uon^piiments or 
 
 fe T.T. ALEXANDER, 
 
 U., 
 
 THE BATTLE 
 
 OF 
 
 AS VIEWED FROM THE BATTLEFIELD IN 1877. 
 
 T. T. ALEXANDER, 
 
 ST. PAUL: 
 H. M. SMYTH PRINTING CO. 
 
 188G. 
 
It may serve better to illustrate our subject to give a 
 brief description of the country and the relative situation 
 of some of the principal points near to which these events 
 transpired. 
 
 Belgium is situated between France and Holland. Its 
 territory is about one-eighth that of Great Britain. The 
 important position the country has occupied in the 
 political and military history of Europe gives it a peculiar 
 interest. It has undergone many changes of government 
 and rulers. Its people have been celebrated for their 
 courage and warlike proclivities. In 1477 Belgium passed 
 under the rule of Austria and subsequently descended 
 to Charles V., king of Spain, and was finally incorporated 
 with the French Republic. By the Congress of Vienna 
 the provinces of Belgium were annexed to those of Hol- 
 land, to form the kingdom of the Netherlands, and thus 
 existed until it became an independent nation. Belgium 
 has been often the scene on which the surrounding nations 
 have settled their quarrels, and has long been styled the 
 "cockpit" of Europe. In the history of no other country 
 
do we find such unbounded liberty, with such an invincible 
 disposition to abuse it. 
 
 Brussels, its capital, is situated near the River Severn, 
 about fifty miles from the sea and twelve from Waterloo. 
 Charleroi, the first Belgian fortress on the line of defense 
 towards France, was destroyed by the French in T795, but 
 restored by Wellington in 1815. Namur is a manufactur- 
 ing city and has been dubbed "the Sheffield of Belgium." 
 Liege is at the junction of the Outhe and Meuse, and. 
 though very much less in size, somewhat resembles the 
 City of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The City of Ghent 
 contains a population of two hundred thousand people, 
 at least one-half of whom are engaged in industrial arts. 
 Here was the birth-place of John of Gaunt and of Charles V. 
 of Germany; and here the treaty of peace between the 
 United States and Great Britain was concluded in 1814. 
 Antwerp, the commercial capital of Belgium, was made 
 by the Emperor one of his grand nayal arsenals, who spent 
 enormous sums on the construction of its docks and other 
 works. It was here that Joan of Arc was taken prisoner 
 and delivered over to the English. Other localities and 
 places will be sufficiently described in the narrative of 
 succeeding events. 
 
 A yet clearer comprehension of the salient features of 
 this lecture, may be gained by a brief summary of the 
 events and circumstances leading up to, immediately pre- 
 ceding and forming parts of the subject under consider- 
 ation. 
 
 The disastrous termination of Napoleon's Russian 
 campaign caused him, on the 6th of April, 1814, to 
 abdicate the throne of France, and seek refuge in a 
 foreign land. Soon thereafter the French throne went 
 back into the hands of the Bourbons, with Louis XVIIL 
 as king. Either out of respect for an old warrior, or to 
 make a parade of their generosit)^, the Allies permitted 
 
Napoleon to select Elba as the place of his retreat. Upon 
 the accession again of Louis to the French throne, he 
 found a chaotic state of public affairs, that would have 
 confused and bewildered a much wiser ruler than he was. 
 As a means of quieting the public mind and restoring 
 order, he granted a charter or compact, that deprived him 
 of some of his prerogatives, but it seemed to have satis- 
 fied neither of the parties into which France was then 
 divided. 
 
 This state of affairs, not unknown to Napoleon, 
 inspired him with the desire of again returning thither, 
 and seeking to regain his former seat of power. Favored 
 by the absence of the English compriissioner, and the fleet 
 stationed to watch the Isle of Elba, Napoleon in a small 
 flotilla set sail, and on the first of March, 1815, landed at 
 Cannes on the coast of France. He saluted his native 
 country "as the parent of heroism and the home of genius. " 
 His reception exceeded his most sanguine hopes. He 
 met the first troops sent out to oppose him by advancing 
 to their front and laying bare his breast to receive their 
 fire; but instead of firing on him they joined his ranks, 
 and rallied under his banner. He was welcomed by his 
 old soldiers in such numbers as soon to swell their ranks to 
 thousands, all of whom received him with the wildest 
 enthusiasm. Included in their numbers was Marshal Ney 
 and the large body of troops under his command. Thus 
 received and honored, the exiled Monarch marched tri- 
 umphantly to Paris, and re-entered the Tuilleries on the 
 twentieth of March, 1815. 
 
