1 meet them. Are they and we no longer the same | same time, the light cavalry of the French following men? "Soldiers! at Jena, against these same Prussians, now so arrogant, you were one against three, and at Montmirail one against six! "Let those among you who have been prisoners of the English, detail to you the hulks, and the frightful miseries which they suffered! "The Saxons, the Belgians, the Hanoverians, the soldiers of the confederation of the Rhine, lament that they are compelled to lend their arms to the cause of princes, the enemies of justice and the rights of all nations; they know that this coalition is insatiable. After having devoured twelve millions of Poles, twelve millions of Italians, one million of Saxons, six millions of Belgians, it must devour the states of the second rank of Germany. "The madmen! a moment of prosperity blinds them. The oppression and humiliation of the French people are beyond their power. If they enter France, they will there find their tomb. the second corps as far as Marchienne-au-pont, turned to the right, after crossing the Sambre, and pushed along the left bank as far as Charleroi. In consequence of this rapid and unexpected movement, Charleroi was taken before the Prussians had time to destroy the bridge. The third division occupied the road to Namur, and the rest of the army were stationed between Charleroi and Gosselies. The Prussian garrison of Charleroi retired on Fleures, where Blucher was concentrating his army. On the morning of the 16th, the French troops, which had hitherto remained on the right of the Sambre, crossed that river. As soon as this was effected, Buonaparte determined to attack the Prussians and British at the same time. The left wing of his army, consisting of the first and second corps, and of four divisions of cavalry, was now under the command of Marshal Ney. Buonaparte directed him to march upon Brussels by the way of Gosselies and Frasnes, while the centre and the right wing, with the imperial guards, under the immediate command of Napoleon, marched to the right towards Fleures against Blucher. The intelligence of Buonaparte's movements reached Brussels on the evening of the 15th, at which time the "Soldiers! we have forced marches to make, battles to fight, dangers to encounter; but, with steadiness, victory will be ours ;-the rights, the honour, the happiness of the country will be re-conquered! "To every Frenchman who has a heart, the moment Duke of Wellington and most of his officers were at a is arrived to conquer or perish. ball given by the Duchess of Richmond. Orders were immediately issued that the garrison of Brussels should move out to meet the enemy; and, at the same time, The Duke of Wellington, notwithstanding he had the cavalry, artillery, and guards, who were stationed used his best endeavours to learn the arrival of Buona-at Enghien, were directed to move in the same direcparte at his army as soon as it took place, was certainly tion. Among the first to muster in Brussels, were the not early informed of that event, and yet it was of the forty-second and ninety-second Highland regiments, utmost consequence that he should be so; for, in con- which had become great favourites in that city. They sequence of the want of provisions, and especially of were so domesticated in the houses where they were forage, he had found it necessary to disperse his army quartered, that it was no uncommon thing to see a very much. The British cavalry were as far off as the Highland soldier taking care of the children, or keepbanks of the Dender; the Prussians occupied the line ing the shop of his host. They thus gained on the afof the Sambre, and, consequently, were nearest the fections of the honest Flemings, who had been so little enemy. As it was impossible to know at what point accustomed to experience such mildness and good beBuonaparte would commence the attack, it was neces-haviour in soldiers, that they could not believe they sary, also, on this account, to spread the British and Prussian forces over a wide space: they were, however, so posted, as to afford the means of quick combination and mutual support. would be a match for the ferocious troops of Buonaparte; and they grieved to think that men to whom they had become so attached, should be exposed to the almost certain destruction to which they were marching. The Duke of Wellington's head-quarters were at The Highlanders, however, soon proved that, if they were Brussels, and certainly the appearance of the French gentle as lambs in their quarters, they were fierce and upon the Sambre was an unexpected piece of intelli- unconquerable as lions in the field. They assembled gence there. The advance of Buonaparte was as bold with the utmost alacrity to the well-known martial air as it was sudden. The second corps attacked the out-"Come to me, and I will give you flesh,"-an invitation posts of the Prussians, drove them in, pursued them, to the wolf and to the raven, for which they were going crossed the Sambre, and advanced for the purpose of to prepare an ample feast. intercepting the Prussian garrison at Charleroi. At the The alarm excited in Brussels, on this occasion, has been thus described by an interesting writer, who was an eye-witness of the scenes which he relates: summer-morning broke through the edge of the sky; but the candles still continued to shine through