Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

From the N. Y. Evening Post

VISIT TO THE FIELD OF WATERLOO

Continued

Three first attacks—Effect of their failure on Napoleon—Infantry attacks, a kind of breathing to the British troops—Impatience of the British troops to be led on. Their constancy and firmness—Farm-house of La Haye Sainte—Sir William De Lancey: Colonel Miller and Captain Curzon of the field the day after the battle: Wreck yet remaining leaves of books and letters; Chivalrous conduct of the Prince of Orange; A nameless regiment of volunteer light-horse: 10th light dragoons. A Brigade of 30th, and another regiment.

"The regular battle, it is well known, commenced by the almost simultaneous advance, and we distinctly saw their course, of three entire corps d'armee on the right, left, and centre of the British line. The attack on the right had for its first object the carrying of the post of Hougomont, the key of the position; in possession of which, the French could have turned the British right. That column had the shortest way to move: and under King Jerome it was there the cannon and musketry first began. As admitted by 'the relation,' fresh reinforcements were sent to this scene of carnage repeatedly to no purpose. The greatest success of probably 50,000 men, was obliging the light companies of the 1st, 2d and 3d foot guards under the command of Lord Saltoun, to take refuge within the post, instead of defending the post itself, which was never occupied for a moment. The guards kept it, in spite of grape and musketry, and balls & shells and flames; till they issued from it victorious in the hour of vengeance.

The corps d'armee destined for the left, (the 6th) soon arrived at the first attack in that quarter about the centre of the British left wing, but were calmly received and repulsed by the admirably served artillery, & by the 42d and 79th & 92d Highlanders, supported, it is believed, by the 1st and 28th regiments under the lamented Sir Thomas Picton. The whole slope was in our view. Nothing could be more tremendous than the mode of attack, it was always headed by artillery, which discharged showers of iron grape shot each bullet larger than a walnut. It was a battle, on the part of the French, of cavalry and cannon, both equipped as if by magic, and much more formidable than had ever been known, in the French armies even, to take the field.

"L'artillerie," says "the Relation," "se porta en avant, sur toute la ligne, et les colonnes la suivirent." Heading these columns were the iron cased cuirassiers, in as complete mail, breast and back, as in the days of that defensive armour: upon which the musket balls were heard to ring as they glanced off without injury or even stunning the wearer. These men at arms, had immense infantry columns of support at their backs.

A stunted hedge bounded each side of a narrow cross road, which ran along the whole of the British left wing, joining the great road near the Duke of Wellington's tree already mentioned. In the hedge there was a number of gaps, which had been made to serve as a kind of embrasures for the line of the British cannon of the left wing; and a trifling bank, only here and there two or three feet high, on which the hedge grew, and in which apertures for the guns were cut where necessary, was the only thing resembling shelter which any portion of our artillery enjoyed; and may have given occasion to the author of 'the Relation' to speak of appearances of fresh earth turned up in the British position.

When the cannon and infantry had staggered the masses of the enemy, and somewhat calmed their fury; round the extremity of the cross road, full on the flank of the foe—horses in perfect condition, men in steady determination; wheeled, like a whirlwind the Royals, Greys and Enniskillens: England, Scotland and Ireland, in high rivalry and irresistible union. In vain, for the second time, the iron cases: the cuirassiers were "bouleversés et culbutés" (in the words of 'the Relation,'), their cannon was deserted and taken: and the columns of infantry were thrown into such confusion, that they had just time to get beyond the range of the prudent pursuit of their adversaries, whose warfare yet was defensive. The dragoons and infantry, with their captured cannon and eagles, calmly returned to their place in position to await the next advance of the enemy.

a Some of these dreadful balls we found on the field.
b "The artillery advanced in front along the whole line, and the columns followed."
c I have always been, and see more & more reason to continue of opinion, that in our army the three nations ought to be separately regimented, the noble emulation resulting from national feeling, is a more heart-felt stimulus to the soldier than may at first sight be supposed. It is a subject well worthy of consideration.
d There is no translating these expressive words, when describing the effect of a charge of cavalry. Boyer's dictionary renders the first to turn topsyturvy, and the second to throw heels over head.

