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root in France, and that in the event of the approaching conflict terminating in his favour, he would find it extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to govern the country by his former despotic maxims.

From Napoleon's indefatigable activity, a large army, amounting to 130,000 men, the best disciplined, equipped, and devoted that France had ever sent into the field, was assembled in cantonments within the French frontier, on the side of the Netherlands. Very few of the principal marshals espoused the cause of Napoleon: amongst those actively employed, we only discover the names of the Princes of Eckmuhl and of the Moskwa, and the Dukes of Dalmatia, Treviso, and Albufera (Suchet).

Napoleon's old associate in arms, the Prince of Neufchatel, the most respected and respectable officer in the French army, and perhaps one of the best tacticians in Europe, had been urgently solicited by Napoleon to resume his former functions as major-general of the grand army. The fidelity of the prince, it should appear, was not to be shaken, and, to end a contest between inclination and gratitude on the one hand, and a sense of duty on the other, he threw himself out of a window at Homburg, and perished.

Before we narrate the events of this immortal campaign, we must take a brief review of the positions and forces of the armies which opposed Napoleon. The forces of Prince Blucher consisted of 80,000 Prussians, cantoned in Charleroi, Ghent, Namur, and the left bank of the Sambre: another corps of Prussians, amounting to 30,000 men, under Bulow, occupied the country between Liege and Harrub. The Duke of Wellington's entire force was estimated at 80,000 men, from whom 15,000 being deducted for garrison, there will remain disposable for active service in the field, 65,000 men. This army was composed of troops of various nations, in the following proportions: British, 36,000; German Legion, 8000; Hanoverians, 14,000; Belgians, Brunswickers, and troops of Nassau, 22,000.

The army occupied the positions of Enghien, Braine-le

Comte, Nivelles, Ath, Oudenard, Grammont, Brussels, Ghent, and Nievre, and could be all concentrated in twentyfour hours, along the whole eastern frontiers of France: separate armies were stationed, the most considerable of which was commanded by the Duke of Albufera. Napoleon quitted Paris on the 13th of June, at midnight, and arrived on the 14th at Avesnes. After issuing an energetic proclamation to his soldiers, he put his army in motion, which had been stationed at a little distance within the frontier, and so skilfully were his movements masked, that he debouched unexpectedly upon the Prussians, who were completely taken by surprise. On the 15th, at break of day, the advanced guard of the Prussians were attacked at Thuin, and repulsed as far as Marchienne-au-Point.

At Marchienne and Charleroi they attempted to make a stand, but in vain: they were finally driven out of the town, in which Napoleon established his head-quarters.

This event occurred at noon, and the French army had then proceeded about fifteen miles. The Prince of the Moskwa had passed the Sambre at Marchienne, with the second corps, and, proceeding on the road to Brussels, had attacked and repulsed a Belgian regiment at Frasnes.

The main body of the army continued their pursuit of the Prussians, who, now strongly reinforced and commanded by Blucher in person, turned upon their pursuers, when, after an obstinate action, in which neither party gained an inch of ground, the French retired towards Charleroi, and the Prussians towards Sombref. Thus ended the first day of the campaign, in which the French took above 1000 prisoners. Marshal Blucher had sent a courier to the Duke of Wellington, who, with most of the British officers, was present at a ball at Brussels, to apprise him of the affair at Charleroi, which he represented only as a skirmish. The Duke immediately gave orders for the troops to be in readiness to march at a moment's notice; and, at midnight, another courier arrived, with information of the real position of affairs.

Immediately the drum beat to arms; and in three hours

Many of the
His Grace

each regiment was on its march for Charleroi. officers accompanied them in their ball-dresses, proceeded at full speed with his staff to Quatre Bras; a position of great importance, as it was the point of intersection of the roads from Brussels to Charleroi, and from Nivelle to Namur, by which the British and Prussian armies communicated with each other.

Before we record the events of the 16th, we must state the plan adopted by Napoleon. Reserving to himself the bulk of the French army for the attack of Prince Blucher, he appropriated two corps, amounting together to about 45,000 men, whom he placed under the command of the Prince of the Moskwa, with orders to establish himself at Quatre Bras; engage and destroy the different corps of the English army as they came into the field; and then detach a considerable force to penetrate upon the flank and rear of the Prussian army.

