Thielemann informed of Grouchy's retreat. 629

Cavalry at the head of the Column reached the passages of the Sambre at Châtelet, Charleroi, and Marchienne, without meeting any sort of opposition or impediment; nor did it perceive any thing of the Enemy on the other side of the river. The Corps halted for the night at Charleroi having its Advanced Guard at Marchienne, and its Outposts occupying the line from Montigny by Louveral as far as Châtelet. Detachments from the Reserve Cavalry were sent in the direction of Fleurus, to secure the Corps from any molestation on the part of GROUCHY; of whose proceedings nothing positive was then known at the Prussian Head Quarters.

It was not until nearly five o'clock in the evening of the 19th, that General BORCKE, whose Brigade, the Ninth, was still in the vicinity of St Lambert, discovered the retreat of GROUCHY's troops. He immediately communicated the fact to General THIELEMANN, who ordered him to cross the Dyle the next day (the 20th) and march upon Namur. The French Rear Guard of GÉRARD's Corps d'Armée continued to occupy Limale until nightfall. THIELEMANN remained posted, during the night of the 19th, at St Achtenrode; having his Advanced Guard at Ottenburg.

On the evening of the 18th, PIRCH received Orders to march from the Field of Waterloo with his Corps d'Armée (the Second) in the direction of Namur; for the purpose of turning Marshal GROUCHY'S Left Flank and intercepting his retreat upon the Sambre.

PIRCH made this movement during the night, passing through Maransart, where he was joined by his Seventh Brigade; and crossing the Genappe rivulet at Bousseval, as also, subsequently, the Dyle, on his way to Mellery: which place he reached at eleven o'clock in the forenoon

630 General Pirch I. misses Gérard's Corps. June 19.

of the following day. His Corps was much divided on this occasion. He had with him the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Infantry Brigades, and twenty four Squadrons of Cavalry but the Fifth Infantry Brigade, and the remaining fourteen Squadrons, were with that portion of the Prussian Army which was pursuing the Enemy along the high road to Charleroi. The Corps being greatly fatigued by the night march and its exertions on the previous day, PIRCH ordered the troops to bivouac and to betake themselves to rest.

During this march, Lieutenant Colonel SOHR had pushed on with his Cavalry Brigade, as an Advanced Guard; and now he was required to gain intelligence concerning the Enemy's movements, and to seek a communication with THIELEMANN. He found the Defile of Mont St Guibert strongly occupied by the Enemy, but could obtain no information respecting THIELEMANN's Corps.

When it is considered how very near to Mellery GÉRARD'S Corps d'Armée must have passed, in order to fall into the Namur road at Sombref; it seems extraordinary that PIRCH, who reached that place at eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the 19th, the same hour at which GROUCHY, then beyond Wavre, received the first intimation of the defeat of NAPOLEON, -should have permitted GÉRARD to continue his retreat unmolested. His troops required rest, it is true; but had he maintained a good look out in the direction of Gembloux, he would, in all probability, after the lapse of a few hours, have been enabled to fulfil his instructions so far as to have completely intercepted the retreat of a considerable portion of GROUCHY'S Army. That part of the Enemy's force which Lieutenant Colonel SOHR observed at Mont St Guibert, was probably the Advanced Guard only of GÉRARD'S Corps d'Armée; since its Rear Guard remained at the Bridge of Limale until nightfall. Taking all the circumstances

June 19. The Anglo-Allied Army march to Nivelles. 631

into consideration, more especially the express object of the detached movement of the Second Prussian Corps d'Armée, it must be admitted that, on this occasion, there was a want of due vigilance on the part of General PIRCH.

It was on the 19th, also, that Prince BLÜCHER issued, whilst at Genappe, a Proclamation to his Army; in which he thanked the troops for their conduct during the recent struggle.

