CHAPTER X.
English, Prussian and French official accounts of the battle.—Marshal Grouchy’s report of the battle of Wavre.—Returns of the different armies.—Position of the allied artillery.—Artillery, etc., taken at Waterloo.—Questions connected with the campaign: Wellington’s position at Waterloo.—Opinion of general Jomini.—The Duke’s plans and expectations.—His letter to lord Castlereagh.—Resolution of the allied powers, on receiving the intelligence of Napoleon’s flight from Elba.—Wellington’s letter to general Kleist.—The Duke’s decision.—His anticipations.—Obstacles which his Grace met with.—Conduct of the Saxon troops.—Blücher forced by them to quit Liège.—Wellington’s resolution concerning these troops.
English, Prussian and French official accounts of the battle.—Marshal Grouchy’s report of the battle of Wavre.—Returns of the different armies.—Position of the allied artillery.—Artillery, etc., taken at Waterloo.—Questions connected with the campaign: Wellington’s position at Waterloo.—Opinion of general Jomini.—The Duke’s plans and expectations.—His letter to lord Castlereagh.—Resolution of the allied powers, on receiving the intelligence of Napoleon’s flight from Elba.—Wellington’s letter to general Kleist.—The Duke’s decision.—His anticipations.—Obstacles which his Grace met with.—Conduct of the Saxon troops.—Blücher forced by them to quit Liège.—Wellington’s resolution concerning these troops.
The dispatch of the duke of Wellington, written immediately after the battle, cannot fail to interest every one. It is a document which has fixed the attention of statesmen and soldiers, not more on account of the importance of the event it describes, than for the noble simplicity, perfect calmness and exemplary modesty which characterize the great man who penned it: it stands in honourable contrast with the hurried, inflated, untrue accounts of military achievements not unfrequently given by commanders of no small renown.
(London Gazette extraordinary.)
“Downing-street, June 22d, 1815.“Major the Hon. H. Percy arrived late last night with a dispatch from field-marshal the duke of Wellington, K.G., to Earl Bathurst, his Majesty’s principal secretary of state for the war department, of which the following is a copy:
“Downing-street, June 22d, 1815.
“Major the Hon. H. Percy arrived late last night with a dispatch from field-marshal the duke of Wellington, K.G., to Earl Bathurst, his Majesty’s principal secretary of state for the war department, of which the following is a copy:
To Earl Bathurst.
“Waterloo, June 19th, 1815.“MY LORD,“Bonaparte, having collected the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and6th corps of the French army, and the Imperial guard, and nearly all the cavalry, on the Sambre, and between that river and the Meuse, between the 10th and 14th of the month, advanced on the 15th, and attacked the Prussian posts at Thuin and Lobbes, on the Sambre, at day-light in the morning.“I did not hear of these events till in the evening of the 15th; and I immediately ordered the troops to prepare to march, and afterwards to march to their left, as soon as I had intelligence from other quarters to prove that the enemy’s movement upon Charleroi was the real attack.“The enemy drove the Prussian posts from the Sambre on that day; and general Zieten, who commanded the corps which had been at Charleroi, retired upon Fleurus; and marshal prince Blücher concentrated the Prussian army upon Sombreffe, holding the villages in front of his position of St.-Amand and Ligny.“The enemy continued his march along the road from Charleroi towards Brussels; and, on the same evening, the 15th, attacked a brigade of the army of the Netherlands, under the Prince de Weimar, posted at Frasnes, and forced it back to the farm-house, on the same road, called les Quatre-Bras.“The prince of Orange immediately reinforced this brigade with another of the same division, under general Perponcher, and, in the morning early, regained part of the ground which had been lost, so as to have the command of the communication leading from Nivelles and Brussels with marshal Blücher’s position.“In the mean time, I had directed the whole army to march upon les Quatre-Bras; and the 5th division, under lieutenant-general sir Thomas Picton, arrived at about half-past two in the day, followed by the corps of troops under the duke of Brunswick, and afterwards by the contingent of Nassau.“At this time, the enemy commenced an attack upon Prince Blücher with his whole force, excepting the 1st and 2d corps, and a corps of cavalry under general Kellermann, with which he attacked our post at Les Quatre-Bras.“The Prussian army maintained their position with theirusual gallantry and perseverance, against a great disparity of numbers, as the 4th corps of their army, under general Bulow, had not joined; and I was not able to assist them as I wished, as I was attacked myself, and the troops, the cavalry in particular, which had a long distance to march, had not arrived.“We maintained our position also, and completely defeated and repulsed all the enemy’s attempts to get possession of it. The enemy repeatedly attacked us with a large body of infantry and cavalry, supported by a numerous and powerful artillery. He made several charges with the cavalry upon our infantry, but all were repulsed in the steadiest manner.“In this affair, his Royal Highness the prince of Orange, the Duke of Brunswick, and lieutenant-general sir Thomas Picton, and majors-generals sir James Kempt and sir Denis Pack, who were engaged from the commencement of the enemy’s attack, highly distinguished themselves, as well as lieutenant-general Charles baron Alten, major-general sir Colin Halkett, lieutenant-general Cooke, and major-generals Maitland and Byng, as they successively arrived. The troops of the 5th division, and those of the Brunswick corps, were long and severely engaged, and conducted themselves with the utmost gallantry. I must particularly mention the 28th, 42d, 79th, and 92d regiments, and the battalion of Hanoverians.“Our loss was great, as your Lordship will perceive by the enclosed return; and I have particularly to regret his Serene Highness the duke of Brunswick, who fell fighting gallantly at the head of his troops.“Although marshal Blücher had maintained his position at Sombreffe, he still found himself much weakened by the severity of the contest in which he had been engaged, and, as the 4th corps had not arrived, he determined to fall back and to concentrate his army upon Wavre; and he marched in the night, after the action was over.“This movement of the marshal rendered necessary a corresponding one upon my part; and I retired from the farm of Quatre-Bras upon Genappe, and thence upon Waterloo, the next morning, the 17th, at ten o’clock.“The enemy made no effort to pursue marshal Blücher. On the contrary, a patrol which I sent to Sombreffe in the morning found all quiet[81]; and the enemy’s vedettes fell back as the patrol advanced. Neither did he attempt to molest our march to the rear, although made in the middle of the day, excepting by following, with a large body of cavalry brought from his right, the cavalry under the earl of Uxbridge.“This gave lord Uxbridge an opportunity of charging them with the 1st life-guards, upon theirdébouchéfrom the village of Genappe; upon which occasion his Lordship has declared himself to be well satisfied with that regiment.“The position which I took up in front of Waterloo crossed the high-roads from Charleroi and Nivelles, and had its right thrown back to a ravine near Merbe-Braine, which was occupied and its left extended to a height above the hamlet Ter-la-Haye, which was likewise occupied. In front of the right centre, and near the Nivelles road, we occupied the house and gardens of Hougoumont, which covered the return of that flank; and in front of the left centre we occupied the farm of La Haye-Sainte. By our left we communicated with marshal prince Blücher at Wavre, through Ohain; and the marshal had promised me that, in case we should be attacked, he would support me with one or more corps, as might be necessary.“The enemy collected his army, with the exception of the 3d corps, which had been sent to observe marshal Blücher, on a range of heights in our front, in the course of the night of the 17th and yesterday morning; and at about ten o’clock he commenced a furious attack upon our post at Hougoumont. I had occupied that post with a detachment from general Byng’s brigade of guards, which was in position in its rear; and it was for some time under the command of lieutenant-colonel Macdonell, and afterwards of colonel Home; and I am happy to add, that it was maintained throughout the day with theutmost gallantry by these brave troops, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of large bodies of the enemy to obtain possession of it.“The attack upon the right of our centre was accompanied by a very heavy cannonade upon our whole line, which was destined to support the repeated attacks of cavalry and infantry, occasionally mixed, but sometimes separate, which were made upon it. In one of these the enemy carried the farm-house of La Haye-Sainte, as the detachment of the light battalion of the German legion, which occupied it, had expended all its ammunition; and the enemy occupied the only communication there was with them.