“I halted in this situation until day-light. Wavre and Bierge were occupied by the Prussians, who, at three in the morning of the 19th, attacked in their turn, wishing to take advantage of the difficult position in which I was, and expecting to drive me into the defile, and take the artillery which had debouched, and make me repass the Dyle. Their efforts were fruitless. The Prussians were repulsed, and the village of Bierge taken. The brave general Penne was killed. “General Vandamme then passed one of his divisions by Bierge, and carried with ease the heights of Wavre, and along the whole of my line the success was complete. I was in front of Rosières, preparing to march on Brussels, when I received the sad intelligence of the loss of the battle of Waterloo. The officer who brought it informed me, that your Majesty was retreating on the Sambre, without being able to indicate any particular point on which I should direct my march. I ceased to pursue, and began my retrograde movement. The retreating enemy did not think of following me. “Learning that the enemy had already passed the Sambre and was on my flank, and not being sufficiently strong to make a diversion in favour of your Majesty, without compromising the troops under my command, I marched on Namur. At this moment, the rear of the columns were attacked. That of the left made a retrograde movement sooner than was expected, which endangered, for a moment, the retreat of the left; but good dispositions soon repaired everything, and two pieces which had been taken were recovered by the brave 20th dragoons, who, besides, took a howitzer from the enemy. We entered Namur without loss. The long defile which extends from this place to Dinant, in which only a single column can march, and the embarrassment arising from the numerous transports of wounded, rendered it necessary to hold for a considerable time the town, where I had not the means of blowing up the bridge. I intrusted the defence of Namur to general Vandamme, who, with his usual intrepidity, maintained himself there till eight in the evening; so that nothing was left behind, and I occupied Dinant. “The enemy has lost some thousands of men in the attack on Namur, where the contest was very obstinate; the troops have performed their duty in a manner worthy of praise. “DE GROUCHY.”