548 LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS DYNELEY, C.B., B.A. 
Letter XVIII. brings us to the Netherlands in 1815, and describes 
the retreat from Quatre Bras and the battle of Waterloo. 
LETTER XVIII. 
(To Cartan J. K. Dovatas, R.A.). 
MarisseL, France, August 25th, 1815. 
I daresay, my dear John, you have been looking out for a line from 
me, and very long since you should have received it had I had one 
moment to myself. Before the fight lhad nothing to tell you but that I 
was shut up in a Dutch farm-yard where I had plenty of good eggs, bread 
and butter, etc., and immediately after the action I was ordered to take 
charge of poor Bean’s troop, which I held until I gave it over to Captain 
Mercer on the 28th of last month, and again joined my own, Captain R. 
Gardiner’s. 
Now I must go back to the 16th of June. About three o’clock 
a.m. we were turned out by an order to march immediately and started 
about four o’clock and marched till eight o’clock that night, got some- 
thing to eat and went to bed. At eleven came “the rouse” again and 
away we went and were headed short the next morning (17th), at day- 
light, by finding the enemy drawn up ready for us. About twelve 
noon, an order was given for the infantry, artillery, baggage, etc. to 
retire, and for the two hussar brigades, commanded by Generals Vivian 
and Grant, with Webber Smith’s and Gardiner’s troops, to remain and 
cover the whole. About four o’clock the enemy discovered what we 
were at and pushed on some tremendous heavy columns of cuirassiers 
and lancers with three or four brigades of guns. Vivian sent me in 
advance with a couple of guns and I blazed away at them furiously ; 
the practice was good, but they dashed on with as much unconcern as if 
I had only been pointing my finger at them. Vivian then told me to 
get away as fast as I could and join the other four guns, when we 
received an order to make the best of our way to the rear, and off we 
set at a gallop, and at that pace, with whip and spur, we were obliged 
to keep it up for 10 miles, the rain coming down the whole time in 
bucketfuls, and the water up to the axle-trees in many parts of the 
road ; to make my own situation more comfortable, my horse had cast 
a fore-shoe. 
All this time the hussar brigades were not above 200 yards in 
our rear, and disputing every inch of ground. However, at last 
Jack Frenchman pulled up, from being blown I should suppose, 
for they were the same fellows who had surprised Blucher’s camp a 
day or two before, and had come a very long distance to meet us. 
When they pulled up, of course we turned about and stared at them, 
but seeing they had done for the day we went a mile further to the 
rear and halted for the night. I certainly never was so hungry in my 
life, not having had a morsel within my mouth-since the evening 
before. However, we broke open a house from whence the inhabitants 
had fled, and found some bread, butter and potatoes with which we 
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