The Emperor now sent word to Ney to commence the attack. D’Erlon’s four massive columns advanced, accompanied by Ney, who halted on the high-road where it cuts through the bank, before reaching La Haye-Sainte orchard. As soon as the columns reached the inner ridge, and were passing between their batteries, our guns opened upon them; they were scarcely down the slope so as to be under cover from their own guns, when their batteries of between seventy and eighty pieces, posted on their main and inner ridges, opened with a tremendous roar upon our lines, causing dreadful havock in Picton’s division and Byland’s brigade. The balls that went over fell with terrific effect amongst our cavalry in the rear. The flank columns which were detached to attack La Haye-Sainte, and Papelotte, La Haye and Smohain on our left, soon became engaged. The German rifles from the orchard of La Haye-Sainte opened first: then the Nassau on the left, with the light troops in advance of the columns, and soon the skirmish became general along the whole front of attack. Papelotte, la Haye and the orchard of La Haye-Sainte were carried. As the columns approached the rise of our position, they appeared _en échelons_ from their left. Byland’s brigade of the Netherlands was overpowered and gave way before the overwhelming force which advanced against it, but was rallied again in rear of the ridge, where it remained for the rest of the day. Some of this brigade, particularly the 5th militia, had behaved with great gallantry on the 16th, at Quatre-Bras. The flanking fires from La Haye-Sainte and the enclosures of Smohain induced the enemy’s flank columns to swerve away towards the centre, before they dropped off their supports: so much so, that their central columns had not sufficient space to deploy. The left column got a strong fire from the walls of La Haye-Sainte, which it had scarcely cleared, when our sand-hole rifles began; this at first staggered the column, but still it pressed on with deafening shouts of _Vive l’Empereur!_ and turned our sand-larks, who fell back behind the knoll, and from thence upon their battalion.