Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-09-10
THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.

THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.
A few months since was standing on the
field Of Waterloo, on the anniversary of that
great battle. The fields were waving with the
riPening grain, just as they were on that me-
morable morning, before being trodden down
by the charging squadrons As stood where
Wellington had stood, on the ridge occupied
by the English lines, and surveyed the entire
field, and looked down on the narrow valley
where the fate Of all Europe was once put up
and bstHed for, world Of conflicting emotions
struggled for the mastery within me. The
msgnifcence and pomp Of that stern array was
before me, and my ear seemed distinctly to
Sa,ch cato the hr',sannOn shot that opened the con-
The great battle of Europe was to be fought.
All its kings stood looking on with breathless
interest, for their thrones were at stake. The
feelings Of those two great military ehieftains
themselves, as they thus for the first time stood
face to face, and battled for q continent, were
stirred The British veteran, wiping the sweat
from his brow, exclaimed, 80 that Blueher or
night would come =" The next moment an
immense body Of French cavalry came thun-
dering down on one Of the English squares.
1t had already become weakened by the loss
ofvhOle ranks which the French artillery had
moved down, but withstood the desperate
shock with true bravery. The French came
down at q plunging trot, then breaking into a
gallep: fell like a rock hurled back from a
mountain, they recoiled from the shock.
Driven to desperation by the repeatedly
foiled attempts, they stopped their horses and
coolIy walked them around that brave square,
and whenever a man fell dashed in. Sush des-
perate resolution, such rec klessness of life be-
gan, at length, to tell on the conflict The
square began to shake and waver, when We'll
lington came dashing up with his guard; they
opened and he was in their bosom. The chief
Wa In kaanin0-hia fata 81
thrown into their hands, those British hearts
could not yield. Rank after rank fell, but not
. man stirred from his footsteps The French
at length gave it up, and retired to their posi-
tion. Again: on separate squares, were those
terrific charges made, and again, as they
wayered, did Wellington fling himself in their
midst.
Thus, from Il in the morning until o'clock
in the evening had the battle ragged when a
dark object was seen TO emerge from a distant
wood. Larger and larger it grew till whole
column stood revealed, with banners waving
In the breeze. Butcher and his Prussisns had
come Both armies saw that the hour had ar
rived for hnal issue. Banaparte then rode
up to his old and well-tried Imperial Guard
that had net been in battle all day. Placing
himself at their head, he led them half way
down the slope, VIXEN he halted and addressed
them in his impetuous and fiery manner He
told them that the fate of the battle and that
of France was in their hands He was an
swered by those devoted hearts, @The Empe-
TOR forever"' with q shout that rang over the
storm Of battle, and was heard along the Brit
ish lines. Then he placed them under Ney,
with orders to force the British center, and
prevent the junction of Blucher with the allied
forces.
That hitherts-invincible guard came down
In beautiful order and array, and with hearts
burning with high hopes. They knew that
their Emperor and the eivilised world were
looking. They carried thrones and kings as
they went They needed nothing to FIRE their
steady. courage No drum, or trumpet, or
martial strain chssrea them on. No bugle
sounded the charge. In perfect order and
dead silence they moved over the plain. Above
them scared the French eagle no power had
ever yet wrested from their grasp, and on them
was the eye Of Bonaparte. The allied army
uncoDquerable legion. The terror of Europe
was on the march. For q moment the firing
ceased along the lines. The battle was hush.
ed. The muffled tread of that magnificent le-
gion alone was heard. The sudden calm was
but momentary. The artillery again opened
like q volcano on the foe. Whole ranks went
down before the destructive fire. yet they fall
tered not for q moment.
Over their fallen comrades, with the same
steady front, they moved on, across the valley
and up the slope. Before their cool, resistless
charge the English lines melted like frostvork.
their bosoms, then walked over the cannon,
artillerymen and all, On, on, like resistIess
wave they swept, carrying everything down
In their passage, till they approached within
few rods Of where Wellington stood. All
seemed lost, when rank of men who had lain
fat on their faces behind low ridge of earth,
suddenly heard the ringing order "Up, Guards
and at 'em!" They started up as from the
bowels of the earth, and poured in their de-
structive Ere in the very faces of the mangled
Guard. They recovered from this discharge as
If smitten with q sudden blow. 4 second and
third followed. They rseled and staggered a
moment, and then turned and fed. The bat
tie was over.
The thunder Of the first cannon came at in
tervals on the nig air, telling where Blucher
trod down the foe. Wellington had left to
him the pursuit, and was leading back his
weary and bleeding army over the battle feld.
The full round moon was riding the quiet
heavens, lighting up the mangled masses of
human hesh that weighed down the field. Here
al epaulet, there a shivered sword flashed back
in it's beams. Grosns loaded the air. while a
death-shriek came at intervals on the air
Wellington uept. The excitement and rage of
the battle was over, and his heart sickened at
the awful scene before him. On the surface of
two square miles it was sscertained that fifty