Читать книгу The Waterloo Campaign, 1815 - William Siborne - Страница 8

Early on the morning of the 15th, these troops were lying quietly in their cantonments, perfectly unconscious of the advance of the French Army, when they heard a brisk cannonade at a distance in the direction of Charleroi; but not having received the slightest intimation of the Enemy's approach, they concluded that the firing proceeded from the Prussian Artillery practice, which they had frequently heard before, and to which they had therefore become accustomed. Gradually towards noon, however, the cannonade became more distinctly audible; and, in the afternoon, the arrival of a wounded Prussian soldier completely set at rest all doubt as to the advance of the French. An Orderly was immediately despatched with the intelligence to the Regimental Head Quarters, whence it was also communicated to General de Perponcher's Head Quarters at Nivelles.

In the meantime, Major Normann, who commanded the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau, drew up the latter with the Battery in position in rear of Frasne, and upon the road to Quatre Bras, after having posted a Picquet of observation in advance of the village.

Perponcher lost not a moment in ordering both Brigades of his Division to hasten towards their respective points of assembly; the 1st Brigade, under General Bylandt, to Nivelles, and the 2nd, under Colonel Gödecke, to Quatre Bras.

Before this Order, however, could possibly reach these troops, Prince Bernhard of Saxe Weimar, who commanded the Regiment of Orange-Nassau, at Genappe, having been informed by the Officer of the Dutch-Belgian Maréchaussées, who had been compelled to quit his post at Charleroi, that the French were advancing from that place, took upon himself to move forward with the above Regiment from Genappe to Quatre Bras, and despatched a report of such movement to the Head Quarters of the Brigade at Hautain le Val, as also, subsequently, to General de Perponcher at Nivelles, by Captain Gagern, of the Dutch-Belgian Staff, who happened to be just then at Genappe, for the purpose of collecting information.

About six o'clock in the evening, parties of Lancers belonging to Piré's Light Cavalry Division of Reille's Corps appeared in front of Frasne, and soon drove in Major Normann's Picquet.

This Officer placed a Company on the south or French side of Frasne, for the purpose of preventing as long as possible the entrance of the French into the Village. Byleveld's Battery took post on the north side of the Village, and the remaining Companies of the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau drew up in its support. Two guns were upon the road, and three on each side of it. After some time, the Lancers, having been reinforced, compelled the Company before mentioned to retire through the Village and fall back upon the main body, which then opened a vigorous fire, by which this front attack by the French Cavalry was defeated. The latter then made a disposition to turn the Left Flank of these troops; on perceiving which Major Normann and Captain Byleveld resolved upon falling back to within a short distance in front of Quatre Bras. The retreat was conducted in excellent order, the Battery continuing to fire along the high road.

Quatre Bras was the rendezvous of the Second Brigade; and the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau, which was cantoned in its immediate vicinity, had already, without waiting for the receipt of superior Orders, assembled at that point. Prince Bernhard, on arriving there with the Regiment of Orange-Nassau, and learning the particulars of the engagement at Frasne, assumed the command as Senior Officer, and being fully impressed with the importance of securing the point of junction of the high road from Charleroi to Brussels, with that from Namur to Nivelles, came to the resolution of making a firm stand at Quatre Bras. This decision accorded entirely with the spirit of the Orders which had in the meantime been despatched from Braine le Comte, the Dutch-Belgian Head Quarters, on the receipt of intelligence of the French having crossed the Sambre. General de Perponcher, who commanded the Division, had also approved of the Prince's determination, and Colonel Gödecke who was at Hautain le Val, and who had hitherto commanded the Second Brigade, now tendered his command to his Serene Highness, who immediately accepted it.

The Prince pushed forward the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau, in Column, upon the high road towards Frasne, detached two Companies of the 1st Battalion, and the Volunteer Jägers, to the defence of the Wood of Bossu, and the remaining Companies on the high road towards Hautain le Val; and posted the remainder of the Brigade at Quatre Bras, along the Namur road. Of Byleveld's Horse Battery, four guns were posted in advance in the direction of Frasne, two on the road to Namur, and two in rear of the main body.

By the determined show of resistance which his Serene Highness displayed, as well as by the vigorous cannonade which he maintained, Piré's Advanced Guard, the Left Flank of which became endangered by the Dutch occupying the Wood of Bossu, was forced to retire in its turn, which it did unmolested, and brought back intelligence that Quatre Bras was occupied by ten Battalions with Artillery, and that Wellington's troops were moving to concentrate at this important point.

At ten o'clock at night, Ney's forces were thus disposed:—Piré's Light Cavalry Division and Bachelu's Infantry Division occupied Frasne, a village situated upon the Brussels road, about two miles and a half on the French side of Quatre Bras; the two Regiments of Chasseurs and Lancers of the Guard were in reserve in rear of Frasne; Reille was with two Divisions, and the Artillery attached to them, at Gosselies: these Divisions ensured the communication until the arrival of d'Erlon's Corps, which was to remain that night at Marchienne au Pont. The remaining Division of Reille's Corps (Girard's) was at Heppignies, and thus served to maintain the communication with the Main Column under Napoleon. The troops were greatly fatigued by having been kept constantly on the march since three o'clock in the morning; the strength of the different Regiments, the names of their Colonels, and even of the Generals, were unknown to the Marshal, as also the number of men that had been able to keep up with the heads of the Columns at the end of this long march.

These circumstances, combined with the information brought in from Quatre Bras, induced Ney to decline risking a night attack upon that point; and he contented himself with taking up a position in advance of Frasne. Having issued such Orders as he deemed essential, and enjoined the most vigilant look out, he returned to Charleroi, where he arrived about midnight; partook of supper with Napoleon (who had just arrived from the Right Wing of the Army), and conferred with the Emperor upon the state of affairs until two o'clock in the morning.

The first intimation which the Duke of Wellington received on the 15th, of hostilities having commenced, was conveyed in the report already alluded to, as having been forwarded by General Zieten, shortly before five o'clock in the morning, and as having reached Brussels at nine o'clock. It was not, however, of a nature to enable the Duke to form an opinion as to any real attack being contemplated by the Enemy in that quarter. It simply announced that the Prussian Outposts in front of Charleroi were engaged. It might be the commencement of a real attack in this direction, but it might also be a diversion in favour of an attack in some other direction, such as Mons. In fact, until further information was received, it could only be considered in the light of an affair of Outposts.

Not long after three o'clock in the afternoon, the Prince of Orange arrived in Brussels, and informed the Duke that the Prussian Outposts had been attacked and forced to fall back. His Royal Highness had ridden to the front at five o'clock in the morning, from Braine le Comte, and had a personal interview at St. Symphorien, with General van Merlen, whose troops were on the immediate right of the Prussians, who had retired. After having given to this General Verbal Orders respecting his Brigade, the Prince left the Outposts between nine and ten o'clock, and repaired to Brussels to communicate to the Duke all the information he had obtained respecting the Enemy's attack upon the Prussian Advanced Posts.

