Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Elba and the Hundred Days, 1814-1815; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
The Third Dutch-Belgian Light Cavalry Brigade, under General VAN
MERLEN, had shortly before this reached the Field, and now advanced to
the support of the Dutch Infantry retiring from Gemioncourt; but they
were met and defeated by PIRÉ's Cavalry, and pursued along the high
road nearly to Quatre Bras, where they arrived in great disorder; a
portion of them coming in contact with the Duke of WELLINGTON himself,
and carrying his Grace along with them to the rear of Quatre Bras. The
latter, however, succeeded in arresting their further flight, and in
bringing them again to the front. The French Cavalry did not, on this
occasion, follow up the pursuit, evidently hesitating to approach very
near to the Allied Infantry, the latter appearing well formed, and
fully prepared to receive them. The Dutch-Belgian Infantry retreated
to the Wood of Bossu, abandoning four guns to the Enemy, who closely
pursued them, and now began to penetrate into the Wood.
Meanwhile, BACHELU, on the French Right, threw a considerable force
into Piermont in sufficient time to secure its possession before the
1st Battalion 95th British Regiment had approached the Village, and
was pushing forward another strong body towards a small Wood that lay
still more in advance, on the opposite side of the Namur high road, the
possession of which along with that of Piermont would have effectually
cut off the direct communication between Quatre Bras and Ligny. Here,
for the first time in this Campaign, the troops of the two nations
became engaged. The Skirmishers who successfully checked the further
advance of the French, and secured the Wood, were the 1st Battalion of
the British 95th Rifles, whom the old Campaigners of the French Army,
at least those who had served in the Peninsula, had so frequently found
the foremost in the fight, and of whose peculiarly effective discipline
and admirable training they had had ample experience.
The possession of Gemioncourt proved of the utmost importance to NEY's
position, which now assumed a definite character, and, in a purely
tactical point of view, offered great advantages. The southern portion
of the Wood of Bossu was occupied by his extreme Left, while his
extreme Right was in full possession of Piermont; and these points were
connected by a narrow valley extending along his whole front, bounded
on either side by a hedgerow, and intersecting the Charleroi road close
to Gemioncourt. The outer fence was strongly occupied by his Light
Troops, ready to cover the formation and advance of his Columns of
Attack, for the support of which by Artillery, the Heights constituting
his main position in rear of Gemioncourt, offered every facility.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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