The Princeton union., 1880-02-11

Its curtains drawn and the lights gone
out. Let the reader imagine
OUR POSITION
few PAGES distant from the road run,
ming nearly due north and south. To our
lett, IN the direction of Brussels, was the
Forest de Soignes, part OF which was
once presented to the duke of Yelling
ton by the king of the Netherlands, and
IN front OF which was the allied centre
ourlng the progress Of the fight. Nearer
was the village of Waterloo, with its one
long street, paved with cobblestones and
Dordered with stately elms, and thence
to Mont st. Jean the succession of houses
was almost interrupted. Still nearer
branch road IAN across the plain
in the direction of Nivelles. and
! near the cross roads there extended lonp
chain of hills with gentle slopes, which
presented all the advantages sought for
by the allies. Behind these hills was an
undulating plain which afforded everv
facility for posting the cavalry and for
manouvring the campaign. On our right,
looking toward France, was La Belle AL
lance, now dingy tavern, but over
whose door marble slab informed the
traveller that this was the spot where. af.
ter the battle, Wellington and Blucher
mutually saluted themselves as CONQUER
ors. This position was occupied bv the
French, and Napolen himself, dur
ing the greatest part of that most mem
orable day. occupied spot little to the
right OF the house and on the same level.
Further to the southeast was Plancbe
nols, around which. toward evening, the
battle ragged with fury seldom known,
ana whose capture by the Prussians
caused the flight of the French to become
general. Near by the Prussian monu-
ment, IN the shape Of an obelisk, stood
like huge sentinel in the midst of the
landscape and pointed the moral to all
human greatness There were other
monuments and villages and dingy tav-
erns In front of us in almost endless sue
cession; there was scarcely road or by
way which had not once been strewn
with human gore; there was scarcely
foot of soil which did not boast of its gal
lant dead. But La Haye Sainte and
Hougomont, which are now proverbial
IN the history of the battles OF the world,
loomed up, silent and deserted like, near
the mound upon which we stood, and to
the study of their position our attention
was dire eted. La Haye Sainte at pres
ent IS a dllapidated farmhouse, which is
memorable as having been occupied dur
ing the battle by the German legion un-
der Maj. Won Barring, and which, after
AN EXTRAORDINARY DEFENCE,
was finally captured by the French. It
Is estimated that fully 10000 men were
engaged in tho assault, and these COM
prised the whole OF Erlon's corns, with a
division of Kellerman's cavalry. The
spectacle was magnificent; but terrible.
Ney was at Papillotte; jerome Bonaparte
was at Hougomont, but the carnage at
La Haye Sainte was under the guidance
OF Napoleon. His object was to storm
this stronghold, break through the cen
tire OF the allied army, and attack the left
wing In the rear. Then there was furi-
Gus cannonading, reiterated attacks bv
overwhelming numbers of French trail
leurs, an exhaustion of the ammunition of
the defenders, scaling Of the walls, a
slaughter OF the unfortunate, firing of
the buildings and retreat. But history
adds with heroic bravery Maj. Won Bar
ing and his gallant officers renamed at
their posts until the French had actually
entered the house, and only when further
resistance would have been certain
death did they finally yield and retreat
to the line OF the allies. An idea of the
intensity of the struggle which ragged
upon this spot now before US
may be gathered from passage of the
majors own account, as follows: 'sMany
OF my men, althoug IN covered with wounds
could not be induced to keep back. AS
long as our officers can fight and We can
stand, was their invariable answer, I'VE
won't move from the spot In proper
tlon as our tusillade diminished our en-
barrassment was increased. The enemy
soon perceived our defencless condition
and broke open one of the doors. As but
few could enter at time, all who crossed
the threshold were bayoneted, and those
behind hesltated to encounter the same
tate. They therefore, clambered over
the walls and roofs, whence they could
shoot down my poor fellows with impun-
lty. At the same time they thronged in
through the open barn, which could no
longer be defended. Indescribably hard
as 1t was for me to yield, yet feelings of
humanity now prevailed over those of
honor. l therefore ordered my men to
retire to the garden at the back. The
effort with which these words were
"rung from me, can only be understood
by those who have been in a similar posi-
ton" To this day traces of French bull
lets are everywhere visible about the
premises, and the ancient windows are
still secured by the iron bars which rem
dered impossible the escape of many an
unfortunate defender. If
LA HAYE sAINTE
attracted my attention in an uncommon
degree, then there was attached to Hougo-
mont an interest and a reverence almost
bordering on worship. 1t was situated a
little to the southwest of the mound, and
was directly in front Of the allied centre
during the progress of the battle. Around
this spot the struggle ragged with fright
full fury. 1t was the focus of the fight.
1t was the spot where human blood once
ran like water in a stream. To capture
this apparently Insignificant fortress was
once the grandest dream OF Napoleon; to
defend it required a courage almost akin
to despair. The Hanoverlan and Nasso-
Wan ri1emen were like rocks immovable.
and without fear The French tira11lou,o