DUKE OF WELLINGTON.* On Thursday the 15th June, about five o'clock, the Prince of Orange arrived at Brussels, and was the first to inform the Duke of Wellington of the enemy's movement. At the moment of his Royal Highness's arrival, the Duke was sitting after dinner with Sir T. Picton and other officers. Upon the Duke's seeing the Prince ride into the court-yard, he rose, and went to give him the meeting; and, after a few minutes' conversation, returned and finished his glass of wine, observing that "the French had now fired a shot." A short while after, General Muffling, the Prussian General attached to the British army, came into the room, with evident marks of having proceeded hastily, when a chair was reached, and he was placed next to his Grace, with whom he entered into close conversation, and delivered some official dispatches. The Duke occasionally addressed himself to Sir T. Picton. The movements of the enemy created no surprise, all was quiet and regular, the decisive moment for action was not yet come.t The second courier arrived from Blücher before twelve o'clock on the night of the 15th, and the dispatches were delivered to the Duke of Wellington in the ball-room of the Duchess of Richmond. While he was reading them, he seemed to be completely absorbed by their contents; and after he had finished, for some minutes he remained in the same attitude of deep reflection, totally abstracted from every surrounding object, while his countenance was expressive of fixed and intense thought. He was heard to say to himself "Marshal Blücher thinks "It is Marshal Blücher's opinion," and after remaining thus abstracted a few minutes, and having apparently formed his decision, he gave his usual clear and concise orders to one of his staff-officers, who instantly left the room, and was again as gay and animated as ever: he stayed supper, and then went home.t The English general having agreed to assist Prince Blücher to the utmost, commanded his army upon Nivelles and Quatre Bras; but perceiving it could not obtain the point before four o'clock, repaired in person to the Field-marshal, whom he found in the windmill between Ligny and Bry, just as the enemy developed his mode of attack. The enemy's attention appearing to be entirely against Prince Blücher, the question was-how the Duke could most effectually support him. He offered to force what the enemy had opposed to * Anecdotes and traits of this illustrious commander are here introduced, in continuation of those in the Circumstantial Details. This, it may be depended upon, was the first communication.-Editor. him at Frasnes, and to march upon Gosselies. This movement, however decisive its result must have been, it was not likely that the Duke should be able to effect in the course of the day, and Prince Blücher, it was dreaded, might run the risk of being crushed by Buonaparte's whole force, before the flanking movement could be accomplished. It was therefore deemed more expedient, that the Duke should direct his army by the high-road of Quatre Bras, to support the Prince. With an intention of executing this measure, the Duke of Wellington again proceeded to Quatre Bras about three, where an action took place. The Duke of Wellington brought more troops about eight o'clock in the evening, and as they gradually came up into action repulsed the enemy, on which they retired to their position at Frasnes. During the battle, Prince Blücher transmitted and received fresh reports from hour to hour. The last reached the Duke of Wellington about half-past eight o'clock, stating the Prince to be still at the windmill between Ligny and Bry, and in hopes of maintaining the village of Ligny, notwithstanding the enemy's superiority and exertion. The Duke of Wellington, on his part, was obliged to defer the attack until the next morning, as the right wing under Lord Hill, together with the cavalry, only arrived in the night. Arrange ments were made accordingly, and all the troops actually did arrive in the night and on the following morning. On the change of position on the 17th, the noble Duke most completely disguised his intention from the enemy for a long time, by wheeling his troops round a wood, a part of which could only be seen by the French, thus giving to them the idea of the arrival of large bodies of cavalry, &c. He also caused dismounted cavalry and horse artillery to take up ground on the heights, at a wide distance. In the mean time, his troops were making a most orderly retreat to their position. About two o'clock, the Duke of Wellington told the D. of R., who was in the field with him until near four o'clock, to go to Picton's line, and he would see the Prussians in advance of a wood (the wood of Paris). There was Blücher himself, but he did not further advance at this time. Upon his return, he told the Duke he had seen them.-"Ah! they will all be up by and by." At another time, just after the third attack upon Hougomont, it was observed to the Duke, that the corn in a particular direction was in great motion, there was another attack going to be made. The Duke took out his glass, and only said, 66 That's *In a cavalry attack, Prince Blücher had his horse killed under him. The Field marshal, in danger of being taken prisoner, was saved by his aide-de-camp, Lieut. col. Count Nostia. This forms a subject of one of the sketches by Captain Jones. nothing; there is not enough of them; you will find they will soon be at something on the left." It turned out to be the case in a few minutes after. In a severe part of the contest, as some of the cavalry were preparing to charge the artillery, the Duke was asked what should be done?" Bring the horses away, and never mind the guns," was his Grace's answer. The enemy quickly after drove the men from their guns, but were in their turn charged by the English cavalry, when the Duke said: "Now take to your guns again, and fire away at them. The Duke's commands were obeyed; a completely destructive fire was the effect, into large masses of the enemy. The Duke of Wellington, in riding up to a regiment which was hard pressed, called to them--" Soldiers, we must never be beat; what will they say in England?" How this appeal was answered, it is needless to recapitulate. Some officers expressed some alarm to the noble Duke, wishing the Prussians had come up." The roads are heavy," replied the General; "they cannot be here before two or three o'clock, but my brave countrymen will keep double the enemy's force employed until then." Upon our soldiers seeming impatient to follow their enemy, whom they had so repeatedly driven off-" Not yet, my brave fellows," said the Duke:" be firm a little longer; you shall have at them by and by." Several remonstrances from general officers were sent in to the Duke of Wellington to retreat. His question was, "Will they stand ?"