Bivouacs on the evening of 30th of June. 731

Bourget. Partial skirmishing, at a distance, was kept up; though, on the side of the Prussians, it was more for the purpose of diverting the attention of the Enemy, and concealing from him the general movement to the right. Bivouac fires were maintained during the night on the ground vacated by the different Corps, in order to deceive the Enemy by their apparent indication of the continued presence of the Prussian Army in front of the lines of St Denis.

On this day, the Advanced Guard of the Anglo-Allied Army (VIVIAN's Hussar Brigade) reached Vauderlan. The British Cavalry moved to Louvres.

ESTORFF'S Cavalry, attached to the Second Corps, crossed the Oise at Creil, and proceeded by Chantilly to Luzarches. The Infantry of this Corps marched from Clermont to Chantilly.

The First Corps moved from its camp near St Martin Longeau, crossed the Oise at Pont St Maxence, and advanced until the head of the Column reached La Capelle, and its rear rested upon Senlis.

The Reserve moved from its camp, near Gournay, by Pont St Maxence, the head of the Column reaching Fleurines on the road to Senlis, and the rear resting upon Pont St Maxence.

The following were the positions of the respective Armies on the evening of the 30th:

The First Prussian Corps d'Armée commenced its march, at half past ten o'clock in the evening, from Blancmesnil and Aulnay towards St Germain, passing, during the night, through Gonesse, Montmorency, and Le Mesnil, to Carrière au Mont, near St Germain-leaving its Outposts in the position they had hitherto occupied.

The Third Corps d'Armée marched, during the night, from Dammartin

732 Louis XVIII., or the destruction of Paris.

to St Germain, by Gonesse and Argenteuil; at which latter place, however, its Reserve Cavalry was halted.

The Fourth Corps d'Armée remained in its position at Le Bourget, to cover the march of the rest of the Army. Its Outposts continued at Stains, St Denis, and Aubervilliers. Lieutenant Colonel von SOHR, with the Brandenburg and Pomeranian Hussars, crossed the Seine at St Germain, and was advancing towards Versailles.

Major VON COLOMB, with the 8th Hussars, occupied the Bridge of St Germain.

The Head Quarters of Prince BLÜCHER continued at Gonesse.

The Advanced Guard of the Anglo-Allied Army was at Vauderlan.
The British Cavalry was encamped on the plain about Louvres.
The Hanoverian Cavalry was at Luzarches.

The Second and Fourth Divisions, and the Nassau troops, were upon the high road between La Capelle and Senlis.

The Fifth and Sixth Divisions, the Brunswick troops, and the Reserve Artillery, were upon the high road between Fleurines and Pont St Maxence.

The Pontoon Train and Hawser Bridges were at Senlis.

The Duke of WELLINGTON'S Head Quarters were at Louvres.
The French Army remained within the lines of Paris.

Since the departure of NAPOLEON, both the Army and the citizens looked upon the Parliament as the sole directing power; and, in full reliance upon its integrity, appeared willingly submissive to its dictates. FOUCHÉ, who had been in secret communication with the Allies, decided upon exercising, in accordance with their views, the great influence he had succeeded in acquiring over a very considerable portion of the Deputies. It was mainly by means of this influence that he contrived to remove the principal obstacle in the way of all negotiation-the presence of NAPOLEON. His next step was to prepare the Chamber for the return to power of the legitimate Monarch: a measure which he could only hope to accomplish by holding it forth as the sole alternative to the destruction of Paris by the vast and

Davoust's letter to Wellington and Blücher. 733

overwhelming force of the Allied Armies marching towards the capital from the north and east frontiers; and by combining with it the adoption of such modifications of the Charter as should satisfy the desires of the Constitutionalists and the moderately disposed of all Parties.

Aware that the Army was animated with a spirit of determined resistance towards the Allies: he plainly saw that, unless conciliated, the turbulent Buonapartists, with whom its ranks were filled, might speedily frustrate the accomplishment of his plans by which the peace of the capital was to be preserved, and ultimately prevent the attainment of that extended Constitutional Power for which the Deputies were contending. He, therefore, with his usual adroitness, addressed himself to its Chief, Marshal DAVOUST, Prince of ECKMÜHL; and by his skilful exposition of the political posture of affairs, he succeeded in gaining over the Marshal to his views. The latter wrote to him on the evening of the 29th, that he had overcome his prejudices; and had arrived at the conclusion that the only safe course to be pursued consisted in entering into an Armistice, and proclaiming LOUIS XVIII.

