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diff --git a/75682-h/75682-h.htm b/75682-h/75682-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7c8971 --- /dev/null +++ b/75682-h/75682-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4711 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html> +<html lang="en"> +<head> + <meta charset="UTF-8"> + <title> + Waterloo | Project Gutenberg + </title> + <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> + <style> /* <![CDATA[ */ + +body { + margin-left: 2.5em; + margin-right: 2.5em; +} +.x-ebookmaker body {margin: 0;} +.x-ebookmaker-drop {color: inherit;} + +h1, h2, h3 { + text-align: center; + clear: both; + margin-top: 2.5em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + word-spacing: .2em; +} + +h1 {line-height: 1;} + +h2.chap {margin-bottom: 0;} +h2+p {margin-top: 1.5em;} +.x-ebookmaker h1, .x-ebookmaker .chapter, .x-ebookmaker .section {page-break-before: always;} +.x-ebookmaker h1.nobreak, .x-ebookmaker h2.nobreak, .x-ebookmaker .nobreak {page-break-before: avoid; padding-top: 0;} + +.transnote h2 { + margin-top: .5em; + margin-bottom: 1em; +} + +p { + text-indent: 1.75em; + margin-top: .51em; + margin-bottom: .24em; + text-align: justify; +} +.x-ebookmaker p { + margin-top: .5em; + margin-bottom: .25em; +} + +.center p, p.center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0;} + +.p1 {margin-top: 1em;} +.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} +.p4 {margin-top: 4em;} +.vspace {line-height: 1.5;} + +.in0 {text-indent: 0;} +.in8 {padding-left: 8em;} + +.smaller {font-size: 85%;} +.larger {font-size: 125%;} +.large {font-size: 150%;} +.xxlarge {font-size: 200%;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.bold {font-weight: bold;} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin: 4em auto 4em auto; + clear: both; +} +.x-ebookmaker hr { + margin-top: .1em; + margin-bottom: .1em; + visibility: hidden; + color: white; + width: .01em; + display: none; +} + +.tb { + text-align: center; + padding-top: .76em; + padding-bottom: .24em; + letter-spacing: 1.5em; + margin-right: -1.5em; +} + +.x-ebookmaker .tb {letter-spacing: 1.25em; margin-right: -1.25em;} + +.pagenum { + position: absolute; + right: .25em; + text-indent: 0; + text-align: right; + font-size: 70%; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal; + font-style: normal; + letter-spacing: normal; + line-height: normal; + color: #acacac; + border: .0625em solid #acacac; + background: #ffffff; + padding: .0625em .125em; +} + +.figcenter { + margin: 2em auto 2em auto; + text-align: center; + page-break-inside: avoid; +} + +img { + padding: 1em 0 0 0; + max-width: 100%; + height: auto; +} + +.blockquot { + margin: 1.5em 5% 1.5em 5%; + font-size: 95%; +} + +.x-ebookmaker .blockquot {margin: 1.5em 3% 1.5em 3%;} + +.poetry-container { + margin: 1.5em auto; + text-align: center; + font-size: 98%; + display: flex; + justify-content: center; +} + +.poetry {display: block; text-align: left; margin-left: 0;} +.x-ebookmaker .poetry {margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} +.poetry .stanza {padding: 0.5em 0; page-break-inside: avoid;} +.poetry .verse {text-indent: -3em; padding-left: 3em;} + +.poetry .indentq {text-indent: -3.45em;} +.poetry .indent0 {text-indent: -3em;} +.poetry .indent2 {text-indent: -2em;} + +.x-ebookmaker .poetry .tb {text-align: left; padding-left: 2em;} + +.transnote { + border: .3em double gray; + font-family: sans-serif, serif; + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 5%; + margin-top: 4em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + padding: 1em; +} +.x-ebookmaker .transnote { + page-break-before: always; + page-break-after: always; + margin-left: 2%; + margin-right: 2%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + padding: .5em; +} + +.wspace {word-spacing: .3em;} + +.pagenum br {display: none; visibility: hidden;} + + /* ]]> */ </style> +</head> + +<body> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75682 ***</div> + +<div class="transnote section"> +<p class="center larger">Transcriber’s Note</p> + +<p>The original book did not have a Table of Contents. The one below was +generated automatically during the preparation of this eBook.</p> + +<p><a href="#Transcribers_Notes">Additional notes</a> will be found near the end of this ebook.</p> +<p class="in0 in8 vspace smaller"> + +<a href="#WATERLOO">WATERLOO</a><br> +<a href="#INTRODUCTORY">INTRODUCTORY</a><br> +<a href="#WATERLOO">WATERLOO</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</a><br> +<a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a><br> +<a href="#A_SUPPLEMENTARY_CHAPTER">A SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER</a> +</p> +<div> </div> +</div> + +<div class="section p4"> +<figure id="coversmall" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 25em;"> + <img src="images/coversmall.jpg" width="480" height="711" alt=""> +</figure> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> +<div> </div> +</div> + +<div class="section p4"> +<h1>WATERLOO</h1> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> +<div> </div> +</div> + +<div class="section p4"> +<figure id="i_1" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 7em;"> + <img src="images/i_001.jpg" width="410" height="380" alt=""> +</figure> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> +<div> </div> +</div> + +<div class="chapter center wspace"> +<p class="xxlarge bold vspace"> +WATERLOO</p> + +<p class="p2 larger vspace">BY<br> +THOMAS E. WATSON</p> + +<p class="p1 smaller">Author of “The Story of France,”<br> +“Napoleon,” and “The Life of Thomas Jefferson.”</p> + +<figure id="i_2" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 5em;"> + <img src="images/i_002.jpg" width="282" height="337" alt=""> +</figure> + +<p class="p2">New York and Washington<br> +THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY<br> +1908</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> +<div> </div> +</div> + +<div class="section center p4"> +<p> +<span class="smaller">Copyright, 1908, by</span><br> +THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY +</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> +<div> </div> +</div> + +<div class="section"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="WATERLOO"><span class="larger">WATERLOO</span></h2> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> +<div> </div> +</div> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">7</span></p> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="INTRODUCTORY">INTRODUCTORY</h2> + +<p>The warder of the Tower has his bout with +the citizen on the green; Sir Walter Raleigh +looks on from above, and the lieutenant’s +wife from below and neither of the +three—warder, lieutenant’s wife, nor the +prisoner, Sir Walter—can agree with either +of the other two as to what took place. Inside +the Tower three different tales are told. It is +reasonably certain that still another version +was given when the citizen got back to town +and began to talk.</p> + +<p>How, then, can any one expect to learn +exactly what occurred on Sunday, June 18th, +1815, in front of the village of Mont-Saint-Jean? +Many witnesses testify, and the conflict +of testimony is utterly irreconcilable. +Much of the battle was not seen by Napoleon, +and much of it was hidden from Wellington. +Every officer who took part in it and who afterward +wrote about it contributed something +to the story, but what officer could tell +it all?</p> + +<p>From the day after the battle down to the +present time, men and women have studied<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">8</span> +the field itself, have pored over dispatches, +have devoured Memoirs, have eagerly listened +to the slightest word which anybody +who was in possession of a fact had to say +about Waterloo: yet a mystery hangs over +the entire campaign.</p> + +<p>Did Wellington really believe that he +fought D’Erlon’s corps at Quatre Bras? He +says so, positively, in his official report of the +action. Yet we <em>know</em> that D’Erlon’s corps +did not come even within striking distance, +at any time during the day. Full of inaccuracies +as his account of the battle is, the +Duke would never correct the statement; nor +could he ever be persuaded to give any other. +In fact, whenever the subject was mentioned +he grew testy; and curtly referred the questioner +to his official report.</p> + +<p>On the Prussian side, there was a current +of intense feeling against Wellington; but +there were such powerful motives for silence +that the truth crept out slowly, and at long +intervals. At first, Waterloo was claimed to +be an English victory. Wellington led the +way in this by his slighting reference to “the +flank movement of Bülow.” No one would +gather from the Duke’s report that 16,000 +of the French troops, during the afternoon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">9</span> +of the 18th, had been fighting desperately, +for several hours to hold the Prussians +in check. No one could possibly learn +from this report the fact that the French did +not give way on the English front until the +cannon balls of the oncoming Prussians of +Zeiten’s corps were crossing those of the English +batteries which swept the approaches to +Mont-Saint-Jean. Reading Wellington’s official +report of the battle, one would believe +that the Prussians arrived after the fight was +won—that they had nothing to do but chase +the defeated. Only by degrees did the world +learn that Wellington entirely disregarded +the pledge he had given Blücher at the conference +in May; that he wrote Blücher a letter +on the morning of June 16th that was full +of deception; left his troops widely scattered +when the enemy was upon him; gave +orders which his lieutenants had the nerve +and the wisdom to violate, and was saved +from annihilation at the very opening of +the campaign by the incredible mistakes +of Napoleon’s officers and the heroic gallantry +of the Prussians. Lord Wolseley +complacently states that Wellington was +an English gentleman of the highest type +and, therefore, incapable of falsehood. Yet<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">10</span> +the Duke’s official report states that on +the 15th he ordered the concentration of his +army at Quatre Bras; <em>and Lord Wolseley +demonstrates that the statement was untrue</em>. +It was on Nivelles that a partial concentration +was ordered, and had the orders been +obeyed the campaign would have been +wrecked.</p> + +<p>Only of late years has it been perfectly +clear that at half-past one o’clock in the afternoon +of June 18th Napoleon had to divide +his army, and to withhold the corps of +Lobau which had been ordered to support the +great charge of D’Erlon and Ney. Suppose +this corps of fresh men had been thrown +against the English line when it had already +been well-nigh broken. At the time the premature +cavalry charges were being made, and +the English, in squares, were suffering so terribly +from the French skirmishers and artillery, +suppose 16,000 men whom Napoleon +had sent to drive the Prussians back from +Plancenoit, where they threatened his rear, +had been in hand to clinch the cavalry +charges! How could the English have prevented +these fresh troops from pouring +through the gap in their line behind La Haye-Sainte?</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">11</span></p> + +<p>Only of late years has it been generally +known that it was the arrival of Zeiten’s +Prussians on his left that released the troops +with which Wellington filled this break in +his line.</p> + +<p>It was only when the Prussians of Zeiten’s +corps, breaking through to the right of the +French who were attacking the English and +to the left of the French who were withstanding +Blücher, came thundering on their flank +that the French army cried “<em>Treachery! +Treachery!</em>” and dissolved in universal dismay.</p> + +<p>As to Napoleon, whenever he talked of +Waterloo he either confined himself to despairing +ejaculations or involved himself in +contradictions. He blamed himself for not +having reconnoitered Wellington’s position; +he admitted that he had not had a good view +of the field; he confessed that he had made +a mistake in changing his plan of assailing the +English right; he denied giving the order for +the heavy cavalry to charge, although this +order had been carried by his own aide-decamp, +Count Flahaut—the father of one or +two of Hortense’s queerly mixed brood of +children; and he severely blamed D’Erlon, +Ney and Grouchy.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">12</span></p> + +<p>A curious evidence of the difficulty of learning +the truth about Waterloo is to be found in +Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables.” Describing +the struggle for Hougoumont, he speaks +of the fight in the chapel. He represents the +sacred building as having gone through all +the horrors of war, having been splashed with +blood, having been torn by shot and shell, and +having been ravaged by fire. All this seems +probable enough, and yet the English authoress +of “Waterloo Days” visited the battlefield +a few hours after the fight and +she makes particular mention of this same +chapel; and she declares that it “stood uninjured”! +Listen to this lady—Charlotte +Eaton: “No shot or shell had penetrated its +sacred walls; and no sacrilegious hand had +dared to violate its humble altar, which was +still adorned with its ancient ornaments and +its customary care.” This is quite different +from Hugo’s “Soldiers massacred each other +in the chapel.”</p> + +<p>After Hugo’s famous description of Waterloo +appeared, all the world talked of “the +old road of Ohain” which had, the novelist +declared, been the pitfall and the tomb of +the French cavalry. Painters caught up the +theme, and the legend lives on imperishable<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">13</span> +canvas. But now history discards the story. +The road from Ohain to Braine l’Alleud +<em>does</em> become a hollow way, between steep +banks, for about 400 yards; but the French +were aware of the fact, and the cavalry did +<em>not</em> charge across the trench. The charges +passed over the road where it was on a level +with the plain. It <em>is</em> true, however, that in +the bewildering movements incident to charge +and countercharge, a small body of French +cavalry came upon this “hollow way,” +walked their horses down the bank, got upon +the road, and were about to ride up the other +bank to get at the English, when the English +cavalry charged the road, making it impossible +for the French to mount the bank. They +then rode up “the hollow way,”—hacked at +by the English above,—until they reached the +level ground, when they retired into the open +field to reform.</p> + +<p>There has been much controversy as to +whether the Duke of Wellington rode over +to Blücher’s camp on the night of the 17th. +There is now conclusive evidence that no such +visit was made.</p> + +<p>In Archibald Forbes’s “Camps, Quarters +and Casual Places,” published in 1896, we +find: “Quite recently there have been found<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">14</span> +and are now in the possession of the Rev. +Frederick Gurney, the grandson of the late +Sir John Gurney, the notes of a ‘conversation +with the Duke of Wellington and Baron Gurney +and Mr. Justice Williams, Judges on Circuit, +at Strathfieldsaye House, on 24th February, +1837.’ The annotator was Baron +Gurney, to the following effect: ‘The conversation +had been commenced by my inquiring +of him (the Duke) whether a story +which I had heard was true of his having +ridden over to Blücher on the night before +the battle of Waterloo, and returned on the +same horse. He said, “No, that was not so. +I did not see Blücher on the day before Waterloo. +I saw him the day before, on the day +of Quatre Bras. I saw him after Waterloo, +and he kissed me. He embraced me on horseback. +I had communicated with him the day +before Waterloo.” The rest of the conversation +made no further reference to the topic +of the ride to Wavre.’”</p> + +<p>In Houssaye’s “1815” the statement is +made that the French troops did not receive +their rations on the night of the 17th until +after midnight, or even later.