CHAPTER VIII: THE MORNING OF THE SIXTEENTH OF JUNE: NEY 116 Ney returns from Charleroi to Gosselies at 2 A.M. 116 And at first orders Reille to set out at once for Frasnes 116 But afterwards changes his mind, and allows Reille, with the divisions of Jerome and Foy, to remain in Gosselies 117 He ought to have sent them to Frasnes at once 117 And to have filled their places at Gosselies with the divisions of the 1st Corps 118 He does nothing to bring up the 1st Corps till late in the forenoon 119 Soult’s first order to him on the 16th 120 Received about 6 A.M., and answered before 7 A.M. 120 Ney then returns to Frasnes, leaving Reille at Gosselies, with instructions to march to the front at once on receipt of orders from army headquarters 120 About 9 A.M. Reille receives word from Girard that the Prussians are massing at Fleurus 121 And at 10 A.M. he reads the Emperor’s letter to Ney, brought by Flahaut 121 But defers his march to Frasnes till he gets further orders from Ney 122 He gets further orders, and leaves Gosselies at 11.45 A.M. 122 Soult’s second order directs Ney to march on Quatre Bras 122 The Emperor’s letter to Ney 123 The 1st and 2d Corps and Kellermann’s cavalry are all put at Ney’s disposal 123 The third order to Ney from Soult that morning 123, 124 Its peremptory character 124 Ney refuses fully to obey his orders 124 His unwillingness to take the risks which they involve 124 He proposes to keep half his force in reserve 125 NOTES TO CHAPTER VIII 126 1. Summary of Ney’s conduct on the morning of the 16th 126 2. He evidently did not intend to obey his orders strictly 127 3. The light his conduct on the 16th throws on his failure to seize Quatre Bras the day before 127 4. No criticism can be made on Napoleon and Soult 128 5. Why Napoleon did not send Ney an earlier order to seize Quatre Bras, answered in Chapter IX 128 CHAPTER IX: THE MORNING OF THE SIXTEENTH OF JUNE: NAPOLEON 129