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

| TISIT TO THE FIELD. "
Forest Of Soigne-Village Of Waterloo
/ Station of Lord WelIington-Descrip
ton of the ield-Discourasing bi, oua
Spirit of an Irish OfIicer-SplenGi'
| charge of the Life Guards-Number
OF the tive armies-Exclamation OF 30
| naparte.
With that conflict of feelings, whicl
1.-The expectation of soon seeing the seen,
lof such a battle as Waterloo natural,
loccasioned, our party, consisting ofthree
was in readiness by six in the mo nin'
Ion the Slst July. When we had mount
ed our carriage, we called to the postil
llion--.s Uatertoe r'-s' Oui, Monsieur
= .ineto;s', he ans cred with smacI
|of his whip, y an emphasis which show
led that he felt that conduct, g English
linen there, was conducting them to thei,
|own proper domain. There had beer
rain during the night and the morning was
GLOOMY having, as we were told, the
lsame appearance as that of the 18th Of
June; OF course We would not have ex
Ichanged it for the brightest sunshine
| The ground would be wet,--but so it wa.
on the day oil the battle: aud further,ir
tpoint of time, we should just arrive about
the hour it commenced.
After driving three or four miles, WE
Ientered the awful forest OF Soigne. Il
covers an immense extent OF c0pntr,
from east to west, but is only about siA
jr seven miles broad, where the road
ipasses through it to Waterloo.
The impressions of an Ea ;lishman or
lentering this wood, are much enhanced
Thy the knowledge OF the tact, that it wa,
the great source of supply of ship timber
for Napoleon's naval schemes at Ant.
Iwerp, and alre dy had built several ships
lot the line. The same forest which was
intended to furnish the means OF her hu.
Fpiliation protected the rear of her victo.
|elous army, on the day, when, single
tanded, England, at one blow, Destroyed
1.-THE power Of her destroyer forever.
Every foot of the road was interesting.
las it held its very straight course throu, h
|ths wood. We contrasted the gloomy
|quiet of our jnurney,--a few peasants GO
ling to their early Iabor,--with its accn-
|mulated horrors on the day of the retreat
|of the baggage and wounded ofthe army
the multitudes who dropped and died ;
the numbers who were crushed to death
the hurry, the alarm, the Confusion. the
cries. and shfieks, and groans of that
dreadful scene, and the interesting, un-
protected (" Eii1d6sth.''~ steadily & safe
!ly. by miracle, holding her way in the
middle OF it Oar carriage kept the paved
|chaassee. or centre OF the way: tie two
sides. Of about Is feet wide each, being
deep and muddy as they were on the
great OCCASION. The whole breadth OF
the road seemed to be 40 or so feet
The trees which, bounded on each side
were tail. and kept trimmed like very
high hedge or screen; beyond them i'm
|mediately commenced the thick wood in
'all the irregularity Of nature. Here the
wounded had crauled. aud died in great
numbers (; much baggage had been plum
dered; and the whole population Of the
country had fed for safety.
Our postilIion pointed the little mounds
where men and horses had been inter-
red I; they were apparent every hundred
yards. The sepuIture had been hurried
and imperfect. especially of the horses !:
hoofs, and even limbs, show
ing themselves. Often bayonet scabbards
stuck out; and cars, shoes, and pieces
of cloth, scarcely in the gloom distin-
guishable from the mud in which they
lay, gave indication of the spots where
many soldier, after bleeding in the
field, and toiling along the road to ex-
pected aid and comfort, unassisted, al
most unpitied, by the self-engaged sui
|ierers who saw him fall, had sunk to rise
no more. Some rain.fell as we were be-
a passing surye, upon these at
|fecting monuments of the brave, in 81
Ituation the most dismal we had ever be-
held.
Waterloo's village, and the small neat
lchurch with its brick built dome, was
nav in our view, situated in the recess o,
the wood evidently cleared for it, The
DAD was now quite cut the forest ;
(which, however, blackened the whole re
zion TO east and west as far as the eye
euId reach. In this poor hamlet, uhic
Abiding to an anecdote which ha,
|already been extracted in former la.
sf.of ysung straightforward Of tina
anne.