the "It was past andnight, and profound repose seemed windows, showing that no person had been at rest to reign over Brussels, when suddenly the drums beat during the night; and their pale hue, as the morning to arms, and the loud call of the trumpet was heard advanced, gave a melancholy character to the look of from every part of the city. It is impossible to describe the streets, corresponding with the general feeling of the effect of these sounds, heard in the silence of the the spectators, who crowded to see gallant men go night. We were not long left in doubt of the truth. forth to death. The light was scarcely sufficient to disA second courier had arrived from Blucher; the attack cover features, before the march commenced;-feathers, had become serious; the enemy were in considerable flags, and bayonet-points, were all that could be seen. force; they had taken Charleroi, and had gained some They went on and off, and gathered and formed, in a advantage over the Prussians, and our troops were or- hazy obscurity. Mounted officers emerged rapidly from dered to march immediately to support them: instantly the deep shadows that lay in the distances: loud cries every place resounded with martial preparations. There were heard, causing a confusion, that soon, however, was not a house in which military were not quartered, settled itself into military regularity. Women who had and, consequently, the whole town was one universal bidden farewell at home, could not be satisfied, but scene of bustle: the soldiers were seen assembling from came forth, and stood, in slight neglected clothing, at all parts in the Place Royale, with their knapsacks upon the corners by which they knew their friends would their backs; some taking leave of their wives and pass,-almost ashamed of their own feelings, but unchildren; others sitting down unconcernedly upon the able to resist the wish to gain one more look, and repavement, waiting for their comrades; others sleepingceive another pressure of the hand. Our officers speak upon packs of straw, surrounded by all the din of war; with enthusiasm of the signs of affection shown to while bât-horses and baggage-waggons were loading, them at this affecting moment by the Brussels hosts and artillery and commissariat trains harnessing, officers hostesses. A friend of mine was embraced by his riding in all directions, carts clattering, chargers neigh-landlord at the instant of parting, and made to promise, ing, bugles sounding, drums beating, and colours that, if any accident should send him back to Brussels, flying. he would return to the house where he had been long and kindly entertained. The promise was kept: one day only intervened before the officer made his appearance again at the door of this good citizen. He presented himself bleeding, exhausted, and in agony: his inviter received him with open arms;- Now,' said he, you have made me your friend for ever, for you have observed your promise, and have shown that you relied on my sincerity.' Every possible attention was extended to the wounded officer for the several months of his slow recovery, and there was as much delicacy in the manner of these attentions, as heartiness in the dispo “A ludicrous contrast to this martial scene, was presented by a long procession of carts coming quietly in, as usual, from the country to market, filled with old Flemish women, who looked irresistibly comic, seated among their piles of cabbages, baskets of green peas, early potatoes, and strawberries, totally ignorant of the cause of all these warlike preparations, and gazing at the scene around them with gaping wonder, as they jogged merrily along, one after another, through the Place Royale, amidst the crowds of soldiers, and the confusion of baggage-waggons." Another writer makes the following remarks on the sition by which they were dictated. state of the city, at the first alarm: "Every house was the scene of adiens, not the less tender and sorrowful on account of the shortness of the intimacy that had preceded them. The young men that had not been very provident, were in a flutter, trying all sorts of expedients to procure a few necessaries for the march. Relations and intimate friends, belonging to different regiments, hurried together for an instant, to shake hands, and charge each other with short confidential commissions, to be discharged by the survivor. "As the troops were collecting and falling into their ranks, the spectacle was most peculiar and impressive. The darkness gave way a little, as the first light of a "The rapid march was long and painful. The officers, though they knew that the enemy had attacked the Prussians, did not think that they were on their road to immediate battle. But such was the fact. The divisions of our army were at this time all making their. way to the point of concentration fixed upon by their commander: the whole dreadful machine was now in motion,-no one part comprehending its relation to the others, but the eye of the mover superintending and understanding all." The Duke of Wellington, accompanied by his staff, and some squadrons of light cavalry, proceeded, on full gallop, to a farm called Quatre Bras, on the road to Gosselies. This position was of the utmost import auce, as it was situated at the intersection of the roads from Charleroi to Brussels, and from Nivelles to Namur, by which Lord Wellington