WAR HORSES.

During the Battle of Waterloo, some of the horses, as they lay on the ground, having recovered from the first agony of their wounds, fell to eating the grass about them, thus surrounding themselves with a circle of bare ground, the limited extent of which showed their weakness: others of these interesting animals, to whom man so strongly attaches himself, were observed quietly grazing in the middle of the field, between the two hostile lines, their riders having been shot off their backs, and the balls that flew over their heads, and the roaring behind and before, and about them, caused no respite of the usual instincts of their nature. When a charge of cavalry went past, near to any of the stray horses already mentioned, the trained animals would set off, form themselves in the rear of their mounted companions, and, though without riders, gallop strenuously along with the rest, not stopping, or flinching, when the fatal shock with the enemy took place. The wonderful exertion of these noble and generous animals, from the state of the ground, can be imagined, when it is stated, that so long as a month after the battle, the depth of the holes in which their feet had sunk, was in many places from twelve to eighteen inches, which was ascertained by a friend of the Editor's.

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General Maitland, with the First Regiment of Guards, was directed by the Duke of Wellington to drive the enemy from a strong position in a wood, being occupied by a very superior force. The General, conceiving he should find more difficulty in executing his orders by fighting than huzzaing them out, gave orders for the men's rapid advance, huzzaing with their caps hand. The enemy not understanding what all this could mean, were panic-struck, and left the English in possession of what his Grace thought of sufficient consequence to be forced. The gallantry and steadiness of this ruse de guerre does equal credit to the officer who suggested, and the intrepidity of the men who executed it.

Col. Colquitt, of the Guards, having taking refuge in a square, took up a shell that had just fallen within it, and with the utmost

sang-froid threw it over the men's heads, down a kind of bank; by which the effect of the explosion was saved.

Ruse de GuerRE.-A commanding officer of the Cuirassiers lowered his sword to General Halket. Several officers cried out, They surrender."-" Be firm and fire," was the instantaneous reply of the General, who immediately saw the trick. The volley sent the Colonel and his Cuirassiers, as usual, to the right about, with a laugh of derision from the men he had meant, first to deceive, and then to cut to pieces.

A Captain of the Light Infantry of the 1st regiment of Guards being shot near to a private of the name of William Napier, a native of Longtown, a French soldier rode up to the Captain with the intention of plundering him, when Napier interfering to save his officer's property, the Frenchman snapped his pistol at him, which missed fire, upon which Napier turning quickly round shot him. Napier then rifled the officer's pockets, and having possessed himself of his watch, money, and what other property he had about him, with the true spirit of a British soldier, went and delivered them up to the commanding officer; which good conduct did not fail making a due impression upon him.

The attack upon La Haye Sainte, whose entrance unfortunately lay in the very line of the enemy's guns, by which the supply of ammunition was prevented, began about noon by the enemy's battering the walls with artillery, also attacking several times with two massy columns, and with such gallantry, that they came directly against the garden wall, and laid hold of the rifles as they appeared through the apertures which had been made for the purpose: they were beat off several times; but a more determined and stronger assault succeeded, and at a moment when our cannon were not playing in the rear of this position, and at this time they were hardly heard to fire from a scarcity of ammunition. But nothing could surpass the steadiness of officers and men on this trying occasion. Among the many signal acts of heroism, we cannot omit to record Lieut. Moreau, of the 8th Battalion, King's German Legion, who with the greatest address and coolness, ad

vanced with the colours in order to animate the men to secure the passage of a small ravine, which the enemy were wishing to possess themselves of; he was, however, pierced with three shots, but we are happy to add that he recovered from his wounds.

The Duke of Wellington on some occasion, speaking of the Battle of Waterloo, dignified it by terming it a Battle of Giants, from the incessant and loud roar of the united artillery.

