Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-08-02

history is to name with yeneratlon as
long as time endures, the peasants nav
been at pains to observe the chaiklng o.
the doors !; on which we recognized tht
weIl.known names Of celebrated ofhcef'
or the officers Of the several departments
at head quarters.
We are immediately surrounded oy
the people, Offering for sale, with grea'
importantly, relics of the field particu
la,ly the, Eagles which the French sol
diers wore as cap-plates; A few calras,
ses. both the back and the breast pieces,
ere Likewise held up to US. as well as
sabres, bayonefs, and other spoil. :,
We drove mile forward to the still
smaller haimlet-ot Mont st. John, by q
Gradual ascent of the road : to the right
and left Of which, the British army bl
ypuched .on. the. eve Of battle having
advanced nyerthe high ground in the
morning to the southern slope facing the
enemy, on fair opeu ground. without al
advantage, to; decide, the fate OF the
world.
Mont St. John is quite behind the Bri
fish line and had its name gwen BY DO
napa,tc to what was properly the farm
hoa>eof La Have. Sa ute which he dit
succeed in carrying: but certainly he ne
yer was so far advanced as Mont st
John !: indeed he never did. for more
than few minutes atanY time, succeed
in penetrating the English line.
We left cur carriage at this last ham
let, and walked on to the field with net
vous anticipatoh-To the right and let
were the multiplied marks of the artillery
wheels. as rivalling :" lightning's course
in ruin and in speed" they had caresred
TO tneir station in the memorable line
Whole tracts were marked by the feet
of the cavalry often fetlock deep in the
mud. The last homes of the brave be-
gan to appear, with the larger tumnh OF
their horses, more frequent as we ap.
the scene of contest. Keep.
ing still the great road we came to a
tree which formed the precise centre OF
the British line, the well chosen station
of the Duke of Wellington, when not oc'
casionaliy visiting other parts OF the po.
sition to confirm the unainching spirit Of
his gallant comrades. 1t commanded a
tull view of the intermediate plan, and
the whole Of the enemy's vast force up
on the adverse slope and country be.
yond it, with every movement made or
By him.
Nothing is more false than the French
apology, added 20 their never-f ling pre-
tence Of being overpowered by numbers,
that the British position was naturally
strong, and carefully fortified. Unin-
trenched stood the British army, asong
its whole position, on slope so gentle,
that's coach driven up would not slacken
pace and to the ridge of which the
French cavalry found no difficulty in gal
TOPPING at full speed to- the basonets Of
their opponents, who threw themselves
into squares, their only entrenchmert, to
receive the charge. 1t was, to use ia
vourite English phrase, just the place TO
). fair set to: a clear field, aad No fl:
YOUR"
We had the good fortune TO meet with
a very intelligent English officer, whe
bad been in the action, and who had that
lay paid his first visit to the field, after
recovering his wound.
From lord WelIington's station, we
stood and gazed on the whole scene not
daring to break silence for some minutes.
And deep was nov. ahe silence of the
vast sepalchre of 90, 900 men, contrast
edwi h the roar and the carnage OF the
battle. The gloomy weather still lasted ::
and was valued by us, peculiarly suitable
to the scene we were contemplating
The imagination is intellectually aided by
sewing the scene OF a memorable bat
lie. The actors being generally familiar
.ous, we can easily people the field with
them and become thereby actually pre-
sent, in conception, at the moment of the
event Indeed 50 very simple is the
leld OF Waterloo, that conception oi
very ordinary power may quite take ii in
rom description alone. Although here
and there, varied BY inequalities and un-
lulatious it will serve all popular purpo-
;es to say, that at the distance from each
,ther of about nnie, the codtentins ar
MES occupied parallel high grounds
,lopins with almost equal declivity, to a
,lain of about half a mile broad which in.
ervened. The English line, or rather
.wo lines extended about a mile and a
,alf:-the French masses something more
han two miles The Brussels road ran
1t right angles through both armies: form
ng the centre of each. On this road,
n one line, are the villages of Waterloo,