No. II.

ACCOUNT OF THE DEFENCE OF HOUGOUMONT, DURING THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO, ON THE 18TH OF JUNE, 1815.

BY THE RIGHT HON. SIR JOHN SINCLAIR, B ART.

It appears to me, that the battle of Waterloo is the greatest event recorded in history. We all know the important results which have already taken place, owing to the victory we there obtained. Had it been the reverse, it is impossible to calculate the mischief that would have followed. It is not easy keeping together an unsuccessful alliance; and the expenses of a protracted war might have proved ruinous to the financial system of Great Britain, which at present experiences such difficulties, notwithstanding the immense savings which were effected, in consequence of the successful termination of that dreadful conflict.

The battle of Zama is the only event in history that can be put in comparison with that of Waterloo. There, two disciplined armies, under two great generals, were opposed to each other, and the conflict, it may be said, terminated the rivalship between Rome and Carthage. But the results of even that great battle were greatly inferior to those of Waterloo, on which depended, not only the fate of two rival nations, but of Europe, and of the world at large. It is singular that the modern, like the ancient Hannibal, should have laid the foundation of his military fame in Italy, and the modern Scipio in Spain.

Having visited the field of battle, I became anxious to collect detailed information regarding the transactions which had taken place there. The defence of Hougoumout, in particular, struck me as being of peculiar importance; and having applied to some distinguished officers who were employed in that service, by their aid, and from a personal inspection of the place, I have been enabled to draw up the following short account of the circumstances connected with its defence. I am happy in this opportunity of contributing to do justice to the British Guards who there so gallantly maintained the character they have long enjoyed, for firmness, intrepidity, and valour.

THE ACCOUNT.

When the Duke of Wellington had fixed on the ground, where he resolved to await the attack of the French army, he found, ou the right of his position, an old Flemish mansion, called Gomont, or flougoumont, by defending which, it appeared to him that much advantage might be derived. The buildings consisted of an old tower and chapel, and a number of offices, partly surrounded by a farm-yard. There was also a garden, enclosed by a high and strong wall, and round the garden a wood, or orchard, and a hedge, by which the wall was concealed. The necessary steps were taken to strengthen these means of defence, by loop-holing, or perforating the walls, for the fire cf musketry, and erecting scaffolding to give the troops within an opportunity of firing from the top of the wall. These judicious measures greatly assisted the successful defence that was afterwards made against such reiterated and desperate attacks.

On the evening of the 17th, the following troops were allotted for the defence:-1. The second brigade of Guards, commanded by Major-General Sir John Byng; and, 2. The light companies of the first brigade. The force was disposed of as follows:-The light companies of the Coldstream and Third Guards, under Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonnell, occupied the house and garden; those of the first regiment occupied the wood to the left; these were under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Saltoun; the rest of the brigade was placed about 200 yards in the rear, in a commanding situation, and in readiness to support the garrison, if necessary. The whole amounted to from 1400 to 1500 men. this force was added, immediately previous to the action, about 300 of the Nassau troops,

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some of whom, however, did not remain long, owing, it is said, to their not having been sufficiently supplied with ammunition.

The action commenced at thirty-five minutes past eleven o'clock, as appears from the information of an officer, who looked at his watch (which he was satisfied was correct as to time) as soon as the first gun was fired.

The force of the enemy employed in making the attack was very great. It consisted of the whole of the second corps, under the command of the Count de Reille. This corps, which amounted to 30,000 men, was formed into three divisions. The division commanded by Jerome Bonaparte commenced the attack, but was soon driven back (about half past twelve) with great loss. A most desperate attack was next made by the division of General Foy, who succeeded in gaining great part of the wood, and had nearly surrounded the honse; but four companies of the Coldstream, and two of the third regiment, moving promptly down and attacking them, they were driven back with immense slaughter, and some prisoners were taken from them. Several other attempts were made by the enemy against this post during the course of the day, until their general retreat; but they did not obtain any advantage. In a most determined and gallant attack, made between twelve and one o'clock, an officer and a few men got inside of the gate of the farm-yard, but they were all killed; and at no period of the day was the communication cut off. Reinforcements of men and ammunition were sent in whenever they were requisite. The attack against the position of Hougoumont lasted, on the whole, from twenty-five minutes before twelve, until a little past eight at night.

