Quatre Bras
16th June 1815
The Brunswickers’ Severe Trial
by Leon Parte
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Ney presently sent forward two heavy columns, under Bachelu, into the valley east of Gemioncourt. Whereupon Wellington, fearing for the safety of the Brunswick troops, ordered Picton, at 4pm, to leave the 92nd at Quatre Bras, and to advance against the enemy. This counterstroke proved brilliantly successful, the French columns, surprised by Kempt’s brigade, which moved through high crops, being routed by a bayonet charge, and driven through the hedgerows into the valley. Just after the British troops had resumed their position, and were beginning to reform, Foy’s division, supported by Piré’s cavalry (Hubert’s Brigade of Chasseurs and Wathier’s Brigade of Lancers), advanced from the stream, one column on the Brussels road, the other between it and the Bossu wood. Death of the Duke of Brunswick The Duke of Brunswick, finding that he had not room for two cavalry regiments between the high road and the wood, sent the Hussars back to Quatre Bras, while he himself at the head of the Lancers charged the enemy’s advancing infantry. The French troops, rapidly forming from line into square, easily repulsed the Lancers, who galloped back to Quatre Bras. The leading French squadrons followed boldly, and the Brunswick infantry then broke and fled. The Duke bravely but vainly strove to rally them, he himself being mortally wounded in his endeavours. Meanwhile, the Brunswick Lancers, pursued by the Chasseurs, galloped in a crowd on to the 92nd, then lining the ditch of the Namur road close to Quatre Bras.’ The Highlanders wheeled back one company, let the Lancers through, and then fired with great effect into the French horsemen, forcing them to retire. The Brunswick Hussar Regiment was now ordered forward from Quatre Bras to attack the Chasseurs; but, unable to face the fire of the French Infantry which had advanced on the eastern skirts of the wood, the Hussars hesitated, then turned so closely pursued by the Chasseurs that the two bodies of horsemen were mistaken by our infantry for Allied cavalry retiring. The Chasseurs following the Hussars got through the 92nd men, behind whom Wellington had taken refuge. The Duke escaped only by jumping the fence of a garden, which was lined by a company of the battalion. The Chasseurs advanced up to Quatre Bras; then, seeing that they were isolated, they tried to retire by breaking through the 92nd from the rear. Few of these brave Frenchmen eventually escaped. An officer, coming from the rear, personally attacked the Duke of Wellington, but he was shot through both legs by some soldiers who faced about, his horse falling just as he reached the Duke. Wathier’s Lancer Brigade did not follow up the Chasseurs, but, wheeling round, attacked in the rear the two foremost regiments of Pack’s brigade, the 4211(1 (2nd Black Watch) and the 44th (1st Essex) Regiment. The 42nd was in the act of forming square at the time of the charge and succeeded with comparative ease in repulsing the Frenchmen. But the 44th, taken by surprise, had no time to alter its formation, the thud of galloping horses’ hoofs being the first indication it received of the coining storm. Colonel Hamerton quickly faced both ranks about, reserving his fire until the Lancers had approached to within short range, when a murderous volley destroyed many of the foremost horsemen. With undaunted courage, however, individual men pressed on, and one greyhaired old Lancer, riding straight at the colour party, severely wounded Ensign Christie, who carried one of the colours, driving the lance through his left eye to the lower jaw. The Lancer then endeavoured to seize the colour, but Christie, with marvellous endurance and determination, dashed the flag to the ground, and threw himself upon it. The Frenchman succeeded in tearing off a portion with his lance, but a moment later he was bayoneted, and the colour was saved. Presently the Lancers were forced to retire, and, withdrawing under a heavy fire from the 44th, reformed, with the rest of Pirés shattered cavalry division, on the south side of the Gemioncourt stream. More Quatre Bras 16th June 1815
Wellington at Quatre Bras The Brunswickers’ Severe Trial The Arrival of the Guard The Flight of the French Large Map (slow: 207K) Jumbo Map (very slow: 285K) Related Netherlands Victory Quatre Bras 1815 [FE60] Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #59 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |
The Brunswickers were severely tried by the casualties which they suffered in quick succession, but they were steady, being extremely well commanded by the Duke, who himself displayed exemplary courage.