And now, another section of Maudit's memoirs of Waterloo:
Maudit Recalls the Prussian Bombardment
The Prussians had been engaging the French right since 3:30pm and by 5pm-6pm their batteries were within range and were bombarding the French rear and the position of the 1er Grenadiers.
“"We were very surprised to see from these batteries, which we believed to be French [Grouchy's], simultaneously appear twenty or so white clouds and a few seconds after to hear around us or above our heads the whistling of balls! Nearly all of the balls of the second discharge landed either in our square, or in that of the Sapeurs and Marins of the Guard, placed on the same line as us, but next to the road.
A third discharge of the same batteries struck accurately, and killed several of our brave grenadiers, We served as the target for nearly an hour, without moving, we thus received death, with ordered muskets and arms crossed.
For some time, we did not have a single gun to reply to these uncomfortable neighbours; our own battery had been sent over to VI Corps to replace theirs that had been lost whilst on loan to d'Erlon. The Emperor was immediately informed and a 12 pounder battery of the Guard Reserve was sent to replace it and it deployed a hundred paces above us. From there, it fired on the Prussian columns beyond the village of Planchenoit. Its fire, well directed, quickly reduced the effectiveness of the Prussian fire which, nevertheless, had caused us about 50 casualties in our square. The shells in particular caused us the most damage. Three grenadiers of our company, amongst others, were killed by one of them, which exploded two paces from us. Our captain saw them fall and two others of us were also thought to have been killed, or at least seriously wounded. We were, however, safe and sound, but our three grenadiers gave no sign of life; all three were decorated.
Each discharge thus knocked down several grenadiers, but our post was there, and neither the balls, nor shells would force us to abandon it.
It is in such circumstances that one recognises the true courage of a soldier, his sang-froid and his long experience of danger! These men exhibited admirable calm and military virtue in the middle of these incessant challenges!!...There was not one word of surprise or impatience and no sign of the least apprehension.”
