June 18. A French Column checked by rockets. 475 Allied Line, and came into action with rockets, near that Farm, leaving its two guns in the rear, under Lieutenant WRIGHT. Captain DANSEY very soon received a severe wound, which obliged him to retire; and the party, after firing a few rockets, fell back a little, to where its horses were standing. It was then commanded by a Serjeant (DANIEL DUNNETT), who, on perceiving the advance of the nearest French Column towards the Farm, dismounted his men as coolly and deliberately as if exercising on Woolwich Common, though without any Support whatever; laid rockets on the ground, and discharged them in succession into the mass-every one of them appearing to take effect. The advance of the Column was checked, and was not resumed until Sergeant DUNNETT, having expended all his rockets, retired with his party to rejoin the guns in rear. Major BARING's Detachment, after its extraordinary and successful exertions in repelling the previous assaults, was fearfully reduced in numbers; but its excellent spirit and conspicuous bravery remained unshaken. One circumstance, however, could not fail to render unavailing all their efforts, their courage, and their endurance. Notwithstanding Major BARING's urgently repeated applications for a supply of ammunition, his men were still left without the means of adequately defending their Post against the host of enemies by which they were successively assailed. They *Two different causes have been assigned for the non-compliance with Major BARING's requisitions for ammunition; namely, the interception of the communication between the Post and the main Line, and the difficulty in procuring rifle ammunition. The first appears scarcely tenable; for, although the communication was frequently cut off by the French, as they passed by the Farm when attacking the main position, it was as frequently open and available. This is sufficiently proved by the different reinforcements that 476 Baring's men reduced to 3 or 4 cartridges each. cheerfully repaired, as far as practicable, the gaps made in the walls by the French Artillery, and betrayed no despondency as they looked upon the sad and numerous proofs that lay around them of the immense sacrifices they had already made. But when, upon counting the cartridges, they discovered that they had not, upon an average, more than from three to four each, their consciousness of the desperate situation to which they were reduced, and of the impossibility of holding out under such circumstances, led to remonstrances, which their gallant Commander could not but admit to be reasonable. Yet no sooner did the latter, upon perceiving two French Columns again advancing towards the Farm, exhort them to renewed courage, and also to a careful economy of the ammunition, than he received the unanimous reply,-" No man will desert you,—we will fight and die with you!" The French, exasperated by the protracted resistance of this handful of brave defenders, now came on with redoubled fury. The open end of the great Barn was first assailed. Again they succeeded in setting the building on fire; but the Germans, having recourse to the same expedient as on the previous occasion, again contrived to were sent into the Farm: ammunition might have been escorted thither with equal facility; and yet BARING had made three distinct applications for a supply before the Nassau Detachment was added to his force. The difficulty of procuring rifle ammunition certainly appears a more probable cause; but, even in this case, it is impossible to overlook the circumstance that the Post in question was immediately in front of the Brigade to which its defenders belonged, and of which two out of the four Battalions composing it were armed with rifles. Since the above was written it has been communicated to me from Hanover, upon excellent authority, that the cause of Major BARING not having been supplied with ammunition arose from the circumstance, that there existed only one cart with rifle ammunition for the two Light Battalions of the King's German Legion; and that this cart was involved in the precipitate retreat of a great part of the baggage, &c., and thrown into a ditch. June 18 Baring a fourth time asks for ammunition. 