June 18. Anglo-Allied Second Line-Cavalry. 347 latter is intersected by the cross road leading to Braine l'Alleud but as soon as the first attack was made upon Hougomont (with which the Battle opened), it was advanced beyond this cross road, and stood, in Battalion Columns of Companies, at quarter distance, on the plateau; whence it overlooked the Nivelles road, and had a full view of that portion of the main Front Line to which the troops of CLINTON'S Division formed a Reserve. DU PLAT'S Brigade of the King's German Legion, consisting of the 1st Line Line Battalion (under Major ROBERTSON), of the 2nd (under Major MÜLLER), of the 3rd (under Lieutenant Colonel WISSELL), and of the 4th (under Major REH), stood in Open Column, near the foot of the slope descending towards the Nivelles road. HALKETT'S Brigade, consisting of the Landwehr Battalions Bremervörde (under Lieutenant Colonel VON DER SCHULENBURG), Salzgitter (under Major HAMMERSTEIN), Osnabrück (under Major Count MÜNSTER), and Quackenbrück (under Major VON DEM BUSSCHE HÜNEFELD), was posted in Contiguous Close Columns of Battalions, on the north side of the plateau, near the village of Merbe Braine. The Second general Line of the Anglo-Allied Army consisted entirely of Cavalry, British and German. Posted partly on the reverse slope of the main ridge, and partly in the hollows in rear, it was entirely screened from the Enemy's observation. The Brigades were formed, for the most part, by Regiments, in Close Columns of Squadrons, at deploying intervals. Commencing from the right, near to the Nivelles road, stood the Fifth Brigade, under Major General Sir COLQUHOUN GRANT, consisting of the 7th and 15th Hussars, and of the 13th Light Dragoons (under Colonel DOHERTY.) 348 Anglo-Allied Second Line-Cavalry. June 18 On the left of GRANT's Brigade was posted the Third Brigade under Major General Sir WILLIAM DÖRNBERG, consisting of the 23rd Light Dragoons, and of the 1st and 2nd Light Dragoons of the King's German Legion. The Cumberland Hanoverian Hussars (under Lieutenant Colonel HAKE) were attached to, and formed in rear of, this Brigade. They properly belonged to Colonel ESTORFF's Hanoverian Cavalry Brigade: as did also the Prince Regent's Hussars (under Lieutenant Colonel FERDINAND Count KIELMANSEGGE), and the Bremen and Verden Hussars (under Colonel AUGUST VON DEM BUSSCHE); which Regiments were detached with the force at Hal. Still more to the left, and in rear of the Right of ALTEN'S Division, stood the 3rd Hussars of the King's German Legion, under Colonel Sir FREDERICK VON ARENTSSCHILDT. Immediately on the right of the Charleroi road, and in rear of ALTEN's Division, the First or Household Brigade, under Major General Lord EDWARD SOMERSET, was drawn up. It comprised the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, the Royal Horse Guards (Blue), and the 1st Dragoon Guards. On the left of the Charleroi road, and in rear of PICTON'S Division, stood the Second Brigade, under Major General Sir WILLIAM PONSONBY; consisting of the 1st Dragoons (Royals), the 2nd Dragoons (Scots Greys), and the 6th Dragoons (Inniskillings). The Fourth and Sixth Brigades, under Major Generals Sir JOHN VANDELEUR and Sir HUSSEY VIVIAN, were posted upon the extreme Left of the main Line of the position, as previously explained. The Reserves consisted of the Dutch-Belgian Cavalry Division, under Lieutenant General Baron COLLAERT; of the Brunswick Corps, comprising both Cavalry and Infantry, June 18. Anglo-Allied Reserves. 349 the command of which, since the fall of the Duke, had devolved upon Colonel OLFERMANN; and of the Tenth British Brigade, under Major General Sir JOHN LAMBERT. The latter formed part of the Sixth Division, commanded by Lieutenant General the Hon. Sir LOWRY COLE; and had only just reached the Field, after having performed forced marches from Ghent. COLLARRT'S Division was stationed in rear of the Centre, and within the angle formed by the junction of the high roads leading from Charleroi and Nivelles. It comprised the First Brigade, commanded by Major General TRIP, and consisting of the 1st Dutch Carabiniers, the 2nd Belgian Carabiniers, and the 3rd Dutch Carabiniers; the Second Brigade, commanded by Major General GHIGNY, and consisting of the 4th Dutch Dragoons, and the 8th Belgian Hussars; and the Third Brigade, commanded by Major General VAN MERLEN, and consisting of the 5th Belgian Light Dragoons, and the 6th Dutch Hussars. The Brunswick Corps was posted