Siborne makes no mention at all of the occupation of the wood of Warlombrout, and says that that of Sarats was occupied by some battalions of the 8th brigade, Reckow’s,[657] and that the rest of the brigade was in rear of the wood. He says that the 7th brigade, that of Brause, was in reserve. Ollech[658] says that Reckow’s brigade sent two battalions into this wood of Sarats,[659] and that the brigade took up position between Manil and St. Anne, which is nearly a mile in rear of the wood; and that the other brigade was in rear of this. He says nothing about the occupation of the wood of Warlombrout. We do not know where Charras obtained his information; but it seems quite clear that the movement to the bridges would not have met with the amount of opposition which he claims. These brigades of Reckow and Brause were portions of the IId Corps, and were expecting to cross the Dyle at Wavre, and march to support Bülow. No one, of course, can say what these troops would have done had Grouchy attempted to cross the Dyle by the bridges or any of them; but it is certain that these troops were not then expecting any such movement, nor were they stationed where they could at once or easily have interfered with it. 7. Where was Grouchy when he heard the sound of the cannon of Waterloo, and rejected the advice of Gérard to march to the support of the Emperor? That it was at Sart-à-Walhain where Marshal Grouchy heard the sound of the cannon of Waterloo, is the universally accepted belief. But it is an error. It may be interesting to see how it originated. Berton, who wrote in 1818, says[660] that Grouchy’s column “was still at the village of Walhain when it heard the first cannon-shots of Mont St. Jean,” and that it was there that Gérard gave his advice.[661] Grouchy, writing his “Observations” the same year in Philadelphia, which were reprinted in Paris in 1819, states[662] that the cannon was heard while they were skirmishing in the wood of Limelette, between 1 and 2 P.M. Gérard, in a letter also written in 1819, states[663] that it was “at Wallin, or Sart-à-Wallin.” He says he found the Marshal eating some strawberries. It was about 11 A.M., a little more, or a little less. He gives an account of the interview, and then says “We quitted Wallin, &c.” His acting chief-of-staff, Colonel Simon Lorière, says in his report:—[664] “At 11 o’clock the Third [Fourth] Corps was entirely assembled at Walin. “The Count Gérard, who preceded the march of his corps, learnt that Marshal Grouchy had stopped at a house in the village belonging to a M. Hollaert; he went there with the officers of his staff; he told me to follow; we found his Excellency at breakfast.” Colonel Denniée of Gérard’s staff locates the incident at Sarra-Walin, and speaks of Gérard’s having found the Marshal at breakfast.[665]