90,000 fine soldiers, not 40,000 of which could have been killed or
wounded, was nothing the next day but a vast horde of fugitives. We
notice, with contemptuous pity, how the Spanish generals, in 1809,
managed to incur such a disgraceful defeat at Ocana, that out of
50,000 men, not 1,000 kept the field a week after. But here was
one of the finest armies that ever France sent forth, commanded
too, by the conqueror, of Europe; and even the very day after the
battle, not a single thousand men were to be found in the field!
All were utterly scattered and broken up. And yet their general has
the assurance, in criticising the general who has beaten him, to
censure him, especially, because “he had taken no precautions to
secure his retreat!”
But now of his great rival and conqueror:--The Duke of Wellington
had not the same opportunity for displaying his skill and talent
in 1815, which he had enjoyed in 1813. His proposed campaign was
to open on the 1st of July, and it had been the favourite object
of Napoleon to take the initiative, to open the campaign before
the British troops from America had arrived, and thus to lead the
campaign himself without waiting for the Duke to open it. Hence,
during these three days, Napoleon was always advancing, attacking,
while Wellington, with his weak army was making the best defence
he could. And, accordingly, at Waterloo, the Duke knowing the
disparity of his force, could only hope to “keep his ground” till
the Prussians should arrive. He was in the position of a small
man attacked by a giant. He could only parry his blows and allow
the assailant to exhaust his strength, in the hope that, at last,
by a well-aimed thrust he might lay his enemy prostrate. For nine
long hours, therefore, the Duke’s whole business was to meet and
repel the powerful attacks of Napoleon; and he had to do this with,
according to Napoleon’s own admission, “less than 40,000 good
troops.” In fact, his infantry, British and of the German Legion,
were only 18,485, his British and German Legion cavalry 7,834,
while Napoleon had very nearly 70,000 excellent infantry, and more
than 18,000 splendid cavalry. Yet for these nine hours did the Duke
meet and repel all his assaults. This sort of soldiership is less
showy than daring manœuvres, but it is equally valuable; and in the
present instance, when the materials the Duke had to work with are
considered, the merit of it is not at all inferior. One of the best
generals commanding under the Duke, when acknowledging the thanks
of the House of Commons, said, “An army hastily drawn together,
composed of the troops of various nations, and amongst which were
counted several brigades of inexperienced militia, was the force
which the Duke had to oppose to one of the most formidable and
best-appointed armies that France ever produced. No other man
living could have rendered the service which he performed, with an
army so composed.”
The chief point, however, in the character of a great general is
the possession of that “eagle eye” which enables him, amid all the
din and turmoil of a horrible contest, to perceive exactly the
right moment for vigorous action, and the right place at which
to aim an attack. It was this, especially, which gave the Duke
his first signal victory over the French at Salamanca; and it was
this which turned the repulse of the French at Waterloo into a
disastrous defeat.
Narrative-writers, collecting, long after, the best available
testimony from all quarters, and carefully comparing and sifting
the whole, are able to arrive at probable conclusions as to the
order and date of the leading events. But this sort of calm
investigation is wholly different from the horrible din, the
ceaseless clamour, and the almost impervious smoke which obscures
everything on the battle-field. We, for instance, comparing the
accounts of the French, the Prussians, and the Austrians, are
able to arrive at the conclusion, with absolute certainty that
General Bulow’s corps first showed itself on the right of the
French line about half-past four, and began to take part in the
engagement about half-past five. But it is quite certain that the
Duke, fully occupied just then with the French cavalry, who were
riding round his squares, knew nothing of the actual arrival of the
long-expected succour until long after. It was nearly two hours
after this, when, by carefully examining every part of the left
of his line, the Duke was able to perceive the rising of smoke
over Planchenoit. This was not until seven o’clock; but it assured
him of this, that some part of the promised Prussian support had
arrived, and that more must be coming up. And this was sufficient
to give him new hopes of ultimate success, though he could be
certain, as yet, of very little more than that some aid was at hand.
