They were formed in the following order:—The 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 2nd Regiment (Fifth Brigade) made the attack in the direction of the Church; the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 5th Westphalian Landwehr, formed into one, were directed upon the French left of the Village; the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Regiment followed in rear of the central space between these two Columns; Major Witzleben led the 3rd Battalion of the 25th Regiment (Fifth Brigade) towards the Heights on the (French) right of the Village; and the remainder of this Regiment, which had occupied the outer edge of the Wood of Virère on the left, also advanced. The 11th Regiment and the 2nd Pomeranian Landwehr, belonging to the Fourteenth Brigade, and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 15th Regiment, with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1st Silesian Landwehr, belonging to the Sixteenth Brigade, followed in support of this attack. The whole force was disposed in chequered Columns, preceded by a strong Line of Skirmishers, and covered by the Prussian Batteries on the Heights in rear.
The Horse Battery, No. 6, posted on the high ground upon the right of the Wood of Virère, was principally occupied in diverting the fire from a Horse Battery of the Reserve Artillery of the French Imperial Guard, which had one half of its guns above the hollow way formed by the road leading down into Planchenoit from La Maison du Roi, and the other half detached to an elevated spot in the south part of the Village, whence it had a commanding view of a considerable portion of the advancing Columns.
Simultaneously with this Third attack upon Planchenoit, the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Brigades, which constituted Bülow's Right Wing, advanced against Lobau's Line, covered by a force of Artillery much superior to that which the French could bring to bear against them. They were disposed in chequered Columns of Battalions, in the following manner:—In Front Line were the 2nd Battalion of the 18th Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Silesian Landwehr; in the Second Line were the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 18th Regiment, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 3rd Silesian Landwehr, and the 1st Battalion of the 10th Regiment; in the Third Line were the three Battalions of the 4th Silesian Landwehr, and the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Regiment. The three Battalions of the 3rd Neumark Landwehr followed in reserve.
The Right of this advance was supported by the West Prussian Uhlans and the 2nd Neumark Landwehr Cavalry.
In the mean time, the First Infantry Brigade of Zieten's Corps, having continued its descent into the valley, passing Hacke's Infantry in and about Smohain on its left, advanced upon La Haye and Papelotte, and mistaking the Nassauers for French, through the similarity of uniform, opened a sharp fire upon them, and drove them from their Post. The latter at first replied to this fire, which was kept up for some minutes, killing and wounding on both sides, until the error was discovered. These troops then began pressing forward, conjointly with those from Smohain, against the French Skirmishers.
The Advanced Cavalry of Zieten's Corps, which had been seen approaching the Left of Wellington's Line, had now joined. The Brandenburg Dragoons and Brandenburg Uhlans, drew up in Line in rear of the Wavre road, and on the immediate Left of Best's Hanoverian Infantry Brigade. The 1st Silesian Hussars formed upon the outer slope of the ridge, in rear of the lane leading from the Wavre road down to Papelotte. The 2nd Kurmark Landwehr Cavalry drew up in the hollow in the rear of the interval between the Landwehr Battalions Osterode and Verden of Best's Brigade. It was on the ground immediately in front of this interval that Captain Rettberg's Hanoverian Foot Battery had been posted throughout the day: and as the latter had expended the whole of its ammunition, it withdrew to the rear as the Prussian Horse Battery, No. 7, came up, by which it was then relieved; and the Prussians opened a cannonade from this point upon the opposite Heights. The Prussian Foot Battery, No. 7, quitting the Wavre road, proceeded some way down the outer slope of the ridge to seek a favourable point whence it could by its fire cover the advance of the Infantry in the valley.
Such was the general disposition of Blücher's forces relatively with that of Wellington's Army at the time when the latter had defeated the attacking Columns of the French Imperial Guard; and was following up its triumph by boldly assailing the very Centre of Napoleon's position, at which point the latter had collected his sole remaining Reserves. Perhaps a more comprehensive view of this relative disposition of the Prussian troops may be afforded by simply stating, by way of a summary, that the advanced portion of Zieten's Corps had joined the Left of the Allied Line, that part of Pirch's Corps (including his Reserve Cavalry) had joined Bülow; and that the latter was on the advance—his Right to attack Lobau, and his Left to make a Third assault upon Planchenoit—the French opposed to them evincing, at all points, every indication of making a firm and determined stand.
We must now resume the detail of the brilliant and decisive dispositions of the Duke of Wellington, whom we left triumphantly defeating the French Imperial Guard, and requesting the Earl of Uxbridge to bring forward fresh Cavalry, to aid the advancing Infantry in taking immediate advantage of the disorder and confusion into which the Enemy had been thrown by the failure of his last grand attack.
There is not, perhaps, an instance in modern history, in which the threatening tide of battle, has, through the lightning-like promptitude of decision, and the energetic application of yet remaining resources, been so suddenly and powerfully controlled, and so majestically and irresistibly hurled back, overwhelming all and everything that, in the previous plenitude of its force it had borne aloft with buoyant hopes, and carried along exultingly in its course, as it was by the immortal Wellington in this his last, his crowning, victory. Never did a battle field present so complete, so magical, a transition of scene as that which succeeded the defeat of the Imperial Guards of France by the Guards of the Sovereign of England and the British Light Infantry Brigade.