 The Bourbons, in the meanwhile, had evacuated Paris 
 and made their escape into Belgium. It will be seen 
 that a revolution was thus completely accomplished in 
 twenty days, without shedding a drop of blood, and 
 Napoleon re-ascended the throne from whence he had 
 been driven the previous year. He immediately com- 
 
menced the reorganization of the government, so as to 
 make it conform to the new order of things, and thus 
 re-establish his authority and power over the French 
 people. 
 
 Accordingly a new ministry was formed, in which he 
 transferred the Department of War to Marshal Davoust; 
 to Fouche. who is charged with "hedging" on all subjects, 
 was committed the important office of Minister of Police; 
 the Foreign Office was given to Talleyrand; and other 
 important positions were conferred upon his old adherents 
 and officers. 
 
 The return of Napoleon to Paris produced great con- 
 sternation among those of the allied powers who had 
 contributed to his overthrow the year before, and soon 
 thereafter a congress of nations was held and a coalition 
 formed to check the growing influence and power of their 
 former rival; so that by the last of March the great powers 
 of Western Europe had formed a treaty of alliance, offensive 
 and defensive, against the re-enthroned exile from the Isle 
 of Elba. 
 
 Under these circumstances, the Emperor saw no choice 
 but to flee the country and recall Louis XVIII. to power, 
 or to fight. He chose the latter alternative, and pro- 
 ceeded, with his accustomed vigor, at once to organize 
 and equip the army anew. Under what he was pleased 
 to call a "constitutional monarchy," (more in name than 
 in substance,) he prepared to resist the formidable coali- 
 tion of kings and rulers that compassed his second over- 
 throw. 
 
 The military preparations extended as well to the 
 defense of Paris and Lyons, as the frontier defenses 
 towards the Rhine and the Meuse. The preparations of 
 the Allies were on no less a scale, until, it was said, a 
 million of men were ready to fall upon France. 
 
 Napoleon had only two courses to pursue; the one to 
 
march against the Anglo-Prussians at Brussels or Namur; 
 the other to await an attack at Paris. The former course 
 was adopted, because it removed the theatre of war from 
 French territory to that occupied by his enemies. After 
 disposing of part of his forces to secure other important 
 points, the Emperor only had 120,000 men, with which to 
 attack the forces under Wellington and Blucher. The 
 plan of operations was to try and assail Wellington and 
 Blucher separately before the other forces of the Allies 
 could come to their relief. 
 
 Napoleon left Paris on the twelfth of June. The organ- 
 ization of the army was much modified. The commands 
 of corps d'armes were given to younger generals. Ney 
 and Grouchy were to command the different wings of the 
 principal army. To appreciate the nature of the plan of 
 attack, it must be remembered that it was not to attack a 
 single army, but two, having separate and divergent bases 
 of operations — that of the English on Ostend or Antwerp; 
 that of the Prussians on the Rhine and Cologne; thus 
 preventing the opportunities for a central operation by 
 which the allies could be kept divided and fought sepa- 
 rately. 
 
 The plan and commencement of this campaign forms 
 one of the most remarkable operations in the life of 
 Napoleon. The movements of the troops were arranged 
 with so much precission, that 120,000 men from far 
 distant locations found themselves assembled at a given 
 rendezvous on the Belgian frontier as if by enchantment. 
 Whilst Wellington, who had been given chief command 
 of the allied forces, was occupied in giving fetes at 
 Brussels, under the supposition that the Emperor was at 
 Paris, the latter, at the head of his columns, was near at 
 hand and ready for the impending conflict. Lord Byron, 
 in Child Harold, has grandly portrayed this scene in 
 glowing words of verse and song. 
 
