of doing so.

When we received cavalry, the order was to fire low; so that on the
first discharge of musketry the ground was strewed with the fallen horses
and their riders, which impeded the advance of those behind them and
broke the shock of the charge. It was pitiable to witness the agony
of the poor horses, who really seemed conscious of the dangers that
surrounded them: we often saw a poor wounded animal raise its head,
as if looking for its rider to afford him aid. There is nothing perhaps
amongst the episodes of a great battle more striking than the debris
of a cavalry charge, where men and horses are seen scattered and wounded
on the ground in every variety of painful attitude. Many a time the
heart sickened at the moaning tones of agony which came from man and
scarcely less intelligent horse, as they lay in fearful agony upon the
field of battle.


THE LAST CHARGE AT WATERLOO


It was about five o'clock on that memorable day, that we suddenly received
orders to retire behind an elevation in our rear. The enemy's artillery
had come up en masse within a hundred yards of us. By the time they
began to discharge their guns, however, we were lying down behind the
rising ground, and protected by the ridge before referred to. The enemy's
cavalry was in the rear of their artillery, in order to be ready to
protect it if attacked; but no attempt was made on our part to do so.
After they had pounded away at us for about half an hour, they deployed,
and up came the whole mass of the Imperial infantry of the Guard, led
on by the Emperor in person. We had now before us probably about 20,000