The native American., 1839-06-22
lFr, the Brussels Correspondent Of the NeO Fork Sur
THE FIELD OF WATERLOO.

within sight of it, From Brussels to Waterloo is
but pleasant drive, and now only wonder that
have not been here long ago. But, TO tell the
truth, do not like visiting any show place ina
crowd, and having steadily resisted all invitations
to form one of party hither, have come by
myself-the advantage is, that am not likely to
quarrel with my company
am now quarered for the night at village
Inn, (the Hotel dies Coionpss) in the village Of
st. John, (St. Jean which was within the Eng
lish lines on the great day, which swept Napo-
leon from the throne. 1t is nearly "A years since
that event took place, and 1t is exactly IL years
from this very day that the tettered eagle died in
that island which was the prison, and is the nigh
ty monument to his immortal memory. have
dined or rather supped off joint Of ros-bJ, ac-
companied with pleasant cider, which is
much up as English champagne, and with bot
tie passable caret, and cheroot, it is hard if
man cannot get on very well. But have an
hour or so to spare-and here it goes to bestow
my tediousness on thee!
Travellers have told the world over and over
again, how the field Of Waterloo acas. | think
you had as well learn how it IS. Changed
enough, God knows. Cultivation has done
something to effect this change, but villanous bad
taste, and royal vain-glory, have done the rest
In the plain, the Dutch erected a huge mound,
shaped like cone on which they placed Bel
gic lion. This hillock was actually made, to
mark the spot where the Prince of Orange was
wounded. And to do the matter thoroughly,
about twenty feet of the soil were leveled away
to some extent; titus changing the very character
Of the scene of battle! The localities are thus
destroyed. You read an account of the battle,
and when you visit the scene OF action, you can
not understand how the battle was fought, and
you wonder why you cannot. The French cav
airy were checked in their advance by the rough
ness Of the ground-the mound manufacturer has
cleared it all away. bank sheltered the Eng
fish cavalry from the deadly sweep of the French
guns-the bank is taken away. The English
troops for hours sustained the attack Of the French
III one commanding position--that has been
shovelled away! All this has been done to tell
that Dutch Prince was wounded on the field.
Besides, to say nothing of the strong chance
of the Belgians or French, forcibly removing this
monument of vanity, it is already decaying. Eve
ry fall of rain brings down part Of it. Nature
is getting an ascendancy over art. The guard,
whose locale is at the foot of this hillock, finds
it difficult to keep any thing like an ascent Of
stairs for the visitors. 10 crown all, the Belgans
who do not like the Prince of Orange), are re-
solved that the lion (cast at Cockrelrs foundry in
1870 shall be demolished.
From the place where this poor lion stands,
you command good view Of the Field of Wa
terloo; but the only way is to traverse it OH foot
as did this blessed day, under the ciceroneshp
Of one Cotton, formerly sergeant-major in the 9TH
Hussars. The best elevated view is from such all
observatory as was occupied by Napoleon during
the battle.
The wood ofPoignes is rapidly vanishing. The
owners cutting it down every year. The
Duke of Wellington has estate here, las
Prince Of Waterloo and he also is cutting down
his timber. BY and by, when Belgium falls into
the possession of France or the Prussians, or is
again joined to Holland, it will be some revenge
to have cut down every stick in the country!
Hougomont is becoming ruin-but then, as
set off, the willow over the Marquis of Angesea's
leg is very Furnishing. George ".
visited Waterloo when on the Continent in Sep
TENDER, 1921, and is said to have contemptuousy
smiled at the idea of gorgeous monument over
the said leg. It was ostentatous vanity to have
put such thing there-the more inexcusabe as
the Marquis of Angesea is man of undoubted
valor.
There are numerous guides, but Cotton is the
best. The natives insist that the Dutch won the
battle, and blame Cotton who was present and
very severely woundcd) for affirming that the
Duke Of Wellington and his troops bad some
4
Butcher was the conqueror The French say
as little about the matter as they can.
Nsiters to Waterloo are tormented, as | was,
by hordos ofpeople offering relics for sale. There
are bits of red and blue cloth, buttons, Aints,
helmet ornaments, and SO on. Now these, with
out exception are manufactured relics. They
are all made at Brussels. Avoid them as if they
were infectious. You may pick up relic yet.
| found one bullet in the middle of lump of clay.
OF human relics there remain many. The
bones of the dead are perpetually turned up by
the plough They say that the field of Waterloo
has been remarkable for its fine corn since the
battle. The year after the fight, the corn all
came up Of dark green-human gore had made
the land much too rich
All the maps, except Sergeant-Major Cotton's,
are wrong. | mean all sold at the hotels at st.
Jean or by the native guides. They are all
turned the wrong way, so that the French and
English occupy, on the maps, different sides to
those occupied by them on the field. This is
light difference.
believe it is not generally known that, in the
autumn oflsl4, as the Duke of Wellington
passing over Waterloo, he was struck with the
aspect Of the place. "rhis," said he sis the