The Campaign of Waterloo: A Military History: Third EditionRopes, John Codman
History
The Campaign of Waterloo: A Military History: Third Edition
Ropes, John Codman
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
It is plain from the above narrative that the Emperor, when he sent
Marbot off, shortly before 11 A.M., expected Marshal Grouchy to arrive
during the afternoon,[628] and that his first idea was that he would
arrive by the bridges of Moustier and Ottignies. This seems to show
that the Emperor did not revise the 10 A.M. despatch sent off by Soult,
which indicated that they expected Grouchy to arrive from Wavre.
Napoleon must have been at this hour,—10-11 A.M.,—making his final
preparations for the battle.
Then there was another despatch to Grouchy, which we also give here in
full:—[629]
Field of Battle of Waterloo,
the 18th of June: 1 P.M.
Marshal:
You wrote to the Emperor at 2 o’clock[630] this morning, that you
would march on Sart-lez-Walhain; your plan then is to proceed to
Corbaix or[631] to Wavre. This movement is conformable to his
Majesty’s arrangements which have been communicated to you.
Nevertheless, the Emperor directs me to tell you that you ought
always to manœuvre in our direction.[632] It is for you to see the
place where we are, to govern yourself accordingly, and to connect
our communications, so as to be always prepared to fall upon any of
the enemy’s troops which may endeavor to annoy our right, and to
destroy them.
“At this moment the battle is in progress[633] on the line of
Waterloo. The enemy’s centre is at Mont St. Jean; manœuvre,
therefore, to join our right.
The Marshal, Duke of Dalmatia.
“P. S. A letter, which has just been intercepted, says that General
Bülow is about to attack our right flank; we believe that we see this
corps on the height of St. Lambert. So lose not an instant in drawing
near us and joining us, in order to crush Bülow, whom you will take
in the very act.”
In this letter the Emperor’s desire that Grouchy would manœuvre in
his direction is expressed again and again, and even in the body
of the letter it is plain that some apprehension is entertained at
headquarters of an attack upon the right of the army by the Prussians.
The postscript, of course, speaks for itself.
Grouchy did not receive this letter till between 6 and 7 P.M.,[634] when
it was too late for him to accomplish much. He, however, carried the
bridge of Limale, and established himself on the left bank of the Dyle
for the night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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