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villages of Lambusart, Wagnée, and the Wood of Fleurus, there was an interval of not more than from two to three miles ! Hence every thing was favourable to the French Emperor's plan, which only required to be carried on with the same vigour and activity that had marked its commencement; the fate of NAPOLEON, of France, and of Europe, hung upon its issue; not an hour, not a moment should have been suffered to pass unheeded; and had the French Right been concentrated during the night in this position, as also the Left under NEY, between Gosselies and Frasne, and had an impetuous attack, with overwhelming force, been made not later than five o'clock on the following morning, upon both ZIETEN's and PIRCH's Corps, not at that time united, it is very possible that these troops would have been beaten in detail, that THIELEMANN's Corps, advancing from Namur, would either have shared the same fate, or have moved off in the direction of Hannut or Liege to effect a junction with BÜLOW, whilst NEY would either have been enabled to secure the important point of Quatre Bras before the arrival of any considerable portion of the Anglo-Allied troops, or would have held his own force advantageously disposed for a junction with that of NAPOLEON, on the latter moving to the left, by the Namur road, for the purpose of bringing the great mass of his Army against WELLINGTON.

Instead of this, what happened? Of the French Right, its main force remained the whole night at Charleroi and Châtelet, on the Sambre, whilst between the Advance of NEY'S forces at Frasne and his Rear at Marchienne au Pont, there was an interval of about twelve miles. NAPOLEON did not advance towards Fleurus until between eleven and twelve o'clock on the 16th, by which time ZIETEN'S, PIRCH's, and THIELEMANN'S Corps were all concentrated and in position, and he did not commence the Battle of Ligny until nearly

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three o'clock in the afternoon; while NEY, on his side, in consequence of his operations having been rendered subordinate to those of the Emperor, delayed to advance with any degree of vigour until between two and three o'clock, about which time WELLINGTON's Reserve reached Quatre Bras, from Brussels, and joined the forces then engaged in front of that point!

V

CHAPTER V.

ITH the early dawn of the 16th of June, the whole of the Duke of WELLINGTON'S forces were in movement towards Nivelles and Quatre Bras. Previously to starting from Brussels for the latter point, his Grace despatched an Order for the movement of the Cavalry and of CLINTON'S British Division upon Braine le Comte, as also of the troops under Prince FREDERICK of the Netherlands, consisting of STEDMANN's Dutch - Belgian Division, and of ANTHING'S Dutch Belgian (Indian) Brigade, from Sotteghem to Enghien, after leaving 500 men, as before directed, in Audenarde.

PICTON'S Division quitted Brussels by the Charleroi road about two o'clock in the morning; and the Duke of BRUNSWICK'S Corps somewhat later. KRUSE'S Nassau Brigade received Orders to follow along the same road, but having been dispersed in extended cantonments between Brussels and Louvain, it required some considerable time to collect together, and did not therefore reach Quatre Bras sufficiently early to take part in the action.

The disposition made by Colonel the Prince BERNHARD of Saxe Weimar at this point, on the night of the 15th, with the Second Brigade of PERPONCHER'S Dutch-Belgian Division, has already been described. Soon after ten o'clock on that evening, Major Count LIMBURG STIRUM, Dutch Aide de Camp to the Prince of ORANGE, left Braine le Comte for Nivelles, with a Verbal Order from the

151. W.L. Siborne.

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130

Movement of troops on Quatre Bras.

June 16.

Dutch-Belgian Quartermaster General, enjoining General PERPONCHER to hold his ground to the last extremity, to support his Second Brigade by the First, and even to ask for aid from the Third Auglo-Allied Division, and from the Dutch-Belgian Cavalry Division; and, at all events, to send an Officer to acquaint the Commanders of these Divisions with the state of affairs. This message appears to have

reached Nivelles about midnight.

Previously to this, that is, between nine and ten o'clock in the evening, Captain CRASSIER'S Company of the 27th Battalion of Chasseurs moved out from Nivelles towards Quatre Bras en reconnaissance. About two o'clock in the morning, PERPONCHER himself followed with the remainder of the Chasseurs, which body reached Quatre Bras at four o'clock. General BYLANDT, who commanded the First Brigade, ordered the remaining Battalions of the latter, and his Artillery, to commence their march from Nivelles at five o'clock. The 7th Dutch Line Battalion was directed to remain at Nivelles until relieved by ALTEN'S Division.

At three o'clock in the morning, PERPONCHER arrived at Quatre Bras, and after having reconnoitred the position, immediately commenced operations for recovering the ground lost on the previous evening. Just at this time a detachment of about fifty Prussian Hussars of the 2nd Silesian Regiment, under Lieutenant ZEHELIN, who, on the previous day, had been driven back from near Gosselies, and had retreated towards Hautain le Val, gallantly advanced to the front, attacked the Enemy's Outposts, forced them to retire, and then formed a chain of Vedettes. As soon as the Dutch-Belgian troops had advanced to within a short distance of these Prussian Hussars, the latter moved off by their left towards Sombref.

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Prince BERNHARD of Saxe Weimar's Brigade penetrated deeper into the Wood of Bossu, and secured the entrances into it from the French side.

PERPONCHER directed the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau to take post on an eminence in advance towards Frasne, and stationed the 3rd Battalion of this Regiment more to the left. The latter, however, was soon relieved by the 27th Chasseurs, which Battalion, on reaching Quatre Bras, at four o'clock in the morning, had detached two Companies to the left. These moved steadily forward in extended order towards the Wood of Delhutte, outside of which the Enemy showed his Light Troops. They succeeded in forcing back the French into a hollow way bordering the Wood, where the latter maintained themselves for some little time, and then retired into the Wood itself. Taking advantage of the cover afforded by the edge of the Wood, the French now poured a deadly fire upon their assailants, who retreated to some favourable ground a little in advance of their Battalion.

The Prince of ORANGE arrived at Quatre Bras about six o'clock, and immediately reconnoitred the position of the Enemy, and that occupied by his own troops. Having expressed his perfect satisfaction with all the arrangements and dispositions which had been made, both on the previous evening and on that morning, he ordered the troops then present to take up a position more in advance, for the purpose of imposing upon the Enemy; enjoining at the same time, all unnecessary firing, it being desirable under then existing circumstances, to avoid bringing on prematurely an attack by the Enemy.

NEY, having quitted Charleroi at a very early hour in the morning, returned to Gosselies, where he communicated