Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
PAJOL had not proceeded very far when he perceived a Prussian Battery
retiring upon Namur, which he lost no time in capturing and forwarding
to Head Quarters; where the circumstance strengthened the belief that
BLÜCHER had retreated by that road. It was the Prussian Horse Battery
No. 14, belonging to the Second Corps, which, having towards the end
of the Battle expended every shot, had driven off the Field to procure
a fresh supply of ammunition, but had not succeeded in falling in with
the Reserve Ammunition Waggons. The Battery neither returned to its
own Corps, nor did it comply with THIELEMANN's express Order to march
upon Gembloux, but consumed much time in uselessly driving first in
one direction, and then in another. It was accompanied at this moment
by a Squadron of the 7th Prussian Uhlans, which the Third Corps had
neglected to recall from Onoz. The Squadron retired on the approach of
the French Cavalry, and escaped with a loss of 30 men; but all the guns
fell into the hands of the Enemy.
PAJOL, feeling at last some reason to doubt that Namur was a point in
the Prussian retreat, diverged from the high road, and proceeded to St
Denis, where he was joined by TESTE's Division. A Brigade of EXCELMANS'
Cavalry Corps had been detached to offer support to PAJOL, should
the latter require it; but in consequence of certain information,
gained upon the road, it was subsequently directed to proceed towards
Gembloux, on approaching which it discovered traces of the Prussian
retreat.
GROUCHY, who commanded the Right Wing of the French Army in NAPOLEON's
absence, repaired early in the morning to the Emperor's Quarters at
Fleurus, for instructions, according to an Order he had received
to that effect on the previous evening. He was desired to wait and
accompany the Emperor, who was going to visit the Field of Battle. The
latter, however, did not start from Fleurus until between eight and
nine o'clock, and on reaching St Amand, he examined the approaches by
which this Village had been attacked the day before; then, he rode
about the Field, gave directions for the care of the wounded; and, as
he passed in front of different Regiments, that were falling in without
arms on the ground where they were bivouacked, he was received with
loud cheers. He addressed himself to nearly all the Corps, and assured
them of the lively satisfaction he had felt on witnessing their conduct
in the battle. Having dismounted, he conversed freely, and at great
length, with GROUCHY and GÉRARD, on the state of public opinion in
Paris, the different political parties, and on various other subjects
quite unconnected with those military operations upon the successful
issue of which depended the stability of his present power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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