If our present ground had the well fought round now faintly described in full view: so had Napoleon's station,—about a mile along the road from where we stood. With the poor farmer Lacoste, pinioned on horseback beside him, stood the Emperor; unable to conceal his astonishment at the recoil and almost flight of his finest troops; and constrained, "in spite of himself, repeatedly to mutter compliments to the spirit, rapidity and steadiness of the British cavalry. "These English fight admirably," said he to Soult: "but they must give way." "No, sire, they prefer being cut to pieces," was the answer of one who knew something of them. The grey horses especially struck him, and he often repeated, quelles superbes troupes!

The centre attack was most of this time in full activity, and overwhelming efforts were making to gain the farm house of La Haye Sainte, advanced two or three hundred yards from the British position. Here fortune bestowed one melancholy smile on Napoleon's arms. No moment of temporary success was theirs in the line: but they did establish themselves, with twenty to one, in the post of La Haye Sainte, in consequence, as the Duke of Wellington's account testifies, of the unexpected failure of the ammunition of a detachment of the German legion, to which its defence was committed: a failure which, from the position and great strength of the enemy, it was at the time considered impossible to supply. This very limited as it turned out but less success of the enemy, it appears, is matter of much self reproach to the commander in chief. He has been heard to use very hard words, when speaking of what he calls his want of presence of mind on the occasion. It was impossible to send ammunition in by the gates at the two sides of the farm yard, but it might have approached the back of the house, under cover of the British fire, and been handed in by an aperture made on purpose. Considering what the gen. on such a day had to think of it will not be thought surprising, that with all his commanding influence, the Duke of Wellington has not succeeded in inducing any of his auditors to join in the accusation. But had one comfort, the post, when carried with immense loss, did no good to the captors. It neutralized a large force: and never for a moment shook the British centre.

The three attacks now described, we were told, might serve as a fair specimen of the reiterated war during the entire day. From 11 in the morning till 7 at night, it consisted of a succession of such attacks, with unabated fury and increasing force; and often with a boldness and deadly effect, which perplexed our soldiers, and put their matchless firmness to the utmost trial. It may be believed, that every fresh onset swept away multitudes of our infantry: still the survivors gave not an inch of ground, but made good the lines and firm the squares. No men in Europe could have endured as they did. Again and again the enemy's cannon and cavalry rebounded from their "adamantine front," dismayed and scattered.—These were the breathing times of our heroes!—Line was with admirable alacrity formed for a greater breadth of fire than the square afforded. Immediately on seeing the back plates of the cuirasses, when masses of French infantry approached with a heavy fire of musketry. They did "go through their work," as Napoleon often muttered, unlike any troops he had ever seen. Such were the deadly visits of the cannon and cavalry that, as I have repeatedly been assured by officers with whom I have conversed, these interludes of infantry battle were a kind of refreshment, after their toil with the other arms! They never took the trouble to look at the numbers; they felt as if boys had attacked them, merely to keep them in wind; and invariably routed them by a very few steps of a run in advance with pointed bayonets—The Duke, in visiting different points, was often received with a shout of impatience to be led on—The gallant 95th were very tired of the iron cases, & the iron grape shot. An immense body of French infantry happened to approach that noble regiment at one time, when Lord Wellington was paying them a visit. "Let us at 'em, my Lord," "let us down upon 'em," quite regardless of their numbers. "Not yet," replied the chief, "not yet, my brave men, but you shall have at them soon; firm a little longer: we must not be beat: what would they say in England?" The last caution was praise rather than encouragement; for,—let any people on earth match it, ancient or modern from Thermopylae downwards, through ages of Roman firmness and chivalrous enthusiasm; in no part of the line did a thought of flinching from his allotted spot, or of occupying any other ground behind, than the breadth of his back where he stood, if he should fail, find a moment's shelter in the mind of the poorest British soldier of Waterloo. The trite and abused term of glory does not convey the idea of a hundredth part of the merit of such unshaken constancy. Les Anglais, says the intelligent author of the character of the different European armies, himself a Frenchman, "Les Anglais sont indubitablement le peuple le plus intrepide de l'Europe; celui qui affronte la mort, et la voit approcher, avec le plus de sang froid et d'indifference."

