ncerted measures for their mutual
co-operation. When we arrived at Quatre Bras, however, we found him in
a field near the Belgian outpost; and the enemy's guns were just
beginning to play upon the spot where he stood, surrounded by a
numerous staff.

We halted for a moment on the brow of the hill; and as Sir Andrew
Barnard galloped forward to the head-quarter group, I followed, to be
in readiness to convey any orders to the battalion. The moment we
approached, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, separating himself from the duke,
said, "Barnard, you are wanted instantly; take your battalion and
endeavour to get possession of that village," pointing to one on the
face of the rising ground, down which the enemy were moving; "but if
you cannot do that, secure that wood on the left, and keep the road
open for communication with the Prussians." We instantly moved in the
given direction; but, ere we had got half-way to the village, we had
the mortification to see the enemy throw such a force into it, as
rendered any attempt to retake it, with our numbers, utterly hopeless;
and as another strong body of them were hastening towards the wood,
which was the second object pointed out to us, we immediately brought
them to action, and secured it. In moving to that point, one of our
men went raving mad, from excessive heat. The poor fellow cut a few
extraordinary capers, and died in the course of a few minutes.

While our battalion-reserve occupied the front of the wood, our
skirmishers lined the side of the road, which was the Prussian line of
communication. The road itself, however, was crossed by such a shower
of balls, that none but a desperate traveller would have undertaken a
journey on it. We were presently reinforced by a small battalion of
foreign light troops, with whose assistance we were in hopes to have
driven the enemy a little further from it; but they were a raw body of
men, who had never before been under fire; and, as they could not be
prevailed upon to join our skirmishers, we could make no use of them
whatever. Their conduct, in fact, was an exact representation of
Mathews's ludicrous one of the American militia, for Sir Andrew
Barnard repeatedly pointed out to them which was the French, and
which our side; and, after explaining that they were not to fire a
shot until they joined our skirmishers, the word "March!" was given;
but _march_, to them, was always the signal to fire, for they stood
fast, and began blazing away, chie