The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-01-03
From the correspondence Of the N. Y. Tribune, ]
atap8l 5iqoqq WATERLOO. NJ tfsafa 4 I.

ny
"A mile farther you reach the field itself IL is
an undulating plain almost without trees or fences
and it is surrounded 5y heights which make It'll
fit ampitheatre for deciding the destiples Of ma,
tons. "A personal examination of Il in company,
with guide gives ono 4 clearer idea 81 the bat
tie than all thu descriptions in existence. The
usual accounts confuse the reader by tho multi
plicity Of their details, and by their minute re-
cords Of the movement of every regiment. Let
me endeavor to convey to you, very briefly, d.
vested Of all military technicalites. my own inn
pressions Of the general features of the battle
which, together With the Sovereignty Of Europe,
seems TO have depended cn The Old farm house Of
re field Mad been selected ~ the Duke q
Wellington The previous year al the strongest
position for stopping the advance Of the French
upon Brussels, and he accordingly, upon hearing
Of their approach, there concentrated his troops.
His victory must be ascribed to the advance o.
the Prussians, but his escape from being defeated
before their arrival is due to his generalship in
approaching and seizing the natural advantage Of
this location. t . s;.s
On reaching the field, you, find the road ascend
a. gentle rise of ground. You thus reach the
summit of ridge extending three-quarters Of a
mile on your right hand and az 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 we're posted. The shallow
valley which separated the armies isonly . third
of lille in width HI ss5sf I'll II. saifsla
Three farm houses upon the ridge occupied by
the British were converted by them into tempo
rary tortresses. The one to your left La Haye,
that in the middle is La Haye Sainte, and the
one to your right and by far the strongest of the
three, and the one which decided the battle, is
Houg0nn0nf. A IA
Upon this ridge the British remained on the
defensive, waiting the advance If the Prussianss
and receiving the fierce charges Of the French.
Napoleon could not pass between these British
forts without exposing his troops to flank FIRE,
nor did he think it prudent to leave such strong
posts in his rear. His main objest, therefore,
was to make himself their master. He succeed
ed in taking La Haye and La Haye Sainte, and
then the game depended on the capture Of Hou-
goumont. Chess-players will understand that
It was precisely like the contest for the Pawn in
the Muzio gambit. 1872 s4ss sei4
sa If Hougoumont had been built for fortress, il
could scarcely have been stronger. Il is an old
fashioned Flemish chateau, built Of stone, and
surrounded by garden enclosed by high stone
wall, outside of which is large orchard sur
rounded by another wall. The English broke
loopholes in these to fire, through, while they
were themselves protected, as were our troops
at New orleans by their cotton bags. The.
French several times succeeded in passing the
outer wall and entering the orchard, but they
only once penetrated into the second enclosure,
and then as they rushed III through the gate,
Col Mac Donald, STOPPING under their muskets,
slipped through their ranks, shut the gate, and
took them prisoners Again they renewed the
assault on the chateau, and Jerome Bonaparta
led against it $4,000 men; but all 10 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 ou,numbered the living.
The struggle had long been carried on over
the whole line, but most intensely at Hougou-
mont, when Napoleon saw the Prussians adj
vancing from the forest on his right. He knew
then that he soon would be overpowered by
numbers, and he resolved to make q last and
desperate effort. He ordered his Imperial Guard.
whom he had till then kept in reserve, and who