</p> + +<p>The truth seems to be that some of the +troops got nothing at all to eat. They went<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">15</span> +into the fight on empty stomachs—stimulated +by a drink of brandy. The enemy, of course, +suffered no such disadvantage, for ample +supplies came from Brussels. Again, the +English had camp-fires to keep themselves +warm and to dry their clothing; the French +had no fires, and went into action chilled, and +in wet clothing.</p> + +<p>To understand the physical disadvantage +against which the French had to struggle, we +should remember that they had to charge <em>up +hill over miry ground</em>. The English were +stationary on the crest, excepting when they +charged, and <em>then</em> they charged <em>down hill</em>. +Those who have walked over a ploughed +field, or who have galloped a horse up a miry +slope, will know how to appreciate the immense +difficulties under which the French labored.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> +</div> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">17</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="WATERLOO1"><span class="large">WATERLOO</span></h2> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I</h2> +</div> + +<p>In 1815 the Emperor was no longer a +lean, sinewy, tireless, eternally vigilant human +tiger—the Napoleon of Rivoli and +Marengo. He was no longer the consummate +General-in-Chief of Austerlitz and Wagram. +The mysterious lethargy which had +overwhelmed him at the critical hour of Borodino, +when he withheld the order for the +Old Guard to charge and convert the Russian +defeat into a decisive disaster, had been the +first visit of the Evil Genius which was to +come again. The strange loss of <em>the power +to decide</em> between two totally different lines +of action, which, at the Château Düben had +kept him idle two days, lolling on a sofa, or +sitting at his writing-table tracing on the paper +big school-boy letters, was to become a +recurrent calamity, puzzling all who knew +him, and paralyzing the action of his lieutenants +in the most critical emergencies.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">18</span></p> + +<p>At Leipsic the reins had fallen from his +hands; only one permanent bridge over the +deep river in his rear had been provided to let +him out of the death trap; and when the +strong currents of the rout tore through the +frantic city, the great Napoleon drifted with +the furious tide, whistling vacantly.</p> + +<p>The same unexplainable <em>eclipse of genius</em>, +which General E. P. Alexander described as +occurring to Stonewall Jackson, in the Malvern +Hill movements of our Civil War, +happened to the French Emperor, time and +again, after that first collapse at Borodino.</p> + +<p>In Spain he ordered a madly reckless +charge of his Polish Light Cavalry against +the heights of Sommo Sierra, where the +Spanish army was entrenched and where the +position easily admitted of successful flanking, +got his best troops wastefully butchered—and +could not afterward remember who gave +the order to charge!</p> + +<p>In Dresden, in 1813, he had won a brilliant +victory which needed only to be ruthlessly +pushed; and he was pushing it with all his +tremendous driving power when, in the twinkle +of an eye, his Evil Genius descended upon +him, took his strength away, held him in invisible +but inexorable bonds;—and when the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">19</span> +spell passed, the fruits of the glorious triumph +were all gone, and Despair had thrown its +baleful shadow athwart every possible line of +action.</p> + +<p>The mighty Emperor, in years gone by, +had overdrawn his account at the bank of +Nature, and his drafts were now coming back +on him, protested. He who had once slept +too little, now slept too much. Often in the +earlier campaigns he had abstained from eating; +now he over-ate. The reckless exposures +and the intensely sustained labor of sixteen +hours out of the twenty-four were taking +their revenge. The corpulent Napoleon now +loved his ease, was soon fatigued, spent hours +in the tepid bath, and slept away the early +morning when every advance of the sunbeam +meant lost ground to the eagles of France.</p> + +<p>Talkative, when he had once been reticent; +undecided, where he had been resolute; careless, +where he had been indefatigable and +cautious; despondent, where he had been +serenely confident, the Emperor who had +sprung with hawk-like determination upon the +plotting Bourbons, had clutched their unsuspecting +Duc D’Enghien, dragged him to +Paris in the night, shot him, and buried him +in a ditch before day—this Emperor did<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">20</span> +not have enough of that terrific energy left +to even fling the traitors, Fouché and Talleyrand, +into prison.</p> + +<p>He knew that these two men were at their +old tricks again, but he could not act. Looking +at Fouché calmly, Napoleon said, “I +ought to have you shot.” Nothing could +prove more conclusively that the Napoleon of +old no longer lived. Had he been the man +of Brumaire, or Lodi, or Jena, he would have +shot the traitor first, and talked about it afterward.</p> + +<p>In the sere and yellow leaf of life, but still +Titanic in his proportions, the Emperor, once +the charity-boy of Brienne,—he who fought +the whole school when the young aristocrats +of France made fun of his shabby clothes and +Corsican birth,—<em>stood at bay against a world +in arms</em>.</p> + +<p>Feudalism against him: Caste against +him: Hereditary Aristocracy against him: +The Divine Right of Kings against him; and +above all, the ignorance, the prejudice, and +<em>the unwillingness of mankind to be forced out +of old ruts</em> were against him. Against him +was a Church hierarchy which panted for +ancient powers and immunities and wealth. +Against him were the Privileged Few of every<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">21</span> +government on earth—<em>those who feast on +Class legislation and resent interruption</em>. +Against him were all those who denied the +right of a nation to choose its own ruler, those +who hated the dogma that the true foundation +to government is the consent of the governed. +To meet so powerful a combination, the <em>one</em> +sure resource was that from which Napoleon +shrank in horror—an appeal to the Jacobins, +the Sansculottes, the fierce men of the masses +who hated the priest and the aristocrat.</p> + +<p>“<em>When one has had misfortunes one no +longer has the confidence which is necessary +to success.</em>”</p> + +<p>With this mournful remark, made in private +to that noble old Revolutionary patriot, +Carnot, the Emperor made ready to leave +Paris to join his army.</p> + +<p>In gathering up the scattered remnants of +his former hosts Napoleon had worked at a +vast disadvantage. Time and money were +what he needed most. He had not enough +of either.</p> + +<p>His escape from Elba had found the Congress +of Vienna still in session. The Kings +who had pulled him off his throne, in 1814, +were all in Vienna, together. The armies +which had outnumbered him and crushed him,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">22</span> +were still in battle array. The traitors who +had plotted his overthrow, the traitors who +had deserted him on the field of battle—the +Talleyrands, on the one hand, and the Marmonts +on the other—were all in lusty life, +ready to make sure of their guilty heads by +bringing the wounded colossus down.</p> + +<p>In the midst of the splendid festivities in +Vienna; in the midst of the pomps and +parades, the jubilations over the fall of the +one Throned Democrat of the world; in the +midst of the congratulations, the gayeties, the +feasting and dancing, the illuminations and +the joyous music, there comes the clap of +thunder from the clear sky.</p> + +<p><em>Napoleon has left Elba!</em></p> + +<p>In Dumas’s story, “Twenty Years After,” +do you remember that thrilling chapter in +which the news is brought to the immortal +Three that their deadly foe, Mordaunt, <em>whom +they supposed they had killed</em>, is alive? Do +you remember how Athos, the loftiest man of +the Three, rose <em>and took down his sword</em>, +which he had momentarily hung upon the +wall, <em>gravely buckling it around him</em>? A +desperate man is on his track; his sword must +be at his hand.</p> + +<p>So it was with the European Kings, at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">23</span> +Vienna. They had banded themselves together +to break the scepter of the Crowned +Democrat whose Civil Code, with its glorious +maxims, all tending to <em>Justice</em> and to <em>Equality +before the law</em>, was a deadly menace to the +existence of <em>Divine Right</em> and <em>Special Privilege</em>. +They had deceived their own peoples +with lies about Napoleon, and with promises +of reforms which they never meant to +keep; they had deluged France with a flood +of foreign invasion that swept all before +it; they had bought the Fouchés and +Talleyrands; they had seduced the Murats +and Bernadottes and Moreaus and Marmonts; +they had captured Napoleon’s wife +and child, and had deafened their ears +and hardened their hearts to the appeals +of the husband and father. They had +stricken the sword out of his hand, the +crown off his head. They thought that they +had made an end of this “Disturber of the +Public Peace”—this enthroned Democrat, +whose levelling watchword of “<em>All careers +open to talent</em>,” they hated as a tyrant hates +a rebel, as <em>despotism hates liberty</em>. And now +<em>Napoleon was in France again.</em> No wonder +that consternation seized Vienna.</p> + +<p>“<em>Look to yourself; the lion is loose!</em>” was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">24</span> +the warning cry which a King of France had +sounded in the ears of a false and affrighted +King of England, ages before. If Richard +Coeur de Lion’s escape from the Castle of +Dürrenstein turned to water the blood of +Philip and John, the sensation in Europe was +as nothing compared to that created by +Napoleon’s escape from Elba.</p> + +<p><em>Back to France!</em> In those three words +burns the purpose of the European Kings. +The Russian army is far advanced on its +homeward march, but it must be halted; the +tired feet of the soldiers must not rest an hour. +<em>Back to France!</em> The Austrian legions are +at home, ready to enjoy the well-earned rest. +Must the bugles call once more?—once more +the streets and the lanes thrill at the beat of +the drums? <em>Back to France!</em> The Prussian +and the British armies have not had time to +start home. They are in cantonments, in the +Low Countries, close to the frontier of +France. Old Blücher—“<em>that drunken hussar +who has given me as much trouble as anybody</em>,” +as Napoleon used to say—is already +in the saddle, with a splendid staff which plans +his campaigns for him.</p> + +<p>The Duke of Wellington, the hero of the +Congress of Vienna, must now hasten to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">25</span> +Brussels to take command of his army. All +the world believes that Napoleon will force +the fighting, and that he will strike the enemy +nearest him, there on the Belgian frontier.</p> + +<p>Thus, in 1815, as the month of June lavishes +its splendors on the earth, the eyes of all +Christendom are fastened upon Napoleon +Bonaparte. It is hardly too much to say that +the world stands still, this fateful month, to +watch the unequal fight—Napoleon against +the Kings!</p> + +<p>How hard it is to understand the delusion +under which some of the best men of the +time labored! With eyes to see, why were +they so blind? With ears to hear, why were +they so deaf?</p> + +<p>Grattan!—why did <em>your</em> electric oratory +smite with its lightnings this great enemy +of tyranny, when Ireland, <em>your own home</em>, +was bleeding under the remorseless cruelty of +the very system which Napoleon had struggled +to tear down? La Fayette!—why were +<em>you</em> throwing stumbling blocks in this big +man’s way, fettering him with shackles and +cords, when your French Samson needed the +uttermost length of his locks?</p> + +<p>Why was it that every Liberal in Europe +could not realize as Carnot did,—he of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">26</span> +Great Committee which piloted France +through the storm of the Revolution!—that +in Napoleon’s fate, <em>at that time</em>, was bound +up the best interests of the human race?</p> + +<p>Behind the confederated Kings <em>lurked the +Ancient Régime</em>. It panted for life. It +wanted to re-establish the blessed order of +things in which the Few, booted and spurred, +put into governmental form their modest +claim to the privilege of riding the Many. +It wanted to stamp out the revolutionary +principles which had been <em>lifting the masses</em>, +and lowering the monstrous pretensions of the +classes.</p> + +<p>Had not Metternich declared, “There can +be no peace with such principles”? Had not +the restored Bourbons of 1814 proved to an +astonished world that they had learned nothing, +and forgotten nothing? Had they not +set about annihilating the glorious work of +reform which had cost France so much—so +much in consecrated toil, so much in well-spent +treasure, so much in patriotic sacrifice, so +much in heroic blood? Had they not done +their level best, in 1814, to blow the trump of +resurrection for every abuse, every wrong +which France had buried amid the rejoicings +of the Progressives all over the world?</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">27</span></p> + +<p>What was the “Revolution of July, 1848,” +but the final triumph of Napoleon Bonaparte? +<em>It was that and nothing more.</em> Had France +been true to herself in 1815 there would have +been no Bourbon Charles the Tenth; there +would have been no Bourbon Louis Philippe; +there would have been no occasion for the +long postponement of the supremacy of the +Revolutionary Principles.</p> + +<p>“<em>With such principles there can be no +peace</em>,” said Metternich, the favorite minister +of the Confederated Kings; and what La Fayette +ought to have known, and Grattan ought +to have known, and the Progressives everywhere +ought to have known, was that <em>the war +of the allied Kings was against those democratic +principles</em>.</p> + +<p>Had Napoleon been willing to be <em>just a +king as they were</em>, there would have been for +him no Waterloo.</p> + +<p>“<em>Emperor, Consul, Soldier!</em>—I owe everything +<em>to the people</em>!”—declared Napoleon, +throwing down the gauntlet of duel-to-the-death +at the feet of Legitimacy, Divine Right +and Absolutism.</p> + +<p>No wonder the crafty Metternich, who +guided the policies of hereditary kings,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">28</span> +snatched up the glove and said, “<em>With such +principles there can be no peace.</em>”</p> + +<p>In America the masses of the people sympathized +with the French Emperor, and hoped +that he would win. At the Hermitage, in +Tennessee, the dauntless warrior who had recently +whipped the flower of Wellington’s +army at New Orleans, ardently hoped that +Napoleon would win.</p> + +<p>In Great Britain tens of thousands of the +followers of Fox hoped that the right of the +French to select their own rulers would be +vindicated. Throughout Continental Europe +a powerful minority yearned for the system of +the Code Napoleon, and secretly prayed for +the great Law-giver’s success.</p> + +<p>Byron’s friend, Hobhouse, wrote June 12, +1815: “Regarding Napoleon and his warriors +as the partisans of the cause of peoples +against the Conspiracy of Kings, I cannot +help wishing that the French may meet with +as much success as will not compromise the +military character of my own countrymen. +As an Englishman, I will not be a witness of +their triumphs; as a lover of liberty, I would +not be a spectator of their reverses. I leave +Paris to-morrow.”</p> + +<p>Wherever men understood the tremendous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">29</span> +issues that were about to be fought out; wherever +there was an intelligent comprehension +of the consequences that were inevitably connected +with the triumph of the Allied Kings, +there was intense longing for the triumph of +the French.</p> + +<p>The French masses eagerly besought the +Emperor to give them arms—but he shrank +from the menace of Communism, even as he +had done when he refused to arm the Russian +serf against his lord.