tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88253534578093357912024-03-13T22:21:08.410-07:00Views of WaterlooAn e-guide to the fieldAndrew Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17830101661706716546noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825353457809335791.post-88237086422850493312011-08-27T14:16:00.001-07:002011-08-27T14:16:29.261-07:00Besides the crossroads - the KGL 5th Line and 8th Line<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">As you walk away from the Lion Mound towards the main road, stay on the right of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The end of the modern buildings by the mound (none of which existed in 1815) marks the limits of the ground held by Kielmansegge’s Hannoverians and from here to the crossroads ahead of you the ground occupied by another German brigade, the 2<sup>nd</sup> King’s German Legion commanded by Baron Ompteda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About halfway between the buildings and the modern road would have stood the red-coated infantry of two of his four battalions, first (as you approach) the 5<sup>th</sup> Line and then the 8<sup>th</sup> Line.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The Grenadier Company of the 5<sup>th</sup> Line had been sent to La Haie Sainte on the 17<sup>th</sup> and the Light Company followed on the 18<sup>th</sup>, so the battalion was only 256 strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 8<sup>th</sup> was the larger battalion with 489 men.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Initially, the 8<sup>th</sup> Line was held behind the crest of the ridge where they had a fairly quiet time of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fall of La Haie Sainte ended the relative quiet of this sector of the front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the French infantry advanced, the 8<sup>th</sup> formed into line to clear them from the position they had taken 40 paces in front (presumably very close to the road on which you are standing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The French retreated from the Germans but the cuirassiers attacked the right flank of the 8<sup>th</sup> Line, catching them in line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ensign holding one of the battalion’s flags, the colours, was shot three times and the man he passed the flag to, a sergeant, had his hand nearly cut off by a French sword-stroke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The colours were lost (and only returned several days later by an Allied cavalry soldier). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Order was restored thanks in part to a counter-attack by the survivors of the British heavy cavalry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They reformed but Christopher Bartram a lieutenant, noticed they only had enough men to form in 2 ranks rather than the usual 4.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Thirty minutes later, the situation was becoming desperate as the French advanced artillery and infantry past La Haie Sainte.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Prince of Orange, or at least one of his staff officers, ordered Ompteda, the brigade commander to retake the farm with 5<sup>th</sup> Line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a desperate order: 250 Germans were attacking the farm that ten times as many French had taken hours to capture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were also advancing over open ground into the smoke with the risk of cuirassiers, who had already ridden over the Luneberg Field Battalion and part of the 8<sup>th</sup> Line, possibly in the sight of the soldiers of the 5<sup>th</sup> Line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ompteda put himself at the head of the attack and the troops hurried forward, but the cuirassiers had their third success of the day and caught them in the open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time there were no heavy cavalry to come to the rescue of the KGL, only a regiment of their hussars (from whom we shall hear shortly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The battalion was either cut down by French swords or scattered.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Back behind the roads, the survivors of the 5<sup>th</sup> and 8<sup>th</sup> formed squares but the French were able to advance their guns considerably, and Brinckmann tells us the Allied artillery had fallen silent and the gunners had taken cover from the cavalry and could not return to man the cannons as the battle reached its climax.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">We have an excellent eyewitness account of the 5<sup>th</sup> Line’s experiences from Lieutenant Edmund Wheatley, an Englishman serving in the Legion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start by facing south past La Haie Sainte to the rising ground beyond around La Belle Alliance, then imagine the cool, damp morning in June 1815:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">“… on the opposite heights we could perceive large dark moving masses of something impossible to distinguish individually. Where the edge of the ground bound the horizon, shoals of these gloomy bodies glided down, disjointing then contracting, like fields of animated clods sweeping over the plains, like melted lava from a Volcano, boding ruin and destruction to whatever dared impede its course. It had a fairy look and border’d on the supernatural in appearance. While gazing with all my utmost stretch of vision on the scene, little Gerson struck me on the shoulder saying, ‘That’s a battle, my boy! That’s something like a preparation! You’d better have stopped with Notting at <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Brussels</city></place>. I must be off to the Hospital and hope to see you there.’</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">We shook hands and I walked up and down for some time and felt very uneasy that I had left no letter of remembrance behind me.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I fancied the occupation of all at home. It was about six <a href="" style="mso-comment-date: 20110820T1014; mso-comment-reference: A_1;">o’clock</a><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_msocom_1" id="_anchor_1" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_1" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_1')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_1','_com_1')">[A1]</a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> </span></span></span>. …</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">On the opposite ascent stand hundreds of young men like myself whose feelings are probably more acute, whose principles are more upright, whose acquaintance would delight and conversation improve me, yet with all my soul I wished them dead as the earth they tramped on and anticipated their total annihilation. ‘Tis inconceptible how one’s ideas should be diametrically reversed from what is equitable and correct. When I looked at my own comrades I could not conceive why my animosity was diverted from them in preference to the French who are, by far, more commendable characters than these heavy, selfish Germans.