part in the victory. Cries of joy were heard along our whole line. The troops, fatigued by eight combats (huit combats, perhaps it should be huit heures à combats, eight hours of fighting,) recover their vigour and make new efforts. The Emperor regards this moment as decisive. He brings forward all his guard; orders four battalions to pass near the village of Mont St. Jean, to advance upon the enemy's position, and to carry with the bayonet whatever should resist them. The Cavalry of the Guard and all the other cavalry that remained at hand, seconded this movement. The four battalions, when they arrived upon the plateau, were received by the most terrible fire of musketry and grape.* The great number of wounded who separate from the columns, makes it believed that the Guard is routed. A panic terror communicates itself to the neighbouring corps, which precipitately take flight. The enemy's cavalry, which perceives this disorder, is let loose into the plain; it is checked for some time by the twelve battalions of the Old Guard who had not yet charged, but even these troops were carried away by this inexplicable movement, and follow the steps of the fugitives, but with more order.

All the carriages of the artillery hurry towards the great road; soon they are so thronged together that it is impossible to make them proceed; they are mostly abandoned in the road and unyoked by the soldiers who carry away the horses. All hasten towards the bridge of Charleroy, and meet at Marchiennes, whence the wrecks were directed upon Avesnes and Philippeville.

Such is the account of this fatal day. It was to crown the glory of the French army, to destroy all the vain hopes of the enemy, and perhaps soon to give to France the peace so much desired; but heaven has decided otherwise, it is thought fit that after so many catastrophes our unhappy country should be once more exposed to the ravages of foreigners.

Though our losses are considerable, our situation is, however, not desperate. The resources which we have left are very great, if we determine to employ them with energy.

The corps commanded by Marshal Grouchy, and composed of * Vide Artillery Operations.

the 3d and 4th corps of infantry, and a large corps of cavalry, bas just effected its retreat by Namur, and has re-entered France by Givet and Rocroy: its materiel is untouched; other wrecks of the corps beaten at Mont St. Jean form already a respectable mass, which increases daily. The minister of war has announced to the Chambers, that 20,000 men are disposable, taken from the depôts.

The measures taken by the Chambers to call to the defence of the country all men capable of bearing arms, will soon furnish a great number of battalions, if the levy, the brigading, and the formation of these battalions be forwarded with all possible activity.

The rest of the materiel may be easily repaired; we have at Paris 300 pieces of artillery proper for the field, with all the necessaries belonging to them. The half of these pieces is enough to replace those we have lost. It will be sufficient for the Chambers to take measures to have horses and drivers, which in a city like Paris, may be effected in twenty-four hours.

I cannot sufficiently repeat to the Chambers, that the late catastrophe ought not to discourage a great and noble nation like ours; if we display on this occasion all the necessary energy, this last misfortune will but enhance our glory. What sacrifice would be regarded by the true friends of their country, at a moment when the Sovereign whom we have but lately proclaimed, whom we have invested with our whole confidence, has just made the greatest and most noble of all sacrifices?

After the battle of Cannæ, the Roman Senators voted thanks to the vanquished General because he had not despaired of the safety of the republic, and employed itself without remission in furnishing him with the means to repair the disasters which he had occasioned by his obstinacy and his bad dispositions.

In a situation infinitely less critical, will the Representatives of the Nation suffer themselves to be dismayed, and will they forget the dangers of the country to employ themselves in unseasonable discussions, instead of having recourse to the remedy which insures the safety of France?

This speech was ordered to be printed to the number of six copies for each member; but the General, having spoken extempore, was requested immediately to put his discourse in writing.

Grouchy's separation from the Grand French Army, as related by a French Officer in this Division of the Army.

Marshal Grouchy's corps separated from the Grand Army on the morning of the 17th of June. His force consisted in all of 45,000 men; of whom 39,000 were infantry, and 6000 cavalry; other accounts say 30,000 altogether; the principal officers under him were, Generals Vandanime, Gerard, and Excelmans.

The orders of the Marshal were, to march upon the army of the enemy, so as to prevent the junction between Wellington and Blucher. He arrived, to carry that object into effect, at Gembloux on the 17th, which the Prussian army had quitted about twelve at noon for Wavre. The Marshal left Gembloux with his army on the morning of the 18th, to find out the Prussians, and to fight them. The second corps of cavalry, consisting of 4000 men, commanded by General Excelmans, discovered the rear guard of the Prussians, near a place called Baraque, about ten o'clock in the morning. General Excelmans brought his cavalry to the Dyle, ready to pass that river, when about twelve the Marshal arrived with General Vandamme's corps, and gave orders to march upon Wavre; this he did, after Excelmans had defeated the rear-guard of the Prussian army, which were from eight to ten thousand men.

