History of the War in France and Belgium in 1815, vol. 1

8 January 1815

Battle of New Orleans

AND OF THE ATTACK ON NEW ORLEANS IN 1814 AND 1815.

“ This clever and fearless account of the attack on New Orleans is penned by one of the * occupation ;* whose soldier-like view and keen observation during the period of the stirring events he so well relates, has enabled him to bring before the public the ablest account that has yet been given of that Hl-fhted and disgraceful expedition, and also to rescue the troops who were employed on it from those degrading reflections which have hitherto unjustly been insinuated against them.”— Gent.’s May.

AND OF THE ATTACK ON NEW ORLEANS IN 1814 AND 1815.

u We wish earnestly to call the attention of military men to the campaign before New Orleans. It Is fraught with a fearful interest, and fixes upon the mind reflections of almost every hue. Captain Cooke’s relation is vivid; every evolution is made as clear to the eye as if we had been present, and the remarks, we think, are eminently judicious. The book must be generally read,” &c.— Metropolitan .

16 June 1815

Battle of Ligny

CONTENTS.

is infantry into the midst of the French cavalry—Remarkable steadiness of the British squares—Man¬ ner in which the charges of the French cavalry were executed—The French are rapidly gaining possession of the entire wood of Bossu, are reinforcing their light troops in Piermont, and are preparing to renew their attack upon Quatre-Bras—AI ten joins Wellington with two infantry-brigades of the 3rd division—Ney is joined by the remaining division of Kellermann’s corps of heavy cavalry—Relative strength—H&lkett’s British infantry-brigade posted between the wood of Bossu and the Charleroi road—Kielmansegge's Hanoverian infantry-brigade advances along the Namur road to reinforce and support Picton’s division—Ney, after despatching an order to d'Erlon to join him without delay, commences another general attack—The 69th British regiment is attacked and dispersed by French cuirassiers—Vigorous assault along the whole of the Anglo-allied line—Arrival of British and German artillery—French cuirassiers driven back in confusion from Quatre- Bras—Ney receives intelligence that d’Erlon*s corps has been ordered by Napoleon to march towards the Prussian extreme right on the field of Ligny, and shortly afterwards a despatch reaches him, requiring him to attack and repulse whatever enemy may be in his front, and then to fall upon the Prussian right—Two French foot-batteries suddenly open a fire from the edge of the wood of Bossu upon Halkett’s brigade and the Brunswick in¬ fantry, which are forced to retire—Gallant conduct of Lloyd’s British foot- battery—Advance of French infantry against Quatre-Bras—The latter charged and pursued by the 92nd Highlanders—Vigorous attack upon the left of Wellington’s line successfully repelled—The French cavalry con¬ tinues its attacks upon the central portion of the Anglo-allied army—Ney receives a further despatch from the Emperor, urging him to comply imme¬ diately with the instructions previously given—Arrival of Brunswick rein¬ forcement—also of the 1st British division under Cooke—Relative strength —The British guards succeed in forcing the French out of the wood of Bossu-Signal defeat of French cavalry by the British guards and the Brunswick guard-battalion— Wellington’s victorious advance—Ney with¬ draws the whole of his forces to the heights of Frasne, on which they bivouac for the night—D’Erlon joius N

CHAPTER VII.

An engagement of short duration, and originating accidentally, takes place between the French and Anglo-allied picquets, on the field of Quatre-Bras, about an hour before daylight of the 17th of June—Wellington detaches a patrole to his left for the purpose of gaining intelligence concerning Bliicher’s movements—Upon its return he decides on retrograding his forces to the position in front of Waterloo—Order of movement—Retreat of the Anglo- allied infantry; masked from the enemy—Key’s views and dispositions— Napoleon communicates to Ney the result of the battle of Ligny, and pro¬ poses, should the enemy’s force at Quatre-Bras advance against him, to co¬ operate with the Marshal in a combined attack upon the Anglo-allied army —Tardiness of Napoleon’s movements—Simultaneous advance of Napoleon and Ney against Wellington—Uzbridge’s dispositions for the retreat of the British cavalry—Brilliant cavalry-affair at Genappe—Retreat continued to the Waterloo position—Napoleon’s advance checked on his reaching La Belle Alliance—Remarks on the retreat—Blucher’s promised support— Wellington’s disposition of his detached troops under Sir Charles Colville and Prince Frederick of Orange—The French and Anglo-allied armies establish their respective bivouacs for the night. . . page 245

CHAPTER VIII.

On the morning of the 17th, the Prussian army continues its retreat upon Wavre—Zieten’s corps retires by Mont St. Guibert, and reaches Wavre about mid-day—Pirch's oorps follows the same route, and takes post on the right bank of the Dyle—Thielemann, having collected together the brigades of his corps, begins to retire from the field of Ligny at two o'clock in the morning—He halts in rear of Gembloux until two o’clock in the afternoon, when he resumes his march and arrives at the position of Wavre late in the evening—Biilow retires by Walhain and Corbaiz to Dion-le- mont, near which he takes up a position—While the Prussians are effecting their retreat during the early part of the morning, the French continue quietly in their bivouac—Pajol, with a light cavalry-division seeks the Prussians along the Namur road, followed by Lieut. General Teste's in- fan try-division, in support—Other troops detached towards Gemhloux, near which traces of the Prussian retreat are discovered—Remarks upon the ex¬ traordinary degree of inactivity on the part of Napoleon—About noon, Napoleon proceeds to collect, in advance of Marbais, on the high road to Quatre-Bras, a portion of the troops that bad fought at Ligny, and detaches

CONTENTS.

