There was but a brief interval of peace after the battle of Toulouse.
The triumphs of the Peninsula were not destined to give repose to
Europe. Napoleon having learnt that at the Congress of Vienna it had
been debated whether he should not be sent to St. Helena, (a measure
opposed by the Duke of Wellington, and the idea relinquished,) and
reckoning on the attachment of the French people, escaped from Elba,
landed at Cannes, in Provence, on the 1st. of March, 1815, with a
handful of men, and on the 20th. of that month entered Paris at the head
of an army which had joined him on the road. Louis XVIII at once
withdrew to Ghent, and Napoleon assumed his former dignity of Emperor of
the French; the allied powers at once refused to acknowledge his
sovereignty, and determined to effect his dethronement. Preparations for
war commenced, troops were assembled in the Netherlands, and the
regiments which had been engaged in America were, on their return,
immediately forwarded to the seat of war.
Britain had no selfish end in view in this great struggle, but sent her
sons to battle in support of the rights of nations, and to secure
herself from a military despotism. To those readers who would study the
events of this short but momentous campaign, no better guide can be
recommended than Captain Siborne’s elaborate account,—the work of a
life-time. In this last success, Wellington, like a graceful actor, took
his leave of war, for this terminated his active military career. The
right wing of the Duke’s army, in and about Ath, was commanded by Lord
Hill; the left, near Braine le Comte and Nivelle, was under the Prince
of Orange; the cavalry, under the Earl of Uxbridge, was quartered about
Grammont, and the reserve was in proximity to Brussels and its
neighbourhood.
ACTION AT QUATRE BRAS.
16TH. JUNE, 1815.
Napoleon left Paris on the 12th. of June, and endeavoured by one of
those rapid marches for which he had been so celebrated, to interpose
his forces between the British and Prussian armies, and then attack them
in detail. Information of this movement arrived at Brussels during the
evening of the 15th. of June, and the Duke of Wellington caused the
troops to be prepared to march. Pursuing their way through the forest of
Soignies, Genappe, and along the road towards Charleroi, after a march
of twenty-two miles, they arrived on the 16th. of June, at some
farm-houses denominated Les Quatre Bras, where the main road from
Charleroi to Brussels is crossed by another from Nivelles to Namur, and
which served as the British communication with the Prussians on the
left. Here the second French corps, under Marshal Ney, was developing a
serious attack against that position with very superior numbers.
The battle commenced by an attack on Perponcher’s Dutch-Belgian Brigade,
which was commanded by the Prince of Orange. As fast as the British
regiments arrived on the scene, they were formed and led into action.
About two o’clock Picton’s division came up, with Pack’s brigade, and
Best’s Hanoverians. Soon after, part of the Black Brunswickers, and some
of the Nassau troops arrived, and about six in the evening the brigade
of Sir Colin Halkett, consisting of the 30th., 33rd., 69th, and 73rd.
regiments, with Kielmansegge’s Hanoverians came up.
Considerable loss was sustained, but the repeated charges of the enemy
were repulsed. About four o’clock His Royal Highness the Duke of
Brunswick fell bravely fighting at the head of his troops, who were
seized with a panic, and retired, pursued by the French cavalry, who
were repulsed in their turn by the 92nd. In the Duke of Wellington’s
account of this action the 28th., 42nd.,[65] 79th, and 92nd.[66]
regiments were specially mentioned.
Speaking of one of the attacks of the French cavalry, Captain W.
Siborne, in his “History of the War in France and Belgium in 1815,”
observes, “If this cavalry attack had fallen so unexpectedly upon the
42nd. Highlanders, still less had it been anticipated by the 44th.
regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Hamerton, perceiving that the lancers were
rapidly advancing against his rear, and that any attempt to form square
would be attended with imminent danger, instantly decided upon receiving
them in line.... Never, perhaps, did British infantry display its
characteristic coolness and steadiness more eminently than on this
trying occasion. To have stood in a thin two-deep line, awaiting, and
prepared to receive, the onset of hostile cavalry, would have been
looked upon at least as a most hazardous experiment; but with its rear
so suddenly menaced, and its flanks unsupported, to have instantly faced
only one rank about, to have stood as if rooted to the ground, to have
repulsed its assailants with so steady and well-directed a fire, that
numbers of them were destroyed—this was a feat of arms which the oldest,
or best-disciplined corps in the world might have in vain hoped to
accomplish; yet most successfully and completely was this achieved by
the gallant second battalion of the 44th. British regiment, under its
brave commander’ Lieutenant-Colonel Hamerton.