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>In the hours of trial, three of Napoleon’s +brothers had drawn to him again. They had +been much to blame for his downfall. Joseph +had abandoned Paris in 1814, when there was +no urgent necessity for it, and when Napoleon +was flying toward it, on horseback, at headlong +speed. Lucien had been wrong-headed, +turbulent, making trouble at Rome and elsewhere. +Jerome’s management in Westphalia +had incensed and disgusted Germany. As to +Louis, the fourth brother, that impossible +dolt and ingrate did not show his face, but retired +into Switzerland. He was the younger +brother with whom Napoleon had shared his +slender pay when lieutenant, and who had +lived with the elder brother and been taught<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">30</span> +by him, and in every way treated by him as a +father treats a son.</p> + +<p>As to Madame Mère, the heroic old +mother, she had refused to come to Paris to +take part in the gorgeous ceremonial of Napoleon’s +Coronation; she stayed away, at Rome, +where Lucien Bonaparte, in temporary disgrace, +drew the maternal sympathy to the less +fortunate son. No, she would not go to +Napoleon in 1800, when all Europe was at +his feet, and he was the King of Kings. She +stayed at Rome with Lucien. But when the +awful reverses came, when the scepters were +broken in the hands of the Bonapartes, when +Napoleon was prostrate and outlawed, +Madame Letitia,—Madame Mère,—remembered +only that he was her son. Josephine, +frail at first, but at last loyal and loving, could +not go to Elba; she was dead. Maria +Louise, the Austrian wife, frail as well as +false, would not go to Elba; she had already +turned her lewd eyes toward the gallant Neipperg. +But Madame Mère could go to Elba, +and she went. And when Napoleon left for +France, she soon followed. So, she is with +him now, heart and soul. For the day is dark +and dreary. The somber clouds hang low. +Thunder rolls in the distance—rolls with sullen<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">31</span> +menace and ominous reverberation. And +because the whole world is against her son, +Madame Mère turns from the whole world +<em>to him</em>! Heroic old woman! From her +adamantine character was drawn the strength +which laid Europe at Napoleon’s feet.</p> + +<p>In the “Barrington Sketches” is drawn a +vivid picture of the last public occasion on +which appeared together the most remarkable +mother and son that ever lived. It was on +the 8th of June, four days before Napoleon +left Paris to join his army.</p> + +<p>The dignitaries of the Empire were assembled +in the Chamber of Deputies to take the +oath of allegiance to the Emperor. It was a +magnificent ceremonial. In the streets, on the +quays and in the parks were great throngs of +people, and among the military the enthusiasm +was unbounded. No longer crying “<i lang="fr">Vive +l’Empereur</i>,” their shouts rolled in thunder +tones, “<i lang="fr">Empereur! Empereur!</i>” The roar +of cannon shook the earth, and the air thrilled +with the music of the bands. In the great +and splendid Chamber of Deputies were assembled +a brilliant array of the nobility of +France—those who had been born great, +those who had achieved greatness, and those +who had had greatness thrust upon them.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">32</span> +They had assembled to swear loyalty to their +Emperor, Napoleon—and not one of those +who were present knew better the frailty of +such a bond of allegiance than the Emperor +himself. And when Fouché took the oath, +Napoleon turned his head and looked fixedly, +calmly at the traitor. Sir Jonah Barrington +says that Fouché faltered and flushed. But +I doubt it. Sir Jonah Barrington says that +he watched Napoleon’s countenance, intently +studying its every detail. He says that the +Emperor sat unmoved, his face somewhat +shaded by the ostrich plumes of his black +Spanish hat, the size of his bust concealed by +“the short cloak of purple velvet, embroidered +with golden bees.” Sir Jonah speaks of +the “high and ungraceful shoulders,” and declares +that he was “by no means a majestic +figure.” “I watched his eye. It was that of +a hawk.” He then describes how this brilliant +glance swept from one face to another, +throughout the assemblage, without a movement +of the Emperor’s head.</p> + +<p>Sir Jonah describes Napoleon’s mother as +“a very fine old lady, apparently about sixty, +but looking strong and in good health, well +looking, and possessing a cheerful, <em>comfortable</em> +countenance. In short, I liked her appearance;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">33</span> +it was plain and unassuming.” +Then Sir Jonah tells how he settled down to +study her expression to learn her sensations +during the splendid ceremonial. And after +the most critical attention to the varying expressions +of the “comfortable countenance” of +this fine old lady, Sir Jonah reaches the conclusion +that the emotions which move her as +the brilliant function progresses, are just those +<em>of a mother proud of her son</em>!</p> + +<p>“I could perceive no lofty sensations of +gratified ambition, no towering pride, no vain +and empty arrogance, as she viewed underneath +her the peers and representatives of her +son’s dominions.”</p> + +<p>What emotion was it, then, that filled her +bosom on that last great day in Paris? “A +tear occasionally moistened her cheek, but it +evidently proceeded from a happy rather than +a painful feeling—it was the tear of parental +ecstasy.”</p> + +<p>After Napoleon had been caged at St. +Helena, and was being denied comforts that +had become necessary to him, his mother +was one of those who supplied the captive +with funds. Some one remonstrated with +her, telling her that she would reduce herself<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">34</span> +to poverty, and that she would be destitute in +her old age. The heroic old Corsican answered, +“What does it matter? When I +shall have nothing more, I will take my stick +and go about <em>begging alms for Napoleon’s +mother</em>.”</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">35</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II</h2> +</div> + +<p>It was half-past three on the morning of +June 12th when Napoleon entered his carriage +and set out for the Belgian frontier. +On the 13th he was at Avesnes, on the 14th at +Beaumont. One who was near the imperial +carriage, on its rapid course from Paris, states +that the Emperor was often asleep during the +day; and that he declared that he was utterly +worn out by his three months’ toil. Little +wonder. A man who had gone through the +tremendous ordeal which Napoleon had +passed since his return from Elba—an ordeal +which taxed soul, mind, and body—was fortunate +in being left with any strength at all. +His actual hours of labor had been an average +of fifteen per day, to say nothing of the anxieties, +the discouragements, and the humiliations +which made such enormous demands upon his +fortitude, his patience, his tact, his powers of +self-control.</p> + +<p>Asked at St. Helena what had been the +happiest period of his life, Napoleon +answered, “The progress from Cannes to +Paris.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">36</span></p> + +<p>But however elated he may have been during +that bloodless re-conquest of an empire, +the illusion that all France rejoiced in his return +soon passed away. The indifference of +Paris chilled him. The absence of many a +companion-in-arms who had fought under his +eagles was depressing. The knowledge that +he would have to accept fettering conditions, +and the services of men who denounced him +the year before, mortified him. To Count +Molé he declared that had he known how +many concessions he would have to make, he +would never have left Elba.</p> + +<p>These were concessions to those who were +called Republicans, and who were dreaming +of popular self-government—for which Napoleon +did not believe that France was prepared. +Having become an Emperor, he was +naturally opposed to a republic. Besides, a +man of his vast superiority over other men +naturally believes that he can achieve the best +results when given a free hand. With pathetic +earnestness he had appealed to the Legislative +to help him save France from her +enemies, reminding them of the decadent +Roman senate which had wrangled over vain +abstractions while the battering-rams of the +barbarians thundered against the walls. To<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">37</span> +no purpose. Until his power had been fully +re-established by victory over the Allies, the +Legislative would remain factious and obstructive; +should the Allies triumph, the Legislative +would be ready to renounce him, as +in 1814.</p> + +<p>And where were his old comrades? Where +were those who had grown famous under his +flag, made great by his lessons, rich and powerful +by his munificence?</p> + +<p>Lannes had fallen, during the awful days +of Wagram. Duroc had been disembowelled +by a cannon ball, in one of the bloody struggles +of 1813. Junot had killed himself in a +fit of madness. LaSalle had thrown away his +life, on the Danube, in a needless cavalry +charge. The gallant Poniatowski, of the +royal house of Poland, had gone to a watery +grave in the Elster, after the Titanic struggle +at Leipsic. Bessières, Commander of the Old +Guard, who had led the great cavalry charges +at Eckmuhl and at Wagram, had met a +soldier’s death, at the head of his men, at the +battle of Lutzen. Oudinot had shown incapacity +during 1814, and Napoleon would +have no more to do with him. Souham had +acted the traitor; and when he came to seek +command again, Napoleon said, “What do<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">38</span> +you want of me? Can’t you see that I do not +know you any more?” Masséna renewed his +allegiance to the Emperor, and sought military +command; but he was too old and feeble +for active service, and Napoleon disappointed +his hopes of getting the 9th division. Suchet +was put in command of the Army of the Alps. +Jourdan was made Governor of Besancon. +Brune also renewed his allegiance—an act +for which the White Terror was to inflict +upon him a horrible penalty. Gouvion Saint-Cyr +had disobeyed Napoleon’s orders in 1814, +and had commanded his troops to resume the +white cockade, after the 20th of March, when +the Chamber voted Napoleon’s deposition. +The Emperor now exiled him to his castle. +Sérurier and the elder Kellerman had voted +for deposition, but Napoleon punished neither. +Marshall Moncey would have been willing +to take command again under the Emperor, +but, as he had published a violent order of +the day against Napoleon in 1814, he was not +given a military appointment, but, like Lefebre, +he was raised to the Chamber of Peers. +Bernadotte sat firmly on the throne of Sweden, +ready to renew the fight against his countrymen, +to insure the reward of his treachery—Norway. +Marmont, in mortal terror of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">39</span> +vengeance which his base betrayal of Paris deserved, +had fled with the Bourbons across the +Rhine. Augereau had offered his services, +but he was no longer the Augereau of Castiglione, +and the Emperor could not overlook +the personal insult to which the recreant Marshal +had subjected him on the high-road, +while on his way to Elba. Macdonald, who +had led the great charge against the Austrian +center at Wagram, had taken service under +the Bourbons, and refused to serve Napoleon +again. Mortier was ready for the final campaign +and joined the army, but, falling sick, +sold his chargers to Ney and took no part in +the fighting of the Hundred Days. Berthier, +the favorite of his chief, the bosom friend, the +constant companion; Berthier, of whom Napoleon +was so fond that he petted him like a +spoilt child and would not dine in his tent until +Berthier came to share the meal—Berthier +had put on the King’s uniform, accepted high +position in his household, and fled the country +upon the Emperor’s return. At the castle of +Bamberg, in Bavaria, he saw the Russians +pouring by on their march to France. Overcome +by the miseries of his situation, the remorseful +traitor threw himself from an upper +window and died on the pavement below.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">40</span></p> + +<p><em>Where was Murat?</em> The most brilliant +cavalry officer that the world ever saw had +offered his sword to Napoleon, and had been +spurned. God! what a mistake. The Emperor, +who had retained Fouché, and given a +command to Bourmont, might well have +trusted his own brother-in-law, who had everything +to gain by a victory which would restore +the fortunes of all the Napoleonic connection. +But Murat had appeared in arms +against France, and this Napoleon would not +forgive. Besides, he had attacked the Austrians, +with whose Emperor there is reason to +believe that Napoleon had come to an understanding +before leaving Elba. Murat’s insane +conduct not only brought ruin upon himself, +but destroyed whatever chance Napoleon +had to detach Austria from the Alliance. So +it was that Murat was in concealment at +Toulon while the battle raged at Waterloo.</p> + +<p>Greatest of Napoleon’s Marshals was Davout, +the victor of Auerstadt—a greater feat +of arms than Napoleon’s own triumph at +Jena on the same day. But he was wasted +during the Hundred Days. He begged hard +for a command, but the Emperor chose to +have him remain in Paris, Minister of War, +and thus the great soldier who might have<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">41</span> +given such a different account of the Prussians, +had he instead of Grouchy been sent after +them, sat useless in the office in Paris, while +the cannon roared at Fluerus, at Ligny, at +Quatre Bras, at Wavre, at La Belle Alliance. +Soult was a commander of ability, and he was +loyal and full of zeal; but he had long held +independent command, had practically no experience +as a staff-officer; and yet he applied +for and was given the position of Chief of +Staff. This unfortunate choice proved to be +one of the principal causes of the disaster of +the campaign.</p> + +<p><em>And where was Ney?</em> Where was Napoleon’s +“Bravest of the brave”?—the heroic +figure that had held the rearguard all +through the horrors of the Retreat from Moscow; +the impatient lieutenant who had almost +used threats of personal violence to his Emperor +to compel him to sign the first abdication; +the turn-coat who had gone over to the +Bourbons, and who had promised the King to +bring Napoleon to Paris in an iron cage?</p> + +<p>The torrent which was bearing the exile +back to his throne proved too strong for Ney; +and when his own troops cried, “<i lang="fr">Vive L’Empereur!</i>” +Ney was swept off his feet.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">42</span> +When the big-hearted, impulsive man began +to make explanations and denials, Napoleon +stopped him with, “Embrace me, Ney.”</p> + +<p>Weeks afterward, when the Marshal felt +that the Emperor must have learned about the +iron cage threat, he was clumsy enough to +mention the matter to Napoleon, and to claim +that he merely made the remark to deceive the +King as to his real design, which was to go +over to the returning Emperor. Napoleon +said nothing, but gave Ney one of those looks +which made even Vandamme grow ill at ease.</p> + +<p>Mortified, feeling that he had blundered +throughout,—in 1814 and in 1815,—Ney +withdrew to his estate.</p> + +<p>Only at the last moment, and then out of +pity, did Napoleon send word to Ney that he +might serve. The message was fatal—for it +cost Napoleon his throne, and Ney his life.</p> + +<p>It was not until the 12th of June that Ney +set out for the army, and he was so ill prepared +that he made the journey to Avesnes in +a coach, and from there to Beaumont in a +peasant’s cart. It was that evening that he +bought from Marshal Mortier the horses he +rode into battle. At the head of his army, +Napoleon was cordial to his old lieutenant. +“I am glad to see you, Ney. You will take<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">43</span> +command of 1st and 2nd Army Corps. Drive +the enemy on the Brussels road, and take possession +of Quatre Bras.”