e A brief commentary on a rather sudden change of politics in one of the French cuirassiers, when on the point of being cut down by a soldier of the Greys, as overheard on this occasion. The Frenchman called out, "Vive le Roi." "Good faith, friend," said his pursuer in purest Scotch, "gif ye cry that, ye shouldna be here"—cutting him down:

From our vantage ground, we had gained a very satisfactory general idea of the field, and moved down to the farm house of La Haye Sainte, to examine the state in which the conflict had left that post, before we made a circuit for a more minute inspection of the field. Much of the wreck of the battle lay between the Duke of Wellington's station, and the farm house, which manifested the hazard to which he had been exposed. The "Relation" admits the necessity of sending against La Haye Sainte "de nouvelles forces," before it was taken, by the slaughter of almost all its brave defenders. It is just an ordinary farm house, and court of offices—The house forms one side of a square, and the offices the other three; the court yard collecting the manure in the middle, and sheltering the cattle—The side opposite to the house is a long building for cows; the passage being separated from the cows' stalls by a parapet about four feet high. At each end of the passage is a large door or gate both of which were literally riddled with musket balls, fired from within, and from without, as could easily be distinguished from the kind of hole the ball had made. The bodies, after the action, were heaped up in the cow stable, as high as the parapet. The whole farm-house, yard, and offices, might have afforded room for 1000 or 1500 men each. They had made many holes for musketry all around the place; and many a hole had been made for them by the enemy. The whole presented a scene of shattered ruin, which could not be looked upon without a degree of interest amounting to terror. But it stood a noble monument of the determined valor of our German brethren in arms.

Some very poor children who seemed to stand about the ruins, soon joined us, and began to beg from us, "quelque chose," with most persevering importunity. Their miserable appearance was in perfect agreement with the scene of desolation about them. We saw no grown people who seemed to have any interest in the premises.

Having succeeded in opening the shattered door which led out to the west, we saw several women still engaged in the lately most lucrative employment of gleaning up any thing which they could sell to strangers. The same persons had very probably been active in stripping and plundering the slain, before they were buried. We asked them where they were during the action: "Toutes dans le bois."

Did they hear the noise? the answer was a shrug, a look of dreadful recollection. They seemed to be finding very little worth picking up. We were ourselves at the moment more fortunate, for lying among some straw, we found a French bayonet, evidently marked with blood, which we brought away with us.

We returned to the tree, and directed our steps westward to go along the British line to the right. There was no difficulty in tracing the line by the graves of the brave men, who had fallen where they were first posted. The survivors never quitted it but to advance. The very ground was hallowed: and it was trod by us with respect and gratitude; the multitudes below, so lately interred, occasioned a very impressive subject of reflection, of the next day's horrors of such a field as Waterloo. Numbers of the desperately wounded and dying, in the midst of the dead, raised their heads, when visitors to the scene passed them, to implore water, or to beg death at their hands, to end their agonies. Many of the wounded were not removed till the Wednesday, the third day after the battle.

f The English are undoubtedly the most intrepid people in Europe: the people who meet as well as wait for death, with most of coolness and indifference.
g All in the wood.

