Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
An unfortunate incident occurred during the passage of BÜLOW's Corps,
through Wavre, which materially impeded the march of the troops. The
Advanced Guard, consisting of the Fifteenth Brigade (under General
LOSTHIN), with the 2nd Silesian Hussars, and a twelve pounder Battery,
had scarcely passed through the town when a fire broke out in the
main street, and extended itself with great rapidity. This not only
caused a suspension of the march of the main body of the Corps, but
created much alarm, in consequence of the great number of ammunition
waggons in the place. Every exertion was made to extinguish the fire.
The 1st Battalion of the 14th Regiment, under Major LÖWENFELD, and the
7th Pioneer Company, were ordered upon this duty; and after they had
encountered considerable difficulty, their efforts were crowned with
success.
In the mean time the Advanced Guard of BÜLOW's Corps had continued its
march, and reached St Lambert by eleven o'clock. The Sixteenth, and
then the Thirteenth, Brigade arrived much later; and the Fourteenth
Brigade, which formed the Rear Guard, was a long way behind. The
Advanced Guard did not wait the arrival of the other Brigades, but
proceeded forthwith to cross the Defile of St Lambert. Having effected
the passage, which was attended with great difficulty, in consequence
of the soft and miry state of the valley, it halted in the Wood of
Paris, where it continued a considerable time, waiting for the approach
of the main body. Patrols, however, from the 2nd Silesian Hussars, were
immediately sent forward to feel for the Anglo-Allied Left, and to
reconnoitre the French Right.
ZIETEN's Corps (the First) commenced its march, upon the left bank of
the Dyle, towards Ohain, about noon.
Whilst BÜLOW's Reserve Cavalry, following the Thirteenth Infantry
Brigade, was passing through Wavre, French Cavalry had penetrated
between the Rear Guard of this Corps, at Vieux Sart, and the Detachment
under Lieutenant Colonel LEDEBUR at Mont St Guibert. The 2nd
Pomeranian, and the 1st Silesian, Landwehr Cavalry were immediately
detached from the Reserve Cavalry of the Corps, to aid in checking the
advance of the Enemy.
The Prussian Lieutenant Colonel LEDEBUR, who was still at Mont St
Guibert, having received intelligence of the approach of the French,
decided on commencing his retreat towards Wavre. Lieutenant Colonel
SOHR, who had fallen back early in the morning from Mont St Guibert,
sent 150 Cavalry and two guns of Horse Artillery as a reinforcement to
LEDEBUR. The latter now succeeded in forming a junction with the two
Cavalry Regiments detached from the Reserve, as also, subsequently,
with the Cavalry Brigade under SOHR, after a slight affair with the
Third French Corps (VANDAMME's), whilst making good his retreat to
Auzel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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