Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-02-01
THE FINAL CHARGE OF THE GIARDs an
WATERLOO.
BY W. H. MAXWELL,
Author of "StOrieS Of Waterloo"

OF those memorable sentences, standing
for the symbols and representatives Of
great events, which like the report Of
Caesar, 'veni, vidi. vici;" Perry's, ave
have met the enemy. and they are ours -
and Nelson's signal, England expects
every man to do his duty,"--have i'm
printed themselves in capital letters, on
the page of history, and have been admit
ted among the mnemonics of nations. At
the sound, fancy sees the hilltop, on
which Death bad sat like crowned mon
arch through all the dreadful day of Wa,
terloo, swarming with the life as of a sud :
den resurrection,--and hears the answer.
ing shout, when the hurricane OF war
swept down its slopes that tore into shreds
the banners ofFrance, and laid an Empire
in the dust
The last charge of the British Guards,
on the 18th Of June, 1915, besides being
necessarily rich in picturesque effects, is
an incident of the most intense dra-
matte interest, as being the point OF
crisis in one of those great actions, by
which the destiny of nations is conspicu.
ously moulded. But, more than such in.
cidents in general, it derives peculiar
interest of its own, by the circumstances
by which it had been preceded. II has
often been doubted, whether Wellington,
with French Troops, or any other but
British Troops could have won the field
of Waterloo. The battle of Waterloo was
a continued succession of tremendous char.
ges by the French columns on the British
squares; and hour after hour, did these
men stand to be moved down on The spots
where they had been placed. watering I'm.
murmuringly with their blood, the ground
on which a glorious harvest was to be
reaped, though well they knew THAI they
should not be at the gathering.
The duty of each exposed square, was
like the desperate one ola forlorn hope.
"When will we get at them" was the
passionate cry ofthe Irish regiments, when
death blew through their ranks, and their
temper at times all but failed, "The loss
of individual regiments under circumstan.
ces so maddening," says historian of
the scene, twas prodgious. One had
four hundred men moved down in square,
without pulling a trigger; it lost all its
officers, and subaltern commanded il for
half the day." Another. "when nearly
annihilated. sent to require support, none
could be given and the commanding off.
Ger was told, "thal he must stand or fall
where he was !"
Knowing the tremendous sacrifices of
life that was going on, Napoleon calcula-
ted on wearying the British into defeat.
Ever and again, the masses Of the French
came dashing against the British squares,
and were rolled back as from stone walls
but not without making fearful chasms
in the living masonry. which were instant
ly and steadily filled up. Oh! for one
blast OF the 5ugle that should have sound
ed to the charge! And it came at length!
awakening the myriad energies that
had slumbered through all that long and
desolating day, into one tremendous and
irresistible burst of action, and gathering
the boarded vengeance of its weary hours
into one vast impulse, beneath whose dis.
charge Napoleon fell
1t was after the Prussians had began
to debouch from the woods of st. Lambert,
that Napoleon, seeing the day was lost,
unless be could make an instant impress.
sion or the British front, led on his old
imperial guard to the foot Of the bill, be.
hind whose crest the British guard lay
crouched like lions. Here he paused, on
the remonstrances of his staff; and Mar.
shall Ney led this last great venture up the
hill. The hour was come when the sleepy
spell was to be broken, and the fearful
nightmare, which had ell that day sat
amongst the British squares, at length
shaken off Calamity, amid showers Of
grape and canister, the imperial guard
swept on, and gallantly they crossed the
ridge Of the hill.
Then it was, that tho celebrated words
were uttered-"UP, GUARDS, AND AT
THEM!'' The tide of war which had fol
lowed all day long towards fhe British
lines, was rolled back; the cavalry came
pouring in the track of the gallant guards,
and the Duke of Wellington closed his
telescope, and gave the final order for the
whole British line to advance. Was any
order ever before so exultingly obeyed =?
Wounds, and fatigue, and hunger, were
all forgotten. They began to cross the
ridge but nature had been strained to
her utmos, point OF forbearance, and when
they saw the French troops before them,
SO cry arose." says sn able historian,
! ''that seemed to rend the heavens"
When silence again descended on that
; ield, to sit there eth his natural ally,
Death, the stars to which Napoleon trust.
) ed had fought against him in their COUP
ses as they did against Sisera OF old.-ths
eagles were low on the plain, from whence