History of the War in France and Belgium, in 1815; Containing Minute Details of the Battles of Quatre-Bras, Ligny, Wavre, and Waterloo (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1845. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V. JUNE, 1815. With the early dawn of the 16th of June, the whole of the Duke of Wellington's forces were in movement towards Nivelles and Quatre-Bras. Previously to starting from Brussels for the latter point, his Grace despatched an order for the movement of the cavalry and of Clinton's British division upon Braine-le-Comte, as also of the troops under Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, consisting of Stedmann's Dutch-Belgian division, and of Anthing's Dutch-Belgian (Indian) brigade, from Sotteghem to Enghien, after leaving 500 men, as before directed, in Andenarde. Picton's division quitted Brussels by the Charleroi road about two o'clock in the morning; and the Duke of Brunswick's corps somewhat later. Kruse's Nassau brigade received orders to follow along the same road, but having been dispersed in extended cantonments between Brussels and Louvain, it required some considerable time 10 collect together, and did not therefore reach Quatre-Bras sufficiently early to take part in the action. The disposition made by Colonel the Prince Bernhard of Saxe Weimar at this point, on the night of the I5th, with the JJd brigade of Perponcher's Dutch-Belgian division, has already been described. At five o'clock in the morning Perponcher himself arrived there, and immediately commenced operations for recovering the ground lost on the previous evening. Two companies of the 2d battalion of the 2d regiment of Nassau, which had bivouacked in the wood x>f Bossu, were ordered to attack the French outposts, which they forced back as far as the heights of Frasne; but here they were brought to a stand by the enemy's supports. By this time, however, they were reinforced by the remainder of the battalion, and a constant skirmish was maintained until nearly midda...