</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>What of the composition and temper of the +army with which the great Captain was to +make his last campaign?</p> + +<p>The officers did not possess the confidence +of the troops, and were themselves without +confidence in the star of Napoleon. Even +those generals who were at heart his friends +and were ready to die by him, had little or no +hope of success. How could it be otherwise? +Napoleon could not inspire others with a faith +which he did not himself feel; and we have +overwhelming evidence to the effect that he +was depressed, filled with forebodings.</p> + +<p>It was in the troops of the rank and file that +confidence lay. These were in a frenzy of enthusiasm +for their Emperor, and of hatred +against his enemies. In their way of judging +events, their Captain had never been defeated. +The Russian snows had been the cause of his +failure in 1812, and the treachery of his Marshals +had been his ruin in the Campaign of +1813 and 1814. Nothing but treachery +could check him now; but that there <em>was</em> +treason afoot was a universal suspicion among<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">44</span> +the men of the rank and file. “Don’t trust the +Marshals,” they were constantly saying; and +even at Waterloo a soldier ran from the +ranks, caught the bridle rein of the white +Arabian mare that the Emperor rode, and exclaimed, +“Sire, don’t trust Marshal Soult! +He betrays you!” “Be calm. Trust Marshal +Soult, and trust me,” was Napoleon’s +reply. Evidently here was an army that would +strike with terrific force, but which might +<em>break all to pieces on the field at the slightest +evidence of bad faith on the part of its commanders</em>.</p> + +<p>At the very outset, Soult’s unfitness for +his position as Chief of Staff was demonstrated. +When orders to concentrate the +army were flying as fast as couriers could +bear them, Napoleon came upon the cavalry +of Grouchy, at Laon, before that officer had +stirred a step. <em>He had received no orders.</em> +Had Napoleon been the vigilant, quickly resolute +Captain of old, his Chief of Staff +would have been dismissed at once. Like the +leak in the dyke, <em>such</em> a mistake indicated the +danger of a colossal disaster. In person, Napoleon +had to order Grouchy forward; and +practically the same thing had to be done with +the corps of Vandamme. Soult had sent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">45</span> +marching orders to that officer <em>by a single +courier</em>, whose horse fell with him, breaking +his leg; and the poor fellow lay there all +night with the undelivered order.</p> + +<p>Both of these delays were felt throughout +the campaign. The cavalry had to make a +forced march of 20 leagues and this tired the +horses; and in the cavalry charges of the following +days the mounts of the French were +jaded, while those of the enemy were fresh. +Vandamme’s failure to get his orders caused +the combination of the Emperor to fall short +of what it ought to have accomplished, and +this in turn caused other losses to the end of +the campaign.</p> + +<p>Even at this late day the armies of Blücher +and Wellington were spread over a front line +of 35 leagues. The base of the Prussians was +Liege; that of the English, Brussels and +Ghent. The point of contact of the two +armies was the road from Charleroi to Brussels. +Napoleon determined to seize this road, +strike the Allies at the point of contact and +drive them apart, so that he could crush each +in detail. This done, he believed that Austria +would withdraw from the Alliance, the Belgians +rise in his favor, Italy assert her friendship +for him, and all France unite against the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">46</span> +Bourbons. If these very probable changes +should take place, he could either conclude an +honorable peace with Russia, Prussia, and +Great Britain, or he could safely defy them.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>On the 14th of June the Emperor slept +among his troops. Next morning he addressed +them in the order of the day:</p> + +<p>“Soldiers, to-day is the anniversary of Marengo +and Friedland, which twice decided the +fate of Europe. We were too generous after +Austerlitz and Wagram. And now banded +together against us, the sovereigns we left on +their thrones conspire against the independence +and the most sacred rights of France. +They have begun by the most iniquitous aggression. +Let us march to meet them; are we +not the men we were then? The time has +come for every Frenchman who loves his +country to conquer or to die.”</p> + +<p>The army of 124,000 men to whom those +burning words were addressed had been swiftly +concentrated within cannon-shot of the +enemy, before Blücher or Wellington had the +faintest idea of what had happened. While +it was possible for the French Emperor to +strike at once, with the crushing weight of the +whole army, <em>three days</em> were necessary to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">47</span> +Blücher and Wellington. <em>How did they get +those three days?</em> Through the blunders and +disobedience of Napoleon’s own officers. +Contributing immensely to the same result +was the refusal of Wellington’s officers to obey +the orders which he sent from Brussels and +which, had they been obeyed, would have left +Quatre Bras in the hands of the French, and +put Napoleon in overwhelming numbers <em>between</em> +the scattered forces of his enemies. To +have destroyed them would have been child’s +play for such a captain.</p> + +<p>On the 15th of June, Wellington wrote to +the Czar of Russia stating his intention to +take the offensive at the end of the month. +As to Blücher, that indomitable but short-sighted +soldier was writing to his wife, “We +shall soon enter France. We might remain +here a year, for Bonaparte would never attack +us.”</p> + +<p>About the time that the wife of “Marshal +Forwards” was reading this reassuring letter, +the Prussian army was flying before the +French Emperor, and old Blücher himself, unhorsed +and bruised almost to unconsciousness, +had escaped capture because of the darkness, +and was being borne off the lost field of +Ligny.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">48</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III</h2> +</div> + +<p>On the morning of June 15th, at half-past +three, the French army crossed the Belgian +frontier.</p> + +<p>Disobeying orders, D’Erlon did not set his +troops in motion until half-past four. Receiving +no orders, Vandamme did not move +at all—not until the approach of Lobau’s +corps warned him that some mistake had been +made. Gérard was ordered to start at three; +he did not appear at the rendezvous until +seven.</p> + +<p>To increase the ill effect which these delays +were making upon the mind of the suspicious +troops, General Bourmont, commander of the +head division of the 4th Corps, went over to +the enemy, accompanied by his staff, some +other officers, and an escort of five lancers.</p> + +<p>This act of treachery threw the whole of +the 4th Corps into confusion, and it became +necessary for Gérard and General Hulot to +harangue the troops to restore their confidence. +Two hours were thus lost. Napoleon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">49</span> +had not wished to give Bourmont a command, +but had yielded at the urgent entreaties of +Gérard and Labedoyére.</p> + +<p>To the credit of Blücher, it must be said +that he gave the traitor a contemptuous reception, +and spoke to his staff scornfully of the +“cur.”</p> + +<p>Between nine and ten o’clock on the morning +of the 15th of June the French reached +the Sambre. At Thuin, at Ham, in the +woods of Montigny, at the farm of La Tombe +they had struck the Prussian outposts and +driven them, killing, wounding and capturing +some 500 of them. Then there was a fight +for the bridge over the Sambre at Marchienne.</p> + +<p>Too much time was lost both here and at +the bridge of Charleroi. The cavalry awaited +the infantry, and Vandamme, commander +of the infantry, was four hours late. It was +not until the Emperor himself appeared on the +scene that the bridge was stormed.</p> + +<p>At the bridge of Marchienne there was a +fight of two hours, and even after the bridge +had been carried it required several hours for +so many troops to pass so narrow a bridge.</p> + +<p>To a civilian it seems strange that no preparation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">50</span> +had been made, beforehand, to throw +other bridges over this stream; equally so +that the retreating Prussians left any bridges +standing.</p> + +<p>Amid the cheers of the inhabitants Napoleon +entered Charleroi, a little after noon, and +dismounted, and sat down by the side of the +road. At this point he commanded a full +view of the valley of the Sambre.</p> + +<p>The troops were on the march. As they +passed they recognized the Emperor, and the +wildly enthusiastic cheering of the men +drowned the roll of the drums. Soldiers +broke ranks to run and hug the neck of Desirée, +the Emperor’s horse.</p> + +<p>And so tired was Napoleon that he fell +asleep in the chair, even as he had slept on the +battlefield of Jena.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>From Brussels the English would come by +the Charleroi road; from Namur the Prussians +would come by the Nivelles road. +These highways cross each other at Quatre +Bras, hence the supreme importance of that +position. To seize it was Napoleon’s purpose, +and he entrusted the task to Ney, giving +him the order verbally and personally:</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">51</span></p> + +<p>“Drive the enemy on the Brussels road and +take up your position at Quatre Bras.”</p> + +<p>Having ordered the left wing of his army +to Quatre Bras, the Emperor meant to post +his right wing at Sombreff, while he, himself, +with his reserve, should take position at Fluerus, +to be ready to act with the right wing or +the left, as circumstances might dictate.</p> + +<p>About 10,000 Prussians were behind Gilly, +protected in front by the little stream, Le +Grand-Rieux. Grouchy, deceived by the +length of the enemy’s line, estimated their +strength at 20,000, and hesitated to advance. +“At most they are 10,000,” said the Emperor, +and he ordered Grouchy to ford the stream +and take the Prussians in flank; Vandamme’s +division and Pajol’s cavalry would attack in +front.</p> + +<p>Then the Emperor left the field to hurry +the coming of Vandamme’s corps. The moment +Napoleon was gone, Grouchy and Vandamme +began to waste time, and for two +hours they were arranging the details of the +movement. While they were doing so, the +Prussians quietly walked off from the trap.</p> + +<p>Enraged at the conduct of his lieutenants, +the Emperor, just returned, ordered Letort to +charge with four squadrons of cavalry. Two<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">52</span> +battalions of Prussians were overtaken and +cut to pieces; the others escaped into the +woods of Solielmont.</p> + +<p>It was now the close of the day, and +Grouchy wished to drive out of Fluerus the +two battalions of Prussians which occupied it. +These were the positive orders of the Emperor, +but Marshal Vandamme refused to advance +any farther, saying that his troops were +too tired and that, at any rate, he would take +no orders from a commandant of the cavalry. +As Grouchy could not take Fluerus without +the support of infantry, the village remained +untaken, and Napoleon’s plan incomplete.</p> + +<p>On the left wing the same failure to obey +orders was even more marked. Instead of +advancing upon Quatre Bras, as the Emperor +distinctly told him to do, Ney posted three of +his divisions at Gosselies, and tolled off nothing +but the lancers and the chasseurs of the +Guard to Quatre Bras.</p> + +<p>The lancers of the Guard had got in sight +of Fresnes about half-past five in the afternoon. +This village was occupied by a Nassau +battalion and a battery of horse artillery. +They were under the command of Major +Normann, who had been left without any instructions, +but on hearing the sound of cannon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">53</span> +toward Gosselies, he had at once divined the +supreme importance of Quatre Bras, and determined +to defend it desperately. Had Ney +continued his advance with any considerable +portion of his infantry, the Nassau battalion +would have been crushed. As it was, the +small force of the French which had been sent +forward was able to drive Major Normann +out of Fresnes and along the Brussels road. +In fact a squadron of the French cavalry entered +Quatre Bras where there were then no +English; but fearing to be cut off, did not attempt +to hold the place. Prince Bernard, +of Saxe-Weimar, had also acted without orders; +and with the instinct of a soldier had +taken the responsibility of moving his own +troops to occupy this important strategical +position. Under him were four Nassau battalions; +therefore there were now 4,500 men +with artillery to defend Quatre Bras against +the 1,700 lancers and chasseurs which Ney +had thrown forward.</p> + +<p>The sound of cannon in front caused Marshal +Ney to join his vanguard. Instead of +realizing the necessity of ordering up infantry +supports and storming the position of the +enemy as he could easily have done, he made +only a few feeble charges against the Nassau<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">54</span> +infantry, and then went back to Gosselies for +the night. Had he continued to advance with +even one-fourth of the troops which the Emperor +had given, he might have destroyed the +entire force of Prince Bernard and of Major +Normann before a single Englishman came +within miles of the place.</p> + +<p>Nevertheless, the Emperor had substantially +gained his point. Almost without any real +fighting, and in spite of the clumsy working +of his great military machine, he now had +124,000 men encamped near the point of +junction between the allied armies, ready to +strike either. On the night of the 15th, when, +at Charleroi, Napoleon examined the reports +sent in by Grouchy and Ney, he reached a conclusion +that was wrong, but which, fastening +itself on his mind, could never be shaken, and +contributed vastly to his ruin. He believed, +judging from the direction in which the Prussians +had retreated, that they were retreating +upon Liege, their natural base of operations, +instead of adhering to the design of so conducting +their retreat as to be at all times in +reach of the English.</p> + +<p>The various delays of the French, and their +failure to advance as far as the Emperor’s orders +had directed, made it possible for the indefatigable<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">55</span> +Blücher to bring up a large part +of his army, and instead of retreating on his +base,—as Napoleon thought he would do,—Blücher +advanced to Sombreffe to give battle.</p> + +<p>Toward morning, in the night of the 15th, +the Prussians had evacuated Fluerus. +Grouchy took possession of it, and the Emperor +reached it shortly before noon. Going to +the tower of a brick mill, which stood at the +end of Fluerus, Napoleon had the roof +breached and a platform made, upon which he +could stand and view the various positions of +the enemy.</p> + +<p>The willingness of the Prussian commander +to fight was partly the result of Wellington’s +diplomacy. The Englishman had been +caught napping, and to secure time to concentrate +his badly scattered forces he had given +Blücher a written promise to support him. It +was extremely necessary to Wellington that +Blücher should stand between the English +army and the French, and fight them off, until +the English could get themselves together. +Besides, if Blücher retreated upon Liege, the +English army would be left alone before Napoleon. +In that event it would have to fight +with inferior forces, or fall back on its base of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">56</span> +operations, leaving Brussels to be occupied by +the Emperor.