University Library of Autobiography (Volume 11) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON THE VICTOR OF WATERLOO, THE CONQUEROR OF NAPOLEON 1769-1852 (introductory Note) Arthur Wellesley, afterward the Duke of Wellington, waa the only general who ever opposed Napoleon successfully. By the final victory of Waterloo Wellington changed the entire course of civilization. Hence he has been held in such high honor, especially by his own countrymen, that every word of his has been treasured. Thus even the single letter we present has a value of its own. It shows Waterloo as the victor saw it. Wellington was anything but a literary man, and his simple, straightforward statement about the battle reveals the man himself more clearly than some men have revealed themselves in writing volumes. AN ACCOUNT OF WATERLOO TO A FRIEND, LORD BERESFORD Gonesse, July 2, 1815. My Dear Beresford,?I have received your letter of the 9th of June. You should recommend for the Spanish medal for Albuera, according to the rules laid down by the King of Spain for the grant of it. I should think it should be given only to those who were there and actually engaged. I am, as soon as I shall have a little time, going to recommend officers for the Order of San Fernando, and will apply to you for a Portuguese list. You will have heard of our battle of the 18th. Never did I see such a pounding match: both were what the boxers call gluttons. Napoleon did not maneuver at all; he just moved forward in the old style, in columns, and was driven off in the old style; the only difference was, that he mixed cavalry with his infantry, and supported both with an enormous quantity of artillery. I had the infantry for some time in squares, and we had the French cavalry walking about us as if they had been our own. I never saw the British infantry behave so well. Boney is now o...