“The enemy repeatedly charged our infantry with his cavalry, but these attacks were uniformly unsuccessful; and they afforded opportunities to our cavalry to charge, in one of which lord Edward Somerset’s brigade, consisting of the life-guards, the Royal horse-guards and 1st dragoon guards, highly distinguished themselves, as did that of major-general sir William Ponsonby, having taken many prisoners and an eagle.“These attacks were repeated till about seven in the evening, when the enemy made a desperate effort with cavalry and infantry, supported by the fire of artillery, to force our left centre, near the farm of La Haye-Sainte, which, after a severe contest, was defeated; and, having observed that the troops retired from this attack in great confusion, and that the march of general Bulow’s corps, by Frischermont, upon Plancenoit and La Belle-Alliance, had begun to take effect, and as I could perceive the fire of his cannon, and as marshal prince Blücher had joined in person with a corps of his army to the left of our line by Ohain, I determined to attack the enemy, and immediately advanced the whole line of infantry, supported by the cavalry and artillery. The attack succeeded in every point: the enemy was forced from his positions on the heights, and fled in the utmost confusion, leaving behind him, as far as I could judge, a hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, with their ammunition, which fell into our hands.“I continued the pursuit till long after dark, and then discontinued it only on account of the fatigue of our troops,who had been engaged during twelve hours, and because I found myself on the same road with marshal Blücher, who assured me of his intention to follow the enemy throughout the night. He has sent me word this morning that he had taken sixty pieces of cannon belonging to the Imperial guard, and several carriages, baggage, etc., belonging to Bonaparte, in Genappe.“I propose to move this morning upon Nivelles, and not to discontinue my operations.“Your Lordship will observe that such a desperate action could not be fought, and such advantages could not be gained, without great loss; and I am sorry to add that ours has been immense. In lieutenant-general sir Thomas Picton his Majesty has sustained the loss of an officer who has frequently distinguished himself in his service; and he fell gloriously leading his division to a charge with bayonets, by which one of the most serious attacks made by the enemy on our position was repulsed. The earl of Uxbridge, after having successfully got through this arduous day, received a wound by almost the last shot fired, which will, I am afraid, deprive his Majesty for some time of his services.“His Royal Highness the prince of Orange distinguished himself by his gallantry and conduct till he received a wound from a musket-ball through the shoulder, which obliged him to quit the field.“It gives me the greatest satisfaction to assure your Lordship that the army never, upon any occasion, conducted itself better. The division of guards, under lieutenant-general Cooke, who is severely wounded, major-general Maitland, and major-general Byng, set an example which was followed by all; and there is no officer nor description of troops that did not behave well.“I must, however, particularly mention, for his Royal Highness’s approbation, lieutenant-general sir Henry Clinton, major-general Adam, lieutenant-general Charles baron Alten (severely wounded), major-general sir Colin Halkett (severely wounded), colonel Ompteda, colonel Mitchell (commanding a brigade of the 4th division), major-generals sir James Kempt and sir Denis Pack, major-general Lambert, major-generallord Edward Somerset, major-general sir William Ponsonby, major-general sir Colquhoun Grant, and major-general sir Hussey Vivian, major-general sir J. O. Vandeleur, and major-general count Dornberg,“I am also particularly indebted to general lord Hill for his assistance and conduct upon this, as upon all former occasions.“The artillery and engineer departments were conducted much to my satisfaction, by colonel sir George Wood and colonel Smith; and I had every reason to be satisfied with the conduct of the adjutant-general, major-general Barnes, who was wounded, and of the quarter-master-general colonel De Lancey, who was killed by a cannon-shot in the middle of the action. This officer is a serious loss to his Majesty’s service, and to me at this moment.“I was likewise much indebted to the assistance of lieutenant-colonel lord Fitzroy Somerset, who was severely wounded and of the officers composing my personal staff, who have suffered severely in this action. Lieutenant-colonel the Hon. sir Alexander Gordon, who has died of his wounds, was a most promising officer, and is a serious loss to his Majesty’s service.“General Kruse, of the Nassau service, likewise conducted himself much to my satisfaction; as did general Tripp, commanding the heavy brigade of cavalry, and general Vanhope, commanding a brigade of infantry in the service of the king of the Netherlands.“General Pozzo di Borgo, general baron Vincent, general Müffling, and general Alava, were in the field during the action, and rendered me every assistance in their power. Baron Vincent is wounded, but I hope not severely; and general Pozzo di Borgo received a contusion.“I should not do justice to my own feelings, or to marshal Blücher and the Prussian army, if I did not attribute the successful result of this arduous day to the cordial and timely assistance I received from them. The operation of general Bulow upon the enemy’s flank was a most decisive one; and, even if I had not found myself in a situation to make the attack which produced the final result, it would have forced the enemy to retire if his attacks should have failed, and wouldhave prevented him from taking advantage of them if they should unfortunately have succeeded.“Since writing the above, I have received a report that major-general sir William Ponsonby is killed; and, in announcing this intelligence to your Lordship, I have to add the expression of my grief for the fate of an officer who had already rendered very brilliant and important services, and was an ornament to his profession.“I send with this dispatch two eagles, taken by the troops in this action, which major Percy will have the honour of laying at the feet of his Royal Highness. I beg leave to recommend him to your Lordship’s protection.“I have the honour to be, etc.“Wellington.”
“Waterloo, June 19th, 1815.
“MY LORD,
“Bonaparte, having collected the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, and6th corps of the French army, and the Imperial guard, and nearly all the cavalry, on the Sambre, and between that river and the Meuse, between the 10th and 14th of the month, advanced on the 15th, and attacked the Prussian posts at Thuin and Lobbes, on the Sambre, at day-light in the morning.
“I did not hear of these events till in the evening of the 15th; and I immediately ordered the troops to prepare to march, and afterwards to march to their left, as soon as I had intelligence from other quarters to prove that the enemy’s movement upon Charleroi was the real attack.
“The enemy drove the Prussian posts from the Sambre on that day; and general Zieten, who commanded the corps which had been at Charleroi, retired upon Fleurus; and marshal prince Blücher concentrated the Prussian army upon Sombreffe, holding the villages in front of his position of St.-Amand and Ligny.
“The enemy continued his march along the road from Charleroi towards Brussels; and, on the same evening, the 15th, attacked a brigade of the army of the Netherlands, under the Prince de Weimar, posted at Frasnes, and forced it back to the farm-house, on the same road, called les Quatre-Bras.
“The prince of Orange immediately reinforced this brigade with another of the same division, under general Perponcher, and, in the morning early, regained part of the ground which had been lost, so as to have the command of the communication leading from Nivelles and Brussels with marshal Blücher’s position.
“In the mean time, I had directed the whole army to march upon les Quatre-Bras; and the 5th division, under lieutenant-general sir Thomas Picton, arrived at about half-past two in the day, followed by the corps of troops under the duke of Brunswick, and afterwards by the contingent of Nassau.
“At this time, the enemy commenced an attack upon Prince Blücher with his whole force, excepting the 1st and 2d corps, and a corps of cavalry under general Kellermann, with which he attacked our post at Les Quatre-Bras.
“The Prussian army maintained their position with theirusual gallantry and perseverance, against a great disparity of numbers, as the 4th corps of their army, under general Bulow, had not joined; and I was not able to assist them as I wished, as I was attacked myself, and the troops, the cavalry in particular, which had a long distance to march, had not arrived.
