Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
The vast preponderance of force on the part of the French, was now
quite manifest to the Prince of ORANGE, who found himself compelled
to withdraw the main body of his troops into the Wood of Bossu, still
retaining, however, the Post of Gemioncourt. He gave an Order to
Captain STIEVENAAR's Foot Battery to fall back and take up a flanking
position near the Wood. Here this Officer, who possessed the highest
merit, lost not a moment in reopening his fire, but scarcely had he
done so when he was mortally wounded. At the same moment one gun
was damaged so as to become useless. The Enemy rapidly advanced in
such superior force as to compel the Battery to resume its retreat.
Captain BYLEVELD's Horse Battery retired by the opposite side of
Gemioncourt. One of its limbers blew up, severely wounding an Officer,
and occasioning the gun attached to it to be relinquished. The French
pressed forward with their Light Troops; and part of PIRÉ's Light
Cavalry, seizing a favourable opportunity, gallantly charged the 27th
Dutch Light Infantry, threw it into confusion, and made many prisoners.
At this time a portion of BACHELU's Infantry Division on the right
advanced towards the village of Piermont.
* * * * *
It was about half past two, or perhaps a quarter before three o'clock,
when the Prince of ORANGE, whose situation had become extremely
critical, as he directed his anxious looks towards that point of the
horizon which was bounded by the elevated ground about Quatre Bras,
had the inexpressible satisfaction of recognising, by their deep red
masses, the arrival of British troops upon the field.
These comprised the Fifth Infantry Division, commanded by Lieutenant
General Sir THOMAS PICTON, and consisting of the Eighth British
Brigade, under Major General Sir JAMES KEMPT, the Ninth British
Brigade, under Major General Sir DENIS PACK, and of the Fourth
Hanoverian Brigade, under Colonel BEST. The head of the Column, leaving
Quatre Bras on its right, turned down the Namur road, along which the
Division was speedily drawn up; the British Brigades in Front, and
the Hanoverian Brigade in Second Line. Captain RETTBERG's Battery of
Hanoverian Foot Artillery took post on the right, and Major ROGERS's
Battery of British Foot Artillery on the left, of the Division. The 1st
Battalion of the 95th British Regiment, commanded by Colonel Sir ANDREW
BARNARD, was despatched in haste towards the Village of Piermont, of
which it was to endeavour to gain possession.
[Illustration]
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