June 18. 407 The Marquis of Anglesey's dispositions. resolution was scarcely formed when he proceeded to carry it into instant execution. Riding up to Lord EDWARD SOMERSET, he ordered him to prepare to form Line, keeping the Blues in support: and galloping on to PONSONBY'S Brigade on the opposite side of the high road, he ordered that Officer to wheel into Line as soon as he saw the other Brigade do so, and to hold the Scots Greys in support. He then returned to the Household Brigade, and immediately put the whole in motion. As this was the first grand attack made by the French on that day in fair open Field, Lord UXBRIDGE felt very desirous, in meeting it, to establish, if possible, the superior prowess of the British Cavalry; and thus to inspire it with confidence, and cause it to be held in respect by its opponents. He, therefore, with a view to excite the courage and heighten the enthusiasm of his followers, led the advance in person, placing himself in front of the Left of SOMERSET's Brigade, so as to be at about the centre of the Line when the Brigades should unite, on the continuation of the advance, in front of the Allied position. Nobly and faithfully did these brave Dragoons fulfil his anxious expectations. For the purpose of ensuring efficient support to his Cavalry attacks, Lord UXBRIDGE had, before the commencement of the Battle, intimated to the Generals of Brigade that as he could not be present everywhere to give Orders, he expected they would always take upon themselves to conform to, and support, offensive movements in their front; and having on this occasion Light Cavalry Brigades on either Flank of the charging force, he felt in a great degree justified in placing himself in Front Line, particularly as he had assigned to each of the advancing Brigades its own immediate Support. 408 A Cavalry Leader should be in Second Line. June 18. Though greatly palliated by the adoption of these precautionary measures, this was perhaps not altogether a prudent act on the part of the Commander of the entire Cavalry of an Army; since, in the charge of an extended Line of Cavalry against an Enemy close at hand, the carrière once begun, the Leader becomes so completely identified and mixed up with that Line itself, that his virtual command is rapidly limited to that of a Squadron Officer; whereas, when accompanying a Second Line, he is enabled to draw off, or reinforce, as circumstances may render expedient. His eager desire, however, to render this first charge a brilliant affair, combined with his own chivalric nature, led him to assume the post of honour and of danger, in order to animate by his example as a bold and determined soldier. At the same time, he trusted to the dispositions he had already made, and to the alertness of his Brigadiers, for due support to his attack; but which, from fortuitous circumstances, as will be seen by the sequel, was not forthcoming at the moment it was most urgently required. The French Line of Cavalry, as it advanced, presented an imposing appearance. These veteran warriors bore with them an air of confident superiority and anticipated triumph, joined with a sort of gaieté de cœur, inspired no doubt by the reflection that they were about to encounter and overthrow their most implacable Enemies, the British. Their advance, like that of the Infantry on their right, had been to a certain extent triumphant; and, as the flight of the Dutch-Belgians had led that Infantry to imagine that victory was already within its grasp, so the dispersion of the Hanoverians was hailed by these Dragoons as a happy prelude to their grand attack. They had now ascended the brow of the ridge on which the Anglo-Allied June 18. The two Cavalry Lines crash together. 409 Infantry was posted, prepared for their reception: a vigorous fire was opened upon them by the four guns of Ross's British Horse Battery on the right of the high road, as also by LLOYD's British Foot Battery still further to the right; but a few seconds sufficed to restore the order of their advance in the next moment their trumpets sounded the charge; when, amidst shouts of "Vive l'Empereur!" this gallant Line, glittering in all the splendour reflected from burnished belmet and cuirass, rushed on to the attack. On the other hand, the British Household Brigade, presenting a beautiful Line, and animated by an equal degree of enthusiasm, had already been put into charging speed; and just as the Cuirassiers came close upon the Squares, and received a fire from their front faces, the two Lines dashed into each other with indescribable impetuosity. The shock was terrific. The British, in order to close as much as possible upon the Cuirassiers, whose swords were much longer, and whose bodies were encased in steel, whilst their own were without such defence, seemed for a moment striving to wedge themselves in between the horses of their infuriated antagonists. Swords gleamed high in air with the suddenness and rapidity of the lightning flash, now clashing violently together, and now clanging heavily upon resisting armour; whilst with the din of the battle shock were mingled the shouts and yells of the combatants. Riders vainly struggling for mastery quickly fell under the deadly thrust or the well delivered cut. Horses, plunging and rearing, staggered to the earth, or broke wildly from their ranks. But desperate and bloody as was the struggle, it was of brief duration. The physical superiority of the British, aided by transcendant valour, was speedily made manifest; and the Cuirassiers, 410 The Cuirassiers are driven over the ridge. June 18. notwithstanding their most gallant and resolute resistance, were driven down from off the ridge, which they had ascended only a few minutes before with all the pride and confidence of men accustomed and determined to over come every obstacle. This first collision at the charge did not occur, however, throughout the entire extent of the opposing Lines. SOMERSET'S Line was not parallel to that of the Cuirassiers, and as its Right was thrown somewhat forward, this came first in contact with the Enemy, and the collision, in consequence of the rapidity of the charge on both sides, followed in instantaneous succession in the direction of the Allied Left until intercepted in its further progress by a natural obstruction consisting of the hollow way through which the cross roads lead into the Charleroi road. The Cuirassiers on the right of the French Line were suddenly thrown out of their speed by coming unexpectedly on this hollow way, into which they consequently descended abruptly and confusedly; and as they began to urge their horses up the opposite bank, they beheld the 2nd British Life Guards, which formed the Left of SOMERSET's Brigade, in full speed towards them. All idea of resistance, in such a situation, was abandoned as hopeless. They immediately filed away down this hollow way to their right, and struck across the Charleroi road into the field in front of the 95th British Rifles; followed by the 2nd Life Guards, who were in equal disorder from having to pick their way as they best could down the steep banks adjoining the intersection of the two roads. These Cuirassiers, after having rushed in upon the French Infantry Skirmishers thickly and confusedly congregated in that quarter, reined in their steeds, and fronting their pursuers, engaged them individually in hand to hand combat. They were soon, however, made sensible of their June 18. Cavalry and Kempt's Brigade charging. 411 inferiority in this species of contest, and either submitted to the victors, or fled with precipitation; whilst at the same time, KEMPT's Brigade was charging gloriously down the exterior slope of the Allied position, and closing upon the Infantry with which these horsemen had become intermingled, in the manner previously described. No sooner did PONSONBY perceive the Household Cavalry in motion, than in pursuance of the Orders he had received, he led on his own Brigade; but not being sufficiently aware of the state of affairs on the opposite side of the Wavre road, and not wishing to launch his Line against the Enemy's masses until the favourable moment had arrived, he commanded a temporary halt, and rode up to the hedge in order that he might, by personal observation, ensure the correct timing of the charge. He was accompanied by Colonel MUTER, commanding the Inniskilling Dragoons; whom he desired to return and place himself in front of the Centre Squadron, and to order and conduct the movement, the moment he should observe him hold up his cocked hat as a signal. It is necessary to remark that the Scots Greys, who stood in support some short time previously to this advance, just where the Enemy's round shot, after passing over the ridge in front, descended in quick succession and occasioned some losses in their ranks, were ordered to some lower ground in left rear of the other two Regiments; which new position they had scarcely reached when the latter were advanced as above, and the Greys immediately conformed to this movement. During the advance of ALIX's French Division (the First), its rear Brigade, which consisted of the 54th and 55th Regiments, inclined to its right, moved out of the mass, and formed two Columns, of two Battalions each, in support, |