It was shortly after this, and about the time of the movement of
the Imperial Guard, when news reached him from Marshal Blucher
himself that he was then actually joining the extreme left of
the British line. It was this support which enabled the British
light cavalry to move from the left of the line, and to take a
position nearer the centre. And hence, when the English and the
French Guards had tried each other’s mettle, and the latter had
retired in disorder, the Duke saw at one comprehensive glance the
arrival of that moment for which he had been longing,--the defeat
and confusion of Napoleon’s last reserve; the presence of the
long-promised Prussian succours, at that last moment of daylight,
which just allowed time for one daring movement and no more. And
the decision and boldness with which the Duke seized this golden
opportunity are among the finest traits in the whole history of
great military deeds. A brief hesitation, if only of a quarter of
an hour, would have allowed the French, although beaten, to retire
at leisure. A renewal of the contest might have followed after the
lapse of a couple of days, but how different would have been the
whole history of such a campaign from that of Waterloo! It was
this clear perception of the right moment for an attack, and the
fearlessness with which fewer than 30,000 men were led forward to
assault at least twice their numbers, commanded by Napoleon, Soult,
and Ney,--it was this wonderful union of prudence, decision, and
the highest kind of valour, which made the Duke of Wellington the
first of all the generals of his day.
And, united with those lofty endowments, there was the patient,
enduring, untiring discharge of every duty of a commander. In this,
as in every other of his battles, the Duke was constantly wherever
his presence was needed. There could not be a pressure felt at
any portion of the line,--there could not be an anxious moment
when even the bravest might look around him and begin to think
of the possibility of an overthrow, but presently the well-known
chestnut-horse would be seen, and the whisper would run through the
ranks, “Here’s the Duke! stand fast!” This might seem to some to be
merely a matter of course; but it is the being always in the right
place at the right time; it is the union of the commonest duties
with the highest which fills up the outline of a great character,
and leaves to posterity not only a brilliant name, but a really
bright example.”[44]
WAWZ, BATTLE OF.--Fought, March 31st, 1831, between the Poles and
the Russians. After two days of hard labour in fighting, the Poles
carried the Russian works, who were obliged to retreat, with the
loss of 12,000 men and 2000 prisoners. This triumph of the Poles
was shortly after followed by defeat and massacre.
WHITE PLAINS, BATTLE OF.--Between the revolted American Provinces
and the British, under Sir William Howe. Fought, November 30th,
1776. This was the most serious of the early battles of that
unfortunate war, and terminated in the defeat of the Americans, who
suffered considerable loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners.
WIGAN, BATTLE OF.--In the civil war of England, fought between
the King’s troops and the Parliamentary forces. The former were
defeated, 1643. Another battle, between the same parties, was
fought here, 1651.
WITEPSK, BATTLE OF.--Between the French and Russians. The
former commanded by Marshal Victor, and the latter by General
Wittgenstein. The French were defeated, after a desperate
engagement, having lost 3000 men. Fought, November 14th, 1812.
WORCESTER, BATTLE OF.--In the civil war fought between the Royalist
army and the forces of the Parliament, the latter commanded by
Cromwell, a large body of Scots having marched into England to
reinstate Charles II, Cromwell signally defeated them, and it
afforded to him what he called his _crowning mercy_; more than 2000
of the Royalists were slain, and of 8000 prisoners, nearly all were
sold as slaves to the American Colonies. Fought, September 3rd,
1651. The following is an account of the flight of the young King,
after the disastrous day of battle:--
“Charles, in his progress towards Bristol, was pursued by a party
of the enemy to the new ferry over the Severn. He rode through
Shire Newton, and crossed the Severn at Chiswell Pit, on the
Gloucestershire side. The boat had scarcely returned, before a body
of the republicans, amounting to 60 men, followed him to the Black
Rock, and threatening them with instant death if they refused,
compelled the ferrymen to take them across. The boatmen were
royalists, and left them on a reef called English Stones, which
is separated from the Gloucestershire side by a lake, fordable at
low water; but the tide, which had just turned, flowed in with
great rapidity, and they were all drowned in attempting to cross.
Cromwell, when informed of this disaster, abolished the ferry, and
it was not renewed until the year 1748. The renewal occasioned a
law-suit between the family of St. Pierre and the guardians of
the Duke of Beaufort. In the course of the suit, documents were
produced which tended to confirm this anecdote.”
WRECKS.--The most remarkable shipwrecks of British men of war or
transports, or of ships, connected with military events, are the
following which have happened within the last 85 years:
A tremendous storm occurred in October, 1780, in the West Indies,
and the following vessels of war were all lost.
_Thunderer_, of 74 guns; _Stirling Castle_, of 64 guns; _Phœnix_,
of 44 guns; _La Blanche_, of 42 guns; _Laurel_, of 28 guns;
_Andromeda_, of 28 guns; _Deal Castle_, of 24 guns; _Scarborough_,
of 20 guns; _Barbadoes_, of 14 guns; _Cameleon_, of 14 guns;
_Endeavour_, of 14 guns; and the _Victor_, of 10 guns.
