may be asserted, without offence to any one, that to them both belongs the chief part or all the glory of this memorable day.

"On the right of the position, and a little in advance, was a country-house, the importance of which Lord Wellington quickly per ceived, because without it the position could not be attacked on that side, and it might therefore be considered as its key. The Duke confided this important point to three companies of the English guards, under the command of Lord Saltoun, and laboured during the night of the 17th in fortifying it as well as possible, lining its garden, and a wood which served as its park, with Nassau troops as sharp-shooters.

"At half past ten, a movement was observed in the enemy's line, and many officers were seen coming from and going to a particular point, where there was a very considerable corps of infantry, which we afterwards understood to be the Imperial Guard; here was Bonaparte in person, and from this point issued all the orders. In the mean time the enemy's masses were forming, and every thing announced the approaching combat, which began at half past eleven, the enemy attacking with one of his corps, and, with his usual shouts, the country house on the right.

"The Nassau troops found it necessary to abandon their post; but the enemy met such resistance in the house, that though they surrounded it on three sides and attacked it most desperately, they were compelled to desist from their enterprise, leaving a great number of killed and wounded on the spot. Lord Wellington sent fresh English troops, who recovered the wood and garden, and the combat ceased for the present on this side.

"The enemy then opened a horrible fire of artillery from more than 200 pieces, under cover of which Bonaparte made a general attack from the centre to the right with infantry and cavalry, in such numbers, that it required all the skill of his Lordship to post his troops, and all the good qualities of the latter, to resist the attack.

"General Picton, who was with his division on the road from Brussels to Charleroi, advanced with the bayonet to receive them; but was unfortunately killed at the moment when the enemy, appalled by the attitude of this division, fired, and then fled.

"The English Life Guards then charged with the greatest vigour, and the 49th and 105th French regiments lost their eagles in this charge, together with from 2 to 3,000 prisoners. A column of

cavalry, at whose head were the Cuirassiers, advanced to charge the Life Guards, and thus save their infantry, but the Guards received 'them with the greatest valour, and the most sanguinary cavalry fight, perhaps, ever witnessed, was the consequence.

"The French Cuirassiers were completely beaten, in spite of their cuirasses, by troops who had nothing of the sort, and lost one of their eagles in this conflict, which was taken by the heavy English cavalry called the Royals."

General Alava next mentions the approach of the Prussian Army," which," he observes, "was the more necessary, from the superior numbers of the enemy's army, and from the dreadful loss we had sustained in this unequal combat, from eleven in the morning till five in the afternoon.

Bonaparte, who did not believe the Prussians to be so near, and who reckoned upon destroying Lord Wellington before their arrival, perceived that he had fruitlessly lost more than five hours, and that in the critical position in which he was then placed, there remained no other resource but that of desperately attacking the weak part of the English position, and thus, if possible, beating the Duke before his right was turned, and attacked by the Prussians.

"Henceforward, therefore, the whole was a repetition of attacks by cavalry and infantry, supported by more than 300 pieces of artillery, which unfortunately made horrible ravages in our line, and killed and wounded officers, artillerists, and horses, in the weakest part of the position.

"The enemy, aware of this destruction, made a charge with the whole cavalry of his guard, which took some pieces of cannon that could not be withdrawn; but the Duke, who was at this point, charged them with three battalions of English and three of Brunswickers, and compelled them in a moment to abandon the artillery, though we were unable to withdraw them for want of horses; nor did they dare to advance to recover them.

"At last, about seven in the evening, Bonaparte made a last effort, and putting himself at the head of his guards, attacked the above point of the English position with such vigour, that he drove back the Brunswickers who occupied part of it, and, for a moment, the victory 'was undecided, and even more than doubtful.

"The Duke, who felt that the moment was most critical, spoke to the Brunswick troops with that ascendancy which every great man possesses, made them return to the charge, and, putting himself at their head, again restored the combat, exposing himself to every kind of personal danger.