At daybreak of the 19th, that portion of the Duke of WELLINGTON's Army which had fought the Battle of Waterloo, broke up from its bivouac, and began to move along the high road to Nivelles. Those troops which had been posted in front of Hal during the 18th, consisting of STEDMAN'S Dutch-Belgian Division, ANTHING'S DutchBelgian Indian Brigade, and Colonel ESTORFF's Hanoverian Cavalry Brigade, under Prince FREDERICK of the Netherlands; as also of JOHNSTONE'S British Infantry Brigade, and LYON'S Hanoverian Infantry Brigade, under Lieutenant General Sir CHARLES COLVILLE, were likewise directed to march upon Nivelles. The Army occupied Nivelles and the surrounding villages during the night of the 19th; in the course of which the Duke arrived from Brussels, and established his Head Quarters in the town.

An hour's rest was all that the harassing pursuit by the Prussians permitted NAPOLEON to enjoy at Charleroi; and he was compelled to fly across the Sambre, without the slightest chance of being enabled to check that pursuit on the Belgian side of the frontier.

The following inscription, which has been cut over the centre of the archway of the Charleroi gate, is singularly

632 Bivouacs on the evening of the 19th of June.

appropriate to the flight of NAPOLEON on this memorable occasion :

66 ABIIT. EXCESSIT. EVASIT. ERVPIT."

The circumstances, however, under which the flight of CATALINE here described, and that of NAPOLEON, took place, form a strange contrast. The former, subdued in the Senate by the indignant philippics and burning eloquence of CICERO, escaped from Rome to the rebel camp of MANLIUS, to take up arms against his native city for the purpose of satisfying the cravings of his profligate ambition; and the latter, defeated in the battle field, fled to the capital, in the vain hope of obtaining from the Senate of his country further means of waging war against the legitimate Sovereign.

From Charleroi, NAPOLEON proceeded to Philippeville; whence he hoped to be able to communicate more readily with GROUCHY. He continued here four hours; which he employed in expediting Orders to Generals RAPP, LECOURBE, and LAMARQUE, to advance with their respective Corps d'Armée by forced marches to Paris: and also to the commandants of fortresses, to defend themselves to the last extremity. He desired SOULT to collect together all the troops that might arrive at this point, and conduct them to Laon; for which place he himself started with post horses, at two o'clock in the afternoon.

The general disposition of the respective Armies on the evening of the 19th, was as follows:

The Anglo-Allied Army, which constituted the Right Wing of the advancing forces, was at Nivelles and its vicinity.

The Duke of WELLINGTON's Head Quarters were at Nivelles.

Of the Prussian Army, which formed the Left Wing, its First Corps d'Armée was at Charleroi ;

Second Corps on the march to Mellery;

Third Corps at St Achtenrode;

Fourth Corps at Fontaine l'Evêque ;

June 20.

The great object of the War.

633

Fifth Brigade of the Second Corps at Anderlues, near Fontaine l'Evêque.

Prince BLÜCHER's Head Quarters were at Gosselies.

The disorganized force of the main French Army was in the vicinity of Beaumont, Philippeville, and Avesnes.

NAPOLEON was posting towards Laon.

The detached portion of the French Army under GROUCHY was on the march to Namur.

The Duke of WELLINGTON, in whose character the highest military talents of the Warrior were so intimately blended with the most comprehensive views of the Statesman, did not allow the dazzling allurements which beset the path of a Conqueror to divert him for a single moment from that fixedness of purpose, or to dim that penetrating foresight which so peculiarly distinguished his proceedings on all great occasions of a similar nature, involving the peace, the honour, and the security of not only his own Sovereign and Country, but also of all the Allied Powers, in whose interests he was so actively engaged. He did not view the great Battle he had gained in the light of an event to be followed up by an irruption into the Enemy's country, conducted in such a manner as to humble to the dust the national pride of the French people; and to impose upon them the whole weight and burthen of the oppressions, ravages, and horrors which generally follow in the train of a victorious and lawless soldiery over the face of an Enemy's country. His sole aim was directed to the carrying out of the great object of the War, which comprised not only the annihilation of the power of NAPOLEON and of the adherents to his cause, but also the Restoration of the legitimate Sovereign to the Throne of France. With the latter Sovereign he had been in constant communication, devising means for his protection during his temporary exile in the Netherlands; and now that