of the best soldiers in France, the heroes of many memorable victories;
we saw the bearskin caps rising higher and higher as they ascended the
ridge of ground which separated us, and advanced nearer and nearer to
our lines. It was at this moment the Duke of Wellington gave his famous
order for our bayonet charge, as he rode along the line: these are the
precise words he made use of - "Guards, get up and charge!" We were
instantly on our legs, and after so many hours of inaction and irritation
at maintaining a purely defensive attitude - all the time suffering
the loss of comrades and friends - the spirit which animated officers
and men may easily be imagined. after firing a volley as soon as the
enemy were within shot, we rushed on with fixed bayonets, and that hearty
hurrah peculiar to British soldiers.

It appeared that our men, deliberately and with calculation, singled
out their victims; for as they came upon the Imperial Guard our line
broke, and the fighting became irregular. The impetuosity of our men
seemed almost to paralyze their enemies: I witnessed several of the
Imperial Guard who were run through the body apparently without any
resistance on their parts. I observed a big Welshman of the name of
Hughes, who was six feet seven inches in height, run through with his
bayonet, and knock down with the butt end of his firelock, I should
think a dozen at least of his opponents. This terrible contest did
not last more than ten minutes, for the Imperial Guard was soon in full
retreat, leaving all their guns and many prisoners in our hands. The
famous General Cambronne was taken prisoner fighting hand to hand with
the gallant Sir Colin Halkett, who was shortly after shot through the
cheeks by a grape-shot. Cambronne's supposed answer of "La Garde ne
se rend pas" was an invention of after-times, and he himself always
denied having used such an expression.