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Here stood a swell-faced, ignorant booby, raw from <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">England</country-region></place>, staring with haggard and pallid cheek on the swarms of foes over against him. One could perceive the torture of his feelings by the hectic quivering of his muscles, as if fear and cold were contending for the natural colour of the cheek. And this man is one of the mighty warriors shortly to deal out thunder and confusion to the opposers of the British constitution.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Close behind him stalked a dark, swarthy weather-beaten man whose arm had aided in expelling the opposite nation from the Tagus to the <place w:st="on">Garonne</place>. Frequent flashes from the pan had died his brows with a never-failing black. The horrid preparations before him gave no surprise to his soul. The scene afforded no novelty to his eye. Yet a side glance on turning at his walk’s end bespoke the uppermost thoughts in his mind, [for] the oldest veteran must have been struck by the solemnity of the scene.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">About ten o’clock, the order came to clean out the muskets and fresh load them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Half an allowance of rum was then issued, and we descended into the plain, and took our position in solid Squares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When this was arranged as per order, we were ordered to remain in our position but, if we like, to lay down, which the battalion did</span> [as well as] the officers in the rere.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I took this opportunity of surveying our situation. It was singular to perceive the <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">shoals of cavalry and artillery</span> suddenly in our rere all arranged in excellent order <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">as if by a magic wand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole of the horse guards stood behind us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my part I thought they were at Knightsbridge barracks or prancing on St James’s Street.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">A Ball whizzed up in the air. Up we started simultaneously. I looked at my watch. It was just eleven o’clock Sunday (Eliza just in church at <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Wallingford</place></city> or at Abington) morning. In five minutes a stunning noise took place and a shocking havock commenced.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">One could almost feel the undulation of the air from the multitude of cannon shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first man who fell was five files on my left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the utmost distortion of feature he lay on his side and shrivelling up every muscle of body he twirled his elbow round and round in acute agony, then dropped lifeless</span> dying, as it’s called a death of glory, heaving his last breath on the field of fame. Dieu m’engarde!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">A black consolidated body was soon seen approaching and we distinguished by sudden flashes of light from the sun’s rays, the iron-cased cavalry of the enemy. Shouts of ‘Stand firm!’ ‘Stand fast!’ were heard from the little squares around and very quickly these gigantic fellows were upon us.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">No words can convey the sensation we felt on seeing these heavy-armed bodies advancing at full gallop against us, flourishing their sabres in the air, striking their armour with the handles, the sun gleaming on the steel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The long horse hair, dishevelled by the wind, bore an appearance confounding the senses to an astonishing disorder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we dashed them back as coolly as the sturdy rock repels the ocean’s foam.</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The sharp-toothed bayonet bit many an adventurous fool, and on all sides we presented our bristly points like the peevish porcupines assailed by clamorous dogs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The horse Guards then came up and drove them back; and although the sight is shocking ‘tis beautiful to see the Skirmish of cavalry.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The French made repeated attacks of this kind. But we stood firm as the ground we stood on, and two long hours were employed in these successive attacks.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">About two o’clock the cavalry ceased annoying and the warfare took a new turn. In order to destroy our squares the enemy filled the air with shells, howitzers and bombs, so that every five or six minutes the whole Battalion lay on its face then sprang up again when the danger was over.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The Prince of Orange gallop’d by, screaming out like a new born infant, ‘Form into line! Form into line!’ and we obeyed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">About this time the battle grew faint and a mutual cannonade with musketry amused us for one and a half hours, during which time I walked up and down chatting and joking with the young officers who had not then smelt powder.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">An ammunition cart blew up near us, smashing men and <a href="" style="mso-comment-date: 20110827T2047; mso-comment-reference: A_2;">horses</a></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_msocom_2" id="_anchor_2" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_2" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')">[A2]</a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took a calm survey of the field around and felt shocked at the sight of broken armour, lifeless bodies, murdered horses, shattered wheels, caps, helmets, swords, muskets, pistols, still and silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here and there a frightened horse would rush across the plain trampling on the dying and the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three or four poor wounded animals standing on three legs, the other dangling before [them].<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We killed several of these unfortunate beasts and it would have been an equal Charity to have perform’d the same operation on the wriggling, feverish, mortally lacerated soldiers as they rolled on the ground.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">About four o’clock the battle was renewed with uncommon ardour. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">We still stood in line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The carnage was frightful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The balls which missed us mowed down the Dutch behind us, and swept away many of the closely embattled cavalry behind them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I saw a cannon ball take away a colonel of the <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Nassau</place></city> regiment so cleanly that the horse never moved from under him.