pletely ceased. prudent to continue the pursuit, but bivouacked on the ground which they had hardly and bravely

The French did not deem it

won.

The Prussians lost more than twenty thousand men in this sanguinary engagement, Forty pieces of cannon were taken and several colours. The French bulletins confess a loss of three thousand men, but the actual number was at least four times as great.

The most exaggerated statements of the affair were transmitted to Paris. Marshal Soult, in a despatch to Davoust, says, "The Emperor has succeeded in separating the line of the allies. Wellington and Blucher saved themselves with difficulty. The effect was theatrical. In an instant the firing ceased, and the enemy was routed in all directions."

Another despatch, speaking of the two battles, says, "The noble lord must have been confounded. Whole bands of prisoners are taken. They do not know what is become of their commanders. The route is complete on this side, and I hope we shall not hear again of the Prussians for some time, even if they should ever be able to rally. As for the English, we shall see now what will become of them. The Emperor

is there!"

The principal advantage which Napoleon gained by this murderous conflict, was the confi

This

dence which it gave his troops, and the separation of the armies of Blucher and Wellington. was rendered so complete that he thought it necessary to detach only a small force under General Grouchy to follow and watch the motions of the Prussians, while with the main body of his army he formed a junction with Ney, and attacked the Duke of Wellington. But he had suffered the favourable opportunity to pass. The British, Hanoverian, and Belgic troops were now united. The artillery and cavalry had come up, and although they were not equal to him in numbers, the combat would certainly be doubtful. attacked the Duke of Wellington at first, instead of Blucher, or had he suffered the first corps to remain with Ney, the British would have been taken unconcentrated and unprepared, and would have afforded a comparatively easy prey.

Had he

The villages of Brie and Sombref remained with the Prussians at the close of the engagement, but at day-break on the following morning Blucher evacuated them, and retired without molestation to Gembloux, where the fourth corps under General Bulow had now arrived. Thence he continued his retreat to Wavre, where he took an advantageous position on the night of the 17th, and again opened a communication with the English army.

29

CHAPTER II.

Retreat of the Duke of Wellington to Waterloo ;Affair at Genappe ;-Interesting Letter of Lord Anglesea ;-Positions and Forces of the two Armies;-Dreadful Night before the Battle ;— Character of the Commanders;-Importance of the Contest ;-First Attack on Hougoumont ;Noble Resistance of the Guards;— Repulse of the French;-Second Attack on the left ;-Fall of Sir T. Picton;-Gallantry of the 92d,-Scotch Greys;-Sir W. Ponsonby;-Third Attack on the Centre ;-La Haye Sainte taken by the French; -Desperate Charge of the whole of the French Cavalry ;-Gallantry of the Duke ;-Repulse of the French.

THE troops of the Duke of Wellington were under arms at three o'clock on the morning of the 17th, and many skirmishes took place between the out-posts. The Brunswick and Belgian troops were on the right, the guards in the centre, and the third and fifth divisions on the left, with the cavalry in the rear. In this position, the Duke, pursuing his favourite system of tactics, awaited

the attack of the enemy. He had determined, however, when all his artillery and cavalry had arrived to become the assailant.

The intermediate time was employed in bringing in the wounded and burying the dead. The officers of the guards were committed to the ground at the edge of the wood which they had so nobly carried, and were surrounded by the numerous graves of those whom they had commanded, and who had shared with them in the honours of the day. As a brother officer impressively read the funeral service over them, the romantic beauty of the country, the wildness and stillness which prevailed around, the mournful silence of the soldiers, and the tears which some of the officers did not disdain to shed, produced a scene highly affecting and sublime.

At ten o'clock intelligence arrived of the retreat of Blucher on Wavre. A courier had been despatched on the preceding evening, but he was intercepted by the enemy.

Secure from attack on his right, it was probable that Napoleon would now direct the whole weight of his force on the British position. All Lord Wellington's divisions had not yet joined him, he could derive no support from the Prussians, and prudence required that a contest so unequal should be avoided. With that promptitude for which he is characterized, the Duke ordered an immediate retreat, and before eleven

all the troops were on the road to the forest of Soignies. The cavalry covered the rear.

They had scarcely commenced their march when the masses of the enemy began to appear. The French cuirassiers* and lancers formed the advanced guard, and pressed upon the rear of the British columns. The rain fell in torrents. The roads were almost impassable, and the open country could not be traversed even by the cavalry. On this account the French were unable to harass the flanks of the retiring army, and confined all their efforts to the centre which proceeded on the high road.

* The cuirassiers of the French Imperial Guards are all arrayed in armour. The front cuirass is in the form of a pigeon's breast, so as to effectually turn off a musket-shot, except fired within twenty yards. The back cuirass is made to fit the back. They weigh from nine to ten pounds each, according to the size of the man, and are stuffed inside with a pad. They fit on by a kind of fish-scaled clasp, and are put off and on in an instant. The men have helmets like our horse-guards, straight long swords and pistols, but no carbines, and if there is a good horse to be found, they are sure to have it. They are all picked men, must be five feet seven inches French (above six feet English), have served in three campaigns, have been twelve years in the service, and of a good character.

In close action they were protected from the sabres of their antagonists by their armour, except the blow fell on the neck or limbs, but the shape and weight of the cuirass necessarily impeded the motion of their arms, and rendered them far inferior to the British in the dexterous use of the sabre.