The French artillery smote them
with terrible effect; the infantry swept them with bullets; the
cavalry were preparing to charge. No wonder then that the young troops
lost their self-possession, broke, and fled in utter confusion, some
through Quatre Bras others through the English regiments on the left
of the village.
At this moment the gallant Duke of Brunswick, while striving to rally
one of his regiments, received a mortar wound. He died a few minutes
later, as his father had died on the field of Jena. The Brunswick
hussars were now ordered to advance and cover the retreat of the
infantry; but as they moved toward the enemy they lost heart, turned,
and fled from the field, the French lancers charging hotly among them.
So closely were the two bodies mixed together that the Forty-second
and Forty-fourth which were posted on the left of the road, could not
distinguish friend from foe.
Before the former regiment had time to form square the French were
upon them, and for two or three minutes a desperate hand-to-hand
conflict took place between bayonet and lance. The Forty-fourth did
not attempt to form a square. Its colonel faced the rear rank about,
and these poured so tremendous a volley into the French cavalry that
they reeled back in confusion. Two companies of the Forty-second which
had been cut off from the rest were almost annihilated; but the rest
of the square closed in around French cavalry who had pierced them and
destroyed them to a man.
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