About mid-day, the cannonade was heard of the battle of Waterloo, and it was then that General Gerard, and several other officers, insisted strongly with the Marshal to cross the Dyle, and to approach nearer to Buonaparte, and to leave a small corps of observation before the Prussians, who had been beat, and had retired to Wavre.* General Excelmans commanded the advanced guard, and would not have quitted the Dyle, had it not been in consequence of express orders given by the Marshal in person, which he was compelled to obey.

*The Marshal's determination is attributed to the earnest persuasion of Vandamme, who, blinded by his hopes of plunder on getting first to Brussels, would listen to nothing but pushing the whole of their force, and that promptly, on Wavre. Vandamme, however, appears to have been wounded. Vide anecdote, in pages preceding.

The Marshal committed the fault of employing his whole army; whereas, at the utmost, ten thousand men would have been sufficient to have kept the rear-guard of the Prussians in check. Several officers were sent before mid-day by Napoleon, to search for Marshal Grouchy; but only one of them, Col. Zenovitz, arrived at Wavre, and not till about six o'clock in the evening. The Marshal then resolved to pass the Dyle at Limale with a part of his army, but was then too late.

It was about eleven o'clock in the morning of the 19th, that the Marshal learnt that Napoleon had been beaten. The attack which he intended to make on the road from Brussels to Louvain, was therefore given up, and the army passed the Dyle at four points: Wavre, Limale, Limilet, and Oittigny. General Excelmans, with his corps, pushed on to Namur, where he arrived in the evening, and where the Marshal arrived the next day. The Allies attacked the rear-guard, commanded by Vandamme; the conflict was very obstinate, but the Allies suffered so much, that the retreat of the French was afterwards unmolested.

Narrative of all that Napoleon Buonaparte said and did on the 18th of June, 1815, during and after the Battle of Waterloo, taken and corrected from the Deposition of John Baptiste De Coster, who served as his Guide on that day.

Translated from an attested Copy. Brussels, Jan. 16th, 1816.

J. B. de Coster is aged about 53; he was born in the village of Corbeek-loo, near Louvaine, and has inhabited Wallon for 33 years; he is five feet ten inches high, and of a robust florid complexion; he is intelligent, and there is great appearance of truth in the answers he makes to questions put to him; he understands French very well, and expresses his ideas with great facility. Before the invasion of Napoleon, De Coster occupied a small alehouse (cabaret), with about six acres of land. Upon the approach of the French army on the 17th of June, he retired with his family, consisting of his wife and seven children, into the wood of the Abbey d'Awyiers, where he passed the night (Saturday); at

six o'clock on Sunday morning, he went to church, and from thence to his brother's, who lived at Planchenoit. He met there three French generals, who inquired of him if he had lived in the country a long time, and if he was well acquainted with the environs ? Upon his answering in the affirmative, one of them sent him to Buonaparte with a letter, and accompanied by a servant.

Buonaparte slept, on the 17th of June, at a farm called the Caillou, and left it at six next morning. De Coster found him at a farm called Rossum, where he (Buonaparte) arrived at eight a. m., and was immediately presented to Buonaparte, who was standing in a room about 20 feet by 16, in the midst of a great number of officers of his staff. Buonaparte asked him, if he was well acquainted with the local situation of the country, and if he would be his guide? De Coster having answered him satisfactorily, Buonaparte told him he should accompany him, adding, “Speak frankly with me, my friend, as if you were with your children.”

Rossum farm is near La Belle Alliance. The Emperor remained there till near mid-day. During this time De Coster was closely watched in the farm-yard by one of the garde, who, whilst walking with him, informed him of the force of the army (French), and told him, that upon passing the frontiers, they had an army of 150,000 men, of which 40,000 were cavalry, among which were 9000 cuirassiers, 7000 of the new, and 8 or 9000 of the old guard. This soldier praised much the bravery displayed by the English at Quatre Bras. He particularly admired the sang-froid of the Scotch Highlanders, who (says he, in his military style,) "ne bougeoient que lorsqu'on leur mettait la baionette au derrière."

During this time, Buonaparte had De Coster called three dif ferent times, to obtain information as to the maps of the country, which he constantly consulted. He questioned him chiefly upon the distance of several towns of Brabant from the field of battle, and made him explain those he had seen in his youth. De Coster named fourteen, which appeared to please Buonaparte; he seemed very much satisfied to find that De Coster was Flemish, and that he spoke the same language; he advised him above all, to give only well-authenticated information, and not to answer for things of which he was uncertain, shrugging his shoulders at the same time. He repeated often these instructions, adding, "that if he (Buonaparte) succeeded, his recompense should be a hundred times