Waterloo

Today, 192 years ago, the Battle of Waterloo was fought in an area of just 3 miles east to west and 1.5 miles north to south. The opening battery commenced at about 11.25 hours and the battle was won by 22.00 hours. Wellington's army was 68,000 strong and Napoleon had 72,000. The Allied army is positoned on the north ridge sheltered, in the main, on a reverse slope sheltered from canon shot. 'Hedges of considerable size protect part of the British front, and the position is made stronger by the possession of three fortified points, the chateau, farm and woods of Hougoumont, the farm of La Haye Sainte, and the villages of Papelotte, La Haye and Frischermont'

The first attack, by the French, is on the Allied right directed at Hougoumont Farm and Chateau. Hougoumont is the western most outpost of Wellington's line and so important to keep to prevent his army being outflanked. First intended to be a feint to draw Wellington's strength from his centre the battle for Hougoumont lasts all day with an escalating amount of 10,000 French thown against the 2,500 defenders. It is never taken. Napoleon directs General D'Erlon against the Allied centre. He learns that Grouchy has not prevented the Prussians from marching to join Wellington. He deploys his reserves to guard his right flank against the Prussian threat. The farm of La Haye Sainte is taken at 5.pm. 'Of the original 678 men who had been garrisoned at La Haie Sainte only 42 managed to escape alive. Now the centre of the allied line was completely exposed to French attack.'

D'Erlon attacks the Allied right centre with 4 Divisions, Cavalry and Artillery. The action is saved by the heroic charge of the Household Brigade (English Cavalry) which sweep into the French lines. They attack the artillery but with their horses blown they cannot return and are destroyed by the French Lancers. 2,500 horsemen sustaining 1,000 casualties. But the main French attack is repulsed. The British position is desperate with fighting all along the line. Marshall Ney thinks the British are defeated and are retreating and attacks with massed cavalry unsupported by infantry or artillery only to find that the British have formed squares which repulse the attack. He attacks 12 times. The squares hold and this, arguably, proves the decisive phase of the battle.'Apparently towards the end everyone was so tired, the cavalry and the men in the squares merely stood and stared impotently at each other.' 4 p.m. and the Prussians are in site. They capture the village of Plancenoit on the French right. 2 battallions of the Old Guard repulse them stabilising the French position. Ney wears down the British centre by a series of co-ordinated attacks and begs Napoleon for fresh troops to finish the job. Napoleon delays for 30 minutes until 7 p.m. by which time Wellington has shored up the centre. The Old Guard are sent into battle. They have never been defeated. They are met by the resolute firepower of the Brigade of Guards. The Old Guard waver and retreat. Wellington, seeing this, orders the advance 'Now Maitland, now is your time!' The whole British line moves forward. The French are broken. Napoleon flees the field. Thousands of French are cut down. 47,000 are dead and injured on both sides.

'The ditches around Hougoumont were choked with bodies, and huge piles of corpses marked the area where the French cavalry had been cut down, and one could see the position of the 27th's square by the dead, still lying in that formation. Worse than that was the condition of the wounded, many of whom lay three days before being treated. Parties of Belgian scavengers toured the field, murdering and robbing the wounded; looters from both Allied armies scoured the area, stripping the dead and living alike. Over the whole field arose a continuous moan . Those who saw it acknowledged that the most sickening sight of all was in the Hougoumont enclosure, where a barn had been set alight, burning to death the scores of wounded, both French and British, who had been placed there.'

This is a much simplified account of my limited understanding of the Battle.

I urge anyone interest in the Battle to read 'Waterloo, A Near Run Thing' by David Howard. One of the most enthralling books I have read.

Some of my account is taken from: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~awoodley/regency/waterloo.html an excellent site dedicated to the Regency period. I urge anyone interested in this period to visit this comprehensive resource.