“We maintained our position also, and completely defeated and repulsed all the enemy’s attempts to get possession of it. The enemy repeatedly attacked us with a large body of infantry and cavalry, supported by a numerous and powerful artillery. He made several charges with the cavalry upon our infantry, but all were repulsed in the steadiest manner.
“In this affair, his Royal Highness the prince of Orange, the Duke of Brunswick, and lieutenant-general sir Thomas Picton, and majors-generals sir James Kempt and sir Denis Pack, who were engaged from the commencement of the enemy’s attack, highly distinguished themselves, as well as lieutenant-general Charles baron Alten, major-general sir Colin Halkett, lieutenant-general Cooke, and major-generals Maitland and Byng, as they successively arrived. The troops of the 5th division, and those of the Brunswick corps, were long and severely engaged, and conducted themselves with the utmost gallantry. I must particularly mention the 28th, 42d, 79th, and 92d regiments, and the battalion of Hanoverians.
“Our loss was great, as your Lordship will perceive by the enclosed return; and I have particularly to regret his Serene Highness the duke of Brunswick, who fell fighting gallantly at the head of his troops.
“Although marshal Blücher had maintained his position at Sombreffe, he still found himself much weakened by the severity of the contest in which he had been engaged, and, as the 4th corps had not arrived, he determined to fall back and to concentrate his army upon Wavre; and he marched in the night, after the action was over.
“This movement of the marshal rendered necessary a corresponding one upon my part; and I retired from the farm of Quatre-Bras upon Genappe, and thence upon Waterloo, the next morning, the 17th, at ten o’clock.
“The enemy made no effort to pursue marshal Blücher. On the contrary, a patrol which I sent to Sombreffe in the morning found all quiet[81]; and the enemy’s vedettes fell back as the patrol advanced. Neither did he attempt to molest our march to the rear, although made in the middle of the day, excepting by following, with a large body of cavalry brought from his right, the cavalry under the earl of Uxbridge.
“This gave lord Uxbridge an opportunity of charging them with the 1st life-guards, upon theirdébouchéfrom the village of Genappe; upon which occasion his Lordship has declared himself to be well satisfied with that regiment.
“The position which I took up in front of Waterloo crossed the high-roads from Charleroi and Nivelles, and had its right thrown back to a ravine near Merbe-Braine, which was occupied and its left extended to a height above the hamlet Ter-la-Haye, which was likewise occupied. In front of the right centre, and near the Nivelles road, we occupied the house and gardens of Hougoumont, which covered the return of that flank; and in front of the left centre we occupied the farm of La Haye-Sainte. By our left we communicated with marshal prince Blücher at Wavre, through Ohain; and the marshal had promised me that, in case we should be attacked, he would support me with one or more corps, as might be necessary.
“The enemy collected his army, with the exception of the 3d corps, which had been sent to observe marshal Blücher, on a range of heights in our front, in the course of the night of the 17th and yesterday morning; and at about ten o’clock he commenced a furious attack upon our post at Hougoumont. I had occupied that post with a detachment from general Byng’s brigade of guards, which was in position in its rear; and it was for some time under the command of lieutenant-colonel Macdonell, and afterwards of colonel Home; and I am happy to add, that it was maintained throughout the day with theutmost gallantry by these brave troops, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of large bodies of the enemy to obtain possession of it.
“The attack upon the right of our centre was accompanied by a very heavy cannonade upon our whole line, which was destined to support the repeated attacks of cavalry and infantry, occasionally mixed, but sometimes separate, which were made upon it. In one of these the enemy carried the farm-house of La Haye-Sainte, as the detachment of the light battalion of the German legion, which occupied it, had expended all its ammunition; and the enemy occupied the only communication there was with them.
“The enemy repeatedly charged our infantry with his cavalry, but these attacks were uniformly unsuccessful; and they afforded opportunities to our cavalry to charge, in one of which lord Edward Somerset’s brigade, consisting of the life-guards, the Royal horse-guards and 1st dragoon guards, highly distinguished themselves, as did that of major-general sir William Ponsonby, having taken many prisoners and an eagle.
“These attacks were repeated till about seven in the evening, when the enemy made a desperate effort with cavalry and infantry, supported by the fire of artillery, to force our left centre, near the farm of La Haye-Sainte, which, after a severe contest, was defeated; and, having observed that the troops retired from this attack in great confusion, and that the march of general Bulow’s corps, by Frischermont, upon Plancenoit and La Belle-Alliance, had begun to take effect, and as I could perceive the fire of his cannon, and as marshal prince Blücher had joined in person with a corps of his army to the left of our line by Ohain, I determined to attack the enemy, and immediately advanced the whole line of infantry, supported by the cavalry and artillery. The attack succeeded in every point: the enemy was forced from his positions on the heights, and fled in the utmost confusion, leaving behind him, as far as I could judge, a hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, with their ammunition, which fell into our hands.
“I continued the pursuit till long after dark, and then discontinued it only on account of the fatigue of our troops,who had been engaged during twelve hours, and because I found myself on the same road with marshal Blücher, who assured me of his intention to follow the enemy throughout the night. He has sent me word this morning that he had taken sixty pieces of cannon belonging to the Imperial guard, and several carriages, baggage, etc., belonging to Bonaparte, in Genappe.
“I propose to move this morning upon Nivelles, and not to discontinue my operations.
“Your Lordship will observe that such a desperate action could not be fought, and such advantages could not be gained, without great loss; and I am sorry to add that ours has been immense. In lieutenant-general sir Thomas Picton his Majesty has sustained the loss of an officer who has frequently distinguished himself in his service; and he fell gloriously leading his division to a charge with bayonets, by which one of the most serious attacks made by the enemy on our position was repulsed. The earl of Uxbridge, after having successfully got through this arduous day, received a wound by almost the last shot fired, which will, I am afraid, deprive his Majesty for some time of his services.
“His Royal Highness the prince of Orange distinguished himself by his gallantry and conduct till he received a wound from a musket-ball through the shoulder, which obliged him to quit the field.
“It gives me the greatest satisfaction to assure your Lordship that the army never, upon any occasion, conducted itself better. The division of guards, under lieutenant-general Cooke, who is severely wounded, major-general Maitland, and major-general Byng, set an example which was followed by all; and there is no officer nor description of troops that did not behave well.
“I must, however, particularly mention, for his Royal Highness’s approbation, lieutenant-general sir Henry Clinton, major-general Adam, lieutenant-general Charles baron Alten (severely wounded), major-general sir Colin Halkett (severely wounded), colonel Ompteda, colonel Mitchell (commanding a brigade of the 4th division), major-generals sir James Kempt and sir Denis Pack, major-general Lambert, major-generallord Edward Somerset, major-general sir William Ponsonby, major-general sir Colquhoun Grant, and major-general sir Hussey Vivian, major-general sir J. O. Vandeleur, and major-general count Dornberg,
“I am also particularly indebted to general lord Hill for his assistance and conduct upon this, as upon all former occasions.
“The artillery and engineer departments were conducted much to my satisfaction, by colonel sir George Wood and colonel Smith; and I had every reason to be satisfied with the conduct of the adjutant-general, major-general Barnes, who was wounded, and of the quarter-master-general colonel De Lancey, who was killed by a cannon-shot in the middle of the action. This officer is a serious loss to his Majesty’s service, and to me at this moment.
“I was likewise much indebted to the assistance of lieutenant-colonel lord Fitzroy Somerset, who was severely wounded and of the officers composing my personal staff, who have suffered severely in this action. Lieutenant-colonel the Hon. sir Alexander Gordon, who has died of his wounds, was a most promising officer, and is a serious loss to his Majesty’s service.
