"Shame! shame!" was heard from our ranks, and a feeling of indignation
ran through the whole line; but the deed was done: this brave soldier
lay a lifeless corpse in sight of his cruel foes, whose only excuse
perhaps was that their sovereign, the Duke of Brunswick, had been killed
two days before by the French.

Again and again various cavalry regiments, heavy dragoons, lancers,
hussars, carabineers of the Guard, endeavoured to break our walls of
steel. The enemy's cavalry had to advance over ground which was so heavy
that they could not reach us except at a trot; they therefore came upon
us in a much more compact mass than they probably would have done if
the ground had been more favourable. When they got within ten or fifteen
yards they discharged their carbines, to the cry of "Vive l' Empereur!"
their fire produced little effect, as that of cavalry generally does.
Our men had orders not to fire unless they could do so on a near mass;
the object being to economize our ammunition, and not to waste it on
scattered soldiers. The result was, that when the cavalry had discharged
their carbines, and were still far off, we occasionally stood face to
face, looking at each other inactively, not knowing what the next move
might be. The lancers were particularly troublesome, and approached
us with the utmost daring. On one occasion I remember, the enemy's
artillery having made a gap in the square, the lancers were evidently
waiting to avail themselves of it, to rush among us, when Colonel Staples
at once observing their intention, with the utmost promptness filled
up the gap, and thus again completed our impregnable steel wall; but
in this act he fell mortally wounded. The cavalry seeing this, made
no attempt to carry out their original intentions, and observing that
we had entirely regained our square, confined themselves to hovering
round us. I must not forget to mention that the lancers in particular
never failed to despatch our wounded whenever they had an opportunity