The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 7th Regiment (of Jagow's Brigade) were ordered to traverse the Village, and to advance in column against the Enemy. Just as they debouched, they found in their immediate front, several French Battalions, in Close Column, moving directly against the village. Both parties at once came to a halt; the Prussians without being able to deploy in the defile, and the French without attempting to do so, probably unwilling to lose the time which such a movement would require. A fire of musketry commenced which lasted half an hour, and caused much loss. Other Battalions now hastened across the village, but all at once, a rumour flew rapidly among them, that the French were in possession of the Churchyard, and in a moment several muskets were aimed in that direction, and either thoughtlessly or nervously discharged. Those Battalions that were in front, at the outlet of the village, became alarmed by this unexpected firing in their rear. At the same time, a discharge of grape, from some guns suddenly brought forward by the French, in their immediate front, augmented their confusion, and forced them to a retreat. They were closely pursued by the Enemy, whose Skirmishers made a dash at the Colour of the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Regiment, which they would have captured but for the noble and determined gallantry with which it was defended.
General Krafft, from whose Brigade (the Sixth) five Battalions had already been detached, namely, four for the defence of St Amand la Haye, and one in aid of that of Ligny, now received Blücher's Order with his remaining four Battalions (the 1st and 2nd of the 9th, and the 1st and 3rd of the 1st Elbe Landwehr), to drive the Enemy out of the latter Village. The Foot Battery No. 15, was posted between the left of Ligny and the Bois du Loup, and the Foot Battery No. 37, was directed towards St Amand. The other Batteries posted between Ligny and St Amand received Orders to retire accordingly as they expended their ammunition, for the purpose of refitting; and they were successively relieved by the Foot Battery No. 1, the Horse Battery No. 10, and the twelve pounder Batteries Nos. 4 and 8. The Horse Battery No. 14 was advanced across the stream between Ligny and Sombref, and took post on the other side of the valley, where it was much exposed to the Enemy's fire, and lost 19 Gunners and 53 horses.
General Krafft moved forward, in the first instance, only two Battalions, and kept the others in reserve; but all of them soon became engaged; for the French, though driven back at first, received considerable reinforcements.
The fight throughout the whole Village of Ligny was now at the hottest: the place was literally crammed with the combatants, and its streets and inclosures were choked up with the wounded, the dying, and the dead: every house that had escaped being set on fire, was the scene of a desperate struggle: the troops fought no longer in combined order, but in numerous and irregular groups, separated by houses either in flames, or held as little forts, sometimes by the one, and sometimes by the other party; and in various instances, when their ammunition failed, or when they found themselves suddenly assailed from different sides, the bayonet, and even the butt, supplied them with the ready means for prosecuting the dreadful carnage with unmitigated fury. The entire Village was concealed in smoke; but the incessant rattle of the musketry, the crashing of burning timbers, the smashing of doors and gateways, the yells and imprecations of the combatants, which were heard through that misty veil, gave ample indication to the troops posted in reserve upon the Heights, of the fierce and savage nature of the struggle beneath. In the meantime, the relieving Batteries on the Prussian side, which had arrived quite fresh from the rear, came into full play, as did also a reinforcement, on the French side, from the Artillery of the Imperial Guard. The earth now trembled under the tremendous cannonade; and as the flames, issuing from the numerous burning houses, intermingled with dense volumes of smoke, shot directly upwards through the light grey mass which rendered the Village indistinguishable, and seemed continually to thicken, the scene resembled for a time some violent convulsion of nature, rather than a human conflict—as if the valley had been rent asunder, and Ligny had become the focus of a burning crater.
Long did this fierce and deadly strife continue without any material advance being made on either side. At length the French gained possession of a large House, as also of the Churchyard, into which they brought forward two pieces of cannon. General Jagow vainly endeavoured with the 7th Regiment to retake this House. The 1st Battalion of the 3rd Westphalian Landwehr displayed the most inflexible perseverance in its endeavours to drive the French out again from the Churchyard: it made three unsuccessful attempts to cross an intervening ditch, and subsequently tried to gain a hollow way, which lay in the flank of that post, but falling upon the French reinforcements that were advancing towards it, they were compelled to abandon the enterprise.
Fresh victims were still required to satiate the "King of Terrors," who might be said to hold a gala day in this "Valley of Death." Blücher had ordered Colonel Langen's Brigade (the Eighth) to follow in succession that of General Krafft. The position vacated by the former, in front of Sombref, was taken up by Colonel Stülpnagel's Brigade (the Twelfth) of Thielemann's Corps, and the chain of Skirmishers of the latter Brigade extended along the rivulet as far as Ligny. As soon as Colonel Langen had reached the immediate vicinity of Ligny, he posted the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 21st Regiment upon an eminence near the Village, and the Foot Battery No. 12, covered by two Squadrons of the 5th Kurmark Landwehr Cavalry, upon the left of the road leading to Ligny. The 21st Regiment made no less than six different attacks, partly in conjunction with the other troops that fought in Ligny, and partly isolated, without succeeding in disturbing the position of the Enemy in that portion of the village which lies on the right bank of the Ligny. Colonel Langen, observing the increased fury and obstinacy of the fight in Ligny, detached thither also the 1st Battalion of the 23rd Regiment, and the 2nd of the 3rd Elbe Landwehr: he then took up a position, with the remainder of his Brigade, near the Mill of Bussy, into which he threw the 2nd Battalion of the 23rd Regiment. The 1st Battalion of this Corps, having formed two Columns, rushed into the Village, and, after crossing the stream, received a sharp fire from the windows of the houses on the opposite side. The Left Column of the Battalion stormed a farm house, of which, after it had burst in the gates with hatchets, it gained possession, and thus protected the advance of the Right Column.