</span> While [I was] busy in keeping the men firm in their ranks, closing up the vacuities as the balls swept off the men, inspecting the fallen to detect deception [or] subterfuge, a regiment of Cuirassiers darted like a thunderbolt amongst us. At the instant a squadron of horse Guards dashed up to our rescue. In the confusion of the moment I made for the Colors to defend them. And we succeeded with infinite difficulty in rallying the men again.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I parried with great good fortune a back stroke from a horseman as he flew by me and Captain [Frederick] Sander had a deep slice from the same fellow on the head the instant after.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The battalion once more formed into a solid square, in which we remained the afternoon.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I felt the ardour of the fight increase very much within me, from the uncommon fury of the engagement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Just then I fired a slain soldier’s musket until my shoulder was nearly jellied and my mouth was begrimed with gunpowder to such a degree that I champed the gritty composition unknowingly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Nothing could equal the splendour and terror of the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charge after charge succeeded in constant succession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clashing of swords, the clattering of musketry, the hissing of balls, and shouts and clamours produced a sound, jarring and confounding the senses, as if hell and the Devil were in evil contention.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">About this time I saw the Duke of Wellington running from a charge of Cavalry towards the Horse-Guards, waving his hat to beckon them towards the encounter.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">All the artillery in our front fell into the French power, the bombardiers skulking under the carriages. But five minutes put them again into our hands and the men creeping out applied the match and sent confusion and dismay into the retreating enemy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Several times were these charges renewed and as often defeated. Charge met charge and all was pell-mell. The rays of the sun glittered on the clashing swords as the two opposing bodies closed in fearful combat and our balls clattered on the shining breastplates like a hail shower.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">As I stood in square I looked down, I recollect, to take a pinch of snuff and thought of the old ballad, which I had seen somewhere, of the aged Nurse who describes the glorious battles of <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Marlborough</city></place> to the child. After each relation of valour and victory, the infant [says]</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">‘Ten thousand slain you say and more?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">What did they kill each other for?’</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">‘Indeed I cannot tell,’ said she,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">‘But ‘twas a famous victory.’</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The field was now thickened with heaps of bodies and shattered instruments. Carcasses of men and beasts lay promiscuously entwined. Aid-de-Camps scoured across with inconceivable velocity. All was hurry and indefatigable exertion. The small squares on our <a href="" style="mso-comment-date: 20110827T2050; mso-comment-reference: A_3;">right</a><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_msocom_3" id="_anchor_3" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_3" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_3')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_3','_com_3')">[A3]</a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> </span></span></span> kept up incessant firings and the fight was as obstinate as at the commencement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The Duke of Wellington passed us twice, slowly and cooly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">No advantage as yet was discernible on either side. The French cavalry was less annoying. Their brave, repeated assaults had cost them very dear.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">About six o’clock a passé-parole ran down the line – not to be disheartened as the Prussians were coming up to our left, which news we received with loud cheers. And on looking left I perceived at some distance a dark swarm moving out of a thick wood. In twenty minutes a fresh cannonading began as if in rere of the French and the battle raged with increasing vehemence.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">A French Regiment of Infantry before us opposite the farm house called the holy hedge (La Haye Sainte) advanced considerably just then and poured a destructive fire into our <a href="" style="mso-comment-date: 20110827T2051; mso-comment-reference: A_4;">Battalion</a><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_msocom_4" id="_anchor_4" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_4" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_4')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_4','_com_4')">[A4]</a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> </span></span></span>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Colonel Ompteda ordered us instantly into line to charge, with a strong injunction to ‘walk’ forward until he gave the word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When within sixty yards he cried ‘Charge’, we ran forward huzzaing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trumpet sounded and no one but a soldier can describe the thrill one instantly feels in such an awful moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the bugle sound the French stood until we reached them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran by Colonel Ompteda who cried out, ‘That’s right, Wheatley!’</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I found myself in contact with a French officer but ere we could decide, he fell by an unknown hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then ran at a drummer, but he leaped over a ditch through a hedge in which he stuck fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard a cry of ‘The Cavalry! The Cavalry!’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But so eager was I that I did not mind it at that moment, and when on the eve of dragging the Frenchman back (his iron-bound hat having saved him from a cut) I recollect no more.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Wheatley was taken prisoner but escaped later.</div><div style="mso-element: comment-list;"><hr align="left" class="msocomoff" size="1" width="33%" /><div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_1')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_1','_com_1')"><span style="mso-comment-author: Andrew;"><a href="" name="_msocom_1"></a></span><div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> <a class="msocomoff" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_msoanchor_1">[A1]</a></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">While some French could have been deploying at this, most authors believe the main deployment was not until around 10am.