This, however, was not sufficiently conclusive to induce his Grace to resolve upon any immediate step; but, in about an hour afterwards, that is, about half past four, General von Müffling, the Prussian Officer attached to the British Head Quarters, waited upon the Duke with a communication which had been despatched from Namur by Prince Blücher at noon, conveying the intelligence that the French had attacked the Prussian Posts at Thuin and Lobbes on the Sambre, and that they appeared to be advancing in the direction of Charleroi. The Duke was fully prepared for this intelligence, though uncertain how soon it might arrive. The reports which had been made to him from the Outposts, especially from those of the 1st Hussars of the King's German Legion, stationed in the vicinity of Mons and Tournai, gave sufficient indication that the Enemy was concentrating his forces. But, as observed in the preceding Chapter, his Grace was determined to make no movement until the real line of attack should become manifest; and hence it was, that if the attack had been made even at a later period, his dispositions would have remained precisely the same.

The Duke at once gave Orders for the whole of his troops to assemble at the Head Quarters of their respective Divisions and to hold themselves in immediate readiness to march. At the same time an express was despatched to Major General Dörnberg, requiring information concerning any movement that might have been made on the part of the Enemy in the direction of Mons.

The following were the movements ordered by the Duke. Upon the Left of the Army, which was nearest to the presumed point of attack—Perponcher's and Chassé's Dutch-Belgian Divisions were to be assembled that night at Nivelles, on which point Alten's British Division (the Third) was to march as soon as collected at Braine le Comte; but this movement was not to be made until the Enemy's attack upon the Right of the Prussian Army and the Left of the Allied Army had become a matter of certainty. Cooke's British Division (the First) was to be collected that night at Enghien, and to be in readiness to move at a moment's notice.

Along the central portion of the Army—Clinton's British Division (the Second) was to be assembled that night at Ath, and to be in readiness also to move at a moment's notice. Colville's British Division (the Fourth) was to be collected that night at Grammont, with the exception of the troops beyond the Scheldt, which were to be moved to Audenarde.

Upon the Right of the Army—Stedmann's Dutch-Belgian Division, and Anthing's Dutch-Belgian (Indian) Brigade were, after occupying Audenarde with 500 men, to be assembled at Sotteghem, so as to be ready to march in the morning.

The Cavalry were to be collected that night at Ninhove, with the exception of the 2nd Hussars of the King's German Legion, who were to remain on the look out between the Scheldt and the Lys; and of Dörnberg's Brigade, with the Cumberland Hussars, which were to march that night upon Vilvorde, and to bivouac on the high road near to that town.

The Reserve was thus disposed—Picton's British Division (the Fifth), the 81st British Regiment, and Best's Hanoverian Brigade (of Cole's Division), were to be in readiness to march from Brussels at a moment's notice. Vincke's Hanoverian Brigade (of Picton's Division) was to be collected that night at Hal, and to be in readiness at daylight on the following morning to move towards Brussels, and to halt on the road between Alost and Assche for further orders. The Duke of Brunswick's Corps was to be collected that night on the high road between Brussels and Vilvorde. Kruse's Nassau Brigade was to be collected at daylight on the following morning upon the Louvain road, and to be in readiness to move at a moment's notice. The Reserve Artillery was to be in readiness to move at daylight.

It was ten o'clock at night when the first intelligence of the attack made by the French in the direction of Frasne, was received at the Prince of Orange's Head Quarters, at Braine le Comte. It was carried by Captain Gagern, who, as previously mentioned (see page 70), had been despatched by Prince Bernhard of Saxe Weimar, with his Serene Highness's report of the affair, to General Perponcher at Nivelles, and who was subsequently sent on by the General, with this information to the above Head Quarters. Lieutenant Webster, Aide de Camp to the Prince of Orange, started soon afterwards for Brussels, with a report from the Dutch-Belgian Quartermaster General, de Constant Rebecque, stating what had taken place, and detailing the measures which he had thought proper to adopt. These measures did not entirely coincide with the instructions above given, as issued by the Duke, because they were consequent upon the affair at Frasne, with which his Grace at that time was unacquainted; but they were perfectly consistent with the spirit of those instructions, inasmuch as they were not adopted "until the Enemy's attack upon the Right of the Prussian Army, and the Left of the Allied Army had become a matter of certainty." The Enemy's advance along the Charleroi road had already been successfully checked at Quatre Bras, and the necessity of immediately collecting at this important point, the troops ordered by the Duke "to be assembled that night at Nivelles" was too obvious to be mistaken.

A little before ten o'clock on the same evening, a further communication reached the Duke from Prince Blücher, announcing the crossing of the Sambre by the French Army, headed by Napoleon in person; and the required intelligence from other quarters having arrived almost at the same moment, and confirmed him in the opinion "that the Enemy's movement upon Charleroi was the real attack," he issued, at ten o'clock P.M., the following Orders for the march of his troops to their Left:—Alten's Division to continue its movement from Braine le Comte upon Nivelles. Cooke's Division to move from Enghien upon Braine le Comte. Clinton's and Colville's Divisions to move from Ath, Grammont, and Audenarde, upon Enghien. The Cavalry to continue its movement from Ninhove upon Enghien.

The disposition of the French Left Column, under Ney, during the night of the 15th, has already been shown. The Centre Column of the French Army was thus located—Vandamme's Corps bivouacked in the Wood of Fleurus; Pajol's Corps of Light Cavalry at Lambusart; the Third Light Cavalry Division, under Domon, on the left, at the outlet of the Wood, and the Heavy Cavalry Corps of Excelmans between the Light Cavalry and Vandamme; the Guards bivouacked between Charleroi and Gilly; and Lobau's Corps, together with Milhaud's Heavy Cavalry Corps, lay in rear of Charleroi. The Right Column, consisting of Gérard's Corps, bivouacked in front of the Bridge of Châtelet, which point it had reached during the evening.

The result of the proceedings on the 15th was highly favourable to Napoleon. He had completely effected the passage of the Sambre; he was operating with the main portion of his forces directly upon the preconcerted point of concentration of Blücher's Army, and was already in the immediate front of the chosen position, before that concentration could be accomplished; he was also operating with another portion upon the high road to Brussels, and had come in contact with the Left of Wellington's troops; he had also placed himself so far in advance upon this line, that even a partial junction of the forces of the Allied Commanders was already rendered a hazardous operation, without a previous retrograde movement; and he thus had it in his power to bring the principal weight of his arms against the one, whilst, with the remainder of his force, he held the other at bay. This formed the grand object of his operations on the morrow.

