Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-01-27
A FIELD OF BATTLE.
From the GAINESVILLE Chronicle of Janu
airy 2lst, 1918.

luu Wde euppOSeU 70 nave DeeQ Killed. |
His life, however, was preserved in a
manner almost miraculous, after en-
during, one would imagine, almost too
much for the human frame to support
The following account, drawn up from
his own statement, contains an inter
esting narration of his situation and |
suffering while lying on the field, and
affords a terrible and awful pict-
ure of the effects of such sanguinary |
conhicts-pictures which too often ex-
list, in all their horrid colours, and |
fail of producing their proper effects
upon the mind only because they are
not viewed in detail
Dear Lady Besborough,
You have often wished for some
written account of the adventures and
sufferings of your son, Colonel Pom
sonby, in the field of Waterloo: the
modesty of his nature is, however, no
small obstacle in the way. Will the
following imperfect sketch supply its
place until it comes? The battle was
alluded to one morning In the library
at A, aud his answers to many of
the questions put to him, are here
thrown together, as | could remember,
in his own words.
The weather cleared up at noon,
and the sun shone out little just as
the battle began. The armies were
within eight hundred yards of each
other, the videttes, before they were
withdrawn, being so near as to be able
TO converse. AT one moment | imag-
ined that | saw Bonapart with a con-
siderable staff moving rapidly along
the front of our line.
/ was stationed with my regiment
(about three hundred strong) at the
extreme of the left wing, and directed
to act discretionary each of the ar
mics was drawn up on gentle decliv-
ity, small valley lying between them.
At one o clock, observing, as thought,
unsteadiness In a column of French
infantry 100 by 20-1000-or thearea-
bouts which were advancing with ir-
regular tire, L resolved to charge them.
As we were descending in gallon.
we received from our own troops on
the right fire much more destructive
than theirs, they having began long
before it could take effect, and slack
ening as we drew nearer: when we
were in fifty PAGES of them, they turned,
and much execution was done among
SOME
Belgians, who had marked out sue
cess.
But we had no sooner passed through
them, than we were attacked in our
turn, before we could form, by about
$40 Polish lancers, who had come
down to their relief. The French ar
tllery poured in among us a heavy
hire OF grape shot, which, however, for
one OF our men killed three of their
own: in the melee | was disabled al
most instantly In both of my arms, and
followed by few of our men, who
were presently cut down (no quarter
being asked or given,) l was carried on
by my horse, till, receiving a blow on
my head from sabre, l was thrown
senseless on my face to the ground
Recovering, raised myself little to
look round (being, [ believe, at that
time IN condition to get up and run
away when lancer passing by, ex-
claimed, = TIME pas mort coqltiR Z
and struck his lance through my back:
my head dropped, the blood gushed in
my mouth, difficulty of breathing
came on, and | thought all was over.
Not long afterwards-(it was then
impossible to measure time, but | must
have fallen in less than ten minutes
after the charge)-a tiralleur came III
to plumber me, threatening to take my
life. L told him he might search me
directing him to small side pocket
In which he found three dollars, beins
all had; he unloosened my stock
tore open my waistcoat, then leaving
me IN very uneasy posture, and wa:
no sooner gone, than another came W
for the same purpose-but, assuring
him that | had been plundered, hC
left me, when an officer, bringing OIL
some troops, Ito which probably thu
tiralleurs belonged, } and hating where
| lay, stopped down and addressed
me, saying he feared [ was badl!
wounded. | replied that | was, anC
expressed a wish to be removed int
the rear: he said it was against thu
order to remove even their own men
but that if they gained the day, as the!
probably would (for he understood
the Duke of Wellington was killed
and that six of our battalions had sur
rendered, every attention In his poWe
should be sheWn. / complained o
thirst, and he held his brandy bottle
TO my lips, directing one of his men t.
lay me straight on my side, and plac,
a knapsack under my head; he thel
passed on into the action and [ shall
never know to whose generosity | wa
indebted, as | conceive, for my life; 0
what rank he was | cannot say-h,
wore a blue great coat BY and by an
other tiTalleur caE1e, and knelt ant
fired over me, loading and firing man,
times, and cOnversing with great gaiet,
all the while a; at last he ran off. saying
Z IOUS Serez beiR GiSe d'enteadre on
nous GtLOHS nous retirer; bon jour, MOI
ami.
While the battle continued in tina
part, several of the wounded men ant
dead bodies near me were hit with tn
balls which came very thick in tina
place. Towards evening when tn
PruSsians came, the continued roar 0
the cannon along theirs and the Brit
ish lines growing louder and louder a
they drew near, was the finest thing
ever heard. 1t was dusk, and TIVE
sguadrons of Prussian cavalry, both o
them two deep passed over me in full
trot, lifting me from the ground, anC
tumbling me about cruelty; the clattel
of their approach, and the apprehen
sion il excited, may be easilycOnceived
done for me-
The battle then was nearly over, Oh
removed to 4 distance; the cries anC
groans of the wounded all around m,
became more audible, succeeding t.
the shouts, imprecationS, outcries O
lee FEmpereWr the discharges o
musketry and cannon, now and theI
intervals of perfect silence which wer,
worse than the noise. | thought tn,
night would never end. Then abou
this time, found a soldier of tn,
Royalists lying across my legs, who
had probably crawled thither in hi
agony his weight, couvulsive motions
his noises, and the air issuing thro' ;
wound in his side, distressed me great
~, the latter circumstance most of all
as the case was my own. 1t was not
dark night, and the Prussians were
wandering about to plumber (and the
scene in Ferdinand Count Fathun
came into my mind, though no women
believe, were there) several of then
came and looked at me, and passed on
at length one stopped to examine me
4 told him as we'll as | could (for
could say but little in GERMANY that |