The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-08-15

lie had, Il was true tho same confidence that Nnpo
leon had through the day, but with less Boosting
spirit. "Would to God that night or Butcher would
come" was of the natural hut ngonzed express
sions of Wellington, when told by mn aid de-camp
that il utterly impossible for of his favorite
regiments longer TO maintain their grounds al cannot
help it, sad the Duke. "Thcy must keep the
ground with myself to tho las, man," And then
came the wish for Butcher which had often been ut
tered and to realize which could alone ensure vclo-
ry, not only to Wellington and 70 England, but to
PRUSSIA, and Holland and to Belgium FOR all of these,
with their host OF generals, md ofthcr bravest
men, were in arms against one man and single pow
or. The day everything 10 Napoleon rs a man,
and wrapped up in the glory OF France as he was he
deemed il every thing for France. His men had
toied with cheerful spirit through n wet and drenry
night TO be early in the field, and they now were up
on the ground opposite TO that where l have Just
BEEN with Napoleon upon ncighboring emncnce,
acquahting himself, with his map in hand and at the
earliest hours of the day, with every line and feature
road and pathway of the surrounding country.
TWAS within an hour OF mid day when the Empc-
ror gave the word for attack The English front did
not extend more than mile and half, and the line
such body of men, SO, 900 in one army and from
Go to 10000 in the other, battle had ever before
been fought within SO small a compass Of land
The Chateau Of Hougoumont was the most impor-
tant and therefore the first point of attack by the
French. The English had been strongly posted
there and 1t was place which of itself WINS strong
defence. An easy victory would have been given to
Napoleon, had he become possessor Of the Chateau.
Once and again, md again, the left wing of tho at
lacking army, commanded by Jerome Bonaparte, nd
vanced against the Chateau. The battallions which
occupied the wood in front, for time, scatter
cd like chal before the wind under the mcrciess FIRE
of superior force. body Of the last wing pene-
trnted even to the house, but second brigade of
chosen guard who occupied the Chateau, aud lined
the garden walls, in possession of the orchard
and there strong enough to resist every effort to dis
lodge them The French were laundering at the
very doors Of the Chateau, but n reinforcement Of
the English troops and well directed fire drove them
back Again they rallied aud pushed onward, and
again they driven back in confusion In thirty
minutes Of time, fifteen hundred men persisted in the
orchard of Hougoumont alone, ard upon piece of
ground containing not more than four acres. A more
frightful followed when the house was set on
fire by the French. Friend and foe were alike en-
veloped in the flames and in the very thckest of the
fire and smoke, the combat ragged the fercest. Each
man maintained his ground in spite OF fire and sword
and while Of the outbuildngs of the Chateau was
flied with the dying and wounded, who lay crowded
in heaps together, dying as it the thousand
deaths of fame and fire, shreking too until the cries
Of dspair echoed through the woods and along the
plain, the combatans were as fercey fighting without,
as IT the scene of strife had been in the open field
The engagement here partook moro Of the rerocly of
the wild beasts Of tho forest made furious from hun
ger and confinement than Of men engaged in n manly
struggle TO become yictors. The wounded were many
of them burnt alive, and in the agonies of most
horrible death, the dying gave up the ghost. The
living hereabout in tho meantime man to man fought
with desperation SO fierce that they saw not the
danger of the surrounding flames; aud were at last
engulPhed in the fire. from which they could now
make escape. Thus hundreds and hundreds fell,
and though the Chateau had been reduced to a mere
she'll the marks of which il carries now in common
with every sbct around not covered by the face of
nature, the British maintained their posts, and the
French were driven back as often as they attempted
to become masters Of the field. All this, however,
WINS but the movements of one wing of the French
army Inc frencn artillery, Win columns oil lnian-
try and cavalry, while the left wing were the most
fercey engaged, had assembled the eminences
pied by the enemy. Whole squares of the British
were moved down like the grass of the field, but the
chasm soon filled made vacant; and here
not one foot Of ground was lost or won. Fooled here
Napoleon commenced fierce attack tho left of the
British army, in the hope OF turning it, and separating
the main army from the Prussans; and also of cut
ting off the retreat in the direction of La Hale Sainte
should one be attempted. The manonvre was bold
one, and success or defeat were alternate. The
French, however, conducted themselves worse here
than anywhere else, and were often repulsed. The
Scotch behaved most valian,ly here, and of their
regiments was reduced to two hundred men. Three
Of the French regiments lost their eagles here, and in
the British ranks, Sir Il. Picton and Sir William Pom
sonby lost what is more important their lives. Ma
polcon was never idle, never disheartened. His po
sition was comma ndng one, and though amazed ut
the resistance he had met with, he was yet deter
mined to move on, and to give his enemy neither
tune for rest or thought beyond the moment. The
farm of La Hale Sainte "a position as important al