826 Prussian Officers killed, &c., at Waterloo. Appendix.

Second Lieutenants, von Richter, von Brandt, von Krickmuth, von Arnim, von Beyer, von Sack.

RESERVE CAVALRY. Staff-Major von Drigalsky. 2nd Silesian Hussars-Captain von Wander. West Prussian Uhlans-Lieutenant von Knobelsdorf. 8th Regiment of Hussars-Captain von Erichson. Second Lieutenants, von Bauhöfen, von Möllendorf, von Plieth, von Dieringsfeldt, von Winterfeldt, von Genny. 2nd Neumark Landwehr Cavalry-Lieutenant Colonel von Hiller. Captains, von Goerz, von Preussendorf. Lieutenants, von Braun, von Oestreich. 2nd Silesian Landwehr Cavalry-Lieutenant von Schweinitz. 3rd Silesian Landwehr Cavalry-Captain von Altenstein. Horse Artillery-Captains, von Zinken, von Pfeil.

MISSING.

FOURTH CORPS. 1st Silesian Landwehr-Second Lieutenant von Siegberg. 11th Regiment of Infantry-Captain von Riesemenschel. Second Lieutenant von Bieberstein. 2nd Silesian Landwehr-Second Lieutenant von Koeszegy. 2nd Silesian Hussars-N— R.

XLVIII.

Despatch from the Duke of WELLINGTON to Earl Bathurst.

Waterloo, June 19, 1815.

MY LORD,-BONAPARTE having collected the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Sixth Corps of the French Army and the Imperial Guards, and nearly all the Cavalry, on the Sambre, and between that river and the Meuse, between the 10th and 14th of the month, advanced on the 15th, and attacked the Prussian Posts at Thuin and Lobez, on the Sambre, at daylight in the morning.

I did not hear of these events till the evening of the 15th, and I immediately ordered the troops to prepare to march; and afterwards to march to their left, as soon as I had intelligence from other quarters, to prove that the Enemy's movement upon Charleroi was the real attack.

The Enemy drove the Prussian Posts from the Sambre on that day; and General ZIETEN, who commanded the Corps which had been at Charleroi, retired upon Fleurus; and Marshal Prince BLÜCHER concentrated the Prussian Army upon Sombref, holding the Villages, in front of his position, of St Amand and Ligny.

The Enemy continued his march along the road from Charleroi towards Bruxelles, and on the same evening, the 15th, attacked a Brigade of the Army of the Netherlands, under the Prince DE WEIMAR, posted at Frasne, and forced it back to the Farm House on the same road, called Les Quatre Bras.

The Prince of ORANGE immediately reinforced this Brigade with another of the same Division, under General PERPONCHER, and in the morning early regained part of the ground which had been lost, so as to have command of the communication leading from Nivelles and Bruxelles, with Marshal BLÜCHER's position.

In the mean time I had directed the whole Army to march upon Les Quatre Bras; and the Fifth Division, under Lieutenant General Sir THOMAS PICTON, arrived about half past two in the day, followed by the Corps of troops under the Duke of BRUNSWICK, and afterwards by the contingent of Nassau.

828 The Duke of Wellington's Waterloo despatch. Append.

At this time the Enemy commenced an attack upon Prince BLUCHER with his whole force; excepting the First and Second Corps, and a Corps of Cavalry under General KELLERMANN, with which he attacked our Posts at Les Quatre Bras.

The Prussian Army maintained their position with their usual gallantry and perseverance, against a great disparity of numbers, as the Fourth Corps of their Army, under General BÜLOW, had not yet joined, and I was not able to assist them as I wished, as I was attacked myself, and the troops, the Cavalry in particular, which had a long distance to march, had not arrived.

We maintained our position also, and completely defeated and repulsed all the Enemy's attempts to get possession of it. The Enemy repeatedly attacked us with a large body of Infantry and Cavalry, supported by a numerous and powerful Artillery; he made several charges with the Cavalry upon our Infantry, but all were repulsed in the steadiest manner. In this affair His Royal Highness the Prince of ORANGE, the Duke of BRUNSWICK, and Lieutenant General Sir THOMAS PICTON, and Major General Sir JAMES KEMPT, and Sir DENIS PACK, who were engaged from the commencement of the Enemy's attack, highly distinguished themselves, as well as Lieutenant General CHARLES BARON ALTEN, Major General Sir C. HALKETT, Lieutenant General COOKE, and Major Generals MAITLAND and BYNG, as they successively arrived. The troops of the Fifth Division, and those of the Brunswick Corps were long and severely engaged, and conducted themselves with the utmost gallantry. I must particularly mention the 28th, 42nd, 79th, and 92nd Regiments, and the Battalions of Hanoverians.

Our loss was great, as your Lordship will perceive by the enclosed return; and I have particularly to regret His Serene Highness the Duke of BRUNSWICK, who fell fighting gallantly at the head of his troops.