</p> + +<p>In 1876 there was found in the Prussian +archives the letter in which Wellington encouraged +his ally to make a stand. This letter +was sent from the heights north of Fresnes, +about two miles south of Quatre Bras, at half-past +ten o’clock in the morning of the 16th. +In this much-debated letter the wily Englishman +misrepresents the positions of his own +troops, puts them some hours nearer to the +scene of action than they really were, and assures +Blücher of their support if he will stand +and fight. Wellington tells Blücher that +he will at least be able to effect such a powerful +diversion in his behalf that Napoleon will +not be able to use against the Prussian more +than a moiety of his army.</p> + +<p>Lord Wolseley, in his book, “The Decline +and Fall of Napoleon,” admits that Wellington’s +statements to Blücher were false, but +naively remarks, “Wellington, an English +gentleman of the highest type, was wholly and +absolutely incapable of anything bordering on +untruth or deceit in dealing with his allies.”</p> + +<p>Lord Wolseley’s ingenious explanation is +that Wellington must have been deceived “by +his inefficient staff.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">57</span></p> + +<p>Yet the undisputed record is that Wellington +himself had issued all the orders to his +scattered troops, a few hours before, and he +knew precisely the distance of each division +from the field.</p> + +<p>To the “English gentleman of the highest +type” it was supremely necessary that his ally +should break the force of the French onset, +delay its advance, and thus give himself time +to concentrate his too-widely scattered troops. +To influence Blücher he stated to him what he +<em>knew</em> to be untrue, and made his ally a promise +which he <em>knew</em> he could not keep.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">58</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV</h2> +</div> + +<p>The Napoleon of the Italian campaign had +said: “The Austrians lose battles because +they do not know the value of fifteen +minutes.”</p> + +<p>Alas! Neither the Emperor nor his lieutenants +now seemed to know the value of time.</p> + +<p>In former years the French moved forward +before dawn. In this final campaign, +upon which all was staked, they started late +and they moved slowly, when the enemy was +crowding into every minute the utmost that +human energy could achieve.</p> + +<p>Standing upon the roof of the mill-tower, +Napoleon could not perceive the full strength +of Blücher’s position. To the Emperor it +seemed that the enemy was posted opposite to +him on a slope leading upward to a low range +of hills with the village of Sombreff in the +center. From the tower he could not see the +importance of the small river Ligne, with the +ravine formed by the broken ground and the +stream itself. In the center of the valley was +the village of Ligny, in which stood an old +castle, and a church surrounded by a cemetery<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">59</span> +enclosed by brick walls. Through this village +runs the stream of Ligne. There were several +other villages in the valley between the two +opposing ranges of hills. The Prussian position +was in reality strong, with this weakness—the +open slope revealed all the movements +made over it, and exposed the troops to the +cannon of the French.</p> + +<p>It was not till long after two o’clock that +the French were ready to attack. Then the +battery of the Guard fired the signal guns, +and Vandamme dashed upon the enemy, +while the military bands played “La victoire +enchantant.” The Prussians posted in the +village, the cemetery, the church, the orchards, +the houses, fought desperately. Entrenched +in the old castle and in the farm +buildings, they raked the advancing French +with a terrible fire, which littered the ground +with the dead and wounded. Under the cannonade +of the French, houses burst into +flames. The villages became a roaring hell, +in which the maddened soldiers fought from +house to house, in the streets, in the square, +with a ferocity which amazed the oldest officers. +No quarter was asked or given.</p> + +<p>Driven over the Ligne, the Prussians lined +the left bank, and across this brook the soldiers<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">60</span> +shot each other, with guns only a few +feet apart. In the houses wounded men were +being burned to death, and their frightful +cries rang out above the roar of battle. The +hot day of June was made hotter by the fierce +flames which wrapped the buildings; clouds +hung in the heavens, and the smoke from the +guns, dense and foul, was pierced by tongues +of fire from the blazing houses and by the +flashes of the guns as Prussians and Frenchmen +shot each other down.</p> + +<p>After four charges in force; after sanguinary +hand-to-hand fights for every hedge and +wall and house; after the fiercest struggle for +the brook, the Prussians fell back—the +French pouring over the bridges. That +Blücher had failed to blow up the bridges +was a disastrous mistake.</p> + +<p>But this was only the right wing of +Blücher’s army; the center and the left wing +were unhurt. Blücher came down from his +observatory, on the roof of the mill of Bussy, +to order in person a movement on Wagnalée, +from which the Prussians would take the +French in flank. While the Prussians, reanimated +by the presence of “Old Marshal Forwards,” +sprang forward with cheers, and began<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">61</span> +to drive the French back, Napoleon +made ready for his master-stroke.</p> + +<p>Ney at Quatre Bras is in the rear of the +Prussians. Let him merely hold in check +whatever force of English is coming from +Brussels, and detach D’Erlon with his 20,000 +men to fall upon the Prussian flank and rear. +This done, 60,000 Prussians will be slaughtered +or captured.</p> + +<p>Directly to D’Erlon flew the order to +march to the rear of the Prussian right. Colonel +de Forbin-Janson, who carried the order +to D’Erlon, was instructed to inform Ney, +also.</p> + +<p>This order had been sent at two o’clock. +It was now half-past five. At six the Emperor +expected to hear the thunder of D’Erlon’s +cannon in the rear of the Prussian army. +As soon as he should hear that he would send +in his reserves,—hurling them at the enemy’s +center,—cut through, block its retreat on Sombreff, +and drive it back upon the guns of Vandamme +and D’Erlon. For the 60,000 men +of Zeiten and Pirch there would be no escape. +The Emperor was greatly elated. In +order to annihilate Blücher and end the war +with a clap of thunder it was only necessary +that Ney obey orders. So thought Napoleon.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">62</span> +He said to Gérard, “It is possible +that three hours hence the fate of the war +may be decided.” To Ney himself he had +written, “The fate of France is in your +hands.”</p> + +<p>With a soul full of the pride of success, +the Emperor made his dispositions for the +final blow.</p> + +<p>But what thunder-cloud is that which suddenly +darkens the radiant sky?</p> + +<p>Away off there to the left, Vandamme’s +scouts have caught sight of a column of +twenty or thirty thousand troops who +march as if their intention is to turn the +French flank. An aide-de-camp sent by Vandamme +dashes across the field to carry this +fateful message to the Emperor. Thus, with +hand uplifted to strike Blücher down, he +must not deal the blow—his own flank is exposed. +It does not occur to Napoleon that +this column on the left may be D’Erlon’s +corps, going in a wrong direction, by mistake. +Vandamme had said they were the enemy; +D’Erlon had no business to be <em>there</em>; the +column <em>must</em> be Prussian or English.</p> + +<p>Nothing can be done until an aide-de-camp +can ride several miles, reconnoiter, ride back<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">63</span> +and report. The grand attack is delayed +until this can be done.</p> + +<p>At length the aide-de-camp returns and reports +that the suspicious column is D’Erlon’s +corps.</p> + +<p>Filled with chagrin for not having guessed +as much, and with rage for the precious +hour of daylight lost, the Emperor gives the +word, the grand attack begins.</p> + +<p>Black clouds have been gathering over the +winding stream of Ligne, along whose banks +the fighting has raged for several miles. The +lightning now begins to flash and the thunder +to roll, but even the voice of the storm is lost +in the more terrible voice of battle as Napoleon’s +batteries turn every gun on Ligny.</p> + +<p>The Old Guard deploys in columns of attack; +cuirassiers make ready to dash forward; +the drums beat the charge, and the +splendid array moves onward amid deafening +peals of “<i lang="fr">Vive l’Empereur!</i>”</p> + +<p>Blücher has stripped his center to feed his +right: he has no reserves: and the whole +strength of Napoleon’s power smites the +Prussian center. It is swept away. As Soult +wrote Davout: “It was like a scene on the +stage.”</p> + +<p>The sun is now about to go down—the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">64</span> +storm is over—and Blücher gets a view of the +whole field. His army has been cut in two. +Desperately he calls in the troops on his +right; desperately he gallops to his squadrons +on the left to lead them to the charge. +Bravely they come on in the gathering gloom +to fling themselves against the French. In +vain—torn by musketry and charged by the +cuirassiers, they fall back. Blücher’s horse is +shot down and falls on his rider.</p> + +<p>“Nostitz, now I am lost!” cries the old +hero to his adjutant.</p> + +<p>But the French dash by without noticing +these two Prussians, and when the Prussians, +in a countercharge, pass over the same +ground, Blücher’s horse is lifted and the old +Marshal borne from the field.</p> + +<p>Night puts an end to the conflict and saves +the Prussian army from annihilation. Had +the attack been made when Napoleon first +ordered, there would have been no Blücher +to rescue Wellington at Mont-Saint-Jean.</p> + +<p>The carnage of the day had been prodigious. +Twelve thousand Prussians and +eighty-five hundred Frenchmen strewed the +villages, the ravine, and the plain. At this +cost the great Captain won his last victory.</p> + +<p>As he returned to Fluerus that night Napoleon’s +heart must have been very heavy.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">65</span> +The fortune of France had slipped through +his fingers. The enemy should have been destroyed. +Had his orders been obeyed, +Blücher’s army would have been swept off the +face of the earth. As it was, Blücher had +simply received one of the ordinary drubbings +to which he was so much accustomed that he +was not even discouraged. Neither his staff +nor his troops were demoralized. They had +given way to an onset which they could not +withstand; but they meant to reform, retreat +to another position, and fight again.</p> + +<p>Most of those who have written of Ligny +and of the fatality which deprived both Ney +and the Emperor of D’Erlon,—whose corps +would have accomplished such decisive results +had it gone into action at either Ligny +or Quatre Bras,—dwell upon the ignorance +and presumption of the staff-officer, Col. Laurent, +who took it upon himself to direct the +march of D’Erlon’s leading column upon +Ligny when it was upon its way to Quatre +Bras.</p> + +<p>But it seems to me that had the staff-officer +not turned D’Erlon’s corps away from +Quatre Bras and toward Ligny, the Emperor’s +own order, sent by Forbin-Janson, +would have brought about precisely the same +result.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">66</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V</h2> +</div> + +<p>“There is my ugly boy, Arthur,” said Lady +Mornington on seeing Wellington at the +Dublin Theater after a long absence.</p> + +<p>Like Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, +Frederick the Great, Washington, Byron, +Webster, Disraeli, and many other great +men, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, +owed nothing to his mother!</p> + +<p>The sentimental notion that all great men +derive their strength from their mothers is an +idle fancy.</p> + +<p>Born into the ruling caste of Great Britain, +Arthur Wellesley was given the best opportunities, +and he improved them to the best +advantage. In Hindustan he won military +fame similar to that of Clive, and was finally +sent to Portugal when the British Cabinet decided +to make the Peninsula a base of operations +against Napoleon. Displeased with +the Convention of Cintra, which his superior +officer concluded with Junot, after the latter +had lost the battle of Vimiera, Wellington +quit the Continent and returned to England, +where he served in Parliament. It required<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">67</span> +the utmost exertion of his family influence to +again secure employment for him in the army.</p> + +<p>His subsequent career in Spain, where, by +a cautious steadiness and unflinching courage, +he won victory after victory over Napoleon’s +lieutenants, left him the military hero of the +day when Marmont’s treachery had put an +end to the campaign of 1814.</p> + +<p>He was at the Vienna Congress when Napoleon +left Elba, and the Kings turned to +him, saying: “You must once more save Europe.”</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>The Duke of Wellington, associated as he +is with the national pride of the country, is +England’s military hero. The greatness of +the Duke is the greatness of old England. +He identified himself wholly with the government +of his country, believed that it was the +best that human wit could devise, antagonized +innovations, detested reform measures, +and had a hearty contempt for the populace.</p> + +<p>It is doubtful if any human being ever +<em>loved</em> Wellington. His wife did not; his +sons did not; his officers did not; his soldiers +did not. Yet he had the unbounded confidence +of his army, the warm admiration of +most Englishmen, and the personal esteem of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">68</span> +every sovereign of Europe. Like Washington, +he had few intimacies; and like Washington, +he was exacting even in very small +matters.</p> + +<p>That he should have won the title of “the +Iron Duke” is significant. In many respects +he was a hard man. <em>He was never known to +laugh.</em></p> + +<p>“Kiss me, Hardy,” said the dying Nelson +to his bosom friend. We cannot imagine any +such tenderness of sentiment in Wellington.</p> + +<p>Nelson came near throwing his fame away +for a wanton, as Marc Antony did: we could +never imagine Wellington in love with a +woman. He married with as little excitement +as he managed a military maneuver, +and he begat children from a stern sense of +duty.</p> + +<p>He heartily favored flogging in the army, +and he bitterly opposed penny postage.</p> + +<p>In his old age he was asked whether he +found any advantage in being “great.” He +answered, “Yes, I can afford to do without +servants. I brush my own clothes, and if I +was strong enough I would black my own +shoes.”</p> + +<p>He had ridden horseback all his life, but +had a notoriously bad seat. Often in a fox<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">69</span> +hunt he gave his horse a fall, or was thrown. +Like Napoleon, he always shaved himself. +He was a man of few words, never lost his +head, and was as brave as Julius Caesar.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>It is Thackeray who relates the incident +which illustrates how the English regarded +the Duke in his old age.</p> + +<p>Two urchins, one a Londoner and the other +not, see a soldierly figure ride by along the +street.</p> + +<p>“‘That’s the Duke,’ says the Londoner.</p> + +<p>“‘The Duke?’ questions the other.</p> + +<p>“‘Of Wellington, booby!’ exclaims the +Londoner, scornful of the ignoramus who +did not know that when one spoke of ‘the +Duke,’ Wellington alone <em>could</em> be meant.”</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">70</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI</h2> +</div> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indentq">“There was a sound of revelry by night,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">And Belgium’s capital had gathered then</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Her beauty and her chivalry, and bright</div> + <div class="verse indent2">The lamps shone o’er fair women and brave men”.</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>The dance is the harmony of motion wedded +to the harmony of sound. Since men +have loved music they have loved dancing, +and the perfection of the dance will be a fascination +until the love of music is dead in +the souls of men.