Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
The Village of Smohain, as also the Farms of La Haye and Papelotte,
with adjacent houses and inclosures, were occupied by a portion
of the Second Brigade of PERPONCHER's Division of the troops of
the Netherlands. The Regiment of Orange Nassau, consisting of two
Battalions, held Smohain and La Haye: while the Farm of Papelotte was
occupied by the Light Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment
of Nassau, which, together with the 2nd Battalion of this Regiment,
and four guns of Captain BYLEVELD's Dutch-Belgian Battery of Horse
Artillery, were posted upon the exterior slope, immediately under
the brow of the main ridge, and a little to the westward of the lane
leading directly up the slope from the Farm of Papelotte.
The Advanced Posts of these troops were at the foot, and their Line of
Sentries extended along the brow, of the opposite slope of the valley;
this Line receded towards the western limit of the Hamlet of Papelotte,
where it joined the general Line of Picquets along the bottom of the
exterior slope of the position of the Anglo-Allied Left Wing.
On the right of VIVIAN's Brigade, and having its own Right resting upon
a narrow lane, forming a slight hollow way, lined with hedges, stood
VANDELEUR's Brigade of Light Cavalry, consisting of the 11th, 12th, and
16th British Light Dragoons, in Columns of Squadrons, by Regiments,
Left in front. The lane on which its Right rested descending the
interior slope of the position, joined the other lane which led from
VIVIAN's Right to Verd Cocou.
* * * * *
The extreme Left of the Infantry of the main Line of the position was
formed by the Fifth Hanoverian Brigade, under Colonel VINCKE, belonging
to PICTON's Division. It was formed in Columns of Battalions, those of
Hameln and Hildesheim (under Majors STRUBE and RHEDEN) in First, and
those of Peine and Gifhorn (under Major Count LUDOLPH VON WESTPHALEN,
and Major HAMMERSTEIN) in Second, Line; and was posted somewhat under
the crest of the ridge, upon the reverse slope, and in rear of the
junction of a lane leading up from Papelotte, with the Wavre road.
On the immediate right of VINCKE's Brigade, and having its own Right
upon the Knoll which presents the highest and most commanding point
along the position of the Left Wing of the Anglo-Allied Army, the
Fourth Hanoverian Brigade, under Colonel BEST, was drawn up. It formed
part of the Sixth Division, and was composed of the Landwehr Battalions
of Lüneburg, Verden, and Osterode, which were deployed in Front Line;
and of Münden, which was in reserve. A Battery of Hanoverian Foot
Artillery, under Captain RETTBERG, was attached to this Brigade, and,
from the peculiarly favourable circumstances of the ground, which
formed a sort of natural fieldwork, was most advantageously placed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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