French Cuirassiers order the charge at Waterloo. | At 1.30 pm., in the centre, d’Erlon’s corps of 4 divisions, comprising some 16,000 men started to advance across the valley towards the left centre of the British position. The Emperor ordered Milhaud to support this attack with Dubois’s brigade from the 13th Cavalry Division of the 4th Heavy Cavalry Corps. This comprised 1st and 4th Cuirassiers, who moved off at a trot crossing the Brussels road. A hundred yards south of the farm of La Haye Sainte they formed into line, broke into gallop, and caught a battalion of Hanoverians from Kielmansegge’s brigade, who had been sent to reinforce La Haye Sainte, and wiped them out. Nine squadrons came past the farm on the right, and two on the left, rejoining as they passed by, to sweep on up the slope towards the very centre of the British line.
On the right of the cuirassier’s came d’Erlon’s infantry. As they advanced a Dutch-Belgian brigade, who had received a tremendous pouting from the French cannon, broke and fled before them, creating a gap in the Allied line which was quickly plugged by Kempt’s 8th British Brigade. The whole weight of the assault now fell on Picton’s 3rd Division, and it seemed as though it was up to these 4,000 veterans British infantry to halt the 16,000 of d’Erlon’s Corps, and the eleven squadrons of Dubois’s cuirassiers.
The four subalterns of the household Brigade, posted on the ridge, had reported back to Lord Edward Somerset on the French advance, and he deployed his brigade into line. Uxbridge ordered Somerset to charge the cuirassiers, and then rode over to Ponsonby, in command of the Union Brigade, and ordered him to charge d’Erlon’s infantry as soon a she saw Somerset move. The brigade deployed outwards at 2.20 pm., moving by threes to left and right, which took the left flank across the Brussels road. The KDG in the centre, and the 1st Life Guards on the right, wheeled left by threes and moved off at once. Owing to the urgency of the situation the 2nd Life Guards where still wheeling by threes to their right after the rest had started to advance. The King’s Dragoon Guards and the 1st Life Guards descended into a sunken road athwart the ridge, crossed it and scrambled up the bank opposite. On reaching the top they checked for moment to steady the line, and charged. As they galloped forward, their right flank became advanced, so that the 1st and 4th cuirassiers were struck obliquely.
The Brigade and the cuirassiers came to the shock the like two walls, in the most perfect lines. I believe this line was maintained throughout. A short struggle enabled us to break through them, notwithstanding the great disadvantage arising from our swords, which were full six inches shorter than those of the Cuirassiers, besides it being the custom of our Service to carry the swords in a very bad position whilst charging, the French carrying theirs in a manner much less fatiguing, and also better for either attack or defence. Having once penetrated their line, we rode over everything opposed to us. |