The following account of a crucial portion of the battle of Waterloo is the first in a series of eyewitness accounts which THE COURIER will carry from time to time (or more frequently if you, the readers rate them favorably in Volley Fire). The accounts will stress tactical details from all periods presented by eyewitnesses. They will thus be either historically significant or important from a wargaming standpoint. In the latter case, the accounts will provide information about weapons, formations and tactics. I would like to solicit contributions from all readers. Upcoming accounts will include a cavalry charge in the Mexican-American War and a description from both the Russian and German viewpoints of the intervention of Stuka divebombers in a massed tank battle on the Eastern Front. THE SAND PIT NEAR LA HAYE SAINTE This account comes from Ensign Leach's Rough Sketches of Life of an Old Soldier, published in London 1831. Leach served with the British 95th Rifles in the Peninsula and at Waterloo. His unit was one of the first in the British army to be trained according to Sir John Moore's innovative ideas about light infantry tactics, and was armed with the famous Baker rifle. His description of the Battle of Waterloo is presented from a critical point in the British line, the sand pit near La Haye Sainte. His account covers the initial attack of d'Erlon at about 1:30 and the subsequent counterattack of the British heavy cavalry. Then follows a long period during which the British center is subjected to bombardment from the French grand battery and the garrison of La Haye holds out against the French division of General Alix. At about 6:00, Ney organizes a new assault on La Haye and finally takes this position. The tactical advantage gained by the French at this point is vividly described by Leach. The French failure to seize La Haye earlier in the day or to exploit their advantage immediately after they did take it were major reasons for their defeat. So, let us join Ensign Leach's riflemen at about 11:00 AM, June 18, 1815: "Immediately in front of the extreme right of the position of our division was a hillock, and in its front and at its base was an excavation close by the road, from which sand had been taken; and this was occupied by two companies of our battalion, of which I had the command . . . The farm house of La Haye Sainte, about a quarter of a musket-shot distant, in front of the hillock, and on the other side of the road, was occupied by one of the light battalions of the German Legion . . . We perceived our adversaries bringing into position, on the heights opposite, gun after gun; and ere much time had elapsed, there were, at a moderate computation, fifty pieces of artillery in battery, staring us in the face, and intended particularly to salute our division, the farm of La Haye Sainte, and the left of Baron A/ten's division. The enemy's columns were not as yet visible, being covered by some undulations of ground near the summit of their position. In an instant this numerous and powerful artillery opened on us, battering at the same moment the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte. Under cover of this cannonade severel large columns of infantry, supported by heavy bodies of cavalry, and preceded by a multitude of light infantry, descended at a trot into the plain, with shouts and cries of 'dive l'Empereur!' some of them throwing up their caps in the air, and advancing to the attack with confidence and impetuosity . . . The fire of our two companies posted in the excavation near the road, and from the remainder of the battalion on the hillock, as also that from the windows and loop-holes, by the Germans, in La Haye Sainte, had already inflicted a severe loss on the enemy. Inspite of it, they pressed boldly and resolutely on, until met by our first line, which delivered such a fire, when they approached the thorn hedge, as shattered their ranks and threw them into disorder and this was increased by the cheers, and an attempt of our line to close with them. At this instant the house hold brigade of cavalry coming up to our support, rushed gallantly amongst their infantry and the cavalry which were endeavoring to retrieve matters for them, and drove them back, man and horse, in terrible confusion and dismay and with immense loss . . . The French kept up a constant and well-directed cannonade, from which we sustained a heavy loss, without the power of immediately retaliating. After having endured for a length of time, and with a tolerable degree of patience, this eternal pounding of shot and shells, strong symptoms appeared of a second and equally formidable attack being about to commence on our division and on the farm-house of La Haye Sainte. The second edition of 'Vive l'Empereur!' 'En avant, mes enfans!' and other stimulating cries, burst forth as their masses of infantry and of cavalry again advanced in the most imposing and intrepid style, under cover of a terrible connonade and of their light troops. Nothing could exceed the determined bravery with which the Germans defended the farm-house of La Haye Sainte; but in the desperate attack which was now made on it, having expended the whole of their ammunition, and there being no means of supplying them with more, they were driven out, and the house was instantly filled with the enemy's infantry. For several hours afterwards they kept up a dreadful fire from loop-holes and windows in the upper part of it, whereby they raked the hillock so as to render it untenable by our battalion. They were also enabled to establish on the knoll, and along the crest of the hill, a strong line of infantry, which knelt down, exposing only their heads and shouldres to our fire. Thus the closest and most protracted contest with musketry perhaps on record, was continued for several hours; during which we were several times supplied with fresh ammunition. The artillerymen were swept from the guns which were within reach of the house and the hillock. The possesion of La Ha ye Sainte by the French occasioned a vast loss to our division, which was so diminished in numbers, that all our reserves of infantry were brought up into our first, and now only line. . . In this manner continued the contest on our part of the line hour after hour, without any appearance of its being decided as long as any one remained alive on either side." Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. III #1 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1981 by The Courier Publishing Company. 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