</p> + +<p>Herodias dances before the King, and off +goes the head of John—a victim to the sensuous +poetry of motion. Nor was Herod +the only intoxicated monarch whose imperial +will was seduced by music and the dance. +Ancient history is full of it—this witchery of +voluptuous music and voluptuous motion, the +sway of the woman of the dance.</p> + +<p>As far back as we can see into the dim ages +of the past, the record is the same. The story +of the witchery of melodious sound and the +rhythmical movement which brings the charm +of music to the eye as well as to the ear, is +traced in whatever of sculpture, of painting,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">71</span> +of literature has been saved from the ravages +of time. Graven on the stone, carved +upon the frieze, cast in the entablature, delicately +wreathed about the vase, we still see +how the ancients loved music, and how the +music made the dance.</p> + +<p>Out of the annals of the dead nations +come the living names of their national +dances, and it may be that the fire which +burned in the heart of the Spartan when he +went through the Pyrrhic dance was the same +as that which kindled the ardor of the Red +Man of the American tribes when he celebrated +his war dance.</p> + +<p>There was the dance of the Furies, the +dance of the Harvest, the dance of May-day, +the dance of the religious rite, the dance of rejoicing, +the dance of the marriage feast, the +dance of the funeral rite.</p> + +<p>In the Greek Chorus the whole city gave +itself to the melody of sound and the harmony +of motion, just as the <i lang="fr">farandola</i> of to-day is, +in Southern France, an unlooped garland of +music and dance drawing into itself the entire +community. Only the Roman refused to +dance, and the Roman is the most unlovely +national character in history.</p> + +<p>“Wine, woman, and song!” cried the revellers<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">72</span> +in the dawn of time; “Wine, woman, +and song!” shout the revellers now; and between +these flowery banks of Pleasure runs +the steady, everlasting stream of earnest purpose, +consecration to duty, and love of noble +standards, that bears precious freight toward +havens yet unknown.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>As Thackeray says, there never was, since +the days of Darius, such a brilliant train of +camp-followers as hung around Wellington’s +army in the Low Countries, in the year 1815.</p> + +<p>French noblesse who had fled their country, +English lords and ladies who had crossed +over to the Continent, diplomats connected +with various European courts, travellers who +had stopped at Brussels to await the issues of +the campaign—all these crowded the city. +With the officers of the English and Belgian +armies, this made a brilliant and distinguished +society, and many social entertainments were +being given.</p> + +<p>Owing principally to the fact that hers +was connected with the march of the English +army and the crowning victory of Waterloo, +the Duchess of Richmond’s ball has, historically, +obliterated every other. Lord Byron +immortalized it in “Childe Harold”; and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">73</span> +after him came Thackeray with his masterly +descriptions in “Vanity Fair.”</p> + +<p>Until a comparatively recent date it has not +been known for certain where the ball took +place, for it was well known that it was not +given in the house which the Duke of Richmond +was temporarily occupying.</p> + +<p>Sir William Fraser has published a most +interesting account of how his industrious +search for the famous ball-room was at length +rewarded by the discovery that the place actually +used for the dance was the store-room, or +dépot, of a carriage-builder, whose establishment +joined the rear of the Duke of Richmond’s +palace. Instead of being a “high-hall” +as Byron imagined, it was a low room, +13 feet high, 54 feet broad, and 120 feet +long. For the two hundred invited guests it +afforded ample accommodations.</p> + +<p>We can assume that this storage-room for +vehicles had been transformed with hangings +and decorations until it presented an appearance +sufficiently brilliant, and we can imagine +the eagerness with which “the beauty and the +chivalry” had looked forward to this night. +We can imagine the intrigues for tickets. We +can imagine fair women leaning on the arms<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">74</span> +of the brave men, and the crash of music, as +the band strikes up, and then,</p> + +<p>“On with the dance!”</p> + +<p>Yonder is the Prince of Orange, heir to +the illustrious house which boasts such names +as William III and William the Silent. To +whom does the modern world owe more,—for +freedom of conscience, of speech, of person,—than +to the heroic Dutchman who +stood, almost alone—and triumphantly!—against +the whole power of the Spanish Empire +and the Pope? From whom have we +received a finer lesson in patriotism, and in +desperate determination to be free, than from +William III when, as the armies of the Grand +Monarch came irresistibly on, sternly ordered, +“<em>Cut the dykes! We’ll give Holland back +to the sea, rather than become the slaves of +France!</em>”</p> + +<p>Over there is the Duke of Brunswick—whose +father, in 1789, had led into France +that ill-fated invasion which struggled with +mud and rain and green grapes until it was +in condition to be demoralized by the slight +cannonade of Dumouriez and the cavalry +charge of Kellerman—thus bringing derision +upon its commander who had issued the famous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">75</span> +proclamation in which he threatened +Paris with destruction.</p> + +<p>There is Pozzo di Borgo, the Corsican, +the boyhood acquaintance of Napoleon. +They had taken different sides in petty Corsican +politics; there had been an affray at the +polls, Pozzo had been knocked down and +roughly handled by the Bonaparte faction. +Here was the origin of one of the most active, +vindictive and persistent hatreds on record; +and there is no doubt whatever that the Corsican +gentleman who now glitters in this brilliant +throng, in the Duchess of Richmond’s +ball-room, has done Napoleon a vast deal of +harm. It was he, more than any other, who +influenced the Emperor Alexander against +Napoleon. It was he, more than any other, +who in 1814 persuaded the Allies to revoke +the order, already given, to retreat upon the +Rhine and, instead, to march straight upon +Paris.</p> + +<p>More notable still, is another opponent of +Napoleon whom we see in this famous ball-room. +It is Sir Sydney Smith. “<em>That man +caused me to miss my destiny!</em>” exclaimed Napoleon. +For Sir Sydney was the unconquerable +Englishman who threw himself into +Acre and showed the Turks how to defend it.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">76</span> +Against those walls the French dashed themselves +in vain. Baffled, exhausted, his rear +threatened, his heart filled with impotent +rage, Napoleon had to abandon his gorgeous +visions of Eastern conquest and drink to the +dregs a bitter cup of humiliation.</p> + +<p>Of course the Duke of Wellington is here, +and many of the officers of his army. The +French nobles (emigrés) are represented by +some of the proudest names of the <em>Ancient +Régime</em>. Ladies of high degree are present—ladies +of beauty, wit, and grace, some from +Belgium, France, England, but none of these +are so well known as a certain pretty, doting, +neglected wife named Amelia, and a dashing, +brilliant, wicked adventuress, Becky Sharp, +whom Thackeray brings to the ball. As long +as there is such a thing as English literature +these two, together with the prodigal George +Osborne and honest William Dobbin, will +move amid those revellers and live amid the +stirring scenes of the Eve of Waterloo.</p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indentq">“A thousand hearts beat happily; and when</div> + <div class="verse indent2">Music arose with its voluptuous swell,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Soft eyes looked love to eyes that spake again,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">And all went merrily as a marriage bell.”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>There was no boom of cannon to halt the +dance. There was no opening roar of battle<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">77</span> +that broke in upon the revelry. The Duke +of Wellington sat down comfortably to the +table where the midnight supper was served, +and the officers remained at the ball hours +later. Then, as they had been ordered, they +withdrew quietly, one by one, and finally the +Duke came to make his own adieus.</p> + +<p>The youngest daughter of the Duchess of +Richmond was awakened and brought down +to the ball-room. With her tiny fingers she +buckled on the great soldier’s sword.</p> + +<p>Do we not all of us recall how Major +Dobbin seeks out Captain George, who has +been madly gaming and madly drinking?</p> + +<p>“‘Hullo, Dob! Come and drink, old +Dob! The Duke’s wine is famous.’</p> + +<p>“‘Come out, George,’ said Dobbin gravely. +‘Don’t drink.’</p> + +<p>“Dobbin went up to him and whispered +something to him, at which George, giving a +start and a wild hurray, tossed off his glass, +clapped it on the table, and walked away +speedily on his friend’s arm.”</p> + +<p>What Dobbin said was this: “The enemy +has crossed the Sambre: our left is already engaged. +Come away. We are to march in +three hours.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">78</span></p> + +<div class="poetry-container"> +<div class="poetry"> + <div class="stanza"> + <div class="verse indentq">“And there was mounting in hot haste; the steed,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">The mustering squadron, and the clattering car,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Went pouring forward with impetuous speed,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">And swiftly forming in the ranks of war;</div> + <div class="verse indent0">And the deep thunder peal on peal afar;</div> + <div class="verse indent2">And near, the beat of the alarming drum</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Roused up the soldier ere the morning star,</div> + <div class="verse indent2">While throng’d the citizens with terror dumb,</div> + <div class="verse indent0">Or whispering, with white lips—‘The foe! They come, they come!’”</div> + </div> +</div> +</div> + +<p>Again, Thackeray: “The sun was just +rising as the march began—it was a gallant +sight—the band led the column, playing +the regimental march; then came the major +in command, riding upon Pyramus, his stout +charger; then marched the grenadiers, their +captain at their head; in the center were the +colors, borne by the senior and junior ensigns; +then George came marching at the head of his +company. He looked up, and smiled at +Amelia, and passed on; and even the sound +of music died away.” And Amelia and thousands +of other wives go back to wait, to weep, +to pray.</p> + +<p>How hard it is to believe that after the officers +had hurried away to join their commands, +after the Duke of Wellington had +left, after every young man and young woman +in the ball-room <em>knew</em> that their late +partners were hastening to the battlefield, <em>the +ball should continue</em>.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">79</span></p> + +<p>Instead of being broken up by the booming +cannon and the agonizing leavetakings +imagined by Lord Byron, the revel went on +till morning, when it ended in the usual way.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>Not until six in the morning of June 16th +did the Duke of Wellington leave Brussels, +and, had the orders which he issued the evening +before been carried out, he would have +found Ney between himself and the English +army, with the Prussians annihilated! Acting +upon their own responsibility, Major Normann +and the Prince of Saxe-Weimar had +taken possession of Quatre Bras. The +Prince of Orange’s Chief of Staff, Constant +Rebecque, delivered to the officers the written +orders of Wellington, but told them verbally, +in effect, not to obey. As a matter of fact, +these officers paid no attention to the written +orders, but acted upon their own judgment. +They could see for themselves what ought to +be done, and they did it. They all rushed to +Quatre Bras, determined to hold it at whatever +cost.</p> + +<p>At ten o’clock, Wellington arrived, and he +congratulated General Perponcher on being +in possession of Quatre Bras, whose vital importance +he now recognized for the first time.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">80</span></p> + +<p>Not being attacked at Quatre Bras, Wellington +rode to the heights of Brye to see, +for himself, what was going on at Ligny. +He and Blücher went up in the mill of Bussy, +from whose roof they could plainly see every +movement of the French.</p> + +<p>It was now too late for the Prussians to escape +battle. Therefore, Wellington, in parting +from Blücher to return to Quatre Bras, +coolly said, “I will come to your support provided +I am not attacked myself.” To his +aide Wellington remarked, “If he fights here +he will be damnably licked.”</p> + +<p>No wonder that Gneisenau, Chief of Staff +to Blücher, formed the opinion that Wellington +was a “master-knave.”</p> + +<p>Had the Prussian hero, Blücher, been as +craftily selfish as Wellington, there would +have been no Waterloo.</p> + +<p>On his arrival at Quatre Bras, Wellington +found that Ney had at last realized the +true meaning of the Emperor’s orders, and he +made frantic efforts to regain what he had +lost. Too late. Vainly Jerome Bonaparte +fights with desperate courage to win and hold +the Boissou wood: vainly Kellerman hurls +his handful of horsemen upon the ever-increasing +infantry of the enemy; vainly Ney<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">81</span> +exposes himself to the hottest fire, rallying +broken lines and leading them back to the +charge. Too late. Regiment after regiment +of the English army arrives. In hot haste, +the young officers, who, a few hours ago, had +been dancing at the Duchess of Richmond’s +ball, throw themselves into the fight, still in +the silk stockings and buckled shoes of the +ball-room.</p> + +<p>So impetuous had been the assault of the +French that at first the English and Hanoverians +were driven. The Duke of Wellington, +narrowly escaping capture, was borne +backward by the rout. In person he rallied +his men and led a cavalry charge which broke +on the French line. Not until the coming up +of Picton’s division did the tide decisively +turn; but then the French, heavily outnumbered, +were worsted at all points.</p> + +<p>“The fate of France is in your hands,” the +Emperor had written, and Ney had not understood. +All the hours of the morning of +the 16th he had not understood. Precious +hours had glided by unimproved. Now it is +afternoon, and at last Ney understands.</p> + +<p>And it is too late. Were he the ally of +Wellington and Blücher, he could not serve<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">82</span> +them better. Were he the mortal enemy of +France, he could not serve her worse.</p> + +<p>Overwhelmed by the sudden consciousness +of his terrible mistake, the heroic Ney was +almost demented. “Oh, that all these English +balls were buried in my body!” Impotent +rage, vain remorse: <em>the English were up, +and all of Wellington’s delays and blunders +were remedied</em>.</p> + +<p>Verily, those who say there is no such thing +as <em>Luck</em> have never studied the history of the +Hundred Days!</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>The fatality of the day was, of course, the +pendulum swing of D’Erlon’s corps—a pendulum +which swung first toward Napoleon, +then toward Ney, reaching neither. Had +not the Emperor turned it back when on its +way to join Ney, Wellington would have been +crushed. Had not Ney recalled it when it +was in sight of the Emperor, Blücher would +have been destroyed. But Napoleon took it +away from Ney, and Ney took it away from +Napoleon, and neither got to use it.