Col. Hon. F. C. Ponsonby, in gallantly heading the first charge of the 12th Dragoons, about 11 on the 18th, was disabled successively in both arms by sabre wounds. The reins dropped from one hand, and his sword from the other. While in this situation, he was knocked off his horse, by a violent blow on the head, which stunned him. He then lay for some time on the ground in a state of insensibility. On recovering his senses, he found himself with his face to the ground, literally biting the dust. Raising himself to look about him, he was observed by a French Lancer, who exclaimed: "Ah! brigand; tu n'es pas mort done!" and, thrusting his lance twice through his body, left him for dead. The weapon having passed through his lungs, he was immediately deprived of speech; so that, on two foreign soldiers coming in succession to plunder him, he could only make a faint noise, to prove that he was still alive. They, however, pursued their object, and took even his segars, and left him to his fate. A French Officer of Tirailleurs with his men halting where he lay, stooped down, and addressed him feelingly on the state of his wounds. The Col. expressing a wish in the best manner he could to be removed to the rear, said he could not then, but that he should soon be back, when he would assist him, as the Duke of Wellington was dead, and that six of the English battalions had surrendered. The Colonel complaining of thirst, he put a bottle of brandy to his mouth-to this act of humanity he attributes his strength to go through his sufferings. A Tirailleur, however, made abreastwork of his body, and fired over him several times, gaily speaking to him all the while. After some time, he said he would be very glad to find they (the French) were going to retreat. The advance

of the Prussian cavalry was distinctly heard and seen by the Colonel, but without the power of avoiding them, he was rode over by two squadrons in full trot, and found himself repeatedly tossed from the ground. In this state he remained, with seven severe wounds, and suffering great agony particularly from thirst, till late in the evening, when a private soldier of the 40th British regiment came up to him. By this time he had sufficiently recovered his voice to entreat the soldier to remain with him till the morning, being apprehensive that if he once left him he would not be able to find him out again in the dark. The man begged leave to look out for a sword: " And then, your honour," said he, "I'll engage the devil himself won't come near you." He soon picked up a French sabre, and then sat quietly down by the Colonel till day-light, when he went in search of some men of the 12th Dragoons, who hastened to carry their gallant Commander to a place of greater comfort and security.*

The helpless wounded on the left of the British line, have described the distant fire of the Prussians, with their every moment nearer approach, and then uniting, and increased with the general elash of the British and French artillery, as having the grandest, most sublime, and solemn effect; and beyond any adequate description, from the want of a parity of ideas.

DUKE OF WELLINGTON.+

On Thursday the 15th June, about five o'clock, the Prince of Orange arrived at Brussels, and was the first to inform the Duke of Wellington of the enemy's movement. At the moment of his Royal Highness's arrival, the Duke was sitting after dinner with Sir T. Picton and other officers. Upon the Duke's seeing the Prince ride into the court-yard, he rose, and went to give him the meeting; and, after a few minutes conversation, returned and finished his glass of wine, "observing that the French had now fired a shot." A short while after, General Muffling, the Prussian

The situation of this officer is made the subject of one of the sketches to illustrate this Work.

↑ Anecdotes and Traits of this illustrious Commander are here introduced, in continuation of those in Vol. I. of the Circumstantial Details.

General attached to the British Army, came into the room, with evident marks of having proceeded hastily, when a chair was reached, and he was placed next to his Grace, with whom he entered into close conversation, and delivered some official dispatches. The Duke occasionally addressed himself to Sir. T. Picton. The movements of the enemy created no surprise, all was quiet and regular, the decisive moment for action was not yet come.*

The second courier arrived from Blucher before 12 o'clock on the night of the 15th, and the dispatches were delivered to the Duke of Wellington in the Ball-room of the Duchess of Richmond. While he was reading them, he seemed to be completely absorbed by their contents; and after he had finished, for some minutes he remained in the same attitude of deep reflection, totally abstracted from every surrounding object, while his countenance was expressiveof fixed and intense thought. He was heard to say to himself— "Marshal Blucher thinks"-" It is Marshal Blucher's opinion,"and after remaining thus abstracted a few minutes, and having apparently formed his decision, he gave his usual clear and concise orders to one of his staff-officers, who instantly left the room, and was again as gay and animated as ever; he staid supper, and then went home.†

The English General having agreed to assist Prince Blucher to the utmost, commanded his army upon Nivelles and Quatre-Bras; but perceiving it could not obtain the point before four o'clock, repaired in person to the Field-Marshal, whom he found in the windmill between Ligny and Bry, just as the enemy developed his mode of attack.

The enemy's attention appearing to be entirely against Prince Blucher, the question was-how the Duke could most effectually support him. He offered to force what the enemy had opposed to him at Frasnes, and to march upon Gosselies. This movement, however decisive its result must have been, it was not likely that the Duke should be able to effect in the course of the day, and Prince Blucher, it was dreaded, might run the risk of being crushed by Buonaparte's whole force, before the flanking movement could

• This, it may be depended upon, was the first communication. Editor. This is also to be depended upon. Editor.