The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-09-19
BATTLE OF WATERLOO.


At the same time with the ravine, the
artillery was unm asked.
/ Sixty cannon and the thirteen squares
/ thundered and flashed into the cuirassiers.
The brave General Delord gave the military
salute to the English battery.
/ All the English flying artillery took po-
siiion in the squares at . gallop. The
cuirassiers had not even time TO Breathe
The disaster of the sunken road had de-
cimated. but not discouraged them. They
were men who. diminished in number, grew
CT. alter In heart.
Wathier's column alone had suffered from
the disaster; Delord's. which Ney had seat
obliquely TO the left, as if he had presen-
timent of the snare, arrived entire
The cuirassiers hurled themselves upon
the English squares.
AT full gallop. with Tree rein, their sahres
in their teeth, and their pistols in their
hands. the attack began
There are moments In battle when the
soul hardens a man even 10 changing the
soldier into a statue. and all this flesh be-
comes granite. TIE English battalions,
desperately assailed did no, yield an inch.
Then il was frightful.
All sides OF the English squares were
attacked at once. A whirwind of frenzy
enveloped them. This frigid infantry re-
mained impossible. The first rank, with
knee on the ground, received the cuirassiers
on their bay onets. the second shot them
down: behind the second rank, the cannon
eers loaded their guns, the front of the
square opened. made way for an eruption OF
grape, and closed again. The cuirassiers
answered by rushing upon them With
crushing force. Their great horses reared,
tramPled upon the ranks. leaped over the
bayonet and fell, gigantic. in the midst of
these four living walls. The balls made
gaps in the ranks OF the cuirassers, the
cuirassiers made breaches in the squares
Files of men disappeared, ground down
beneath the horses feet. Bayonets were
barred in the bellies Of these centaurs.-
Hence mons,rosity of wounds never per-
haps seen elsewhere. The squares, con-
sumed by this furious cavalry, closed up
without waveriog. Inexhaustible in grape.
they kept up an explosion in the midst of
their assailants. 1t was monstrous sight.
These SO ares were battalions no longer,
they were craters; these cuirassiers we're
cavalry no iony-r. they were tempest
Each square was a volcano attacked by a
thunder cloud; the lava fought with the
lightning.
The square on the extreme riqht. the
most exposed of all. being in the open field,
was almost annihiIa,ed at the first shock.
Il was formed of the 75;h regiment Of
The piper in the centre.
v4sa- the work of extermination was going
shadows oil fores'S'ans of all about him.
drum, his bagpipe under .--esn of the
playing his mountain airs. These Scotch
men died thinking of Ben Lothian. as the
Greeks died remembering Argos. The
sabre of cuirasser, striking down the
pibroch aud the arm which bare it. caused
the strain to cease by killing the player.
The cuirassiers relatively few in number,
Iesseued by the catastrophe of the ravine,
had to contend with amos. the whole OF the
English army. but they multiplied them.
selves, each man became equal to ten
Nevertheless some Hanoverian bsttaIions
fell back Wellington saw it and remem-
bered his cavalry. Had Napoleon, at that
very moment, remembered his infantry, he
would have won the battle This forgetful-
ness was his great fatal blunder.
Suddenly the assailing cuirassiers per-
ceived that they were assailed. The Eng
lish cavalry was upon their back. Before
them the squares. behind them Somerset;
Somerset, with the fourteen hundred dra-
COON guards. Somerset had on his right
Dornberg with his German light horse. and
on his left Trip, with the Belgian carbineers.
The cuiassiers, attacked front, flank, and
rear. by infantry and cavalry. were compell-
ed TO face in all directions What was that
to them? They were whirl"ind. Their
valor became unspeakable.
1t was no longer conflict, it was dark
ness. fury, giddy vortex OF souls and
hurricane Of word-fas:.es. In
4 L.. H..
were but eight hundred; Fuller. their lieu
fell dead. Ney rushed up
with the lancers and chaseurs Of Lefebvre-
Desrouet.es The plateau of Mont Saint
Jean was taken. retaken, taken again. The
cuirassers left the cavalry to return to the
infa try, or more correctly, all this terrible
multitude wrestled with each otker without
letting 90 their hold. The squares still
held. There were twelve assaults. Ney
b ad four horses killed under him. This
struggle lasted two hours.
The English army was terribly shaken.
There is no doubt, if they had not been
crippled in their first shock by the disaster
of the sunken road. the cuirassiers would
have overwhelmed the centre, and decided
the victory. This wonderful cavalry as
founded Clinton, who had seen Talavera
and Badsjos Wellington. though three
fourths conquered. was struck with heroic
admiration. He said in low voice, "splen-
did -
The cuirassiers annihilated seven squares
out of thirteen, took or spiked sixty pieces
Of cannon, and took from the English regi-
ments six colors, which three cuirassiers and
three chasseurs Of the guard carried to the
Emperor before the faro OF IL Bells-Alli-
lnca.
The situation of Wellington was growing
worse. This strange battle as like duel
between two wounded infuriates who. while
yet lighting and resisting. lose oil their
blood. Which of the two shall fall first!
Wellington felt that he was giving way.
The crisis WAS upon him.
The cuiassiers had not succeeded. in
his sense, that the centre Was not broken.
All holding the plateau, nobody held il, and
n lac, it remained for the most part with