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Blucher, with the information that Charleroy was taken, and that the French were advancing in the direction of Fleurus. Orders were immediately issued for the troops to march in the direction of Quatre Bras; and, at the same time, the cavalry, artillery, and guards, who were stationed at Engien, were directed to move in the same direction. The spectacle at Brussels, as the troops were collecting and falling into their ranks, is described to have been most peculiar and impressive. It was one o'clock in the morning of the 16th, when the bugle sounded, summoning the soldiers to their proper rendezvous. The officers had been in a bustle of preparation for the previous hours since the evening, when they received orders to hold themselves in readiness. Brussels was agitated and anxious in all her hearts; every house was the scene of adieus, not the less tender and sorrowful on account of the shortness of the intimacy that had preceded them. The young men that had not been very provident were in a flutter, trying all sorts of expedients to procure a few necessaries for the march. Relations and intimate friends, belonging to different regiments, hurried together for an instant to shake hands and charge each other with short and confidential commissions, to be discharged by the survivor. The troops commenced their march before it was day-light. Among the first to muster in Brussels were the 42d and 92d highland regiments: they had become great favorites in that city. They were so domesticated in the houses where they were quartered, that it was no uncommon thing to see the highland soldiers taking care of the children, or keeping the shop of his host. They thus gained on the affections of the honest Flemings, who had been so little accustomed to witness and experience such mildness and good behaviour in soldiers, that they doubted the valor of these troops. They were so douce (they said)—a word equally intelligible and expressive in the Flemish and Scotch languages, that they could not believe they would be a match for the ferocious soldiers of Bonaparte; and they grieved to think that men to whom they had become so attached, should be exposed to the almost certain destruction to which they were marching. But the highlanders soon proved that, if they were gentle as lambs in quarters, they were fierce and unconquerable as lions in the field. They assembled with the utmost alacrity to the well-known martial air of "Come to me and I will give you flesh," an invitation to the wolf and to the raven, for which they were going to prepare an ample feast. The hasty march was long and painful. The officers, though they knew the enemy had attacked the Prussians, did not think that they were on their road to immediate battle. But the fact was so. As early as five o'clock in the morning of the 16th, some Belgian troops, under the

command of the Prince of Weimar, which the BOOK XV. preceding evening had been forced back from Frasnes to Quatre Bras, were attacked by part of CHAP. VI. the right wing of the French army, commanded by 1815. Marshal Ney. The Prince of Weimar being hard pressed, he was forced to fall back; but being reinforced with another brigade by the Prince of Orange, he was enabled to regain so much of the ground that had been lost, as to command the communications, leading from Nivelles and Brussels, with Marshal Blucher. The combat then continued, without any result, till noon; when the French were greatly reinforced, and quickly returned to the combat with overwhelming numbers. The Prince of Orange himself was forced to give way, and by two o'clock had fallen. back to Quatre Bras.

In the mean time, the British troops from Brussels were pushing forward to this point, with the greatest expedition. The Duke of Wellington remained some hours in Brussels after the troops had quitted it. troops had quitted it. He probably waited to hear news from the more distant divisions of his army, in reply to the orders sent them over-night. He then set off for the scene of action on horseback, dressed in a grey frock coat, followed by four or five gentlemen in great military coats. In passing through a village, he observed an officer of a Scotch regiment, who, with a small party, was procuring some water for his battalion. He returned the officer's salute, and then suddenly stopped. There was a good deal of anxious, not to say troubled, thought in his countenance. He named several regiments to the officer, and asked if any thing had been heard of them? The officer replied that he had heard nothing. The duke hastily pulled out his watch,-considered for half a minute, and then, again touching his hat, rode He arrived on the field before the troops; at which time the Belgians were falling back. Soon afterwards the British regiments began to arrive, one by one. Each, as it arrived, marched directly into the field, and took up its position. The troops belonging to the fifth division, which consisted of two brigades; the right, composed of the 28th, 32d, 79th, and 95th regiments, under Major-general Sir James Kempt; and the left, formed by the 92d, 44th, 42d, and third battalion of the royals, under Sir Denis Park. Lieutenantgeneral Sir Thomas Picton commanded the whole. Never did a finer body of men than this division take the field. This division was followed by the Duke of Brunswick's corps; and after them marched the Hanoverian infantry, and the contingent of Nassau. The whole consisted of about 15,000 men; and they were without either cavalry or artillery. Sir Thomas Picton's division, already mentioned, arrived at Quatre Bras at the moment when the enemy was about to commence a fresh attack, which would have put them

on.

