542 
PARIS. 
eagle and a ftandard, and from 2 to 3000 prifoners. The 
colours of the 105th were a prefent from the emprefs 
Maria Louifa. The eagle of the 4.5th was mod fuperbly 
gilt, and infcribed with the names of Aufterlitz, Jena, 
Friedland, and Wagram. In the ftruggle to take it, it 
was much tarnifhed, and covered with blood and dirt. 
It was a Serjeant Ewart, of the Scotch greys, who cap¬ 
tured this trophy ; in effecting which, he firft killed 
th'e bearer, then a lancer, and, laftly, a foot-foldier, who, 
at the moment, fucceflively attacked him. The cuiraf- 
fiers alfo loft an eagle, which was taken by the royal horfe- 
guards. 
While this tremendous ftruggle was going on in the 
centre and left of the Britifti line, the attack upon Hou- 
goumont and the right was renewed with greater fury than 
before. The French made the mod furious attempts 
againft Hougoumont, in order to turn the right of the Bri¬ 
tifti pofition ; but the guards difputed the wood and or¬ 
chard mod gallantly. 'About three o’clock, when Na¬ 
poleon found that Jerome’s divifion could not drive the 
guards from Hougoumont, he ordered the chateau to be 
let on fire. The fhells from feveral mortars, which were 
brought to bear upon the houfes, foon had the defired ef¬ 
fort ; but the Britifti troops, retiring into the garden, did 
not yield one inch of their ground ; and the only thing 
which he gained by this cruel meafure was the deftrurtion 
of fome wounded Britifti foldiers, who were too ill to be 
removed, and who fell a prey to the flames. 
Meanwhile, the attack was renewed along the whole 
line of the Britifti right wing, by fucceflive columns of 
cavalry, who rolled after each other like waves of the fea. 
Thefe were fupported by a moft tremendous fire of artil¬ 
lery, which feemed to threaten to fweep every thing before 
it. The Belgian horfe were forced to give way, and gal¬ 
loped from the field in great confufion. The advanced 
line of guns were ftormed by the French, and feveral 
pieces fell into their hands. After gaining thefe, the 
French cavalry rode furioufly up and down among the 
fmall fquares of Britifti infantry, feeking fome point where 
they might break in upon them. A brigade of horfe- 
artillery, commanded by major Norman Ramfay, opened 
its fire upon the French cavalry, which forced them to 
retreat repeatedly; but they again advanced with frefti 
fury. As often as they retired, the Britifti artillerymen 
rufhed out of the fquares where they fheltered themfelves, 
and began again to work their pieces. O11 the part of 
the French, a moft wonderful degree of bravery was dif- 
played in this part of the battle ; and, on the part of the 
Britifti, at lead an equal degree of bravery, united with 
much more coolnefs. 
Though the French had hitherto not been able to break 
the Britifti line, yet the fituation of the latter was critical. 
The duke of Wellington had placed all his beft troops in 
front ; and thefe had differed fo dreadfully, that it be¬ 
came neceftary to bring forward troops from the fecond 
line. Thefe were not of equal quality, and fome of them 
were found unfit for the talk. The duke himfelf faw 
a Belgian regiment give way at the inftant it crofted the 
ridge of the hill : he rode up, halted the regiment, and 
again formed it, intending to lead them into the fire 
himfelf; but as foon as they crofted the ridge of the hill, 
and again encountered the ftorm of balls and ftiells, they 
went to the right-about once more, and fairly left the 
duke. Upon this he brought up a Brunfwick regiment, 
who kept their ground with more fteadinefs. 
The battle continued to rage with the utmoft fury in 
every part of the line ; and “ the Britifti army,” as BIu- 
cher juftly faid, “fought with a valour which nothing 
could furpafs.” But the French renewed their attacks 
with fuch rapidity, that, with whatever firmnefs the allied 
army maintained their pofition, it was impoftible but that 
fuch heroic conduct, and fuch continued and immenfe 
exertions, muft have had a limit. The arrival of the 
Pruflians, therefore, who were known to be advancing 
to co-operate with them, was moft anxioufly experted. 