communicated with the Prussian army at Sombref. A detachment under the Prince of Weimar had retreated hither on the preceding evening, having been driven from the ground which it occupied between Quatre Bras and Frasné; but, being subsequently reinforced by the Prince of Orange, it was again enabled to resume its former position. On his arrival at Quatre Bras, Lord Wellington ordered the troops of the Prince of Weimar to fall back and join him, while he awaited the arrival of the regiments from Brussels, and prepared to repel the attack which he expected the enemy to make. The first and second corps of the French army, under the command of Ney, were ordered to advance on Quatre Bras, and attack the position of the British, while Buonaparte, in person, directed his whole remaining force upon the Prussians. Ney executed his orders with great precision, and, leaving the first corps at Frasné, advanced to the combat with the second, and as only the second and fifth divisions of the British army had arrived, succeeded in making a considerable impression. Taking advantage of their numerical superiority, the French attacked some battalions who were separated from the main body, and almost completely destroyed them. A corps of Belgians was ordered to advance with the forty-second Highland regiment to support a detachment which was vigorously pushed by the French. Whether occasioned by the ardour with which the British rushed to the fight, or the slowness with which the Belgians followed, the two battalions were separated. An ambush of French lancers, who were concealed by some hedges and high standing corn, and who could not be discovered till they were close on the British, suddenly rushed upon them. Colonel Macara ordered the regiment, which was advancing in column, to form itself into a square; but, in performing this evolution, two companies were left out, when the lancers charged upon them, and in a moment overwhelmed them. Encouraged by this success, they charged on the square, and, though repulsed with loss, succeeded in cutting down great numbers of the Highlanders, among whom was the gallant colonel. The command was now assumed by Lieutenantcolonel Dick, although he had received a wound in the shoulder from a musket-bullet. He rallied the regiment, formed them into a smaller square, and awaited another attack. The lancers again rushed desperately on them, and, although once more repulsed, did considerable execution. The lieutenant-colonel fainted from loss of blood, and was carried from the field. The next senior officer, however, assumed the command; for not a man thought of retreating or yielding. Again the lancers precipitated themselves on the Scottish heroes; and it was not until the regiment was reduced to less than a tenth of its original number, that the enemy was put to flight. The Prince of Orange, advancing too far, in the ardour of the contest, was surrounded and made prisoner; but a battalion of Belgians, seeing his danger, hastened to his relief, and rescued him from the enemy. The prince immediately tore off the insignia of bis order, and threw it among the soldiers, exclaiming, "There, my brave fellows! you have all deserved it." They accordingly fastened the star to their colours, and exclaiming, "The Prince for ever!" swore to defend it to the last drop of their blood. At this moment they were exposed to a galling fire, and many of them fell while in the act of pronouncing this loyal oath. Under the protection of their numerous cavalry and artillery, the French succeeded in forcing the British positions, and penetrated to the village of Quatre Bras The gallant Wellington, however, contemplated their approach without dismay and without apprehension He stationed himself in an open part of the plain, exposed to the hottest fire, where he could be distinctly seen by both armies, and there issued his orders with as much coolness and precision, as if his troops had been passing before him at a review. Some squadrons of Brunswick cavalry had in vain attempted to stem the enemy's progress. They rapidly retreated along the high road through the village, and were closely pursued by Napoleon's cuirassiers, when the ninety-second regiment, which lined a ditch bordering the road, poured on the French, who were almost at the muzzles of their guns, an unexpected volley, which destroyed every man in the direction of their fire, and made a complete chasm between the front and rear ranks of the squadrons which were galloping by. The few who were in advance proceeded to the spot on which the Duke of Wellington was posted, and rushed on him and his staff; but they were, to a man, either killed or taken. The rear of the enemy disconcerted by this unexpected reception, turned their horses and fled. The ninety-second now leaped from the ditch to charge in their turn. As they rose, a tremendous volley was poured upon them by a mass of French infantry at a little distance. The staff of the regimental colours was completely shattered, and the ensign who supported it was shot through the heart. The British infantry, however, cheered and advanced. A little further on was a house, with a garden on the opposite side of the road. These were occupied by the Corsican's. intimidated, and could with difficulty preserve itself from being broken. Ney, perceiving the danger to which he was exposed, sent in haste for