“General Kruse, of the Nassau service, likewise conducted himself much to my satisfaction; as did general Tripp, commanding the heavy brigade of cavalry, and general Vanhope, commanding a brigade of infantry in the service of the king of the Netherlands.
“General Pozzo di Borgo, general baron Vincent, general Müffling, and general Alava, were in the field during the action, and rendered me every assistance in their power. Baron Vincent is wounded, but I hope not severely; and general Pozzo di Borgo received a contusion.
“I should not do justice to my own feelings, or to marshal Blücher and the Prussian army, if I did not attribute the successful result of this arduous day to the cordial and timely assistance I received from them. The operation of general Bulow upon the enemy’s flank was a most decisive one; and, even if I had not found myself in a situation to make the attack which produced the final result, it would have forced the enemy to retire if his attacks should have failed, and wouldhave prevented him from taking advantage of them if they should unfortunately have succeeded.
“Since writing the above, I have received a report that major-general sir William Ponsonby is killed; and, in announcing this intelligence to your Lordship, I have to add the expression of my grief for the fate of an officer who had already rendered very brilliant and important services, and was an ornament to his profession.
“I send with this dispatch two eagles, taken by the troops in this action, which major Percy will have the honour of laying at the feet of his Royal Highness. I beg leave to recommend him to your Lordship’s protection.
“I have the honour to be, etc.“Wellington.”
To Earl Bathurst.
“Brussels, June 19th, 1815.“MY LORD,“I have to inform your Lordship, in addition to my dispatch of this morning, that we have already got here five thousand prisoners, taken in the action of yesterday, and that there are above two thousand more coming in to-morrow. There will probably be many more.“Amongst the prisoners are the comte de Lobau, who commanded the 6th corps, and general Cambronne, who commanded a division of the guard.“I propose to send the whole to England, by Ostend.“I have the honour to be, etc.“Wellington.”
“Brussels, June 19th, 1815.
“MY LORD,
“I have to inform your Lordship, in addition to my dispatch of this morning, that we have already got here five thousand prisoners, taken in the action of yesterday, and that there are above two thousand more coming in to-morrow. There will probably be many more.
“Amongst the prisoners are the comte de Lobau, who commanded the 6th corps, and general Cambronne, who commanded a division of the guard.
“I propose to send the whole to England, by Ostend.
“I have the honour to be, etc.“Wellington.”
(The Marshal’s account of the battle of Ligny is omitted, as, however interesting, it does not strictly belong to this work.)... “On the 17th, in the evening, the Prussian army concentrated itself in the environs of Wavre. Napoleon put himself in motion against lord Wellington upon the great road leading from Charleroi to Brussels. An English divisionmaintained, on the same day, (16th,) near Quatre-Bras, a very severe contest with the enemy. Lord Wellington had taken a position on the road to Brussels, having his right wing leaning upon Braine-l’Alleud, the centre near Mont-St.-Jean, and the left wing against La Haye-Sainte. Lord Wellington wrote to the Field-Marshal, that he was resolved to accept the battle in this position, if the Field-Marshal would support him with two corps of his army. The Field-Marshal promised to come with his whole army; he even proposed, in case Napoleon should not attack, that the allies themselves, with their whole united force, should attack him the next day. This may serve to show how little the battle of the 16th had disorganized the Prussian army, or weakened its moral strength. Thus ended the day of the 17th.”BATTLE OF THE 18TH.“At break of day the Prussian army again began to move. The 4th and 2d corps marched by St.-Lambert, where they were to take a position, covered by the forest, (near Frischermont,) to take the enemy in the rear, when the moment should appear favourable. The first corps was to operate by Ohain, on the right flank of the enemy. The third corps was to follow slowly, in order to afford succour in case of need. The battle began about ten o’clock in the morning. The English army occupied the heights of Mont-St.-Jean; that of the French was on the heights before Plancenoit: the former was about 80,000 strong; the enemy had above 130,000. In a short time, the battle became general along the whole line. It seems that Napoleon had the design to throw the left wing upon the centre, and thus to effect the separation of the English army from the Prussian, which he believed to be retreating upon Maestricht. For this purpose, he had placed the greatest part of his reserve in the centre, against his right wing, and upon this point he attacked with fury. The English army fought with a valour which it is impossible to surpass. The repeated charges of the old guard were baffled by the intrepidity of the Scottish regiments; and at every charge the French cavalry was overthrown by the English cavalry.But the superiority of the enemy in numbers was too great: Napoleon continually brought forward considerable masses; and, with whatever firmness the English troops maintained themselves in their position, it was not possible but that such heroic exertions must have a limit.“It was half-past four o’clock. The excessive difficulties of the passage by the defile of St.-Lambert had considerably retarded the march of the Prussian columns, so that only two brigades of the 4th corps had arrived at the covered position which was assigned to them. The decisive moment was come; there was not an instant to be lost. The generals did not suffer it to escape: they resolved immediately to begin the attack with the troops which they had at hand. General Bulow, therefore, with two brigades and a corps of cavalry, advanced rapidly upon the rear of the enemy’s right wing. The enemy did not lose his presence of mind; he instantly turned his reserve against us, and a murderous conflict began on that side. The combat remained long uncertain, while the battle with the English army still continued with the same violence.“Towards six o’clock in the evening, we received the news that general Thielmann, with the 3d corps, was attacked near Wavre by a very considerable corps of the enemy, and that they were already disputing the possession of the town. The Field-Marshal, however, did not suffer himself to be disturbed by this news; it was on the spot where he was, and nowhere else, that the affair was to be decided. A conflict continually supported by the same obstinacy, and kept up by fresh troops, could alone ensure the victory, and if it were obtained here, any reverse sustained near Wavre was of little consequence. The columns, therefore, continued their movements.“It was half an hour past seven, and the issue of the battle was still uncertain. The whole of the 4th corps, and a part of the 2d, under general Pirch, had successively come up. The French troops fought with desperate fury: however, some uncertainty was perceived in their movements, and it was observed that some pieces of cannon were retreating. At this moment, the first columns of the corps of general Zieten arrived on the points of attack, near the village of Smohain, on the enemy’s right flank, and instantly charged. This movementdecided the defeat of the enemy. His right wing was broken in three places; he abandoned his positions. Our troops rushed forward at thepas de charge, and attacked him on all sides, while, at the same time, the whole English line advanced.“Circumstances were extremely favourable to the attack formed by the Prussian army: the ground rose in an amphitheatre, so that our artillery could freely open its fire from the summit of a great many heights which rose gradually above each other, and in the intervals of which the troops descended into the plain, formed into brigades, and in the greatest order; while fresh columns continually unfolded themselves, issuing from the forest on the height behind us. The enemy, however, still preserved means to retreat, till the village of Plancenoit, which he had on his rear, and which was defended by the guard, was, after several bloody attacks, carried by storm.“From that time the retreat became a rout, that soon spread throughout the whole French army, which, in its dreadful confusion, hurrying away everything that attempted to stop it, soon assumed the appearance of the flight of an army of barbarians. It was half-past nine. The Field-Marshal assembled all the superior officers, and gave orders to send the last horse and the last man in pursuit of the enemy.“The van of the army accelerated its march. The French, being pursued without intermission, were absolutely disorganized. The causeway presented the appearance of an immense shipwreck: it was covered with an innumerable quantity of cannon, caissons, carriages, baggage, arms, and wrecks of every kind. Those of the enemy who had attempted to repose for a time, and had not expected to be so quickly pursued, were driven from more than nine bivacs. In some villages they attempted to maintain themselves; but as soon as they heard the beating of our drums, or the sound of the trumpet, they either fled, or threw themselves into the houses, where they were cut down, or made prisoners. It was moonlight, which greatly favoured the pursuit; for the whole march was but a continued chase, either in the corn-fields, or the houses.“At Genappe, the enemy had intrenched himself with cannon and overturned carriages: at our approach, we suddenly heard in the town a great noise, and a motion of carriages;at the entrance we were exposed to a brisk fire of musketry: we replied by some cannon-shot, followed by ahurrah!and an instant after, the town was ours. It was here that, among many other equipages, the carriage of Napoleon was taken: he had just left it to mount on horseback, and, in his hurry, had forgotten in it his sword and hat. Thus the affairs continued till break of day. About forty thousand men, in the most complete disorder, the remains of the whole army have saved themselves, retreating through Charleroi, partly without arms, and carrying with them only twenty-seven pieces of their numerous artillery.“The enemy, in his flight, had passed all his fortresses, the only defence of his frontiers, which are now passed by our armies.“At three o’clock, Napoleon had dispatched, from the field of battle, a courier to Paris, with the news that victory was no longer doubtful: a few hours after, he had no longer any army left. We have not yet an exact account of the enemy’s loss; it is enough to know, that two thirds of the whole were killed, wounded, or prisoners: among the latter are generals Mouton (de Lobau), Duhesme, and Compans. Up to this time, about three hundred cannon, and above five hundred caissons, are in our hands.“Few victories have been so complete; and there is certainly no example that an army two days after losing a battle, engaged in such an action, and so gloriously maintained it. Honour be to troops capable of so much firmness and valour!“In the middle of the position occupied by the French army, and exactly upon the height, is a farm calledLa Belle-Alliance. The march of all the Prussian columns was directed towards this farm, which was visible from every side. It was there that Napoleon was during the battle; it was thence that he gave his orders, that he flattered himself with the hopes of victory; and it was there that his ruin was decided. There, too, it was, that, by a happy chance, field-marshal Blücher and lord Wellington met in the dark, and mutually saluted each other as victors. In commemoration of the alliance which now subsists between the English and Prussian nations, of the union of the two armies, and their reciprocal confidence, theField-Marshal desired, that this battle should bear the name ofLa Belle-Alliance.“By order of field-marshal Blücher,“GeneralGneisenau.”