At several period sduring the day, reinforcements from the Coldstream, and the third regiment of Guards were sent down to the support of the light companies, employed in the defence of the house, garden, and wood. The latter was repeatedly occupied by the enemy, who were as often driven from it again, until at last these posts were occupied by the whole brigade, with the exception of two companies. About six in the evening, when the second line was brought forward, some Hanoverian battalions occupied the ground, where the second brigade of Guards had been placed at the commencement; and a Brunswick regiment was sent down to the wood more to the left than when the Guards held it. The loss of the Guards, in killed and wounded, in the defence of Hougoumont, amounted to twenty-eight officers, and about 800 serjeants and rank and file. The foreign troops (Nassau and Brunswickers) might lose about 100.

The loss of the enemy was enormous. The division of General Foy alone lost about 3000 men; and the total loss of the enemy in the attack of this position is estimated at above 10,000 men in killed and wounded.

It is said that the enemy were ignorant of the strength of the position, the garden wall being concealed by the wood and hedge; but the wall was so protected by trees, that it would not have been easy to have brought cannon to play against it, and besides, it was of great thickness. The enemy brought guns to a height on the right of the position, which enfiladed it, and cansed great loss; and they succeeded in setting fire to a haystack, and a part of the buildings, by means of shells ;‡ but that did not prevent the garrison from occupying the remaining part.

It has been said that the inhabitants of the place were not friendly to the English; but this is quite a mistake. They left it with much trepidation, when the cavalry of the enemy appeared in the evening of the 17th. They returned, however, for a short time early on the 18th, to take some things away. Their conduct on the whole rather implied, "friendship for the English, and terror of the French."

Such are the most interesting particulars regarding the defence of Hougoumont, which

*Late in the evening, when the second corps had been as completely beaten, as the first corps had been on the left, Bonaparte ordered forward the Imperial Guards, and part of that fine body of men was directed against Hougoumont.

When part of the third regiment of Guards was sent into the wood before one o'clock, Colonel Hepburn of that corps superseded Lord Saltoun, who, having but few men left, obtained permission to join his battalion, where he again distinguished himself. Colonel Woodford of the Coldstream, who went with the reinforcement into the house, was senior to Colonel Macdonnell, but in consideration of that officer's gallant conduct, Colonel Woodford refused taking the command, and each undertook the defence of a particular portion of the post they occupied.

It was the tower that was burnt, and the fire penetrated to the chapel. The guide pointed out to me a crucifix of wood, which the fire had attacked, and as it was damaged only in a part of the foot, it was supposed to have been saved by a miraculous interposition of Providence.

does such infinite credit to the determined courage of the troops employed in that service, and which certainly most essentially contributed to the ultimate success at the battle of Waterloo.*

It was very satisfactory to find, that nothing could surpass the high ideas entertained on the Continent of the steadiness, valour, energy, and discipline of the British army † It was remarked to me, that scarcely any other troops possessed that firmness and discipline, joined to what we would call bottom, or a happy union of strength of body, and resolution, or firmness of mind, sufficient to have resisted, for so many hours, the violent, desperate, and reiterated attacks of the French at the battle of Waterloo; where the force of an immense artillery,§ of numerous bodies of cavalry, variously armed, and many of them protected by defensive armour; and from 50,000 to 60,000 infantry, the élite of the French army, were all combined for the destruction of an enemy numerically much inferior.** It was observed, however, that the discipline of the French had become too loose, whilst that of the Germans remained too mechanical; but that the discipline of the British army

* It has been observed that Ossian peculiarly excels in the description of battles; and in no poet, whether ancient or modern, can passages be found more applicable to the battle of Waterloo, than the following from the poem of Fingal, as translated by the Rev. Dr Ross :

"As roll a thousand waves to the shore, the troops of Swaran advanced: as meets the shore a thousand waves, so the sons of Erin stood firm. There were the groans of death! The hard crash of contending arms: shields and mails in shivers on the ground: swords like lightning gleaming in the air; the cry of battle from wing to wing: the loud, bloody, hot encounter: chief mixing his strokes with chief, and man with man.