There was a sound of revelry by night, 
 
 And Belgium's capital had gathered there 
 Her beauty and her chivalry, and bright 
 
 The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men; 
 A thousand hearts beat happily; and when 
 
 Music arose with its voluptuous swell, 
 Soft eyes look'd love to eyes which spake again. 
 
 And all went merry as a marriage-bell; 
 But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell! 
 
 Did ye not hear it? No; 'twas but the wind. 
 
 Or the car rattling o'er the stony street. 
 On with the dance! let joy be unconfined; 
 
 No sleep till morn when youth and pleasure meet, 
 To chase the glowing hours with flying feet — 
 
 But, hark! that heavy sound breaks in once more, 
 As if the clouds its echo would repeat; 
 
 And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before! 
 Arm! arm! it is — it is — the cannon's opening roar! 
 
 And there was mounting in hot haste: the steed. 
 
 The mustering squadron, and the clattering car. 
 Meet pressing forward with impetuous speed. 
 
 And swiftly forming in the ranks of war; 
 And the deep thunder peal on peal afar; 
 
 And near, the beat of the alarming drum 
 Roused up the soldier 'ere the morning star; 
 
 While throng'd the citizen with terror dumb, 
 Or whispering, white lips, "The foe! They come! 
 They come!" 
 
 On the morning of the fifteenth of June the French 
 troops occupied the following positions: The right, of 
 sixteen thousand men, under Gerard, at Phillippeville; the 
 center, of about sixty thousand, under the immediate 
 direction of the Emperor, were near to his headquarters at 
 Beaumont; the left, of forty-five thousand, on and near the 
 Sambre. 
 
 The allied armies were not yet assembled. Blucher's 
 forces were at Charleroi, Namur, Dinant, Liege and Lux- 
 emburg. On learning of the Emperor's approach to the 
 Belgian frontier, Blucher immediately ordered the con- 
 centration of his forces. Wellington's forces were still in 
 
their cantonments on the Scheldt, ready, however, to 
 move at the first signal. The road running from Charleroi 
 to Brussels was the point of junction of the two armies, 
 and to this point the operations of the French were 
 directed, in order to prevent such junction. There were 
 computed to be under Blucher about one hundred and 
 eighteen thousand combatants. There were under Wel- 
 lington about ninety-nine thousand at Brussels and other 
 points in that vicinity. 
 
 On the fourteenth of June, Marshal Bourmont, in com- 
 mand of a French corps of troops, had deserted to the 
 allies. It has been said that a drummer, who deserted 
 from the "old guard," gave Blucher the first information 
 of Napoleon's approach. 
 
 Ney took command of the left wing of the army, and 
 was ordered to march on the road to Brussels in the 
 direction of Quartre Bras. The right wing under Grouchy 
 was ordered to look after the Prussian forces under 
 Blucher, the center of whose army was near Ligny. Ney 
 delayed the execution of his order to march on Quartre 
 Bras, and on that account, when he did make an attack 
 on that place, was repulsed. Meanwhile the forces under 
 Grouchy had achieved a victory at Ligny. Thereupon 
 Blucher set about concerting plans for a speedy junction 
 with Wellington. Grouchy was sent in pursuit of the 
 retreating Prussians. The reserve and left wing advanced 
 against the EngHsh at Quartre Bras, which, however, 
 were in full retreat on the road to Brussels, covered by 
 their cavalry, the French following in close pursuit as far 
 as the heights of Planchenois. 
 
 The English manifested an intention to take a stand and 
 offer battle in front of the forest of Soignies,— Waterloo. 
 This, as before stated, was what Napoleon desired — to 
 meet and attack the two armies separately. Blucher had 
 been defeated at Ligny and forced to retreat on a line 
 
diverging from the other army, and a force detached in 
 pursuit, thought sufficiently strong, to prevent a junction. 
 Grouchy was ordered to occupy the defile of St. Lambert, 
 so that if he did not take an active part in the battle, by 
 falling on the left of the English, he could in any event 
 give them some trouble, and at the same time cover the 
 flank of the French army. 
 
