...companies of British guards, the Chateau became the focal point of vicious, close-range fighting. Desperate attack folloed desperate attack until virtually all of Prince Jeromes division, and almost half of the rest of Reilles corps, as involved in the fight. ellington, seeing the mass of uncommitted French troops opposite his center, resisted the temptation to reinforce the Chateaus defenders and chose to save his reserves for the upcoming frontal assault.At 130 that afternoon, the main French assault began. Under the cover of an 80 gun barrage, 3 French divisions charged through the valley and up the slope of the ridge. hen the French reached the crest of the hill, they ere met ith ithering musket fire at point-blank range. In order to keep his units intact through the bombardment, ellington had ordered his men to lie don on the concealed side of the ridge. So, hen the 16,000 men of DErlons Ist corps reached the top of the rise, they ere confronted ith a mass of organized and determined British regulars. Nevertheless, the French fought fiercely and succeeded in forcing a hole in the Allied center. Before the French could exploit this eakness, hoever, General Picton and a brigade of his peninsular veterans charged into the fray and stopped the French breakthrough. DErlon could move no further. ellington, seeing the French stalled on the ridge, called his cavalry to the attack. Under Lord Uxbridges command, Lord Somersets Household cavalry and Ponsonbys Union Brigade Charged into the disordered French and thre them off the ridge. DErlons men ere put to flight and badly mauled by the elite British heavy cavalry. Spurred on by their success, the British cavalry continued their chase until they reached the main French lines. ithout infantry support, they ere all but annihilated by French artillery and cavalry counter-charges. At this point, Marshal Ney as ordered to take La Haye Saint, the farmhouse that so nicely reinforced the Allied center. He led the rallied remnants of DErlons Ist corps forard under cover of an intense bombardment and as repulsed by the dug in defenders. Ney, thinking that the Allies ere ready to crack, called for a massive cavalry charge. He led forard no less than 5,000 cavalrymen, many of them elite heavy cavalry, in a charge against the ridge beteen La Haye Saint and Hougoumont. Upon reaching the crest, the French ere confronted ith an aesome spectacle, 20 British squares dran up on the reverse slope oftpar the hill, aiting ith gleaming bayonets for the gallant French horsemen. The French cavalry circled the invincible squares, but ithout artillery or infantry support the charge as doomed to failure. The survivors fled back through the valley hile Ney tried in vain to rally them. After a brief lull in the battle, Ney again formed an assault force out of the remnants of his cavalry and again charged the ridge. He as once more repulsed, but this time only barely. ellingtons troops ere becoming eary and he as running out of reserves. After another lull in the battle, Ney decided to try again. This time, hoever, he used a proper combinationtpar of artillery, infantry, and cavalry and he took La Haye Saint. Despite heavy casualties, the French managed to storm the farmhouse and the nearby orchard. The British line as about to crack and Ney could sense it. He called to Napoleon for more reserves, but due to the Prussian arrival on the French right flank, there ere none left as the Imperial Guard as being committed against the Prussians. Ney as forced to give up his gains and pulled back across the valley. The battle quieted for a short time, during hich the Imperial Guard as placed back in reserve. ellington brought up the last of his reserves and prepared for the final onslaught. At 700 PM the Imperial Guard ere released to Ney and ere ordered to take the British held positions on the ridge beteen La Haye Saint and Hougoumont. The Guard, 11 battalions of the most disciplined and experienced troops in Europe, marched up the ridge. Upon reaching the crest, an entire brigade of British troops rose up from a cornfield and poured ithering fire into the French columns. For the first time, the Guard broke and ran before the enemy. ith the cry of, La Guard recule!, the French army began to disintegrate. ellington seized the moment and counterattacked, putting the rest of the army to flight. Napoleons last desperate gamble for victory had failed, and ith it his dreams of rebuilding his empire.gjklajpBUphBphajBUph0JBCJaJph0JBCJ0aJ0phkma
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