It is necessary to remark that this Regiment of the Old Guard, which was commanded by General Cambronne, formed a separate Column of Support in echelon to, and immediate left rear of, the three Battalions of the Middle Guard: but so close to each other were the two Columns, that although an interval was observed between them by Adam's Brigade when the latter stood in the general Front Line of the Allied position, they appeared to it but as one Column, when charged in flank; and may, to all intents and purposes, be considered as having formed one general Column of Attack. Cambronne's Battalions, however, forming the rear of the Column, did not become exposed to the fire from Adam's Brigade; inasmuch as neither the 71st Regiment nor the 2nd Battalion 95th Regiment could complete the Brigade flank movement in time to open a fire upon the mass before the actual charge was commenced. Hence, although they turned, along with the rest of the Column; yet, unlike the latter, they retained a considerable degree of order.
Troops could scarcely be placed in a more critical situation than was this Second attacking Column of the Imperial Guard from the moment it came to a halt. With its Front immediately facing a Battery within sixty or seventy yards' distance, the double shotted guns of which continued ploughing through the mass, and tearing up its ranks; with its Left Flank faced outwards to repel a formidable attack on that side, and its Right Flank partially exposed to the oblique fire from the greater portion of the Line of British Guards; the interior of the mass, enveloped in smoke, feeling a pressure from both Front and Flank, and yet perceiving no indication of the means of extricating itself from so perilous a position, it was truly a most trying moment even to such veteran warriors as those which constituted the renowned Imperial Guard of France.
Any attempt at deployment to its right, while thus attacked on its left, was of course out of the question. Had it continued to advance until Adam's Brigade had approached quite close to its Left Flank, the charge of the latter must have brought it to a stand, and rendered the efforts of the head of the Column abortive. If, on the other hand, after having faced altogether to the Left, and converted that Flank into a compact Line, it had advanced to meet the 52nd Regiment when it first became aware of this attack, it would still have been exposed on the right (its previous Front) to the havoc created by Napier's guns, as also to a charge by Maitland's Brigade; which by bringing forward its left shoulders, might have rendered the situation of the Column so hopeless, as probably to have led to its immediate and unqualified surrender on the spot.
The dilemma into which these veterans were thus thrown was mainly attributable to the fatal neglect of not accompanying the Column with an effective Support of Cavalry. A strong body of the latter on each Flank, or in its immediate rear, would have secured the Column from any such Flank Attack as that which so successfully arrested its progress, and so completely effected its dispersion.
The direction given to Adam's Line by its "right shoulder forward" movement having brought it perpendicular to the general front of the French position, that Officer became naturally anxious for support upon his Right Flank, to secure the latter from the Enemy's Cavalry; which, it was to be presumed, would now be brought forward from his Reserve, since none of it had been employed in immediate support of the last attack. He urgently requested for this purpose, the aid of troops from the other part of Clinton's Division; and Lieutenant Colonel Halkett, seeing what was required, immediately advanced with the nearest Battalion of his Hanoverian Brigade, the Osnabrück Landwehr, in Column at quarter distance, and close up in right rear of the 71st Regiment. Thus Adam's Brigade, maintaining its four deep line, and being flanked by the Hanoverian Battalion which could form Square at any moment, was secured against Cavalry.
The confused and disordered mass of the Imperial Guard, from the first impulse given to it by the flank charge, hastened a short distance in a direction parallel with that of the Anglo-Allied Line, and then naturally inclining towards the French position, it fell into nearly the same track of retreat as that pursued by the First attacking Column, namely towards the first rise of ground intersected by the Charleroi road, a little beyond the southern extremity of the Orchard of La Haye Sainte. As it approached the rear of those Columns of d'Erlon's Corps, which had been so desperately opposing Alten's Division; the latter became infected with the panic, and commingled with the flying Guard.
Adam's Brigade continued its triumphant advance, at first parallel, for a short distance, to the Allied Line; and then, bringing forward its left shoulders, swept proudly onward in the direction of the French Height before mentioned; crowds of fugitives hurrying along and striving to escape from the pursuing wave that seemed every instant on the point of engulfing them.
During its advance, the front of Adam's Brigade was partially crossed by the Squadron of the 23rd Light Dragoons, under Lieutenant Banner, retiring in disorder from its charge. Mistaken for hostile Cavalry, these Dragoons were unfortunately fired upon by the 52nd Regiment; and it was not until the foremost of them had fallen close upon the bayonets, that the error was discovered.
Immediately after this incident, a fire of grape was opened upon the 52nd by three French field pieces in the prolongation of its Right Flank. This enfilading of the Regiment in its four deep line was a judicious measure on the part of the French Artillery, and well calculated to derange the advance of Adam's Brigade. It was, however, very gallantly and speedily checked by the wheeling up and advance of the Right Section of the 52nd, under Lieutenant Gawler; who succeeded in driving off the guns, whilst the rest of the Regiment continued its pursuit.
Wellington, as soon as he saw that the success of the charge by Adam's Brigade was so decisive, requested Uxbridge immediately to launch forward some fresh Cavalry to check the probable advance of that of the Enemy; and to second the efforts of the Infantry in front, by boldly attacking the French Reserves, which appeared collected in front of La Belle Alliance, the critical point of Napoleon's Line.