New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-21
Wounded ae Waterloo.

G. n T.
Wounded 1t Waterloo.
From All the Year Round
The following is Colonel Ponsonby's in
teresting account of his own sutferings a
Waterloo after q rash and unlucky charge
/ l was stationed with my regiment about
three hundred strongl at the extreme Left
wing, and directed to act Internationally /;
each of the armies was drawn uD on a gen.
tie declivity, small valley lying between
them.
At one o'clock, observing. as I thought
q lsteadiness in a colun n Of French infantrv,
which was advancing with an irregular
fire, resolved to charge them. As we
were descending in gallop we received
from our own troops on the right a fire
much more destructive than the enemy'a
they having begun long before it could take
effect and slackening a. We drew nearer.
When We were within fifty PAGES of them
| the French turned, and much execution
| was done among them, as we were followed
by some Belgians, who had remarked our
! success. ~ -1
| But We had no sooner passed through
them than we were attacked in our turn.
before we could form, by about 800 Polish
lancers, who had come down to their relief;
| the French artillery pouring in among Us Q
| heavy fre OF grape shot, which, however,
! killed three of their own to one Of our men.
In the melee l was disabled almost instant
ly IN both of my arms, and followed BY
few OF my men, who were presently cut
down tno quarter being asked or given), l
was carried on BY my horse, till, receiving
blow on my head from q sabre, / was
thrown senseless on my face to the ground
Recovering, raised myself little to look
round, when a lancer, passing BY, ex-
claimed, "Tu mes pas mort, coquin," and
struck his lance through my back. Ny head
dropped, the blood gushed into my mouth,
a dlhculty OF breathing came on, and l
thought all was over.
Not long afterward tirailleur came up to
plumber me, threatening to take my life.
told him that he,might search me, directing
him to a small side pocket, in which be
found three dollars, being all had; he I'm.
loosed my stock and tore open my waist
coat, then leaving me in a very uneasy
posture, and was no sooner gone than an
other came for the same purpose, but as
surfing him had been plundered already,
he left me. when an officer bringing up
some troops Ito which, probably, the trail.
leurs belOnged), and halting where Law
stopped down and addressed me, saying be
feared | was badly wounded; replied that
l was, and expressed a 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 probably would |
flor he understood the Duke of Wellington |
was killed, and that six of our battalions |
had surrendered), every attention in his |
power should be shown me. complained |
Of thirst, and he held his brandy bottle to |
my lips, directing one Of his men to lay me- |
straight on my side and place knapsack |
under my head; he then passed ON into &C.
ton, and l shall never know to whose gen
crosby was indebted, as conceive, for |
my life. OF what rank he was can not /
say: be wore a blue coat. By-and by an
other tirailleur came, and knelt and fred
cv". me. Loading and firing many times
and conve..ing with great gaiety all the
while; at last he ran off saying: "vous
nous retirer; bon jour. mon ami"
While the battle continued in that part.
several OF the wounded men and dead
bodies near Inc we're hit with the balls,
which came very thick in that place. To
ward evening, when the Pruss.ans came,
the continued roar of cannon along their.
and the British line growing louder and
louder a. they drew near was The finest |
thing ever heard. 1t was dusk when two
squadrons OF Prussian cavalry, both of
them two deep, passed over me in full trot,
lifting me from the ground and tumbling
me most cruelty; the clatter of their ap- !
proaeh and the apprehensions it excited
may betas ~ conceived; had gun come that
way it would have done for me. The battle
~ |
The cries and igroaDs of the wounded ali
around me became every instant more and
more audible. succeeding to the shouts, i'm |
precautions, OUtcries of give PEmpereur ~
he discharge of the musketry and cannon; |
aow and then intervals of perfect silence,
which were worse than the noise. l thought
he night would never end. Much about !
his time found soldier of the Royals |
wing across my legs, who had probably
'rawled thithey in his agony; his weight, |
'onEulslve motions, noises, and the air is |
suing through wound in his side, dis
ressed the greatly; the latter circumstance |
he most OF all, as The case was my own. 1t | (
vas not dark night, and the Prussians
we're wandering about to plumber land the s
Gene in Ferdinand, Count Fatholn came
nto nv mind, though no women believe I
we're therel several OF them came and ]
ooked at ME and passed on; at length one {
topped to examine me. / told him as well {
. COULD for could say but little in
Germany that was British officer, and had |
'een plundered already; he did not desist, | 9
owever, and pulled me about roughly
efore he left me. q
About an hour before midnight saw
older in an English uniform coming to- |
Yard me; ne was. suspect, on the same !
rrahd. He came and looked in my face; I :
spoke instantly, telling him who was. ! '
nd assuring him OF q reward if he would
emain by me. he said that he belonged |
'ortieth Regiment, but had missed it. He Q
eleased me from the dying man; being I'M n
rmed, he took up sword from the ground f
nd stood over me. pacing backward and {
onward. q
At sigh. O'Clock in che morning some
nglish were seen in the distance; he ran n
, them, and messenger was sent off to |
Iervey. 4 cart came for me. | was b
laced in it and carried to . farm house, il
bout a mile and half distant, and laid in I
lie bed from which poor Gordon II under II
God afterward) had been just carried out.
he jolting of the cart and the difficulty of ii
reathing were very painful. I had re- n
lived seven wounds; surgeon slept in my o
'om. and was saved by continual bleed b
gs-one hundred and twenty ounces in | Il
70 days, besides the great loss OF blood ON CT
e field. v
Yankee Teachers. h
&c. &. E." on the twenty ninth ultimo. | Il
rites to the Baltimore american that quite | W
sensation was created in Munich the | N
hnfn hvyt 1oc ~ 1