(The Marshal’s account of the battle of Ligny is omitted, as, however interesting, it does not strictly belong to this work.)
... “On the 17th, in the evening, the Prussian army concentrated itself in the environs of Wavre. Napoleon put himself in motion against lord Wellington upon the great road leading from Charleroi to Brussels. An English divisionmaintained, on the same day, (16th,) near Quatre-Bras, a very severe contest with the enemy. Lord Wellington had taken a position on the road to Brussels, having his right wing leaning upon Braine-l’Alleud, the centre near Mont-St.-Jean, and the left wing against La Haye-Sainte. Lord Wellington wrote to the Field-Marshal, that he was resolved to accept the battle in this position, if the Field-Marshal would support him with two corps of his army. The Field-Marshal promised to come with his whole army; he even proposed, in case Napoleon should not attack, that the allies themselves, with their whole united force, should attack him the next day. This may serve to show how little the battle of the 16th had disorganized the Prussian army, or weakened its moral strength. Thus ended the day of the 17th.”
BATTLE OF THE 18TH.
“At break of day the Prussian army again began to move. The 4th and 2d corps marched by St.-Lambert, where they were to take a position, covered by the forest, (near Frischermont,) to take the enemy in the rear, when the moment should appear favourable. The first corps was to operate by Ohain, on the right flank of the enemy. The third corps was to follow slowly, in order to afford succour in case of need. The battle began about ten o’clock in the morning. The English army occupied the heights of Mont-St.-Jean; that of the French was on the heights before Plancenoit: the former was about 80,000 strong; the enemy had above 130,000. In a short time, the battle became general along the whole line. It seems that Napoleon had the design to throw the left wing upon the centre, and thus to effect the separation of the English army from the Prussian, which he believed to be retreating upon Maestricht. For this purpose, he had placed the greatest part of his reserve in the centre, against his right wing, and upon this point he attacked with fury. The English army fought with a valour which it is impossible to surpass. The repeated charges of the old guard were baffled by the intrepidity of the Scottish regiments; and at every charge the French cavalry was overthrown by the English cavalry.But the superiority of the enemy in numbers was too great: Napoleon continually brought forward considerable masses; and, with whatever firmness the English troops maintained themselves in their position, it was not possible but that such heroic exertions must have a limit.
“It was half-past four o’clock. The excessive difficulties of the passage by the defile of St.-Lambert had considerably retarded the march of the Prussian columns, so that only two brigades of the 4th corps had arrived at the covered position which was assigned to them. The decisive moment was come; there was not an instant to be lost. The generals did not suffer it to escape: they resolved immediately to begin the attack with the troops which they had at hand. General Bulow, therefore, with two brigades and a corps of cavalry, advanced rapidly upon the rear of the enemy’s right wing. The enemy did not lose his presence of mind; he instantly turned his reserve against us, and a murderous conflict began on that side. The combat remained long uncertain, while the battle with the English army still continued with the same violence.
“Towards six o’clock in the evening, we received the news that general Thielmann, with the 3d corps, was attacked near Wavre by a very considerable corps of the enemy, and that they were already disputing the possession of the town. The Field-Marshal, however, did not suffer himself to be disturbed by this news; it was on the spot where he was, and nowhere else, that the affair was to be decided. A conflict continually supported by the same obstinacy, and kept up by fresh troops, could alone ensure the victory, and if it were obtained here, any reverse sustained near Wavre was of little consequence. The columns, therefore, continued their movements.
“It was half an hour past seven, and the issue of the battle was still uncertain. The whole of the 4th corps, and a part of the 2d, under general Pirch, had successively come up. The French troops fought with desperate fury: however, some uncertainty was perceived in their movements, and it was observed that some pieces of cannon were retreating. At this moment, the first columns of the corps of general Zieten arrived on the points of attack, near the village of Smohain, on the enemy’s right flank, and instantly charged. This movementdecided the defeat of the enemy. His right wing was broken in three places; he abandoned his positions. Our troops rushed forward at thepas de charge, and attacked him on all sides, while, at the same time, the whole English line advanced.
“Circumstances were extremely favourable to the attack formed by the Prussian army: the ground rose in an amphitheatre, so that our artillery could freely open its fire from the summit of a great many heights which rose gradually above each other, and in the intervals of which the troops descended into the plain, formed into brigades, and in the greatest order; while fresh columns continually unfolded themselves, issuing from the forest on the height behind us. The enemy, however, still preserved means to retreat, till the village of Plancenoit, which he had on his rear, and which was defended by the guard, was, after several bloody attacks, carried by storm.
“From that time the retreat became a rout, that soon spread throughout the whole French army, which, in its dreadful confusion, hurrying away everything that attempted to stop it, soon assumed the appearance of the flight of an army of barbarians. It was half-past nine. The Field-Marshal assembled all the superior officers, and gave orders to send the last horse and the last man in pursuit of the enemy.
“The van of the army accelerated its march. The French, being pursued without intermission, were absolutely disorganized. The causeway presented the appearance of an immense shipwreck: it was covered with an innumerable quantity of cannon, caissons, carriages, baggage, arms, and wrecks of every kind. Those of the enemy who had attempted to repose for a time, and had not expected to be so quickly pursued, were driven from more than nine bivacs. In some villages they attempted to maintain themselves; but as soon as they heard the beating of our drums, or the sound of the trumpet, they either fled, or threw themselves into the houses, where they were cut down, or made prisoners. It was moonlight, which greatly favoured the pursuit; for the whole march was but a continued chase, either in the corn-fields, or the houses.
