"General Pozzo di Borgo, General Baron Vincent, General Muffling, and General Alava, were in the field during the action, and rendered me every assistance in their power. Baron Vincent is wounded, but I hope not severely; and General Pozzo di Borgo received a contusion. 666 I should not do justice to my feelings, or to Marshal! Blücher and the Prussian army, if I did not attribute the suecessful result of this arduous day to the cordial and timely assistance received from them. "The operation of General Bulow upon the enemy's flank was a most decisive one; and, even if I had not found myself in a situation to make the attack which produced the final result, it would have forced the enemy to retire if his attacks should have failed, and would have prevented him from taking advantage of them if they should unfortunately have succeeded. "I send, with this dispatch, two eagles, taken by the troops in this action, which Major Percy will have the honour of laying at the feet of his Royal Highness. I beg leave to recommend him to your Lordship's protection. "I have the honour, &c. “WELLINGTON." "P.S.-Since writing the above, I have received a report that Major-general Sir W. Ponsonby is killed; and, in announcing this intelligence to your Lordship, I have to add the expression of my grief for the fate of an officer, who had already rendered very brilliant and important services, and who was an ornament to his profession. "2d P.S.-I have not yet got the returns of killed and wounded, but I inclose a list of officers killed and wounded on the two days, as far as the same can be made out without the returns; and I am very happy to add, that Colonel Delancy is not dead, and that strong hopes of his recovery are entertained.'” HANOVERIAN ACCOUNT. Extract from a Report of Lieutenant-general Charles Von Alten to His Royal Highness Field-marshal and Governor-general the Duke of Cambridge, dated Brussels, June 20th, 1815. (First published in this Work.) "ON the evening of the 15th the troops broke up from their cantonments, which were very widely separated. The Duke of Wellington concentrated the troops in the environs of Brussels, at Genappe. The Hereditary Prince of Orange, under whose command my division was, advanced to Quatre Bras, where the roads from Mons to Namur, and from Brussels to Charleroi, intersect each other. The French had divided their army and attacked the Prussians, the Duke of Wellington, and our corps, at one and the same time. The Hereditary Prince posted us between Quatre Bras and Sart à Maveline, in such a manner that the right wing occupied the former and the left the latter village. The troops marched up under a most violent cannonade from the enemy. A wood on the right of Quatre Bras was alternately taken on our part and by the French. The cannonade on both sides was extremely brisk. The enemy repeatedly attempted to force our left wing; I detached the field battalion of Lüneburg to drive him out of the village of Pierremont in our front. Lieutenant-colonel Klencke executed this commission with great intrepidity, took the village, and maintained it against the reiterated attacks of the enemy. Upon this the enemy's infantry advanced in several columns, against which I detached the field-battalions of Grubenhagen, Osnabrück, and Bremen. With the assistance of the artillery of the German Legion, under Captain Cleves, the troops repulsed the enemy. On the right wing the enemy's cavalry ventured to make several attacks, but the gallantry of the troops prevented it from breaking through them. On this occasion the battalion of the Landwehr of Lüneburg, under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Von Ramdohr, particularly distinguished itself. It suffered the enemy's cavalry to approach to the distance of thirty paces, and then received it with a volley, by which it was repulsed with great loss. We were so fortunate as to maintain our position; but, as the Prussian army on our left wing had sustained a considerable check, we were obliged to fall back, on the 17th, upon Genappe, in which movement my division formed the rear-guard. As the enemy appeared in the afternoon in very great force we retreated to Mont St. Jean, on the road to Brussels. Here the whole army of the Duke of Wellington had assembled, and it took a position on the heights in front of this village, so that the left wing was supported upon the village of Frichermont, and the right on the chaussée from Brussels to Nivelles. The chaussée from Genappe to Brussels intersected the centre of the army, which was formed by my division. I sent the second light battalion of the King's German Legion, under Major Baring, to occupy the farm-house of La Haye Sainte, situate just before the left wing of my division. A company of Hanoverian Yägers, and two light companies of the English Guards, were thrown into the farm-house of Hougomont and the small wood before it, in front of the right wing. "The infantry of the corps of his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange, to which my division belonged, was marched up in columns, en échiquier, the battalions being placed two and two beside one another, in such a manner that they might immediately deploy or form into squares. Between the columns there was a sufficient space for the passage of the cavalry and artillery stationed behind the squares. The corps of General Lord Hill was posted, in reserve, at Braine-la-Leud, and, at the same time, covered the chaussée from Nivelles to Brussels. Beyond this chaussée there was some cavalry, for the purpose of watching the motions of the enemy. "About one o'clock the enemy sent his tirailleurs upon the wood in front of our right wing, where a smart engagement ensued. This post was of great importance to us, as the enemy would have gained in its possession a height which would have endangered our right flank. He caused strong columns of infantry, supported by artillery, to advance successively upon this post, the maintenance of which was committed to the British Guards, who defended it with undaunted gallantry. "The battle became general upon the whole line. The enemy brought up against us a numerous artillery, under cover of which a column of several thousand men pushed on upon the chaussée of Genappe, but it was repulsed by the two light battalions and the 8th battalion of the line of the King's German Legion, and the field-battalion of Lüneburg. Behind this column the enemy's cavalry advanced, with such impetuosity as to overthrow the infantry acting en débandage, and to penetrate to the hill among the squares posted en échiquier. The troops remained immoveable