The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1818-10-13


After such distressing drought Of news, OF
wars and ,umoursof wars AS has been exrerien
ceG for several years past, the following pleas
ing and gratifying details of widespread de-
vastation and distress" as theNewyork Column
bian ironically terms it, may afford at least a
temporary relief, and whilst the newsmonger
is ieasting upon dish so rare, the phllanthro-
times, will rejoice atthe approach OF happier
era
WATERLOO.
The following is taken from Rafaes's Tour IN
France, Germany, &c
6 The morning after our arrival in Brussels,
Lieut.. H and myself started in cabriolet for
Waterloo. On leaving Brussels, we turned to
the right, and soon entered the forest Of Sognies
through which we continued to travel till we
reached the village of Waterloo. The yistas
are extremely fine, and ifthere were no other at
fractions to Waterloo, this circumstance would
render il ride we'll worthy the occupation OF a
leisure morning. We reached mount st. Jean
which is about mile and half from Waterloo,
(and at which place the battle was fought,O
about ten. We breakfasted at a little auberge
at the end of the village, and having obtained
the famous Jean Baptiste La Coste, who was
the battle, as our Cicerone, we proceeded to view
the ground.
The high road through Waterloo TO Charleroi
passes directly along the centre Of the scene Of
action. The first object that arrested our atten-
ton solitary tree, on little elevation, and
on a rising bank close on the right hand side OF
the road. This is called Wellington tree, from
the circumstance that it was the station occupied
by Lord Wellington-if he can be said to have
had any station at ALL for he was perpetually RI
ding about to animate his men, and during the
whole of the day performed the service of a CO.
lionel to the respective regiments that needed the
inspiration of his presence. But it was the rally
ing point for his staff and there he was frequent
ly himself. Just behind that tree, cart path
over the farm, crosses the road. 1t has bank
of about three feet in height on each side Of IL
and here our troops hid themselves from the fury
of the enemy's fires, by lying down upon the
ground until they wanted. One olcer,
who was in this lane, was greatly alarmed and
extremely restless. His comrades cried out TO
him, that ifhe afraid, the best thing he could
do would be to lie still--but he would lift up his
head to see what was going on, and that instant
a cannon ball carried it off, To the left Of the
road, little beyond Wellington tree, are two
other trees, the first about forty fifty yards from
the road, and the second about the same distance
from the first. BY the first, Gen. Picton fell, and
by the second, Lord Uxbridge lost his g-and
little farther to the left in the valley, Colonel
Ponsonby was killed. Far to the left in that
direction, is the wood from which the Prussians
sailed out at four, under Bulow, aud at sven I'M
der Butcher, when Lord Wellington perceiving |
their approach made his final charge, and in ten |
minutes, as guide expressed himself, the
French were all in fight Not many yards from
Wellington tree, on the bank close by the road
side, Col. Gordon, his aid-de-camp, received his |
mortal wound. A noble monument of black mar |
BILE is now erecting the spot, TO perpetuate the
memory of the event, by his sister and five broth
ers. From this monument ysu look down upon
the farmhouse of La Haye Sdinte. 1t stands |
close to the right side of the road. There the
Hanoverans of the German legion fought, till all
their ammunition was exhausted, and then to the |
amount of four hundred, they were put TO the |
bayonet by the French. This seems to have.been
the only circumstance of omission with which |
Lord Wellington charged himself after the en- |
gagement ssWe ought,n said he, Ito have
made a hole in the wall at the back Of the house,
and have supplied them by that method with am
munition could not think of every thing"
The house and barn face each other-the yard
is between them, and they connected at their
gable ends by high walls-within this enclosure
were the Hanoverians. Every where In the
walls and roofs, and timbers of the house and
barn, are marks of the cannon and musketry, and
on the walls of the barn still to be seen the
stains of the blood that split, when, their
ammunition being exhausted, the poor fellows
were unable any longerto resist, and the French
forcing their way into the enclosure, moved
them down like corn We enquirsd for the old
woman who remained uninjnred in the cellar of
the house during the whole of the action, but were
told that she was not there, as the family who
then had the farm had since removed.
At the top of the hill, a quarter Of mile from
the farm house of La Haye Sainte, on the left
hand side ofthe road, is the pot-house called La
Belle Alliance, and about half way between the
farm house and the Belle Alliance, were the high
banks on either side of the road defended him
from the enemy's cannon, which passed over his
head, was the principal station of Bonaparte dur
ing the greater part of the action, and where the
guide said he remained FIVE hours at one time.
We halted like exhausted heroes, for we were
weary with wadng in the mud, and drenched
with rain, at the Belle Alliance. / took glass
of eau-de-yie, while we warmed ourselves by the
fire which blazed on the hearth, in the miserable
kitchen. The woman of the house told US she
was there at the time Of the battle, but that she
fed to the woods during the heat of the action,
and on her return, she found the house filled
with the wounded. II was near this place that
Wellington and Butcher met after the battle
La Coste said, that Bonaparte spoke but little
during the battle-and when the fate of the day
was determined against him, he simply cried, sit
Is all over,n and fed. He was as pale as death,
La Coste was with him till four in the morning,