Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
At half past eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the 15th, another
despatch was forwarded to BÜLOW from Namur, announcing the advance
of the French, and requesting that the Fourth Corps, after having
rested at Hannut, should commence its march upon Gembloux, by daybreak
of the 16th at latest. The Orderly who carried it was directed to
proceed to Hannut, the presumed Head Quarters of BÜLOW's Corps on that
day. On reaching that place, the Orderly found the previous despatch
lying in readiness for the General, and, mounting a fresh horse,
he then went on with both despatches to Liege, where he arrived at
sunrise. The Orders which they contained had now, however, become
impracticable, in consequence of BÜLOW's not having immediately carried
into effect the _first_ Order to collect at Hannut; and thus by one
of those mischances, which, in war, occasionally mar the best planned
operations, the opportune arrival of the Fourth Prussian Corps at the
Battle of Ligny, which would, in all probability, have changed the
aspect of affairs, was rendered a matter of impossibility.
Late in the evening, and after Prince BLÜCHER had established his Head
Quarters at Sombref, Captain BELOW arrived with the before mentioned
report from Count BÜLOW; on receiving which his Highness was made
sensible that he could no longer calculate with certainty upon being
joined by the Fourth Corps on the following day.
* * * * *
It was seven o'clock in the evening of the 15th, when Marshal NEY,
who had just arrived, joined the Emperor near Charleroi, at the point
where the road to Fleurus branches off from the one to Brussels. Having
expressed the pleasure he felt at seeing him, NAPOLEON gave him the
command of the First and Second _Corps d'Armée_; explaining at the same
time that REILLE was advancing with three Divisions upon Gosselies;
that D'ERLON would pass the night at Marchienne au Pont; that he would
find under his orders PIRÉ's Light Cavalry Division; as also the two
Regiments of _Chasseurs_ and Lancers of the Guard, of which, however,
he was not to make use except as a Reserve. "Tomorrow," added the
Emperor, "you will be joined by the Reserve Corps of Heavy Cavalry
under KELLERMANN. Go and drive back the Enemy."
* * * * *
It has already been shown in the preceding Chapter, that the extreme
Left of the Duke of WELLINGTON's Army, composed of DE PERPONCHER's
Second Dutch-Belgian Division, rested upon the Charleroi road to
Brussels. The Second Brigade of this Division, under Colonel GÖDECKE,
was thus located:--1st Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau, at
Hautain le Val; the 2nd Battalion, at Frasne and Villers Peruin;
the 3rd Battalion, at Bezy, Sart à Mavelines, and Quatre Bras; both
Battalions of the Regiment of Orange-Nassau, at Genappe. There was also
at Frasne a Dutch Battery of Horse Artillery, under Captain BYLEVELD.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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