On the 30th, the Prince, as the Head of the French Army, addressed the following letter to both WELLINGTON and BLÜCHER:

"MY LORD,

"Head Quarters, La Villette, June 30, 1815.

"Your hostile movements continue, although, according to the Declarations of the Allied Sovereigns, the motives of the War which they make upon us no longer exist; since the Emperor NAPOLEON has abdicated.

"At the moment when blood is again on the point of flowing, I receive from Marshal the Duke of ALBUFERA a telegraphic despatch, of which I transmit you a copy. My Lord, I guarantee this Armistice on my honour. All the reasons you might have had to continue

734 The Duke of Wellington's reply to Davoust.

hostilities are destroyed; because you can have no other instruction from your Government than that which the Austrian Generals had from theirs.

"I make the formal demand to your Excellency of ceasing all hostilities, and of our proceeding to agree to an Armistice, according to the decision of Congress. I cannot believe, my Lord, that my request will be ineffectual; you will take upon yourself a great responsibility in the eyes of your fellow countrymen.

"No other motive but that of putting an end to the effusion of blood, and the interests of my country, has dictated this letter.

"If I present myself on the Field of Battle, with the idea of your talents, I shall carry the conviction of there combating for the most sacred of causes-that of the defence and independence of my country ; and, whatever may be the result, I shall merit your esteem.

To this the Duke of WELLINGTON replied in the following

terms:

"MONSIEUR LE MARÉCHAL,

"Head Quarters, July 1, 1815-10 A.M.

"I have just received your Excellency's letter of the 30th June, in which your Excellency communicates to me the intelligence you have received of an Armistice having been concluded by General FRIMONT with Marshal the Duke of ALBUFERA.

"I have already made known, in writing, to the French Commissioners sent to the Allied Powers, and verbally, to the Commissioners sent to me, the reasons which have prevented me from suspending my operations; which reasons, I have cause to believe, are fully adopted by the Allies of my Sovereign, and of those whose Armies I have the honour of commanding.

"I have every wish to prevent the further effusion of the blood of the brave troops under my command; but it must be upon the conditions which shall secure the re-establishment and the stability of the General Peace.

"I have the honour to be, &c.,
"WELLINGTON."

July 1. Prince Blücher's reply to Davoust.

735

Prince BLÜCHER, who entertained a great contempt for diplomacy, attributing as he did the cause of the renewal of the War to the ill concocted schemes to which that War had given birth, had hitherto refrained from either receiving in person, or noticing in writing, any communication addressed to him by the French authorities. He applied himself solely to the military solution of the Great Problem on which depended the Peace of Europe.

Upon this occasion, however, tempted probably by the opportunity which was offered to him of sharply retorting upon the Marshal, under whose government of Hamburg the greatest excesses had been committed upon his countrymen; he was induced to pen the following reply, couched in his rough native German, as if to evince both his disdain of the usual diplomatic mode of communication, and his dislike of even the very language of the country he so thoroughly detested :

"MARSHAL,

"To the French General Davoust.

"Head Quarters, July 1, 1815.

"It is not conformable to truth that, because NAPOLEON has abdicated the throne, there exists no further motive for War between the Allied Powers and France. His abdication is conditional; that is, in favour of his son but a Decree of the Allied Powers excludes not only NAPOLEON, but every member of his Family, from the Throne.

"If General FRIMONT has considered himself authorised to conclude an Armistice with your General opposed to him, that is no motive for us to do the same. We shall pursue our victory. GOD has given us strength and resolution to do so. Beware, Marshal, of what you do; and forbear devoting another city to destruction! for you know what liberties the exasperated soldiers would take, should your capital be carried by storm. Do you solicit the maledictions of Paris, in addition to those of Hamburg?

"We shall enter Paris to protect the respectable inhabitants against the mob, by whom they are threatened with pillage. An Armistice can