WARS and BATTLES
From Ancient Greece - to modern day.
Need this create surprise when we reflect that the struggle was one for mastery between the far-famed conqueror of Italy and the victorious liberator of the Peninsula; between the triumphant vanquisher of Eastern Europe, and the bold and successful invader of the south of France! Fever was the issue of a single battle looked forward to as involving consequences of such vast importance, of such universal influence." It was approaching noon before the action commenced. Napoleon, in his memoirs, gives as the reason for this delay, the miry state of the ground through the heavy rains of the preceding night and day, which rendered it impossible for cavalry or artillery to maneuver on it till a few hours of dry weather had given it its natural consistency. It has been supposed, also, that he trusted to the effect, which the sight of the imposing array of his own forces was likely to produce on the part of the allied army. The Belgian regiments had been tampered with and Napoleon, had well founded hopes of seeing them quit the Duke of Wellington in a body, and range themselves under his own eagles. The duke, however, who knew and did not trust them, had guarded against the risk of this by breaking up the corps of Belgians, and distributing then - in separate regiments among troops on whom he could rely, f At last, at about half past eleven o'clock, Napoleon began the battle by directing a powerful force from his left wing under his brother, Prince Jerome, to attack Hougoumont. Column after column of the French now descended from the west of the southern heights, and assailed that post with fiery valor, which was encountered with the most determined bravery. The French won. the copse round the house, but a party of the British Guards held the house itself throughout the day. Amid shell and shot, and the blazing fragments of part of the buildings, this obstinate contest was continued. But still the English held Hougoumont, though the French occasionally moved forward in such numbers as enabled them to surround and mask this post with part of their troops from their left wing, while others pressed onward up the slope, and assailed the British right. The cannonade, which commenced at first between the British riehtand the French left, in consequence of the attack on Hougoumont, soon became general along both lines; and about one o'clock Napoleon directed a grand attack to be made under Marshal Ney upon the center and left wing of the allied army For this purpose four columns of infantry, amounting to about 18,000 men, were collected, supported by a strong division of cavalry under the celebrated Kellerman, and seventy-four guns were brought forward ready to be posted on the right of a little undulation of the ground in the interval between the two main ranges of heights, so as to bring their fire to bear on the duke's line at a range of about seven hundred yards By the combined assault of these formidable forces led by Ney, "the bravest of the brave." Napoleon hoped to force the left center of the British position, to take La Haye Sainte and then, pressing forward, to occupy also the farm of Mont St. Jean He then could cut the mass of Wellington's troops off from their line of retreat upon Brussels and from their own left, and also completely sever them from any Prussian troops that might be approaching. The columns destined for this great and decisive operation descended majestically from the French range of bills, and gamed the ridge of the intervening eminence, on which the batteries that supported them were now ranged. As the columns descended again from the eminence, the seventy-four guns opened over their heads with terrible effect upon the troops of the allies that were stationed on the heights to the left of the Charleroi road. One of the French columns kept to the east, and attacked the extreme left of the allies; the other three continued to move rapidly forward upon the left center of the allied position. The front line here was composed of Blyant's brigade of Dutch and Belgaus As the French columns moved up the southward slope of the height on which the Dutch and Belgians stood, and the skirmishers in advance began to open their fire, Blyant's entire brigade turned and fled in disgraceful and disorderly panic; but there were men more worthy of the name behind.
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