Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
Previously to this, that is, between nine and ten o'clock in
the evening, Captain CRASSIER's Company of the 27th Battalion
of _Chasseurs_ moved out from Nivelles towards Quatre Bras _en
reconnaissance_. About two o'clock in the morning, PERPONCHER himself
followed with the remainder of the _Chasseurs_, which body reached
Quatre Bras at four o'clock. General BYLANDT, who commanded the First
Brigade, ordered the remaining Battalions of the latter, and his
Artillery, to commence their march from Nivelles at five o'clock. The
7th Dutch Line Battalion was directed to remain at Nivelles until
relieved by ALTEN's Division.
At three o'clock in the morning, PERPONCHER arrived at Quatre Bras,
and after having reconnoitred the position, immediately commenced
operations for recovering the ground lost on the previous evening. Just
at this time a detachment of about fifty Prussian Hussars of the 2nd
Silesian Regiment, under Lieutenant ZEHELIN, who, on the previous day,
had been driven back from near Gosselies, and had retreated towards
Hautain le Val, gallantly advanced to the front, attacked the Enemy's
Outposts, forced them to retire, and then formed a chain of Vedettes.
As soon as the Dutch-Belgian troops had advanced to within a short
distance of these Prussian Hussars, the latter moved off by their left
towards Sombref.
Prince BERNHARD of Saxe Weimar's Brigade penetrated deeper into the
Wood of Bossu, and secured the entrances into it from the French side.
PERPONCHER directed the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Regiment of Nassau to
take post on an eminence in advance towards Frasne, and stationed the
3rd Battalion of this Regiment more to the left. The latter, however,
was soon relieved by the 27th Chasseurs, which Battalion, on reaching
Quatre Bras, at four o'clock in the morning, had detached two Companies
to the left. These moved steadily forward in extended order towards the
Wood of Delhutte, outside of which the Enemy showed his Light Troops.
They succeeded in forcing back the French into a hollow way bordering
the Wood, where the latter maintained themselves for some little time,
and then retired into the Wood itself. Taking advantage of the cover
afforded by the edge of the Wood, the French now poured a deadly fire
upon their assailants, who retreated to some favourable ground a little
in advance of their Battalion.
The Prince of ORANGE arrived at Quatre Bras about six o'clock, and
immediately reconnoitred the position of the Enemy, and that occupied
by his own troops. Having expressed his perfect satisfaction with
all the arrangements and dispositions which had been made, both on
the previous evening and on that morning, he ordered the troops then
present to take up a position more in advance, for the purpose of
imposing upon the Enemy; enjoining at the same time, all unnecessary
firing, it being desirable under then existing circumstances, to avoid
bringing on prematurely an attack by the Enemy.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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