Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-08-22

sweat from lCs anxious forehead and oX-
claimed, "0h, that Blucher or night twould
Gomez" . Thus from eleven till four did
the battle rage with sanguinary fcrocity,
and still around the centre it grew more aw-
full every moment, The mangled cavalry
staggered up to the exhausted British
squares, which, though diminished and
bleeding in every part, seemed rooted to
the ground they stood upon. The heroic
Picton had fallen at the head of his brigade,
while his sword was flashing over his head.
Ponsonby had gone down on the hard fought
field, and terror and slaughter were ON eye
ry side--still the charge of the French cav
airy on the centre was terrific. Disregard
ing the close and murderous fire of the Brit
ish batteries, they rode steadily forward till
they came to the bayonets point, and then
firmly urged their horses heads against the
barrier, but in yain--pierced through and
broken, they were rolled back over the field,
but rallied again and again to the charge,
and prodigics of valor were wrought, and
heroes fell at every discharge. The rent
and troddcn field ran blood, yet through the
deep mud the determined foemen pressed
on, while out of the smoke of every volley
arose from the French lines the shout of
"UtUe PEmepereur P'
CHARGE OF THE GUARD.
At length dark object was seen to
emerge from the distant wood, and soon an
army of 10000 men deployed into the field,
and began to march straight for the scene
of conflict. Blucher and his Prussians had
come, but no Grouchy, who had been left
to hold them in check, followed after. In
a moment Napoleon saw that he could not
sustain the attack of so many fresh troops,
if once allowed to form junction with the
allied forces, and so he determined to stake
his fate on one bold cast, and endeavor to
pierce the allied centre with grand charge
of the Old Guard and thus throwing him
self between the two armies, fight them
separately. For this purpose the Imperial
Guard was called up, which had remained
inactive during the whole day, and divided
into two immense columns, which were to
meet at the British centre That under Re-
lille no sooner entered the fire than it disap-
peared likemist. The cothcr was placed under
Ney, the bravest of the brave" and the
order to advance given. Napoleon accom-
panied them part of the way down the slope,
and hating for moment in hollow, od-
dressed them in his fiery, impetuous man
ner. lie told them the battle rested with
them, and that he relied on their valor.-
Z" PtCe y Emperor !" answered him with
shout that was heard all over the field of
battle.
lie then left them to Ncy, who ordered
the charge. Bonaparte has been blamed
for not heading this charge himself; but
he knew he could not carry that guard so
far nor hold them so long before the artil-
lery, as Ney The moral power tho latter
carried with him, from the reputation he
had gained of being the bravest of tho
brave" was worth whole division When
ever column saw him at their head, they
knew that it was to be victory or annihila-
ton. With the exception of Macdonald,
do not know general in the two armies
who could hold his soldiers so long in the
very face of destruction as he.
The whole Continental struggle exhibit
ed no sublmer spectacle than this last cf
fort of Napoleon to save his sinking empire
Europe had been put upon the plains of
Waterloo to be battlcd for The greatest
military energy and skill the world possessed
had been taskod to the utmost during the
day Thrones were tottcring on the en-
sanguinod field, and the shadows of fugitive
kings fitted through the smoke of battle.
Bonapartos star trembled in the zonith-
now blazing out in its ancient splendor, now
suddenly paleing before his anxious eve
At length, when the Prussians appeared on
the field, he resolved to stake Europe on
one bold throw. ole committed himself
and France to Ncy, and saw his empire rest
on single charge. The intense anxiety
with which he watched the advance of that
column, and the terrible suspense he suffer
cd when the smoke of battle wrapped it
from sight, and the utter despair of his
great heart when the curtain lifted over
fugitive army, and the dcspairing shrek
rung on every side, Ga gorcIc recule," Ga
gardc recute," make us for the moment
forget all the carnage in sympathy with his
distress.
Ncy felt the pressure of the immense re-
sponsibility on his brave heart, and resolved
not to prove unworthy of the great trust
committed to his care. Nothing could be
more imposing than the movement of that
grand column to the assault That guard
had never yet recoilcd before human foe,
and the allied forces bcheld with awe it's
firmand terrible advance to the final charge.
For moment the batteries stopped play.
ing, and the firing ceased along the British
lines, as without the beating of dram, or
the blast of a bugle, to cheer their steady
courage, they moved in dead silence over
the plain. The next moment the artillery
opened, and the head of that gallant column
seemed to sink into the earkh Rank oftor