</span></div></div></div><div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_2')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')"><span style="mso-comment-author: Andrew;"><a href="" name="_msocom_2"></a></span><div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> <a class="msocomoff" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_msoanchor_2">[A2]</a></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">This would have been in the Hannoverian lines, as we have already heard.</span></div></div></div><div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_3" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_3')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_3','_com_3')"><span style="mso-comment-author: Andrew;"><a href="" name="_msocom_3"></a></span><div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> <a class="msocomoff" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_msoanchor_3">[A3]</a></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Hannoverians and, after them, British infantry).</span></div></div></div><div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_4" language="JavaScript" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_4')" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_4','_com_4')"><span style="mso-comment-author: Andrew;"><a href="" name="_msocom_4"></a></span><div class="MsoCommentText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> <a class="msocomoff" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_msoanchor_4">[A4]</a></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">La Haie Sainte had fallen to the French.</span></div></div></div></div>Andrew Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17830101661706716546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825353457809335791.post-59214563816346651082011-08-21T07:30:00.000-07:002011-08-21T07:30:27.206-07:00The Crossroads - west side: the KGL 1st Light Battalion<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This account is best read standing at the Elm Tree crossroads, immediately to the west of the main road to Brussels (closest to the Lion Mound) and on the south side (closest to La Haie Sainte).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The infantry here were German troops, the 2<sup>nd</sup> Brigade King’s German Legion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were four battalions, three of whom were on the ridge where you stand and fourth was the main garrison of the La Haie Sainte farm in front of you.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">By the main road, where the houses are now, stood the 2<sup>nd</sup> Light but when they were sent to La Haie Sainte, the 1<sup>st</sup> Light Battalion was moved from further along the line (next to the Hannoverians).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their left (eastern) flank was 10 paces from the main road and their forward rank stood 10 paces north of the hollow way, as the road towards the Lion Mound was referred to at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t forget how much earth was moved to form the Lion Mound, so the other side of the road behind you (to the north) would have been much higher, similar to the embankments you can still see on the main road running down to La Haie Sainte.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The 1<sup>st</sup> Light wore green uniforms, similar to those the 95<sup>th</sup> Foot of the British Army (The Rifles), as they were also light troops, trained to move more swiftly and flexibly than the line battalions of infantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The accounts of their actions talk about the 6 companies as independent units, as opposed to the line battalions who tended to work as one body<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">How did their experience differ from the Hannoverians?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One factor would have been the steepness of the embankments at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The surviving embankment leading up to the Hannoverian monument on the main road has twenty steps up, so you can tell what an effective barrier this would have been against cavalry attack from the front and from the left (east).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Troops standing here would thus have had less of a problem with the massed French cavalry attacks in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this was more than compensated for by the proximity of La Haie Sainte, a focus of French attacks and fire.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">As the battle began, the battalion sent forward two of its companies to act as skirmishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had several jobs – they were advanced guards for the main army to give early warning of attacks, when an attack occurred they were to fall back but try to slow it up (for example by shooting the officers), and they were also to occupy the French skirmishers (called tirailleurs) from sniping at the main Allied infantry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do this they scattered themselves in small groups down the slope to the right (west) of La Haie Sainte.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know the battalion had 519 men so that means there were about 80 to a company.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">At this time the other four companies were stationed behind the hollow way but they suffered from the artillery bombardment with a captain and 10-12 men killed so they took shelter in the road in front of them.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">As d’Erlon’s infantry formed up to attack, a French cavalry unit advanced from beyond La Haie Sainte to clear the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the worst situation for the skirmishers as the best defence for foot-soldiers was to get into a square with comrades, bayonets pointing outwards, but they were too few in number and too scattered to manage this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best they could do was to run for cover, in this case most probably back to where you are standing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(La Haie Sainte was not a good choice because more doors and windows would have been boarded up against French attacks.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine trying to run up a slope through a muddy field towards safety, straining to hear hoof-beats behind you … </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">D’Erlon’s infantry attack mainly took place on the other side of the main road (east) but the nearest column, Bourgeois’ brigade, would have been very close to the main road<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Germans saw the opportunity to attack the flank of the French, but the Duke of Wellington had recently returned to his command post from the west (direction of the Lion Mound) and made them wait for between 30 seconds and a minute, calling, “Not yet, I will tell you when it is your time!