Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
Along the continuation of the ridge on the right of the great Charleroi
road, the Third Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Sir CHARLES
ALTEN, was disposed in the following order:--
The Second Brigade of the King's German Legion, commanded by Colonel
OMPTEDA, which formed the Left of the Division, consisted of the 1st
and 2nd Light Battalions (under Lieutenant Colonel VON DEM BUSSCHE, and
Major BARING), and of the 5th and 8th Line Battalions of the King's
German Legion (under Lieutenant Colonels LINSINGEN and SCHRÖDER).
The 1st Light Battalion was formed in Column of Companies at quarter
distance, Left in front. It stood a little in rear of the cross road
which unites the great Nivelles road with that of Charleroi, on which
last its Left Flank rested. To the right of this Column stood the
5th Line Battalion, formed in Column at quarter distance upon one of
its centre Companies. In rear of these two Columns, and fronting the
deploying interval between them, stood the 8th Line Battalion, in
Second Line, in Column of Companies, at quarter distance, upon one of
its centre Companies.
[Illustration]
[Illustration:
LA HAYE SAINTE]
The 2nd Light Battalion, under the command of Major BARING, occupied
the Farm of La Haye Sainte.
The buildings of this Farm are so disposed as to form three sides of a
square, the north side comprising the Farm House itself, with a portion
of the stabling; the west side the remainder of the stables and cow
houses; and the south side principally a large Barn: a brick wall,
extending along the great road, unites the north and south buildings,
and thus forms the fourth boundary of the large quadrangular farm yard.
On the south, or French, side of the Farm, and down in the valley,
which here separates the Allied and French positions, lies an Orchard,
about 240 yards long and 80 wide, having for its eastern boundary, the
great road, in direct prolongation of the wall which incloses the farm
yard on that side. This Orchard is inclosed within a hedgerow; as is
also a Kitchen Garden, on the north side of the Farm, excepting the
boundary of the latter along the road side, which is a continuation of
the eastern wall.
A large gate and a doorway, the former almost facing the east end of
the Barn, and the latter quite close to the east end of the dwelling
house, lead from the yard into the great road; another gate, at the
south end of the stabling which forms the western side, as also a large
door from the west end of the Great Barn, lead both into a small narrow
portion of the Orchard, whence there is an outlet into the open fields
on the right. From the front door of the dwelling house, which faces
the farm yard, there is a passage to the back or north side of the
house, whence a door opens into the Kitchen Garden.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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