"Fortunately, at this moment, we perceived the fire of Marshal Blucher, attacking the enemy's right with his usual impetuosity; and the moment of decisive attack being come, the Duke put himself at the head of the English Foot-Guards, spoke a few words to them, which were replied to by a general hurrah, and his Grace himself guiding them on with his hat, they marched at the point of the bayonet, to come to close action with the Imperial Guard. But the latter began a retreat, which was soon converted into flight, and the most complete rout ever exhibited by soldiers. The famous rout of Vittoria was not even comparable to it."

The gallant General then adds several reflections on the importance of the victory; and, in enumerating the loss sustained, says:

"Of those who were by the side of the Duke of Wellington, only he and myself remained untouched in our persons and horses. The rest were all either killed, wounded, or lost one or more horses. The Duke was unable to refrain from tears on witnessing the death of so many brave and honourable men, and the loss of so many friends and faithful companions, and which can alone be compensated by the importance of the victory."

MY LORD,

Bruxelles, June 19th, 1815. 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 tomorrow: there will probably be many more. Among the prisoners are the Count Laubau, who commanded the 6th

corps, and General Cambrone, who commanded a division of the guards. I propose to send the whole to England by Ostend.

I have the honour to be, &c.

Earl Bathurst, &c.

WELLINGTON.

ORDER OF THE DAY, JUNE 20, 1815.

"As the army is about to enter the French territory, the troops of the nations which are at present under the command of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington are desired to recollect that their respective Sovereigns are the Allies of his Majesty the King of France, and that France therefore ought to be treated as a friendly country. It is then required that nothing should be taken either by the Officers or soldiers, for which payment be not made. The Commissaries of the Army will provide for the wants of the troops in the usual manner, and it is not permitted, either to Officers or soldiers, to extort contributions. The Commissaries will be authorised, either by the Marshal, or by the Generals who command the troops of the respective nations, in cases where their provisions are not supplied by an English Commissary to make the proper requisitions, for which regular receipts will be given; and it must be strictly understood, that they will themselves be held. responsible for whatever they obtain in the way of requisition, from the inhabitants of France, in the same manner in which they would be esteemed accountable for purchases made for their own Government in the several dominions to which they belong.

"I acquaint all Frenchmen, that I enter their country at the head of a victorious army, not as an enemy, the Usurper excepted, who, is the enemy of human nature, and with whom no peace and no truce can be maintained. I pass your boundaries to relieve you from the iron yoke, by which you are oppressed. In consequence of this determination I have given the following orders to my army, and I demand to be informed of any one who shall presume to disobey them. Frenchmen know, that I have a right to require that they should conduct themselves in a manner that will enable me to protect them

against those by whom they would be injured. It is therefore necessary, that they should comply with the requisitions that will be made by persons properly authorised, for which a receipt will be given, which they will quietly retain, and avoid all communication or correspondence with the Usurper and his adherents. All those persons who shall absent themselves from their dwellings, after the entrance of this army into France, and all those who shall be found attached to the service of the Usurper, and so absent, shall be considered to be his partizans and public enemies, and their property shall be devoted to the subsistence of the forces.

June 21st, 1815.

"Issued at Head-quarters, from Malplaquet,
(Signed)

"WELLINGTON."

Extracts of Dispatches received by Earl Bathurst from the Duke of Wellington, 22d and 25th June.

Le Cateau, June 22, 1815.

We have continued in march on the left of the Sambre since I wrote to you. Marshal Blucher crossed that river on the 19th, in pursuit of the enemy, and both armies. entered the French territory yesterday; the Prussians by Beaumont, and the allied army, under my command, by Bavay. The remains of the French army have retired upon Laon. All accounts agree in stating, that it is in a very wretched state; and that, in addition to its losses in battle and in prisoners, it is losing vast numbers of men by desertion. The soldiers quit their regiments in parties, and return to their homes; those of the cavalry and artillery selling their horses to the people of the country.-The third corps, which in my dispatch of the 19th, I informed your Lordship had been detached to observe the Prussian army, remained in the neighbourhood of Wavre till the 20th; it then made good its retreat by Namur and Dinant. This corps is the only one remaining entire.-I am not yet able to transmit your Lordship returns of the killed and wounded