202 Distribution of Zieten's Corps. June 16. the highest point of the whole position. Seven Battalions of the Second Brigade (General PIRCH II.) were formed immediately in rear of this Farm; the 28th Regiment and 2nd Westphalian Landwehr in the First, and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 6th Regiment in the Second, Line; while the 3rd Battalion of the latter Regiment occupied the Farm itself, which was put into a state of defence. Two Battalions of the Fourth Brigade (General Count HENKEL), namely, the 2nd Battalions of the 19th Regiment and of the 4th Westphalian Landwehr, stood on the slope between the Second Brigade and Ligny; while the remaining four Battalions of the Brigade-the 1st and 3rd of the 19th Regiment, and the 1st and 3rd of the 4th Westphalian Landwehr-were charged with the defence of Ligny. The Village of Bry was occupied by the 3rd Battalions of the 12th and 24th Regiments, belonging to the First Brigade (General STEINMETZ); and the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Westphalian Landwehr was posted in rear of the Village in support. The 1st and 3rd Companies of the Silesian Rifles, attached to this Brigade, were distributed about the intersected ground between Bry and St Amand la Haye. The remainder of the First Brigade was posted on the Height in the rear of St Amand, its Right resting on St Amand la Haye; the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 12th Regiment on the right, and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 24th Regiment on the left, forming a First, and the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 1st Westphalian Landwehr forming a Second, Line. The defence of St Amand was confided to three Battalions of the Third Brigade (General JAGOW)— the 1st and 2nd of the 29th Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Westphalian Landwehr. The remaining six Battalions of this Brigade were posted in reserve northward of Ligny, and near the Bois du Loup. The 2nd June 16. Pirch's Corps in reserve to Zieten. 203 and 4th Companies of the Silesian Rifles were thrown into Ligny. The Reserve Cavalry of ZIETEN's Corps continued in advance, upon the Fleurus high road, watching the movements of the Enemy. It was eight o'clock when these dispositions were completed; and about eleven o'clock, PIRCH's Corps, which more than an hour before had quitted its bivouac near Mazy, was formed up in reserve to ZIETEN. The Fifth Brigade (General TIPPELSKIRCHEN) stood across the high road, near its intersection with the old Roman road, in the customary Prussian Brigade order of three lines of Columns of Battalions at deploying intervals, and had in its front the two Batteries, Nos. 10 and 37. The Sixth Brigade (General KRAFFT) was posted in similar order in the rear of the Farm of Bussy, and in left rear of Bry. The Seventh Brigade (General BRAUSE) stood more to the left: it had only the 14th Regiment then present, for the 22nd Regiment and the Elbe Landwehr did not rejoin it until one o'clock in the afternoon. The Eighth Brigade (Colonel LANGEN) was ordered to remain upon the high road leading from Sombref to Fleurus, until the arrival of the Third Corps (THIELEMANN's). One of its Battalions the 3rd of the 21st Regiment-as also two Squadrons of the Neumark Dragoons attached to this Corps, had been left in the line of Outposts beyond the Meuse, towards Philippeville; and did not rejoin it until the 20th of June. The Reserve Cavalry of PIRCH's Corps, under General JÜRGASS, was stationed in rear of the high road, and on the west side of Sombref. The twelve pounder Batteries, Nos. 4 and 8, and the Horse Batteries, Nos. 5 and 18, remained in reserve, near Sombref. 201 Thielemann's Corps arrives at Sombref. June 16. THIELEMANN'S Corps, which had quitted Namur about seven o'clock in the morning, had reached Sombref before twelve. It was immediately assigned its position in that part of the Field which lies between Sombref and Balatre, and was posted in Columns upon both high roads, here to remain available for either a movement to the right, or for the occupation of the position in Left Front of Sombref, along the Heights in rear of the Ligny rivulet. Such were the dispositions made by BLÜCHER previously to NAPOLEON'S advancing from Fleurus. The occupation of Ligny and St Amand-the most salient part of the position -by ZIETEN'S Corps, and the posting of the Reserve Cavalry of the latter in the intervening space between those Villages and Fleurus, were justly calculated to secure for the Prussian Commander ample time for further developing his Line of