541 
PARIS. 
lery alfo did confiderable execution. It cut to pieces the 
maffes of the French infantry and cavalry as they ad¬ 
vanced. The French, exafperated at the lofs which they 
fuftained, attempted to charge the guns with their ca¬ 
valry. In thefe charges the artillerymen flood at their 
guns as long as they could, and then retired under the 
bayonets of the infantry; and, as foon as the French 
cavalry were driven back, they returned to their guns, 
and gave them a parting falute. 
During all this firft terrible ftruggle on the left, the 
fcene, faid a perfon who was prefent, was indefcribably 
grand and terrific. The atmofphere, for fome time, was 
heavy and tempeftuous, which prevented the fmoke, oc- 
cafioned by the cannon and mufketry, from rifing ; and, 
while both armies fought under thefe gloomy clouds, they 
ferved to conceal the advance of the columns of the French 
infantry till they wereclofe at hand. Hence the profpeft was 
more terrific. The cries of the wounded and dying, the 
thunder of the artillery, the volleys of mufketry, the burft- 
ing of {hells, the noife occafioned by Congreve’s rockets, 
the fury of the combatants, the cries of Vive VEmpereur 
on the one fide, and of Vive le Roi, and the Britifh 
huzza, intermixed with the loud cheers of “Scotland for 
ever,” from the other fide, formed a fcene which it is im- 
poflible to defcribe. The fhot from the French artillery 
pafled Over the line of the Britifh guns, and fell into the 
fquares of infantry behind them, and occafioned a great 
lofs to feveral regiments, without their having been at all 
engaged. The French army was alfo fimilarly fituated 
with regard to the tremendous fire of their antagonifts. 
Many of the rockets, in particular, carried deftruftion to 
a great diftance, pafled over the front lines, and fell 
amidft the equipage which was placed behind on the road, 
which rendered it indifpenfably necefl’ary to remove the 
train to a greater diftance. 
Though repulfed in every onfet, and notwithftanding 
the lofs which the French had fuftained, they ftill perfe- 
vered, and fent forward frefh troops to reinforce thofe 
which had been defeated. In one of thefe attacks, ge¬ 
neral Ponfonby charged with his brigade, confiding of 
the ift dragoon-guards, the Scotch greys, and the 6th or 
Innifkillen dragoons. Sir William Ponfonby led the charge 
at the head of the latter regiment, which cut down every 
thing before them; and the French troops were over¬ 
thrown with great lofs. The charge, however, though 
fuccefsful, proved fatal to the brave fir William Ponfonby. 
In returning from the charge which he had made, his 
horfe ftuck fall: in a newly-ploughed field. The French 
had rallied, and were again advancing. Finding it im- 
poflible to efcape from a column of lancers, he alighted, 
and was in the aft of giving his aid-de-camp his watch 
and a pifture, in order that thefe memorials might be de¬ 
livered to his wife and family, when the lancers came up. 
Both were cut to pieces in an inftant; and, when his body 
Was found, it was pierced with feven lances. His brigade 
afterwards came up, and amply revenged his death, and 
the lancers were nearly annihilated. 
Finding all their efforts fruitlefs, the French now fent 
another column of cavalry againft the Britifh lines. At 
the head of this column marched thofe formidable troops 
named cuirajfiers. Thefe foldiers were not only clad in 
armour, but were all chofen men, about fix feet high ; 
their horfes were the beft and ftrongeft which could be 
procured; and it was neceflary to have ferved in three 
campaigns, and to have been twelve years in the fervice, 
before they got into that corps. From their chin down¬ 
wards to the lower part of the body they were cafed in 
armour: the front cuirafs was made bright, and in form 
of a pigeon’s egg; the back one was made to fit the back: 
the infide was fluffed with a pad, and both were fitted on 
with a clafp. They were eafily put off and on; and weighed 
from nine to eleven pounds each, according to the fize of 
the man: they refilled in a great meafure mufket-balls, 
which, ftriking againft them, flew off in an oblique direc- 
Vol. XVIII. No. 1263. 
tion. On their heads they had large maffy helmets; and 
their weapons were flraight long fwords and piftols. 
