Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
These having led the Duke to conclude that NAPOLEON was bringing the
main force of his Army to bear against BLÜCHER, he at once proposed
to assist the Prince by first advancing straight upon Frasne and
Gosselies, as soon as he should have concentrated sufficient force,
and then operating upon the Enemy's Left and Rear, which would afford
a powerful diversion in favour of the Prussians, from the circumstance
that their Right Wing was the weakest and most exposed, and considering
the object of NAPOLEON's movement, the one most likely to be attacked.
Upon a calculation being made, however, of the time which would
elapse ere the Duke would be able to collect the requisite force for
undertaking this operation, and of the possibility of BLÜCHER being
defeated before it could be carried into effect, it was considered
preferable that WELLINGTON should, if practicable, move to the support
of the Prussian Right by the Namur road. But a direct support of
this kind was necessarily contingent on circumstances, and subject
to the Duke's discretion. The latter having expressed his confident
expectation of being enabled to afford the desired support, as also of
his succeeding in concentrating, very shortly, a sufficient force to
assume the offensive, rode back to Quatre Bras.
* * * * *
It was nearly eleven o'clock when General FLAHAUT, an Aide de Camp of
the Emperor, after passing through Gosselies, arrived at Frasne, with
the following letter from the latter to the Marshal:
"Au Maréchal NEY. "To Marshal NEY.
"MON COUSIN--Je vous envoie MY COUSIN--I send you my
mon Aide de Camp, le Général Aide de Camp, General FLAHAUT;
FLAHAUT, qui vous porte la présente who brings you the present letter.
lettre. Le Major Général a dû vous The Major General [SOULT] will
donner des Ordres; mais vous give you the Orders; but you will
recevrez les miens plus tôt, parceque receive mine sooner, because my
mes Officiers vont plus vite Officers go quicker than his. You
que les siens. Vous recevrez will receive the Order of Movement
l'Ordre du Mouvement du Jour; of the Day: but I wish to write to
mais je veux vous en écrire en you respecting it in detail,
détail, parceque c'est de la plus because it is of the highest
haute importance. importance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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