the first corps; but he found, to his utter astonishment, that Buonaparte had already employed it at Sombref, to enable troops, who, under cover of the enclosure and the walls, | The French were not only driven from every position kept up a constant fire on the British as they approach- which they had gained, but the whole of their line was ed. The impetuosity of the ninety-second regiment was not to be restrained; the garden and the house were speedily cleared, and the enemy pursued to the skirt of a wood But, in this short space, they had sustained a loss of three hundred men. Four commanding officers were successively wounded and car-him to carry the position of the Prussians. ried off the field, and the regiment was now separated from the rest of the line, and compelled, though most reluctantly, to retire. The marshal's consternation at this discovery was extreme; as all his plans were deranged, and the day appeared to be inevitably lost: but, recalling his selfpossession, he brought the whole of the reserve of the second corps into action, and led them himself to the charge. The French cuirassiers advanced with great courage, but they were unable to withstand the cool intrepidity of the British troops, and, receiving a galling fire from some infantry who lined the wood, they turned their horses and fled. The thirty-third regiment, in the mean time, after suffering severely from the enemy's artillery, was broken by a charge of cavalry, and driven into the wood of Bossu with immense loss. The French followed them with impetuosity, and were rapidly making themselves masters of the wood, when the first division of the guards fortunately arrived on the field of battle. They had marched nearly twelve hours without intermission, The twenty-eighth regiment was now attacked by a and, though exhausted with hunger and fatigue, they numerous body of cuirassiers and lancers, and, being immediately formed into line, arrested the progress of formed into a square, continued to fire, at the same the enemy, and drove him again into the plain. But, time, from three sides, on one of which the lancers in penetrating through the forest, their line had become presented themselves, and, on the two others, the cuiirregular and broken, and, on emerging into the open rassiers. In vain the cavalry repeatedly and despeground, they found a division of French infantry drawn rately charged upon them. As the front ranks were up ready to receive them. Flushed with success, the pierced by the sabres or lances of their horsemen, their guards waited not to re-form their line, but darted for- places were immediately supplied, and, as their numwards to the new combat; and the French, imagining bers decreased, the square was gradually diminished; that they should easily repulse so irregular an attack, but not for a moment were they disordered; not one readily engaged them. The contest, though short, was opening was left for the cavalry to penetrate, and at very severe. The French recoiled from the shock, length, by their incessant and deliberate fire, they sucand were pursued up the rising ground, when the ceeded in completely repulsing the enemy. Several cavalry of Ney, perceiving that the British division French squadrons, however, still hovered round them, was unsupported, charged upon them. All attempts and it would have been dangerous to have deployed. to form a square were in vain, and their only safety They therefore advanced in square against a mass of consisted in a rapid retreat to the forest. This they infantry, and, in a few moments, penetrated their cenhappily effected, though with some loss; and, having tre, and routed them; then deploying, they charged rallied in the wood, they poured on the cavalry, which in line, and cleared the whole front of a host of skirpursued them, a destructive fire, which not only check-mishers, which covered the retreat of the main body. ed their progress, but soon sent them in disorder from The French were now thrown into complete confusion. The baggage, the camp-followers, and the wounded who had been sent into the rear, conceived that the fate of the day was decided, and retreated as rapidly as possible towards Charleroi. the field. The guards again advanced to the attack of the infantry, which had now occupied its former position. Again the enemy was unable to stand before them; and once more pushing on too far in the eagerness of pursuit, the cavalry rushed on them as before, and drove them back to the forest. A corps of Brunswickers now joined the British, and advancing together, they finally compelled the enemy to retreat. The Duke of Wellington, in the mean time, though considerably outnumbered by the enemy, had obstinately contested every inch of ground. By the arrival of the guards he was enabled to act on the offensive. General Rousel's division of cuirassiers then presented itself, and held the British advanced troops in check, till the infantry had time to rally. These formed into squares, and retired as far as Frasné, where they again halted. The British, however, promptly pursued, and endeavoured by several determined charges to carry the heights, but the French fought with a desperation, which maintained their position. The engagement conItinued with various success until the close of day, when the first corps of the French army, of which Buonaparte | force to oppose him. To