But however excellent, or even perfect, this plan of operation may appear in theory, still there were other circumstances, which, if taken into consideration, would scarcely seem to warrant a well grounded anticipation of a successful issue. Napoleon's troops had been constantly under arms, marching, and fighting, since two o'clock in the morning, the hour at which they broke up from their position at Solre sur Sambre, Beaumont, and Philippeville, within the French frontier: they required time for rest and refreshment; they lay widely scattered between their Advanced Posts and the Sambre; Ney's forces were in detached bodies from Frasne as far as Marchienne au Pont, the halting place of d'Erlon's Corps; and although Vandamme's Corps was in the Wood of Fleurus, Lobau's Corps and the Guards were halted at Charleroi, and Gérard's Corps at Châtelet. Hence, instead of an imposing advance, with the first glimmering of the dawn of the 16th, the whole morning would necessarily be employed by the French in effecting a closer junction of their forces, and in making their preparatory dispositions for attack; an interval of time invaluable to the Allies, by the greater facility which it afforded them for the concentration of a sufficient force to hold their Enemy in check, and to frustrate his design of defeating them in detail.

In taking a calm retrospect of the dispositions made by Napoleon on the night of the 15th of June, we become strongly impressed with a conviction, that to the laxity of those dispositions, to the absence which they indicated of that energetic perseverance and restless activity which characterised the most critical of his operations in former Wars, may, in a very great degree, be attributed the failure of the Campaign on the part of the French. The great advantages derived by Napoleon from the result of his operations during the 15th, have been already set forth; but of what avail were those advantages to him, if he neglected the requisite measures for effectually retaining them within his grasp; or if, having secured them, he hesitated in following them up with the promptitude and energy which their complete development demanded of him? His position, if judged by that of his most advanced forces, was all that could be desired; but, by fatally neglecting to concentrate the remainder of his troops in the immediate support of that advance, the important advantages which such a position held forth were completely neutralized. Doubtless the troops required rest; but, if one portion required it more than another, it was that which now lay most in advance: they had performed the longest march, and had withstood, in addition, the whole brunt of the action; so there was no reason whatever why the remainder of the French Army should not have been so far advanced as to afford direct support to the important position taken up by the leading Divisions: that which had been so successfully effected by the heads of the Columns, might have been attained with infinitely greater ease and security by the masses which followed. And even supposing that serious impediments stood in the way of the full accomplishment of this concentration, such as the usual delays occasioned by the lengthening out of the Columns of March, to what did they amount in comparison with so many brilliant instances of what had been overcome by the noble and heroic efforts of a French Army headed by Napoleon? Had it even required some sacrifice, which at the most could only have consisted in the temporary diminution of strength, by the loss of stragglers on the march, what was this when placed in the balance with the fulfilment of the grand design of Napoleon's invasion of Belgium—preventing the junction of the Allied Armies, and overthrowing them in detail?

The commencement of this design, in which the essential requisite was rapidity of movement, had been eminently successful: a vantage ground had been gained which offered the most encouraging prospect of success: of Blücher's four Corps, only one, Zieten's, had assembled in the chosen position of Ligny, on the night of the 15th; Pirch's, which had arrived from Namur, was in bivouac between Onoz and Mazy, about six miles from Ligny; Thielemann's Corps, which had quitted its cantonments around Ciney at half past seven o'clock in the morning, passed the night at Namur, about fifteen miles from Ligny; Bülow's Corps, supposed by Blücher to be then at Hannut, was still at Liege, about sixty miles distant from Ligny. Between this position of Ligny and that occupied by the leading Divisions of Napoleon's main Army, namely the villages of Lambusart, Wagnée, and the Wood of Fleurus, there was an interval of not more than from two to three miles! Hence every thing was favourable to the French Emperor's plan, which only required to be carried on with the same vigour and activity that had marked its commencement; the fate of Napoleon, of France, and of Europe, hung upon its issue; not an hour, not a moment should have been suffered to pass unheeded; and had the French Right been concentrated during the night in this position, as also the Left under Ney, between Gosselies and Frasne, and had an impetuous attack, with overwhelming force, been made not later than five o'clock on the following morning, upon both Zieten's and Pirch's Corps, not at that time united, it is very possible that these troops would have been beaten in detail, that Thielemann's Corps, advancing from Namur, would either have shared the same fate, or have moved off in the direction of Hannut or Liege to effect a junction with Bülow, whilst Ney would either have been enabled to secure the important point of Quatre Bras before the arrival of any considerable portion of the Anglo-Allied troops, or would have held his own force advantageously disposed for a junction with that of Napoleon, on the latter moving to the left, by the Namur road, for the purpose of bringing the great mass of his Army against Wellington.

Instead of this, what happened? Of the French Right, its main force remained the whole night at Charleroi and Châtelet, on the Sambre, whilst between the Advance of Ney's forces at Frasne and his Rear at Marchienne au Pont, there was an interval of about twelve miles. Napoleon did not advance towards Fleurus until between eleven and twelve o'clock on the 16th, by which time Zieten's, Pirch's, and Thielemann's Corps were all concentrated and in position, and he did not commence the Battle of Ligny until nearly three o'clock in the afternoon; while Ney, on his side, in consequence of his operations having been rendered subordinate to those of the Emperor, delayed to advance with any degree of vigour until between two and three o'clock, about which time Wellington's Reserve reached Quatre Bras, from Brussels, and joined the forces then engaged in front of that point!

FOOTNOTES:

[8] The Prussian Regiments of Infantry generally consisted of three Battalions, of which the Third was the Fusilier Battalion.

CHAPTER V.

WITH the early dawn of the 16th of June, the whole of the Duke of Wellington's forces were in movement towards Nivelles and Quatre Bras. Previously to starting from Brussels for the latter point, his Grace despatched an Order for the movement of the Cavalry and of Clinton's British Division upon Braine le Comte, as also of the troops under Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, consisting of Stedmann's Dutch-Belgian Division, and of Anthing's Dutch-Belgian (Indian) Brigade, from Sotteghem to Enghien, after leaving 500 men, as before directed, in Audenarde.

Picton's Division quitted Brussels by the Charleroi road about two o'clock in the morning; and the Duke of Brunswick's Corps somewhat later. Kruse's Nassau Brigade received Orders to follow along the same road, but having been dispersed in extended cantonments between Brussels and Louvain, it required some considerable time to collect together, and did not therefore reach Quatre Bras sufficiently early to take part in the action.