Although Marshal BLÜCHER had maintained his position at Sombref, he still found himself much weakened by the severity of the contest in which he had been engaged; and as the Fourth Corps had not arrived, he determined to fall back, and concentrate his Army upon Wavre; and he marched in the night after the action was over.

This movement of the Marshal's rendered necessary a corresponding one on my part; and I retired from the Farm of Quatre Bras upon Genappe, and thence upon Waterloo the next morning, the 17th, at ten o'clock.

The Enemy made no effort to pursue Marshal BLÜCHER. On the

Append. The Duke of Wellington's Waterloo despatch. 829

contrary, a Patrol which I sent to Sombref in the morning, found all quiet, and the Enemy's Videttes fell back as the Patrol advanced. Neither did he attempt to molest our march to the rear, although made in the middle of the day; excepting by following with a large body of Cavalry, brought from his Right, the Cavalry under the Earl of UXBRIDGE.

This gave Lord UXBRIDGE an opportunity of charging them with the 1st Life Guards, upon their debouch from the Village of Genappe; upon which occasion his Lordship has declared himself to be well satisfied with that Regiment.

The position which I took up in the front of Waterloo, crossed the high roads from Charleroi and Nivelle, and had its Right thrown back to a ravine near Merke Braine, which was occupied; and its Left extended to a Height above the Hamlet Ter la Haye, which was likewise occupied.-In front of the Right Centre, and near the Nivelle road, we occupied the House and Garden of Hougomont, which covered the return of that Flank; and in the front of the Left Centre we occupied the Farm of La Haye Sainte. By our left we communicated with Marshal Prince BLÜCHER at Wavre through Ohaim; and the Marshal had promised me, that in case we should be attacked he would support me with one or more Corps, as might be necessary.

The Enemy collected his Army, with the exception of the Third Corps, which had been sent to observe Marshal BLÜCHER, on a range of Heights in our front, in the course of the night of the 17th and yesterday morning and at about ten o'clock he commenced a furious attack upon our Post at Hougomont. I had occupied that Post with a Detachment from General BYNG's Brigade of Guards, which was in position in its rear; and it was for some time under the command of Lieutenant Colonel MACDONEL, and afterwards of Colonel HOME; and I am happy to add, that it was maintained throughout the day with the utmost gallantry by these brave troops, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of large bodies of the Enemy to obtain possession of it.

This attack upon the Right of our Centre was accompanied by a very heavy cannonade upon our whole Line, which was destined to support the repeated attacks of Cavalry and Infantry occasionally mixed, but sometimes separate, which were made upon it. In one of these the Enemy carried the Farm House of La Haye Sainte'; as the Detachment of the Light Battalion of the Legion which occupied it, had expended all its ammunition, and the Enemy occupied the only communication there was with them.

830 The Duke of Wellington's Waterloo despatch. Append.

The Enemy repeatedly charged our Infantry with his Cavalry, but these attacks were uniformly unsuccessful; and they afforded opportunities to our Cavalry to charge, in one of which, Lord E. SOMERSET's Brigade, consisting of the Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards, and 1st Dragoon Guards, highly distinguished themselves, as did that of Major General Sir W. PONSONBY, having taken many prisoners and an Eagle.

:

These attacks were repeated till about seven in the evening, when the Enemy made a desperate effort with the Cavalry and Infantry, supported by the fire of the Artillery, to force our Left Centre near the Farm of La Haye Sainte, which after a severe contest was defeated and having observed that the troops retired from this attack in great confusion, and that the march of General BÜLOW's Corps by Euschermont upon Planchenoit and La Belle Alliance had begun to take effect, and as I could perceive the fire of his cannon, and as Marshal Prince BLÜCHER had joined in person, with a Corps of his Army to the left of our Line by Ohaim; I determined to attack the Enemy, and immediately advanced the whole Line of Infantry, supported by the Cavalry and Artillery.

The attack succeeded in every point; the Enemy was forced from his position on the Heights, and fled in the utmost confusion; leaving behind him, as far as I could judge, one hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, with their ammunition, which fell into our hands. I continued the pursuit till long after dark, and then discontinued it only on account of the fatigue of our troops, who had been engaged during twelve hours, and because I found myself on the same road with Marshal BLÜCHER, who assured me of his intention to follow the Enemy throughout the night; he has sent me word this morning that he has taken sixty pieces of cannon belonging to the Imperial Guard, and several carriages, baggage, &c., belonging to BUONAPARTE, in Genappe.

propose to move, this morning, upon Nivelles, and not to discontinue my operations.

Your Lordship will observe, that such a desperate action could not be fought, and such advantages could not be gained, without great loss; and I am sorry to add that ours has been immense. In Lieutenant General Sir THOMAS PICTON, His Majesty has sustained the loss of an Officer who has frequently distinguished himself in his Service, and he fell gloriously leading his Division to a charge with bayonets, by which one of the most serious attacks made by the Enemy on our position was defeated. The Earl of UXBRIDGE, after having successfully got through