On the right of the position, and a little in advance, was a country-house, the importance of which Lord Wellington quickly perceived, because, the position could not be attacked on that side without carrying it, and it might therefore be considered as its key.

The Duke confided this important point to three companies of the English Guards, under the command of Lord Saltoun, and laboured during the night of the 17th in fortifying it as well as possible, covering its garden, and a wood which served as its park, with Nassau troops, as sharp

shooters.

At half-past ten, a movement was observed in the enemy's line, and many officers were seen coming from and going to a particular point, where there was a very considerable corps of infantry, which we afterwards understood to be the 1mperial Guard; here was Bonaparte in person, and from this point issued all the orders. In the mean time, the enemy's masses were forming, and every thing announced the approaching combat, which began at half-past eleven, the enemy attacking desperately with one of his corps, and with his usual shouts, the country-house on the right.

The Nassau troops found it necessary to abandon their post; but the enemy met such resistance in the house, that, though they surrounded it on three sides, and attacked it with the utmost bravery, they were compelled to desist from their enterprise, leaving a great number of killed and wounded. Lord Wellington sent fresh English troops, who recovered the wood and garden, and the combat ceased for the present on this side.

The enemy then opened a horrible fire of artillery from more than two hundred pieces, under cover of which Buonaparte made a general attack from the centre to the right, with infantry and cavalry in such numbers that it required

all the skill of his Lordship to post his troops, and all the good qualities of the latter to resist the attack.

General Picton, who was with his division on the road from Brussels to Charleroi, advanced with the bayonet to receive them; but was unfortunately killed at the moment when the enemy, appalled by the attitude of this division, fired, and then fled.

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The English Life Guards then charged with the greatest bravery, and the 49th and 105th French regiments lost their respective eagles in this charge, together with two or three thousand prisoners. A column of cavalry, at whose head were the Cuirassiers, advanced to charge the Life Guards, and thus save their infantry, but the Guards received them with the utmost valour, and the most sanguinary cavalry fight that ever was witnessed now took place.

The French Cuirassiers were completely beaten, in spite of their cuirasses, by troops who had no defence of the kind, and they lost one of their eagles in this conflict, which was taken by the heavy English cavalry called the Royals.

Intelligence now arrived that the Prussian corps of Bulow had reached St. Lambert, and that Prince Blücher, with another corps under the command of General Thielman (Ziethen), was advancing with all haste to take part in the combat, leaving the other two in Wavre, which had suffered much in the battle of the 16th at Fleurus. The arrival of these troops was absolutely necessary in consequence of the forces of the enemy being now more than triple ours, and our loss having been horrid during an unequal combat, from half past eleven in the morning till five in the afternoon.

Buonaparte, who did not believe them to be so near, and who reckoned upon destroying Lord Wellington before their 2 F

VOL. II.

arrival, perceived that he had fruitlessly lost more than five hours, and that in the critical position in which he would soon be placed, there remained no other resource but that of desperately attacking the weak part of the English position, and thus, if possible, beat the Duke before his own right was turned and attacked by the Prussians.

Henceforward therefore the whole was a repetition of attacks by cavalry and infantry, supported by more than three hundred pieces of artillery, which made horrible ravages in our line, and killed and wounded numerous officers, artillerists, and horses, in the weakest part of the position.

The enemy, aware of this destruction, made a charge with the whole cavalry of his guard, which took some pieces of cannon that could not be withdrawn; but the Duke, who was at this point, charged them with three battalions of English and three of Brunswickers, and compelled them in a moment to abandon the artillery, though we were unable to withdraw them for want of horses; nor did they dare to advance to recover them.

At last, about seven in the evening, Buonaparte made a last effort, and putting himself at the head of his guards, attacked the above point of the English position with such vigour, that he drove back the Brunswickers who occupied part of it; and, for a moment, the victory was undecided, and even more than doubtful.

The Duke, who felt that the moment was most critical, spoke to the Brunswick troops with that ascendancy which a great general possesses, made them return to the charge, and putting himself at their head, again restored the combat, exposing himself to every kind of personal danger.

* Fortunately at this moment he perceived the fire of Marshal Blucher, who was attacking the enemy's right with his usual impetuosity; and the moment of decisive attack being come,

the Duke put himself at the head of the English foot guards, spoke a few words to them, which were answered by ‘a general hurrah, and his Grace himself leading them on with his hat, they eagerly rushed forward to come to close action with the Imperial guard. But the latter began a retreat, which was soon converted into absolute flight, and the most complete rout ever witnessed by military men. Entire columns, throwing down their arms and cartouch-boxes, that they might escape the better, fled in the utmost disorder from the field and abandoned to us nearly one hundred and fifty pieces of cannon. The rout at Vittoria was not comparable to this, and it only resembles it, inasmuch as on both occasions, the French lost all the train of artillery and stores of the army, as well as all the baggage.

The Duke followed the enemy as far as Genappe, where he found the illustrious Blucher, and both embraced in the most cordial manner, on the principal road to Charleroi ; but finding himself in the same position with the Prussians, and that his army stood in need of rest after so dreadful a struggle, he left to Blucher the charge of following up the enemy, who promised that he would not leave them a moment of rest. He is now pursuing them, and yesterday at noon he had reached Charleroi, whence he intended to proceed at night and continue the chase.

This is the substance of what took place on this memorable day; but the consequences of the affair are too evident for me to detain you in stating them.

Buonaparte, now tottering on his usurped throne, without money and without troops to recruit his armies, has received a mortal blow, and, according to the language of the prisoners, no other resource is left him, than to cut his own throat.'

It is said that he had never been known to expose

his person so much, and that he seemed to seek death, that he might not survive a defeat fraught with such fatal consequences.

I informed your Excellency, under date of the 16th, that his manoeuvre appeared to me extremely daring in the face of such generals as Blucher and the Duke. The event has fully justified my prediction. For this reason, I conceive, that his executing it has arisen merely from despair, at the appearance of the innumerable troops who were about to attack him on every side, and in order to strike one of his customary blows before the Russians and Austrians came up.

His military reputation is lost for ever; and, on this occaslon, there is no treason on the part of the Allies, nor bridges blown up before their time, on which to throw the blame : all the shame will fall upon himself.

Numerical superiority, superiority of artillery, all was in his favour; and his having commenced the attack, proves that he had sufficient means to execute it. gi

In short, this talisman, whose charm had so long operated on the French military, has been completely dashed to pieces. Buonaparte has for ever lost the reputation of being invincible; and henceforward this character will belong to an honourable man, who, far from employing this glorious title in dis turbing and enslaving Europe, will convert it into an instru ment of her felicity, and in procuring for her that peace which ✨ she so much requires....

The loss of the British is dreadful, and of the wholes military staff the Duke and myself alone remained untouched in our persons and horses.

The Duke of Brunswick was killed on the 16th, and the Prince of Orange and his cousin, the Prince of Nassau, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, received two balls. The Prince of Orange distinguished himself extremely; buf,