Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
GRANT, who, it will be recollected, had been detached with the 13th
Light Dragoons and the 15th Hussars, to attack the 5th and 6th French
Lancers, upon the extreme Left of the French Line, in consequence of
certain menacing dispositions on their part, was first made aware that
these had been merely a diversion to draw off a portion of the Allied
Cavalry from the real point of attack, by the shouts which suddenly
proceeded from their ranks; when, on turning round to ascertain the
cause, he perceived the French in possession of the Batteries along the
crest of the position, and charging the Squares posted on the interior
slope. Observing a repetition of the attack, and the want of Cavalry
on that part of the position which he had quitted; he most judiciously
took upon himself to return to it with both Regiments: and, as will
appear in the sequel, he arrived there at a most critical moment, when
his absence might have produced the most fatal consequences. As a
precautionary measure, the Right Squadron of the 15th Hussars, under
Captain WODEHOUSE, was left in its original position, to observe the
extreme Left of the French line; and the 2nd Light Dragoons of the
King's German Legion continued to keep a look out between that point
and Braine l'Alleud.
NAPOLEON, perceiving the necessity of affording an immediate Support
to NEY's attack, sent an Order to KELLERMANN to advance for that
purpose, with his Corps of Heavy Cavalry, consisting of the two
Divisions commanded by L'HERITIER and ROUSSEL D'URBAL, and comprising
(at the commencement of the Battle) seven Squadrons of Dragoons,
eleven Squadrons of _Cuirassiers_, and six Squadrons of Carabiniers.
In the mean time, NEY, with a similar object in view, had ordered
forward GUYOT's Heavy Cavalry Division of the Guard, comprising six
Squadrons of Horse Grenadiers, and seven Squadrons of Dragoons. These
thirty-seven Squadrons, combined with the force which had already
attacked, and which had originally consisted of forty-three Squadrons,
constituted a stupendous array of Cavalry, in comparison with that
which was then posted in rear of the Right Wing of the Anglo-Allied
Army; and which received no accession beyond the five Squadrons that
GRANT was in the act of withdrawing, as before explained, from the
extreme Right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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