y at the head of Milhaud's cuirassiers and the light cavalry
of the guard, and succeeded, amid the applauses of the army, in
establishing himself on the heights of Mont St. Jean, till then
inaccessible.

This ill-timed and hazardous movement did not escape the Duke of
Wellington. He caused his infantry to advance, and fell upon us with
all his cavalry.

The Emperor immediately ordered General Kellerman and his cuirassiers,
to hasten to extricate our first line. The horse grenadiers and
dragoons of the guard, either from a misconception of Marshal Ney, or
spontaneously, put themselves in motion, and followed the cuirassiers,
without its being possible to stop them. A second conflict, more
bloody than the first, took place at all points. Our troops, exposed
to the incessant fire of the enemy's batteries and infantry,
heroically sustained and executed numerous brilliant charges during
two hours, in which we had the glory of taking six flags, dismounting
several batteries, and cutting to pieces four regiments; but in which
we also lost the flower of our intrepid cuirassiers, and of the
cavalry of the guard.

The Emperor, whom this desperate engagement vexed to the heart, could
not remedy it. Grouchy did not arrive: and he had already been obliged
to weaken his reserves by four thousand of the young guard, in order
to master the Prussians, whose numbers and whose progress were still
increasing.

Mean time our cavalry, weakened by a considerable loss, and unequal
contests incessantly renewed, began to be disheartened, and to give
ground. The issue of the battle appeared to become doubtful. It was
necessary to strike a grand blow by a desperate attack.

The Emperor did not hesitate.

Orders were immediately given to Count Reille, to collect all his
forces, and to fall with impetuosity on the right of the enemy, while
Napoleon in person proceeded, to attack the front with his reserves.
The Emperor had already formed his guard into a column of attack, when
he heard, that our cavalry had just been forced, to evacuate in part
the heights of Mont St. Jean. Immediately he ordered Marshal Ney, to
take with him four battalions of the middle guard, and hasten with all
speed to the fatal height, to support the cuirassiers by whom it was
still occupied.

The firm countenance of the guard, and the harangues of Napoleon,
inflamed their minds: the cavalry, and a few battalions, who had
followed his movement to the rear, faced abou