_The Royal George_--June 28th, 1782,--1000 persons and brave
Admiral Kenpenfeldt perished by the sinking, or rather oversetting
of this 100 gun man-of-war. The guns on one side all rolled over
to the other, and with the extra weight immediately overset the
ship riding at anchor at Spithead.
_Ramilies_, of 74 guns, off Newfoundland, September 21st, 1782. 100
souls perished.
_Pandora Frigate_, on a reef of rocks, August 28th, 1791. 100 souls
perished.
_Droits de l’Homme_--A British ship of the line, and the _Amazon_,
a frigate, lost off Hodierne Bay. Many hundreds perished, January
14th, 1797.
_Nassau_, of 64 guns, October 25th, 1799. 100 of the crew and
marines perished.
_Queen_, transport on Trefusis Point, January 14th, 1800. 369 souls
lost.
_Queen Charlotte_, of 110 guns, lost March 17th, 1800. This was
the flag ship of Lord Keith, commanding in the Mediterranean
Sea, burnt by accidental fire off the harbor of Leghorn. More
than 700 perished. The ship took fire just before day break. It
was occasioned by a match kept burning for the purpose of firing
salutes, having communicated itself to some hay, &c., and so
rapidly did the fire rage, that nothing could save the noble
vessel. She burned rapidly to the water’s edge, and then blew up.
_Invincible_, of 74 guns, March 20th, 1801. 400 souls perished.
_Apollo_, frigate, lost April 2nd, 1804, in a heavy gale off Capo
Mondego. 61 of her crew and her commander, perished, and with her
40 sail of the outward-bound West India fleet, lost.
_Venerable_, of 74 guns, Nov. 24th, 1804. Crew saved.
_Tartarus_, of 74 guns, December 20th, 1804. Crew saved.
_Æneas_, transport, off Newfoundland, lost October 23rd, 1805. 340
perished.
_Aurora_, transport, lost on the Godwin Sands, December 21st, 1805.
300 perished.
_Athenienne_, of 64 guns lost off Sardinia, October 20th, 1806. 347
perished.
_Ajax_--Lost by fire off the Island of Tenedos, February 14th,
1807. 300 perished.
_Boreas_, man-of-war, lost upon the Hannois Rock in the Channel,
November 28th, 1807.
_Anson_, frigate, lost near Land’s End, December 29th, 1807. 125
persons drowned.
_Magicienne_, frigate, August 16th, 1810. She ran aground at the
Mauritius, and was abandoned and burnt by her crew.
_Satellite_, sloop-of-war of 16 guns, December 14th, 1810. Upset
and all on board perished.
_Minotam_, of 74 guns, wrecked on the Haak Bank, December 27th,
1810. Of 600 persons on board, about 480 were drowned.
_Amethyst_, frigate of 36 guns, lost in the Sound, February 15th,
1811.
_Barham_, of 74 guns. Foundered July 29th, 1811, on the coast of
Corsica.
_Saldanha_, frigate, lost on the Irish coast, December, 1811. 300
souls perished.
_St. George_, of 98 guns, and the _Defence_, of 74 guns, stranded
on the coast of Jutland, and all souls perished, except 16 seamen,
December 24th, 1811.
_Seahorse_, transport, near Tramore Bay, January 30th, 1816. 365
souls, chiefly soldiers of the 59th Regiment, and most of the crew,
lost.
_Lord Melville_, and _Boadicea_, two transports lost near Kinsale,
Ireland, when several hundred of the 82nd Regiment, and almost all
the crew perished, January 31st, 1816.
_Harpooner_, transport, off Newfoundland, November 10th, 1816. 100
persons drowned.
_Kent_, shattered by a dreadful storm, February 28th 1825.
Afterwards she caught fire; but the passengers and crew were
providentially saved by the _Cambria_. There were on board 301
officers and men of the 31st regiment, 66 women, 45 children, and
139 seamen.
“The _Kent_, _Indiaman_, was making her way in the Bay of Biscay
on the morning of the 1st of March, 1825, across the heavy swell
common in that stormy entrance to the Atlantic, when her progress
was arrested by a fatal accident. An officer, who was sent into
the hold to see whether the rolling of the vessel had disturbed
the stowage, perceiving that a cask of spirits had burst from its
lashings, gave the lamp he had in his hand to a seaman to hold,
while he should replace the cask. Unfortunately, in the continued
rolling of the vessel, the man let the lamp fall near the spirits,
to which it set fire in a moment. The flames spread; attempts were
made to smother them by wet blankets and hammocks, but all was in
vain, and they soon assumed an aspect so tremendous, as to show
that it would be impossible to subdue them.
