The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-16 00:00:00

THE LAST CHARGE AT WATERLOO.

It was about five o'clock on that memorable day that we
suddenly received orders to retire behind au elevation in
our rear. The enemy's artillery had come up en masse
within a hundred yards of us. By the time they began to
discharge their guns, however, we were lying down behind
the rising ground, and protected by the ridge before re-
ferred to. The enemy's cavalry was in the rear of their
artillery, in order to be ready to protect it if attacked, but
no attempt was made on our part to do so. After they had
pounded away at us for about half an hour, they deployed,
and up came the whole mass of the imperial infantry of the
Guard, led on by the Emperor in person. We had now
before us probably about 20,000 of the best soldiers in
France, the heroes of many memorable victories ; we saw
the bearskin caps rising higher and higher as they ascended
the ridge of ground which separated us, and advanced
nearer and nearer to our lines. It was at this moment the
Duke of Wellington pave his famous order for our bayonet
charge, as he rode along the line : these are the precise
words he made use of—" Guards, get up and charge!"
We were instantly on our legs, and after so many hours of
inaction and irritation at maintaining a purely defensive
attitude—all the time suffering the loss of comrades and
friends—the spirit which animated officers and men may
easily be imagined. After firing a volley as soon as the
enemy were within shot, we rushed on with fixed bayonets
and that hearty hurrah peculiar to British soldiers. It
appeared that our men, deliberately and with calculation,
singled out their victims; for as they came upon the Im-
perial Guard our line broke, and the fighting became irre-
gular. The impetuosity of our men seemed almost to para-
lyse their enemies : I witnessed several LI the Imperial
Guard who were run through the body apparently without
any resistance on their parts. I observed a big Welshman
of the name of Hughes, who was six feet seven inches in
height, run through with his bayonet, and knock down
with the butt end of his firelock, I should think at least a
dozen of his opponents. This terrible contest did not last
more than ten minutes, for the Imperial Guard was soon in
full retreat, leaving all their guns and many prisoners in
our hands. The famous General Cambronne was taken
prisoner fighting hand to hand with the gallant Sir Colin
Halkett, who was shortly after shot through the cheek!,
La
a grape-shot. Cambronne's supposed answer of
Garde ne se rend pas" was an invention of after- times, and
he himself always denied having used such an expression.
—Reminiscences of Captain Gronow.

LAND IMPROVEMENT IN 11tEL------AND.—The annual
report of the Board of Irish Public Works is chiefly occu-
pied with an account of the operation of the Land Inirrove-
meat Acts. 200,203 acres have been thoroughly drained
under these Acts at an average cost of £ll7s. per acre,
6,503 acres in 1861 and the first quarter of 1862; and con•
rgeiqvue:pelosys of the dollar
siderable portion,
throughout the cotlitt
proved a prelude
extensiondrainage
ha endteoufa
utothf.
ef
a rotativesrum er s a husbandryre
proud
of
dthueceSducfcrom land formerly waterlo d, aPcl consequentlyr crapspro
tastrihynbe.aeen subsoiled. The draininc, has
erio "'
The following passage of
—deThe
t for . troops. almost waste. N gg.e . n
a letterl in the Mitiochnmiteontidr
ihsalsooaktterdacuted semeaaetotmcnptiloente:
battle
ehe Federal
No teaching or description, wrdes an active
on as .
- character, not only for the posi- ample of
t had any effect upon them, but one year's ex
Pie t the improvement before their own eyes convinced
verse is of the most serious c
The most devoted partisans of the North admit that the re- clergyman
An unusual number of applications for drainage
here are two great battles 1 * e week
Under these circumstances it is cans 'was
Within the space of one lion of Gen. M'Clellan, but also for the Northern cause. them
Made early in this year, partly with a view to
employment to the labouring poor when it was most
both lost by the N°.
arrangement will be em-
hoped that the
Patheir voice." d, and the Treasury consented to apply to Perlis-
°lent for an extens'onof the amo
artisans of an arran
boldened to raise
i unt of loan that may be
made to a proprietor from £5,000 to 1000. Twelve leans
Thei Vienna Gazette publishes
which may be seen an indirect reply to the recog- have been sanctioned, amounting to £7,150, for the erection
notice,
of by Russia :
ot labourers' dwellings, and 19 more applications have been
ninon o " Baron Winspeare,.the Neap-
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, received. That part of the which give ,of
report
Titan
has been accredited to the Austrian Court, who has had public works at harbours states that the board have no
the honour A a solemn audience of the Emperor to present doubt of bringing the Works of improvement at Donagl2ll"
his letters of credence."
dee to a close in the course of this summer.