Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-01-14

the human race.
Accept, with my thanks, gentlemen, the assurance
of my friendly regard. FRANK. PIERCE.
To Messrs. J. B. Badleman John Middleton, E.
Cook &c. &c.
The :. OLD Guard" at Waterloo.
The following description of the last charge by
the Old French Guard at Waterloo is derived from
French work entitled Historic de la Garde I'M
periale: relue par Emile Marco de Saint Hiliare'"
and is interesting at the present moment
During the day the artillery of the Guard, under
Drouet, maintained its old renown; and the Guard
itself had frequently been used to restore the battle
in various parts of the field and always with sue
cess The English were fast becoming exhausted,
and in an hour more would doubtless have been
forced into disastrous defeat but for the timely
rival of Butcher. But when they saw him with his
thirty thousand PruSsians approaching, their cour-
age revived, while Napoleon was filled with amaze
ment. A beaten enemy was about to form juno
ton with the allies, while GrOuchy, who had been
sent to keep him in check. was nowhere to be SEEN
Alas! what great plans a sing Gle inefficient comman
der can overthrow.
In a moment Napoleon saw that he could not sus-
tain the attack of so many fresh troops If once al
lowed to form junction with the allied forces, and
he determined to stake his fate bold cast,
and endeayor to pierce the allied centre with grand
charge of the Old Guard, and thus throw himself
between the two armies For this purpose the I'M
perial Guard was called up and divided into two
immense columns, which to meet In the British
centre. Those under Reille no sooner entered the
fire than it disappeared like mist. The other was
placed under Ney, g the brAvest of the brave and
the order to advance given. Napoleon accompanied
them part of the way down tie slope, ard hating
for moment in hollow, addressed them few
words. He told them the battle rested with them,
and that he relied on their valor, tried in so many
fields ''Niye lEmpereur!" answered him with Il
shout that heard above the thunder of artillery
| The whole continental struggle exhibits no sub
Inner spectacle than this last effort of Napoleon to
| in bo ST mill tor
ergy and skill the world possessed had been taxed to
the utmost during the day. Thrones lettering
Oh the turbulent field, and the shadows of fugitive
| kings fitted through the smoke of battle. Bona
parties star trembled in the zenith-now blazing out
in lis ancient splendor, suddenly paling before
! his anxious eye. The intense anxiety with which
he watched the advance of that col umn and the ter
ribe suspense he suffered when the smoke of battle
wrapped it from sight and the utter despair of his
great heart when the curtain lifted over a fugitive
army, and the despairing shrek rang out, 1.-The
Guard recoils y g: The Guard recos ~ make for
a moment forget all carnage in sympathy with his
distress
The Old Guard felt the pressure of the immense
responsibility. and resolved not to prove unworthy
to the great trust committed to its Nothing
could be more imposing than its movement to the
assault. 1t had never recoiled before human foe
and the allied forces beheld with awe its firm an
steady advance to the final charge. For moment
the batteries stopped playing and the firing ceased
along the British lines. as without the beating of
drum, bugle note to cheer their steady courage
they moved in dead silence the field. TEeil
tread was like muff1ed thunder. while the dazzling
helmets of the cuirassers flashed long streams O.
light behind the dark and terrible mass that SWEEP
in one strong wave along. The stern Drouet was
there amid his guns, and every brow writer
the unalterable resolution to conquer or die The
next moment the artillery opened, and the head o.
that gallant column seemed to sink in the earth
Rank after rank went down, yet they never stopped
nor faltered. issolving squadroas and whole bat
tallons disappearing one after another in the de
structve fire affected not their steady courage The
ranks closed up as before and each. treading over
his fallen corlrade, passed unfinchingy on.
The horse which Ney rode fell under him, ant
scarcely ha he mounted another before it also sanl
to the EARTH and so another and another till fiv,
SUGGESTIONS had been shot under him. Then will
his drawn sabre, he marched sternly at the head o
his column. In vain did the artillery hurl its storm
of iron into that living mass. Up to the very muz
zes they pressed, and driving the artilerymen from
their pieces, pushed on through the English lines
But Just the victory seemed won, file of soldiers
who had laid fat on the ground behind low ridg
of EARTH suddenly and poureda volley into the
} very faces. Another followed. till one broad shee
of fame rolled on their bosoms, and in such fierc
and unexpected flow that they staggered back be
} fore it. Before the Guard had time to rally again
and advance, heavy column of infantry fell on il
left flank in close and deadly volleys causing it. il
its unsettled state. to to the right. At tina
instana whole brdgade of cavalry Numbered on tn
right flank, and penetrated where cavalry had neye
: gone before
That intrepid Guard could have borne up agains
the unexpected fire from soldiers they did moi see
and would also have rolled back the infantry tina
had boldly charged its left flank; but the cavalr
finished the disorder into which they had been mo
n mentardy thrown, and broke the shaken ranks be
fore they had time to reform and the eagles of tina
: hitherto lnylnclble Guard were pushed backwar
: down the slope. 1t was then that the army seize
with despair, shrieked out, The Guard recoils i!
e The Guard recols" and turned and fed in wild dis
: may. TO see the Guard in confusion was a sigh
: they had never before beheld and it froze ever
= heart with terror. Still those veterans refused
l. ny; rallylng from their disorder they formed int
# two immense squares of eight battaons and turne
Hereby on the enemy, and nobly srove to stem tn
l. reversed tide of battle
j For a long time they stood and let the canno
balls plough through their ranks, dsdaning to tur
their backs on the foe Michel at the head of thos
e battalions fought like a lion. To every comman
OF the enemy to surrender, he replied, The Guar
II dies-it never surrenders" and with his last breat
c bequeathng this glorious motto to the Guard, b
Fol