line to meet their
infantry, charge after charge being made upon us, but with very little
success. At the commencement the commanding officer was killed by a
musket-shot, but his place was soon filled up.

On our left on the turnpike road was placed a brigade of German
cavalry with light horses and men. When Buonaparte's Bodyguards came
up they charged these, making fearful havoc amongst their number; they
were routed and obliged to retreat, but the Life Guards and Scotch
Greys fortunately making their appearance immediately, some close
handwork took place, and the Bodyguards at last finding their match,
or even more, were in their turn compelled to fall back before the
charge of our cavalry, numbers of them being cut to pieces. Still
nothing daunted, they formed again, and this time ascended at us; but
of the two, they met with a worse reception than before, for we
instantly threw ourselves into three squares with our artillery in the
centre; and the word having been given not to fire at the men, who
wore armour, but at the horses, which was obeyed to the very letter,
as soon as they arrived at close quarters we opened a deadly fire, and
very few of them wholly escaped. They managed certainly at first to
capture our guns, but they were again recovered by the fire of our
three squares; and it was a most laughable sight to see these Guards
in their chimney-armour trying to run away after their horses had been
shot from under them, being able to make very little progress, and
many of them being taken prisoners by those of our light companies who
were out skirmishing. I think this quite settled Buonaparte's
Bodyguards, for we saw no more of them, they not having expected this
signal defeat.

That affair, however, had only passed off a very few minutes before
their infantry advanced and we had again to form line ready to meet
them. We in our usual style let the infantry get well within our
musket-shot before the order was given to fire, so that our volley
proved to be of fearful success: and then immediately charging them we
gave them a good start back again, but not without a loss on our side
as well as on theirs. And no sooner had they disappeared than another
charge of cavalry was made, so that we again had to throw ourselves
into square on our old ground. These cavalry had no doubt expected to
appear amongst us before we could accomplish this, but fortunately
they were mistaken, and our persistent fire soon turned th