Thefe troops being brought forward, they advanced 
againft the Britifh line with the utmofl confidence. The 
attack of this body of troops was tremendous, and for a 
confiderable time every attempt that was made to repel 
them proved unavailing. The Britifh light-cavalry were 
found to fuffer cruelly in their unequal conteft with the 
ponderous and fword-proof cuirafliers, and even with the 
lancers. They were driven back with confiderable lofs, 
and many were made prifoners. Even the German le¬ 
gion, fo diftinguifhed for difcipline and courage during 
the peninfular war, were unequal, on this occafion, to 
fuftain their fhock. They then attacked the infantry, 
who, notwithftanding the lofs which they fuftained, re¬ 
mained immoveable, and repelled every attack made upon 
them. The 28th regiment particularly diftinguifhed it- 
felf; and its colonel, fir Philip Benfon, had four horfes 
fhot under him. In this manner the engagement conti¬ 
nued at this point upwards of an hour. Both fides be¬ 
haved with the moll extraordinary gallantry, and neither 
the one nor the other would yield an inch of ground. 
The attacks of the French, however, were incefl'ant and 
fevere; three times were they upon the point of carrying 
the pofition at this point, and as often were they repelled. 
The cuirafliers deliberately advanced to the mouth of the 
Britifh cannon : at one time they galloped along, and at 
another coolly walked their horfes in front of the Britifh 
fquares, continuing to look for an opening into which 
they might dafli: but none appeared, the ranks were 
filled up as foon as they were broken; while with 
the bayonet they refilled and unhorfed thefe armour- 
equipped cavaliers. Some of thefe men were fo bold, that 
they frequently rufhed fingly out of their columns, and, 
firing their piftols in front of the Britifh line, endea¬ 
voured to irritate the troops fo as to make them throw 
away their fire upon them, that their main columns 
might attack with more fafety. 
Thefe cuirafliers repeatedly charged the 30th regiment; 
but they did not fucceed in making the leaft imprefiion. 
When the horfemen had pafled, the regiment deployed 
into line, that its fire might be more extended and effec¬ 
tual. As foon as this was done, the word was given, 
“ Re-form fquare ; prepare to receive cavalry.” The cui¬ 
rafliers feveral times walked round this gallant regiment, 
eagerly watching for an opportunity to dafli in. Finding 
no opportunity of breaking this regiment, the cuirafliers 
marched off to try another ; and, having come upon the 
69th before the fquare was completely formed, cut down 
a vaft number. Thefe cavalry frequently penetrated be¬ 
tween the fquares to the very rear of the Britifh line ; but 
in retiring they fuffered dreadfully. 
In order to repel thefe defperate attacks on the Britifh 
line, fir John Elley, now quarter-mafter-general, was di- 
refted to bring up the heavy brigade of cavalry, as the 
other cavalry were found inadequate to the talk. Thefe 
confifted of the life-guards, Oxford blues, and Scotch 
greys, who inftantly charged, and the moll fanguinary 
cavalry-fight ever witneffed took place. Notwithftanding 
the weight and armour of the cuirafliers, and the power 
of their horfes, they proved unable to withfland the 
fhock of the heavy brigade, being literally rode down 
both horfe and man, while the ftrength of the Britifh fol¬ 
diers was no lefs pre-eminent when they mingled and 
fought hand to hand. Several hundreds of French were 
forced headlong over a fort of quarry, or gravel-pit, where 
they rolled a confufed and undiftinguifhable mafs of men 
and horfes, expofed to a fire which, being poured clofely 
into them, foon put a period to their ftruggles. 
This great movement of the French againft the left 
comprehended one of the fevereft attacks during this tre¬ 
mendous day. The cavalry was completely beaten off, 
after lofing immenfe numbers; and of the infantry, two 
regiments, the 45th and 105th, were broken, and loft an 
6 Y eagle 