At this moment, Napoleon's final and decisive attack commenced on this point; but previously to entering upon an account of it, it will be necessary to resume the narrative of the contest along the remainder of the Line of Battle.
On the Right, Tippelskirchen's Brigade (the Fifth) was ordered to renew the attack upon St Amand la Haye; and, as an auxiliary movement, a bold push was to be made upon the group of houses in rear of that village, and of Wagnelé, called the Hameau de St Amand. Both of the 3rd Battalions of the 2nd and 25th Regiments, under Major Witzleben, advanced against the latter point, while the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 2nd Regiment, the 3rd Battalion of the 5th Westphalian Landwehr, and a Battalion of the 25th Regiment made a direct attack upon St Amand la Haye. Both movements were supported by the Foot Batteries Nos. 10 and 37, and Colonel Thümen was detached, with the Silesian Uhlans, and the 11th Hussars, to cover the Right of the Brigade: the 1st and 2nd Squadrons of the 5th Kurmark Landwehr Cavalry were posted in reserve. The 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment opened the attack upon the Hameau de St Amand, and being well protected on their right by the 11th Hussars, carried it by storm. The French appeared determined to regain this point, which from its position, was, in fact, the key to the defence of the three Villages of St Amand, St Amand la Haye, and Wagnelé; and the struggle for its possession was most obstinate and sanguinary. All the Battalions of Tippelskirchen's Brigade became successively engaged. Four times was St Amand la Haye lost and retaken by the 2nd Regiment, which suffered severely. General Jürgass ordered forward the Horse Battery No. 6, on the right of which the Foot Battery No. 10 then took post. The Silesian Uhlans and the 11th Hussars suffered considerably from their exposure to the Enemy's Artillery. Colonel Thümen was killed at their head, by a cannon shot, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel Schmiedeberg, who ordered both these Regiments to make a change of front to the right; when the Prussian Lancers dashed forward to meet the advance of a French Regiment, which they completely defeated, and having followed up the attack with a vigorous pursuit, fell all at once among the Enemy's Reserves; but they immediately recovered themselves, and rallied with great celerity, order, and precision.
About this time, the Light Cavalry Brigade of Colonel Marwitz, already mentioned as having been ordered from the Left, reached the Right Flank, and was formed up in two lines: also the four Battalions that had been detached from General Krafft's Brigade, arrived upon the right of St Amand la Haye, and came into action. The Battle on both sides on this part of the Field continued to rage with unabated violence, and with such indefatigable ardour did the Prussians continue the struggle, that when the fire of their Infantry Skirmishers was observed to slacken, from the men having expended their ammunition, the soldiers of the 11th Hussars rushed into the midst of them, and supplied them with such cartridges as they had of their own; an act of devotion to which many of them fell a sacrifice. General Jürgass ordered forward the Brigade (Seventh) of General Brause in support of that of General Tippelskirchen, which had suffered a very severe loss. When General Brause had, at an earlier period, taken post at the Trois Burettes, upon Tippelskirchen advancing from that point to Wagnelé (as previously explained), he stationed both the 3rd Battalions of the 14th and 22nd Regiments upon an eminence on the left of the high road, for the purpose of keeping up the communication with Tippelskirchen; and he pushed on the other two Battalions of the 14th Regiment towards Bry, that they might be nearer at hand, if required, for the contest in the Villages of Wagnelé and St Amand la Haye, while the two Squadrons of the Elbe Landwehr Cavalry, attached to his Brigade, kept a look out upon both sides of the road. These two Battalions, thus posted, caught the eye of Blücher as he looked round for the nearest available force, and he immediately ordered them to advance, and join in the contest; and General Brause, on being made acquainted with this disposition, led forward the 3rd Battalions of the 14th and 22nd Regiments, and the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Elbe Landwehr, while the four remaining Battalions of his Brigade, making a change of front to their left, formed up, in reserve, in rear of the Namur road. On approaching the more immediate scene of the action, General Brause came upon the 3rd Battalion of the 9th Regiment, which had expended all its ammunition: he procured for it a fresh supply, and ordered it to return into the Village, along with the 2nd Battalion of the 14th Regiment; while the 1st Battalion of this Regiment threw itself into St Amand la Haye, and relieved the 2nd Regiment, which now retired, as did also the remainder of Tippelskirchen's Brigade to the rear of Wagnelé, where it reformed.