The disposition made by Colonel the Prince Bernhard of Saxe Weimar at this point, on the night of the 15th, with the Second Brigade of Perponcher's Dutch-Belgian Division, has already been described. Soon after ten o'clock on that evening, Major Count Limburg Stirum, Dutch Aide de Camp to the Prince of Orange, left Braine le Comte for Nivelles, with a Verbal Order from the Dutch-Belgian Quartermaster General, enjoining General Perponcher to hold his ground to the last extremity, to support his Second Brigade by the First, and even to ask for aid from the Third Anglo-Allied Division, and from the Dutch-Belgian Cavalry Division; and, at all events, to send an Officer to acquaint the Commanders of these Divisions with the state of affairs. This message appears to have reached Nivelles about midnight.

Previously to this, that is, between nine and ten o'clock in the evening, Captain Crassier's Company of the 27th Battalion of Chasseurs moved out from Nivelles towards Quatre Bras en reconnaissance. About two o'clock in the morning, Perponcher himself followed with the remainder of the Chasseurs, which body reached Quatre Bras at four o'clock. General Bylandt, who commanded the First Brigade, ordered the remaining Battalions of the latter, and his Artillery, to commence their march from Nivelles at five o'clock. The 7th Dutch Line Battalion was directed to remain at Nivelles until relieved by Alten's Division.

At three o'clock in the morning, Perponcher arrived at Quatre Bras, and after having reconnoitred the position, immediately commenced operations for recovering the ground lost on the previous evening. Just at this time a detachment of about fifty Prussian Hussars of the 2nd Silesian Regiment, under Lieutenant Zehelin, who, on the previous day, had been driven back from near Gosselies, and had retreated towards Hautain le Val, gallantly advanced to the front, attacked the Enemy's Outposts, forced them to retire, and then formed a chain of Vedettes. As soon as the Dutch-Belgian troops had advanced to within a short distance of these Prussian Hussars, the latter moved off by their left towards Sombref.

Prince Bernhard of Saxe Weimar's Brigade penetrated deeper into the Wood of Bossu, and secured the entrances into it from the French side.

Perponcher directed the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau to take post on an eminence in advance towards Frasne, and stationed the 3rd Battalion of this Regiment more to the left. The latter, however, was soon relieved by the 27th Chasseurs, which Battalion, on reaching Quatre Bras, at four o'clock in the morning, had detached two Companies to the left. These moved steadily forward in extended order towards the Wood of Delhutte, outside of which the Enemy showed his Light Troops. They succeeded in forcing back the French into a hollow way bordering the Wood, where the latter maintained themselves for some little time, and then retired into the Wood itself. Taking advantage of the cover afforded by the edge of the Wood, the French now poured a deadly fire upon their assailants, who retreated to some favourable ground a little in advance of their Battalion.

The Prince of Orange arrived at Quatre Bras about six o'clock, and immediately reconnoitred the position of the Enemy, and that occupied by his own troops. Having expressed his perfect satisfaction with all the arrangements and dispositions which had been made, both on the previous evening and on that morning, he ordered the troops then present to take up a position more in advance, for the purpose of imposing upon the Enemy; enjoining at the same time, all unnecessary firing, it being desirable under then existing circumstances, to avoid bringing on prematurely an attack by the Enemy.

Ney, having quitted Charleroi at a very early hour in the morning, returned to Gosselies, where he communicated with Reille, whom he ordered to assemble the force then with him, consisting of two Infantry Divisions and their Artillery, and to advance upon Frasne: to which point the Marshal repaired in person. Here he collected all the information which the Generals and other Officers had been able to obtain respecting the Enemy; and being naturally anxious to make himself acquainted with the details of the force placed so suddenly under his orders, he desired Colonel Heymès, his first Aide de Camp, to repair to every Regiment, and note down their strength and the names of the Commanding Officers; after the performance of which duty, Colonel Heymès laid before the Marshal a return of the troops in the Field.

The uncertainty in which Ney was placed as to the amount of force concentrated by the Allies during the night in rear of Quatre Bras, and the conviction which he had reason to entertain that the Prussians were in strong force at no very great distance on his right, and that therefore any check experienced by the Main Column under Napoleon, would endanger his Right Flank and even his line of communication, rendered him cautious in attacking a point so considerably in advance of the Emperor's Left, without ample means at hand to enable him, in case of disaster, to maintain that line, or, in the event of success, to effectually establish himself at Quatre Bras, and derive every possible advantage from its possession, by checking, if not defeating in detail, any body of troops that might be approaching it as a point of concentration from either Nivelles or Brussels.

Hence he became extremely anxious for the arrival of d'Erlon's Corps and the promised Third Corps of Heavy Cavalry under Kellermann; the more so, as although Lefèbvre-Desnouette's Light Cavalry of the Guard was nearer at hand, he had been desired by Napoleon not to make use of it. Officers of the Chasseurs and Lancers of the Guard (in consequence of the deficiency of Staff Officers) were sent to the rear in the direction of Marchienne au Pont, with Orders to hasten the march of the First Corps upon Frasne; while Ney himself was busily occupied in reconnoitring the Enemy's position and movements.

Whilst so employed, a despatch reached him from the Emperor, acquainting him that he had just ordered Kellermann's Dragoons to march to Gosselies, where they would be at his disposal; stating, at the same time, his intention to withdraw Lefèbvre-Desnouette's Light Cavalry of the Guard from the force under his command; and expressing a wish to be informed of the exact disposition of the First and Second Corps, and of the Cavalry Divisions attached to them, as also of the probable strength of the Enemy, and of the particulars which had been obtained concerning him.

The 5th Battalion of Dutch Militia, which arrived at Quatre Bras about seven o'clock, was ordered, some time afterwards, to occupy the Farm of Gemioncourt. The other Battalions of Bylandt's Brigade, as they arrived in succession, formed a Reserve, extending itself from the point of intersection of the two high roads along the Nivelles road, and in rear of the Wood of Bossu. About nine o'clock, Captain Stievenaar's Foot Battery attached to Bylandt's Brigade also arrived at Quatre Bras.

Aided by these reinforcements, the Prince of Orange made his dispositions for impeding as much as possible the expected French attack, and maintaining his ground in front of Quatre Bras until the arrival of the Allied troops, which he knew were rapidly approaching from Brussels and Nivelles. The arrival of the First Brigade induced him to make a further advance, and extension to the right, of the Second Brigade; retaining a firm hold of the Wood of Bossu.

He disposed of his Artillery in the following manner: upon the high road, in advance of his Centre and in front of Frasne, he placed two guns of Perponcher's Divisional Horse Artillery; three guns a little in left rear of these, and three guns towards the left, so as to keep the road to Namur in view. He also placed six guns of the Divisional Foot Artillery a little to the right of, and in line with, the advanced guns of the Horse Battery, and the remaining two guns on the Right Wing of his First Line.