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Germans would have been anxious because apart from wishing to help stop the attack there were practical difficulties in that to do so they had to go down one embankment, cross the main road, up another embankment and cross several hundred paces of ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Wellington</city></place> waved his hat and shouted, “Now go my lads, hurrah!” and the men ran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Frederick von Scriba, commanding one of the companies, describes arriving as the French column had almost passed them (this action took place to your left, across the main road).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They started firing into the side and rear from 30 to 35 paces range, seemingly at the same time as Kempt’s brigade fired into the front of the column to stop it and as the whole became disorganised, the Germans followed it, still firing as fast as they could reload.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">It is possible the Germans crossed in two groups: while von Scriba’s company fired into the French as described above, Harry Leonhart who was a captain says his men took part in Kempt’s bayonet charge of the French column but starting from some way behind the British.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Then the Allied heavy cavalry arrived and encircled the French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was not much more the Germans could do and they would have been mindful their section of the front was left unguarded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they started to re-cross the main road they could see French cavalry advancing up it coming from La Haie Sainte but more Allied cavalry arrived to drive them off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kristofe Heise, a captian, had been wounded to the left of the main road and was being helped back but the French cavalry approached he had to be left at the foot of the embankment, while his helper scrambled 10 feet above him to see safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He estimated he was there for 5 minutes, possibly 10, when Allied cavalry arrived to drive the French back.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The Germans returned to their position, and some time later the Allied cavalry retired past them: von Gilsa saw that every one of them was covered with blood from top to bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">As the French attack died away it is likely that skirmishers were sent out again and around this time two companies were sent forward to reinforce La Haie Sainte.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">There are fewer accounts of the battalion during the rest of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point the Germans crossed the main road again to the east (your left), seemingly anxious that they could see no defenders but they found the 32<sup>nd</sup> Foot behind the hedges so they returned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Later, the four remaining companies (the ones not in La Haie Sainte) moved across the hollow road to a small rise in the direction of La Haie Sainte to give the defenders there some supporting fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Helpful as this was it would have made them a target for French artillery, skirmishers, and cavalry; while we do not hear of a cavalry attack upon them at this point, 4 companies of (by now) maybe 60 men each would have been close to the minimum to form an effective square.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The crisis for the battalion was when La Haie Sainte fell: they retreated to their original position at the crossroads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The artillery fire became more severe and better aimed as the French guns could be advanced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>William Buhse, an ensign, said, “The attacks of the enemy cavalry and infantry became so severe and followed each other so very quickly that our losses were very large and the battalion melted away.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The survivors occupied a house on the main road, a little way to the rear of the crossroads in the direction of Mont St Jean and <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Brussels</place></city>, and stayed there until the French were in retreat.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"><br clear="all" /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;"><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Although a line battalion usually had a light company as well.</span></div></div><div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;"><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8825353457809335791#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Note that controversy has surrounded this episode with some dispute about whether KGL troops did cross the main road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having read their accounts I feel absolutely certain that they did and have summarised what they described.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As one of the former KGL officers implied in a letter, to disbelieve the account of one group of officers (the KGL) because another group of officers (cavalry and British infantry) say they did not see them is quite insulting.</span></div></div></div>Andrew Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17830101661706716546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825353457809335791.post-68864565765018245112011-08-21T03:07:00.000-07:002011-08-21T03:07:32.292-07:00French cavalry near La Haie SainteThe classic accounts of the battle hold that the French cavalry attacks were largely ineffective, with no Allied infantry squares broken, and I'm sure this was true on many occasions. However, as I read more about fighting near to La Haie Sainte I am struck by the number of successes of the cuirassiers in particular Chronologically, so far as I can tell, they caught the following troops in the open:<br />
(i) the skirmishers of the 1st Light Battalion, KGL, prior to d'Erlon's attack<br />
(ii) the Luneburg Battalion from Kielmansegge's Hannoverian Brigade and elements of the 2nd Light Battalion, KGL at some point during d'Erlon's attack<br />
(iii) the 5th Line Battalion, KGL, led by Ompetda, as it tried to retake La Haie Sainte<br />
(iv) the 8th Line Battalion, KGL, seemingly undertaking a similar manoeuvre<br />
In addition, the 5th Line was also caught trying to move from line to square at an earlier point.<br />
<br />