“At Genappe, the enemy had intrenched himself with cannon and overturned carriages: at our approach, we suddenly heard in the town a great noise, and a motion of carriages;at the entrance we were exposed to a brisk fire of musketry: we replied by some cannon-shot, followed by ahurrah!and an instant after, the town was ours. It was here that, among many other equipages, the carriage of Napoleon was taken: he had just left it to mount on horseback, and, in his hurry, had forgotten in it his sword and hat. Thus the affairs continued till break of day. About forty thousand men, in the most complete disorder, the remains of the whole army have saved themselves, retreating through Charleroi, partly without arms, and carrying with them only twenty-seven pieces of their numerous artillery.
“The enemy, in his flight, had passed all his fortresses, the only defence of his frontiers, which are now passed by our armies.
“At three o’clock, Napoleon had dispatched, from the field of battle, a courier to Paris, with the news that victory was no longer doubtful: a few hours after, he had no longer any army left. We have not yet an exact account of the enemy’s loss; it is enough to know, that two thirds of the whole were killed, wounded, or prisoners: among the latter are generals Mouton (de Lobau), Duhesme, and Compans. Up to this time, about three hundred cannon, and above five hundred caissons, are in our hands.
“Few victories have been so complete; and there is certainly no example that an army two days after losing a battle, engaged in such an action, and so gloriously maintained it. Honour be to troops capable of so much firmness and valour!
“In the middle of the position occupied by the French army, and exactly upon the height, is a farm calledLa Belle-Alliance. The march of all the Prussian columns was directed towards this farm, which was visible from every side. It was there that Napoleon was during the battle; it was thence that he gave his orders, that he flattered himself with the hopes of victory; and it was there that his ruin was decided. There, too, it was, that, by a happy chance, field-marshal Blücher and lord Wellington met in the dark, and mutually saluted each other as victors. In commemoration of the alliance which now subsists between the English and Prussian nations, of the union of the two armies, and their reciprocal confidence, theField-Marshal desired, that this battle should bear the name ofLa Belle-Alliance.
“By order of field-marshal Blücher,“GeneralGneisenau.”
“Paris, June 21st, 1815.“Battle of Mont-St.-Jean.“At nine in the morning, the rain having somewhat abated, the 1st corps put itself in motion, and placed itself with the left, on the road to Brussels, and opposite the village of Mont-St.-Jean, which appeared the centre of the enemy’s position. The 2d corps leaned its right upon the road to Brussels, and its left upon a small wood, within cannon-shot of the English army. The cuirassiers were in reserve behind, and the guard in reserve upon the heights. The 6th corps, with the cavalry of general Domont, under the order of count de Lobau, was destined to proceed in rear of our right to oppose a Prussian corps, which appeared to have escaped marshal Grouchy, and to intend to fall upon our right flank; an intention which had been made known to us by our reports, and by the letter of a Prussian general, enclosing an order of battle, and which was taken by our light troops.“The troops were full of ardour. We estimated the force of the English army at eighty thousand men. We supposed that the Prussian corps, which might be in line towards the right, might be fifteen thousand men. The enemy’s force, then, was upwards of ninety thousand men; ours less numerous.“At noon, all the preparations being terminated, prince Jérôme, commanding a division of the second corps, and destined to form the extreme left of it, advanced upon the wood of which the enemy occupied a part. The cannonade began. The enemy supported, with thirty pieces of cannon, the troops he had sent to keep the wood. We made also on our side dispositions of artillery. At one o’clock, prince Jérôme was master of all the wood, and the whole English army fell back behind a curtain. Count d’Erlon then attacked the village of Mont-St.-Jean, and supported his attack with eightypieces of cannon, which must have occasioned great loss to the English army. All the efforts were made towards the ridge. A brigade of the 1st division of count d’Erlon took the village of Mont-St.-Jean; a second brigade was charged by a corps of English cavalry, which occasioned it much loss. At the same moment, a division of English cavalry charged the battery of count d’Erlon by its right, and disorganized several pieces; but the cuirassiers of general Milhaut charged that division, three regiments of which were broken and cut up.“It was three in the afternoon. The Emperor made the guard advance, to place it in the plain upon the ground which the first corps had occupied at the outset of the battle; this corps being already in advance. The Prussian division, whose movement had been foreseen, then engaged with the light troops of count de Lobau, spreading its fire upon our whole right flank. It was expedient, before undertaking anything elsewhere, to wait for the event of his attack. Hence, all the means in reserve were ready to succour count de Lobau, and overwhelm the Prussian corps when it should be advanced.“This done, the Emperor had the design of leading an attack upon the village of Mont-St.-Jean, from which we expected decisive success; but, by a movement of impatience so frequent in our military annals, and which has often been so fatal to us, the cavalry of reserve having perceived a retrograde movement made by the English to shelter themselves from our batteries, from which they suffered so much, crowned the heights of Mont-St.-Jean, and charged the infantry. This movement, which made in time, and supported by the reserves, must have decided the day, made in an isolated manner and before affairs on the right were terminated, became fatal.“Having no means of countermanding it, the enemy showing many masses of cavalry and infantry, and our two divisions of cuirassiers being engaged, all our cavalry ran at the same moment to support their comrades. There, for three hours, numerous charges were made, which enabled us to penetrate several squares, and to take six standards of the light infantry, an advantage out of proportion with the loss which our cavalry experienced by the grape-shot and musket-firing. It was impossible to dispose of our reserves of infantry untilwe had repulsed the flank attack of the Prussian corps. This attack always prolonged itself perpendicularly upon our right flank. The Emperor sent thither general Duhesme with the young guard, and several batteries of reserve. The enemy was kept in check, repulsed, and fell back: he had exhausted his forces, and we had nothing more to fear. It was this moment that was indicated for an attack upon the centre of the enemy. As the cuirassiers suffered by the grape-shot, we sent four battalions of the middle guard to protect the cuirassiers, keep the position, and, if possible, disengage and draw back into the plain a part of our cavalry.“Two other battalions were sent to keep themselvesen potenceupon the extreme left of the division which had manœuvred upon our flanks, in order not to have any uneasiness on that side; the rest was disposed in reserve, part to occupy thepotencein rear of Mont-St.-Jean, part upon the ridge in rear of the field of battle, which formed our position of retreat.“In this state of affairs, the battle was gained; we occupied all the positions which the enemy occupied at the outset of the battle: our cavalry having been too soon and ill employed, we could no longer hope for decisive success; but marshal Grouchy, having learned the movement of the Prussian corps, marched upon the rear of that corps, which ensured us a signal success for next day. After eight hours’ fire and charges of infantry and cavalry, all the army saw with joy the battle gained, and the field of battle in our power.“At half after eight o’clock, the four battalions of the middle guard, who had been sent to the ridge on the other side of Mont-St.-Jean, in order to support the cuirassiers, being greatly annoyed by the grape-shot, endeavoured to carry the batteries with the bayonet. At the end of the day, a charge directed against their flank, by several English squadrons, put them in disorder. The fugitives recrossed the ravine. Several regiments, near at hand, seeing some troops belonging to the guard in confusion, believed it was the old guard, and in consequence were thrown into disorder. Cries of ‘All is lost, the guard is driven back!’ were heard on every side. The soldiers pretend even that on many points ill-disposed persons cried out, ‘Sauve qui peut!’ Howeverthis may be, a complete panic at once spread itself throughout the whole field of battle, and they threw themselves in the greatest disorder on the line of communication: soldiers, cannoneers, caissons, all pressed to this point; the old guard, which was in reserve, was infected, and was itself hurried along.“In an instant, the whole army was nothing but a mass of confusion; all the soldiers, of all arms, were mixed pell-mell, and it was utterly impossible to rally a single corps. The enemy, who perceived this astonishing confusion, immediately attacked with their cavalry, and increased the disorder, and such was the confusion, owing to night coming on, that it was impossible to rally the troops, and point out to them their error. Thus a battle terminated, a day of false manœuvres rectified, the greatest success ensured for the next day: all was lost by a moment of panic terror. Even the squadrons ofservice, drawn up by the side of the Emperor, were overthrown and disorganized by these tumultuous waves, and there was then nothing else to be done but to follow the torrent. The parks of reserve, the baggage which had not repassed the Sambre, in short everything that was on the field of battle, remained in the power of the enemy. It was impossible to wait for the troops on our right; every one knows what the bravest army in the world is when thus mixed and thrown into confusion, and when its organization no longer exists.“The Emperor crossed the Sambre at Charleroi, at five o’clock in the morning of the 19th. Philippeville and Avesnes have been given as the points of reunion. Prince Jérôme, general Morand, and other generals have there already rallied a part of the army. Marshal Grouchy, with the corps on the right, is moving on the lower Sambre.“The loss of the enemy must have been very great, if we may judge from the number of standards we have taken from him, and from the retrograde movements which he made; ours cannot be calculated till after troops shall have been collected. Before the disorder broke out, we had already experienced a very considerable loss, particularly in our cavalry, so fatally, though so bravely engaged. Notwithstanding these losses, this brave cavalry constantly kept the position it had taken from the English, and only abandoned it when thetumult and disorder of the field of battle forced it. In the midst of the night, and the obstacles which encumbered their route, it could not preserve its own organization.“The artillery has, as usual, covered itself with glory. The carriages belonging to the head-quarters remained in their ordinary position; no retrograde movement being judged necessary. In the course of the night they fell into the enemy’s hands.“Such has been the issue of the battle of Mont-St.-Jean, glorious for the French armies, and yet so fatal.”
