conjunction with the Light Troops of du Plat's Brigade, and the remains of both the Brunswick Advanced Guard Battalion, and the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau, forced the entrance into the Wood near the south-east angle of the Garden Wall, and firmly established themselves in that quarter.
At the commencement of this last mentioned attack upon Hougomont, the Right of Adam's Brigade was considered too near the inclosures of that Post, and exposed to be taken from thence in flank. It was therefore withdrawn further up the slope, towards the crest of the main position; and after a brief interval, it retired to the reverse slope in order to be covered from the Enemy's cannonade which had been directed against it.
It was now nearly seven o'clock. The troops defending Hougomont and its inclosures had succeeded in repelling the last assault; and the contest in and around this Post again degenerated into a tiraillade kept up with more or less vigour on all points. Along the front of the extreme Right of the Anglo-Allied Line, the Skirmishers from Mitchell's British Infantry Brigade maintained their ground with great steadiness and gallantry. The main body of the Brunswick Infantry stood on the interior slope, in rear of Adam's Brigade; and Chassé's Dutch-Belgian Infantry Division, which had arrived from Braine l'Alleud, was deployed along, and in rear of, the Nivelles road, its Centre intersected by the narrow road leading from the chaussée to the Village of Merbe Braine, which position it had taken up on the advance of Adam's Brigade to the general Front Line. In front of the Anglo-Allied Left, the Skirmishers of both Armies were continually engaged; and upon the extreme Left the troops in Smohain, La Haye, Papelotte, and adjacent inclosures, successfully resisted all attempts of the Enemy to dislodge them.