altogether ceased
before dark, but recommenced, with redoubled fury, about an hour
after; and it was then, as we afterwards learnt, that they lost the
battle.

We lay down by our arms, near the farm-house already mentioned, in
front of Quatre Bras; and the deuce is in it if we were not in good
trim for sleeping, seeing that we had been either marching or fighting
for twenty-six successive hours.

An hour before daybreak, next morning, a rattling fire of musketry
along the whole line of piquets made every one spring to his arms; and
we remained looking as fierce as possible until daylight, when each
side was seen expecting an attack, while the piquets were blazing at
one another without any ostensible cause: it gradually ceased, as the
day advanced, and appeared to have been occasioned by a patrole of
dragoons getting between the piquets by accident: when firing
commences in the dark it is not easily stopped.

June 17th.--As last night's fighting only ceased with the daylight,
the scene, this morning, presented a savage unsettled appearance; the
fields were strewed with the bodies of men, horses, torn clothing, and
shattered cuirasses; and, though no movements appeared to be going on
on either side, yet, as occasional shots continued to be exchanged at
different points, it kept every one wide awake. We had the
satisfaction of knowing that the whole of our army had assembled on
the hill behind in the course of the night.

About nine o'clock, we received the news of Blucher's defeat, and of
his retreat to Wavre. Lord Wellington, therefore, immediately began to
withdraw his army to the position of Waterloo.

Sir Andrew Barnard was ordered to remain as long as possible with our
battalion, to mask the retreat of the others; and was told, if we were
attacked, that the whole of the British cavalry were in readiness to
advance to our relief. I had an idea, however, that a single rifle
battalion in the midst of ten thousand dragoons, would come but
indifferently off in the event of a general crash, and was by no
means sorry when, between eleven and twelve o'clock, every regiment
had got clear off, and we followed, before the enemy had put any thing
in motion against us.

After leaving the village of Quatre Bras, and passing through our
cavalry, who were formed on each side of the road, we drew up, at the
entrance of Genappe. The rain, at that moment, began to descend in
torrents, and our men were allowed to shelter themse