At this moment of despair, the man at the mast-head exclaimed that
a sail was in sight; guns were fired, and a signal of distress
hoisted. The gale, however, was so heavy, that it was for some time
doubtful whether the strange vessel perceived the signals, or was
likely to turn aside from her course; but this painful suspense was
soon removed by her approach. The boats of the _Kent_ were now got
out and placed, not alongside, on account of the flames and the
danger of staving the boats, but a-head and a-stern. In the latter
many got out from the cabin-windows, but the chief part were let
down from the bowsprit into the boat a-head, and the men sliding
down by a rope, while the soldiers’ wives were lowered into the
boat slung three together.
The fire had burst out about ten o’clock, and about twelve the
signal of distress had been perceived by the strange sail, which
proved to be the _Cambria_, outward-bound to Mexico, with mining
workmen and machinery, shipped by the Anglo-Mexican company. It
was two o’clock when the _Cambria_ received the first boat-load of
passengers, consisting of ladies and children, half clothed, and
pale with fright and fatigue. The whole afternoon was passed in
exertions on board the one vessel in sending off the sufferers,
and in the other in receiving them. The _Cambria_ had amongst her
passengers several stout workmen, who took their station at the
ship’s side, and were indefatigable in hoisting the poor sufferers
on board; so that, out of 642 persons in the _Kent_, no less than
547 were safe in the _Cambria_ before midnight. The remainder (95
in number) were lost, chiefly in getting out and in of the boats,
the swell of the sea being very great all the time. The captain
of the _Kent_ was the last man to leave her. She blew up at a few
minutes before two o’clock on Wednesday morning.
It may naturally be asked how the vessel could keep so long
together amid so destructive a conflagration? She could not have
kept together two hours, had not the officers, to avoid one danger,
encountered another by opening the ports and letting in the water,
when she shipped such heavy seas as to become water-logged, which
of course prevented her burning downwards.
The _Cambria_, a vessel of little more than 200 tons, was
previously sufficiently filled, having goods in her hold, and about
50 persons in passengers and ship’s company. How great then must
have been the pressure and confusion caused by the influx which
carried the total on board to more than 600! The progress of the
fire in the _Kent_ had been so rapid, as to prevent the sufferers
from saving any clothes, except what was on their persons, and both
officers and soldiers were thus ill prepared to encounter the wet
and cold of the deck. The cabin and the ’tween decks (the space for
the steerage passengers) were thus crowded beyond measure, and most
fortunate it was that the wind continued favourable for the return
of the _Cambria_ to an English port. She reached Falmouth in 48
hours after quitting the wreck, and landed her unfortunate inmates
on the 4th of March.”
_Lord William Bentinck_, lost off Bombay; 58 recruits, 20 officers,
and seven passengers perished. This lamentable occurrence happened
June 17th, 1840.
_Abercrombie Robinson_, and _Waterloo_, transports, in Table Bay,
Cape of Good Hope; of 330 persons on board the last named vessel,
189, principally convicts, were drowned, August 28th, 1842.
_H.M.S. Fantome_, of 16 guns, lost off Montevideo, June 25th, 1843.
The troop ship _Albert_ from Halifax with the 64th Regiment on
board which was miraculously saved July 13th, 1843.
_H.M. Frigate Wilberforce_, lost on the coast of Africa, February
2nd, 1844.
_Birkenhead_, troopship, from Queenstown to the Cape of Good Hope,
with detachments of several regiments on board. She struck on a
pointed rock off Simon’s Bay, and 454 of the crew and soldiers were
drowned; 184 only were saved by the ship’s boat.
The _Trent_, and a great number of other ships of all capacity,
wrecked off the Crimea during the war. A tremendous tornado swept
the Black Sea and literally dashed many of the brave ships of
England and France to pieces.
WURTZCHEN, BATTLE OF.--One of the most bloody and fiercely
contested battles of the campaign of 1813. Fought between the
allied Russian and Prussian armies, and the French, commanded by
Napoleon himself. The carnage was dreadful on each side, but the
Allies retreated from the field. Fought, May 21st, 1813.
