Napoleon’s aim was to turn our left, force the left centre, get possession of the farms of La Haye-Sainte and Mont-St.-Jean, and establish a force there, in order to cut off our communication with Brussels, and to prevent our cooperation with the Prussians. The French columns had been moved to the hollow, between the main and inner ridges. All was ready for the grand attack, of which Ney apprized Napoleon; who, before he gave the order to begin, took a general survey upon his right, when, perceiving in the direction of St.-Lambert what he thought to be troops, he asked his adjutant-general (Soult[32],) what the cloud of troops were that he saw in the distance? Soult replied, “I think I see five or six thousand men: possibly part of Grouchy’s corps.” The telescopes were all put in requisition; but the day being hazy, the opinions were various and conflicting. Upon this, general Domont was sent for, and ordered to proceed with two light cavalry divisions in the direction of St.-Lambert, and ascertain what the supposed troops were. Domont and Subervie, it is said, immediately moved to the right, and drew up _en potence_ on the right of the French army, and facing the wood of Paris. This must have occurred about one o’clock. Soon after, an officer of the light cavalry brought in a Prussian hussar taken prisoner, who had been charged with a letter for orders from Bulow to Wellington. The Prussian was very communicative, and answered all questions in a loud tone; he said, “his corps had been that morning at Wavre, near which the other three Prussian corps had encamped; that his regiment had sent out patrols for six miles in all directions, but had not fallen in with any part of the French army, consequently they had concluded that Grouchy had joined the Emperor at Plancenoit; and that the column seen near St.-Lambert was the advance-guard of Bulow’s (4th) corps, about 30,000 strong, that had not been present at the battle of Ligny.” This intelligence obliged Napoleon to hold a considerable force in hand, in order to defend his right flank. It is therefore evident, that more caution and vigilance should have been used by him, at an earlier period, in that direction. Soult, who was at this time writing a dispatch to Grouchy, informed him that the Emperor wished him to manœuvre in the direction of the main army; to find out the point where it was, to keep up a close communication, and to be at hand to fall upon and destroy any enemy that might attempt to disturb their right flank. “At this moment,” he continued, “we are engaged in battle on the line of Waterloo. The centre of the English army is at Mont-St.-Jean; so manœuvre to join our right without loss of time. “DUKE OF DALMATIA. “One o’clock, 18th June.”