Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-09-06
The Battle Of Waterloo.
An omesr'. Account of 1t.

Il
(about three hundred strong) at the ex-
IRENE left wing, and directed to act dis |
cretionally; each of the armies was
drawn up on a gentle declivity, small
valley lying between them.
cat one o'clock, observing, as
thought, unsteadiness in a column of
French infantry, which was advancing
with an irregular fire, L resolved to
charge them. As we were descending
in a gallop, we received from our own
troops on the right a fire much more dc
structive than the enemy's, they having
begun long before it could take effect,
and slackening as we drewnearer; when
we were within fifty PAGES of them, the
French turned, and much execution
was done among them, as we were fol-
lowed by some Belgians who had re-
marked our success. But we had no
sooner passed through them, than. we
were attacked in our turn, before we
could form, by about three hundred
Polish lancers, who had come down to
their relief; the French artillery pour
ing in among us a heavy fire of grape
S0OU, WHICH, uOWSNSl, hlllOu ohlOO VI
their own to one of our men. In the
melee 1 was disabled almost instantly
in both of my arms, and followed by
few of my men, who were presently cut
down (no quarter being asked or given,
I was carried on by my horse, till, re-
ceiving a blow on my head from sabre,
L was thrown senseless on my face to
the ground. Recovering, l raised my
self little to look round, when Ian
Ger, passing by, sprung at me and
struck his lance through my back; my
head dropped, the blood gushed into
my mouth, difficulty of breathing
came on, and thought all was over.
Not long afterwards tirailleur came
up to plumber me, threatening to take
my life. I told him that he might
search me, directing him to a small side
pocket, in which he found three dol
lars, being all L had he unloosened
my stock and tore open my waistcoat,
then leaving me in very uneasy pos
ture, and was no sooner gone than
another came for the same purpose !;
but assuring him had been plundered
already, he left me, when an officer,
bringing up some troops Ito which,
probably, the trailleurs belonged), and
hating where lay, stopped down and
addressed me, saying he feared was
badly wounded. [ replied that was,
and expressed wish to be removed to
the rear. He said it was against the
order to remove even their own men,
but that if they gained the day, as they
: would (for he understood the Duke of
Wellington was killed, and that six OF
: our battalions had surrendered), every
} attention i'll his power should be shown
me. [ complained of thirst, and he
held his brandy-bottle to my lips, di-
recting one of his men to lay me
straight on my side, and place KNAPP.
sack under my head. He then passed
on into action, and [ shall never know
to whose generosity was indebted, as
1 conceive, for my life. OF what rank
he was cannot say; he wore a blue
great-coat. By-and-by another trail
leur came and knelt and fired over me
loading and firing many times, and con
versing with great gayety all the while
at last he ran of, saying, 'Vous serez
blen aise d'entendre que nous allonS
nous retirer; bon jour, mon ami.
While the battle continued in tina
Z part, several of the wounded men anG
l dead bodies near me were hit with the
balls, which came very thick in tina
place. Towards evening, when thu
Prussians came, the continued rafting
: of the cannon along theirs and the Brit
lsh line growing louder and louder al
they drew near, was the finest thing
ever heard. 1t was dusk when tive
I squadrons of Prussian cavalry, both O
them two deep, passed over me in full
trot, lifting me from the ground, anC
S tumbling me about cruelty. The clat
ter of their approach, and the appre
tensions it excited, may be easily con
q ceived. Had gun come that way, i
( would have done for me. The battl
+ was then nearly over, or removed dis
lance /; the cries and groans of thu
1 wounded all around me became ever,
e instant more and more audible, sue
!, ceeding to the shouts, imprecations
$ outcries of 'Vive PEmpereur + the dis
q charge of musketry and cannon nov
/. and then intervals of perfect silence
J, which were worse than the noise.
9 thought the night would never end
n Much about this time, 1 found a soldie
!, of the Royals lying across my legs
J, who had probably crawled thither i
!, his agony his weight, convulsive me
e tions, noises, and the air issuing throug
: a wound in his side, distressed m
Q greatly the latter circumstance dir
g tressed me the most of all, as the cas-
/ was my own. 1t was not dark nigh
and the Prussians were wandering abor
to plumber (and the scene in Ferdinand
Count Fathom, came into my min
though no women, I believe, wei
N there); several of them came and locke
er at me, and passed on at length, or
c. stopped to examine me. ] told him
a. well as could (for could say but
" Germany that l was a British office
&c and had been plundered already; /
is did not desist, however, and pulled n
N about roughly before he left me. Abo1
70 an hour before midnight saw q soldi,
~ in an English uniform coming towal
IN me he was, suspect, on the same e
4 rand. He came and looked in my fac
q [ spoke instantly, telling him who
"a was, and assuring him of a reward if
- would remain by me. He said that
= belonged to the Fortieth Regiment, b
- had missed it. He released me from Il
IN dying man being unarmed, he took I
&c a sword from the ground, and stoC
I, over me, pacing backward and forwar
"a At eight o'clock in the morning sor
! English were seen in the distance ;
~ ran to them, and a messenger was Sc
20 off to Hervey. A cart came for me.
n was placed in it and carried to far
&c house, about mile and half distal
n and 1 laid in the bed from which pc