CHAP. VI.

1815.

BOOK XV. in possession of the great road to Brussels, and separated the British from the Prussian army. The troops composing this division had previously marched about twenty miles in a warm summer day; and as scarcely any water was to be found on the road, were both thirsty and weary. Little time was given to refresh themselves, before immense columns of the enemy, consisting of both infantry and cavalry, were seen approaching their position. The road to Brussels, on the righthand of the English position, was skirted by a wood, along the edge of which was a hollow way. The French were aware that if they could gain possession of this wood, they might debouche upon the Brussels road. The Prince of Orange had made every effort to defend it; but the Belgians under his command again gave way, and the French succeeded in occupying the post.

The numbers of the enemy advancing against the British were truly formidable; but as they approached, the British line eyed them with an undaunted look, and firm resolution to conquer or perish. The enemy came on with resolution and fury, confident of success, and thinking only on victory; but they were met by the bayonet, and repulsed. The British regiments formed themselves into squares and remained firm. Availing themselves, however, of their superiority in numbers, they again came forward with fresh troops, and increasing fury. They were again repulsed. Notwithstanding this, they still attempted to force their way, but in vain; and the combat continued to rage with great fury. The Duke of Wellington, soon after three o'clock, rode into that part of the field-of-battle which is close to the village of Quatre Bras. He was followed by his staff, which was not very numerous. He halted a few yards in front of the 92d regiment, and was exposed to a very heavy fire of round shot and grape. He spoke little or nothing. His look was that of a man quite cool, but serious. He looked intently at various parts of the field where there was firing going on, and often pulled out his watch, as if calculating on the arrival of the regiments not yet come up. He said something, at one of these times, about when the cavalry might be expected. The shot, in the meanwhile, was plunging into, and along the ground, close to him. He had not been long in the field before the arm of a gentleman with whom he had just been in conversation was carried off by a ball. Shortly afterwards, the duke dismounted from his horse, and causing his staff to do the same, sat upon the ground for a short time. The regiments, as they came up, entered the field by the road near which his grace was: the balls were perpetually flying in amongst them; one carried off the knapsack of a private from his shoulders; it went to a considerable distance, but the man ran after it, and brought it back, amidst

the loud laughter of all those who saw the thing happen. The Brunswick cavalry were charged back upon this point by the French cuirassiers. The duke retired from before their charge. The French troops fought with the most desperate fury; and the attacks of the cuirassiers, in par ticular, were most impetuous and dreadful. They surrounded the British squadrons with such te merity, that it frequently happened that, in their defence, the squares had to charge their desperate enemies on three sides at once. But every effort of the foe was fruitless. Though they suffered severely, the British troops stood firm; and the only difficulty that their officers had was to restrain their impetuosity, which, against such numbers, might have proved fatal. The general wish of the soldiers was to charge the enemy with the bayonet, without waiting for his attack; but the superior judgment of their great leader commanded it otherwise. The fire of the French was incessant and severe: that returned still more destructive. Nothing was seen in the French columns but men and horses tumbling over each other. It is impossible to convey an idea of the obstinacy with which the contest was maintained. Every regiment, every man did his duty. "The troops of the fifth division," said the duke, “and those of the Brunswick corps, were long and se verely engaged; and conducted themselves with the utmost gallantry."-" The British guards, several regiments of infantry, and the Scotch bri gade," said General Alava," covered themselves with glory on this day; and Lord Wellington told me on the following day, that he never saw his troops behave better, during the number of years he had commanded them.'

The brigade under the command of Sir James Kempt was the first which was warmly engaged. For some time they succeeded in arresting the progress of the enemy in the centre. The foe, however, redoubled his efforts, brought forward fresh troops, and made a furious attack against this brigade, both with cavalry and infantry. The royals and 42d, who were sent to their support, came in for their full share of the business, and suffered severely. The 44th was next ordered to that point. For three hours the troops in the centre were warmly engaged, and during that time with alternate success. From half past three till six in the evening, the enemy kept up a very beavy fire, and twice attempted to carry the right of the British position. The Brunswick troops in advance had been compelled to abandon the post committed to their care, and were falling back before overwhelming numbers. Fresh co Jumns advanced to their support. At this time, their brave leader was killed. He was leading on his men amidst a horrible fire of grape-shot, when his ardour carried him into the thickest of the fire. A ball passed through his bridle-hand