Battle in such a manner as the direction and mode of his opponent's attack might render most expedient. In the morning of the 16th, the French troops which lay along the Sambre, and which belonged to that main portion of the Army which was more immediately under the orders and guidance of NAPOLEON, quitted their bivouacs, and marched to join their leading Columns, the position of which in front of Fleurus was described in the Fourth Chapter. It was past ten o'clock when these troops debouched in two Columns from the Fleurus Wood--the one along the high road, the other more to the right-and drew up in two lines within a short distance of Fleurus. In the First Line PAJOL's Light, and EXCELMANS' Heavy, Cavalry, formed the Right, and VANDAMME'S Corps, the Left, Wing; while GÉRARD'S Corps which had not received the Order to march until half past nine o'clock, arrived much later, and occupied the Centre. GIRARD'S Division was detached some little June 16. Napoleon's views and dispositions. 205 distance on the extreme Left. The Imperial Guard and MILHAUD's Corps of Cuirassiers constituted the Second Line. More than an hour was passed in this position before the arrival of the Emperor, who then rode along the line of Vedettes, and reconnoitred the Enemy's dispositions. It appeared to NAPOLEON that BLÜCHER had taken up a position perpendicular to the Namur road, and had, in this way, completely exposed his Right Flank; whence he inferred that the Prince placed great reliance upon the arrival of auxiliary forces from the Duke of WELLINGTON's Army. A single glance at the Prussian position, as it has been described, will suffice to prove that the French Emperor was in error as regarded BLÜCHER's assumed Line of Battle, and that so far from its having been perpendicular to, it was, in the general military acceptation of the term, parallel with, the Namur road. At the same time it is proper to remark, that he may have been misled by the massing of the Prussian troops between the salient point of the position, St Amand, and the road in question, as well as by the direction of the line of the occupied Villages of St Amand, Ligny, and Sombref. It must also be acknowledged that although the inference was incorrectly drawn, it accorded in substance with the real fact, that BLÜCHER did rely upon the arrival of a portion of WELLINGTON'S forces by the Namur road from Quatre Bras. NAPOLEON having returned from his reconnaissance, immediately gave his Orders for the advance of the Army, and for the disposition of each individual Corps in his intended Line of Battle. Impressed with the important advantage which, according to his assumed view of BLÜCHER's position, might accrue from a vigorous and well timed attack upon the Right and Rear of the Prussians, while vigorously assailing them 206 The French take Fleurus. June 16. himself in their Front, he directed SoULT to address to NEY the despatch, dated two o'clock, to which reference was made in the preceding Chapter, acquainting the Marshal that in half an hour thence he proposed attacking BLÜCHER, posted between Sombref and Bry, and desiring that he would, on his part, also attack whatever might be in his front, and that after having vigorously repulsed the Enemy, he should move towards the Emperor's Field of Battle, and fall upon the Right and Rear of the Prussians; adding, at the same time, that should the Emperor be first successful, he would then move to the support of the Army at Quatre Bras. The French Light Troops moved forward against Fleurus, of which place they gained possession between eleven and twelve o'clock, and then opened from their Light Artillery a cannonade upon the Prussian Cavalry Posts taken up by the 6th Uhlans. The latter immediately retired, and formed upon the left of the Brandenburg Dragoons, which Regiment had been placed in front of the Tombe de Ligny, along with the Horse Battery No. 2, in support. The Brandenburg Uhlans were also in support, but more to the rear, and on the left of the high road. At this time, NAPOLEON was on the Height of Fleurus, again reconnoitring the Prussian position; and it was also about the same period that WELLINGTON joined BLÜCHER in person near the Mill of Bussy. As soon as RÖDER perceived the imposing array of the French Columns in full advance, he ordered the immediate retreat of his Cavalry, which he covered with the 6th Uhlans and the Brandenburg Dragoons, together with two pieces of Horse Artillery. He sent the main body, which he had stationed in a hollow, in rear of the Tombe de Ligny, as also the remainder of the Artillery, across the |