Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-09-20
MISCELLANEOUS.
ruR RATTLE OF WATERLOO.

THE BATTLE OF wATERL0o.
4 c,e mon:hs since I was standing on the
h.d of Waterloo, on the anniversary or mat
c-st battle The fields were waving with the
rim ming grain, lust as they were on that mem
orr, ie morning, before beng trotldcn down by
tho 6 ,s,p;ny sonadronS. As | stood where
W.tin,ton had stood; on the ridge occupied
By tie English lines, and surveyed the entire
ALL and looked down on the narrow valley
whsro lie fate Of al Europe was once put up
and bat;led for. 2 world of conf citing emotions
struggled for the mastery within me. The
nac,lhcence aad pomp Of that stern array
was brioIe me, and my car seemed distinctly
70 catch The FIRST cannon shot that opened the
conf c.,
Il . =
The great butle Of Europe was to be fought
All us kings stood looking on with breath.
io,. Interest; for their thrones were at stake
Tie feelings Of those tSo great military chief,
tains themselves, az they thus for the first
time stoo,, face to face, and battled for a CONT
acur, we're stirred. The British veteran, wi
ping che sweat from his brow, exclaimed,
80 that BIrcner or night would comel" The
a.1t .aomeut an immense body Of French cav
slrv came laundering down on one OF the
English squares. I; had already become
Weakened BY the loss of Y hole ranks which the
Fr-ach artillery had moved down, but with
stood the desperate shock with true bravery.
The Frenct came down at q plunging trot,
then breaking into a gallop, fell. like a rock
hui!cd back from a mountain, they recoiled
from the ehock.
Driven 20 desperation By the repeatedly
Ioilei attempts, they stopped their horses,
ard cealiy walked them around that brave
square, aud whenever a man fell, dashed in
Each desperate resolution; such recklessncss
Of lilo. began, at length, to tell on the conflict.
Tue square began 10 shake and waver, when
Wellington came dashing up with his guard (;
they opened and no wus in their bosom. The
chief was ia their keeping his fate was vo-
lun;sr:!!? thrown into their hands; those Bri.
lisl hearts conld not yield. Rank after rank
fiji, bu, not a lnsn stirred from his footsteps.
Tue French at length gave it up, aud retired
70 their position. Again, on separate squares,
we're those terrific charges made, and again, as
they waveTed, did Wellington fling himself in
their midst.
Thus, from cle7en in the morning until four
O'clock il the evening, had the battle ragged,
whom q dark object was seen to emerge from q
distant wood. Larger and larger it grew till
O whole column stood revealed, with banners
waving in the breeze. Butcher and his
Prussiuns had come! Both armies saw that
the hour had arrived for 4 final issue. Bona.
parte then rode up 10 his old and we'll tried
Imperial Guard thai had rot been in the hattie
all dag. Placing himself al their head, he led
them half way down the slope, when nc halted
and addressed them IN his impe,uous and fiery
maracr. lie told them that the fate Of the
battle ead that Of France was in their hands.
y ---.-Al - tlas. l.,at.N hn,rt,
{" Tie Emperor forever" with 4 shout that
rang over the storm of battle, and was heard
aiorG the British Zines. Then he placed them
under Ney, with orders to force the British
centre, aad prevent the junction OF Butcher
with tho E'llied forces.
Ths: hitherto invinciblo guard catne down
10 beautiful order and array. and with hearts
burning with nigh hopes. They kaew that
their Emperor and tho civilized world were
lcokius. They carried thrones and kings as
they went. They needed nothing 10 fire their
steady courage. No druH, or trumpet, or mar.
t%al strain c.trrcd them on. No busle sounded
Enc charge. Ia perfect order and dead Silence
:ncg .ao..d 2rcr the plain. Above them scared
tho French eagle no power had ever yet wrcst-
ed from their grasp, and on thciu was the eye
o! 3 rnapartc. The allied army saw with ave-
and dread the approach Ct that unconquerable
l. sion. The terIo of Europe was on the march.
F.: Z f1aiment the firing ceased along the lines.
TIE battle was hustled. The mufj ed tread Of
that magnificent legion alone was heard. The
suadso ca III was but moIoentuy. The artil-
iery again opened like a volcano on the foe
Whole ranks went down before the destructive
Are, YET ;hey faltered not for a moment.
Over their fallen comrades, with the same
stssdg front, they moved on across the valley
and up the SLOPE. Before their cool, r~esiStlcss
charge the Euglish, lines melted like frostwork.
The7 took the last fire Of the artillery full on
their he,oms. then walked over the cannon,
artillery men and oil, on, on, like a r~esistlcss
wave tie; swept carrying everything down
in iheir passage, till they approached within
q feS rods OF whero Wellington stood. All
seemed iost, when q rank Of men who had lain
a.; CD their faces behind a low ridge of earth,
suddenly heard the ringing order up, Guards,
an: az 'crn!" They started up as from the
bowela Of the earth, and poured in their des-
~tract'"e fire in the very faces of the mangled
Gu4;d. They recovered from this discharge
81 !: srl,,ten with a sudden blow. 4 second
a3l .hhd followed. They reeled and staggered
6 moment, and then turned and fed. The
battle was over.
Tae thunder Of the first cannon came at in
tervals On The night air telling where Iiucher
!rod down the fee. Wellington had left to him
shs pursuit., and WAS leading back his weary
aad bleeding army over the battle field. The
fail round ;;i:.o1 was riding the quiet Heavens,
lighting up the mangled masses Of human flesh
ln,e weighed down the field. Here an epau.
let, there n shiyered sword flashed back in its
bsams. Groans loaded the air, while a death.
Shrek cans at intervals on the air. yelling
.on wepr. The excitement and rage Of the
BATH, vas over, aid his heart sickened at the
awful scene before him: On the surface Of TWO
square miles it was ascertaincd that SO, 900 men
AID horses were lying.
Washington and Vicinity.
The Front Royal (Va.) "Gazette" publishes
the following interesting extract Of letter re
ceived from u gentleman who is q member Of