the remainder, under Grouchy, in pursuit of the Prussians—Napoleon's instructions to Grouchy—The troops assembled near Marbais advance upon Quatre-Bras, which they reach about two o’clock—The corps of Vandamme and G6rard do not reach Gembloux until late in the evening—Grouchy’s dispositions—Disposition of the Prussian troops during the 17th—Influence of the defeat at Ligny upon the morale of the Prussian army—On the 18th Vandamme’s and Gerard’s corps commence their march from Gembloux, at nine o’clock, upon Wavre, preceded by the heavy cavalry, under Excelmans, and supported on their left by Maurin’s light cavalry— At half-past ten /clock, Excelmans’ advanced guard comes in contact with the Prussian rear-guard—At Sart-a-Wallain Grouchy’s attention is called to the sound of a heavy cannonade in the direction of Mont St. Jean—G6rard suggests to Grouchy the expediency of marching towards the cannonade—Grouchy’s reasons for rejecting this proposal—The march upon Wavre continued— At day-break on the 18tb, Biilow* quits his position near Dion-le-mont to march through Wavre upon St. Lambert, and thus commenoes the flank movement of the Prussians in support of the Anglo-allied army at Waterloo —Dispositions made for giving security to this movement—Bliicher directs that as soon as Billow’s corps has proceeded beyond Wavre, Zieten’s corps is to commence its march by Fromont and Ohain to join the left wing of Wellington’s army; Pirch’s corps to follow Biilow’s in the direction of St. Lambert; and Thielemann’s to follow Zieten’s as soon as its presence at Wavre is no longer essential —The march of Biilow’s corps through Wavre delayed by an accident—Billow’s advanced guard crosses the defile of St. Lambert and halts in the wood of Paris—Pirch, having strengthened his rear-guard in consequence of the approach of the French, effects the passage of his corps across the Dyleat Wavre—Bliicher s instructions to Thielemann —Remarks upon Grouchy's movements during the 17th, and the early part of the 18th—Their influence upon the battle of Waterloo. . page 282

16 June 1815

Battle of Quatre Bras

BATTLES OF QUATRE-BRAS, LIGNY, WAVRE,...

BATTLES OF QUATRE-BRAS, LIGNY, WAVRE,...

CHAPTER VII.

An engagement of short duration, and originating accidentally, takes place between the French and Anglo-allied picquets, on the field of Quatre-Bras, about an hour before daylight of the 17th of June—Wellington detaches a patrole to his left for the purpose of gaining intelligence concerning Bliicher’s movements—Upon its return he decides on retrograding his forces to the position in front of Waterloo—Order of movement—Retreat of the Anglo- allied infantry; masked from the enemy—Key’s views and dispositions— Napoleon communicates to Ney the result of the battle of Ligny, and pro¬ poses, should the enemy’s force at Quatre-Bras advance against him, to co¬ operate with the Marshal in a combined attack upon the Anglo-allied army —Tardiness of Napoleon’s movements—Simultaneous advance of Napoleon and Ney against Wellington—Uzbridge’s dispositions for the retreat of the British cavalry—Brilliant cavalry-affair at Genappe—Retreat continued to the Waterloo position—Napoleon’s advance checked on his reaching La Belle Alliance—Remarks on the retreat—Blucher’s promised support— Wellington’s disposition of his detached troops under Sir Charles Colville and Prince Frederick of Orange—The French and Anglo-allied armies establish their respective bivouacs for the night. . . page 245

CONTENTS.

Ostend, Nieuport, Ypres, Tournai, Ath, Mods, and Ghent.—VIII. Effec¬ tive strength and composition of the Prussian army, under the command of Field Marshal Prince Bliicber von Wahlstadt.—IX. Effective strength and composition of the French army, under the command of Napoleon Buonaparte.—X. Strength of the French army, according to information received at the Prussian head-quarters, shortly before the commencement of hostilities.—XI. Ordre du Jour: le 13 Juin, 1815.—XII. Orders given by Lieut. General von Zieteo, commanding the 1st Prussian corps d’armte, on the 2nd May, 1815, to be acted upon by his Brigadiers, in ease of the enemy’s attack.—XIII. Ordre du Mouvement: 14 Juin, 1815.—XIV. Memorandum for the Deputy Quarter Master General of the Anglo-allied Army, on the 15th of June.—XV. Movement of the Anglo-allied Army: 15th of June.—XVI. Despatch from Napoleon to Marshal Ney : 16th of June.—XVII. Order of Movement for Marshal Ney: 16th of June.— XVIII. Order of Movement for Count Reille : 16th of June.—XIX. Des¬ patch from Count Reille to Marshal Ney : 16th of June.—XX. Orders from Napoleon to Marshal Ney: 16th of June.—XXI. Orders from Napoleon to Marshal Ney: 16th of June.—XXII. Orders from Napoleon to Marshal Ney : 16th of June.—XXIII. Return of killed, wounded, and missing, of the British troops, at the Battle of Quatre-Bras.—XXIV. Return of killed, wounded, and missing, of the Brunswick troops, at the Battle of Quatre- Bras.—XXV. Effective strength of the French army at the Battle of Ligny.—XXVI. Effective strength of the Prussian army at the Battle of Ligny.—XXVII. Orders from Napoleon to Marshal Ney : 17th of June.— XXVIII. Orders from Napoleon to Marshal Ney : 17th of June.—XXIX. Return of killed, wounded, and missing, of the British Troops, and King’s German Legion, on the retreat from Quatre-Bras to Waterloo.—XXX. Effective strength of the Anglo-allied army at the Battle of Waterloo.— XXXI. Effective strength of the French army at the Battle of Waterloo. ..... pages 409—463

ILLUSTRATIVE PLATES.

No. II.* The Field of Quatre-Bras at 3 o’clock, p. m. See Vol. I. Pages 106