While this may not compare with the mauling given to d'Erlon's corps by the Allied heavy cavalry, it adds up to a brigade of Allied infantry (three battalions and elements of others). Andrew Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17830101661706716546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825353457809335791.post-92153902531937668022011-08-19T14:50:00.001-07:002011-08-19T14:50:53.224-07:00The Lunebergers fate outside La Haie Sainte<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">In “Behind the Lion” I described the experiences of the Hannoverian infantry of Verden and <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bremen</place></state> battalions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kielmansegge’s brigade must have been held in high esteem by <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Wellington</place></city>: it was placed in the front rank, close to the centre of the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s more, when light infantry were needed to defend Hougoumont it was men from this brigade who were sent.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Jacobi, quoted in Glover’s account, gives an interesting summary of the recent history of the Hannoverian troops, pointing out that their morale had been affected by <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Wellington</place></city>’s division to break up Alten’s corps of Hannoverian units and to assign them to British divisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says he understands this was necessary to spread inexperienced troops with veterans, but he reports the new commanders were critical of everything the Hannoverians did, could not speak their language, were paid more and had a different lifestyle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up until the 26<sup>th</sup> April 1815, Kielmansegge had commanded the Light Division, consisting of 6 battalions, but this was now designated a brigade; the men were thankful it was assigned to the division to be commanded by Alten himself.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Adkin reports the brigade had a strength of 3,315 men with the battalions ranging in size from 533 to 643 men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brigade consisted of three other battalions as well, the Grubenhagen and the Duke of York’s battalions which, on this day were paired in the same way as the Verden and <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bremen</place></state> battalions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final battalion, the Luneberg, is reported to have operated on its own.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Early on the morning of the 18<sup>th</sup>, 100 men in total were detached to Hougoumont from the Grubenhagen and the Luneberg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the deployment at 11am, the Grubenhagen and Duke of York’s deployed east of Bremen and Verden battalions, closer to the crossroads, and further back (Adkin, Map 11, page 157).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Luneberg battalion stood alongside the Verden, on the line of the road from the main road to the Lion Mound, closer to La Haie Sainte.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I have yet to read a personal account of the Grubenhagen and Duke of York battalions; where the soldiers of Verden and <state w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bremen</place></state> battalions comment it is to say their comrades seemed to have the same experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only other mention I can find is in the account of Kielmansegge, the brigade commander, who says that the Grubenhagen / Duke of York’s square was taking short-range artillery fire from French guns this was why the Verden / Bremen square advanced to clear them away, as described. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The Luneberg battalion met a different fate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As d’Erlon’s attack developed at around 1.30pm, the most westerly column, Charlet’s, attacked La Haie Sainte and the Luneberg were sent as reinforcements. (Adkin says the order was given by <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Wellington</place></city> but by Alten on page 369; Jacobi offers two candidates, an adjutant to the Prince of Orange and the Luneberg battalion commander himself).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They advanced in line going down the slope about 200 paces and into the smoke towards the farm buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carl Jacobi, commanding one of the Luneberg companies, says the French surrounding the part of the farm upon which they were advancing fell back and his men (with others of the battalion) were deployed in the orchard, which was to the south of the farm, closest to the French lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says the rest of the battalion were deployed in the open to combat French skirmishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The men in the orchard initially resisted the French, who had re-formed and were advancing, but there being little cover they were driven out to rejoin the rest of the battalion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jacobi’s account suggests they arrived just as their comrades were being attacked by French cavalry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The battalion was scattered and it was every man for himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Nobody among us really knew how they escaped the horses’ hooves or the horsemen’s swords,” he wrote. “There were moments when the senses of hearing a sight had in fact shut down, and not just figuratively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only faintly do I remember that I had told some men fleeing next to me to fire on individual horsemen among the pursuers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jacobi reached the safety of the ridge – oddly he says he found refuge behind the squares of the brigade, suggesting the squares did not give him enough space to get inside</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The cavalry were Dubois’ brigade, the 1<sup>st</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup> Cuirassiers, actually moving quite slowly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adkin (page 239) provides a fascinating diagram showing how the cavalry took advantage of a slight dip in the ground and smoke to surprise the Hannoverians.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">It’s possible when Jacobi referred to the horse’s hooves, he meant horses rearing up and striking with their forelegs rather than being literally trampled, although that was obviously possible as well.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Jacobi and about 50 survivors gathered at the rear of Mont St Jean, and he marched them back to the ridge, taking casualties along the way from artillery fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they arrived Kielmansegge ordered them to march back to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Brussels</place></city>.</div>Andrew Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17830101661706716546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825353457809335791.post-64537913659966186032011-08-16T14:32:00.000-07:002011-08-16T14:32:23.319-07:00SourcesI didn't want to clutter my text with lots of footnotes - my main aim is to produce something anyone interested could read in 5 minutes standing on a particular spot. However, my sources so far are as follows:<br />
John Franklin "Waterloo: Hanoverian Correspondence"<br />
Gareth Glover "The Waterloo Archive Volume II: German Sources"<br />
Mark Adkin "The Waterloo Companion"<br />
