Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

THE FRASEES OF PHILORTH, LOBDS SALTOUN. 263
far as the hedge on their left of the garden -wall, where Saltoun continued to
maintain himself. The French in the wood finding a direct attack against
the garden- wall of no avail, endeavoured to come round its left flank through
the orchard. Here Saltoun was prepared to meet them, and as they were
debouching through a gap from the wood into the orchard, he seized the
opportunity, charged the head of the column with the First Guards' light
companies, and drove the enemy back into the wood.
" Another attempt was shortly made by a considerable body of the
enemy's light troops to turn the left flank of the grounds of Hougomont, by
advancing along the eastern hedge of the farm enclosures ; while a simulta-
neous attack was made through the wood and the orchard occupied by Lord
Saltoun. He had already lost many men, and was once again obliged to
withdraw, retiring from tree to tree till he reached the shelter of the hollow
way in the rear face of the enclosure, where he awaited reinforcements before
he could renew any forward movement. The Duke, from the height above,
observing how matters were progressing, directed Byng to send down rein-
forcements from his Brigade, and shortly afterwards two companies of the
Third Guards were seen advancing along the eastern enclosure to meet the
enemy, when Lord Saltoun, being thus reinforced on his left, and the advance
of the French skirmishers in his front having exposed them to the flanking
fire from the eastern garden-wall, resumed the offensive, cleared the orchard
of the enemy, and re-occupied its front hedge.
" Lord Saltoun relates that the several attacks against the front of his post
were at the time attended with more or less partial success, but that in the end
the French were always repulsed ; that in one of these attacks, when he had
been driven from the front hedge of the orchard to the hollow way in rear of
it, the enemy occupied the front hedge with infantry, and brought up a gun
to bear upon him, which he endeavoured to seize. He failed in that attempt,
but regained possession of the hedge, where he firmly established himself."
1 " About two o'clock, after Byng had reinforced Hougomont with two
companies of the Third Guards, he perceived that these renewed attempts
of the enemy upon the orchard were constantly reducing the numbers of
those entrusted with its defence ; acting, therefore, upon the directions
1 History of the Grenadier Guards, vol. iii. p. 34.