BRUSSELS. 291 



this position they could hot be seen by the advancing co- 

 lumns of the French ; and thousands of balls passed over 

 their heads without doing injury. While waiting for or- 

 ders to attack, they suffered only two casualties ; one com- 

 mon soldier had his head carried off, and a serjeant had his 

 thigh fractured, by cannon-balls. At the proper moment, 

 the cavalry advanced, passed between the Scots Regiments, 

 leaped the hedge, or brushed through gaps, and fell on the 

 astounded French. In this daring charge, they were at 

 first commanded by Colonel Ponsonby, and, on his being 

 mortally wounded, they were guided with no less skill and 

 courage by Colonel Straton of the Enniskillen Dragoons. — 

 Having proceeded in this direction till we approached the 

 farm-houses of Papelotte and La Haye *, the extremity of 

 the British left, we returned along the sloping ground in 

 front of the hedge, where some of the deadliest conflicts 

 took place, and where our countrymen, both cavalry and 

 infantry, suffered the most. Here the Scots Greys captu- 

 red a French eagle, and here the 42d and 92d regiments 

 flanked the French infantry, when making one of their 

 most formidable and daring charges. 



On revisiting the barn and offices of the farm of Mount 

 St John, we remarked (what had before escaped our notice, 

 our eyes having then been eagerly turned towards the inte- 

 resting prospect which was opening in front,) that the south 

 sides of the walls of those offices were clothed with fruit- 

 trees, chiefly pears ; and that these, having suffered little 

 injury from the war which raged in their neighbourhood, 

 were now loaded with fruit. 



All the cabarets at Mount St John were this day full. 



* In some accounts, the left extremity of the British army is described 

 as resting on Ter la Haye. The farm of Ter la Haye is situate a mile to the 

 rear, on the borders of the Forest of Soigne. 



T 2 