His Royal Highness had unfortunately no Cavalry in the Field; yet such was the firm countenance which he displayed in the arrangement of his nine Battalions and sixteen guns that the Enemy, unaware of this circumstance, and probably misled by the appearance, at an early hour, of the chain of Vedettes formed by the Prussian Detachment of Hussars, to which allusion has previously been made, and also conceiving that a considerable force had already assembled at Quatre Bras, made no vigorous attempt, until the afternoon, to dislodge him from his position.

Between ten and eleven o'clock, the Duke of Wellington arrived in person at Quatre Bras, where he joined the Prince of Orange, of whose dispositions he fully approved. He reconnoitred the ground; observed only a few of the Enemy in front, who occasionally fired a shot; saw that there was a little popping musketry, but that nothing more serious was at that time threatened in this quarter.

Conceiving that the Enemy was not in any great force at Frasne, while at the same time, accounts reached him that Prince Blücher, in his position at Ligny, was menaced by the advance of considerable masses; the Duke, accompanied by his Staff and a small escort of Cavalry, shortly afterwards rode off to hold a conference with the Prussian Commander, whom he found at the Windmill of Bussy, between Ligny and Bry; whence he had an opportunity of observing the French preparatory dispositions for attack.

These having led the Duke to conclude that Napoleon was bringing the main force of his Army to bear against Blücher, he at once proposed to assist the Prince by first advancing straight upon Frasne and Gosselies, as soon as he should have concentrated sufficient force, and then operating upon the Enemy's Left and Rear, which would afford a powerful diversion in favour of the Prussians, from the circumstance that their Right Wing was the weakest and most exposed, and considering the object of Napoleon's movement, the one most likely to be attacked.

Upon a calculation being made, however, of the time which would elapse ere the Duke would be able to collect the requisite force for undertaking this operation, and of the possibility of Blücher being defeated before it could be carried into effect, it was considered preferable that Wellington should, if practicable, move to the support of the Prussian Right by the Namur road. But a direct support of this kind was necessarily contingent on circumstances, and subject to the Duke's discretion. The latter having expressed his confident expectation of being enabled to afford the desired support, as also of his succeeding in concentrating, very shortly, a sufficient force to assume the offensive, rode back to Quatre Bras.

It was nearly eleven o'clock when General Flahaut, an Aide de Camp of the Emperor, after passing through Gosselies, arrived at Frasne, with the following letter from the latter to the Marshal:

"Au Maréchal Ney.	"To Marshal Ney.
"Mon Cousin—Je vous envoie; mon Aide de Camp, le Général Flahaut, qui vous porte la présente lettre. Le Major Général a dû vous donner des Ordres; mais vous recevrez les miens plus tôt, parceque mes Officiers vont plus vite que les siens. Vous recevrez l'Ordre du Mouvement du Jour; mais je veux vous en écrire en détail, parceque c'est de la plus haute importance.	My Cousin—I send you my Aide de Camp, General Flahaut; who brings you the present letter The Major General [Soult] will give you the Orders; but you will receive mine sooner, because my Officers go quicker than his. You will receive the Order of Movement of the Day: but I wish to write to you respecting it in detail, because it is of the highest importance.
"Je porte le Maréchal Grouchy avec les 3e et 4e Corps d'infanterie sur Sombref. Je porte ma Garde à Fleurus, et j'y serai de ma personne avant midi. J'y attaquerai l'Ennemi si je le rencontre, et j'éclairerai la route jusqu'à Gembloux. La d'après ce qui ce passera, je prendrai mon parti peutêtre à trois heures après midi, peutêtre ce soir. Mon intention est que, immédiatement après que j'aurai pris mon parti, vous soyez prêt à marcher sur Bruxelles, je vous appuierai avec la Garde qui sera à Fleurus ou à Sombref, et je désirerais arriver à Bruxelles demain matin. Vous vous mettriez en marche ce soir même si je prends mon parti d'assez bonne heure pour que vous puissiez en être informé de jour et faire ce soir trois ou quatre lieues et être demain à sept heures du matin à Bruxelles.	"I direct Marshal Grouchy with the Third and Fourth Corps of Infantry on Sombref. I direct my Guard to Fleurus, and I shall be there personally before noon. I shall attack the Enemy there if I meet with him, and I shall clear the road as far as Gembloux. There, according to what will happen, I shall make my decision; perhaps at three o'clock in the afternoon, perhaps this evening. My intention is that, immediately after I shall have made my decision, you may be ready to march on Brussels. I will support you with the Guard which will be at Fleurus or at Sombref; and I would desire to arrive at Brussels to morrow morning. You would march this evening even if I make my decision at a sufficiently early hour that you may be informed of it in daylight, and traverse this evening three or four leagues, and be at Brussels to morrow at seven o'clock in the morning.
"Vous pouvez donc disposer vos troupes de la manière suivante:—Première Division à deux lieues en avant des Quatre Chemins s'il n'y a pas d'inconvénient. Six Divisions d'infanterie autour des Quatre Chemins, et une Division à Marbais, afin que je puisse l'attirer à moi à Sombref, si j'en vais besoin. Elle ne retarderait d'ailleurs pas votre marche. Le Corps du Comte de Valmy, qui a 3,000 Cuirassiers d'Élite, à l'intersection du chemin des Romains et de celui de Bruxelles, afin que je puisse l'attirer à moi, si j'en avais besoin; aussitot que mon parti sera pris, vous lui enverrez l'Ordre de venir vous rejoindre. Je désirerais avoir avec moi la Division de la Garde que commande le Général Lefèbvre-Desnouettes, et je vous envoie les deux Divisions du Corps du Comte de Valmy pour la remplacer. Mais dans mon projet actuel, je préfère placer le Comte de Valmy de manière à le rappeler si j'en avais besoin, et ne point faire de fausses marches au Général Lefèbvre-Desnouettes; puisqu'il est probable que je me déciderai ce soir à marcher sur Bruxelles avec la Garde. Cependant, couvrez la Division Lefèbvre par les deux Divisions de Cavalrie d'Erlon et de Reille, afin de ménager la Garde; et que, s'il y avait quelque échauffourée avec les Anglais, il est préférable que ce soit sur la Ligne que sur la Garde.	"You may then dispose your troops in the following manner:—First Division at two leagues in front of Quatre Bras, if in doing so there is no inconvenience. Six Divisions of Infantry about Quatre Bras; and one Division at Marbais, so that I may draw it to myself at Sombref, if I should have need of it. It would not otherwise retard your march. The Corps of the Count de Valmy, which has 3,000 Cuirassiers d'Élite, at the intersection of the Roman road with that of Brussels, in order that I may draw it to myself if I should have need of it: as soon as my decision is made, you will send him the Order to rejoin you. I would desire to have with me the Division of the Guard commanded by General Lefèbvre Desnouettes, and I send you the two Divisions of the Corps of the Count de Valmy to replace it. But in my present design, I prefer to place the Count de Valmy in such a manner as to be able to recall him if I should have need of him; and not to make false marches for General Lefèbvre Desnouettes: since it is probable that I shall decide this evening to march on Brussels with the Guard. However, cover Lefèbvre's Division with the two Cavalry Divisions of d'Erlon and Reille, in order to spare the Guard; and that, if there shall be any affray there with the English, it may be with the Line rather than with the Guard.
"J'ai adopté comme principe général pendant cette Campagne, de diviser mon Armée en deux Ailes et une Réserve. Votre Aile sera composée des quatre Divisions du 2e Corps, de deux Divisions de Cavalerie Légère, et de deux Divisions du Corps de Valmy. Cela ne doit pas être loin de 45 à 50 mille hommes.	I have adopted as a general principle during this Campaign to divide my Army into two Wings and a Reserve. Your Wing will be composed of the four Divisions of the Second Corps, the two Light Cavalry Divisions, and the two Divisions of the Corps de Valmy. That ought not to be far from 45,000 to 50,000 men.
"Le Maréchal Grouchy aura à peu près la même force, et commandera l'Aile Droite. La Garde formera la Réserve, et je me porterai sur l'une ou l'autre Aile, selon les circonstances. Le Major Général donné les Ordres les plus précis pour qu'il n'y ait aucune difficulté sur l'obéissance à vos Ordres lorsque vous serez détaché; les Commandants de Corps devant prendre mes Ordres directement quand je me trouve présent. Selon les circonstances, j'affaiblirai l'une ou l'autre Aile en augmentant ma Réserve.	"Marshal Grouchy will have nearly the same force, and will command the Right Wing. The Guard will form the Reserve, and I shall repair to one or other Wing according to circumstances. The Major General is giving the most precise Orders that there may be no difficulty as regards obedience to your Orders when you will be detached; the Commanders of Corps must take my Orders directly from me, when I am present. According to circumstances, I shall weaken the one, or the other, Wing in augmenting my Reserve.
"Vous sentez assez l'importance attachée à la prise de Bruxelles. Cela pourra d'ailleurs donner lieu à des accidents, car un mouvement aussi prompt et aussi brusque isolera l'Armée Anglaise de Mons, Ostende, etc. Je désire que vos dispositions soient bien faites pour qu'au premier Ordre, vos huit Divisions puissent marcher rapidement, et sans obstacle sur Bruxelles."N."	"You will sufficiently perceive the importance attached to the capture of Brussels. That will otherwise give occasion to incidents: for a movement equally prompt and abrupt will isolate the English Army from Mons, Ostend, &c. I would desire that your dispositions may be well made that, at the first Order, your eight Divisions may march rapidly and without obstacle upon Brussels."N."
"Charleroi, le 16 Juin, 1815."	"Charleroi, 16th June 1815."