till the English cavalry came up and repulsed the enemy; the squares most exposed on this occasion were commanded by Lieutenantcolonel Von Wurmb and Major Von Schkopp. Lieutenantcolonel Von Langrehr had already been brought wounded to the rear. The fire of the enemy's artillery now became brisker, and it was kept up on both sides with a vehemence such as few of the oldest soldiers had, perhaps, ever witnessed. The attacks of the enemy's infantry and cavalry were several times repeated, and in different quarters. Buonaparte was determined to break through the centre, and thus to open for himself the way to Brussels. column was repulsed by Colonel Von Ompteda, who put himself at the head of his battalion. Meanwhile the enemy kept advancing nearer, and continually bringing up fresh troops. His artillery played upon our squares at the distance of 150 paces. Not one of them gave way; the dead were pushed aside, and the ranks filled up again. Several went to meet the enemy's cavalry, and, by their heavy fire, compelled it to retreat. At length some of them, which were almost entirely cut in pieces, fell back; they retreated, however, in good order, and immediately advanced again when they were ordered. The Duke of Wellington was a constant eyewitness of their conduct. This hero was always at that point One where the danger was the greatest; and the Prince of Orange displayed a courage worthy of his illustrious ancestors. It was his corps against which the main force of the enemy, led on by Buonaparte in person, was directed. At this critical moment the Prussian general, Von Bülow, who had hastened to our assistance with 30,000 men, attacked the enemy in his flank. The victory was ours; the enemy fled in all directions, leaving behind the greatest part of his artillery. About 200 pieces of cannon and several eagles have been taken. The number of prisoners brought in cannot be accurately stated, but it amounts to many thousands. "These two days have, indeed, cost us much, and, with the deepest regret, I have to inform your Royal Highness that the greatest part of our most distinguished officers have fallen. Among these I reckon particularly Colonels Von Ompteda and Du Plat, and Lieutenant-colonels Von Wurmb and Von Langrehr. We have, to be sure, this consolation, that these men have covered their graves with glory, and that the Hanoverians have established their reputation for valour. As an eye-witness, indeed, I can only bear testimony concerning the field-battalions of Bremen, Lüneburg, Verden, Grubenhagen, and the Duke of York, belonging to my division, and affirm, that they have rendered themselves worthy of being recorded in the annals of our army; but a highly favourable report has also been made to me of some of the brigades of the Landwehr, which were in the engagement. Colonel Halkett bestows particular praise on the battalion of Osnabrück. Of our cavalry, the Duke of Cumberland's regiment only was present at the conflict, but was not advanced to the attack. It was for some time much exposed to the fire of the artillery, by which it sustained considerable loss. 66 Though every officer and soldier whom I had an opportunity of observing has done his duty, still I feel it incumbent upon me to make particular mention of some of them who pre-eminently signalised themselves on these arduous days, and I venture to hope that your Royal Highness, as you are so disposed to reward merit, will confer on them marks of your satisfaction and approbation, than which nothing is for them a more powerful stimulus. 66 Major-general Count Von Kielmansegge gave the most brilliant example of courage and intrepidity to his brigade, and constantly supported me with all his might. "The conduct of Lieutenant-colonels Von Klencke, Von Wurmb, and Von Langrehr; of Majors Von Schkopp, Von Bülow, and Von Stockhausen, deserves the highest praise. According to report received from Colonel Halkett, I think I may with justice recommend Major Count Münster also to your Royal Highness. He fought with the battalion of Osnabrück Landwehr against Napoleon's Guards, and overthrew them. "I am not less grateful to the officers of my staff, and especially to Colonel Von Berger, as chief of the état-major, who never quitted my side on the 16th and 18th, and who, by his counsel and exertions, rendered me the greatest service. The meritorious talents of this officer are known to your Royal Highness; and, severely wounded as I was, I should not have been able to retain the chief command of the Hanoverian troops had not Colonel Berger's contusion permitted him to perform its principal duties. "On Major Heise, of the King's German Legion, whom your Royal Highness assigned to me as Military Secretary, I must bestow the deserved encomium, that he evinced on these two days a zeal and activity which reflect upon him the highest honour. "Majors Kunze and Von Schlütter, who had no specific sphere of action, as I had only the command of the division, nevertheless seized every opportunity to afford me assistance, and, therefore, I cannot pass them by unnoticed in this report. "Lieutenant Count Von Kielmansegge was, likewise, very serviceable to me. It is, as yet, impossible for me to name all the officers who have distinguished themselves on these days, as I have not yet received the reports of the brigadiers. I shall collect them, however, and send your Royal Highness an extract, that you may be made acquainted with them all, if possible. Thus, too, the lists of dead, wounded, and missing, had not yet been completed, because the army put itself in motion again immediately. I hope to be able to transmit them in a few days. The names of the killed shall shortly follow. "I have still to remark to your Royal Highness, that the wound which I received at the conclusion of the engagement will not prevent me from retaining the command of the Hanoverians, if you shall be pleased to continue to entrust me with it under these circumstances. I hope in a few weeks to be completely recovered." The official lists of killed, wounded, and missing, of the Hanoverian brigades of Count Kielmansegge and Colonel Halkett, and the battery under Captain Braun, only, have yet been received, and are subjoined : 66 66 66 OFFICERS KILLED. Artillery.-Lieut. Von Schulze. 1st Infantry.-1st Bremen battalion, Lieut.-col. Von Langrehr. 1st Lüneburg batt., Capt. Von Bobart, Ensign Von Plato. Grubenhagen batt., Lieut.-col. Von Wurmb. Bremervörde batt. of Landwehr, Lieut. Löper, Ensign Von Holt. 2d batt. of the Duke of York's, Lieut. Uffel, Ensign Berghoff. 66 OFFICERS SEVERELY WOUNDED. "General Staff.-Lieut.-gen. Von Alten. |