Battle of Waterloo

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The afflicting idea ſtrongly occurred, of the next
day's horrors of ſuch a field as Waterloo. Num-
bers of the deſperately wounded and dying, in the
midſt of the dead, raiſed their bends, when viſitors
to the ſcene paſſed them, to implore water, or to
beg at their hands to end their agonies. Many of
the wounded were not removed till Wedneſday, the
third day after the battle.

The 12th light dragoons was poſted near the
Prince of Orange. Their charges were of the moſt
ſpirited kind ; and nothing but the cuiraſſes enabled
the French dragoons to reſiſt them. In the account
of ſo much pure valour without trick or cover, a-
gainſt ſo much iron, it is not difficult to decide where
honour would award the balance. Many brave men
were ſacrificed to the iron caſes, and taffeta flags
which frightened their horſes. A gallant young
friend of mine own, Mr Elliot Lockhart, eldeſt ſon
of the member for Selkirkſhire, lay near the ſpot we
had now reached. He had juſt joined the 12th
dragoons, and in the firſt charge of his regiment, in
which he bore a very diſtinguiſhed part, received a
wound which was inſtantly fatal. There was a
melancholy ſatisfaction in beholding the ſpot of his
honourable grave ; a prouder ſepulchre the turf on
which the ſoldier falls, than the proudeſt mauſoleum
on conſecrated ground.

No part of the field was more fertile in impreſ-
ſive aſſociations, than the ground of the 30th and
73d regiments, brigaded under our gallant country-
man, ſeverely wounded in the battle, Sir Colin
Halket. I had already heard much of the firmneſs
of theſe brave troops ; and was to hear ſtill more.
To no ſquare did the artillery, and particularly the
cuiraſſiers, pay more frequent and tremendous vi-
ſits ; and never was it ſtuken for a moment. The
almoſt intimacy of the ſoldiers with theſe death-