This letter, which was intended to convey to Ney a general notion of Napoleon's intentions, prescribed to him, at the same time, as a principle, that he was to consider his movements subordinate to those of the Emperor. The latter intimated his purpose of attacking the Enemy at Fleurus, should he find him there, and of pushing on as far as Gembloux, where he would decide upon his plan of further operation, "perhaps at three o'clock in the afternoon, perhaps in the evening;" immediately after which Ney was to be ready to march upon Brussels, supported by Napoleon with the Guards, it being the Emperor's desire to reach that capital in the morning.

The idea of advancing upon Gembloux, and of capturing Brussels by a coup de main, which could only be effected by a vigorous repulse and signal defeat of the Corps of Zieten, and by a successful turning and partial dispersion of those of Pirch and Thielemann, as also by the rapid march of a closely collected force under Ney, proves that Napoleon had either been insufficiently informed as to the general dispositions of his opponents, or had greatly miscalculated the degree of energy and promptitude required in his movements for the execution of such a design.

Very shortly afterwards, Ney received the official Order of Movement to which Napoleon adverted in his letter as having been sent by Soult. It instructed him to put the Second and First Corps d'Armée, as also the Third Corps of Cavalry which had been placed at his disposal, in movement upon Quatre Bras; to take up a position at that point; thence to push forward reconnaissances as far as possible on the roads to Brussels and Nivelles, d'où probablement l'Ennemi s'est retiré; to establish, should he meet with no impediment, a Division with some Cavalry at Genappe; and to detach another Division towards Marbais, in order to cover the interval between Sombref and Quatre Bras. He was also to desire the General Officers commanding the two Corps d'Armée to assemble their troops, collect the stragglers, and order up all the waggons belonging to the Artillery and to the Hospitals that might still be in the rear.

In pursuance of these instructions, Ney despatched Orders of Movement to Counts Reille and d'Erlon.

The former was desired to put the Second Corps immediately on the march, for the purpose of taking up the following position:—the Fifth Division in rear of Genappe, upon the Heights which command that town, the left appuied upon the high road; one or two Battalions covering all the débouchés in advance on the Brussels road; the Ninth Division, following the movement of the Fifth, to take up a position in second line on the Heights to the right and left of the village of Bauterlet; the Sixth and Seventh Divisions at Quatre Bras.

It was at the same time intimated to Reille that the three first Divisions of d'Erlon's Corps were to take post at Frasne; the Right Division to establish itself at Marbais along with Piré's Division of Light Cavalry; that the former was to cover his (Reille's) march towards Brussels, and both his Flanks; that two Divisions of Kellermann's Corps were to take post at Frasne and Liberchies; and that the Regiments of the Guard under Generals Lefèbvre-Desnouettes and Colbert were to remain in their actual position at Frasne.

This Order had scarcely been sent off to Reille when Ney received from the latter a despatch, dated Gosselies, 16th June, a quarter past ten A.M., announcing his having just received from Girard (whose Division was still at Heppignies) a verbal report by one of his Officers, to the effect that the Enemy continued to occupy Fleurus with Light Cavalry; that hostile masses were observed advancing along the Namur road, the heads of their Columns reaching as far as St. Amand; that these troops were gradually forming, and gaining ground; that as far as could be judged at that distance, the Columns appeared to consist of six Battalions each; and that movements of additional troops were perceived in their rear. Reille added that General Flahaut, in passing through Gosselies, had made him acquainted with the purport of the Orders he was conveying to the Marshal, whereupon he had communicated with Count d'Erlon, in order that the latter might follow the movement which he (Reille) had intended to commence as soon as the Divisions were under arms, but that in consequence of this report from Girard he would wait for the Marshal's further instructions, holding the troops ready to march.

