The whole allied line was now advancing, flanked on the left by Prussian cavalry. The enemy showed little resistance to any part of it. As Hepburn issued from the orchard of Hougoumont into the open fields, the enemy went off, scarcely firing a single shot. Those in the wood made a little resistance, until they saw that all their army was in full flight. The cavalry on the French left went off in order, skirmishers out covering their retreat. Bachelu’s and Foy’s divisions moved off, on witnessing the defeat of the second column of the Imperial guard: on seeing this, the troops holding La Haye-Sainte abandoned it. Alix’s, occupying the sand-pit and knoll, gave way on the advance of Lambert; and Marcognet yielded and broke before the advance of Pack and Kempt. Durutte’s division broke before Zieten’s and the duke of Saxe-Weimar’s advance. De Lobau, on seeing the troops on his left giving way, together with the flight of the Imperial guard, followed by British troops whom he perceived in his rear, as well as the now vigorous attack of Bulow, and the probability of his being cut off from all retreat with his whole corps, rushed into the stream of fugitives, that had set in towards Rossomme and Genappe. During this time Plancenoit had been the scene of a most dreadful struggle: the French in the churchyard held out, and the Prussians, finding it of no avail to continue the attack in front, turned the village on both flanks, driving the Imperial guard before them; the latter, finding that they should be cut off from all retreat, fell into disorder, and mixed with the general mass of fugitives, who were flying in all directions towards Rossomme and La Maison-du-Roi, followed by the Prussians, who made a dash at the eagle of the Imperial guard. General Pelet called out, “_A moi, chasseurs! sauvons l’aigle, ou mourons autour d’elle!_” (“Rally round me, chasseurs! let us save the eagle, or die protecting it!”) Upon this they formed square, and saved the eagle and the honour of the regiment[76]. About nine o’clock, Napoleon threw himself, with a few of his staff, into a square of the 2d chasseurs of the old guard, that had been under Cambronne; but upon the approach of our cavalry he galloped away. Wellington, with our advance brigades, reached the farm of Rossomme, between which and La Belle-Alliance some Prussian cavalry and our 18th exchanged blows, and some lives were lost. The 11th light dragoons and 1st German hussars were also nearly coming in contact with each other, owing to the dimness of the twilight. An arrangement had been previously made by Wellington and Blücher, that the allied army should halt here, and that the Prussians should pursue and harass the routed enemy. The Duke was now, with all his advance, a little beyond Rossomme, upon a particular knoll with a gap where the Charleroi road cuts through it, which can be distinctly seen from most parts of the right of the allied position.