 Napoleon's reasons for attacking the English at this 
 time and place may best be given in his own words: "The 
 army had been harrassed by rains, bad roads, and forced 
 marches. Under ordinary circumstances it would have 
 been best to allow it some repose and afterwards dislodge 
 Wellington by maneuvers. But other armies were about 
 to invade France, and my presence would soon be needed 
 elsewhere. Moreover, Blucher would soon rally, and 
 with reinforcements again attempt to form a junction with 
 the right of the Allies; it was therefore necessary to end 
 with the English as soon as possible." 
 
 The position of the allied army had great defensive 
 advantages. They occupied the slope in front of Mont 
 St. Jean, favorable for their fire, and gave them a view of 
 the French operations. The right extended to the rear 
 of Bram la Leud, with a corps to cover the road from 
 Mores to Brussels. The villages of Braim and Merbes, 
 the chateaus of Hougomont, La Hair Sainte, La Hair 
 and Frichemont, forming advanced bastions, which 
 flanked and secured the whole line just on the brink of 
 the vast forest of Soignies, with no outlet for a great 
 army such as was here assembled. 
 
 The road from Brussels to Waterloo lies through this 
 forest. One mile from the latter place is the hamlet of 
 Mont St. Jean, and half a mile in front is the farm house 
 of the same name on the road to the farm of La Hair 
 Sainte in the immediate rear of the British position. On 
 the ridge, and the ground behind it, occupied by the 
 
9 
 
 British, stood a solitary tree, near to which was Welling- 
 ton's position in the fight. 
 
 The British lines extended along the ridge to the right 
 and left, their extreme right being protected by a ravine. 
 In front was a valley, not regularly formed, but with 
 numerous windings and hollows, varying in breadth from 
 a quarter to half a mile. This was the scene of the prin- 
 cipal conflict. 
 
 The opposite ridges, running parallel to Mont St. Jean, 
 were occupied by the French. La Hays Sainte, the 
 object of the second attack in the middle of the battle, 
 was the point near to which was the conflict between the 
 Imperial Guards and the British troops that decided the 
 fate. of the day. To the right and in the centre of the 
 valley is Hougomont, a farm house, the orchard of which 
 was surrounded by walls. On the road to Charleroi and 
 the ridge exactly opposite the British centre, was La Belle 
 Alliance, the position of Napoleon during most of the 
 engagement. 
 
 In determining the plan of the attack, the French 
 commander thought to maneuver by the left to turn the 
 enemy's right. This might cut off" his retreat on that side 
 of the forest, and would be attended with some advantages 
 to him, but might result in throwing Wellington in the 
 direction of Blucher. To attack with the right to crush 
 the English right was therefore preferable, but the ground 
 was unfavorable, so Napoleon determined to assail the left 
 and pierce the center of the allied army, and in execution 
 of that purpose the mass of the French forces were 
 directed on the center; the extreme left was assailed only 
 by the division from the right of Erlon's corps. Ney 
 was to conduct the three other divisions to the right of 
 La Hair Sainte. The corps of Reille was to support this 
 movement. Two divisions were between this road and 
 
10 
 
 the farm of Hougomont. The division of Prince Jerome 
 was to attack this farm, constituting, as it did, the salient 
 point of the enemy's lines. Wellington had formed loop- 
 holes in the walls of the chateau and garden, and secured 
 the enclosure of the park, occupying the whole with the 
 English Guards. The Sixth French Corps and a mass of 
 cavalry followed as a third and fourth line to the center, 
 so as to support Ney's attack; twenty-four battallions of 
 the guard and cuirassiers forming the fifth and sixth 
 lines, ready to bear upon the decisive point. The plan of 
 attack has been regarded as a model by the masters of the 
 art of war. 
 
