Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-03-26
Napoleon S Old Guard.
VIE FINAL CHARGE Ar WATERLOO.

uhOrlU'lly III history : b'U lnelr SThilu CROWN
ing act wns their desperate charge at Water
loo, which has few parallels in ancient or
modern warfare, They fought for their
adorcd Emperor, and to retrieve the evil for.
tunes OF tho day, und they frlt lis though to
do 80 would secure them immortal glory and
eternal bliss in the World of spirits.
The most graphic nnd stirring account of
that last fearful uhl fhtal struggle thnt we
have seen is from a recently published French
work. 1t reads like war itself:
During the day the artillery of the Guard
under Drouet maiutai ned its oll rcnown,
and the guard had frequently been useful it.
self to restore the battle in various parts of
the field and always with success Tie En-
sish were fast becoming exhausted aud in
nn hour would, doubtless. hnve been forced
into II disastrous defeat, but for the timely
aid of Butcher. But when they saw him
with his 10000 PruSsianS approaching their
courage revived, while Napoleon was filed
with amazGmcnt. \ beaten cacmy ubont to
form junction with the Allies, while Grou-
chy, who had been absent to keep them in
check, WITS no where to he seen. Alas what
plans Il single inefficient command can over
throw. g-
=" In a moment Napoleon saw that hc could
not sustain the attack of so many fresh
troops ifoncc allowed To form junction with
the allied forces, and he determined to stake
his fate on ono bold cast aud cnlcavorcd to
pierce the allied centre with one bold charge
Of The old Guard, and thus To throw himself
between the two armies. For this purpose
the Imperial Guard was called up and divi-
dcd into two immense columns. wliuh were
tn meet the British centre. Those undcr
Rcille no sooner entered the fire than it dis
appeared like mist The other was given to
Nry, and the order given to advance. .Napo-
Icon accompanied them part of the way down
the slope and halting for few moments in
Il hollow, addressed them in few words he
told them the battle rested upon them, and
that lie relied on their valor. tried in 50 many
fields" "Niye / Empercur answered him,
with n shout that was heard above the thun-
der of artillery.
The whole continental struggle exhibited
no sublimcr spectacle than the last effort of
Napoleon to save his sinking empire. The
greatest military skill and energy the world
ever possessed hud been taxed to tho utmost
during the day. The intense anxiety with
which he watched the advance of TINT column
the terrible suspense he endured when the
smoke of battle wrapped it from sight, and
the utter despair of his great heart when the
curtain lifted over II fugiti,e army. and the
dcspairing shrek rang out. "fhc guard
recols The guard recoils makes us for
amomcnt forgot all the carnage in sympathy
for his distress.
"The old Guard felt the pressure of the
immense responsibility, and resolved not to
prove unworthy of the great trust committed
to it. Nothing could be more imposing than
its movement to the assault. IL had never
recoiled before n hunun foe, and the allied
forces hebold with its firm, steady, advance
to the final charge. For moment the bat
tcrics stopped playing and the firing cease
along the British lines, as, without the beat
ing of q drum or buge note to cheer their
steady courage, they moved i'll dead silence
over the iicld. Their tread was like muitIed
thunder, while the dazzling helmets of the
cuirassiers flashed long streams of light be-
hind the dark and terrible body that swept
i'll one strong mass along. The stern Drouct
was there amid his guns and on every brow
was written the unaltera bile resolution to con.
qucr or die. The next moment the artillery,
and the head Of that gallant column seemed
to sink into the earth. Rank after rank went
down, yet they neither stopped nor taltcrcd.
DiSsolving squadrons and whole battalliuns
disappearing one after another in the destruc-
tive fire affected not their steady courage. -
The ranks closed up rs before and each tread
ing over his fallen cOmralc pressed unilnch-
ingly on.
t" The horse which Ney rode. fell under
him. and scarcely had he mounted another
before II also snHk TO the earth and 80 an
other and another, until five in succession
mad been shot from under HIM Then. with
his drawn sabre ho marched s,crnly at the
head of his column. In vain did tho nrtil-
lcry hurl itS storm Of iron nto the living
mass. Up to the very muzzlc they pressed.
and ,lrl9mg the very artillery men from thoir
pieces, pushed on through the EnSlisl. lines,
But just as the victory seemed won, a file OF
soldiers who had lain Hat on tho ground, be-
hind low ridge of Garth, suddenly rose and
Cured II vollcy into their very faces. An
other and another followed until one broad
sheet If flame role on their bnsoms, and in
such fierce and unexpected Row that they
staggered before it, Before the Guard had
time to rally and advance. heavy column OF
ininnry fell on it's left flank, in close and
deadly yolcys, causing it, in It's unsettled
state, to swcrve tdthe right. At tlatinstatn
n whole brigade of cavalry thundercd on the
light flank, and penetrated where cavalry
had never gone before. 'fi'
''Thc intrepid Dourct could have borne
up under the unexpected fire from soldiers
whom they did pot see. and would have roll
ed back tire infantry that had charged its left
flank, but the cavalry finished the disorder
INTO whi, they hadbcCn nOmenhrity thrown,
andbrokc fhe shaken ranks before they had
time TO reform end the eagles of thnt hilller-
to invinciblc Guard were pushed backward
down tho slope" 1t WAS then the army seiz-
od Will despair shrlekcd Quit 70" The Guard
rccnllA! tho Gnard rccoilS - Turned aud ACd
in dgmaY. q 10 seq tho Guard in confusi0D
wa. .sqmctllng they Ind never seen before.
and it Eozc every heart with terror. Sill
ttosc Nolcraas refused to f'y i.allying froin
their disorder they formed twp immcnSe
slaereSefeight bNttallions, aBd turped fierce
iysh the enemy, and ablyYsppNe taNcnl the
adverse tide OF battle. For n long time tlioS
stoud and lot the nannmr bulls now dnalnnn