soon after came to tell me that Sir Lowry
Cole, and some of his staff, had just ascended to the top of the
chateau, a piece of information which did not quite please me, for I
fancied that the general had just discovered our quarter to be better
than his own, and had come for the purpose of taking possession of it.
However, in less than five minutes, we received an order for our
battalion to move up instantly to the support of the piquets; and, on
my descending to the door, to mount my horse, I found Sir Lowry
standing there, who asked if we had received any orders; and, on my
telling him that we had been ordered up to support the piquets, he
immediately desired a staff-officer to order up one of his brigades to
the rear of the chateau. This was one of the numerous instances in
which we had occasion to admire the prudence and forethought of the
great Wellington! He had foreseen the attack that would take place,
and had his different divisions disposed to meet it. We no sooner
moved up, than we found ourselves a party engaged along with the
piquets; and, under a heavy skirmishing fire, retiring gradually from
hedge to hedge, according as the superior force of the enemy compelled
us to give ground, until we finally retired within our home, the
chateau, which was the first part of our position that was meant to be
defended in earnest. We had previously thrown up a mud rampart around
it, and loop-holed the different outhouses, so that we had nothing now
to do, but to line the walls and shew determined fight. The
forty-third occupied the church-yard to our left, which was also
partially fortified; and the third Cacadores and our third battalion,
occupied the space between, behind the hedge-rows, while the fourth
division was in readiness to support us from the rear. The enemy came
up to the opposite ridge, in formidable numbers, and began blazing at
our windows and loop-holes, and shewing some disposition to attempt it
by storm; but they thought better of it and withdrew their columns a
short distance to the rear, leaving the nearest hedge lined with their
skirmishers. An officer of ours, Mr. Hopewood, and one of our
serjeants, had been killed in the field opposite, within twenty yards
of where the enemy's skirmishers now were. We were very anxious to get
possession of their bodies, but had not force enough to effect it.
Several French soldiers came through the hedge, at different times,
with the intention, as we thought, of