No such system of attack was attempted; but, on the contrary, it almost invariably happened that the leading Squadron no sooner received the fire from the point attacked, than it either opened out from the centre to the right and left, and retired, or, it diverged altogether to one flank, leaving the succeeding divisions, in both cases, to observe the same movement; and, in this manner, the whole of the attacking force exposed itself to a far more extended range of fire and consequent loss, than if it had pursued the more daring, and at the same time, more decisive, mode of attack just described.
Whilst a considerable portion of the French Cavalry was thus fruitlessly assailing the British Squares, a body of Lancers, which had advanced considerably in the rear of those Squares, made a sudden and unexpected charge upon the Hanoverian Landwehr Battalion Verden, which was then, as previously explained, deployed a short distance in front of the Namur road: it was completely successful, and the greater part of the Battalion was cut down by the Lancers, who, emboldened by this triumph, were preparing to cross the Namur road, where a well directed fire opened upon them by the Landwehr Battalions Lüneburg and Osterode, lying concealed in the ditch by which it was lined, threw them into disorder, and forced them to a precipitate retreat.
The whole of the French Cavalry was now withdrawn for the purpose of reforming its broken and disordered ranks, leaving the Anglo-Allied Infantry to be again assailed by a vigorous cannonade from the Heights above Gemioncourt. The only movement on the part of the Anglo-Allied forces was the advance of the Brunswick Guard Battalion and 2nd Line Battalion in front of Quatre Bras, by the right of the Charleroi road, as a precautionary measure against any flank attack that might be attempted from the Wood of Bossu upon the advanced Battalions of Picton's right.
It was long past five o'clock. The French Infantry in the Wood of Bossu was continually making progress towards the Namur road, across which increased numbers of the Dutch-Belgian troops, to whom the defence of the Wood had been entrusted, were seen hastily retiring. In Piermont, the French Light Troops had been reinforced, and they were now evidently preparing for a more vigorous attack upon the extreme Left of Wellington's forces; whilst certain movements in the vicinity of Gemioncourt gave intimation of an intended renewal of the attack upon Quatre Bras. All prospect of the Anglo-Allied Cavalry encountering Ney's veteran Dragoons with any chance of success had entirely vanished; whilst, on the other hand, the latter were on the point of being reinforced by the arrival of another Cavalry Division. Pack's Brigade had expended nearly the whole of its ammunition; its exposed position, and the continued Cavalry charges in its rear having precluded the transmission of the necessary supply. The Brunswickers had been greatly discouraged by the death of their gallant Prince; and the losses sustained by all the troops engaged had already been truly frightful.
It was at this very moment, when Wellington's situation had become so extremely critical, that two Infantry Brigades of the Third Division, under Lieutenant General Sir Charles Alten, most opportunely reached the Field of Action by the Nivelles road. They were the Fifth British Brigade, commanded by Major General Sir Colin Halkett, and the First Hanoverian Brigade, under Major General Count Kielmansegge; and were accompanied by Major Lloyd's Battery of British Foot Artillery, and by Captain Cleeves's Battery of Hanoverian Foot Artillery.
By the arrival of these troops Wellington's force was augmented as follows:—
| Infantry. | Cavalry. | Guns. | ||
| Force already in the Field | 18,090 | 2,004 | 30 | |
| British} | {Fifth Infantry Brigade | 2,254 | ||
| {Battery of Foot Artillery | 6 | |||
| K.G. Legion | Do. do | 6 | ||
| Hanoverians | First Infantry Brigade | 3,189 | ||
| Dutch-Belgians | 7th Dutch Line Battalion | 731 | ||
| ——— | ——— | ——— | ||
| 24,264 | 2,004 | 42 |
About the same time, Ney's troops were reinforced by the remaining Division of Kellermann's Corps of Heavy Cavalry, so that his whole force was constituted as follows:—