centre of the
position. We had our right resting on the Namur-road, about a hundred
yards in rear of the farm-house of La Haye Sainte, and our left
extending behind a broken hedge, which run along the ridge to the
left. Immediately in our front, and divided from La Haye Sainte only
by the great road, stood a small knoll, with a sand-hole in its
farthest side, which we occupied, as an advanced post, with three
companies. The remainder of the division was formed in two lines; the
first, consisting chiefly of light troops, behind the hedge, in
continuation from the left of our battalion reserve; and the second,
about a hundred yards in its rear. The guns were placed in the
intervals between the brigades, two pieces were in the road-way on our
right, and a rocket-brigade in the centre.

The road had been cut through the rising ground, and was about twenty
or thirty feet deep where our right rested, and which, in a manner,
separated us from all the troops beyond. The division, I believe,
under General Alten occupied the ground next to us, on the right. He
had a light battalion of the German legion, posted inside of La Haye
Sainte, and the household brigade of cavalry stood under cover of the
rising ground behind him. On our left there were some Hanoverians and
Belgians, together with a brigade of British heavy dragoons, the
royals, and Scotch greys.

These were all the observations on the disposition of our army that my
situation enabled me to make. The whole position seemed to be a gently
rising ground, presenting no obstacle at any point, excepting the
broken hedge in front of our division, and it was only one in
appearance, as it could be passed in every part.

Shortly after we had taken up our ground, some columns, from the
enemy's left, were seen in motion towards Hugamont, and were soon
warmly engaged with the right of our army. A cannon ball, too, came
from the Lord knows where, for it was not fired at us, and took the
head off our right hand man. That part of their position, in our own
immediate front, next claimed our undivided attention. It had hitherto
been looking suspiciously innocent, with scarcely a human being upon
it; but innumerable black specks were now seen taking post at regular
distances in its front, and recognizing them as so many pieces of
artillery, I knew, from experience, although nothing else was yet
visible, that they were unerring symptoms of our not being destined to
be idle spectators.