"As the lightning of night on the hill: as the loud roar of the sea when roll the waves on high as thunder behind the rocks, were the noise and fury of the battle. Though Cormack's hundred bards had been there to describe the scene in song, feeble had been their voice to relate the countless number of the slain, so many were the deaths of heroes, whose blood was poured upon the plain."

It was his description of battles that made Ossian so great a favourite with Bonaparte.

I found that the Scotch corps were great favourites on the Continent, and a respectable friend of mine, the Viscount Vanderfosse, at Brussels, having expressed himself with much feeling and eloquence on the subject, I requested him to send me in writing what he had stated in conversation, and the following is a literal translation of the letter he sent me:

« SIR,

Brussels, January 5, 1816.

"You desire to have in writing, the eulogium which I made you yesterday, on the Scotch regiments, which have so valiantly defended our country and our laws at the battle of Waterloo. I shall endeavour to make use of the same words as formerly, since a Scotchman, enlightened and patriotic as you are, has thought them worthy of remembrance.

"Since the arrival of the English troops on the Continent, their discipline was remarked by all those who had any communication with them, and in particular by those who, like myself, had had an opportunity of seeing them in this country, during the campaigns of 1793 and 1794. At that epoch, your warriors displayed the greatest bravery; but England had not yet accumulated those numerous laurels, acquired under the command of the great and immortal WELLINGTON. "Among these respectable warriors, the Scotch deserve to be particularly commemorated; and this honourable mention is due to their discipline, their mildness, their patience, their humanity, and their bravery, almost without example.

"On the 16th and 18th of June, 1815, their valour was displayed in a manner the most heroic. Multiplied, constant, and almost unheard-of proofs were given, I do not say merely of courage, but of a devotion to their country, quite extraordinary and sublime.

"Nor must we forget that these men, so terrible in the field of battle, were mild and tranquil out of it. The Scotch Greys, in escorting the French prisoners on the evening of the 18th, showed compassion to these unfortunate victims of war, while as yet the result of that decisive day was unknown, and perhaps uncertain.

"I am not afraid of giving myself up to those feelings of gratitude, which all the Belgians will ever retain towards those, without whom they would no longer have had a country; but even gratitude shall never carry me beyond truth. All that I have now said in praise of your excellent country men would, I am sure, be confirmed, if necessary, by all the inhabitants of this kingdom; and the more you enquire into details and facts respecting their virtue and their glory, the more would the reality of what I have now repeated, at your desire, be established.

"Receive, sir, the renewed assurance of my esteem and gratitude towards your loyal nation; and permit me to join in the cry, at the sound of which your excellent countrymen have braved the most imminent dangers, and have triumphed over them,Scotland for ever!"

"I have the honour to be, sir,

"Your very humble and obedient servant,
(Signed)

"VISCOUNT VANDERFOSSE,
"First Advocate at the Superior Court of Justice at Brussels."

In the Austrian account it is said, "That no infantry less practised, and less cool than the English, could have resisted such attacks."

The French were greatly superior in the number of cannon in the action. They had above 200; the English only about 66.

** The French, in all, had about 75,000 men, and the British about 55,000, (including all the foreign troops), at the battle of Waterloo.

was distinguished by a happy medium, which when joined to that military skill and coolness by which the hero of Waterloo is so eminently distinguished, almost ensured a victory.* London, March 18, 1816.

