318 
WATERLOO DIARY. 
at the affair of yesterday and the day before who were straggling in, 
and others who had evidently slept on the steps exhausted and unable 
to go further in search of a hospital. I went straight to the Hotel 
d'Angleterre (having had no regular meal since the morning of the 
16th) which I found still occupied and open, and a gentleman instantly 
offered me his breakfast which I accepted. He proved to be Admiral 
Sir Pulteney Malcolm, and was anxious to hear something of the 
Cavalry affair of yesterday (as Captain Elphinstone of the 7th Hussars 
was his relation) and what was expected. Learning his relative was 
wounded and that a battle was inevitable, he proposed going and I 
offered to conduct him to the army. He then endeavoured to procure 
a horse but as there was some delay, I accepted a cold chicken to bring to 
the troop and set off on my return journey by the road I had reconnoitred. 
On my way I perceived approaching from the opposite direction wdiat 
I took to be a French gensd’arme , some of which 1 had accidentally seen 
in the campaigns in the Peninsula. I drew in my reins and felt if my 
sabre was all clear to draw. I thought it strange he should be there, 
still it was possible (it just crossed my thoughts) he had already 
retreated and that I might be in rear of the French instead of his being 
behind our army. The man, too, seemed to be under some such feel¬ 
ings as myself and threw his cloak aside, so that I began to think he 
reckoned, as well as myself, on a personal attack, and I considered 
with my little weapon, against his long sword, I might come badly 
off, so we neared each other quite cautiously, but to my relief, when 
within some ten or fifteen yards, he stopped and asked loudly where 
the Duke of Wellington's head-quarters were, which I told him, 
and we then passed on. I found, both coming and returning, num¬ 
bers of the peasantry and inhabitants of the neighbouring villages 
thronging into the wood, carrying what valuables they could. I 
reached the troop on my return about half-past ten, and proceeded 
to Sir Hussey Vivian to make my report, having delivered my cold 
fowl to Gardiner and the rest of my brother officers. Sir W. Delaney 
was with Sir H. Vivian, delivering what I understood to be the 
Commander-in-Chief's instructions for the position of his Brigade 
and the objects he was to keep in view. Sir W. Delaney pointed to a 
direction to our left by which the Prussians would come, and that Sir 
H. Vivian was on no account to move his brigade from the position as¬ 
signed to it until he had put himself into communication with the 
Prussians, and that they, the Prussians, had joined or reached his left. 
Sir W. Delaney shewed a dark spot on a hill, by a plantation, and said 
if they were troops, it was certainly a Prussian picquet. I made the 
remark that they certainly were troops. At about 11 o'clock Sir H. 
Vivian moved forward his whole brigade, here we remained in advance 
of the British position, and so much so that when the French advanced 
their columns previous to commencing the battle, at a very quick 
pace, we became first abreast of them, and they then passed our right 
flank, and we were in their rear and could distinctly see their immediate 
movements to advance to attack the troops in their front without regard 
to us. Our brigade then retrograded into line with the other troops, 
and became the extreme left of the Allied Army when deployed and 
