eleven
o'clock before
We had but to fall upon them and to sweep them from the face of the earth . To put aside all question of courage , we were the more numerous , the older soldiers , and the better led . But the Emperor desired to do all things in order , and he waited until the ground should be drier and harder , so that his artillery could manoeuvre . So three hours were wasted , and it was eleven o'clock before we saw Jerome Buonaparte 's columns advance upon our left and heard the crash of the guns which told that the battle had begun . The loss of those three hours was our destruction . The attack upon the left was directed upon a farm-house which was held by the English Guards , and we heard the three loud shouts of apprehension which the defenders were compelled to utter . They were still holding out , and D'Erlon 's corps was advancing upon the right to engage another portion of the English line , when our attention was called away from the battle beneath our noses to a distant portion of the field of action .