All are superb and thoroughly recommended. Franklin and Glover are collections of letters, translated expertly from the German, and arranged by battalions and brigades of the Allied army. Adkin has maps, pictures, diagrams, explanations and lots more about many different aspects. If you were going to visit the battlefield and wanted to buy one of them it wold have to be Adkin but be warned, it is A4 format and over 400 pages long so it's not really a handbook.Andrew Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17830101661706716546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825353457809335791.post-39772004173405697682011-08-16T14:24:00.000-07:002011-08-16T14:24:06.634-07:00What this blog is aboutWhat I have really wanted to write is a guide for the battlefield of Waterloo so that anyone could stand at different points on the ridge and read for 5 minutes about what happened on that spot in 1815. I'm planning to write this as a narrative you could read off a Blackberry, iPad or similar. Does it say anything profoundly new? No. Is it totally accurate? That's impossible - Wellington famously said that trying tor ecreate the battle afterwards was like trying to recreate an evening of dancing: all the events probably hapened but in an uncertain order. The most I hope is that this is a little bit different to anything I have read on Waterloo before. I hope you accept it for what it is and it helps soemone to enjoy their visit.Andrew Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17830101661706716546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8825353457809335791.post-28991487788254202642011-08-16T12:57:00.000-07:002011-08-16T12:57:42.515-07:00Behind the Lion<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">As you stand at the foot of the Lion Mound nearest to the main road, you are on the ground occupied by Kielmansegge’s 1<sup>st</sup> Hannoverian Brigade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These German troops had spent the night several hundred yards behind you and to the right; they had nothing to eat and had spent the night standing in the rain, including those with light wounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The morning had been spent drying off and cleaning their weapons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was little to eat.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Around 11am, as the sun was breaking through, the order came to form up and they moved up to the reverse slope of the plateau.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ground level would have been higher than it is today by maybe 10-20 feet (about 3 metres) but earth was moved to form the Lion Mound after the battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An artillery battery was about 100 paces in front of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La Haie Sainte farm is about 500 paces ahead and to your left (south-east), standing on the main road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house and gardens are held by more German troops as a forward post against the expected French attacks.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The troops can see the French army deploying and the Allied artillery subjects it to heavy fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fighting starts away to the right at 11.30 as Hougoumont is attacked and the artillery battle in front of you fires at the attacking French troops – it’s about 900 paces away and would take about 15 minutes to walk.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">To the immediate right are some Nassauers, more Germans, and then Halkett’s British infantry brigade; behind are the cavalry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The initial fire from the French guns misses your men in the shelter of the slope but the Nassauers and cavalry are already taking casualties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The order is to lay down, which helps, but soon the shot and shells are starting to find the range of the brigade and the order comes to move onto the plateau about 1pm – the men stand up and walk forward about 100 paces.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">French cavalry are spotted almost immediately and they’re the heavily armoured cuirassiers coming on at a medium-paced trot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brigade forms into two squares, each of two battalions, the <state w:st="on">Bremen</state> and Verden battalions to the west and the Grubenhagen and Duke of <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">York</place></city>’s nearer the crossroads.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Ideally the infantry would let the cavalry come close, within 50 paces, because the infantry muskets are so inaccurate but some men fire when the cavalry are well over 100 paces away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Julius von Schkopp, a major in the Verden infantry, is so angry he threatens to shoot any of his men who do not hold their fore until his order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless the cuirassiers are stopped and the English cavalry advance between the Hannoverian squares to counter-attack – this is the English Life Brigade ordered to clear first the cavalry you can see and then to swing to their left and cross the main road where a huge French infantry attack is taking place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(This is d’Erlon’s corps.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cuirassiers put up a fight but soon retreat and the English cavalry disappear into the smoke either side of the farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From where you are, the battle taking place a few hundred yards away would have been invisible.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The French artillery fire is now the main concern and the Nassauers 60 paces to your right are taking casualties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The artillery battery in front of you seems to be the target and the order is to move 20 paces to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just in time: an ammunition wagon that was in the middle of the western square explodes and while it still causes casualties it could have been far worse if the men had stayed where they were.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Morale is still good, boosted by seeing off the cuirassiers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The men can take stock and notice there is fierce fighting around La Haie Sainte to the left; on the right Hougoumont is now on fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The artillery fire is continuous and the colonel commanding the square, von Langrehr, is hit on the leg by a cannonball, shattering his foot - while he calmly hands over command he bleeds to death soon after.