We shall first present our readers with a sketch of that battle of the 16th, in which the French and English forces contended. The Prince of the Moskwa, taking under his immediate command the second corps, advanced upon Quatre Bras, and finding there only the second and fifth divisions of the English army, without cavalry or artillery, succeeded at first in making a considerable impression. A corps of Belgians, accompanied by the 42d regiment, were ordered to support a detachment, briskly pursued by the French, It so happened that the Belgians and British were separated. A column of lancers, lying in ambush, suddenly charged the 42d. Colonel Macara ordered the regiment to form a square; but before this manoeuvre could be perfectly executed, two companies of that gallant regiment suffered considerably. Lieutenantcolonel Dick, who succeeded to the command upon the death of Colonel Macara, although wounded, bravely repulsed the charges of the enemy, which were renewed, until the regiment was diminished to a tenth of its original number, when the lancers were put to flight. The Prince of Orange, advancing too far, was wounded and taken prisoner,

although immediately rescued by a Belgian battalion and now the battle wore an inauspicious aspect for the British, as their positions were forced, and the enemy had penetrated as far as the village of Quatre Bras.

The Duke of Wellington performed prodigies of valour and exposed his person to the hottest of the fire. The 92d regiment and the Guards particularly distinguished themselves: the former had concealed themselves in a ditch, and when a regiment of cuirassiers passed them at full speed, by a well-directed volley they destroyed the centre of the corps. The advance proceeded on their way to attack the Duke of Wellington and his staff, an enterprize which occasioned their extermination to the last man. The 92d regiment, on rising from the ditch, were saluted by a tremendous fire from a column of infantry: not dismayed by this reception, they expelled the enemy from a house and garden which they occupied; but, from the great loss they had sustained, they were obliged to retire. The 33d regiment had been broken by a charge of cavalry, and compelled to seek refuge in a wood, of which the enemy would speedily have become masters but for the opportune arrival of the Guards, who, notwithstanding they had marched twelve hours, formed into line, charged, and repulsed the assailants. On emerging from the wood, they were opposed by a division of French infantry, who were also driven back. In the pursuit their ranks were disordered, when they were charged in their turn by the French cavalry, who compelled them to retire for protection to the wood. On their arrival, they re-formed, and poured a volley upon the pursuing enemy, which obliged them to retreat. The Guards again advanced to the attack of the infantry, whom they had before discomfited, and again they were successful, when their progress was a second time arrested by the cavalry, and the friendly wood once more offered an asylum. The Guards being reinforced, the enemy were finally compelled to retire.

The Duke of Wellington now became the assailant. The French troops were driven from all their positions in advance.

The centre of the enemy's line wavered, when the Prince of the Moskwa sent for the first corps, which, whether with or without the orders of Napoleon, (for the point is still in obscurity,) had quitted its position in rear, and had marched to succour their comrades in the battle of Ligny. Disappointed in this important succour, the Prince ordered the reserve of the second corps into line: the infantry formed into squares, and, protected by the French cavalry, slowly, and in good order, retired to Frasne, from which all the efforts of the British could not dislodge them. Thus ended the action of Quatre Bras, which reflected the highest lustre on the British arms, inasmuch, as without cavalry and artillery, and with greatly inferior numbers during almost the whole of the day, they had repulsed the army under the Prince of the Moskwa, admirably furnished with both.

The Duke of Brunswick supported the distinguished honour of his house, and nobly fell in this engagement. The loss on each side amounted to about 4000 men. It was peculiarly, fortunate that the first corps, amounting to about 25,000 men, was neutralised on this important day. Thrown into the scale against either the Duke of Wellington or Blucher, the balance might, in either case, have powerfully preponderated against the allies.

We must now return to Napoleon, who, with an army of about 80,000 men, attacked the Prussians at Ligny. The position selected by Blucher was a strong one, having in its front the villages of St. Amand and Ligny. The action began with an attack by the French upon the former which was carried. They then assailed Ligny, but could not penetrate beyond the centre of the village. In this point the battle raged with a murderous fury: the soldiers fought hand to hand; every house became a citadel; each hedge an intrenchment. Animated by the deadliest hatred, quarter was for a long time neither given nor taken, and a destructive fire from 200 pieces of cannon encumbered the earth with dead.. On different parts of the line the action was maintained with the greatest obstinacy, and at one period victory inclined to the side of Blucher. The

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