himself he reserved the task had made no use, returned to Frasné, and the British cavalry arrived from Niuove. It was now too late for either party to avail themselves of their reinforcements, and they bivouacked on their respective positions. This battle, though attended with no decisive result, reflected the highest credit on the British arms. During the greater part of the day, the Duke of Wellington contended against an immense superiority of numbers. His artillery had not arrived, and at no time had he more than a few squadrons to oppose to the crowd of cuirassiers and lancers who galloped round the British squares, and availed themselves of the slightest disorder to break in upon and overwhelm the infantry. The divisions, also, were separately engaged, and advanced to the combat fatigued by a long and rapid march, and without having taken any refreshment since the preceding day. of coping with Blucher, and by his overthrow cutting off all communication between the Prussian and British armies, and compelling each to seek safety in unconnected movements. The Prussian veteran was strongly posted to receive his inveterate foe. His army occupied a line where three villages, built upon broken and unequal ground, served each as a separate redoubt, defended by infantry, and well furnished with artillery. His right wing occupied the village of St. Amand, his centre was posted at Ligny, and his left at Sombref. All these hamlets are strongly built, and contain several houses, with large court-yards and orchards, each of which is capable of being converted into a station of defence. The ground behind these villages forms an amphitheatre of some elevation, in front of which is a deep ravine, edged by straggling thickets of trees. The villages were in front of the ravine; and masses of infantry were stationed behind each, to reinforce the defenders as circumstances might require. In this position Blucher had assembled three corps of his army, amounting to eighty thousand men. But the fourth corps, commanded by Bulow, being in distant cantonments between Liege and Hannut, had not arrived at the point of concentration. The force of the assailants is stated in the Prussian despatches at one hundred and thirty thousand men. But, as Ney had at least thirty thousand soldiers under him at Quatre Bras, it does not seem that the troops under Buonaparte's immediate command at the battle of Ligny, even including a strong reserve, which consisted of the first entire division, could exceed one hundred thousand men. The forces, therefore, actually engaged on both sides, might be nearly equal. The loss on both sides was prodigious, and nearly equal. The allies acknowledged a loss of nearly four thousand men in killed, wounded, and prisoners, and the French a loss of four thousand two hundred. The number of prisoners, on either side, was inconsiderable. Among the killed of the allied army was the Duke of Brunswick, who fell as he was gallantly heading his troops in a desperate charge. He had recently returned from England to take possession of the dominions of his ancestors, and, on the first intelligence of the landing of Buonaparte, had hastened with his black hussars, and other regiments, to join the armies of the allies. He led in person every charge of cavalry during this memorable day. He was scarcely engaged when a severe wound caused him, for a moment, to retire to the rear; a handkerchief was bound over it, and he returned to his men, who were beginning to waver, and led them back to the charge. Two slight wounds, which he afterwards received, were disregarded; and, after that, another dangerous one checked not his ardour; and it was not until the corps of the enemy to which he was now opposed was dispersed, that he would permit a dressing to be applied. This was scarcely completed, when the enemy again advanced The morning was employed in reconnoitring the in force, and threatened to overwhelm one of the Bri-ground, and making the necessary dispositions; but,, tish divisions. He again placed himself at the head of his men, and led them on to a more desperate charge than they had yet attempted, when a musket-bullet passed through his bridle-hand into his breast, and caused his death in a few minutes. When the Corsican moved with his centre and right wing against Blucher, he imagined that he left to Ney a more easy task than his own; and that the marshal would find no difficulty in pushing on to Brussels, before the British army could be concentrated in sufficient Fired by sentiments of the most inveterate hostility, the ordinary rules of war, which, on other occasions, afford some mitigation of its horrors, were renounced upon both sides. The Prussians declared their purpose to give and receive no quarter; and two of the French divisions hoisted the black flag, as an intimation of a similar intention. at three o'clock in the afternoon, the engagement commenced by a furious cannonade, under cover of which the third corps of the French army, commanded by Vandamme, attacked the village of St. Amand. They were received by the Prussians with the most determined resistance, in despite of which they succeeded in carrying the village at the point of the bayonet, and established themselves in the church and church-yard The Prussians made the most desperate efforts to recover possession of this village, which was the key of |