 Napoleon had purposed to begin the attack early in the 
 morning, but rain had fallen in torrents during the night 
 of the 17th and previous day, which delayed the attack 
 until eleven o'clock of the eighteenth of June, when the 
 attack commenced with artillery and musketry against the 
 farm of Hougomont, which Jerome endeavored to carry. 
 A few moments after Ney presented himself at the oppo- 
 site extreme of the line. The marshal began a violent 
 cannonade against the enemy's left, merely waiting for a 
 signal to fall upon it. 
 
 A little after twelve o'clock strong columns were dis- 
 covered on the right in the direction of Lasue and St. 
 Lambert, supposed to be a detachment of Grouchy's men. 
 A detachment of three thousand horse were sent to a 
 point where they could either cover Napoleon's flank or 
 open a communication with Grouchy. A Prussian hussar, 
 with an intercepted letter, announced the approach of 
 Bulow with an estimated force of thirty thousand men. 
 This information determined Napoleon to hasten the 
 attack. Ney at one o'clock made his first onslaught on the 
 center, and by a vigorous charge pierced the first line of 
 the Belgian brigade, but in turn was suddenly assailed by 
 
11 
 
 an English division under Picton, who had been placed 
 in the second line behind a rise of ground favorable to 
 their concealment. 
 
 The combat now became furiou§. The French columns 
 under a murderous fire began to waver, and being charged 
 by the English cavalry their ranks were broken. While 
 these things were taking place against the left and left centre 
 of the Allies, Jerome had dislodged the enemy from the 
 park of Hougomont; but all efforts were vain against the 
 embattled walls and chateau, which was defended by the 
 English Guards. 
 
 Wel'lington was waiting for the promised aid of Blucher, 
 and sought every means to prolong the contest. For him 
 there was no hope of retreat; he must conquer or die. 
 Seeing the efforts of the French were towards his centre, 
 he called twenty battalions of Belgians and Brunswickers, 
 and placed them in reserve behind the right and centre, 
 and himself repaired to the defense of Hougomont. At 
 this point there was an unsuccessful attempt made on the 
 chateau by the division of Jerome to dislodge the enemy, 
 which however failed and degenerated into a cannonade 
 and skirmishes, without advantage to either side. In this 
 interval Ney applied all his energy and force of character 
 to repair the check which he had received in his first 
 attack, and at four o'clock, after almost superhuman 
 efforts, Ney's troops were masters of the two points of 
 La Hair Sainte and Papelotte, which gave the French a 
 decided superiority and all the chances were now in their 
 favor. 
 
 At this moment it was found that Bulow, with the 
 fourth corps of the Prussian army, thirty thousand strong, 
 debouched from the woods and commenced an attack on 
 the fifth corps of the French under Laban, with only 
 about twelve thousand six hundred infantry at his dis- 
 posal. Bulow advanced until he reached the rear of the 
 LofC. 
 
12' 
 
 French center, and it became all important to arrest his 
 further advance. Accordingly, at five o'clock the Young 
 Guard with a part of the Old Guard were directed against 
 him with the purpose of afterwards falling upon Wellington 
 with the united reserve. In the meantime Ney was 
 merely to sustain himself in possession of the two points, 
 La Hair Sainte and Papelotte. 
 
 Wellington on his side, encouraged by the attack of 
 Bulow and reinforced by troops from his extreme right, 
 sought to regain possession of the park of Hougomont 
 and the farm house of La Hair Sainte, and for this pur- 
 pose Hanoverian and English troops were directed to 
 these two posts. At this moment Ney sought to get 
 possession at all hazards of the plateau Mont St. Jean and 
 throw his brave cuirassiers on the centre of the Allies. 
 This was a glorious operation most heroically executed; 
 but the plateau was crowned, and it became now neces- 
 sary to sustain Ney where he was or allow his troops to 
 be cut off. At this time, say after six o'clock, the reserves 
 of the French cavalry to the number often thousand were 
 ordered to advance, and caused great havoc on the 
 enemy's lines, and their progress was only checked by the 
 infantry of the second line. The combined English, 
 Belgian, Hanoverian and Brunswick cavalry now charged 
 the French, but the latter rallied again at a short distance 
 and in turn drive back the Allies' horse upon their infantry. 
 The repeated efforts of this cavalry are glorious beyond 
 description, and the impassable perseverence of their 
 adversaries is also deserving of the highest praise. Wel- 
 lington himself says "that he never saw anything more 
 admirable than the ten or twelve reiterated charges of the 
 French curassieurs against troops of all arms." 
 