About the same time, Orders reached Ney from Napoleon, desiring him to unite the Corps under Reille and d'Erlon, and the Cavalry Corps under Kellermann, which latter, it was stated, was on the point of commencing its march towards him; remarking also, that with these troops he ought to be able to destroy whatever forces the Enemy might bring forward; that Grouchy was going to advance upon Sombref; and that the Emperor was setting off for Fleurus, to which place the Marshal was to address his reports.

Quatre Bras

In consequence of these instructions, Ney became anxious for the speedy concentration of his troops, and again sent Orders to Reille and d'Erlon to move up their Divisions. The information which he had obtained concerning the Enemy in his front, and Girard's report of the assembling of troops in front of Fleurus, induced him to be cautious in his proceedings, and not to attempt any impetuous onset until he could have all his force more in hand, instead of the greater portion of it being, as it then was, lengthened out in Columns of Route along the Charleroi high road; and, in this respect, his views were in perfect accordance with the last despatch which he had received from the Emperor, enjoining him in the first instance, to unite the two Corps of Reille and d'Erlon. Hence, in debouching from his position at Frasne, about one o'clock, his advance was by no means vigorous: it was limited to a gradual pressing forward of the Light Troops, and amounted to little more than a reconnaissance.

About two o'clock, Ney, calculating that d'Erlon's Corps could not be far in his rear, and hoping that the sound of his cannonade would hasten its march, resolved to attack the Enemy's forces which intercepted his advance upon Quatre Bras. Piré's Light Cavalry, constituting a strong line of Skirmishers with well disposed Supports, covered the advance of the Infantry Divisions of Bachelu and Foy, whilst that of Jerome followed as a Reserve.

The force with which Ney thus entered the field, consisted of Three Divisions of Reille's Corps, of Piré's Light Cavalry, of 4 Batteries of Foot, and 1 of Horse, Artillery: altogether—

16,189	Infantry
1,729	Cavalry
38	Guns.

The Prince of Orange's force consisted of de Perponcher's Division (with the exception of the 7th Dutch Line Battalion); of 1 Battery of Foot, and 1 of Horse, Artillery: altogether—

6,832	Infantry
16	Guns.

It was not long after two o'clock when the Duke of Wellington returned to Quatre Bras from the Prussian Army. He observed attentively, with his glass, the movements of the French, and told the Prince of Orange he would be attacked directly.

In a few minutes, the French advanced, and the Dutch-Belgian troops gradually retired; but the Prince, aware of the great advantages which the position of Quatre Bras would derive from the possession of the Farm of Gemioncourt, adjoining the Charleroi road, as also of the Wood of Bossu on the Right, and of the inclosures of Piermont on the Left Flank, endeavoured, with that view, to make a stand, as soon as his Centre reached the first named point. The 5th Battalion of Dutch Militia which occupied this Post, successfully withstood several attacks, during which Ney drew up his forces along the ridge which, intersecting the high road in the immediate (French) rear of Gemioncourt, extends on one side towards the Wood of Bossu, and on the other in the direction of Piermont.

The vast preponderance of force on the part of the French, was now quite manifest to the Prince of Orange, who found himself compelled to withdraw the main body of his troops into the Wood of Bossu, still retaining, however, the Post of Gemioncourt. He gave an Order to Captain Stievenaar's Foot Battery to fall back and take up a flanking position near the Wood. Here this Officer, who possessed the highest merit, lost not a moment in reopening his fire, but scarcely had he done so when he was mortally wounded. At the same moment one gun was damaged so as to become useless. The Enemy rapidly advanced in such superior force as to compel the Battery to resume its retreat. Captain Byleveld's Horse Battery retired by the opposite side of Gemioncourt. One of its limbers blew up, severely wounding an Officer, and occasioning the gun attached to it to be relinquished. The French pressed forward with their Light Troops; and part of Piré's Light Cavalry, seizing a favourable opportunity, gallantly charged the 27th Dutch Light Infantry, threw it into confusion, and made many prisoners. At this time a portion of Bachelu's Infantry Division on the right advanced towards the village of Piermont.

It was about half past two, or perhaps a quarter before three o'clock, when the Prince of Orange, whose situation had become extremely critical, as he directed his anxious looks towards that point of the horizon which was bounded by the elevated ground about Quatre Bras, had the inexpressible satisfaction of recognising, by their deep red masses, the arrival of British troops upon the field.

These comprised the Fifth Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton, and consisting of the Eighth British Brigade, under Major General Sir James Kempt, the Ninth British Brigade, under Major General Sir Denis Pack, and of the Fourth Hanoverian Brigade, under Colonel Best. The head of the Column, leaving Quatre Bras on its right, turned down the Namur road, along which the Division was speedily drawn up; the British Brigades in Front, and the Hanoverian Brigade in Second Line. Captain Rettberg's Battery of Hanoverian Foot Artillery took post on the right, and Major Rogers's Battery of British Foot Artillery on the left, of the Division. The 1st Battalion of the 95th British Regiment, commanded by Colonel Sir Andrew Barnard, was despatched in haste towards the Village of Piermont, of which it was to endeavour to gain possession.

Prince of Orange

The French, on perceiving the arrival of the British Infantry, opened a furious cannonade from their Batteries, with a view to disturb its formation, while Ney, anxious to secure the vantage ground of a Field which he plainly foresaw, was likely to become the scene of a severe contest, renewed his attack upon Gemioncourt, still bravely defended by the 5th Dutch Militia. Hereupon, Perponcher, having received an Order to advance this Battalion along the high road, immediately placed himself at its head, as did also the Prince of Orange himself, who rode up to it at the same moment. The manner in which His Royal Highness personally led on his National Militia on this occasion, was distinguished by the most resolute and conspicuous gallantry. The Battalion was exposed to a most destructive fire from some guns which the Prince seemed determined to capture. Placing himself frequently at its head, and waving his hat, he presented in his own person so brilliant and heroic an example, that for a considerable time the Battalion maintained its ground most bravely against the far superior number of the Enemy. It was composed, however, of young and inexperienced soldiers, who had not attained sufficient confidence to fight in anything like deployed order; and, therefore, when, a few minutes afterwards, a swarm of Cavalry rushed upon it, it soon lost its compactness, and broke into a confused and hasty retreat; whilst the French Infantry succeeded in obtaining possession of the Farm, in which they firmly established themselves.

The Duke of Wellington, who now assumed the command, was so much alive to the importance of maintaining Gemioncourt and its inclosures, that he gave directions for its immediate occupation by a British Regiment, but the one destined for this service having by some accident been otherwise disposed of, some delay occurred, and the 28th British Regiment, commanded by Colonel Sir Charles Philip Belson, was then marched down towards that point, under the guidance of Lieutenant Colonel Gomm, on the Staff of the Fifth Division. As the Battalion approached the Farm, the latter was discovered to be already occupied by the French, whereupon it was withdrawn to its Division.