</p> + +<p>D’Erlon’s corps of 20,000 men was utterly +lost to the French, although it was on the +march all day and burning to be in the fight. +Nothing in military history equals the ill-luck<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">83</span> +of this day. In the first place, Soult’s order +to D’Erlon was ambiguous. D’Erlon did not +understand it, and the inexperienced staff-officer, +Forbin-Janson, was unable to explain +it. This accounts for D’Erlon showing up at +the wrong place and creating consternation +among the French which delayed the final +blow and saved Blücher.</p> + +<p>In the second place, Soult sent only one +staff-officer, and this one did not carry out orders. +<em>He did not inform Ney.</em></p> + +<p>An experienced staff-officer would have understood +the necessity of notifying Ney of +the Emperor’s orders to D’Erlon, for the +Emperor had placed D’Erlon under the immediate +command of Ney. As it was, Marshal +Ney was needing D’Erlon as badly as +the Emperor needed him, and was expecting +him every minute. Therefore, he continued +to send urgent, peremptory orders that +D’Erlon should hasten to join him.</p> + +<p>Even when General Delcambre, sent by +D’Erlon after D’Erlon was well on his way +back to Ligny, reported the retrograde movement +to Ney, the insubordinate Marshal flew +into a passion and sent General Delcambre +back with an imperative order that D’Erlon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">84</span> +should march on Quatre Bras. In taking +upon himself to overrule his Emperor, he did +not even consider the lateness of the hour, +which made it impossible for D’Erlon to join +him in time to be of any service.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">85</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII</h2> +</div> + +<p>While it was not disorganized or demoralized, +Blücher’s army was in great peril. Two +of his army corps were concentrated at +Wavre, one was at Gembloux, and the fourth +at Wandesett. Had the French been vigilant, +these separated corps might have been +overwhelmed in detail. Through the carelessness +of videttes, the lack of enterprise in +the leaders of reconnoitering parties and the +unpardonable neglect of General Exelmans, +neither Napoleon nor Grouchy was informed +of the movement of the Prussian corps.</p> + +<p>After Grouchy was given command of +33,000 troops to pursue the Prussians, the +delays in starting, the slowness of the march, +the lack of harmony between Grouchy and his +two lieutenants, Vandamme and Gérard, +made the “pursuit” the most futile on record.</p> + +<p>How it was that an army of 70,000 Prussians +could get lost to the French, then found, +then lost again, is something that the untutored +civilian labors in vain to understand.</p> + +<p>Yet that is the truth about it. The morning +after the battle of Ligny the French did<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">86</span> +not know what had become of the Prussian +army. They began to hunt for it. The +search was clumsy and far afield. But at +length Thielman’s corps was located at +Gembloux. Grouchy’s entire army might +have enveloped and crushed it. Not being +attacked, Thielman sensibly retired, and when +the French entered Gembloux they did not +even know what had become of those Prussians. +A strange “pursuit,” truly.</p> + +<p>Although he still had two hours of daylight, +Grouchy decided that the “pursuit” +had been pushed far enough for one day, and +he postponed further activities until the morrow. +During the night he received intelligence +that the whole Prussian army was +marching on Wavre. That Wavre was on a +parallel line to the line of Wellington’s retreat, +and that Blücher’s purpose might be to +succor Wellington when necessary never once +entered Grouchy’s head. On the contrary, he +believed that Blücher was making for Brussels +and would not tarry at Wavre. Yet he +knew that the Emperor was expecting a battle +<em>just where that of the next day was fought</em>.</p> + +<p>Then why not put his 33,000 men nearer +to the Emperor than Blücher would be to +Wellington? To do so he had but to cross<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">87</span> +the little river Dyle and march along its left +bank. Wavre is on the left bank of the Dyle, +and therefore he would have to cross it in any +event, going to Wavre. And by maneuvering +on that side of the river he could the more +readily keep in communication with the Emperor +and succor him in case of need. That +Napoleon expected Grouchy to do this is +shown by the orders which he gave to General +Marbot to throw out cavalry detachments in +that direction. On the morning of the fateful +18th the well-rested troops of Grouchy +might have marched at three. Yet they were +not ordered to move till six, and did not actually +get under way until about eight. When +the French of Grouchy left Gembloux for +Wavre, <em>the Prussians had already been four +hours on the desperate march to Waterloo</em>.</p> + +<p>Having at length got his army off, the admirable +Grouchy rode as far as Walhain, +where he entered the house of a notary to +write a dispatch to the Emperor. Having +done this,—it was now about ten o’clock,—Marshal +Grouchy coolly sat down to his +breakfast. At this hour the Prussian advance +guard had reached St. Lambert, and +Wellington knew it. And here was Napoleon’s +lieutenant, placidly working his way to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">88</span> +those historic strawberries, blissfully ignorant +of the fact that his stupendous folly had +wrecked Napoleon’s last campaign.</p> + +<p>Upon this breakfast enter the excited officers +who have heard the opening guns at Waterloo. +“A rearguard affair, no doubt,” +thinks the admirable Grouchy. But soon the +distant thunder and the cloud of smoke tell +of a battle, a great battle—a battle of which +men will talk as long as there are human +tongues to wag, as long as there are human +hearts to feel.</p> + +<p>“The battle is at Mont-Saint-Jean,” says a +guide. And that is where the Emperor +thought the fight would be. “We must +march to the cannon,” says Gérard. So says +General Valezé. But Grouchy pleads his orders. +“If you will not go, allow me to go +with my corps and General Vallin’s cavalry,” +pleads Gérard. “No,” said Grouchy; “it +would be an unpardonable mistake to divide +my troops.” And he galloped away to amuse +himself with Thielman, as Blücher had meant +that he should do.</p> + +<p>So, all day long, while the Emperor +strained his eyes to the right, looking, looking, +oh how longingly! for his own legions,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">89</span> +his own eagles, Grouchy was in a mere rearguard +engagement with Thielman.</p> + +<p>When Bülow appeared like a sudden cloud +in the horizon, the Emperor hoped it was +Grouchy. When the cannonade at Wavre +reached La Belle Alliance, the Emperor +fancied that the sound drew nearer—that +Grouchy was coming, at last. The agony of +suspense which drew from Wellington the +famous “Blücher, or night,” could only have +been equalled by the storm which raged +within the Emperor’s breast—the storm of +impotent rage, and of regret that he had +leaned so heavy upon so frail a reed as +Grouchy.</p> + +<p>The positive order which the Emperor +sent to Grouchy, after the appearance of +the Prussians at Chapelle-Saint-Lambert, +were delivered in time for a diversion in Bülow’s +rear which would have released Napoleon’s +right. But Grouchy decided that he +would obey this order <em>after</em> he had taken +Wavre. As he did not take Wavre until +nightfall, he might just as well have been +openly a traitor to his flag. During the +whole of two days he had been repeating +“my orders, my orders,” and his apologists +are forever prating about those orders; but<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">90</span> +what about this last order, hot and direct, +from the field where all was at stake? How +could a victory over Thielman be anything +but a trivial affair in comparison with the tremendous +conflict going on over there at Mont-Saint-Jean?</p> + +<p>Ah, well, he took Wavre, licked his Thielman, +extricated his army very cleverly from a +most perilous position made for it by the disaster +of Waterloo, got back into France in +admirable shape, and had the satisfaction of +knowing that he had made a record unique +in the history of the world.</p> + +<p>As the man who did not do the thing he +was sent to do, Grouchy has no peer. As a +man who, in war, exemplified the adage of +“penny wise and pound foolish,” Grouchy is +unapproachable. As a man who,—by an almost +miraculous union of inertness, stupidity, +pig-headed obstinacy, complacent conceit, +jealous pride, and inopportune wilfulness,—caused +the last battle of the greatest soldier +of all time to become the synonym for unbounded +and irremediable disaster, Grouchy +occupies a lofty, lonely pillar of his own—a +sort of military Simeon Stylites.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">91</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII</h2> +</div> + +<p>WATERLOO</p> + +<p>Why had the Emperor been so late in getting +into motion on the morning of the 16th? +Why had he not started at five o’clock, and +caught Zieten’s corps unsupported? Why +did he give Blücher time to concentrate? +Why did he not press the attack farther on +the evening of the day when the Prussians +were in full retreat? Why did he fail to give +Grouchy the customary order to pursue with +all the cavalry?</p> + +<p>Satisfactory answers cannot be made. +That Napoleon’s conceptions were as grand +as ever is apparent, but his failure in matters +of detail is equally clear. Perhaps mental +and physical weariness after several hours of +sustained exertion and anxiety, furnish the +most plausible explanation of these errors.</p> + +<p>At any rate, when he threw himself on his +bed at Fluerus on the night of the 16th, Napoleon +was worn out. Yet he did not know +the true state of the Prussian army, nor what +Ney had done at Quatre Bras. Soult sent no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">92</span> +dispatches to Ney, and Ney sent none to +Soult.</p> + +<p>The Emperor went to sleep <em>believing</em> but +not <em>knowing</em> that Blücher had been so badly +battered that it would take him at least two +days to gather together the remnant of his +army. More unfortunately still, Napoleon +believed that the Prussians had taken up a +line of retreat which would carry them beyond +supporting distance of the English.</p> + +<p>To the contrary of both these convictions +of the Emperor, the bulk of the Prussian +army was preserving its formation, and +Gneisenau, acting for Blücher, who was believed +to be dead or a prisoner, had directed +the retreat on Wavre. Thus the Prussians +were keeping within supporting distance of +the English, although this was not Gneisenau’s +motive in issuing the order. He chose +Wavre for the reason that at Wavre the separated +corps of the army could best reunite.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>The morning of the 17th of June dawns, +and Napoleon has Wellington in his power. +<em>But neither Wellington nor Napoleon knows +it.</em> The Duke does not know what has become +of the Prussians, and the Emperor does +not know that the English are where he and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">93</span> +Ney, acting in concert, can utterly destroy +them.</p> + +<p>It seems incredible that Ney sent no report +to Napoleon, and that the Emperor sent no +courier to Ney. But that is just the fact. It +was not until <em>after</em> Wellington had received +the report of the Prussian retreat, had realized +his peril, and was backing away from it, +that Napoleon awoke to a sense of the opportunity +which fortune had held for him all that +morning, while he lay supinely upon his bed, +or idly talked Parisian politics with his officers.</p> + +<p>When he <em>did</em> realize what might have been, +he was ablaze with a fierce desire to make up +for lost time. Too late. Wellington was +already at a safe distance, in full retreat on +Brussels, and Ney had not molested him by +firing a single shot.</p> + +<p>Soon the Emperor reached Quatre Bras, +but what could he do? True, he could dash +after the English cavalry and chase it as the +hunter chases the hare, but even the rearguard +of the enemy made good its escape.</p> + +<p>They say that as the black storm cloud +spread over the heavens to the North the +hills behind were still bathed in sunlight, and +that as the English officer, Lord Uxbridge,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">94</span> +looked back, he saw a horseman suddenly +emerge from a dip in the road and appear on +the hill in front—and they knew it to be Napoleon, +leading the pursuit.</p> + +<p>A battery galloped up, took position, +opened fire. And as it did so, the thunder +from the storm-cloud mingled with the thunder +of the guns, and the great rain of June +17th had begun to pour down.</p> + +<p>“Gallop faster, men! For God’s sake, +gallop, or you will be taken!” It was Lord +Uxbridge speeding his flying cavalry.</p> + +<p>After them streamed the French. Almost, +but not quite, the English were overtaken. +So close came the French that the English +heard their curses and jeers, just as Sir John +Moore’s retreating men heard them as they +took to their boats after the death-grapple at +Corunna.</p> + +<p>Torrents of rain were pouring down. The +roads became bogs. Where the highways +passed between embankments each road was +a rushing stream. Horses mired to their +knees. Cannon carriages sank to the hubs. +The infantry was soaked with water and covered +with mud. The labor of getting forward +was exhausting to man and beast. But +the French pressed on until they reached the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">95</span> +hills opposite the heights of Mont-Saint-Jean. +Upon those heights, and between the French +and Brussels, Wellington had come to a +stand.</p> + +<p>A reconnaissance in force caused the English +to unmask, and Napoleon was happy. +The English army was before him. That he +would crush it on the morrow, he had not the +slightest doubt. He not only believed this, +but had good reason to believe it. Had not +the Prussians gone away to Namur, out of +supporting distance? Such was his firm conviction, +based partly on the knowledge of +what would be the natural course for the retreating +army to take, and partly on the report +of his scouts. Besides, had he not sent +Grouchy, Vandamme, and Gérard to take +care of Blücher?</p> + +<p>Could the great soldier believe that his lieutenants, +trained in his own school by years of +service in the field, could manage so stupidly +as to allow the Prussians to take him in flank, +while he was giving battle to the English?</p> + +<p>Regarding the vexed question as to whether +the order given to Grouchy was sufficient, a +civilian can but say that it would seem that +Grouchy ought to have known what was expected +of him even if he had not been specially<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">96</span> +instructed. The very size of the +army entrusted to him was enough to denote +its purpose. The fact that Napoleon was +going after Wellington and was sending +Grouchy after Blücher said as plainly as +words, “You take care of Blücher, while I +take care of Wellington.” By necessary implication, +the mere sending of Grouchy with +33,000 men after Blücher meant that +Grouchy’s mission was to keep the Prussians +off Napoleon while Napoleon was fighting +the English.</p> + +<p>This was the common sense of it, and the +Emperor had every reason to believe that no +intelligent officer of his army could possibly +understand it otherwise.</p> + +<p>Therefore, when he saw that Wellington +meant to give battle, he felt the stern joy of +the warrior who expects a fair fight and a +brilliant victory.</p> + +<p>To Napoleon, a victory there meant even +more. It meant the possible end of arduous +warfare, an era of peace for France, the return +to his arms of his son, and the crowning +of his wonderful career by the continuation +and completion of that system of internal improvements +and beneficent institutions to +which Europe owes so much. Therefore,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">97</span> +when he plowed through the mud, drenched +with rain, and went the rounds of his army +posts, peering through the mists toward the +English lines, listening for any sound of an +army breaking camp to retreat, he was happy +to be convinced, “They mean to fight.”