Waterloo Days: The narrative of an Englishwoman resident at Brussels in June 1815Eaton, Charlotte A. (Charlotte Anne)
History
Waterloo Days: The narrative of an Englishwoman resident at Brussels in June 1815
Eaton, Charlotte A. (Charlotte Anne)
Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
The celebrated order of Wellington to the Guards is perhaps, in its
popular form, not quite authentic. When towards the close of the battle
Ney, unhorsed, was leading the column of the Old Guard up the slope of
the British position, behind the crest of which the British infantry
was lying, Wellington said, "Up, Guards, and make ready!" they "sprang
to their feet within fifty yards of the astonished French, and poured
in a volley which struck the column like a bolt of iron ... and when
the Duke cried, 'Charge!' and the British Guards dashed forward with a
cheer, Ney's veterans broke and fled."--_Hooper_, p. 231. The approach
of cavalry caused the British to retreat to their position on the hill,
but in the meantime the second column of the French Guard had been
routed by a bold and skilful charge of the 52nd Regiment, followed up
by cavalry, whilst the Prussians were successfully pushing back the
right wing of the French. Then the English leader saw that his time,
at last, was come. To quote again Mr. Hooper's stirring description:
"On the ridge near the Guards, his figure standing out amidst the smoke
against the bright north-western sky, Wellington was seen to raise his
hat with a noble gesture, the signal for the wasted line of heroes to
sweep like a dark wave from their coveted position, and roll out their
lines and columns over the plain. With a pealing cheer, the whole line
advanced just as the sun was sinking, and the Duke, sternly glad, but
self-possessed, rode off into the thick of the fight, attended by only
one officer, almost the last of the splendid squadron which careered
around him in the morning."--P. 234.
E. (p. 149).
Though the meeting of Wellington and Blücher at La Belle Alliance has
been made the subject of a well-known picture, it is not founded on
fact. The actual meeting took place nearer Rossomme, some distance
further south on the Charleroi road, along which the routed army was
struggling. From this point the pursuit was left to Blücher's troops.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.
End of Project Gutenberg's Waterloo Days, by Charlotte Annie Waldie Eaton
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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