Hougoumont (farmhouse)

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This article is about the farmhouse; for the convict ship, see Hougoumont (ship).

View on the Hougoumont farm from the north

Château d'Hougoumont is a large farmhouse situated at the bottom of an escarpment near the Nivelles road. The escarpment is where British and other allied forces faced Napoleon's Army at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815.

Before the battle started, Hougouumont and its gardens, located on the Allies' right flank, were hastily fortified. It was garrisoned by the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, part of General Byng's Brigade of Guards, the rest of which were positioned in its rear. The Coldstream Guards was for some time under the command of Lieut. Colonel Macdonell, and afterwards the command of Colonel Home.

Napoleon planned to draw Wellington's reserve to Wellington's right flank in defence of Hougoumont and then attack through the centre left of the British and allies' front near La Haye Sainte. The battle started at 10:00 with a furious attack upon Hougoumont. This first attack failed and it set a pattern for the rest of the day.

Wall of the Hougoumont farm

Hougoumont became a battle within a battle. Throughout that day its stubborn defence drew thousands of valuable French troops, but did not draw in Wellington's reserves as Napoleon had anticipated. The French forces sent in to attack Hougoumont included:

Detachments under the command of Jerome, Napoleon's brother
The divisions of Foy, Guilleminot and Bachelu
Nearly the entire corps of Reille
Kellermann's cavalry corps
Bauduin's brigade (which failed to enter Hougoumont on the north side)
Soye's brigade (which managed a small breach on the south side but could not exploit it)

Sous-Lieutenant Legros, wielding an axe, managed to break through the north gate. Macdonell and other Guards managed to shut the gate, trapping Legros and about 30 other Frenchmen inside. All of the French who entered, apart from a young drummer boy, were killed in a desperate hand to hand fight.

The name "Hougomont" is derived from "Gomme Mont" which means "Gum hill". It was built on a little hill with pine trees around it, from which pine gum was collected to make turpentine.

In June 2006, the farm appears to be in a degraded state. The walls which where once near pristine white are now a dirty yellow. Several walls are cracked and parts are clearly damaged, most notably the right-hand door post of the main entrance.

Image:Zuidpoort_hougoumont.jpg|Gate on the south side defended by the Guards Image:Coldstream_guards_hougoumont.jpg|Remembering the Coldstream Guards Image:North gate Hougoumont.jpg|Gate on the north side Image:Zicht_hougoumont.jpg|Hougoumont Image:Omwalling1_hougoumont.jpg|Wall on the south side

External links

[Wellington's Dispatches June 19th, 1815]
[The Hougoumont Farm]
[Les Miserables Volume II Book First.--Waterloo Chapter II. Hougomont]

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