Queen Anne, was also a Percy. The 2d and 4th divisions marched through Nivelles about noon, with their bands playing, accompanied by Lord Hill, at whose safety every one seemed to rejoice. They were followed by the cavalry; and the pleasure of meeting my Peninsular friends after a battle, was never exceeded by that which I experienced when the 7th Hussars marched by, at seeing at their head my Colonel, Sir Edward Kerrison, but who had not 200 men left under his command. Besides Major Hodge, the adjutant, and Captain Elphinstone, whom they had lost on the 17th, all the captains and almost every other officer had been wounded on the 18th. The horse which the colonel rode at the review on the 29th of May, and which I believe he valued at 300 guineas, was shot, and the General of our brigade, Sir Colquhoun Grant, had no less than four horses shot under him. The cavalry on this occasion suffered much in the same proportion as the infantry. Both the brigades of heavy dragoons had been thrown into one, under Lord Edward Somerset, and now did not muster the original

strength of either singly: the sufferings of these and of the brigade under Colonel Arentschildt, consisting of the 13th light dragoons and 3d hussars of the King's German Legion, were the greatest. In the infantry the guards and Highlanders on both days were desperately engaged: the 95th regiment lost in killed and wounded on the 18th forty-two officers: the royal artillery also suffered very severely. The cavalry marched this morning after the Prussians, to know if they were likely to want any support, and to inquire after the enemy; but we returned to Nivelles in the afternoon, and the army encamped again for the night about that town. In passing the 4th division bivouac I saw Captain T. of the 14th, who had happily got safe through the day: the regiment having been posted on our extreme right, which was thrown back near Merke Braine, had not been much engaged. We were at bivouac this night in a little wood between Nivelles and Quatre Bras, about seven miles in front of the village of Waterloo,

20th. At day-break this morning the whole army advancing moved upon the town of Mons, which had a Dutch garrison. We halted in the evening at a village where a corps of the Prussian army crossed our line of march, singing songs of triumph, This is a custom very general amongst the German troops, and was practised by our Hanoverian cavalry throughout their march to Paris.

21st. We arrived at Mons early this morning. The infantry were marching through the town, and were to assemble at night at Malplaquet, famous for the great victory gained there over the French army by the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene on the 11th of September 1709. The cavalry were ordered to pass the frontiers near Malplaquet, and to continue marching until it became dark, the Prussian army being already in France. In the evening it began to rain, and it proved a very wet night. It was nearly dark when I passed through Malplaquet, which is nothing but a row of miserable huts and cottages, with one or two

wretched farm-houses. The old field of battle is now covered with a wood at least that part of it where the English fought and suffered so much. At the instant I was passing Malplaquet, the infantry (who after their long march had just halted and were beginning to light their camp-fires) were hastily ordered to fall under arms, in consequence of a sharp firing which was heard in a wood a little in our rear: it proved, however, to be nothing more than some of our foreign troops discharging their pieces. Our poor fellows, I remember, were very angry at this interruption, after the fatigues of a march of unusual length it was nevertheless highly necessary to be on the alert, as no one yet knew what direction the French corps under Marshal Grouchy had taken. I joined my regiment at a town a little in front of Malplaquet, and got into quarters.

22d.

Before sun-rise we were all again on the march, and passing the frontiers into France about noon, were quartered in a village near Le Cateau.

23d. The regiment having no orders to move this morning, I went into Le Cateau,

His

which was now the army head-quarters. The old King of France, Louis XVIII. had just arrived from Ghent, where he had been during the whole of the late operations. His Majesty and his loyal followers must have been in no small degree of anxiety and alarm at the time of the battle. carriage and attendants were throughout the day in a state of readiness to convey His Majesty to the coast, which was no unwise or premature precaution, as the enemy's cavalry could have reached Ghent from the field of battle in little more than two hours. I have omitted mentioning that when we were proceeding to Ghent in the barge from Bruges, in April last, we met with a French royalist officer, who assured us that they would not require the assistance of the allies in this affair, as they were themselves strong enough to bring the contest to a favourable issue! for that it was only a few "desperadoes" who had joined Buonaparte, and that these would never fight for him. The royalist officers, however, appreared to think very differently now; they gazed in silent admiration at