Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-08-06
From the .Ns,o York En-. Post.
VISIT TO THE FIELD OF WA
TERLOO.
rCsncluded.

raqiments-Visit to the station OF Ma
psIeon-Lacoste the farmer--Answer
Of Napoleon to message about an En-
glish. battery-His compliments to the
British troops-His interview. with a
British officer-Account by French
officer of his behavior-Appearance OF
= the Russians-Final effort of Napoleon
Us defeat by the Highlanders and
Seats Greys-Gharge by the whole Bri-
fish army.
Aywe were so far advanced, we wish
ed, before visiting Bonaparte's station
and Returning TO the position OF the lett
wing, to have one glance of the country
aver which the panic struck enemy had
fed. Nothing rneets the eye but ex-
|ten.ive unencIcsed corn fields, with very
little wood as if Soigne bad rendered
fall further plantation in its region unne-
|cessary. There could not have been a
CLEARER field for fight f; and well the adj.
vantage was appreciated by every 'ndi-
|uidual French soldier. 1t was in this
quarter The Prussian stragslers were most
dangerous for several days after the bat
lie.
The officer who was with us, belonged
Ito the Esd. His regiment passed close
to belle alliance on the opposite side OF
the road; by which means he was wit,
ness to what Lord Wellington even said
Ito Butcher. He saw them meet on the
|road and walk their horses for some hum
|dred yards in earnest conversation, when
Lord Wellington wished the veteran
good night, and success in the pursuit
land turned his horse back again to Wa
lterloo, to write his important despatch
les.
For great breadth along the road, our
officer pointed out to US the station OF the
reserve of the cavalry of the old guard,
with which desperate fral effort was
made to retrieve the battle The marks
| of the horses feet in the deep ground
hardened again when we saw it, gave an
amazing idea Of the immensely of the
| force which had stood there. The re-
serve of the young guard was posted in
hollow between Belle alliance and Mon.
Plaster. To the right of the esd, adj
jvanced in the pursuit, the Sod and list
regiments. 1t fell to them to meet the
young guard. Numbers were more than
Ievefout of theaausstion, panic had spread
Through the vast host of the enemy. The
two regiments, weakened as they had
been, rushed upon the guards and routed
them in an instant: the same guards.
with whesc spirit and equipments Napo-
leon had so lately before made all Europe
Ito resound. A most admirable msnoeu-
vre was here performed by the two vlcto-
|rious regiments. They separated, and
running on two sides of an oval, for a
considerable way met again; and thus
cut off several thousand prisoners.
Returning by Belle alliance, we add
ivanced about $50 yards to the rising
ground on the left hand side of the road,
looking to the British army, from which
Napoleon viewed the field /; and a very
complete view he had of it. He had no
,cafoid erected where he stood, and Ger.
Itainlv never went alter the battle had
commenced, to the telegraphe in the rear,
which was at the distance of at least a
mile. Tie 8 Reiat,oR'' says that he was
generally dismounted, walking back
wards and forwards in his usual attitude
with his hands behind his back, & look /.
ing stedfast!y at the conflict. Laeoste,
the farmer or rather proprietor OF La
Belle Alliance, it is well known, was
ninicned, set on horseback, and placed
beside the emperor very often exposed
to fire, and laughed at for manifesting
very natural alarm, carried Oft for some
miles in the fight, when the emperor used
the freedom to forget him and ultimate
ly dismissed him with the high reward
Tor all he had undergone, of one Napole-
on dor, about eos. sterling. We had
the good fortune to see this man. By the
coneurring testimony of friends as we'll
as enemies, the great Napoleon forfeited
his name on the spot of ground where he
now stood. With all his pretensiens to
skill, he had but one tac-
time. and that was, furious onset with
over powering masses of force +; system
which had, in no previous battle, i-eipsic
excepted, ever tailed him. He was well
aware of the numerical inferiority of the
British army, and making every allow
ance for their determined valor, well
known, but yet .untried by him, he con-
cluded confidently, that as they must re-
main on tie defensive, sufficient guam
tity of grape shot, would, in certain
number of hours, entirely cut them down.
His ignorant surprise has already been
. .-..A.AI III ,,xofondad 10, 20, ca, III,