477 extinguish the flames. BARING's anxiety and uneasiness increased with every shot that was fired by his men; and he again sent to the rear for ammunition, coupling his demand with a distinct report, that he must and would abandon the place should no supply be forthcoming. This message, however, proved equally ineffectual. The fire of the garrison was gradually diminishing: perplexity was depicted in every countenance: many of the men now called out urgently for ammunition,-" We will readily stand by you, but we must have the means of defending ourselves!" Even their Officers, who during the whole day had displayed the greatest courage, represented to their Commander the impossibility of retaining the Post under such circumstances. The French, who failed not to observe the distressing situation to which the defenders were reduced, now boldly broke in the door at that end of the long western building which is nearest to the entrance of the great Barn, already so frequently assailed. The passage from the door through the building into the Farm yard having been barricaded, but few of the Enemy could enter at a time. These were instantly bayoneted, and the rear hesitated to follow. They now climbed up the outer wall of the long building, and mounted the roof, from which they easily picked off the defenders; who, not possessing the means of retaliation, were completely at their mercy. At the same time, they pressed in through the open Barn, which it was impossible to defend any longer. BARING was now reduced to the painful necessity of abandoning the place, and gave the Order to retire through the Dwelling House into the Garden. Many of the men were overtaken in the narrow passage through the House by the victors, who vented their fury upon them in the lowest abuse and most brutal treatment. 478 Baring abandons La Haye Sainte. June 18. BARING having satisfied himself that the possession of the Dwelling House by the Enemy must render the Garden quite untenable; and finding that his Officers fully agreed with him on this point, he made the men retire, singly, to the main position. The greater part of them, accompanied by their brave but disconsolate Commander, descended into the high road by an opening in the bank adjoining the north-east angle of the Garden, and retired along the opposite side of the chaussée. BARING sent back to their respective Regiments the remains of the reinforcements he had received; and, with the few men that were left of his own Battalion, he attached himself to two Companies of the 1st Light Battalion of the King's German Legion, which were then posted in the hollow way close to the right of the high road. The surrender of La Haye Sainte, under the circumstances which have been described, was as purely honourable, as its defence against an overwhelming and furious host had been heroically brave. A thorough conviction that further resistance must have been marked by the sacrifice of the entire remnant of his courageous band at once suggested to the mind of a Commander like BARING, gifted with the requisite discernment and forethought of a true soldier, the reservation of such gallant spirits for some other part of the great contest; in which they might yet face their enemies, if not on equal terms, at least in a manner that would render their bravery and devotion not altogether unavailable in the general struggle for victory. Loud and reiterated shouts of triumph having announced to the French Emperor the capture of La Haye Sainte; he immediately ordered it to be followed up by a vigorous attack upon the Centre of the Anglo-Allied Line, and by a simultaneous renewal of the assault upon Hougomont. June 18. Napoleon orders a fresh attack on the Centre. 479 It was quite evident to NEY, that without an additional force of Infantry, it would be impossible for him to follow up, with effect, the advantage which he anticipated from the capture of La Haye Sainte. The Cavalry, which NAPOLEON had placed at his disposal, had been nearly annihilated in the course of its numerous attacks upon the Anglo-Allied Line, attacks executed throughout with the greatest gallantry, but unproductive of any solid or decisive result upon a single point of that Line. If this Arm, comprising the flower of the chivalric Cavalry of France, had failed him when it sallied forth, gaily exulting in the freshness of its vigour, proudly conscious of the imposing attitude of its masses, and unrestrainedly impatient for the onslaught which was to exalt still more its already high renown; how could he calculate upon its efficacy, now that it was comparatively paralyzed? The state to which his Infantry was reduced presented a prospect almost as cheerless. D'ERLON'S Corps, severely crippled by its signally unsuccessful attack upon the Anglo-Allied Left Wing and Centre, had still further exhausted its force by repeated assaults against La Haye Sainte, on its left; and, since the arrival of BÜLOW, it had been compelled to resort to active precautionary measures on its right. On the other hand, REILLE's Corps had suffered immense losses in its incessant, yet unavailing, efforts to gain possession of the important Post of Hougomont. But NEY, le plus brave des braves, in whose character resolution and perseverance were pre-eminent, was not to be deterred by this discouraging aspect, from fulfilling, to the best of his abilities, the task imposed upon him by his Imperial Master. There can be but little doubt that at the time he made his urgent demand upon the Emperor for a |