PARTICULARS REGARDING MARSHAL GROUCHY'S ARMY.

I was fortunate enough to meet at Brussels with some of the most distinguished officers who had served in Grouchy's army; and with great readiness they answered several questions I put to them, regarding that part of the French force. I shall here give a translation of the questions sent, and the answers they returned, which contain some interesting particulars.

1. At what time was the corps of Marshal Grouchy separated from the grand army?— Answer. On the morning of the 17th of June.

2. What was its force, and the generals by whom it was commanded?—Answer. The force consisted in all of 45,000 men; of whom 39,000 were infantry, and 6000 cavalry. The principal officers were Generals Vandamme, Gerard, and Excelmans.

3. What were the orders given to the marshal, and what progress did he make in their execution?-Answer. The orders of the marshal were, to march upon the army of the enemy, so as to prevent the junction between Wellington and Blucher. He arrived to carry that object into effect at Gembloux on the 17th, which the Prussian army had quitted about twelve at noon for Wavre. The marshal left Gembloux with his army on the morning of the 18th, to find out the Prussians, and to fight them. The second corps of cavalry, consisting of 4000 men, commanded by General Excelmans, discovered the rearguard of the Prussians near a place called Baraque, about ten o'clock in the morning. General Excelmans brought his cavalry to the Dyle, ready to pass that river, when about twelve the marshal arrived, with General Vandamme's corps, and gave orders to march upon Wavre; this he did, after we had defeated the rear-guard of the Prussian army, which were from 8000 to 10,000 men.

4. Did you hear at Wavre the firing at the battle of Waterloo, or Mount St Jean?Answer. About mid-day the cannonade was heard, and it was then that General Gerard, and several other officers, insisted strongly with the marshal to cross the Dyle, and to approach nearer to the emperor, leaving a small corps of observation before the Prussians, who had been beat and had retired to Wavre. But the marshal constantly refused, and continued his route on Wavre. General Excelmans commanded the advanced guard, and would not have quitted the Dyle, had it not been in consequence of express orders given by the marshal in person, which he was compelled to obey.

5. To what circumstance was it owing that the army of Marshal Grouchy was of no use at the battle of Waterloo, or Mount St Jean?-Answer. Because the marshal committed the fault of employing his whole army, whereas, at the utmost, 10,000 men would have been sufficient to have kept the rear-guard of the Prussians in check.

6. Did Napoleon send any orders to Marshal Grouchy during the battle?—Answer. Several officers were sent before mid-day by the emperor to search for Marshal Grouchy, but only one of them (Col. Zenowitz) arrived at Wavre, and not till about six o'clock in the evening. The marshal then resolved to pass the Dyle at Limale, with a part of his army; but it was too late.

7. What became afterwards of Marshal Grouchy's army ?-Answer. It was about eleven o'clock in the morning of the 19th, that the marshal learnt that the emperor had been beaten. The attack which he intended to make on the road from Brussels to Louvain was therefore given up, and the army passed the Dyle at four points-Wavre, Limale, Limilet, and Ottigny. General Excelmans with his corps pushed on to Namur, where he arrived in the evening, and where the marshal arrived next day. The allies attacked the rearguard, commanded by Vandamme. The conflict was very obstinate, but the allies suffered so much, that our retreat afterwards was unmolested.

*The Duke of Wellington retained the same presence of mind, during the dreadful conflict, as it. had been a common field-day; and a foreign officer, of great experience and merit, assured me, "that he had served with all the most distinguished generals on the Continent, but that none of them possessed so many of the qualities essential for a great commander, as the Duke of Wellington."

These officers added, that in their opinion, "Si les ordres de l'Empereur enssent été exécutés par le Maréchal Grouchy, les armées Anglaise et Prussienne étaient perdues sans ressource." This cannot be admitted. It is said that Grouchy was over-persuaded by Vandamme to push on to Wavre, in the hopes of getting first to Brussels, and securing the plunder of that town to themselves.