Sergeant Graham, some time after this, asked permission to fall out for a few minutes: a request which surprised colonel Macdonell, and induced him to inquire the motive. Graham replied, that his brother was lying in the buildings wounded, and, as the flames were then fast extending, he wished to remove him to a place of safety. The request was granted, and Graham, having rescued his brother from the fate which menaced him, speedily returned to his post. Graham died an inmate of the Royal hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin, in 1845. The French on our left of Hougoumont, pressed on, and turned lord Saltoun’s troops on their left, driving them across the orchard to the friendly hollow-way; but upon the enemy following through the south hedge, all within musket range received, from the Coldstreams stationed inside the east garden wall, such a severe fire upon their left flank, as staggered and brought them up. Upon which lord Saltoun, who had been reinforced upon his left by some of the 3d guards from the main line, advanced, drove the enemy before him, and again occupied the front hedge; than which there was not a more secure position on the field, as long as the enemy did not outflank it: but this the French frequently attempted to do by attacking, from the open field beyond the east hedge of the enclosure, Saltoun’s left, posted at the south-east angle of the orchard. The enemy now occupied the wood and open fields on both flanks. Outside the left enclosures there was cavalry-skirmishing. About this time small bodies of cavalry, supposed to be Prussians, were observed on the heights on our left, near St.-Lambert. [Illustration: (Marshall Ney)] In consequence of the determined resistance the enemy met with at our advanced post of Hougoumont, which proved a regular stumbling-block to Napoleon, he resolved upon attacking the left of our main line[31]. Marshal Ney had been making preparations for so doing, by pushing forward part of his artillery to the intermediate ridge of their right wing, placing his guns so that their range was not beyond half a mile; they were to cover, as is usual, the advance of their columns of attack, formed of the whole of d’Erlon’s corps, supported by part of Reille’s.