Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
The disposition of the French Left Column, under NEY, during the night
of the 15th, has already been shown. The Centre Column of the French
Army was thus located--VANDAMME's Corps bivouacked in the Wood of
Fleurus; PAJOL's Corps of Light Cavalry at Lambusart; the Third Light
Cavalry Division, under DOMON, on the left, at the outlet of the Wood,
and the Heavy Cavalry Corps of EXCELMANS between the Light Cavalry
and VANDAMME; the Guards bivouacked between Charleroi and Gilly; and
LOBAU's Corps, together with MILHAUD's Heavy Cavalry Corps, lay in
rear of Charleroi. The Right Column, consisting of GÉRARD's Corps,
bivouacked in front of the Bridge of Châtelet, which point it had
reached during the evening.
* * * * *
The result of the proceedings on the 15th was highly favourable
to NAPOLEON. He had completely effected the passage of the Sambre;
he was operating with the main portion of his forces directly upon
the preconcerted point of concentration of BLÜCHER's Army, and was
already in the immediate front of the chosen position, before that
concentration could be accomplished; he was also operating with another
portion upon the high road to Brussels, and had come in contact with
the Left of WELLINGTON's troops; he had also placed himself so far in
advance upon this line, that even a partial junction of the forces
of the Allied Commanders was already rendered a hazardous operation,
without a previous retrograde movement; and he thus had it in his power
to bring the principal weight of his arms against the one, whilst, with
the remainder of his force, he held the other at bay. This formed the
grand object of his operations on the morrow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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