The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-07-07


visible in the smashed and splintered
walls, in the well-perforated top part of
the south gate, the battered front of the
house, stables, and loop-holed walls con-
Meeting the buildings on the south, and
again running along the front of the gar
den. One cannon-ball hole is particular
ly pointed out to you in the east gable of
the house, which entered at the west end,
and cut through the whole house, and no
less than four walls The garden, or park,
was walled on the east and south sides,
where our troops made additional loop
holes, and erected scaffolding to enable
them to fire over the top of the
wall, or to bayonet intruders. At the
wall, an embankment with the loop-holes,
and scaffolds erected with some farming
utensils, enabled the Coldstream Guards
from the inside to throw such fire up
on the enemy's left flank. when in the
large orchard, that Col. Hepburn, who
commanded from about two o'clock, con-
sidered the cast wall as the strength of
his position
We walked along the front of the gar
den wall. in silent astonishment at the
millions of balls which have battered
without destroying it. 1t is supposed
that this stout wall of red brick was
mistaken by the French, as they reached
the extremity of the wood opposite to
it, for the close front rank of our troops.
At all events, they discharged tremen-
dous volley of shot against it, which was
returned with equal briskness by our
men through the loop-holes so that the
thick smoke, preventing the detection of
the error by the French, the contest went
on here most awfully, till it rose to such
pitch of rage, that the French soldiers
rushed up to the very wall, and discov-
ering the real obstruction, seized the
T barrels of the English muskets which
protrudcd through it, and endeavored tc
wrest the weapons from their possessors
f At the end of the battle, this space out
: side of the wall was piled with thousands
of slain, astonishing the most veteran
t observers, familiar with slaughter, al
their numbers. The wood which screen
, ed the French was so shattered by tho
= shot and shells which fell into it, that i
S is wholly cut down.
The chateau itself. we have said, is gone
+ Napoleon, finding that he could not fore,
the place, determined to burn out th
e English forces by shells. These wer
!, thrown in, in showers, and soon set tn
j buildings in flames About three o'clock
/, after more than three hours of desper
C ate conflict. the whole of the chateau an,
: part of the outbuildings were on fire
c The fire burnt on till it reached the chap
: el, between the chateau and farmhouse
o and here, as by a miracle, it stopped
IS having consumed only part of one foo
of the figure on the cross, which re
l. mains perfect, except that charred foo
e to this day, and the chapel entire. TIL
l. old walls of the garden also remain. Fo
n the rest, the farm buildings have resume
IT their usual work-a-day aspect, and
e farmers family inhabits the house, wher
e we found the women quietly ironing IL
o wash, heating their irons on the cur
E. GUS horizontal Flemish stove, and GOSSIP
r ping gaily in the midst of this region c
r. the dead Yet what place for ghost
IL lDc COulu Itiuill w
g, the spot of their fall ; if the fallen col
0. queror of almost all of the civilize
x world, and the annihilated invincibl
re Guard, could reappear on the scene {
s. their overthrow What spot, if tn
e. contending armies, like the warrior spi
re its of Walhalla, were still to pursue the
ID airy combats around the dark cred wall
III of Hougoumont
u Issuing from the orchard, and crossin
VI the little ravine on the north side jus
y y mentioned, we became sensible ofat lea'
~ ~ one enemy. This was bluesloppod Be
a. =, gic peasant. We had paid franc &
~ ~ the farm for the privilege of going owe
'e :" the fields in pursuit of our inquiries, BIT
- =, here our guide informed us that we wer
Io io on the edge of another property, and
~ ~ ascending the slope to the site of th
:" IL main army, we must be careful not
a set even a foot in clover-feld before u
"A "A A slight track along its edge indicate
y u its boundary, and to that track we wer
~ J, warned to keep carefully. Such is th
,e ,'' jealousy of the Bclgians of the Eaglis
! guide, and English visitors who do nc
e. e. employ them, that they watch the Wis
y y tors to the field as cat watches mic
:; ~ and a single foot set on their land col
:; signs you at once to the hands ofa coup
~ ~ of gens-d'arms, who march you off tw
le miles to magistrate. You are usual
II, , punished with fine of five francs I'll
- lue-frocked man kept scowling waite
~ upon us. and appeared cruelty dsappoin
- ~ cd that we did not fall into his tendC
&c mercies Numerous are the instances {
~ English, and Americans mistaken fc
~ i~e them, who, on going to the differer
= monuments on the field, which are su
20 70 rounded with corn, have thus been snal
u u ped up, and despite indignant remoI
> STRANGE. marched off and fined n
- - stranger should, in summer, venture o
y y the field without guide.
Escaping the clutches of this " BRAY
10 Beige" We ascendcd the slope, and 500
q stood on the ridge, along whose fol'
II road ran the front line Of the Allied A
ID my, in length upwards of mile and
in lalf The Lion Mount, in whose vicin
IS ty the battle ragged most fiercely, is abor
" the centre of the line, or about three
ii quarters of mile from Hougoumon
" Between that and the junction of tn
'. feld-road with the Nivelles road, th
,e Duke of Wellington was moving durin
o the chief time Of the battle. To ou
in left sloped away the ground TOWARD
Nv Waterloo, and on this slope the Duk
n kept his main reserve of troops, orde
n. ing them to lie down, so that they wel
n. protected from the enemys fire till the
q. were wanted, and to our right lay Il
o.oot Gala of conteAt We assembled