June 16. Losses at the Battle of Quatre Bras. 193

Corps was bivouacked in the rear of Frasne; with the exception, however, of DURUTTE'S Division (the Fourth), and JAQUINOT's Light Cavalry Brigade, which D'ERLON had left on the Field of Ligny, in front of the extreme Right of the Prussian Army; a measure which he had deemed advisable in order to prevent the Enemy from debouching into the plain between Bry and the Wood of Delhutte.

It is singular that NAPOLEON, who at Fleurus held so powerful a Reserve as that consisting of the Imperial Guard and the Sixth Corps, and who was in perfect ignorance of the true state of affairs at Quatre Bras, should have ventured to withdraw from NEY a force amounting to more than one half of that which he had originally placed at his disposal. It was decidedly a false step, from which no advantage resulted on his own Field of Battle, whilst there can be very little doubt that it lost him that of Quatre Bras.

The losses sustained in this Battle by the Anglo-Allied Army in killed, wounded, and missing, were as follows:

British
Hanoverians
Brunswickers .

2,275

369

819

3,463 men.

To these must be added the loss of the Dutch-Belgian troops, amounting probably to about 1,000 killed and wounded, which makes the entire loss of the Anglo-Allied Army equal to about 4,463 men.

The French loss amounted to about 4,000 killed, wounded, and missing.

Such was the Battle of Quatre Bras: a battle in which

151. W. L. Siborne.

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194

British Infantry v. French Cavalry.

June 16.

the British, the Hanoverian, and the Brunswick, Infantry, covered itself with imperishable glory; to estimate the full extent of which we must constantly bear in mind, that the whole brunt of the action fell upon that Infantry; that throughout the greater part of the day it was totally unaided by any Cavalry, that Arm of the Allies in the field having, at the outset, proved itself incompetent to engage with the French; and, lastly, that it was completely abandoned in the latter part of the action by the Second Dutch-Belgian Infantry Division, amounting to no less than 7,533 men.

When the imagination dwells upon that which constitutes one of the most prominent features of the Battle-the manner in which the gallant PICTON, on finding there was no Cavalry at hand wherewith to charge effectively that of the Enemy, led on the British Infantry, and dashed into the midst of the French masses, stoutly maintaining his ground in defiance of their oft repeated assaults, invariably scattering back their charging Squadrons in confusion, and this, too, in the face of a splendid Cavalry, animated by the best spirit, and headed by a KELLERMANN, whose fame and merit were so universally acknowledged-with what exulting pride and heartfelt gratitude must not the British nation reflect on the heroic valour displayed by her sons in their noble fulfilment of the desires and expectations of her Cambrian Chief!

The zealous and cordial support which the Hanoverians and the Brunswickers afforded to their British brethren in arms, the devotion with which they commingled with them in the thickest of the fight, are indelibly engraven in the grateful memory of every true German, and remain recorded as a lasting theme of admiration in the history of their fatherland,

June 16.

Strategical gains and losses.

195

The defeat sustained by the French was certainly not attributable, in the slightest degree, to any deficiency on their part, of either bravery or discipline. Their deportment was that of truly gallant soldiers, and their attacks were all conducted with a chivalric impetuosity, and an admirably sustained vigour, which could leave no doubt on the minds of their opponents as to the sincerity of their devotion to the cause of the Emperor.

In a strategical point of view, both parties gained certain important advantages, and lost others which had been comprised within their respective plans of operation.

NEY had succeeded in preventing the junction of the Anglo-Allied Army with the Prussians, and might have obtained still more important results, had he not been deprived of the services of D'ERLON's Corps, the arrival of which he had been so fully led to expect.

WELLINGTON, though he had been compelled to relinquish all hope of being enabled to afford that aid to BLÜCHER which, in the morning, he had proffered to him, yet, by maintaining his ground at Quatre Bras sufficiently long to admit of the arrival of reinforcements which enabled him to obtain a brilliant victory, he completely succeeded in frustrating the grand object of NEY's movements, which had been to defeat the Anglo-Allied troops thus advancing, in detail, and also to operate upon BLÜCHER'S Right Flank. The Duke's success gave ample and convincing evidence of the sagacity and foresight with which his plans had been devised and matured, as also of the soundness of those calculations by which he had for some time previously placed himself, with the confident security of a master of his art, in a posture of defence, fully prepared to meet every emergency, from whatever point, or however suddenly, the coming storm

196

Wellington's Orders for the next day.

June 16

might arise. And now that he had gained the Battle, and secured the important point of Quatre Bras, upon which the remainder of his troops were advancing, and where the greater portion of them would arrive in the evening and during the night, he was perfectly ready and willing, should the Prussians prove victorious at Ligny, to renew the contest on the following morning, by attacking NEY with his collected force; and then, if successful (of which little doubt could be entertained), by a junction with BLÜCHER'S Right, to operate upon NAPOLEON's Left, so as to bring the great mass of the combined Armies to hear directly upon the main body of the French; or, in case of a defeat of the Prussians, to make good his retreat along his principal line of operation, in such a manner, as to secure a position between Quatre Bras and Brussels, favourable for a co-operation of BLÜCHER'S forces with his own, and for presenting a bold and determined stand against the further advance of the French Emperor.

Orders were now forwarded for the movement of CLINTON'S Division on the following morning, at daybreak, from Nivelles to Quatre Bras: and of COLVILLE'S Division, at the same hour, from Enghien to Nivelles. The Reserve Artillery was directed to move at daybreak, on the following morning, to Quatre Bras, there to receive further orders; and the Tenth Infantry Brigade, under Major General Sir JOHN LAMBERT, was directed to march, at the samne hour, from Assche to Genappe, there to remain until further orders.

The tremendous roar of Artillery in the direction of Ligny gave a sufficient intimation to the Duke that a great Battle had taken place in that quarter, but as it seemed to continue stationary, and only ceased as night set in, he was