The Storming of La Haye Saint by Richard Knotel   Showing the storming by French troops against the defending Anglo German troops at La Haye Saint during the Battle of Waterloo.  The Defence of Le Haye Saint by the Kings German Legion by Adolf von Northern The King's German Legion   defend Le Haye Sainte during the Battle of Waterloo.

The battle began with an assault on Hougoumont, from which Wellington had withdrawn the Dutch-Belgians an hour before. "The mere name of Napoleon," he remarked, "had beaten them before they fired a shot." To hold this position was of supreme importance, for its occupation by the French would have laid open the British right and have made the heights untenable. Column after column, led by Prince Jerome in person, assailed the buildings, but Byngs brigade held fast amid the fire and shell. While Hougoumont was being fiercely contested, the French opened a heavy cannonade along the front an hurled against it heavy masses of cavalry and columns of infantry in close formation. But the allies stood firm, and horse and foot dashed in vain against the solid squares of steel. Despairing of Hougoumont, Napoleon directed a vigorous attack on the left, but was repulsed by the Highlanders who fought like Titans. One more position was open to assault - the farm of La Haye Sainte, almost in the centre of the allies' front. If the Emperor could seize this point he might hope not only to cut off all means of escape but to prevent any junction with the Prussians. To Marshal Ney was entrusted this perilous attempt. A division of cavalry, under the celebrated Kellermann, poured through the gap between Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte. Eighteen thousand footmen - the flower of the French army - swept into the valley with Ney at their head. 74 guns bounded forward to within 700 yards of the allied lines and the heights shook and smoked and flamed under their deadly storm. The Belgians did not wait to receive the attack, at the sight of this advancing avalanche they turned and fled. But the gallant Picton was at hand with two British brigades - 3,000 men all told. Drawn up in two deep lines they turned grimly on the foe. "A volley, and charge!" were Picton's last words, and with a wild hurrah the glittering line of steel pressed onward. Reeling under the shock the French had no time to recover before the Union brigade of cavalry - the Royals, the Scots Greys and the Inniskillins - were upon them like a whirlwind leaving death and wounds in its wake. On they swept up to the cannon's mouth, sabring the gunners and capturing the 74 field pieces with which Marshal Ney had sought to cover his advance. But the pursuit was carried too far and a charge of French lancers threatened to retrieve the disaster to their country's arms. Then the Household Brigade threw themselves upon the steel clad lines and the flower of French cavalry, shattered and broken, fell before the shock.   Text by William Maxwell 1902.