the English had
filled it with troops like a sort of demilune, but if we could take it
we should be close to their centre and could throw our attacking
columns upon them, without remaining long under their fire.

Nothing could be better for us. This place was called Haie-Sainte, as
we found out afterward.

A little farther on, in front of their right wing was another little
farmstead and grove, which we could also try to take. I could not see
it from where I stood, but it was a stronger position than Haie-Sainte
as it was covered by an orchard, surrounded with walls, and farther on
was the wood. The fire from the windows swept the garden, and that
from the garden covered the wood, and that from the wood the side-hill,
and the enemy could beat a retreat from one to the other.

I did not see this with my own eyes, but some veterans gave me an
account of the attack on this farm; it was called Hougoumont.

One must be exact in speaking of such a battle, the things seen with
one's own eyes are the principal, and we can say:

"I saw them, but the other accounts I had from men incapable of
falsehood or deception."

And lastly in front of their left wing on the road leading to Wavre,
about a hundred paces from the hill on our side, were the farms of
Papelotte and La Haye, occupied by the Germans, and the little hamlets
of Smohain, Cheval-de-Bois, and Jean-Loo, which I informed myself about
afterward in order to understand all that took place. I could see
these hamlets plainly enough then, but I did not pay much attention to
them as they were beyond our line of battle on the right, and we did
not see any troops there.

Now you can all see the position of the English on our front, the road
to Brussels which traversed it, the cross-road which covered it, the
plateau in the rear where the reserves were, and the three farms,
Hougoumont, Haie-Sainte, and Papelotte in front, well garrisoned. You
can all see that it would be very difficult to force.

I looked at it about six o'clock that morning very attentively, as a
man will do who is to run the risk of breaking his bones and losing his
life in some enterprise, and who at least likes to know if he has any
chance of escape.

Zebede, Sergeant Rabot, and Captain Florentin, Buche, and indeed every
one as he rose cast a glance at that hill-side without saying a word.
Then they looked around them at the great squares of infantry, the
squadrons of cuirassiers, of dragoons, c