556 
of cavalry, at whose head were 
the cuirassiers, advanced to 
charge the Life Guards, and 
thus save their infantry, but the 
Guards received them with the 
greatest vigour, and the most 
sanguinary cavalry fight, pers 
aps ever witnessed, was the con~’ 
sequence. 
“The French cuirassiers were 
completely beaten in spite of their 
cuirasses, by troops who had no- 
thing of the sort; and lost one of 
their eagles in this conflict which 
was taken by the heavy English 
cavalry called the Royals.” 
General Alva next mentions 
the approach of the Prussian army, 
‘‘which,” he observes, ‘* was the 
“ more necessary, from the supe- 
rior numbers of the enemy’s army, 
and from the dreadful ‘loss we 
had sustained in this unequal 
combat, from 11 in the morn- 
ing till 5 in the afternoon.” 
« Buonaparte, who did not 
believe the Prussians to be so 
near, and who reckoned upon de- 
stroying Lord Wellington before 
their arrival, perceived that he 
had fruitlessly lost more than five 
hours, and that in the critical 
position in which he was then 
placed, there remained no other 
resource but that of desperately 
attacking the weak part of the 
English position, and thus, if 
possible beating the Duke before 
his right was turned, and attack- 
ed by the Prussians. 
‘¢ Henceforward, therefore, the 
whole was a repetition of attacks 
by cavalry and infantry, support- 
ed by more than 300 pieces of 
artillery, which unfortunately 
made horrible ravages in our 
line, and killed and wounded 
officers, artillerists, and horses, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. ‘ 
in the weakest part of the posi’ 
tion. 
‘The enemy, aware of this 
destruction, made a chatge with 
the whole cavalry of his guard, 
which took some pieces of can- 
non that could not be withdrawn; 
but the Duke, who was at this 
point, charged them with three 
batallions of English and three 
of Brunswickers, and compelled 
them in amoment to abandon the 
artillery, though we were unable 
to withdraw them for want of 
horses ; nor did they dare to ad- 
vance to recover them. 
«¢ Atlast, about 7 in the even- 
ing, Buonaparte made a final ef- 
fort, and putting himself at the 
head of his guards, attacked the 
above point of the English pesi- 
tion with such vigour, that he 
drove back the Brunswickers,. 
who occupied part of it, and for 
a moment, the victory was un- 
decided, and even more than 
doubtful. 
‘“« The Duke, who felt that the 
moment was most critical, spoke 
to the Brunswick troops with 
that ascendancy whichevery great 
man possesses, made them re- 
turn to the charge, and putting 
himself at their head, again 
restored the combat, exposing — 
himself to every kind of personal 
danger. 
‘“* Fortunately at this moment 
we perceived the fire of Mar- 
shal Blucher, attacking the ene- 
my’s right with his usual im- 
petuosity ; and at the moment of 
decisive attack being come, the 
Duke put himself at the head of 
the English foot-guards, spoke a 
few words to them; which were 
replied to by a general hurrah, 
and his Grace himself guiding 
pe 
