New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-11-30

with guide gives one clearer idea OF the battle
than all the descriptions in existence. The usual
accounts confuse the reader by the multiplicity of
their details, and by their minute records OF the
movement of every regiment. Let me endeavor
to convey you, very briefly, Invested of all mill
tarv technicallties, my own impressions of the
general features Of the battle which, together
with the sovereignty Of Europe, seems to have
depended on the old farmhouse OF Hougonmont
The field had been selected by the Duke of
Wellington the previous year as the strongest Po-
sition for stopping the advance Oft the French upon
Brussels, and he accordingly, upon hearing of
their approach, there concentrated his troops
His victory must be ascribcd to the advance OF
the Prussians but his escape from being defeated
before their arrival is due to his gcneraship in
approaching and Selling the natural advantage of
this location.
On reaching the field you find the road ascend
gentle rise of ground. You thus reach the sum-
nit Of ridge extending thrce-quartcrs of mile
on your right hand and as far on your left. This
was occupied by the BRITISH army. In front of
you the hill slopes down into valley, on the other
side of which rises a corresponding ridge, on
which the French were posted. The shallow val
lev which separated the armies is only third of
{, mile in width.
Three larm-houscs upon the ridge occupied by
the British, were converted by them into tempo
rary fortrcsscs. The one to your left is La Hayc,
that in the middle is In HaYc Sainte, and the
ono to your right, and by far the strongest OF the
three, and the one which decided the battle, is
H0ug0umont.
Upon this ridge the British remained on the de-
fensivc waiting for the advance Of the Prusslans
and receiving the fierce charges of the French
Napoleon could not pass between these British
forts without exposing his troops TO flank lire,
nor did he think it prudent TO leave such strong
posts in his rear. His main object, therefore, was
to make himself their master. He succeeded in
taking La Hayc and La Haye Saintc, and then
the game depended on the capture Of Hougoumont
Chess players will understand that it was pre-
cisely like the contest for the Pawn in the Muzlo
gambit
If Hougoumont had been built for a fortress, it
could scarcely have been stronger. 1t is an old
fashioned Flemish Chateau, built of stone and sur
rounded BY garden enclosed by high stone
wall, outside of which is n large orchard surround
cd by another wall The English broke loop
holes in these TO fire through, while they were
themselves protected, as were our troops at New
Orleans by their Cotton bags. The French sew
eral times succeeded in passing the outer wall and
entering the orchard, but they only once pene-
J a.,
rushed in through the gate, Col. Mac Donald,
stopping under their muskets, slipped through
their band, shut the gate, and took them prison.
ers Again they renewed the assault on the
Chateau, and Jerome Bcnaparte led against 1t
$4,000 men, but all in vain. The slaughter on
that spot was immense; the walls even yet are
SCARED by bullets. and the gate is like sieve,
but the garrison feeling that their post was the
key Of the British position most courageously
maintained their stand, though the house was
often wrapt in flames, and the dead within out
numbered the living.
The struggle had long been carried on over the
whole line, but most intensely at Hougoumont,
when Napoleon saw the Prusslans advancing from
the forest on his right. He knew then that he
soon would be overpowered by numbers, and he re-
solved to make last and desperate effort. He
ordered MS Imperial Guard, whom he had, till
then, kept in reserve, and who had ever before
been nvinciblc, to charge upon the centre Of the
English line. They gladly obeyed, and broke
through the outer British ranks. 1t was then
that Wellington is said to have exclaimed to his
Guards, who were kneeng in reserve behind
a little bank, which the French were approaching,
(" Up, Guards, and at them" They rose at the
word, drove back the French with great slaughter,
and Napoleon, saving, "All is lost :" left the field
to his conQuerors
When the Duke Of Wellington, who had been
sixteen hours in his saddle dismountcd from his
faithful stccd Copenhagen, the spirited animal
kicked out in manner which nearly proved fatal
TO his rider And well would it have been for the
fame of the Duke, if that day had been his last,
for he would then have been remembered, not as
the narrow-nindcd and prcjudiced leader Of the
English Tories, but only as the victor Of the Con-
queror of Europe.
Near the Dukes station is erected huge pyra-
mid of earth, two hundred feet high, beneath
which the bones of friend and foe lie heapcd IN
discriminatory together. gigantic Lon crowns
its summit from which a very complete view OF
the whole field is obtained. Among the many
feelings which there crowd on the mind Of the
spectator, the most prominent is one which has
been most happily expressed by Southcy,
uWas i, soothing or a mounful thought,
Amid this scene of slaughter As we STOOD
Where armies had with recent fury fought,
To mark how gentle Nature still, pursued
rniat cnnrSe &c she took