Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 4, 1896

IHE CELTIC MONTHLY.
Part XV. — (Continutd from page 6).
The Highland Brigade, Quatjre Bras,
Waterloo.
T^f^^M^ITH undaunted courage the heroic
^M^l) Imperial Guard came on through
^^jnjh the terrific storm, and reached the
top of the ridge in front of the right of Mait-
land's Guaids and the central battery, which
opened on them an awful, terrific, fire of grape
and canister shot. The (iuards then took ujd
the firing and advanced. The French cheered
and moved forward. The British in silence
poured on them terrible volleys, and again the
front ranks of the column went down hke grass
before the scythe. At this decisive moment
Wellington ordered Adam's infantry brigade
to advance against the flank, and with admir-
able prescience soon after directed Vi%iau with
his cavalry brigade to descend the slope in rear
of Adam's men, between the Imperial Guard
and Hougomout, and 'S'andeleur to follow him
with his cavalry regiments.
The effect of this attack at once in front and
flank was decisive. Napoleon, in his despatch
written the day after the battle, ascribed to it
the loss of the day. In the meantime. Colonel
Colborne (afterwards Lord Seaton), seeing the
left of the French exposed, without waiting for
an order from either Adam or Wellington,
advanced his gallant 52nd and swiftly and
steadily converging inwards, threw in such
furious volleys on the rear left flank that the
Imperial Cuard swerved away to the right in
great disorder. Adam, seeing Colborne coming
up with the o'2nd, rode up to him and asked
what he was going to do. "Drive these
fellows off " was the curt reply of the gallant
Colborne. By this brilliant advance the column
of the Guard was separated from Reille, who
was moving up to its support. Adam pui-sued
the broken remains of the Guard at the
bayonet's point, and all rallying was impossible.
Then arose in the French ranks the cry " Tout
est perdu ! la Garde est respousse " (all is lost !
the Guard is repulsed), and the enormous mass
was driven headlong down the slope to the
Charleroi road, carrying away with it the whole
of D' Erlou's corps which was on its right
flank, spreading disorder through the whole of
Napoleon's right centre.
The moment of victory had now arrived.
When the last column of the Imperial Guard
was falling back in disorder down the slope,
with their flanks reeling under the terrible fire
brought to bear upon it, Wellington perceived
the Prussian standards near Planchenoit on the
French right, fierce fighting going on all round
that village and on the heights above it, he rightly
judged that Blucher had arrived in great force.
He instantly ordered the whole line to advance
in the formation in which they stood. Riding
to the front, with hat in hand high raised in
the air, he waved on his men. Like an
electric shock the heart stirring command was
taken up all along the line Confidence
revived, wounds were forgotten, one feeling of
exultation tilled every soldier's breast. Colours,
tattered and torn were raised aloft and waved
by excited hands, bagpipes, drums, trumpets
sent forth heart-stirring sounds, stragglers ran
forward to fill depleted ranks, even such of the
wounded as could walk hurried forward to
share in the glorious triumph. With bounding
steps the whole line pressed forward as one