All was now hushed in the stillness of a long line of graves, the ad consummation which the wounded implored. No one who has not seen it, can imagine how touching it is to see, strewed around their graves, fragments of what the brave men wore or carried when they fell. Among the straw of the trodden corn, which still covered the field, lay caps, shoes, pieces of uniforms, & shirts, tufts, cockades, feathers, ornamental horse hair red and black, and what most struck us, great quantities of letters and leaves of books. The latter were too much defaced with rain and mud to make it worth while to pick up any of them. In one letter, we could just make out the words—so affecting in the circumstances, "My dear husband." We brought away some leaves of a German hymn book; and probably, had we had time, might have found something curious in a department in which the peasants seem not at all to have anticipated us.

We were now on the station of the Prince of Orange, and where he received his wound. The Dutch and Belgians under his immediate command behaved very gallantly. The prince is said, in a moment of chivalrous feeling, when applauding their valor, to have torn the star from his breast, and thrown it into their column; adding, that he did not know who best deserved it, & therefore he gave it among them.

A very gay regiment of gentlemen light horse volunteers, were in the battle of Waterloo, all inhabitants of a continental city, which I shall not name. An opportunity occurred for them to charge the French cavalry, and an aide de camp came to them with an order or request to that effect from Lord Wellington.—Their colonel in great surprise objected the enemy's strength—their cuirasses and the consideration, which had unaccountably, he said, escaped the commander in chief, that his regiment were all gentlemen. 'This diverting view was carried back to Lord Wellington; who despatched the messenger again to say, that if the gentlemen would take post upon an eminence, which he pointed to in the rear, they would have an excellent view of the battle; and he would leave the choice of a proper time to charge, entirely to their own sagacity and discretion, in which he had the fullest confidence! The colonel actually marked the aide de camp for this distinguished post of honor, and followed by his gallant train with their very high plumes, (the present great point of continental military foppery) was out of danger in a moment.

A regiment of light dragoons of a very different stamp, the 12th, was posted near the prince of Orange. Their charges were of the most spirited kind; & nothing but the cuirasses enabled the French dragoons to resist them. In the account of so much pure valor without trick or cover, against so much iron, it is not difficult to decide where honor would award the balance. Many brave men were sacrificed to the iron cases and taffeta flags, which frightened their horses. A gallant young friend of my aunt, lay near the spot we had now reached. He had just joined the 12th dragoons, and in the first charge of his regiment, in which he bore a distinguished part, received a wound which was instantly fatal. There was a melancholy satisfaction in beholding the spot of his honorable grave: A prouder sepulchre, the turf on which the soldier falls, than the proudest mausoleum in consecrated ground.

No part of the field was more fertile in impressive associations than the ground of the 30th, and I believe, the 73d regiment, brigaded under our gallant countrywoman, severely wounded in the battle, Sir Colin Halket. I had already heard from an, of the firmness of these brave troops, and was to hear still more. To no square did the artillery, and particularly the cuirassiers pay more frequent and tremendous visits: and never were they broken for a moment. Their almost intimacy with these death bringing visitants, increased so much as the day advanced, that they began to recognise their faces. Their boldness much provoked the soldiers. They galloped up to the bayonet points, where of course their horses made a full stop, to the great danger of pitching their riders into the square. They then rode round and round the fearless bulwark of bayonets: and in a panic, often coolly walked their horses to have more time to search for some chasm in the ranks where they might ride in general order. In that event, he generally commanded the rider, except bringing down the horse, which at last became the general order. In that event, he generally surrendered himself, and was received within the square till he could be sent prisoner to the rear; a generosity ill merited, when it is considered that the French spared very few lives which it was in their power to take. Many officers were murdered, after giving up their arms; and when circumstances at the moment prevented their removal, cavalry were sent to cut them down, when prisoners were collected.

To be continued.

h A young officer of the Greys, fell known to the author, was shot by a French officer, whose life he had preserved. The object of the Frenchman was to make his escape. He did not effect his purpose; be overtaken and cut to pieces by the enraged soldiers.