I had seen our colonel (Colborne), twenty yards
in front of the centre, suddenly disappear, while his horse, mortally
wounded, sank under him. After one or two rounds from the guns, he
came striding down the front with, 'These guns will destroy the
regiment.'--'Shall I drive them in, sir?'--'Do.'--'Right section, left
shoulders forward!' was the word at once. So close were we that the
guns only fired their loaded charges, and limbering up, went hastily to
the rear. Reaching the spot on which they had stood, I was clear of
the Imperial Guard's smoke, and saw three squares of the Old Guard
within four hundred yards farther on. They were standing in a line of
contiguous squares with very short intervals, a small body of
cuirassiers on their right, while the guns took post on their left.
Convinced that the regiment, when it saw them, would come towards them,
I continued my course, stopped with my section about two hundred yards
in front of the centre square, and sat down. They were standing in
perfect order and steadiness, and I knew they would not disturb that
steadiness to pick a quarrel with an insignificant section. I
alternately looked at them, at the regiment, and up the hill to my
right (rear), to see who was coming to help us.

"A red regiment was coming along steadily from the British position,
with its left directly upon me. It reached me some minutes before the
52nd, of which the right came within twenty paces of me. Colonel
Colborne then called the covering sergeants to the front, and dressed
the line upon them. Up to this moment neither the guns, the squares of
the Imperial Guard, nor the 52nd had fired a shot. I then saw one or
two of the guns slewed round to the direction of my company and fired,
but their grape went over our heads. We opened our fire and advanced;
the squares replied to it, and then steadily facing about, retired.
The cuirassiers advanced a few paces; our men ceased firing, and, bold
in their four-deep formation, came down to a sort of elevated bayonet
charge; but the cuirassiers declined the contest, and turned. The
French proper right square brought up its right shoulders and crossed
the _chaussee_, and we crossed it after them. Twilight had manifestly
commenced, and objects were now bewildering. The first event of
interest was, that getting among some French tumbrils, with the horses
attached, our colonel was seen upon one, shouting 'Cut me out!' Then
we came upon the holl