“Paris, June 21st, 1815.
“Battle of Mont-St.-Jean.
“At nine in the morning, the rain having somewhat abated, the 1st corps put itself in motion, and placed itself with the left, on the road to Brussels, and opposite the village of Mont-St.-Jean, which appeared the centre of the enemy’s position. The 2d corps leaned its right upon the road to Brussels, and its left upon a small wood, within cannon-shot of the English army. The cuirassiers were in reserve behind, and the guard in reserve upon the heights. The 6th corps, with the cavalry of general Domont, under the order of count de Lobau, was destined to proceed in rear of our right to oppose a Prussian corps, which appeared to have escaped marshal Grouchy, and to intend to fall upon our right flank; an intention which had been made known to us by our reports, and by the letter of a Prussian general, enclosing an order of battle, and which was taken by our light troops.
“The troops were full of ardour. We estimated the force of the English army at eighty thousand men. We supposed that the Prussian corps, which might be in line towards the right, might be fifteen thousand men. The enemy’s force, then, was upwards of ninety thousand men; ours less numerous.
“At noon, all the preparations being terminated, prince Jérôme, commanding a division of the second corps, and destined to form the extreme left of it, advanced upon the wood of which the enemy occupied a part. The cannonade began. The enemy supported, with thirty pieces of cannon, the troops he had sent to keep the wood. We made also on our side dispositions of artillery. At one o’clock, prince Jérôme was master of all the wood, and the whole English army fell back behind a curtain. Count d’Erlon then attacked the village of Mont-St.-Jean, and supported his attack with eightypieces of cannon, which must have occasioned great loss to the English army. All the efforts were made towards the ridge. A brigade of the 1st division of count d’Erlon took the village of Mont-St.-Jean; a second brigade was charged by a corps of English cavalry, which occasioned it much loss. At the same moment, a division of English cavalry charged the battery of count d’Erlon by its right, and disorganized several pieces; but the cuirassiers of general Milhaut charged that division, three regiments of which were broken and cut up.
“It was three in the afternoon. The Emperor made the guard advance, to place it in the plain upon the ground which the first corps had occupied at the outset of the battle; this corps being already in advance. The Prussian division, whose movement had been foreseen, then engaged with the light troops of count de Lobau, spreading its fire upon our whole right flank. It was expedient, before undertaking anything elsewhere, to wait for the event of his attack. Hence, all the means in reserve were ready to succour count de Lobau, and overwhelm the Prussian corps when it should be advanced.
“This done, the Emperor had the design of leading an attack upon the village of Mont-St.-Jean, from which we expected decisive success; but, by a movement of impatience so frequent in our military annals, and which has often been so fatal to us, the cavalry of reserve having perceived a retrograde movement made by the English to shelter themselves from our batteries, from which they suffered so much, crowned the heights of Mont-St.-Jean, and charged the infantry. This movement, which made in time, and supported by the reserves, must have decided the day, made in an isolated manner and before affairs on the right were terminated, became fatal.
“Having no means of countermanding it, the enemy showing many masses of cavalry and infantry, and our two divisions of cuirassiers being engaged, all our cavalry ran at the same moment to support their comrades. There, for three hours, numerous charges were made, which enabled us to penetrate several squares, and to take six standards of the light infantry, an advantage out of proportion with the loss which our cavalry experienced by the grape-shot and musket-firing. It was impossible to dispose of our reserves of infantry untilwe had repulsed the flank attack of the Prussian corps. This attack always prolonged itself perpendicularly upon our right flank. The Emperor sent thither general Duhesme with the young guard, and several batteries of reserve. The enemy was kept in check, repulsed, and fell back: he had exhausted his forces, and we had nothing more to fear. It was this moment that was indicated for an attack upon the centre of the enemy. As the cuirassiers suffered by the grape-shot, we sent four battalions of the middle guard to protect the cuirassiers, keep the position, and, if possible, disengage and draw back into the plain a part of our cavalry.
“Two other battalions were sent to keep themselvesen potenceupon the extreme left of the division which had manœuvred upon our flanks, in order not to have any uneasiness on that side; the rest was disposed in reserve, part to occupy thepotencein rear of Mont-St.-Jean, part upon the ridge in rear of the field of battle, which formed our position of retreat.
“In this state of affairs, the battle was gained; we occupied all the positions which the enemy occupied at the outset of the battle: our cavalry having been too soon and ill employed, we could no longer hope for decisive success; but marshal Grouchy, having learned the movement of the Prussian corps, marched upon the rear of that corps, which ensured us a signal success for next day. After eight hours’ fire and charges of infantry and cavalry, all the army saw with joy the battle gained, and the field of battle in our power.
“At half after eight o’clock, the four battalions of the middle guard, who had been sent to the ridge on the other side of Mont-St.-Jean, in order to support the cuirassiers, being greatly annoyed by the grape-shot, endeavoured to carry the batteries with the bayonet. At the end of the day, a charge directed against their flank, by several English squadrons, put them in disorder. The fugitives recrossed the ravine. Several regiments, near at hand, seeing some troops belonging to the guard in confusion, believed it was the old guard, and in consequence were thrown into disorder. Cries of ‘All is lost, the guard is driven back!’ were heard on every side. The soldiers pretend even that on many points ill-disposed persons cried out, ‘Sauve qui peut!’ Howeverthis may be, a complete panic at once spread itself throughout the whole field of battle, and they threw themselves in the greatest disorder on the line of communication: soldiers, cannoneers, caissons, all pressed to this point; the old guard, which was in reserve, was infected, and was itself hurried along.
