Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-08-18
Ml@oEGaAMY.
The Last Charge of Napoleon's Old Guard

many desperate instances of bravery an i'm
mortality in history, but their grand crown
ing act was their desperate charge ut Waterloo,
which has few parallels in ancient or mod
crn warfare. They fought tnr their adored
Emperor, and to retrieve the evil fortunes of
the day, they fell MS though to do so would
secure them immortal glory and eternal bliss
in tho world of spirits The most graphic
and stirring account of that last fearful and
fatal struggle, that we have seen, is from re-
Gently published French work. 1t reads like
war itsclG-this is it:
During the day the artillery of the Guard,
under Dronct, maintained its old rcnown,
and the Guard itself had frequently been
used to restore the battle in various parts of
the field, and always with success The En-
Slish were fast becoming exhausted, and in an
hour more would doubtless have been forced
into disastrous defeat, but for tho timely ar
rival of Bluchcr. Bat when they saw him,
with 10000 Prusians approaching, their cou.
rage revived, while Napoleon was filed with
amnzcment. beaten enemy was about to
form a junction with the allies, while Grou-
chy who had been sent to keep them in check.
was nowhere to be seen. Alas! what great
plans single inefficient commander can over
throw.
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 force, and he determined to stake his
fate on one bold cast, and cndeayor to p"rcc
the allied ccutre with a grand charge of the
Oid Guard aud thus throw himself between
the two armies. For this purpose the impc-
rial Guard was called pand divided into i'm.
mcnse columns, which were to meet in the
II
entered the fire than it disappeared like mist.
The otherwnS placed Ney, "thc bravcst of
the bravc,' and the order to advance given.
Napoleon accompanied them part of the way
down the slope, and hauling for a few moments
in the hollow, addressed them few words.
lie told them that the battle rested with them.
and that he relied on their valor. tried in SO
many fields. "Yive L Empcrcur," answer
cd him with a shout that was heard above the
thunder of the artillery
The whole continental STRUGGLE exhibited
no suhimer spectacle than the last effort of
Napoleon to save his sinking empire. The
greatest military skill and energy the world
possessed. had been taxed to the utmost Clu-
ring the day. Thrones were tottoring on the
turbulent field, and the shadows of fugitive
Kings fitted through the smoke of the battle.
Bonapartc star trcmblcd in the zenith; now
blazing out in its ancient splcndor, now paline
IN his anxious eye. The intense anxiety with
which he watched the advance of that col
umn and the terrible suspense he endured
when the smoke of the battle wrapped it from
sight and the utter despair os his great heart
when the curtain lifted over a fugitive army,
and the despliring Shrek rung ont, "Thc
Guard rccOils the Guard rccols - make us
for a moment forget all the carnage i'm sympo-
thy with his distress.
The Old Guard felt the presence Of the
immense responsibility, and resolved not TO
prove unworthy of the :,roatcst trust commit.
tea to It, Nothing could be more imposing
thah Its m0N emcnts to the assault Ii had
never fecoiled before human foe and the al
led forces behcld with awe its firm, steady
advance to the fnul charge. For moment
the batteries stopped playing and the firing
ceased along the British lines, without the
Dcat''.g OF drum, or II buglc note to cheer
'.clr steady courage, they moved in silcace
over the field Their tread was like muflled
thunder, while the dazzling helmets of the Gu
irassicrs flashed long lines of light upon the
dark and terrible mass that swept in one strong
wave along, The stern Drouct was then
amid his guns, and on every brow was written
the unaltcrable resolution to conquer or die.
The next moment the artillery opened, and
the head OF that gallant column seemed to
sink into the earth Rank after rank went
down, yet they neither stopped no, faltered.
DSsolving squadrons and whole battaions dis
appeared one after another in the destructive
fire, affected not their courage. The ranks
closed up as before, and each trcadine over
his falling comrade passed unfinclingly on.
The horse that Ncy rode sank under him.
and scarcely had he mounted another, before
it also sank to the earth, and so another and
another, Til five il. succession had heen shot
under him. Then with his drawn sabre he
marched sternly at the head of his column
In vain did the artillery hurl its storm of iron
upon that living mass. Up to the very muz-
zlc they pressed, and driving tic artilcrymcn
from their places, pushed on through the En-
glisll lines. But, just as the victory seemed
won, file of soldiers who lay fat on the
ground behind a ridge of earth, suddenly rose
and poured volley in their very face An
other and another followed, till one broad
sheet of flame rolled on their bosoms, and in
such fierce and unexpected flow that they
staggered before it. Before the Guard had
time to rally again and advance, a heavy col
umn of infantry fell on its left flank in close
and deadly voeys, causing it, in its unsettled
state, to swcrvc to the right At that instant
whole brigade of cavalry thundcred on the
right flank, and penetrated where cavalry had
never gone before.
The intrepid Guard could have borne up
against the unexpected fire from soldiers they
III. IL ,ok Il 4