 But disorder now began in the allied army, reaching 
 even to Brussels, where the French were momentarily 
 expected. Bulow had been driven back by the French, 
 
13 
 
 and Grouchy's cannon were now heard in the distance 
 and victory seemed assured to the French. 
 
 To give the finishing stroke, at half past seven all the 
 Guard unite and carry the strong position of Mont St. 
 Jean, which was thought would certainly insure the 
 balance in their favor. But this illusion was of short 
 duration. The French cavalry had hardly rallied its 
 victorious squadrons, when Blucher himself with one or 
 more of his corps arrived. 
 
 A bold movement was made to change the fortunes of 
 the day, led by the Emperor himself, aided by Marshal 
 Ney and the brave soldiers of the Old Guard, but these 
 herculean efforts proved of no avail. All that part of the 
 imperial army that were sent against the Prussians under 
 Bulow, broken and pierced by forces double their own 
 numbers, took refuge in flight. 
 
 Wellington, seeing that the attack of Blucher was giv- 
 ing the decisive blow, collected his best troops, regained 
 the park of Hougomont, fell upon the Old Guard with an 
 overwhelming superiority and waged an indiscriminate 
 warfare upon the disordered and retreating forces of the 
 Emperor. The remnant of cuirassiers and the cavalry 
 of the Guard do wonders; but all is in vain. Infantry, 
 cavalry and artillery join pell mell in the retreat, leaving 
 Napoleon to effect his own escape across the fields, accom- 
 panied only by his staff, without a battallion with which to 
 check the enemy. 
 
 Thus ended one of the most courageously fought battles 
 known to history. Whatever else may be said or thought 
 of this world-renowned contest, the masters of military 
 art are all agreed as to the ultimate cause of Napoleon's 
 defeat. Had Grouchy prevented the junction of the 
 Prussians under Blucher with those of Wellington, or 
 flanked their columns on their retreat from the battle-field 
 of Ligny by a lateral pursuit, and thus joined his forces to 
 
14 
 
 those of the French at the opportune time at Waterloo, in 
 all human probability the result would have added an- 
 other chaplet to the brow of the all-conquering hero. 
 
 After the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon returned to 
 Paris. Those of the French forces who escaped, assembled 
 between Laire and Paris. The ministers were called to- 
 gether to deliberate on the measures necessary to save the 
 country. Napoleon appeared before this council, and 
 urged conferring upon him dictorial powers or giving the 
 same to the Chambers. But neither plan was adopted, 
 and the result was the abdication of Napoleon in favor of 
 his son under the title of Napoleon II., Emperor of the 
 French. His purpose was to exile himself from Europe 
 and come to America, but^ this purpose was thwarted, 
 and he was doomed to end his days on the lone island of 
 St. Helena. 
 
 It is known to students of history, that there is consid- 
 erable diversity of sentiment, as well as of statements, in 
 reference to this memorable struggle; and as the forego- 
 ing account of the campaign and battle is mainly gleaned 
 from French sources, I deem it but just to the Allies to 
 give briefly their version of the battle. 
 
 It was on the fifteenth of June that the French troops 
 took up their line of march in three columns, which were 
 pointed upon Charleroi and its vicinity. Napoleon had 
 resolved to occupy Brussels, and his line of advance thus 
 lay through the line of cantonments of the Allies. The 
 Prussian general rapidly concentrated his forces and on 
 the morning of the i6th Blucher was in position at Ligny 
 with 80,000 men. Wellington's troops were concentrated 
 at Quartre Bras, about nine miles distant. 
 
 On the i6th Napoleon in person attacked Blucher, and 
 after a long and obstinate battle defeated him and com- 
 pelled the Prussian army to retire toward Wavre. On 
 
15 
 
 the same day Marshal Ney, with a large part of the French 
 army, attacked the -English at Quartre Bras; and, though 
 failing to defeat them, succeeded in preventing them from 
 sending help to Blucher. 
 
