after a conflict of three hours, General Maitland retained undisputed possession of this important post, which commanded the road to Brussels. Meantime this battle was equally fierce on every other point. Picton's brigade, comprehending the Scotch Royals, 92d, 42d, and 44th regiments, was stationed near the farm house of Quatre Bras, and was the object of the most destructive fire, rendered more murderous by the French having the advantage of the rising ground; while the British sunk to the shoulders among the tall rye, and could not return the vollies with the same precision of aim. They were next exposed to a desperate charge of the French heavy cavalry, which was resisted by each regiment seperately throwing itself in a solid square; but the approach of the French being partly concealed by the nature of the ground, and the height of the rye, the 42d regiment was unable to form a square in the necessary time. Two companies which were left out of the formation, were swept off and cut to pieces by the lancers. Their veteran colonel Macara, was amongst those who fell. Some of the men stood back to back, and maintained an unyielding and desperate conflict with the horsemen that surrounded them, until they were at length cut down. Nothing could be more galling for their comrades than to witness their slaughter without having the power of giving them assistance; but they adopted the old Highland maxim, To day for revenge, and to morrow for mourning,' and received the cuirassiers and lancers with so dreadful and murderous a fire, as compelled them to wheel about, These horsemen however, displayed the most undaunted resolution. After being beaten off in one point they made a most desperate charge down the road leading to Brussels, with the purpose of carrying two guns, by which it was defended. But at the moment they approached the guns, a fire of grapeshot was opened upon them, and, at the same time, a body of Highlanders posted behind the farm house, flanking their advance, threw in so heavy a discharge of musketry, that this body of horse was in an instant nearly annihilated. The result of these various attacks was, that the French retreated with great loss, and in great confusion; and many of the fugitives fled as far as Charleroi, spreading the news that the British were in close pursuit. But pursuit was im practicable, for the English cavalry had so far to march that when they arrived on the ground night was approaching, and it was impossible for them to be of service. Ney therefore re-established himself in his original position at Frasnes, and the combat died away with night-fall. The British had their leisure to contemplate the results of the day: Several regiments were reduced to skeletons by the number of killed and wounded. Amongst the killed was the gallant Duke of Brunswick who exhibited an unshaken model of ancient German valour and constancy,* Colonel Cameron, so often distinguished in Lord Wellington's dispatches from Spain, fell while leading the 92d to a charge of cavalry, supported by infantry. Many other regretted names were read in the This Hero fell in his 44th year. He had, from his youth, been bred to arms. His father fell in the battle of Jena and by the treaty of Tilisit he lost his patrimonial possessions. In the spirit of the days of Chivalry, the Duke took a solemn oath that he would never sheath the sword till he had avenged the insult of fered to the tomb of his father. On the rupture between Austria and France in 1809 he appeared in Bohemia, where he raised an independant corps of black hussars; but in consequence of the armistice that followed the battle of Wagram, he was deserted by the Austrians. This induced him to form the bold plan of quitting Germany to seek protection in England. This he executed with equal courage and address, and after travelling 300 miles and overcoming every obstacle opposed to his march, he seized a few small vessels at Elsflath, and arrived safely in England with about 1800 men. On the turn of affairs in Europe in 1814 he took possession of his Duchy, and though his contingent was only 4000, he actually joined the allies with 14,000 men. The Duke of Wellington caused twelve pieces of the brass cannon taken from the French to be delivered to Colonel Osterman of the Brunswick troops, in order to be employed in the monument intended to be erected to his memory, bloody list. But if it was a day of sorrow it was a day of triumph also. Bonaparte's plan of advancing to Brussels had been defeated by the British without their cavalry or artillery, and this inspired the troops with confidence and hope. Under these flattering expectations they bivouacked upon the ground which had been occupied by the French during the battle. But the gloomy news that was received from Fleurus destroyed the agreeable news which the success at Quatre Bras had induced the British to entertain. Bonaparte had reserved to himself what he considered was the most difficult task, that of coping with Blucher, and by his overthrow, cutting off all communication between the Prussian and British armies, and compelling