and entered his belly. The liver was penetrated: he fell-and in ten minutes breathed his last. The fall of this brave prince, in the prime of his life, was generally regretted. The treatment which his father had received from the hand of Bonaparte, and his own misfortunes, had created a general feeling in his favor. Both himself and his troops had made a vow to wear mourning till they had avenged his father's death. The fields where he fell did so, though he did not live to see it. He terminated his life, however, on a memorable occasion, and before the eyes of one who could appreciate his bravery and his worth; and whose regret, so forcibly expressed, is sufficient to hand down his name to the latest posterity with honor and applause. Their leader thus lost, his troops were compelled to give way. The enemy advanced after them, conceiving that he had gained his object. He was mistaken. The brave 92d regiment, which was posted behind a ditch, on the right of the road from Brussels to Fleurus, and in the centre of which band of he. roes the commander-in-chief was stationed, stood ready to receive them. They allowed nearly all the Brunswick troops to pass, when they opened when they opened such a fire upon the enemy's cavalry as stretched them on the ground in numbers, and compelled the remainder to retire in disorder; and not only so, but the repulse of the cuirassiers, and the great number of wounded which were carried to the French rear, created alarm, confusion, and flight, among the numerous attendants of their army. The enemy asserts, that, in this charge, though unfortunate in its issue, a private of the 11th French regiment took one of the colours of the English 69th. About four o'clock, however, the enemy, reinforced, returned to the charge, and, by another furious attack, endeavoured to gain the right of the British position. Again he was driven back with great loss. The conduct of every regiment at this moment was most truly British. The 79th regiment charged through and through the French line, and afterwards returning to its former position, repulsed the repeated desperate attacks of the enemy. It suffered severely. Its brave commanding officer, Colonel Douglas, who had been previously hit by three balls, was severely wounded on the knee towards the close of the day: but still he kept his post. Of the estimation in which the commander-inchief held the conduct of that gallant body of men, it is sufficient to say, that on their colonel was bestowed two high military decorations, from those sent by the emperors of Austria and Russia to the commander-in-chief, to be bestowed upon such officers as he conceived were best deserving of the same. Three field-officers of this regiment were also created, by their own sovereign, companions of the most honorable military order of the bath. The Royal Scots were led to the

CHAP. VI.

1815.

charge by that gallant officer Sir Thomas Picton. BOOK XV. They advanced through a corn field, the grain upon which was so high that it reached the shoulders of the tallest man. During this time, the enemy continued to pour the most destructive vollies of shot upon them. They, notwithstanding, surmounted all difficulties, charged and routed the columns of the enemy. They then formed in a square to resist the cavalry, who were advancing against them, and, though charged by them six or seven times, they remained immoveable. The utmost efforts of the enemy were never able to make the smallest impression upon them. At one time, the gallant 42d regiment was almost overwhelmed by the fury of the torrent which rolled against it. They opened to the right and left, the cuirassiers went through, but they never returned. They were cut to pieces. The 42d, however, at this moment suffered severely. The cuirassiers came so close that they cut down some of the officers with their swords. The gallant Colonel Macara, and many other valuable officers, were, at this time, killed and wounded, and also a great number of men. At one period a part of the enemy's cavalry very nearly reached some guns close to Quatre Bras, and near the spot where the Duke of Wellington stood. This force, however, was immediately attacked by a battalion of young Hanoverians, and entirely cut off. The 92d regiment distinguished itself in a particular manner. This heroic regiment, led on by Colonel Cameron, performed prodigies of valor. It repeatedly repulsed the enemy's columns in their most furious attacks, and with great slaughter. The 44th, 33d, and 32d, also greatly signalised themselves... The 28th charged, at one time, on three sides at once. Two sides were opposed to the cuirassiers, and one to the lancers. Both they repelled. Afterwards they advanced against a column of infantry, drove them back, and, after deploying, charged in line, and cleared the whole front of skirmishers.

In this manner the combat continued for many hours without any prospect of its termination The enemy continued to bring forward fres! troops; the British to resist their fury. The third division, and part of the first division, had by this time come up. The third division moved to the left, in order to threaten the enemy's right. and operate in favor of the Prussians, who were, at this time, engaged with Bonaparte, while a brigade of guards, and part of the first division, remained at Quatre Bras. The enemy appeared still to direct his principal efforts against the right of the British position. About seven o'clock the combat raged with the utmost fury. The fire of the French artillery was tremendous, and which was the forerunner of another most formidable attack. Through the volumes of smoke, the

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