CHAPTER IX. "So now the business of the field is o'er, The trumpets sleep, and cannons cease to roar, And all the thunder of the battle laid." On the 19th, we proceeded about sixteen miles towards France, and entered a town, the name of which I have forgotten. We were billeted on the inhabitants, and obtained from our commissariat a supply of fresh provisions. I here got my wounded cheek dressed, and the piece of iron extracted; I kept it for some time, and intended to have preserved it, as a momento of the battle, but I lost it afterwards at Paris. After a good night's rest, which to us was quite a luxury, we proceeded next day on our march. On entering France, an order was issued, by the Duke, strictly prohibiting the British from taking anything from the inhabitants, without paying for it. Our progress through France, was of the most rapid nature, as it was important to reach Paris, before the scattered French troops could rally. Our brigade obtained no more quarters on the road, but were taken, on an average, about thirty miles a-day, which was tolerably good travelling, considering the heat of the weather and the weight we had to carry,-viz. musket, accoutrements, knapsack, canteen, camp-kettle, blankets, great coat, haversack, with provisions, and about 120 rounds of ball cartridge; making altogether about 60 lbs., which the infantry have each to carry. On this march they generally took us as far as we were able to go, and then turned us into a field, or wood, to bivouack for the night, there to remain, like so many sheep, until we were called in the morning to resume the march. It was considered, that a great deal of unnecessary severity was practised towards the men; provost guards were appointed to follow in the rear, and they had orders to flog every man they found behind his regiment, without a written pass from his officer. These harassing marches continued from the 19th to the 27th, when we reached the environs of Paris, and opened a communication with Blucher, who had arrived there first, with the Prussian army. It was thought we should still have our work to do, as the strong posts, at Mont Martre, were occupied with a large body of French troops. A summons, however, was sent to the authorities of Paris, requiring them to give up the keys, in three days, or the place would be stormed by the English and Prussian forces. The second day was Sunday, and such was the thoughtless, volatile disposition of the Parisians, that every theatre in Paris was literally crammed that evening, by the votaries of pleasure, with the horrors of war suspended over them. The utter hopelessness of any further opposition, induced the ruling powers to surrender, and we entered Paris on the 3rd of July, the British troops marching through, and forming a camp in the Bois de Boulogne. No English troops were quartered in Paris; that privilege was reserved for the Prussians. The first week, we had full employment in cutting down trees, fixing tents, and forming parade grounds. We had the pleasure here again to receive our colours, and we were joined by a good many, whose wounds were only of a slight nature. I have stated, that on the 18th, a man on my left hand, was struck by a ball in the left eye, and fell backwards; and having thus seen him fall, I, when the roll was called, stated that he was killed; judge then my surprise, when he joined us at Paris! The ball was still in his head, and could not be extracted; he was not fit for duty, and was sent to England, where he died a few months afterwards. received here a reinforcement of officers. Our colonel, the present Lord Harris, was badly wounded, and never joined us again. Being joined by a detachment of men from our depôt, we began again to assume an appearance of strength. We The 69th regiment, in order to remove from themselves the disgrace of having lost their king's colour, at Quatre Bras, set their tailors secretly to work and manufactured a new colour, and then contradicted the statement of their having lost one. But, unfortunately for them, Napoleon, in his dispatches to Paris, had noticed the capture of this colour; and the colour itself was forwarded to Paris and exhibited there. It was a great pity the 69th adopted such a plan, for though it is unfortunate in a regiment to lose its colours, yet, if taken while they are contending with a vastly superior force, as was the case in this instance, it cannot reflect any disgrace on the men. We had now a supply of regular canvas tents, quite new, and being regularly arranged in lines, they presented a very pretty appearance, and we were visited by thousands of the Parisians, who did not seem to consider it any disgrace, to have a foreign army, at camp, so close to them. The English soldiers were not allowed in Paris at all, except by a written pass, signed by the commanding officer, and |