Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-09-11

At length a dark object WIS seen to emerge
from the distant wood and soon an army of 3D.
0OO men deployed in the field of Waterloo, and
began to IN irch straight for the scene of conflict.
Dlucher and his Prussians had come, but no
Grouchv, who had been left to hold them in
check, toii,w,d after. Ina moment Napoleon
saw that he could not sustain the attack of so
my fresh troops, il once allow to form Il
junction with the allied forces, and so he deter
mined to stake his fate on one bold cast, and en-
deavor to pierce the allied centre with Il grand
charge of the Old Guard-and thus throwing
himself between the two armies, fight them sep
arainly For this purpose the Imperial Guard
Were called up, when had remained inactive du-
ring the whole day, and divided into two i'm.
mense columns,w which were to meet at the Brit.
ish centre. That under Relic no sooner enter.
ed the fire than it disappeared like mist. The
other was placed under Ney, the 'bravest Of the
brave" and the order to advance given. Napo-
leon accompanied them part way down the slope,
and hating for Il moment in a hollow, addressed
them in his fiery, impetuous manner. lie told
them the battle rested with them, and that he re-
lied on their valor. "Virel Emperor! :" answer
ed him with IL shout that was heard all over tine
field Of battle.
ii, tlcn left them to Ncy, who ordered the
charge. B,naparte has been blamed for not
heading this charge himself; but he knew he
could not carry that guard so far or hold them
so LON before tn, artillery, "a Ney. The moral
power the latter carried with him, from the rep
itation he had gained of being the 'bravest OF
the brave was worth a whole division. When
.ver a column saw him at their head, they knew
nat it was to BE- victory or annihilation. With
~ exception of Mac donald, | do not know a
general in the two armies who could hold his
'oldiers so long in tn, very face of destruction
- he.
The whole Continental struggle exhibited no
,ublimer spectacle than this last effort of Napo-
con to save MS stalking empire. Europe ha
iecn put upon the plains of Waterloo to be bat
led for. Ths greatest military energy and skill
ne world possessed had been tasked to the Mt.
aost during the day. Thrones were tottering
N the |ensanguineI lield. and the shadows of ia.
!tive kings ilittel through the smoke of battle.
3,naparte's star tremblcd in the zenith-now
blazing ont in its ancient splendor. now sudden
y paling b,t,rc his anxious eye. At length
HIen the Prussians appeared on the field, he
resolved to stake Eirope on one bold throw
lie con nitted hi:nself and his charge to Ney
and saw MS en- lire rest on a single charge
ia, intense anxiety with which he watched the
advance of that column, and the terrible sus,
pense he suffered when the smoke of battle
wrapped it from sight, and the utter despair OF
his great heart wien the curtain lifted over a fl
pitivs ar NJ, and the de'pairing shrek rung or
every side, 'Hl gards %re;uAe," IN garie recuLe,'
IN ,kes Us tor the moment forget all the carnage
in sympathy with his distress.
Ney felt the pressure of the immesse respon
sibility on his brave heart, and resolved not t.
prove unworthy Of the great trust committed Il
his care. Nothing could be more imposing thai
the movement of that column to the assault
Tat guard had never yet recoiled before a hu,
man foe, and the allied forces b,held with awe
its firm and terrible advance to the lin Il charge
For a moment the batteries stopped playing, an,
the firing ceased along the British lines, as with,
out the beating of 4 drum, or the bias of a blgle
To cheer their steady courage, they moved in
dead silence over the plain, The next NON, m
the artillery opened, and the heal OF taat z ,lanl
column seems to slnk into the eartI, Rank
after rank went down, yet tiey neltaer stopped
nor filtered. Dissolving sliddrons and wlolt
battalions disappeared at once, affected not theiI
steady courage. Ihe rank, closed up as before
AL cacl treading over his fallen c%onrile,
pre- sed nrmly on. The horse which Ney rode
fell under him., and h. scarcely mJunted another
before it also sunk TO the earth. Again and
az lin did that unillnching man feel MS steed
sink down, till fre had been shot under him,
T,an. with his uniform r,ldied with bullets, aud
hi. face singed and blackened with powder, he
IN lrched on foot with drawn sabre at the head
nj his men. In vain did the artillery hurl its
storm of fire aud lead into that living mass. Up
10 the very muzLles they pressed, and driving
the artillerymsn from their own pieces, pushed
On through the English lines. But at that mo-
mani a ME of soldiers who had laid nat on the
ground, bshind a low ridge OF earth, suddenly
| rose and poured a volley in their very faces
' Another and another followed till one broad
sheet of lame rolled on their bosoms, and IN
: such a fierce and unexpected flow, that human
J. com age could not Withstand it, They rssled