X AND Y.
XIMERA, BATTLE OF.--Between the Spanish army, under the command of
General Ballasteros, and the French corps, commanded by General
Regnier. The Spaniards were defeated with great loss; the French
also lost very much. Fought, September 10th, 1811.
XERXES’ BRIDGE. See Bridge of Xerxes.
YEAVERNY, BATTLE OF.--Between the Scots and the Earl of
Westmoreland. Fought, 1415. In this memorable engagement, 430
English discomfited 4000 Scots, and took 160 prisoners; also called
the battle of Geteringe.
YPRES, BATTLE OF.--Between Henry IV of France, and the Generals of
the Roman Catholic League, over whom he obtained a complete victory.
Z.
ZAMA, BATTLE OF.--Between the two greatest Generals of the age,
Hannibal and Scipio Africanus. The Romans lost 2000 in killed and
wounded, whilst the Carthaginians lost, in killed and prisoners,
more than 40,000. Fought B.C. 202.
“These two generals, who were not only the most illustrious of
their own age, but worthy of being ranked with the most renowned
princes and warriors that had ever lived, meeting at the place
appointed, continued for some time in a deep silence, as though
they were astonished, and struck with a mutual admiration at the
sight of each other. At last Hannibal spoke; and, after having
praised Scipio in the most artful and delicate manner, he gave
a very lively description of the ravages of the war, and the
calamities in which it had involved both the victors and the
vanquished. He conjured him not to suffer himself to be dazzled by
the splendor of his victories. He represented to him, that how
successful soever he might have hitherto been, he ought, however,
to tremble at the inconstancy of fortune: that without going far
back for examples, he himself who was then speaking to him, was a
glaring proof of this: that Scipio was at that time what himself,
Hannibal, had been at Thrasymene and Cannæ: that he ought to make
a better use of opportunity than himself had done, and consent to
peace, now it was in his power to propose the conditions of it. He
concluded with declaring, that the Carthaginians would willingly
resign Sicily, Sardinia, Spain, and all the islands between Africa
and Italy to the Romans. That they must be forced, since such was
the will of the gods, to confine themselves to Africa; whilst they
should see the Romans extending their conquests to the most remote
regions, and obliging all nations to pay obedience to their laws.
Scipio answered in few words, but not with less dignity. He
reproached the Carthaginians for their perfidy, in plundering the
Roman galleys before the truce was expired. He imputed to them
only, and to their injustice, all the calamities with which the two
wars had been attended. After thanking Hannibal for the admonition
he gave him, with regard to the uncertainty of human events, he
concluded with desiring him to prepare for battle, unless he chose
rather to accept of the conditions that had been already proposed;
to which he observed some others would be added, in order to punish
the Carthaginians for their having violated the truce.
Hannibal could not prevail with himself to accept these conditions
and the generals left one another, with the resolution to decide
the fate of Carthage by a general battle. Each commander exhorted
his troops to fight valiantly. Hannibal enumerated the victories
he had gained over the Romans, the generals he had slain, the
armies he had cut to pieces. Scipio represented to his soldiers,
the conquests of both the Spains, his successes in Africa, and the
tacit confession their enemies themselves made of their weakness,
by thus coming to sue for peace. All this he spoke with the tone
and air of a conqueror. Never were motives more prevalent to prompt
troops to behave gallantly. This day was to complete the glory of
the one or the other of the generals; and to decide whether Rome or
Carthage was to prescribe laws to all other nations.
I shall not undertake to describe the order of the battle, nor
the valour of the forces on both sides. The reader will naturally
suppose, that two such experienced generals did not forget
any circumstance which could contribute to the victory. The
Carthaginians, after a very obstinate fight, were obliged to fly,
leaving 20,000 men on the field of battle, and the like number of
prisoners were taken by the Romans. Hannibal escaped in the tumult,
and, entering Carthage, owned that he was irrecoverably overthrown,
and that the citizens had no other choice left, but to accept
of peace on any conditions. Scipio bestowed great eulogiums on
Hannibal, chiefly with regard to his capacity in taking advantages,
his manner of drawing up his army, and giving out his orders in the
engagement; and he affirmed that Hannibal had this day surpassed
himself, although the success had not answered his valour and
conduct.
With regard to himself, he well knew how to make a proper advantage
of the victory, and the consternation with which he had filled the
enemy. He commanded one of his lieutenants to march his land army
to Carthage, whilst himself prepared to sail the fleet thither.