Meanwhile the enemy’s attack upon La Haye-Sainte had been continued; they had, as related, dislodged the German riflemen from the orchard and garden, although a most determined resistance had been made by major Baring. During the advance of d’Erlon’s columns, the Duke observed the dreadful havock made by the enemy’s batteries in his front troops posted between the two high-roads, and ordered them to retire behind the crest of the ridge for shelter. This movement was mistaken by Napoleon for one of retreat, and he immediately launched forward Kellermann’s cuirassiers and carabineers to pick up our guns and stragglers, and press our rear. Shortly before this, his Grace advanced a reinforcement to La Haye-Sainte, having observed that the enemy was about to make another attack. Upon the arrival of this reinforcement, Baring tried to recover the orchard, as well as the little garden on our side of the farm, which had fallen into the hands of the French. The Germans were advancing, when they observed some cuirassiers moving forward. Lord Edward Somerset, whose brigade was now in line immediately in rear of this part of the position, had placed two officers on the ridge, to give a signal of the enemy’s advance, in order to time his charge. Upon the cuirassiers approaching the line of skirmishers in front of our right of the farm, these latter ran in upon Baring’s troops, who were near the orchard, and threw them into confusion. They took to flight, but were overtaken, ridden down and sabred. While the cuirassiers were ascending the ridge, our artillery opened with grape and case-shot, which laid many low, and disordered their ranks: they however pressed forward most gallantly. Somerset’s line was now coming over the ridge, led by Uxbridge, and, at the moment our front squares fired into the cuirassiers, the two cavalries dashed into each other: the shock was terrific; the swords clashing upon the casques and cuirasses so that, as lord Edward Somerset humorously observed to me when he visited the field in June 1842, “You might have fancied that it was so many tinkers at work.” But it was of short duration. The British household cavalry soon cleared the ridge of the cuirassiers, although these made a most gallant resistance: they fled down the slope on both sides of La Haye-Sainte, closely followed by the brigade; those on the allied left of the farm, by the 2d life-guards. It was in following up this charge, that part of this brigade mixed with Ponsonby’s broken dragoons on the French position, and fell upon and sabred some of the enemy’s infantry who had been assaulting La Haye-Sainte. Part of the 1st life-guards pursued some cuirassiers, till both became wedged in between the two high banks of the Genappe road, beyond the orchard of La Haye-Sainte. Some of Reille’s troops, who had advanced in support of d’Erlon’s attack, fired down from these banks upon our life-guards, who had to get back to our line as well as they could.