June 13.

Napoleon's dispositions.

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of cannon, under the command of Lieutenant General DESVAUX DE ST. MAURICE.

These troops were principally in Paris.

The French Emperor having, upon the grounds explained in a former Chapter, determined to take the Field against the Allied Armies in Belgium, the commencement of active operations could no longer be deferred. When we reflect upon the disparity of force with which he was going to contend against two such Generals as WELLINGTON and BLÜCHER, We are bound to acknowledge that it was an undertaking daring and perilous in the extreme, even for an individual of the dauntless and adventurous character of NAPOLEON. A delay of only a few weeks would have secured for him, by means of the vast organisation which was in constant and rapid progress, a sufficient accession of disposable troops to have enabled him to effect a powerful diversion upon either WELLINGTON'S Right, or BLÜCHER'S Left, Flank, and thus to impart an infinitely greater degree of weight and stability to his main operations; but then, on the other hand, this delay would also have brought the powerful Armies of the confederated Sovereigns across the whole line of his eastern frontier, and have led to the consummation of that combined movement upon the capital, the execution of which it was his great aim to frustrate.

But it was not the first time that NAPOLEON had advanced against such fearful superiority of numerical strength. In the previous year, when nearly surrounded by the victorious forces of Prussia, Austria, and Russia, when apparently overwhelmed by a succession of disasters, and when his Army was daily diminishing by the desertion of newly raised conscripts, and presenting the mere wreck

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The Charleroi road to Brussels.

June 18.

of its former self, he was at the very acme of his mental energy, and in the full possession of his determinate and all subduing will. His great genius seemed to acquire additional vigour and elasticity, with the increasing desperation of his position; and darting with electric suddenness and rapidity, now upon one adversary and then upon another, maintaining with the renowned leaders of his detached forces, a combination of movements developing the highest order of strategy, he succeeded by his brilliant triumphs at Champaubert, Montmirail, and Monterau, not only in stemming the torrent of invasion, but in causing the resumption of the diplomatic preliminaries of a l'eace. This Peace, however, these very triumphs induced him, as if by a fatality, to reject with scorn and indignation, although the terms were honourable in the highest degree under his then existing circumstances.

Hence, with such a retrospect, NAPOLEON might well indulge in hope and confidence as to the result of the approaching Campaign, notwithstanding the want of sufficient time for a greater development of his resources. A finer or a more gallant Army, or one more complete and efficient in every respect, than that which he was going to lead in person, never took the Field.

He had selected for the line of his main operations the direct road to Brussels, by Charleroi, that being the road, as before remarked, on which WELLINGTON's Left, and BLÜCHER'S Right respectively rested, and which he designed to maintain by first overcoming the Prussian Army, which was the most advanced on that line, and then attacking the Anglo-Allied troops before they could be collected in sufficient strength to prevent his further progress; his grand object being to impede the junction of the two Armies; to vanquish them in detail; to establish himself

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Napoleon's Plan of Campaign.

June 18.

in Brussels; to arouse the dense population in Belgium, of which a vast proportion secretly adhered to his cause; to reannex the country to the French Empire; to excite the desertion of the Belgian soldiery from the service of Holland; to prevent a check by these means to the operations of the invading Armies crossing the Rhine; perhaps also to enter into negotiations; and, at all events, to gain, what was to him of vital importance, time for the advance and co-operation of further reinforcements from France.

The necessary Orders were now despatched for the concentration of the Grand Army; and in order to mask its movements as much as possible, the whole line of the Belgian frontier was studded with studded with numerous Detachments of the National Guards furnished by the garrisons of the fortresses, more especially along that part of the frontier which passes in advance of Valenciennes, Condé, Lille, and even as far as Dunkirk; all the debouchés of which line were strongly occupied, the Outposts tripled, and there was every apparent indication that either the principal attack, or at least a formidable diversion, was in course of preparation in that quarter.

These measures had the effect of strengthening the anticipations which WELLINGTON had previously formed of offensive movements from the side of Lille and Valenciennes, and consequently of placing him still more upon his guard against any hasty and incautious junction of his forces with those of BLÜCHER, until fully satisfied as to the true direction and object of NAPOLEON's main operations.

On the 12th of June, Lieutenant Colonel WISSELL, whose Regiment, the 1st Hussars of the King's German Legion,

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Concentration of the Grand Army.

91

formed an extensive line of Outposts in front of Tournai, reported to Major General Sir HUSSEY VIVIAN, to whose Brigade the Regiment belonged, that he had ascertained, from information on which he could rely, that the French Army had assembled on the frontier, and was prepared to attack. VIVIAN desired him to report upon the subject to Lord HILL, to whose Corps his Regiment was attached while employed on this particular service.

The next morning, VIVIAN repaired in person to the Outposts, and found that a French Cavalry Picquet which had previously been posted opposite to Tournai, had a short time before marched to join the main Army, and had been relieved by Douaniers. These, upon being spoken to by VIVIAN, did not hesitate to say that their Army was concentrating, and that if the Allies did not advance, their troops would attack. On returning to his Quarters, VIVIAN

communicated what he had seen and heard both to Lord HILL and the Earl of UXBRIDGE, by whom the circumstances were made known to the Duke of WELLINGTON. His Grace, however, for reasons before stated, did not think the proper moment had arrived for making any alteration in the disposition of his forces.

GERARD'S Corps quitted Metz on the 6th of June, with Orders to reach Philippeville by the 14th. The Imperial Guard began its march from Paris on the 8th, and reached Avesnes on the 13th, as did also LOBAU's Corps from Laon. D'ERLON'S Corps from Lille, REILLE'S Corps from Valenciennes, and VANDAMME's Corps from Mézières, likewise arrived at Maubeuge and Avesnes on the 13th. The four Corps of Reserve Cavalry concentrated upon the Upper Sambre.

The junction of the several Corps on the same day, and