The Third Dutch-Belgian Light Cavalry Brigade, under General van Merlen, had shortly before this reached the Field, and now advanced to the support of the Dutch Infantry retiring from Gemioncourt; but they were met and defeated by Piré's Cavalry, and pursued along the high road nearly to Quatre Bras, where they arrived in great disorder; a portion of them coming in contact with the Duke of Wellington himself, and carrying his Grace along with them to the rear of Quatre Bras. The latter, however, succeeded in arresting their further flight, and in bringing them again to the front. The French Cavalry did not, on this occasion, follow up the pursuit, evidently hesitating to approach very near to the Allied Infantry, the latter appearing well formed, and fully prepared to receive them. The Dutch-Belgian Infantry retreated to the Wood of Bossu, abandoning four guns to the Enemy, who closely pursued them, and now began to penetrate into the Wood.

Meanwhile, Bachelu, on the French Right, threw a considerable force into Piermont in sufficient time to secure its possession before the 1st Battalion 95th British Regiment had approached the Village, and was pushing forward another strong body towards a small Wood that lay still more in advance, on the opposite side of the Namur high road, the possession of which along with that of Piermont would have effectually cut off the direct communication between Quatre Bras and Ligny. Here, for the first time in this Campaign, the troops of the two nations became engaged. The Skirmishers who successfully checked the further advance of the French, and secured the Wood, were the 1st Battalion of the British 95th Rifles, whom the old Campaigners of the French Army, at least those who had served in the Peninsula, had so frequently found the foremost in the fight, and of whose peculiarly effective discipline and admirable training they had had ample experience.

The possession of Gemioncourt proved of the utmost importance to Ney's position, which now assumed a definite character, and, in a purely tactical point of view, offered great advantages. The southern portion of the Wood of Bossu was occupied by his extreme Left, while his extreme Right was in full possession of Piermont; and these points were connected by a narrow valley extending along his whole front, bounded on either side by a hedgerow, and intersecting the Charleroi road close to Gemioncourt. The outer fence was strongly occupied by his Light Troops, ready to cover the formation and advance of his Columns of Attack, for the support of which by Artillery, the Heights constituting his main position in rear of Gemioncourt, offered every facility.

Scarcely had Picton's Division taken up its ground, when the Duke of Brunswick's Corps arrived upon the field. It was not complete; its Artillery (under Major Mahn) and the 1st and 3rd Light Battalions (commanded by Major Holstein and Major Ebeling), having been stationed in distant cantonments, had not yet joined. The 2nd Light Battalion (under Major Brandenstein) was immediately detached to the Wood near Piermont on the left of the position, and of which the possession had already been secured by the 1st Battalion of the British 95th Regiment: the two Rifle Companies of the Advanced Guard Battalion (under Major Rauschenplatt) were moved into the Wood of Bossu; on the right of which some detachments of Cavalry were posted for the purpose of observing the Enemy's dispositions in that quarter. The remainder of these troops, by a movement to their left, when close upon Quatre Bras, deployed in rear of, and in a direction parallel to, the Namur road, thus forming a Reserve to Picton's Division. The absent portion of the Corps reached the field in the course of the action, as will hereafter be explained.

The Duke of Wellington's force in the Field at this moment was as follows:—

		Infantry.	Cavalry.	Guns.
British}	{Eighth Infantry Brigade	2471
{Ninth do. do.	2173
K.G. Legion}	{Battery of Foot Artillery			6
Hanoverians}	{Fourth Infantry Brigade	2582
{Battery of Foot Artillery			6
Brunswickers}	{Advanced Guard Battalion	672
{2 Battalions of the Light Infantry Brigade	1344
{Line Infantry Brigade	2016
{Regiment of Hussars		690
{Squadron of Lancers		232
Dutch-Belgians}	{Second Infantry Brigade	6832
{Third Cavalry Brigade		1082
{Half Battery of Horse Artillery			2
{Battery of Foot Artillery			8
{ Do. Horse			8
		———	———	———
		18,090	2,004	30

The following is the amount of force which Marshal Ney had actually in the Field:—

	Infantry.	Cavalry.	Guns.
Fifth Infantry Division	5,003
Sixth do.	6,591
Ninth do.	4,595
3 Divisional Foot Batteries			24
1 Reserve Foot Battery			8
Second Cavalry Division		1,729
1 Battery of Horse Artillery			6
	———	———	———
	16,189	1,729	38

The cannonade which had opened against the Fifth British Division as it took up its ground, continued with unabated vigour. The French Light Troops were now observed advancing from the inclosures that skirted the foot of their position, and to meet them the Light Companies of the different Regiments of Picton's Division were immediately thrown forward. On the French extreme Right all further progress was checked by the gallant manner in which the 1st Battalion 95th British Regiment, though opposed by a much superior force, retained possession of the Namur road, which they lined with their Skirmishers, while the Wood in rear was occupied by the Battalion Reserve and the 2nd Brunswick Light Battalion. On the French Left, however, the incessant rattle of musketry in the Wood of Bossu plainly indicated by its gradual approach in the direction of Quatre Bras, that the Dutch-Belgian Infantry were yielding to the fierce onset of the Enemy in that quarter.

The protection which the French would derive from the possession of the eastern portion of this Wood for the advance of their masses over the space between it and the Charleroi road, instantly became apparent to the British Commander; in fact, the previous pursuit of the Dutch-Belgian Cavalry along this road proved the expediency of establishing some restraint to such facility for a hostile advance in that direction; and he therefore requested the Duke of Brunswick to take up a position with a part of his Corps between Quatre Bras and Gemioncourt, so as to have his Left resting upon the road, and his Right communicating with Perponcher's Division, part of which was deployed along the skirt of the Wood.

The Duke of Brunswick immediately ordered forward the Guard Battalion (under Major Pröstler), the 1st Line Battalion (under Major Metzner), and the two Light Companies of the Advanced Guard Battalion, which he posted in Close Columns upon, and contiguous to, the road, on the ground indicated, and threw out a line of Skirmishers connecting these Columns with the two Jäger Companies in the Wood. As an immediate Support to the Infantry, he stationed the Brunswick Hussars (under Major Cramm) and Lancers (under Major Pott) in a hollow in their rear; while as a Reserve to the whole, the 2nd and 3rd Line Battalions (under Major Strombeck and Major Norrmann) were posted en crémaillère contiguously to the houses of Quatre Bras, which important point they were to defend to the last extremity.