It was now about two o’clock when FitzMaurice, who was in Leach’s absence at Brussels commanding the leading company, and who was posted on some high ground, observed a horseman, apparently in deep thought, coming up the road. As he drew near he recognised the Duke of Wellington, who raising his eyes, and seeing the 95th uniform, called out quickly, ‘Where is Barnard?’ The word was passed for him; and when the Colonel galloped up, the Duke said, ‘Barnard, these fellows are coming on; you must stop them by throwing yourself into that wood.’ Barnard immediately ordered FitzMaurice to take the company into the wood, and ‘amuse’ them, until he brought up the rest of the Battalion. As FitzMaurice was moving off, the Duke called to him to go round a knoll which would shelter him from the enemy’s fire.[153]
General Bachelu had occupied the wood of Piermont, and was pushing forward to obtain possession of another small wood which would have interrupted the communication between Quatre Bras and Ligny. But the Riflemen anticipated them. ‘Here, for the first time in this campaign, the troops of the two nations became engaged. The skirmishers who successfully checked the further advance of the French, and secured the wood, were the 1st Battalion of the British 95th Rifles,[154] whom the old campaigners of the French army, at least those who had served in the Peninsula, had so frequently found the foremost in the fight, and of whose peculiarly effective discipline and admirable training they had had ample experience.’[155]
Besides the occupation of this wood the Battalion kept possession of the Namur road, which they lined.[156] Charles Beckwith’s company, commanded by Lieutenant Layton, lined an embankment with a ditch in front of it, and kept up a smart fire on the enemy, which was as smartly returned. Layton himself was hit in the wrist and side. Yet the enemy forcing the Riflemen, by increased numbers, out of the wood, made furious endeavours to turn the left flank of the English line, on which the Battalion was posted. They had already gained the road, when the Riflemen at last received the glad summons to advance, and leaping over the bank and ditch, dashed in among them, and drove them from the road and from some houses on it which they had occupied.