The Retreat before Waterloo, 17June 1815.

Lieutenant W. B. Ingilby, Royal Horse Artillery.

We marched before daylight, passed through Nivelles, meeting many wounded on the road, and arrived at Quatre Bras, where the affair of yesterday had been. The whole Army was gradually and successively arriving, and the French appeared in considerable force in our front. About noon Lord Arthur Hill, Aide-de-Camp to the Duke, mentioned that the Prussians had been defeated, and that their Army was in retreat. In the afternoon there appeared a considerable bustle among the enemy`s troops in our front, as if preparing for a move. The whole of our Infantry at this time were moving off to a position we understood to be a few miles to our rear.

   The Cavalry formed in three lines: the Hussars in the first line, the Light Cavalry in the second, and in the third line the Heavy Cavalry. It suddenly became insufferably hot and close, and the sun became absolutely darkened by a very black cloud, while at the same time a heavy cloud of dust rising showed the advance of a very large body of Cavalry coming to reinforce the Enemy; they came from a direction on the right of the Enemy.

   I had heard the same Aide-de-Camp say that Lord Uxbridge had positive orders not to have an affair of Cavalry.

   The French Cavalry I have before adverted to now advanced boldly in great force, and for some time partially under cover of a wood, until their vedettes fired on our front line. We commenced a cannonade, which was promptly returned, and as the Enemy continued to advance and, I think, had commenced a deployment, an affair seemed inevitable.

   The interest and even silence, until the guns and skirmishers opened, up to this moment was intense, for it was not generally known that the Cavalry General was to avoid an affair.

   At the last moment the order was given, and the whole commenced a rapid retreat in three columns and by different roads. At this instant the heavy black cloud broke with a tremendous clap of thunder and torrent of rain. We formed the left Column in retreat. The road and ground became so quickly deluged with the heavy rain that was falling, that it became impracticable for the French Cavalry to press our Column in any force. In fact, out of the road in the track of our own Cavalry, the ground was poached into a complete puddle. Seeing this, and having lost the shoe from off a Gun horse, I halted and had it put on in spite of some skirmishers who began to press on us, but were kept at bay by our own skirmishers forming as if to charge them. This will show how impracticable it was for them to press on us on this cross road. But at this moment I could see the centre Column on the main road to my right, and they apparently charging, accompanied, with much cheering. (This was the affair of the 7th Hussars, who  were not successful, but the matter was retrieved by the Life Guards.) In our Column not a man was lost. The retreat for the Guns the whole way, with the exception of the Gun mentioned, was at hard gallop for six or seven miles until we came upon the infantry, in and getting into position. The rain continued very heavy throughout the night.

   The same night I received instructions to set out by times in the morning to find a practicable road which should lead parallel to the main road, and through the wood of Soignies and by the left of Brussels, so that in case of further retreat Sir Hussey`s Brigade might retire covering the left flank of the Army.

   I left the bivouac just at dawn, and succeeded in making myself acquainted with a road practicable for our light guns (six-pounders) and Cavalry. At a village I fell in with a body of four or five hundred Prussians, evidently of different Corps, and seemingly fugitives; however, they appeared as if collecting to march in the direction of the cannonade, which was commencing to be rather heavy. Numberless of the peasants had taken and were taking refuge in the wood of Soignies, with their women and children, cattle, pigs, sheep, and whatever valuables they could carry off. I went into Brussels; the streets were wholly deserted, except by the wounded that were straggling in from the Cavalry affair of yesterday and at Quatre Bras the day before; many were lying and seated about the steps of the houses as if unable to proceed further in search of a hospital. I managed to get a hasty breakfast in the Hotel d`Angleterre with a gentleman anxious for news, and who proved to be Admiral Malcolm. I carried off a cold fowl for the Troop, who I knew had nothing, and which I reached about half-past ten o`clock, and immediately proceeded to make my report to Sir Hussey Vivian.