Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-05-09


not word was sroken amongst the we'll plant-
ed squares OF British. The French were with
in fly yards of then and the battle begins.
"There," cried trooper: show our men give
i, to them.-there's voley!-look how the
horses fall!-see, they cant stand i'-hurrah!-
the rascalS are staggered-the 9Th ale alter
lhem-,hey deploy INTO lire; there the French
go, with The bayonet at them, heler-skel'er.
But observe, at a little distance from them the
enemy's dragons are =! the 42d-the scotch
open and let them pass-but now they get 1t
right and left Down they go-bfavo! old
Scotland."'
"By heavea.." cried Gray, "here comes the
Brunswick horse in confusion, porsued by the
curassiers along the road, near he village.
All turned gaze At he point; 1t was too
true; their leader had fallen, they had advanced
too incautiously and were therefore obliged 10
fall back.
Here they come, and the French cavalry
are cluse upon them. But see tie Highlanders
in the ditch. Hark there-they gave them
a solley. Down tumble the horsemen!-look-
they are in heap on the ground.
A shout from The troopers acknowledged
the glorious truth. 1t was the fire from the
e2d that achieved the triumph.
The artillery, the muske,ry, and the shouting
81 the combatanis, became SO deafeDing that
even the group Of troopers unoccupied in the
| fight, and in the rear, could scarcely hear each
others voice. Gray's party mounted their
| horses now, in order 10 have better view of
the battle, and from the s'itution OF the ground
on which they were standing, they beheld, in
! awful anxiety, rush after rush made against the
British infantry, whose cuy was evidently
tina: Of firm defence, they beheld wave after
wave Of blue ranks advancing over the rising
bosom of the ground, and saw them success.
sively battered by the rocks they assaul'ed--
the ground covered with men and horses by
the well directed fire Of the squares The o.
ther division Of The English armv were fast
arriving, and taking up ground, on the left, in
spite Of the efforts of he French to prevent it,
and thus divide them from their comrades IN .
gagged. A" hill," Gas the sailors say, when the
storm pauses lille,) took place and both ar
mics stood, rs it were, looking at each other.
| followed-the tempest returned with double
violence. The mouth of Ney's numerous cam
non opened again The smoke drifted over the
| English, and under its cover were seen adyan-
cling an immense force, for another struggle
with The right of the Dukes line, in order TO
turn it, and possess Il emselves OF the village.
The Duke and his staff were in front of the god
regiment, and the balls playing ofhad knocked
down several Of his aids de camp. As the foe
me near, the artillery ceased, the close fight
bryan, and several regiments at once poured
in their fire: both sides KEEP, their ground,
and hundreds fell a, every discharge of mus
kerry. The Duke now, in the pthy and ia
mIiar language Of the soldier cried TO the
Scots, Ninety second, you mus, charge these
| {, llows."
| The word was magic-,he kills rushed "a
gins, the blaze Of the lifail.rurs! Their leader
| and their officer fell amorg.' them: but Alas!
their blood only enraged the meG-hercely as
tigers they rush, and their bayonets sink into
the mass before them. The whole fly before
them, while The victorious Highlanders pursue
hem out of sigh Of their general. Alas! many
Of these heroes fell in their gallant work.
! This glorious charge was bebeld by Gray
and hi, comrades with drIigh:; their shscos
waved over their heads, and their cries OF ex-
Ilation fully showed wha catching Thing is
the f-ver cf ,hr fight. Onr Of the dragons
now turned his eyes TO the wood on the right
which The French had possessed themselves Of
and exclaimed
"Bu, look, the guards have come up and are
in the wood. Where did hey come from? /
didn't see them before. Hank! how they shout,
they are all amongst the r Is"
dyes, and they'll not soon come back; they
will keep their ground, III warrant" cried the
corporal
At this moment the troopers were somewha:
disarrsnged by part of he earth suddenly
Aging upwards in cloud; it was the effect Of
a Cannon hall which had struck the ground
They started few PAGES baokw ards, wiped
their faces, and having all passed their joeular
sen imen,s on the occasion. cody united again
to view and comment on The action.
They continued TO g,ze on the busy and
bloody scene, with but few observations
Mass after mass was advancing against the
steady squares IF infantry, aud received with
roars of musketry; The cavalry of the enemy.
desperate and disappointed, salloped about the
close and well guarded Brltons, cutting at The
ranks and dropping as they cut Artillery bel
lowed upon the unyielding heroes, whose ranks
closed up al every point where the dead had
opened them; they cried aloud for the order to
advance; but received The cool and prudent ne
ga,i,e Of the wa.chful chief, who during the
action, was moving from rank to rank, encour
sgirg and elevatipg The energies OF his men.