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">To reduce the target for the French gunners the brigade deploys into line, but the cuirassiers return and it’s back into square as quickly as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 700 of them, deployed in 6 squadrons, one behind the other and they’re coming towards you at a trot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They stop about 70 paces away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would seem like a really weird part of the battle to us – we imagine horsemen speeding towards a square and massed fire to either bring them down, or else the wall of infantry is breached and the square can be destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In practice, the French cavalry trotted towards the left corner of the square and passed the flank about 6 paces from the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The horses got so close that they almost touched the tips of the bayonets, held out like a hedgehogs spikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wilhelm von Tschirschnitz, a lieutenant and therefore armed with a sword, felt he could have reached out and touched them with his sabre.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The French try to get the infantry to fire because a musket, once fired, could take 30 seconds to reload during which the infantryman had only the bayonet to defend himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The infantry had little to gain by firing – they couldn’t kill all the French and while the cavalry were by the square the French artillery stopped aiming at them.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The French cavalry are driven off for a second time and while they take losses, they could have been worse: the infantry seem to have fired too high but the cuirass (a body plate of armour) deflects many musket balls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Muskets were also getting dirty by now and if they were not loaded properly then the gunpowder gave little power to the ball as it left the muzzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No wonder Carl Scriba, commanding the flight flank of the western square, saw a brigadier-general leading the cavalry and noticed when the infantry fired he escaped injury by hugging his horse’s neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Allied cavalry eventually charge from behind you but it is only as the French ride away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Worse, the Allied infantry are Belgian cuirassiers, almost identical to the French in uniform, and some are fired on as they ride back through the Allied lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were slow to counter-attack in the first place and this won’t help!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The men settle down to endure more French artillery fire, and you notice the <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Nassau</place></city> troops to your right in retreat as their officers try to stop them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They bring the soldiers back but this happens several more times during the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Hannoverian soldiers move into line again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By now it’s around 3pm and cavalry are seen advancing for a third time and the square reforms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time the cuirassiers come in much more aggressively but they can’t break into the squares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They hang around and the order comes for the men to all stand up while still in square and walk towards the cavalry, driving them away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there are French guns close by and they load canister, a can full of musket balls that explode like a massive shotgun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Nassauers on the right fall back again and with no cover for the right flank the Hannoverians return to where they started.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">There’s more artillery fire to be endured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A half-battery of Dutch artillery deploys in front but is destroyed by French artillery fire within half an hour; the other Allied battery of guns to your front has stopped firing, maybe they’re all dead or maybe just out of ammunition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your men are running out of musket balls as well and a junior officer is sent to find more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s not the only one heading for the rear of the army - every man injured is helped away for treatment by one or two other soldiers and you notice how few of the uninjured men return so a cannon-ball that injures 2 men could take 6, even 8 out of the battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The numbers of men left in the square is dwindling.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">It’s now past 6pm and the cuirassiers come back for another grand attack, the fourth, then a little later they return for a fifth and final time at about 6.45, but significantly weaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just as well; the loss of men means the shape of the western square has become irregular, more like a triangle, then just a mass of men facing outwards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The western square is starting to resemble the Nassauers: one more determined French attack and it may not stand.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">And here comes that attack, a column of French infantry heading for you, but – thank goodness – it veers off to your right, attacking Halkett’s brigade and is driven off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now a second column appears and this time it IS the Hannoverians’ turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The French are in a square formation, to protect them against cavalry, with artillery in the hollow centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some men volunteer to go forward and act as skirmishers, sniping at the French to try to slow them down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there’s little ammunition left after the supply in the wagon exploded earlier, and the Hannoverians begin to go backwards, still in good order, but back to the Allied cavalry line 300 paces behind you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They rally there and come forward but are met by French canister fire and fall back again, this time in less good order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">It’s about 8pm and the battalions begin to re-form but the brigade commander, Kielmansegge orders the survivors to retire up the main <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Brussels</place></city> road, over your left shoulder, to the farm at Mont St Jean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a lot of men on the road and the officers have a hard job keeping the troops together but once there they re-form and return to their position on the plateau about 9pm, in time only to see the French in retreat in the distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 10pm the Prussians arrive on the scene, greet their fellow Germans and move off after the French half an hour later.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The men move forward from the plateau, and camp for the night amid the dead and wounded about 400 paces to the west of La Haie Sainte.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next morning they came back to where you are standing to bury the dead Hannoverian officers.</div>Andrew Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17830101661706716546noreply@blogger.com0