—" Till they perish," was the reply. "Then I will stand with them to the last man.' Mr. Whitbread, in the House of Commons, termed the confidence of Wellington and his troops sublime; and in particular, alluding to the General throwing himself into the squares of infantry, said that, had this taken place in the days of Athens or of Rome, it would not have failed of reaching through every succeeding age. It is remarkable that the Conqueror of Waterloo, whose military virtues so much resemble those of Godfrey of Bouillon (an illustrious chieftain during the Crusades), possesses also a part of his domains. The endowment of his principality of Waterloo is wholly composed of lands situated in the ancient Duchy of Lothier, or Lower Lorraine, which Godfrey possessed; and what is more, the wood of Bossu, which is a part of his dotation, is on the territory of Baisy itself, the patrimonial and natal estate of the Belgic hero, in which is situated also the field of battle at Les Quatre Bras. The last gun fired was a French howitzer, which was turned upon the retreating army, and was discharged by Captain Campbell, aide-de-camp to General Adam, who thus had the honour of concluding the battle of Waterloo. 18th June.-Blücher's Activity. At day-break on the 18th, the 4th Prussian corps, that had not been engaged at Ligny, began to move from Dion-le-Mont, by Wavre, upon Chapelle St. Lambert. But various obstacles, in particular a fire that had broken out in Wavre, and raged with such violence as to prevent marching through the principal street, did not allow the head of the column to arrive before eleven. In an interval of firing, about two o'clock, the French had perceived at the distance of the Wood of Paris, in the rear of Frichermont, some troops débouching, and conceived them to be the advanced guard of Grouchy. The report quickly spread through the whole army, and was communicated by Colonel Labedoyère to the left wing, which in vain exhausted itself against Gomont. But, far from thence, Marshal Grouchy was busily employed at Wavre with three Prussian corps. It was not long before their error was known. They were two regiments of Prussian Dragoons, escorting their intrepid Blücher. This respected warrior, impatient of waiting the arrival of his corps upon the march, had already advanced to reconnoitre the ground. Retreat-Genappe-and General Duhesme.* In Genappe there was a complete pêle-mêle, the retreating enemy were cut down like sheep. In Genappe, where 800 lay on the spot, fell General Duhesme, the commander of the rear-guard, by the hands of a Brunswicker:-"The Duke fell yesterday, and you shall also bite the dust." He lay severely wounded, and was taken to a small village. The Prussians, in their advance, finding a French General was there, entered the room of the General and sabred him. His servant was witness to his master's fate, disguised as a peasant. This anecdote serves to illustrate the degree of asperity with which the Prussians regarded their enemy. Had not some of our Allies been a little desirous for plunder, it is probable a few less would have returned to have told their tale of woe. The retreat, or rather complete defeat of the French, reminds us of the disastrous discomfiture of the Israelites, whom the French seem to resemble in their infidelity, as well as their disasters: "And upon them that are left alive of you, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them, and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth."-Levit. xxvi. 36. At the conclusion of the battle there was not a drop of water to be had upon the field, and the poor wounded men were dreadfully tormented with thirst. Fatigued as our officers must have *This subject is taken from one of the etchings by Captain Jones. been with the incessant toil of this glorious day, numbers of those who were wounded mounted their horses, galloped to Waterloo, a distance of at least two miles, and returned to the field with as many canteens as they could carry full of water for the relief of the wounded. "The French make a great clamour in action-the English shout-horses unwilling to go to battle, hanging down their heads until spurred on; but when over, they seem to like it." The description in "Count Fathom" is stated by several of the unfortunate wounded, who lay on the ground helpless, and at the mercy of every one, to be a true picture of the field after the battle. At the sign of the King of Spain, at Genappe, Wellington had his head-quarters on the 17th; Buonaparte on the 18th; and Blücher on the 19th. Advices from Hanover state, that the Court-Martial ordered to inquire into the conduct of Colonel Hake, formerly commanding the Cumberland Hussars, as well as of the regiment accused of having failed in its duty in leaving the field of battle at Waterloo on the 18th of June, has condemned Colonel Hake to be cashiered and degraded; but acquitted the regiment of the charge of having disordered the ranks of the army. Major Mellzing, the second in command, is severely reprimanded for not having opposed the retreat of his corps. LIEUT.-GEN. LORD HILL. General Order after the Battle of Waterloo. "2d Corps, "Nivelles, June 20, 1815. "Lieut.-Gen. Lord Hill has great satisfaction in congratulating the troops in their brilliant success attending their gallant exertions in the action with the enemy on the 18th inst. The highlydistinguished conduct of the 2d Division, and Colonel Mitchell's brigade of the 4th Division, who had the good fortune to be employed in the memorable action, merit his Lordship's highest approbation. And he begs, that Lieut.-general Sir Henry Clinton, commanding 2d Division; Colonel Gold, commanding Royal Artillery of the 2d corps; Maj.-gen. Adams, Colonel Duplat, Mitchell, and Halket, commanding brigades; Major Sympher, commanding a troop of Horse Artillery, King's German Legion; Captain Napier (to whose lot it fell to command the 9-pounder brigade of the 2d Division on the death of Captain Bolton), will accept his best thanks for their exemplary conduct, and they will be pleased to convey his sentiments to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, under their respective commands. |