The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-22 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

HISTORY OF THE WATERLOO CAMPAIGN.
2 Vols. Boone, London, 1844.

" Some years ago," says Captain Siborne, the
author of this history, " when constructing a model
of the field of Waterloo, I found it necessary to make
great exertions to procure that detailed information
for which I had sought in vain in the numerous pub-
lished accounts of the military transactions of 1815 ;
and ventured to apply to nearly all the surviving eye-
witnesses of the incidents which my model was in-
tended to represent. From officers of all ranks my
application was responded to in a most liberal spirit.
Thus was suggested the present work. Having be-
come the depository of such valuable materials, I felt
it a duty to submit a true and faithful account of this
memorable epoch." The author does himself no
more than justice in alluding to the " true and faith-
ful" character of his history. It wears all the ap-
pearance of the most rigid truthfulness, and is in-
terspersed with notes, in which we find a variety of
characteristic anecdotes, chiefly, as might be expected,
of a military nature. The history commences with
the landing of Napoleon in France, and gives detailed
accounts of the immense preparations that he made
for the campaign, which he foresaw was inevitable. It
then proceeds to speak of the musterings of the Allied
forces; of the prompt measures taken by Prussia ;
and enters into the most circumstantial details respect-
ing the three or four desperate conflicts that preceded
the crowning shock of Waterloo. But that portion
of the history which the general reader will regard
with the most interest, is the description of the last
decisive conflict between the troops of Napoleon and
those of Wellington, which possesses all the minute,
matter-of-fact accuracy of a gazette, combined with
a vivid and glowing power of description scarcely in
ferior even to Colonel Napier's admirable " History
of the Peninsular War." But indeed the work is
written throughout in the most perfect con amore
spirit; and it is greatly to the author's credit that he
does every justice to the bravery of the French troops,
and the skilful dispositions made by Napoleon, pre-
viously to the commencement of the action. The
volumes are embellished with portraits of the prin-
cipal French and English commanders—those of
Soult and Picton are admirable likenesses—and at the
close of the history there is an account, drawn up
from the best authorities, of the numbers of regiments,
cavalry and infantry, who took a share in the battle
of 'Waterloo. We quote Captain Siborne's animated
description of the desperate charge of the Imperial
Guard, just towards the close of the action. It reads
just like a bit of Napier's " History," and we know
not that we can give it higher praise :
" Notwithstanding the terrible havoc made in the
ranks of the leading column of the Imperial Guard, it
continued its advance in admirable order, and with the
greatest enthusiasm. Several of its superior officers
placed themselves at its head. Ney's horse having been
shot under him, he drew his sword, and chivalrously led
the way on foot, sustaining to the last his appropriate
and well-earned nom de guerre—' le plus brave des
braves.' General Friant, who commanded the grena-
diers, fell severely wounded. General Michel, Colonel
en second of the chasseurs, was killed a few moments
afterwards. The fall of the latter occasioned some hesi-
tation—the Ist battalion of the 3d regiment of Grena-
diers halted ; but at the call of General Poret de Mor-
van, who commanded it, it renewed its advance at the
pas de charge, amidst loud shout of Vice l'Empreur
As the column neared the rise of ground which consti-
tuted the highest point of the ridge occupied by the
right wing of the Duke's line, it gradually passed the
line of fire hitherto directed upon it by the greater por-
tion of the batteries on the British right of that point.
Wellington rode up to the British foot-battery posted in
the immediate right of Maitland's brigade of guards,
with its own right thrown somewhat forward, and ad-
dressing himself to an artillery officer (Lieutenant
Sharpin), hastily asked who commanded it. The latter
replied that Captain Bolton having just been killed, it
was now under the command of Captain Napier. The
Duke then said, Tell him to keep a look-out to his left,
for the French will soon be with him.' The message
had scarcely been communicated, when the bearskin
caps of the leading divisions of the column of the Im-
perial Guard appeared just above the summit of the hill.
The cannonade hitherto directed upon this point from
the distant French batteries now ceased, but a swarm of
skirmishers opened a sharp and teasing fire among the
British gunners. In the next moment, however, they
were scattered and driven back upon the main body by
a sudden shower of canister, grape, and schrapnel shells,
poured forth from Napier's guns, which now kept up a
terrific fire upon the column, within a distance of forty
or fifty yards. Nevertheless the French guards conti-
nued to advance. They had now topped the summit.
To the astonishment of the officers who were at their
head, there appeared in their immediate front no direct
impediment to their further advance. They could only
distinguish dimly through the smoke extending from
Napier's battery, the cocked hats of a few mounted
officers, little imagining, probably, that the most pro-
minent of these was the great Duke himself. Pressing
boldly forward, they had arrived within fifty paces of
the spot on which the British guards were lying down,
when Wellington gave the talismanic call—'Up, guards;
make ready I' and ordered Maitland to attack. It was
a moment of thrilling excitement. The British guards
springing up so suddenly in a most compact four-deep
line, appeared to the French as if starting out of the
ground. The latter, with their high bonnets, as they
crowned the summit of the ridge, appeared to the Bri-
tish, through the smoky haze, like a corps of giants
bearing down upon them. The British guards instantly
opened their fire with a tremendous volley, thrown in
with so much coolness, deliberation, and precision, that
the head of the column became, as it were, convulsed by
the shock, and nearly the entire mass staggered under
the effect. In less than a single minute more than three
hundred of these brave old warriors fell, to rise no more.
But the high spirit and innate valour which actuated the
mass were not to be subdued by a first repulse. Its
officers placing themselves conspicuously in its front and
on its flanks, called aloud, waved their swords, and, by
encouraging words and gestures, commenced a deploy-
ment in order to acquire a more extended front. But
the head of the column being continually shattered and
driven back upon the mass, by the well-sustained and
rapidly destructive fire by which it was assailed within
so extremely limited a space, this attempt altogether
failed. The front of the column was becoming momen-
tarily more disordered and broken up, men were turning
round and disappearing by the flanks, whilst others in
the rear began firing over the heads of those before
them. The confusion into which the French guards had
now been thrown became manifest. The Duke ordered
Maitland to charge ; whilst, at the same instant, the
gallant Lord Saltoun, equally alive to the real situation
of the column, called out, Now's the time, my boys !'
The brigade sprang forward, with a loud cheer, to the
charge. Numbers of the French guards nearest to the