A voice from Waterloo: A history of the battle fought on the 18th June, 1815Cotton, Edward
History
A voice from Waterloo: A history of the battle fought on the 18th June, 1815
Cotton, Edward
Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
As the Imperial guard retired in the greatest disorder, its retread
caused a panic throughout the French army.—The Prussians being
relieved from the pressure of the enemy’s right _en potence_,
their operations begin to take effect.—Wellington observing the
state of things, determines to attack, and orders the advance of
his whole line.—His Grace in front, hat high in air.—Vivian’s
hussars get a message from the Duke: they form line, attack and
drive off the enemy.—Colonel Murray’s dangerous leap.—Vandeleur’s
brigade advanced.—Major Howard killed.—General Cambronne made
prisoner.—Adam’s brigade attacks and drives off the rallied
force of the Imperial guard.—Lord Uxbridge wounded; sir J. O.
Vandeleur commands the cavalry.—Sir Colin Campbell begs the Duke
not to remain under the heavy fire.—Adam’s brigade menaced by
cuirassiers.—His Grace with but one attendant.—Adam’s brigade
falls upon a broken column of the enemy.—Singular encounter
and act of bravery.—Repugnance to the shedding of human blood
unnecessarily.—Battery and prisoners captured.—Adam’s brigade
in the line of fire of a Prussian battery.—The 71st capture a
battery.—Prussian dispositions to attack Plancenoit and the French
right.—Operations of the allies during this period.—Plancenoit
the scene of a dreadful struggle.—Bravery of the young guard, who
save their eagle.—Humane conduct of their general Pelet.—Napoleon
in a square, much pressed.—Wellington and his advanced troops at
Rossomme, where the pursuit is relinquished by us, and continued by
the Prussians, who, busy in the work of death, press on and capture
sixty guns.—On returning towards Waterloo, the Duke meets Blücher,
who promises to keep the enemy moving.—His Grace is silent, sombre,
and dejected for the loss of his friends.—Bivac.—Observations.
The enemy’s troops engaged in the last attack retired in the greatest
confusion, which caused an unsteadiness and panic throughout the
remainder of the French army. By this, the Prussians were relieved
from the determined pressure previously made on them by the French
right _en potence_; and it soon became evident that they were gaining
ground. Zieten’s (first) corps had just joined the left of our line
by Ohain; Adam’s brigade was most vigorously pursuing the fugitives,
and Vivian’s hussars were rapidly advancing on the enemy’s reserve:
all these things combined, convinced the Duke that the favourable
moment for making a general attack, was arrived. Closing his
telescope with an air of triumph, he ordered the advance of the whole
line. This order was received by the eager remains of the army with
loud and tremendous cheers.
“Then, Wellington, thy piercing eye
The crisis caught of destiny.
The British host had stood
That morn, ’gainst charge of host and lance,
As their own ocean rocks hold stanch;
But when thy voice had said, Advance!
They were their ocean’s flood.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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