The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-28 00:00:00

HOUGOUMON T.
(From the Newcastle Journal;)
The following interesting communication has been
handed to us by the writer, whose name is subscribed, ,
and relating as it does to an event of suckimportance
as the memorable battle on the plains of Waterloo, it
will be read with much interest :
" Along with the detachment of British and foreign
troops which 'Wellington posted at Hougiininont for its
defence, was a brigade of English, consis 'lig a the -
Light and 7th companies of the Coldstream ards.
No sooner were the Guardsmen fairly within
chateau garden than the temptingly ripe cher-
ries drew their attention, and the soldiers
were to he seen plucking them off the wall-
trees by handsful, quite regardless of the shot and
shells which were incessently pouring in amongst them
You scoundrels,' roared out Major James M‘Don-
non, the officer in command of the brigade, ' if I
survive this day, I will punish you all.' But, alas I
before the close of the murderous struggle, how few
of the cherry stealers were left for punishment in this
world ! Out of 134 as smart young soldiers as ever
drew a trigger (the number of the two companies),
only 13 could muster when the roll was called ; and
these survivors were led out of action by Corporal
Smith, every other officer and non-commissioned
officer being either killed or wounded. The Empe-
ror's commands were Carry the post,' while our
Duke's were ' Keep it ;' and a most terrible
post it was to keep. Once the French broke
into the court-yard, and such a scene of bayonet
work I (the narrator of this article) never be-
fore or since beheld. It was fairly a trial of
strength—the French grenadiers were not to be
trifled with, and we looked like so many butchers red
with gore, or rather like so many demons rioting
against fire, for the shells had set two haystacks in a
blaze, and many a poor fellow, bleeding and wounded,
being unable to get out of the way, was burnt to
death. Shut the court-yard gates,' roared out our
Serjeant Major Frazer, and keep them out,' and a
rush was instantly made to the gates, the French
without and the Guards within. Life and death
was in the struggle, for Ney was at hand with
a force that threatened destruction to the post ;
but English physical strength overcame the French
ardour, and the gates were closed by the power-
ful shoulders of Major M'Donnell, and the giant of
a sergeant-major, with as many of ours as could get
to them. The French, thus enclosed in the court-
yard, surrendered by throwing down their firelocks,
and were ordered to fall back ; but they forgot the
duties of prisoners. Their countrymen again charged
Hougoumont with horse and foot, and partly over-
powered the Nassau troops, and caused them to reel
a bit; and then it was that the few Frenchmen we had
taken again seized their arms, and attacked us in the
rear. Fortunately the post was not carried, and now
a vengeance stern and dreadful awaited the prisoners.
They had grossly violated the articles of war by
taking up their arms after surrendering as prisoners,
and the consequence was that every one of them was
put to death, some by the bayonet, and some were
thrown into the blazing haystacks by our in-
furiated men.

" Though now 27 years have rolled away since tha t
dreadful scene took place, yet it is fresh in my mind'
eye, and my ears yet tingle with the yells of these
misguided Frenchmen as they were tumbled into the
fiery furnace. Charge after charge, and cannonade
after cannonade, were repeated on this devoted post,
yet still it was not carried. During one of the charges
made by the French cavalry, I could not but admire
the coolness of as Highlander belonging to the 92d Re-
giment. Donald by some means got separated from his
regiment, and could not get to it before the Cuirassiers
came up : he therefore came quietly up to our post,
coolly saying, ' Lads, I'll just fa in wi' ye a bit—our
Regiment is receiving cavalry, I see.' As one of the
13,Guardsmen who was able to muster, being unhurt,
I distinctly say that I have been in many a hard-
fought action, and seen many an arduous struggle,
but the struggle to keep the post at Hougoumont was
by far the most dreadful I ever witnessed. We might
have given it up, for there was scarcely a man, either
foreign or English, that was not hurt ; but then our
iron Duke's orders were ' keep the post,' and keep it
we did, proving, to the strictest letter, that we knew
and could do our duty.
" RICHARD MACLAURENCE, Pensioner.
" Formerly Light Company Coldstreani Guards.
" Backworth Colliery, near North Shields."