Soon from the high ground behind Hougoumont the batteries of artillery opened fire on the French column.  Its skirmishers advanced bravely, and constantly reinforced, drove back the Hanoverian and Nassau riflemen in front of the wood.  Then Bull’s battery of howitzers opened with shell upon them; and so well were these served that the French skirmishers fell back, hotly pressed by the First and Second brigade of guards issuing from the chateau.  The roar of cannon speedily extended along both crests; the British aiming at the French columns, the French, who could see no foes with the exception of the lines of skirmishers, firing upon the British batteries.  The French therefore suffered severely, while the allies, sheltered behind the crest, were only exposed to the fire of the shot which grazed the ground in front, and then came plunging in among them.

Prince Jerome, who commanded on Napoleon’s left, sent strong columns of support to his skirmishers acting against the right of the wood of Hougoumont, while Foy’s division moved to attack it in front.  In spite of a terrific fire of artillery poured upon them these brave troops moved on, supported by the concentrated fire of their powerful artillery against the British position.  The light companies of the guards, after an obstinate resistance, were forced back through the wood.  The French pushed on through the trees until they reached the hedge, which seemed to them to be the only defense of the buildings.  But thirty yards in the rear was the orchard wall, flanked on the right by the low brick terraces of the garden.  The whole of these had been carefully loopholed, and so terrible a storm of fire opened upon the French that they recoiled and sought shelter among the trees and ditches in the rear.

Jerome, seeing that his skirmishers had won the wood, and knowing nothing of the formidable defenses that arrested their advance, poured fresh masses of men down to their assistance.  Although they suffered terribly from the British artillery fire, they gathered in the wood in such numbers that they gradually drove back the defenders into the buildings and yard, and completely surrounded the chateau.  The defenders had not even time properly to barricade the gate.  This was burst open and dense masses rushed in.  The guards met them with the bayonet, and after fierce fighting drove thorn out and closed the gate again, and with their musketry fire compelled them to fall back from the buildings.  Some of the French, however, advanced higher up the slope, and opened fire upon one of the batteries with such effect that it had to withdraw.  Four fresh companies of the guards advanced against them, cleared them away, and reinforced the defenders of the chateau.

A desperate fight raged round the buildings, and one of the enemy’s shells falling upon the chateau set it on fire.  But the defense still continued, until Lord Saltoun, repulsing a desperate attack, and reinforced by two companies which came down the hill to his assistance, drove the enemy back and recaptured the orchard.  This desperate conflict had lasted for three hours.