And now another account from Maudit:
Maudit Comments on the Middle Guard’s Assault
Napoleon led six battalions of the Middle Guard himself into the bottom of the shallow valley before returning to la Belle Alliance, the other three were believed to be still preparing, Maudit comments.
“The available time was too precious, so short that he did not even think there was time to wait for the second column of the Guard, which needed another fifteen minutes to get itself organised, before it could come up to support his movement.”
He continues:
“The six battalions continued their march towards the plateau, and bravely went forward to meet their destiny…despite the murderous artillery and musketry fire, to which they did not even reply, for they climbed the heights with shouldered arms waiting to deply only a hundred paces from the English army.”