between the northern portion of the Village of Merbe Braine and the Nivelles road, on which its Left rested; and comprised the following troops :-a Regiment of Hussars, a Squadron of Lancers, the Advanced Guard Battalion (which was at this time detached to the right of Merbe Braine); a Light Infantry Brigade, under Lieutenant Colonel BUTTLAR, consisting of the Guard Battalion, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Light Battalions; and an Infantry Brigade, under Lieutenant Colonel SPECHT, consisting of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Line Battalions. LAMBERT'S Brigade was posted near the Farm of Mont St Jean; and consisted of the 4th Regiment (under Lieutenant Colonel BROOKE), of the 27th Regiment (under Major HARE), and of the 40th Regiment (under Major HEYLAND). 350 Chasse's Division at Braine l'Alleud. June 18. In order to afford greater security to the Right Flank of the Anglo-Allied Army, and also to keep open the communication with the detached forces near Hal, and at Tubize, namely, the Corps of Prince FREDERICK of Orange, and the Sixth British and Sixth Hanoverian Brigades, under Lieutenant General Sir CHARLES COLVILLE; it was deemed essential to occupy the small town of Braine l'Alleud, about three quarters of a mile westward of Merbe Braine: and whence a road leads to Tubize, which is distant between eight and nine miles. With this view, the Third Division of the Netherlands, commanded by Lieutenant General Baron CHASSE, was placed under the orders of General Lord HILL; a part of whose Corps, as previously explained, formed the extreme Right of the Anglo-Allied position. The First Brigade, under Colonel DITMERS, Occupied the town itself. It consisted of the 35th Battalion of Belgian Light Infantry: the 2nd Battalion of the Dutch Line, and of the 4th, 6th 17th, and 19th Battalions of Dutch Militia. The 17th Battalion, detached a little to the left, kept up the communication with CLINTON's British Division. The Second Brigade, under Major General D'AUBREMÉ, occupied a good position about half a mile in advance of Braine l'Alleud, upon a height on which stood the Farm of Vieux Foriez. It was at a very early hour of the 18th, that Lieutenant Colonel TORRENS, Deputy Quartermaster General, reached Braine le Comte, and delivered to Sir CHARLES COLVILLE the Order (see page 285), for his falling back upon Hal. That General immediately put in motion his two Brigades. These consisted of the Sixth British Brigade, under Major General JOHNSTONE, and the Sixth Hanoverian Brigade, under Major General Sir JAMES LYON, accompanied by Major BROME'S June 18. Sir Charles Colville waits at Tubize. 351 British Foot Battery. The remaining Brigade (the Fourth British, under Colonel MITCHELL), as also the other Foot Battery, belonging to the Fourth Division (Captain RETTBERG'S Hanoverian), were on the Field of Waterloo. On reaching Tubize, COLVILLE fell in with the Advance of Prince FREDERICK'S Corps: and as that was the point of junction with the road leading by Braine le Château and Braine l'Alleud to the position in front of Waterloo; he halted there, and despatched Lieutenant Colonel WOODFORD, Assistant Quartermaster General to the Division, to report his proceedings to the Duke. His Grace expressed himself perfectly satisfied; and desired Lieutenant Colonel WOODFORD to remain upon the Field of Waterloo, in order that he might be prepared to return to Sir CHARLES COLVILLE with any instructions which circumstances might induce the Duke to transmit to him. The Artillery of the Anglo-Allied Army, commanded by Colonel Sir GEORGE WOOD, was distributed in the following manner : On the extreme Left was a British Horse Battery * of six guns, under Lieutenant Colonel Sir ROBERT GARDINER, with VIVIAN'S Hussar Brigade. Upon the exterior slope of the main ridge, and above the Hamlet of Papelotte, were four guns of Captain BYLEVELD'S Dutch-Belgian Horse Battery, attached to PERPONCHER'S Division. The remaining four guns of this Battery were on the crest of the main ridge, in rear of that Division. On the highest point of the position of the Left Wing, and in front of the Right of BEST's Hanoverian Brigade, was posted Captain * For the sake of uniformity, and to prevent misconception, I have adopted, throughout. this work, the terms "Horse Battery" and "Foot Battery," employed in all the Continental Armies, although in the British service the distinction is better known by the terms "Troop" and "Brigade." |