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the Battle. WATERLOO. 11. Route. 151
and Ponsonby’s cavalry daringly pursued their enemy until they actually
reached the French line near Belle Alliance. Here, however, they were
met and checked by a fresh body of French cuirassiers and a brigade of
lancers, and in spite of the support of Vandeleur’s Light Dragoons and
Guigny’ ’s Dutch cavalry, they were compelled to retreat.
While the centre and left of the Allied line were thus actively en-
d, the right was not suffered to repose. Another desperate assault
delivered against the orchard of Hougomont, but was repulsed with
vy losses to the enemy. The chateau had meanwhile taken fire, but
most fortunately for the ‘little garrison the progress of the flames was
arr near the doorway, where a crucifix hung. The sacred image
itself was injured, but not troyed; and to its miraculous powers the
Belgians attributed the preservation of the defenders. There was now a
pause in the ketry fire, but the cannonade on both sides continued
with increa J ing frightf apoleon now determined
to make an whelming cavalry attack, while at the same time the
infantry divisions of Jéréme and Foy were directed to advance. Forty
squadrons advanced in three lines from the French heights, while the
ench cannonade was continued over their heads, until they had nearly
attained the brow of the opposite hill. The Allied artillery was unable
to check the advance and the arlillerymen retired for shelter behind the
line. The Allied infantry, Germa ell as British, had by this time
formed into squa round which the French cavalry surged in a fierce
charge, but without making any impression on them. Lord Uxbridge,
with the fragments of his heavy cavalry supported by Trip’s Dutch Horse ,
now drove the French back over the hill. Bat twice more the French
cavalry returned to the attack, twice more they swept past the impene-
trable squar twice again all their efforts to break them were baffled,
while their o ranks were thinned by the fire of the undaunted Allies.
After great lo had been sustained on both sides, the French were
forced to retire. — A vigorous attack on the right wing of the Allies had
meanwhile been repulsed by Du Plat with his Brunswickers and by Adam’s
Brigade under the fp nal command of the Duke.
The entire Alli line had hitherto held its ground, and Hougomont
proved impregnable. Napoleon therefore directed his efforts against La
Haye Sainte, as a point of the utmost importance, which was defended
by Major von Baring and his staunch band of Germans. Donzelot’s divi-
sion attack the miniature fortress in overwhelming numbers. With
heroic bravery the major and his gallant officers remained at their posts
until the French had actually entered the house, and only when farther
resistance would have been certain death did they finally yield (see p. 104)
and retreat to the lines of the Allies. La Haye Sainte, which was captured
between 5 and 6 o’clock p.m., now became a most advantageous point
@appui for the French tirailleurs, in support of whom Ney, during up-
wards of an hour, directed a succession of attacks against the Allied
centre, but still without succeeding in dislodging or dismaying the indom-
itable squares. It was now nearly 7 p.m., and the victory on which
the French had reckoned was still entirely unachieved.
Meanwhile Bliicher, with his gallant and indefatigable Prussians,
whose timely arrival, fortunately for the Allies, prevented Napoleon from
employing his r against them, had been toiling across the wet and
spongy valleys of St. Lambert and the Lasne towards the scene of action.
It was about 4.30 p.m. when the first Prussian battery opened its fire
from the heights of Frichemont, about 2!/, miles to the S.E. of the Allied
centre, and by 6 o'clock the Prussians had 48 guns in action. Marshal
Lobau, sent to oppose this new enemy, was compelled to retreat towards
the village of Plancenoit, a little to the rear of the French centre at Belle
Alliance, and this village became the centre of a fierce struggle. It became
apparent to Napoleon at this crisis that if the Prussians succeeded in cap-
turing Plancenoit, while Wellington’s lines continued steadfast in their
position, a disastrous defeat of his already terribly-reduced army was in-
evitable. He therefore resolved to directa final and desperate attack against
the Allied centre, and to stimulate the flagging energies of his troops
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