“In an instant, the whole army was nothing but a mass of confusion; all the soldiers, of all arms, were mixed pell-mell, and it was utterly impossible to rally a single corps. The enemy, who perceived this astonishing confusion, immediately attacked with their cavalry, and increased the disorder, and such was the confusion, owing to night coming on, that it was impossible to rally the troops, and point out to them their error. Thus a battle terminated, a day of false manœuvres rectified, the greatest success ensured for the next day: all was lost by a moment of panic terror. Even the squadrons ofservice, drawn up by the side of the Emperor, were overthrown and disorganized by these tumultuous waves, and there was then nothing else to be done but to follow the torrent. The parks of reserve, the baggage which had not repassed the Sambre, in short everything that was on the field of battle, remained in the power of the enemy. It was impossible to wait for the troops on our right; every one knows what the bravest army in the world is when thus mixed and thrown into confusion, and when its organization no longer exists.
“The Emperor crossed the Sambre at Charleroi, at five o’clock in the morning of the 19th. Philippeville and Avesnes have been given as the points of reunion. Prince Jérôme, general Morand, and other generals have there already rallied a part of the army. Marshal Grouchy, with the corps on the right, is moving on the lower Sambre.
“The loss of the enemy must have been very great, if we may judge from the number of standards we have taken from him, and from the retrograde movements which he made; ours cannot be calculated till after troops shall have been collected. Before the disorder broke out, we had already experienced a very considerable loss, particularly in our cavalry, so fatally, though so bravely engaged. Notwithstanding these losses, this brave cavalry constantly kept the position it had taken from the English, and only abandoned it when thetumult and disorder of the field of battle forced it. In the midst of the night, and the obstacles which encumbered their route, it could not preserve its own organization.
“The artillery has, as usual, covered itself with glory. The carriages belonging to the head-quarters remained in their ordinary position; no retrograde movement being judged necessary. In the course of the night they fell into the enemy’s hands.
“Such has been the issue of the battle of Mont-St.-Jean, glorious for the French armies, and yet so fatal.”
“Dinant, June 20th, 1815.“It was not till after seven in the evening of the 18th of June, that I received the letter of the duke of Dalmatia, (Soult,) which directed me to march on St.-Lambert, and to attack general Bulow. I fell in with the enemy as I was marching on Wavre. He was immediately driven into Wavre, and general Vandamme’s corps attacked that town, and was warmly engaged. The portion of Wavre, on the right of the Dyle, was carried: but much difficulty was experienced in debouching, on the other side; general Gérard was wounded by a ball in the breast, whilst endeavouring to carry the mill of Bierge, in order to pass the river, but where he did not succeed; and lieutenant-general Aix had been killed in the attack on the town. In this state of things, being impatient to cooperate with your Majesty’s army on that important day, I detached several corps to force the passage of the Dyle and march against Bulow. The corps of Vandamme, in the mean time, maintained the attack on Wavre, and on the mill, whence the enemy showed an intention to debouch, but which I did not conceive he was capable of effecting. I arrived at Limal, passed the river, and the heights were carried by the division of Vichery and the cavalry. Night did not permit us to advance farther, and I no longer heard the cannon on the side where your Majesty was engaged.“I halted in this situation until day-light. Wavre and Bierge were occupied by the Prussians, who, at three in themorning of the 19th, attacked in their turn, wishing to take advantage of the difficult position in which I was, and expecting to drive me into the defile, and take the artillery which had debouched, and make me repass the Dyle. Their efforts were fruitless. The Prussians were repulsed, and the village of Bierge taken. The brave general Penne was killed.“General Vandamme then passed one of his divisions by Bierge, and carried with ease the heights of Wavre, and along the whole of my line the success was complete. I was in front of Rosières, preparing to march on Brussels, when I received the sad intelligence of the loss of the battle of Waterloo. The officer who brought it informed me, that your Majesty was retreating on the Sambre, without being able to indicate any particular point on which I should direct my march. I ceased to pursue, and began my retrograde movement. The retreating enemy did not think of following me.“Learning that the enemy had already passed the Sambre and was on my flank, and not being sufficiently strong to make a diversion in favour of your Majesty, without compromising the troops under my command, I marched on Namur. At this moment, the rear of the columns were attacked. That of the left made a retrograde movement sooner than was expected, which endangered, for a moment, the retreat of the left; but good dispositions soon repaired everything, and two pieces which had been taken were recovered by the brave 20th dragoons, who, besides, took a howitzer from the enemy. We entered Namur without loss. The long defile which extends from this place to Dinant, in which only a single column can march, and the embarrassment arising from the numerous transports of wounded, rendered it necessary to hold for a considerable time the town, where I had not the means of blowing up the bridge. I intrusted the defence of Namur to general Vandamme, who, with his usual intrepidity, maintained himself there till eight in the evening; so that nothing was left behind, and I occupied Dinant.“The enemy has lost some thousands of men in the attack on Namur, where the contest was very obstinate; the troops have performed their duty in a manner worthy of praise.“De Grouchy.”
“Dinant, June 20th, 1815.
“It was not till after seven in the evening of the 18th of June, that I received the letter of the duke of Dalmatia, (Soult,) which directed me to march on St.-Lambert, and to attack general Bulow. I fell in with the enemy as I was marching on Wavre. He was immediately driven into Wavre, and general Vandamme’s corps attacked that town, and was warmly engaged. The portion of Wavre, on the right of the Dyle, was carried: but much difficulty was experienced in debouching, on the other side; general Gérard was wounded by a ball in the breast, whilst endeavouring to carry the mill of Bierge, in order to pass the river, but where he did not succeed; and lieutenant-general Aix had been killed in the attack on the town. In this state of things, being impatient to cooperate with your Majesty’s army on that important day, I detached several corps to force the passage of the Dyle and march against Bulow. The corps of Vandamme, in the mean time, maintained the attack on Wavre, and on the mill, whence the enemy showed an intention to debouch, but which I did not conceive he was capable of effecting. I arrived at Limal, passed the river, and the heights were carried by the division of Vichery and the cavalry. Night did not permit us to advance farther, and I no longer heard the cannon on the side where your Majesty was engaged.
“I halted in this situation until day-light. Wavre and Bierge were occupied by the Prussians, who, at three in themorning of the 19th, attacked in their turn, wishing to take advantage of the difficult position in which I was, and expecting to drive me into the defile, and take the artillery which had debouched, and make me repass the Dyle. Their efforts were fruitless. The Prussians were repulsed, and the village of Bierge taken. The brave general Penne was killed.
“General Vandamme then passed one of his divisions by Bierge, and carried with ease the heights of Wavre, and along the whole of my line the success was complete. I was in front of Rosières, preparing to march on Brussels, when I received the sad intelligence of the loss of the battle of Waterloo. The officer who brought it informed me, that your Majesty was retreating on the Sambre, without being able to indicate any particular point on which I should direct my march. I ceased to pursue, and began my retrograde movement. The retreating enemy did not think of following me.
“Learning that the enemy had already passed the Sambre and was on my flank, and not being sufficiently strong to make a diversion in favour of your Majesty, without compromising the troops under my command, I marched on Namur. At this moment, the rear of the columns were attacked. That of the left made a retrograde movement sooner than was expected, which endangered, for a moment, the retreat of the left; but good dispositions soon repaired everything, and two pieces which had been taken were recovered by the brave 20th dragoons, who, besides, took a howitzer from the enemy. We entered Namur without loss. The long defile which extends from this place to Dinant, in which only a single column can march, and the embarrassment arising from the numerous transports of wounded, rendered it necessary to hold for a considerable time the town, where I had not the means of blowing up the bridge. I intrusted the defence of Namur to general Vandamme, who, with his usual intrepidity, maintained himself there till eight in the evening; so that nothing was left behind, and I occupied Dinant.
“The enemy has lost some thousands of men in the attack on Namur, where the contest was very obstinate; the troops have performed their duty in a manner worthy of praise.
“De Grouchy.”