More accounts of the withdrawal from Waterloo:
Once more we return to Maudit for a detailed account of the withdrawal:
“Thus disengaged, we were able, in the middle of this general disorder, despite being fired on at pistol range on three sides of us, to begin our retreat calmly and with so little crisis that nothing came to menace us and as proof we trod no one under our feet! Again, how admirable our grenadiers were in this tempest; what calm and sang-froid! What precision in their fire!!... What troops!
Our retreat was conducted across the fields, passing through the fire of several Prussian battalions hidden behind the hedges that we had to cross. There they killed or wounded a great number of us, but without us being able to reply for we could not seem them and we feel without knowing where the blows were coming from. Nevertheless, they were unable to stop our movement, prescribed by the Emperor himself…
Our first battalion marched parallel to us on the other side of the main road. We saved the Eagle of the Grenadiers.
Chef de Battalion Rulliere [commanding officer of the 2/95th Ligne], today a General, seized his regiment’s Eagle at the moment Lieutenant Puthod, who was carrying it, fell seriously wounded, ran towards the same square [of the Old Guard] that was already full of wounded from I Corps. At first he was not allowed to enter, but on presentation of his regimen’s Eagle, two files were opened, thus saving the honour of the 95th.”
After seeing that the 1er Grenadier’s withdrawal was in less danger, Napoleon left to see to the 1er Chasseurs at Le Caillou. The 1er were generally unmolested after fending off the British cavalry near Rosomme, despite the slaughter surrounding them, General Petit wrote:
“Half a league [about two kilometre] from Genappe the two squares joined together on the main road where they marched on in column by sections. In this manner, and whilst marching, they were joined by many soldiers from the other regiments of the Guard. The enemy followed up closely but did not bother them.”
