The enemy moved down two divisions of infantry supported by cavalry, with intent to force the centre of the British position; their approach was covered by a galling fire of round and grape shot, but the determined courage of the allies withstood this fierce attack; and after a destructive fire in line, the troops formed squares to resist the French cavalry who were now rapidly advancing, and although barely sufficient time was given for a regular formation to receive them, they succeeded in repelling this attempt, which unfortunately caused severe loss to some of the regiments engaged.

     The third English division, under General Alten, consisting of the 5th British brigade under Sir C. Halket; the 2d brigade of the king’s German legion, under Colonel Ompteda; and the 1st Hanoverian brigade, under Gen. Kielmansegge; arrived next on the field, in time to sustain a fresh attack, made by the enemy about four o’clock. Strong columns attacked the right of the allied position, and endeavoured to obtain possession of the Bo is de Bossu and out-buildings in front of Quatre Bras: the action became very severe, the enemy, with a greatly superior force of artillery, poured a most destructive fire on the 3d division, which had great difficulty in sustaining its ground: the 5th brigade, consisting of the 30th, 33d, 69th, and 73d regiments, suffered great loss, especially the 33d and 69th, whose ranks, weakened by the enemy’s artillery, were inadequate to resist the daring attacks of the French cavalry, and the 33d effected its retreat into the Bois de Bossu. At this critical juncture, when the enemy had almost succeeded in establishing his light troops on the great road of Nivelles, the 1st English division, under General Cooke, consisting of the 1st brigade of guards under Major-General Maitland, and the 2d brigade of guards under Major-General Byng, with Captain Sandham’s and Major Kuhlman’s brigades of artillery, arrived about half past six o’clock on the field of action, after a fatiguing march from their cantonments around Enghien.

     Tired as the men were, no time was to be lost; and Major-General Maitland’s brigade, consisting of the 2d and 3d battalions of the 1st regiment of guards, immediately formed line, and, cheering, entered the wood. The 3d battalion, under Colonel Stuart, was on the right; the 2d, under Colonel Askew, on the left; and the gallant style in which they charged through the Bois de Bossu swept all before them, and in a few minutes the enemy was completely driven out of it: the intricacy of the wood, however, broke the line of guards, and when they advanced from the opposite side of it their formation was very irregular; they found immediately in their front a well-formed line of French infantry, who instantly engaged them; the guards however pursued their success and were driving the French up the rising ground opposite, a destructive fire being kept up on both sides, when the enemy’s cavalry, seeing the guards unsupported, and their irregular formation, suddenly formed on the heights, and made a rapid charge with a view of relieving their infantry; but General Maitland, perceiving their intention, ordered the immediate retreat of the guards to the wood, as all attempts at forming squares would have been in vain. On gaining the wood, they immediately formed along its skirts, and opened a most destructive fire on the French cavalry, which now retreated in the greatest disorder, leaving many killed on the ground: again the guards sallied from the wood, and again the same scene took place a column of Brunswick infantry now came up along the fields skirting the wood, and on a fresh charge of the French cavalry, formed a sort of fleche, or two sides of a square, with the salient angle towards the enemy, and were of great use in covering the retreat of the guards into the wood. Night was now fast approaching, and the enemy having failed in this, as in his former efforts, retired to his position on the heights in front of Frasnes, leaving the allies in possession of the field of battle. Strong outposts were established in front of the whole line, and the troops bivouacked in the plains which their bravery has immortalized. An object so important as the command of this position, which secured the means of communication with the Prussian army, was only to be attained by the most resolute courage; the enemy using his utmost efforts for this purpose against the allies, whose want of cavalry, and comparatively small force of artillery, gave him every advantage. –– The loss was consequently very severe, and many of the bravest officers fell in the contest. The Duke of Brunswick was killed at the head of his troops; the gallant Colonel Macarra, of the 42d, was severely wounded, and whilst some of his men were conveying him to the rear, a party of the French cavalry rode up and killed him and his faithful attendants. –– Colonel Cameron of the 92d fell whilst bravely leading on his regiment, and in the latter part of the day, Colonels Askew and Stuart, and Colonel Townsend, next in command, were all severely wounded whilst conducting the last decisive attack of the guards, which closed the events of the day on this side. The artillery, notwithstanding its numerical inferiority to that of the enemy, displayed great superiority in the admirable precision of its fire; indeed one attack made by the French cuirassiers, who charged down the great chaussée to Quatre Bras, was repulsed solely by a well directed volley from a battery posted on the little rising ground close to the intersection of the roads; they reserved their fire till the enemy were within a few paces of the guns, when a discharge of grape shot strewed the ground with dead and wounded, and compelled the remainder to retreat precipitately. Only a small body of English cavalry arrived on the scene of action, but the evening was too far advanced for it to take part in the contest. The German legion and Hanoverian brigades displayed great steadiness, and were of the most essential service in driving the enemy from the woods and villages on the left of the position; which in reality was the most essential point for the enemy to become master of, as he might then have effectually cooperated in the movements of Napoleon against the Prussian army near Fleurus, and the operations on that side will now be described.