Wellington’s Army Faces Napoleon’s Alone

The army of Napoleon was formed in two lines, with a reserve.

Continuing The Battle of Waterloo,
with a selection from History of the War in France and Belgium in 1815 by William Siborne published in 1844. This selection is presented in 2 installments, each one 5 minutes long. For works benefiting from the latest research see the “More information” section at the bottom of these pages.

William Siborne (1797-1849) was a British historian who specialized in the Battle of Waterloo.

Previously in The Battle of Waterloo.

Time: 1815
Place: Waterloo Crossroads, 9 miles south of Brussels

The night of June 17, 1815, was one of heavy and incessant rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Amid such a storm the troops of two mighty armies lay down within cannon shot of each other. The allied forces under Wellington were posted on the field of Waterloo, about twelve miles from Brussels, with the forest of Soigne, eight miles in width, intervening. Their position extended a little more than two miles, from a ridge on the road to Wavre, to a series of heights in the rear of the chateau of Hougomont. From the summit of the ridge the ground sloped backward, so as to hide the reserves and keep the front itself concealed till the moment for action had arrived. In front of the left stood the farm of La Haye Sainte, abutting upon the road from Charleroi to Genappe and on the right the chateau of Hougomont — both places being formidable posts in advance.

The army of Napoleon was formed in two lines, with a reserve. The first consisted of infantry flanked by cavalry, with five batteries, comprising eight guns in each, ranged along the front of this line, with a sixth, of twelve-pounders, in support; while six guns of horse artillery were posted on the right of Jacqueminot’s cavalry. The second line consisted entirely of cavalry, with the exception of the two infantry divisions of the Sixth Corps, under Count Lobau, on the Charleroi road, well supported by artillery. In reserve, the Imperial Guard drew up infantry, cavalry and artillery right and left of the mad. These dispositions of Napoleon were as judicious as circumstances would admit of and he was free to move his columns of attack against any part of the English which might seem the weakest, while his own position was such as to render a direct attack by a force not superior to his own dangerous in the extreme.

About ten o’clock on the morning of Sunday, the 18th, a great stir was observed along the French line; and presently a furious attack was made upon the chateau of Hougomont, occupied by a detachment of the brigade of guards under Colonel Hepburn and Lord Saltoun. who maintained the post through out the day despite the repeated and desperate assaults by large bodies of the enemy. While the enclosures of Hougomont thus continued to be furiously assailed, the artillery on both sides thundered along the whole extent of each line. Under cover of the cannonade, Ney formed his columns of attack against the left and center of the British position. This dense mass, consisting of at least sixteen thousand men, supported by seventy pieces of cannon, ranged along the brow of the height, led by D’Erlon, at about two o’clock moved forward to attack the left center of the British under a murderous fire from the allied artillery.

The divisions of Alix and Marcognet, pressing onward, had opened fire on the Dutch-Belgian line, when the latter lost all order and fled. Picton’s division, consisting of the brigades of Kemp and Pack, numbering altogether little more than three thousand men, deployed into line to receive not fewer than thirteen thousand infantry, besides cavalry; but Picton, nothing daunted, as soon as the enemy halted and began to take ground to the right, shouted, “A volley and then charge!” The order was so rigidly obeyed that the enemy, taken in the act of deploy ing, were borne back in the utmost confusion. The success was however dearly purchased — Picton was mortally wounded by a musket-ball in the temple; but Kemp gallantly supplied his place and the line moved on, driving before it all resistance. A body of cuirassiers bearing hard upon the Hanoverian infantry, the Household Brigade, led by Lord Edward Somerset, came thundering forward and the elite horsemen of the rival nations met in close and desperate strife.

The British prowess at length prevailed and the enemy, overpowered, fled in wild confusion; but as the French far out-numbered the allies in cavalry, their reserve coming up in excel lent order once more turned the tide of battle. Our dispersed horsemen fell back, experiencing considerable loss. Covered by the horse artillery and supported by Vivian’s hussars, they however, succeeded in reaching the crest of the position, where they re-formed under protection of the infantry. But the ground was covered with the dead and dying; and among the former was Major-General Ponsonby. While great efforts continued to be made by the French to gain possession of Hougomont and the right of the line was threatened by a body of lancers, Donzelat’s division pushed upon La Haye Sainte. The interval between became filled by such a display of horsemen as had never been looked upon by the most experienced soldier in the allied army.

Forty squadrons, of which twenty-one consisted entirely of cuirassiers, descending from the French heights in three lines began to mount to the English position; and despite the murder ous discharge of the allied artillery, these resolute horsemen continued to advance at a steady trot, their cannon thundering over them. Arriving within forty yards of the English guns, with a loud shout they put their strong horses to their speed and in a moment all the advanced batteries were in their possession. At this period all the allied regiments were in squares along the crest of the glacis, with their front ranks kneeling. Nevertheless, the cuirassiers would not shrink from the trial. Once again the cry arose, “Viva l’Empereur!” and, with the noise of thunder, they rushed on. But their pace slackened as they approached; and they no sooner received a fire than they broke off from the center by troops and squadrons.

Thus passed the whole line of cuirassiers, while the second and third lines — the former consisting of lancers, the latter of chasseurs — plunged headlong into the same course and the British infantry became enveloped by the enemy. But they were not left long to maintain the combat single-handed. Lord Uxbridge, gathering as many squadrons as were available, launched them against the assailants and drove them back over the declivity in confusion. They however soon rallied under their own guns, and, driving back the English beyond their squares, the game of the previous half-hour was played over and over again. Round and round these impenetrable masses the French horsemen rode, individuals here and there closing upon the bayonets and cutting at the men, but not a square was broken. The repulse of Ney’s cavalry and the failure of the at tempts upon Hougomont and La Haye, determined Napoleon to make another effort upon the main position of the allies. Kellermann was ordered to move forward with his corps, while Ney adding the cavalry of the guard, no less than thirty-seven squadrons formed in rear of the broken force which had begun to rally; and in a short time the whole extent of the field between Charleroi road and Hougomont was covered with these splendid corps of horsemen. Again were the squares assailed without success and again did Lord Uxbridge come to the rescue.

Wolfgang Menzel begins here. William Siborne begins here. Victor Hugo begins here.

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