The Prussians gradually gained ground, and then pressing forward upon all points of the Village, succeeded in clearing it of the French; who, in retreating, abandoned two guns which had been moved close down to the principal outlet on that side. General Jagow's Brigade (the Third) had made a change of front to its left, and approached the Village; the 3rd Battalions of both the 7th and 29th Regiments had been detached to the right, to protect the Foot Batteries Nos. 3 and 8, and to remain in reserve; the four remaining Battalions descended into the Village as a reinforcement.
Beyond an occasional cannonading, the action on the eastern side of the Field, between the Corps of Grouchy and of Thielemann, was comparatively languid: being limited to a contest, varied in its results, for the possession of the village of Bognée, and subsequently, of those houses of Tongrines which were situated along the bottom of the valley; as also to some skilful manœuvring on the part of Grouchy with his Cavalry, with a view of menacing the Prussian Left.
In the mean time, the French maintained possession of St Amand, but Zieten's twelve pounder Batteries, which were now moved forward, presented a formidable obstruction to their debouching from that Village.
Napoleon directed General Girard, on the extreme Left, to take possession, with his Division, of St Amand la Haye; and this operation having been successfully accomplished, gave the French the advantage of outflanking from thence any attack upon St Amand itself.
Blücher ordered General Pirch II. to retake this Village; whereupon the latter advanced with his Brigade from the Height of Bry, and withdrew the 1st Battalion of the 6th Regiment from the Windmill of Bussy, which was then occupied by the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Regiment (Eighth Brigade), and near to which the 1st Westphalian Landwehr Cavalry remained during the whole of the action.
At the same time, the Prussian Chief, fully sensible of the very critical position in which he would be placed, were the French, following up the advantages they had already gained upon his right, to debouch from St Amand and St Amand la Haye in sufficient force to overpower Zieten's Corps, and thus cut off his communication with Wellington; he decided upon occupying the Village of Wagnelé, whence repeated attacks might be directed against the Enemy's Left Flank; and, with this view, he desired General Pirch I., who commanded the Second Corps, to detach the Fifth Brigade (General Tippelskirchen's) to the latter Village, and to place it under the orders of General Jürgass, who was also sent to that part of the Field, with Lieutenant Colonel Sohr's Brigade of Cavalry (consisting of the 3rd Brandenburg, and 5th Pomeranian, Hussars), together with two Squadrons of the 6th Neumark Dragoons, and the Horse Battery No. 6. Colonel Marwitz, of Thielemann's Corps, was also ordered to join these troops with two Regiments of his Brigade, the 7th and 8th Uhlans. The Brigade of General Brause (the Seventh), which had been rejoined by detached Battalions, was pushed forward as far as the Roman road, to occupy the position vacated by the advance of General Tippelskirchen's Brigade, to which it was to act as a Support in case of necessity.
It was four o'clock when General Pirch II. who had formed his Brigade for the attack of St Amand la Haye, having his Left Flank protected by the 12th Regiment, which had reassembled in rear of St Amand, moved his Front Line against the former Village. As it advanced, however, its ranks were dreadfully shattered by the fire from the French Artillery, nor were they less thinned by that of the musketry as they entered the Village; and such was the determined resistance on the part of the French, that they were unable to penetrate beyond the centre of the Village; and though reinforced by the 1st Battalion of the 6th Regiment, from the Second Line, they found it quite impracticable to drive the Enemy out of a Large Building which was surrounded by a stone wall, and which formed the point of connection between the two Villages. The Prussians having got into great disorder, and being closely pressed by the French, were compelled to abandon the Village, in order to collect their scattered remnants, and to reform. General Girard, whose Division had, under his own immediate guidance, so gallantly maintained the Village, fell mortally wounded on this occasion.
Blücher now decided on a renewed attack upon St Amand la Haye, in order to occupy the front of Girard's Division, while he should carry into effect his previously projected movement against the Enemy's Left Flank; and, anxious to ensure the due execution of his instructions and to direct the attacks himself, he repaired in person to this part of the Field. General Tippelskirchen's Brigade, having advanced along the Roman road, was already formed in Brigade order, in rear of Wagnelé, while Jürgass had posted his Cavalry more to the left, and opposite to the interval between that Village and St Amand la Haye, whence he could with considerable advantage fall upon the Enemy, should the latter venture to debouch in that direction.