 On the news of Blucher's defeat at Ligny, Wellington, 
 having received promise of his assistance, retreated to 
 and halted on the seventeenth of June at the memorable 
 field of Waterloo. The scene of this celebrated action 
 must be familiar either from description or recollection to 
 all. I shall only aim at giving a general idea of the main 
 features of an event resulting in the discrowning of 
 Napoleon and a crowning victory for the Allies. 
 
 When, after a very hard-fought and long-doubtful day, 
 Napoleon had succeeded in driving back the Prussian 
 army from Ligny, and had resolved on marching himself 
 to assail the English, he sent Marshal Grouchy on the 17th 
 with 30,000 men to pursue the defeated Prussians and to 
 prevent their marching to aid the Duke of Wellington, 
 
 Great criminations passed afterward between the Mar- 
 shal and the Emperor as to how this duty was attempted 
 to be performed and the reason of its failure. But it may 
 be surmised that the failure was not so much the fault of 
 Grouchy as the indomitable heroism and perseverence of 
 Blucher himself in exposing a part of his army to be over- 
 whelmed by Grouchy at Wavre on the 1 8th, while he 
 urged the march of the mass of his troops upon Waterloo. 
 "It is not at Wavre but at Waterloo," said the Marshal, 
 "that the campaign is to be decided." 
 
 It was in full reliance on Blucher's aid that the duke 
 stood his ground and fought the battle of Waterloo. The 
 strength of the army under Wellington at Waterloo has 
 been put at 67,655 men; Napoleon's at 71,947. 
 
 An accurate idea may be gained of the battle-field by 
 picturing a valley between two and three miles long, of 
 various breadths at different points, but generally not 
 
16 
 
 exceeding half a mile. On each side of the valley there 
 is a winding chain of low hills, running somewhat parallel 
 with each other. The declivity from each of these ranges 
 of hills to the intervening valley is gentle but not uniform. 
 The English occupied the northern, the French the 
 southern ridge. The village of Mont St. Jean is situated a 
 little behind the center of the northern chain of hills; 
 that of La Belle Alliance close behind the center of the 
 southern ridge. The road from Charleroi to Brussels 
 runs through each of these villages and bisects both the 
 English and French positions; that of Wellington was 
 strengthened by a village and farm called Mark Branie on 
 the extreme right, and on his extreme left by two little 
 hamlets. La Haye and Papellote. 
 
 Behind the whole British position was the forest of 
 Soignies. In front of the British right was an old 
 fashioned farm-house called Hougomont. In front of the 
 British center was another farm-house called La Haye 
 Sainte, which was held by British troops, and was of 
 great importance to them in the progress of the battle. 
 
 The principal feature of the French position, in addition 
 to those mentioned, was the village of Planchenoit in the 
 rear of their right, and aided them in checking the advance 
 of the Prussians. 
 
 The Prussians were on the morning of the i8th at 
 Wavre, twelve miles east of Waterloo. Theilman with 
 17,006 men was left to defend Grouchy's contemplated 
 attack on Wavre, whilst Bulow and Blucher moved toward 
 Waterloo and began to appear on Napoleon's right in 
 considerable numbers as early as five o'clock P.M. Never 
 was the issue of a single battle looked forward to as 
 involving consequences of such vast importance, or of such 
 universal influence. 
 
 At about half past eleven o'clock Napoleon began the 
 battle by attacking Hougomont. After nine hours of 
 
1^ 
 
 deadly strife, victory perched upon the standard of the 
 Allied forces, and the exultant armies of England and 
 Prussia were in undisturbed possession of the heights 
 lately occupied by their enemies. 
 
 The battle was lost by France past all recovery. The 
 loss of the French army in killed and wounded is given at 
 18,500, with some 8,000 prisoners taken. The loss of the 
 Allies were reported to be over twenty-three thousand in 
 killed, wounded and missing. 
 
