Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
But stay to witness the concluding part of the scene. Observe the
splendidly attired group entering upon the right, just above La Haye
Sainte. It is headed by one whom you cannot for a moment mistake--the
illustrious WELLINGTON. Lord UXBRIDGE, returning from his brilliant
charge, now joins the Duke, while the whole _Corps Diplomatique et
Militaire_ express in the strongest terms their admiration of the
grand military spectacle of which they have been spectators. Among
them are representatives of nearly all the continental nations, so
that this glorious triumph of your valiant countrymen may be said
to have been achieved in the face of congregated Europe. Honour,
imperishable honour, to every British soldier engaged in that never
to be forgotten fight! When Britain again puts forth her strength in
battle, may her Sovereign's Guards inherit the same heroic spirit
which animated those of GEORGE, Prince Regent, and inspire them with
the desire to maintain in all their pristine purity and freshness
the laurels transmitted to them from the Field of Waterloo; and
when the soldiers of the three United Kingdoms shall again be found
fighting side by side against the common Enemy, may they prove to
the world that they have not degenerated from the men of the "Union
Brigade,"[11] who by their heroic deeds on that great day, so
faithfully represented the military virtues of the British Empire!
[Illustration]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 10: The Dutch-Belgians having been posted in Line on the
exterior slope, where, from the circumstance of their having been
the only Troops of the Anglo-Allied Left Wing so distinctly visible
to the Enemy, they became exposed in an especial manner to the
destructive effects of the formidable array of French Batteries,
which continued playing over the heads of the attacking columns. The
losses of BYLANDT's Brigade on the 16th had already thinned, and in
a measure disorganised, its ranks; but those which it suffered on
this occasion were terrific, and the numerous gaps that so rapidly
presented themselves along the Line, as well as the number of superior
Officers that were observed to fall, could scarcely fail to produce a
prejudicial effect among these raw troops. Their confidence in their
own power of resistance had also been very considerably shaken, by the
circumstance of their having been deployed in a two-deep Line; instead
of having been allowed to assume the three-deep formation to which they
had previously been accustomed. In this affair, PERPONCHER had two
horses shot under him. BYLANDT was wounded, as were also Colonel VAN
ZUYLEN VAN NYEFELT, Lieutenant Colonel WESTENBERG who commanded the 5th
Battalion of Dutch Militia, and several other Officers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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