approaching French came as captives, not
conquerors.

Between seven and eight o'clock in the evening, I walked up to the
_Porte de Namur_, where the wounded were just beginning to arrive.
Fortunately some commodious caravans had arrived from England, only a
few days before, and these were now entering the gate. They were filled
principally with Brunswickers and Highlanders; and it was an appalling
spectacle to behold the very soldiers, whose fine martial appearance and
excellent appointments I had so much admired at the review, now lying
helpless and mutilated--their uniforms soiled with blood and dirt--their
mouths blackened with biting their cartridges, and all the splendour of
their equipments entirely destroyed. When the caravans stopped, I
approached them, and addressed a Scotch officer who was only slightly
wounded in the knee.--"Are the French coming, sir?" asked I.--"Egad I
can't tell," returned he. "We know nothing about it. We had enough to do
to take care of ourselves. They are fighting like devils; and I'm off
again as soon as my wound's dressed."--An English lady, elegantly
attired, now rushed forwards--"Is my husband safe?" asked she
eagerly.--"Good God! Madam," replied one of the men, "how can we
possibly tell! I don't know the fate of those who were fighting by my
side; and I could not see a yard round me." She scarcely heeded what he
said; and rushed out of the gate, wildly repeating her question to every
one she met. Some French prisoners now arrived. I noticed one, a fine
fellow, who had had one arm shot off; and though the bloody and mangled
tendons were still undressed, and had actually dried and blackened in
the sun, he marched along with apparent indifference, carrying a loaf of
bread under his remaining arm, and shouting _"Vive l'Empereur!"_ I asked
him if the French were coming.--"Je le crois bien," returned he,
"preparez un souper, mes bourgeois--il soupera a Bruxelles ce
soir."--Pretty information for me, thought I. "Don't believe him, sir,"
said a Scotchman, who lay close beside me, struggling to speak, though
apparently in the last agony. "It's all right--I--assure--you--." The
whole of Friday night was passed in the greatest anxiety; the wounded
arrived every hour, and the accounts they brought of the carnage which
was taking place were absolutely terrific. Saturday morning was still
worse; an immense number of supernumeraries and runaways from the army
came rushing in at the _Porte de Nam