 Before the return of the Emperor from Elba, death had 
 removed the most brilliant of his former Marshals. 
 Grouchy, Soult, Davoust and Ney were the most renowned 
 of those who espoused his cause after his return. 
 
 Grouchy was given Murat's place in charge of the cavalry. 
 After the battle of Waterloo he brought off his corps 
 safely, and was given the command of the whole army, 
 and arrived at Paris June 29, 181 5. The Bourbons 
 intended to have him shot, but he escaped to Philadelphia 
 and died in that city in 1847. Soult was exiled and died 
 at the age of 82 years, during the reign of Napoleon III, 
 After Napoleon left the capital Davoust became provis- 
 ional governor, and agreed to the capitulation and sur- 
 render of Paris. The saddest fate of all was that of Mar- 
 shal Ney, who was shot on the seventh of December, 181 5, 
 in Luxemburg. It is said when the officer of the firing 
 party saw who it was, he became petrified, but another 
 was found to take his place, and the world-renowned war- 
 rior fell with six balls in his body and three in the head 
 and neck. The forms of law could not be carried out* 
 the demands of revenge could be. 
 
 There are on the battle-ground and in the Church and 
 church-yard of the village of Waterloo numerous monu- 
 ments and tablets of marble to commemorate the deeds 
 and designates the resting places of officers and soldiers, 
 who fell in that memorable conflict. The most noted of 
 
18 
 
 these is known as "Lion Mount," a vast accumulation of 
 of earth, covering the bones of many that were slain in 
 battle, and marks the spot where the Prince of Orange 
 was wounded, and near to which was the desperate 
 charges of the French cavalry, just before the appearance 
 of Blucher with the Prussian legions that determined the 
 conflict. On this rises a conical mound two hundred feet 
 in height and surmounted with a bronze figure of the 
 British lion, with paws overlapping each other, and, sig- 
 nificantly enough, his body heading towards France. 
 
 Of this "Child of Destiny," it may be said, that his mili- 
 tary achievements have not been surpassed in all the cen- 
 turies agone. It is equally true that he wielded this 
 power for ambitious, selfish ends, and to the irreparable 
 injury, as well of his own, as the other kingdoms devas- 
 tated by the tread of his armies. His shameful putting 
 away of the Empress Josephine, and his utter disregard of 
 every social and moral virtue, brand him as a moral leper, 
 whose life and example was only evil, and that continually. 
 
 The gilded dome that has been raised over his sleeping 
 dust on the banks of the Seine, in the Church of the 
 Invalides, may serve to inspire the looker-on with its 
 grandeur and beauty, but it soothes none of the pangs of 
 sorrow that he brought to the sons and daughters of his 
 native land. 
 
 Perhaps the most enduring monument to his fame and 
 greatness will be found in the Code of laws framed by him, 
 known as "The Code Napoleon," that is substantially the 
 same now in force in France, and most of the states of 
 Europe, as also in some of the states of our own country. 
 But to the rising generation there is much more of warn- 
 ing, in the life and character of this man, than of com- 
 mendation and emulation, — 
 
 "Who would soar to such a viewless height, 
 To set in ignominous night?" 
 
19 
 
 And what of France? The darkest, bloodiest chapter 
 in the book of time is the slaughter of St. Bartholomew 
 on the banks of the Seine. The conspiracy that con- 
 ceived and the wickedness that executed this plot, by which 
 one hundred thousand of French Hugenots were slain 
 because of their religious belief, will go down the passing 
 ages as the monster crime known to history. Who does 
 not see in this fiendish deed, its legitimate outgrowth in the 
 Reign of Terror? the Guillotine, the horrorsof the commune, 
 and the deadly inquisition? Yea, more; God's holy day 
 has been set at naught, its observance discontinued and 
 scoffed at. And from that day forth, it would seem as if the 
 avenging angel had been hovering over this delightsome 
 land, with bended bow and destructive quivers, crying, 
 "How long? O Lord! how long? Wilt thou not avenge 
 the death of thy saints? Verily, verily, this people have 
 sown to the wind, and are reaping and garnering the 
 whirlwind, as their harvest." 
 
JUL 28 l'J05 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 020 696 598 8