The duke of Wellington had difpatched an officer of his 
ftaff, about two o’clock, to the head-quarters of Blucher, 
to afcertain his movements, and to know when it was 
probable his advance would come in contart with the 
enemy. 
3. Nearly four hours had now elapfed, during which 
the battle had been maintained with the moft determined 
courage and obftinacy on both fides. Yet it was little in 
comparifon to what followed. It was three in the after¬ 
noon. Affairs became more urgent. Napoleon having 
been baffled in every attempt which he had made upon 
the Britifti lines, except the temporary fuccefs at La Haye 
Sainte, refolved to make fome alteration in his plan of 
attack. He had hitherto remained on an eminence near 
La Belle Alliance, from whence he had a clear view of 
the whole field of battle. He continued walking in deep 
thought, fometimes with his hands joined together, and 
at other times taking fnuff copioufty, but all the while in 
great anxiety. The ftory of his ftanding upon theobfer- 
vatory, which is a mile diftant, is an idle tale: at La 
Belle Alliance was his ftation during the afternoon. “ It 
was there,” faid marfhal Blucher, “ that Napoleon was 
during the battle ; it was there he gave his orders, and 
that he flattered himfelf with the hope of victory.” From 
this point he contemplated the immediate and complete 
fuccefs of thofe terrible French tadfics, which had fo often 
appalled his enemies. He was, however, much chagrined 
when he faw fome of his beft troops, and his cavalry and 
cuiraffiers, driven back, heels over head, at every onfet, 
by the Britifti line, and with amazing carnage. A great 
part of his troops had already been engaged, except hia 
guards, which were the flower of his army, and who 
idolized and adored him. He, therefore, determined to 
bring a part of thefe troops forward, and, with all his ca¬ 
valry, formed into mafles, to make one defperate effort 
againft the centre of the Britifti army. 
Having formed his plan, the infantry and cavalry were 
formed into columns, and advanced rapidly to the attack, 
undercover of a moft tremendous cannonade, which was 
direrted againft the whole line, but fevereft towards the 
centre. The Britifti cavalry was driven to the rear of the 
infantry, after fuftaining feveral charges, in which the 
carnage on both fides was dreadful. The French cavalry 
then charged the infantry, who, being in fquares, repul- 
fed them. They returned to the attack, and charged 
with both infantry and cavalry in fuch numbers, that it 
required every effort on the part of the Britifti to refift 
them ; and the combat became clofe and fanguinary. 
About 300 pieces of artillery opened againft the Britifti 
lines, the fire from which was inceflant and terrible. “ It 
unfortunately,” faid the Spanifh general Alava, “made 
horrible ravages in our line, and killed and wounded of¬ 
ficers, artillerifts, and horfes, in the weakeft part of the 
pofition.” The lofs of the third battalion of the iff: regi¬ 
ment of Britifti guards, and the rifle-battalion of the 
German legion, was immenfe. Files upon files were car¬ 
ried out to the rear from the carnage. Shocking as the 
flaughter was, it would have been much greater had it 
not been for the ftate of the ground, which was thoroughly 
foaked with rain ; for although this, by preventing duft, 
afforded better aim to the artillerymen, many fhots never 
rofe after they had touched the ground, and none bounded 
fo often as they would otherwife have done. The fhells 
alfo frequently turned themfelves, and, when they ex¬ 
ploded, threw up the mud like a fountain. 
For more than three hours, the French continued to 
make charge after charge, from one end of the Britifti line 
to the other, in order to force it wherever they could. Vic¬ 
tory was feveral times doubtful ; but the duke of Wel¬ 
lington was every where prefent, expofed to the hotted 
fire, animating his men. He often threw himfelf into the 
midft of the fquares, in full determination to (land or fall 
with them. 
Though repulfed in every point, the French continued 
their attacks with fuch impetuofity, that the fquares be- 
6 gan 
