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322 Grouchy's error in marching on Wavre.

June 18.

have combined, and therefore have presented a superior force to GROUCHY, at any point between Wavre and Planchenoit; whilst the remainder of the Army might have continued its march to the Field of Waterloo. Had GROUCHY moved by St Guibert and Moustier upon St Lambert, THIELEMANN's Corps would then have been on the march towards Couture, according to his original instructions; and finding BÜLOW engaged with the Enemy, would have joined him. GROUCHY might then have contrived to hold both these Corps at bay, and thus have reduced the co-operating Prussian force at Waterloo to the two Corps under ZIETEN and PIRCH, besides considerably retarding that co-operation; since without having experienced the effects of any such interruption to the progress of the other Corps, as we have here supposed, these two Generals did not reach the Field of Battle until seven o'clock in the evening of the 18th.

Such is the extent of the advantage which, under the circumstances, GROUCHY would have gained by a march from Gembloux upon St Lambert; a most important one, no doubt, as time for pushing the struggle with WELLINGTON, with the whole force at his immediate disposal, before the arrival of the Prussians, was of the most vital consequence to NAPOLEON; and this advantage GROUCHY entirely lost by his march upon Wavre-a march which enabled BLÜCHER to appear with three, out of his four, Corps d'Armée, on the great and decisive Field of Action; and that in sufficient time to render the victory as complete as could reasonably be desired.

No exertions, however, on the part of GROUCHY, after he broke up from Gembloux on the morning of the 18th, could have effectually frustrated the junction of WELLINGTON and BLÜCHER. Two great errors, for which that Marshal was

June 18.

Napoleon's errors at this time.

323

not accountable, reduced the contemplated junction from a measure of calculation to one of certainty. The first and principal of these has already been adverted to at some length, and cannot be too closely kept in view the fatal neglect of a vigorous pursuit of the defeated Prussians, on the night of the 16th and morning of the 17th, by a detached Corps; combined with the extraordinary delay in the attack upon WELLINGTON at Quatre Bras, on the latter day. The second error arose from the want of a strong reconnaissance and vigilant look out on the right of the main French Army, on the morning of the 18th, followed up by the occupation of the Defiles of the Lasne.

It was nearly four o'clock when VANDAMME's Corps arrived in front of the position which THIELEMANN was in the act of quitting, with a view to follow and support the remaining three Prussian Corps that were at that moment on the march towards the Field of Waterloo; and, with a fire that was opened from the French Batteries, commenced the Battle of Wavre, which will be described in its proper place in a subsequent Chapter.

CHAPTER IX.

Trained incessantly during the night of the 17th, occasionally in torrents; whilst loud and frequent peals of thunder fell ominously on the ear of the toil-worn soldier, startling him from the fitful slumber, which was all the rest the chill and comfortless bivouac on the Field of Waterloo could afford him in that tempestuous night.

Scarcely had the morning dawned when the numerous groups, stretched around the smouldering remains of the bivouac fires, or couched in the hollows, or lying under such slender cover as the few trees and brushwood within range of the positions of their respective Regiments afforded, were seen gradually in motion; and as the eye of an observer wandered along the space which lay between the main bodies of the hostile Armies-a space varying in no greater width than from one thousand to fifteen hundred yardsthe Officers in command of the several Picquets might be seen, on either side, withdrawing their Vedettes and Sentries from the very limited and almost conversational distance that had separated them from their opponents during the night, concentrating their Detachments, and establishing their Main Posts more within the immediate range of the respective positions occupied by the grand Armies.

As the morning advanced, the dense vapoury masses which had so long rolled slowly and heavily over the plain, gradually began, as if relieved by the constant discharge of their contents, to soar into a higher region, where, during

June 19.

The morning of Waterloo.

325

the whole day, with little or but imperceptible motion, they hung spread out into a broad expansive vault, through which the rays of the sun were unable fully to penetrate, until just at the moment of its sinking from the scene of strife, when it shed the full blaze of its setting splendour upon the victorious advance of the Anglo-Allied Army. The drying and cleaning of firearms soon became general, and the continuous discharge of muskets, at rapid and irregular intervals, fell upon the ear like the rattle of a brisk and widely extended skirmish.

All at once, the scene became more animated and exciting. Drums, bugles, and trumpets were heard over the whole Field, sounding the " Assembly "; and never was the call to arms, in either Army, responded to with greater zeal, alacrity, and cheerfulness. While the Regimental inspections, tellings off, and preparatory arrangements of detail were proceeding, Staff Officers were seen galloping in various directions; and, shortly afterwards, the different Brigades, which, by their bivouacs had but faintly and irregularly traced the Line of Battle taken up by each Army, were moved and distributed in the precise order prescribed by the illustrious Chiefs who had on that day, and for the first and only time, met to measure swords.

The Field of Waterloo is intersected by two high roads (chaussées) conspicuous by their great width and uniformity, as also by the pavement which runs along the centre of each. These two roads, the eastern one leading from Charleroi and Genappe, and the western from Nivelles, form a junction at the Village of Mont St Jean, whence their continuance, in one main road, is directed upon the capital of Belgium.

In front of the above junction; and offering, as it were, a

326

The Field of Waterloo.

June 18.

natural military position for the defence of this approach to Brussels, a gentle elevated ridge of ground is intersected, at right angles, by the Charleroi road, about 250 yards north of the Farm called La Haye Sainte, and follows a westerly direction until about midway between the two high roads: whence it takes a south-westerly course, and terminates abruptly at its point of intersection with the Nivelles road, about 450 yards north of Hougomont, a Country Seat, with Farm, Offices, Gardens, Orchards, and Wood. On the east side, the ridge extends itself perpendicularly from the Charleroi road until it reaches a point, distant about seven hundred yards, where, elevating itself into a Mound or Knoll, it overlooks the Hamlet of Papelotte; and thence, taking a north-easterly course, expands into an open plateau.

This ridge constituted the position of the First Line of the Duke of WELLINGTON'S Army, which Line is more distinctly defined by a road, entering on the east side, from Wavre, by Ohain, and winding along the summit of the ridge until it joins the Charleroi high road just above La Haye Sainte; from which point of junction a cross road proceeds along the remaining portion of the ridge, and thus connects the two high roads with each other.

The undulations of the ground in rear of this position were admirably adapted to the disposition of the Second Line and Reserves, presenting a gently inclined reverse slope along nearly the whole extent of the ridge, with fine open and convenient stations for Cavalry, perfectly concealed from the Enemy's observation.

The Right of the main position is bounded by a valley, which has its source very considerably in rear of the Centre of the French position, by which it is intersected; and thence, sweeping round the southern and western inclosures of Hougomont, proceeds in the direction of Merbe Braine.

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