In graciously deigning to accept the Dedication of these pages, Your Majesty has afforded the greatest possible encouragement to my humble endeavours to record, with simplicity, impartiality, and truth, the incidents of an eventful War, resulting in a long enduring Peace; a War which shed a new and brighter lustre on the valour and discipline of the British Army, and once more called forth the consummate sagacity and far-extending prescience of that illustrious Chief, whom Your Majesty, with wise appreciation and a just pride, retains at its head. Earnestly hoping that the result of those endeavours may prove not altogether undeserving of Your Majesty's approbation, I have the honour to be, With profound respect, MADAM, Your Majesty's most humble And most devoted servant, WILLIAM SIBORNE, Captain Unattached. PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. In offering to the Public this Third Edition, I feel called upon to state, by way of explanation, in what respect it differs from the two former Editions. During the interval which has elapsed, I have not failed to avail myself of every opportunity to correct and improve any points which further investigation rendered desirable; and I have been much gratified in finding that the general plan and arrangement of the Work, together with the elucidation of the military operations, and the views of their tendency and effect, have been generally borne out and approved; and that, consequently, in these respects little alteration has been required. The exceptions, which consist principally in details, and amount in number to only four or five, have been rectified in this edition. They are chiefly the result of discussions which have appeared in the pages of the _United Service Magazine_; and relate to a portion of the proceedings of Sir COLIN HALKETT'S and Sir DENIS PACK'S Brigades at Quatre Bras and Waterloo. Through the kindness of His Excellency the Prussian Ambassador, Chevalier BUNSEN, and of the Prussian Generals VON CANITZ and VON KRAUSENECK, and of Major GERWIEN of the Prussian Head Quarters Staff; I have obtained additional interesting details connected with the Prussian operations; more especially as regards the opening of the Campaign. A Dutch work published, apparently under authority, by Major VAN LÖBEN SELS, Aide de Camp to his Royal Highness Prince FREDERICK of the Netherlands, and entitled _B dragen tot de Kr gsgeschiedenis van NAPOLEON BONAPARTE_, of which I was not previously in possession, has enabled me to give additional particulars respecting the movements and dispositions of the most advanced portion of the Dutch-Belgian troops, on the first advance of the Enemy; and also to explain particular circumstances and qualify some observations respecting those troops which appeared in former Editions.