each to seek safety in isolated and unconnected movements. The Prussian veteran was strongly posted to receive the enemy, whom upon earth he most hated, His army occu pied a line where three villages built upon broken and unequal ground, served each as a seperate redoubt, defended by infantry and well furnished with artillery. The village of St. Amand was occupied by his right wing, his centre was posted at Ligny, and his left at Sombref. All these hamlets are strongly built, with large court-yards and orchards, each of which is capable of being converted into a station of defence. The ground behind these villages form an amphitheatre of some elevation, in front of which was a deep ravine, edged by straggling thickets of trees. The villages were in front of the ravine; and masses of infantry were stationed behind each, destined to reinforce the defenders as occasion required. In this strong position Blucher had assembled three corps of his army, amounting to 80,000 men. But the fourth corps commanded by Bulow, being in distant cantonments, had not yet arrived at the point of concentration. The force of the assailants is stated in the Prussian dispatches at 130,000 men. But as Ney had at least 30,000 soldiers under him at Quatre Bras, it would appear that the troops under Bonaparte, even including a strong reserve, which consisted of the first entire division, could not exceed 100,000 men. The forces therefore actually engaged on both sides might be nearly equal. They were equal also in courage and in mutual animosity. The Prussians of our time will never forget, nor forgive, the series of dreadful injuries inflicted upon their country by the French, after the defeat of Jena. The murder of the father or the husband, because the pekin looked dangerous' when he beheld his property abandoned to rapine, his wife or daughters to violation, and his children to wanton slaughter were the tales which the Prussian Landwehr told over their watch fires, to whet each other's appetites to revenge. The successful campaign of 1814, was too stinted a draught for their thirst of vengeance. They were also commanded by Blucher, the inveterate foe of the French name and empire, whom no defeat could ever humble, and no success could mitigate, Amid the general joy and congratulation for the treaty of Paris, this veteran retained the manner of a gloomy malcontent, bearing the mein of Dryden's spectre-knight :--- Stern look'd the fiend, and frustrate of his will, And now this inveterate enemy was before them, leading troops animated by his own sentiments, and forming the yan-guard of immense armies, which, unless checked by decisive defeat, were about to overwhelm France, and realize those scenes of vengeance, which in the preceding year had been so singularly averted. The French had, also, their grounds of personal animosity not less stimulating. These very Prussians to whom (such was their mode of stating the account) the emperor's generosity had left the name of independence, and been admitted to be companions in arms to the victors; these Prussians had been the first to lift the standard of rebellion against them, when the rage of the elements had annihilated the army with which Napoleon invaded Russia. They had done. more, they had invaded the sacred territory of France, defeated her armies upon her own soil; and contributed chiefly to the hostile occupation of her capital. Fired by these sentiments of national hostility, the ordinary rules of war, those courtesies and acts of lenity, which on other occasions afford some mitigations of its horrors, were renounced upon both sides. The Prussians declared their intention to give and receive no quarter; and two of the French divisions hoisted the black flag, as an intimation of the same intention. With such feelings towards each other, the two armies joined battle. The engagement commenced at three in the afternoon, by a furious cannonade, under cover of which Vandamme, attacked the village of St. Amand. They were received by the Prussians with the most determined resistance, in despite of which they succeeded in carrying the village at the point of the bayonet, and establishing themselves in the church and church-yard. The Prussians made the most desperate ef fort, to recover possession of this village, which was the key of their right wing. Blucher put himself at the head of a battalion in person, and impelled them on the French, with such success, that one end of the village was again occupied as well as the heights behind it. The village of Ligny, attacked and defended with the same fury and inveteracy, was repeatedly lost and regained, each party being alternately reinforced from masses of infantry. Several houses inclosed with court-yards formed each a seperate redoubt, which was furiously assailed by the one party, and obstinately made good by the other. It is impossible to conceive the fury with which the troops on both sides were animated. Each soldier seemed to be avenging his own personal quarrel; and the slaughter was in proportion to the length and obstinacy of a five hours combat, fought |