“In this attack occurred one of those incidents which, in daring, equal
any of the feats of ancient chivalry; which make the wildest fables of
the deeds of the knights of old appear almost possible; which cause the
bearing of an individual to stand out, at it were, in relief amidst the
operations of the masses; and which, by their characteristic
recklessness, almost invariably ensure at least a partial success. A
French lancer gallantly charged at the colours, and severely wounded
Ensign Christie, who carried one of them, by a thrust of his lance,
which, entering the left eye, penetrated to the lower jaw. The Frenchman
then endeavoured to seize the standard, but the brave Christie,
notwithstanding the agony of his wound, with a presence of mind almost
unequalled, flung himself upon it, not to save himself, but to preserve
the honour of his regiment. As the colour fluttered in its fall, the
Frenchman tore off a portion of the silk with the point of his lance;
but he was not permitted to bear the fragment beyond the ranks. Both
shot and bayoneted by the nearest of the soldiers of the 44th., he was
borne to the earth, paying with his life for his display of unavailing
bravery.”
Just before seven o’clock, Sir G. Cooke’s brigade of guards, came into
action, after a forced march of 27 miles, drove the enemy back, and
repulsed at all points the repeated and desperate charges of Kellerman’s
cavalry, supported by a preponderance of artillery. As the British
reinforcements arrived, Key’s furious attacks became feeble and fewer,
and about sunset the conflict ceased, and the French retired upon the
village of Frasnes. After a long march of nearly forty miles the British
cavalry, and some artillery arrived, but too late at night to take any
part in the battle.
The following is a list of the regiments engaged, and of their killed
and wounded at Quatre Bras, a battle gained by the British infantry:—
┌───────────────────────────────┬──────────────────┬──────────────────┐
│ Regiments engaged. │ KILLED. │ WOUNDED. │
├───────────────────────────────┼─────────┬────────┼─────────┬────────┤
│ „ │ │Non-com.│ │Non-com.│
│ │Officers.│Offi. & │Officers.│Offi. & │
│ │ │ Men. │ │ Men. │
├───────────────────────────────┼─────────┼────────┼─────────┼────────┤
│Royal Artillery │ │ 9│ 2│ 17│
│1st. Foot Guards, 2nd. │ 2│ 23│ 4│ 256│
│ battalion │ │ │ │ │
│„ 3rd. „ │ 1│ 20│ 6│ 235│
│2nd. „ 2nd. │ │ │ │ │
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│3rd. „ 2nd. │ │ │ │ 7│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│30th. Regiment, 2nd. │ │ 5│ 2│ 28│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│33rd. „ │ 3│ 16│ 7│ 67│
│69th. „ 2nd. │ 1│ 37│ 4│ 110│
│ battalion │ │ │ │ │
│73rd. „ 2nd. │ │ 4│ 4│ 44│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│28th. „ 1st. │ │ 11│ 4│ 77│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│32nd. „ 1st. │ 1│ 21│ 21│ 153│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│79th. „ 1st. │ 1│ 28│ 16│ 258│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│95th. „ 1st. │ 1│ 8│ 4│ 51│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│1st. „ 3rd. │ 6│ 20│ 12│ 180│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│42nd. „ 1st. │ 3│ 42│ 15│ 228│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│44th. „ 2nd. │ 2│ 10│ 15│ 94│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
│92nd. „ 1st. │ 4│ 35│ 21│ 226│
│ „ │ │ │ │ │
├───────────────────────────────┼─────────┼────────┼─────────┼────────┤
│ Total │ 25│ 289│ 137│ 2031│
└───────────────────────────────┴─────────┴────────┴─────────┴────────┘
Whilst Marshal Ney was attempting to force this position, the Emperor
defeated the Prussians at St. Amand and Ligny. During the night Marshal
Blucher, finding himself so weakened by the severity of the contest, and
the fourth corps not having arrived, determined to fall back and
concentrate his army upon Wavre.