</p> + +<p>No one could shake his belief that the Prussians +had gone off toward Namur. That they +had retired by a parallel line with the English +was incredible. That Blücher would appear +on the morrow, <em>and strike his flank +within two hours after the signal for battle +was fired</em>, was a thought which could not possibly +have been driven into Napoleon’s head.</p> + +<p>In vain did his brother Jerome tell him of +what a servant of the inn had overheard the +English officers say, that very afternoon—that +Blücher was to come to their aid the next +day. Napoleon scouted the story. To his +dying day, it is doubtful whether he believed +that Wellington’s decision to stay and fight +was based upon the practical certainty that +Blücher would come to his aid. To that effect +Blücher had given his promise—and Wellington +knew that Blücher was not the man +to make his ally a false promise to induce +him to fight.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">98</span></p> + +<p>Although Napoleon had slept but little on +Saturday night (the 17th) and had been out +in the rain and mud for hours making the +rounds of his outposts, a distance of two +miles, he seemed fresh and cheerful at +breakfast, and chatted freely with his officers.</p> + +<p>There was a question of fixing the hour of +the attack. To give the ground time to become +drier and firmer under sun and wind, +hour after hour was suffered to pass. All +this while the more energetic Blücher was +plowing his way toward the field, over ground +just as wet. To a civilian it would seem if +the soil was firm enough to march on, it was +firm enough to fight on. If the Prussians +could drag their artillery through the defiles +of the Lasne, the French should have been +able to handle theirs in the valleys of Smohaine +and Braine-L’Alleud.</p> + +<p>Therefore, it would seem to this writer +that on the morning of June 18th, when Napoleon +Bonaparte sat idly in his lines waiting +for sun and wind to harden the ground, he +had no one but himself to blame for giving +Blücher time to reach the field. During these +hours of waiting it appears singular that no +details of the plan of attack were discussed. +It seems strange that no preparations were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">99</span> +made to cannonade the château of Hougoumont +and its outbuildings and walls. It +seems strange that no battery was planted to +shell the farmhouses of La Haye-Sainte. It +seems equally strange that nails and hammers +were not provided for the spiking of captured +cannon.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>One of the most horribly fascinating of +historical manuscripts is the warrant against +his enemies which Robespierre was signing +when Bourdon broke into the room and shot +him. There is the incomplete signature of +the erstwhile Dictator, and there are the +stains made by the blood which spurted from +his shattered jaw.</p> + +<p>Even more profoundly interesting are a +few words written in pencil by Marshal Ney, +upon an order which Soult was about to send +to General D’Erlon: “Count D’Erlon will +understand that the action is to commence on +the left, not on the right. Communicate this +new arrangement to General Reilé.”</p> + +<p>Why had the Emperor changed his mind? +At St. Helena, he appears not to have recalled +the fact that he changed his plan of battle +because Ney reported that a small stream, +which was on the line of advance to the right,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">100</span> +had been swollen by the rains and it was impassable.</p> + +<p>Stonewall Jackson was one of the many +military experts who studied the field of Waterloo, +and who said that the attack should +have been made on the right. It was there +that Wellington was weakest. Had the +French struck him there, Hougoumont +would have been worthless to him and would +not have cost such a frightful loss to the +French. But the Emperor, at the last moment, +changed his mind.</p> + +<p>THE LAST BATTLE</p> + +<p>“<em>Magnificent! Magnificent!</em>” exclaimed +Napoleon as he overlooked the legions that +were moving over the plateau, going into position.</p> + +<p>Seated on his white mare, his gray dust-coat +covering all but the front of the green +uniform, on his head the small cocked hat of +the Brienne school, silver spurs on the riding-boots +which reached the knee, and at his side +the sword of Marengo—the great Captain +was never more radiant, never surer of success +than now.</p> + +<p><i lang="fr">Vive l’Empereur!</i> rolled in thunder tones<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">101</span> +as the troops marched before him. The +drum-beat was drowned in the mighty shout +of the legions as they went down into the +valley of the shadow of death. It was, on +the vastest scale, the old, old cry of the gladiators +as they trooped past the imperial box +to take their stations in the arena—“<em>Caesar! +we, who are about to die, salute you!</em>”</p> + +<p>As the regiments passed in review, the +eagles were dipped to the Emperor, every +saber flashed in the sun, every bayonet +waved a hat or cap, every pennon was wildly +shaken, every band struck up the national air, +“<em>Let us watch over the safety of the Empire</em>”—and +over everything, drowning the +roll of the drums and the call of the bugles, +rose that frantic cry of frenzied devotion, +“<i lang="fr">Vive l’Empereur!</i>”</p> + +<p>Napoleon’s eye dilated, his breast expanded +with pride—for the last time, the +very last time. Proud he had often been, and +in most instances he had won the right to be +so. On the heights of Rossomme and on the +plateau of La Belle Alliance, he was, this +Sunday morning, deservedly proud. He had +reconquered an empire without drawing the +sword, had almost done what Pompey had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">102</span> +boasted that he could do—<em>called forth an +army by the stamp of his foot</em>; had smitten +his enemies and put them to rout, and now +while his lieutenant, on the right, would “cut +off the Prussians from Wellington,”—as +Grouchy had written that he would,—he, Napoleon, +would crush the English, and so win +back peace with honor.</p> + +<p>A more magnificent army than that which +he proudly views has never been marshalled +for battle, for here are heroes whose record +reaches all the way back through Montmirail, +Dresden, Wagram, Jena, Borodino, +Austerlitz, Eylau and Friedland, to Marengo.</p> + +<p>And Napoleon is proud, this last time.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>In the field Napoleon had 74,000 men and +246 guns; Wellington had 67,000 men and +184 guns. But the British position was +strong. The hollow road of Ohain gave +them the benefit of its trench for 400 yards. +There were barricades of felled trees on the +Brussels and Nivelles roads. There was a +sand-pit which served as an intrenchment, and +the strong buildings and enclosure of Hougoumont, +La Haye-Sainte and Papelotte were +formidable defences.</p> + +<p>Yet General Haxo, who was sent by Napoleon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">103</span> +to inspect the enemy’s lines, reported +that he could not perceive any fortifications!</p> + +<p>In addition to the hollow road, the natural +advantage of the position of the English was +that, from the crest which they were to defend, +the ground fell away so as to form a +declivity behind the crest, and along this hillside +the English were partially sheltered from +the French fire and altogether hidden from +view. From where he was, Napoleon could +not see more than half of Wellington’s army. +Another natural protection to the English +position were the tall, thick hedges, impassable +to the French cavalry.</p> + +<p>All things considered, the attempt of the +Emperor to break the center of an English +army, so well posted as this, can be fairly +compared to Lee’s efforts to storm the heights +of Gettysburg. And in each case the attack +was made in ignorance of vitally important +facts.</p> + +<p>Well might Napoleon afterward reproach +himself for not having reconnoitered the English +position.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>At thirty-five minutes past eleven the first +gun was fired.</p> + +<p>Reillé had been ordered to occupy the approaches<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">104</span> +to Hougoumont, and had entrusted +the movement to Jerome Bonaparte. At the +head of the 1st Light Infantry he charged +the wood held by Nassau and Hanoverian +carbineers. An hour of furious fighting in +the dense thickets—in which General Bauduin +was killed—resulted in clearing the woods of +the enemy; but on getting clear of the thicket +the French found themselves coming upon the +strong walls and the large buildings of the +château.</p> + +<p>Jerome had no orders to lead infantry +against a fortress like this, but he did it, +nevertheless. Wellington had thrown a garrison +into Hougoumont; the walls were loopholed +for musketry; and the French were led +to slaughter. It was impossible for infantry +to break these thick walls of solid masonry, +yet Jerome, in spite of the advice of his chief +of staff and the orders of his immediate +superior, Reillé, persisted until Hougoumont +had cost the lives of 1,600 Frenchmen and +had called away from the main battle nearly +11,000 men.</p> + +<p>Why it was that the walls were not +breached with cannon before the infantry was +led against them can only be explained upon +the hypothesis that the Emperor never once<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">105</span> +thought his brother capable of so mad an undertaking.</p> + +<p>It was nearly one o’clock when Napoleon +formed a battery of eighty guns and was +ready to make a great attack on the English +center. Before giving word to Ney, who was +to lead it, the Emperor carefully scanned the +entire battlefield through his glass.</p> + +<p><em>What is that black cloud which has come +upon the distant horizon, there on the northeast?</em> +Every staff officer turns his glasses +to the heights of Chapelle-Saint-Lambert. +“Trees,” say some. But Napoleon knows +better. Those are troops. But whose? Are +they his? Is it Grouchy? Suppose it is the +advance guard of Blücher!</p> + +<p>A hush, a chill falls upon the staff. A +cavalry squad is sent to reconnoiter; but before +it has even cleared itself of the French +lines, a prisoner taken by Marbot’s hussars is +brought to the Emperor. This prisoner was +the bearer of a letter from Bülow to Wellington +to announce the arrival of the Prussians! +Even now the Emperor does not realize his +danger, does not suspect the truth of the +situation, for he believes that Grouchy is so +maneuvering as to protect the French right +and to prevent the Prussians from falling on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">106</span> +his flank. Napoleon sends him the dispatch: +“A letter which has just been intercepted tells +us that General Bülow is to attack our right +flank. We believe we can perceive the corps +on the heights of Chapelle-Saint-Lambert. +Therefore do not lose a minute to draw +nearer to us and to join us and crush Bülow, +whom you will catch in the very act.”</p> + +<p>Immediately the Emperor detached the +cavalry divisions of Domon and Subervie to +the right to be ready to hold the Prussians in +check, and the 6th Corps (Lobau) was ordered +to move up behind this cavalry.</p> + +<p><em>Thus from half-past one in the afternoon +Napoleon had two armies with which to deal.</em></p> + +<p>Had he suspected that Blücher had left +Thielman’s corps to amuse Grouchy while the +bulk of the Prussian army was hastening to +join Bülow on the right flank of the French, +the Emperor would probably not have gone +deeper into this fight. Expecting every moment +to hear the roar of Grouchy’s guns in +Bülow’s rear, the Emperor now ordered Ney +to the grand attack on the English line.</p> + +<p>Eighty cannon thundered against Mont-Saint-Jean, +and the English batteries roared +in reply. For half an hour the earth quivered +with the shock, and in Brussels, twenty miles<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">107</span> +away, every living soul hung upon the roar of +the guns. Merchants closed their stores; +business of all sorts suspended; eager crowds +hurried to the Namur gate to listen, to question +stragglers from the front; timid travellers, +who had come in the train of Wellington’s +army, hastily secured conveyances and +fled by the Ghent road. In the churches, +women prayed.</p> + +<p>Is Blücher the only man who could play the +game of leaving a part of his troops to detain +the enemy? Cannot Grouchy leave 10,000 +men to die, if necessary, in holding Thielman, +while with the remainder he pushes for the +distant battlefield?</p> + +<p>There are those who say he could not have +arrived in time had he made the effort. How +can anybody know that? Certainly his cavalry +could have covered the distance, and the +infantry in all probability would have arrived +in time to take the exhausted English in the +rear, after their advance to La Belle Alliance, +and cut the surprised troops to pieces.</p> + +<p>Thus while the Prussians were chasing +Napoleon, Grouchy would have been chasing +Wellington, with the net result that the Prussians, +within a few days, would have been +caught between Napoleon’s rallied troops<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">108</span> +and the victorious army of Grouchy. But it +was not to be so. Grouchy did precisely what +Blücher wanted him to do—spent the golden +hours with Thielman at Wavre.</p> + +<p>After the cannonade of half an hour, Ney +and D’Erlon led the grand attack on the +English position. And a worse managed affair +it would be difficult to imagine. Instead +of forming columns of attack, admitting of +easy and rapid deployment, the troops were +massed in compact phalanxes, with a front of +166 to 200 files, with a depth of twenty-four +men. The destruction which canister causes +on dense masses like these, exposed in the +open field, is something horrible to contemplate. +The error was so glaring that one of +the division commanders, Durutte, flatly refused +to allow his men to be formed in that +way.</p> + +<p>Where was the eagle glance of Napoleon +that he did not detect the faulty formation +which Ney and D’Erlon were making? Is +such a detail beneath the notice of a commander-in-chief?</p> + +<p>If the Emperor saw the mistake he gave no +sign, and the troops of D’Erlon, ashamed of +not having been in the fights of the 16th,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">109</span> +rushed into the valley shouting, “<i lang="fr">Vive l’Empereur!</i>”</p> + +<p>“Into the jaws of death” they marched, for +as they crossed the valley and mounted the +slopes beyond, the English batteries cut long +lanes through their deep, dense lines and they +fell by the hundreds.</p> + +<p>A part of the attacking force was thrown +against the walls and buildings of La Haye-Sainte, +and here, as at Hougoumont, infantry +were slaughtered from behind unbreached +walls. But the great charge against the English +position went on heedless of such detail +as the attack on La Haye-Sainte. Through +the rye, which was breast-high, and over +ground into which they mired at every step, +the columns of D’Erlon pressed upward, crying +“<i lang="fr">Vive l’Empereur!</i>”</p> + +<p>The defenders of the sand pit were driven +out and thrown beyond the hedges. The +Netherlanders and Dutch broke, and in their +flight behind the hedges disordered the ranks +of an English regiment. The Nassau troops, +which held the Papelotte farm, were dislodged +by the French under Durutte, and the +great charge seemed to be on the point of succeeding. +But the faulty formation of the attacking +columns ruined all. When the attempt<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">110</span> +was made to deploy, so much time was +consumed that the English gunners had only +to fire at the dense mass of men to litter the +earth with the wounded and the dead. The +carnage was frightful.</p> + +<p>Picton, the English general, seeing the efforts +of the French to deploy, seized the opportunity, +led a brigade against the French +column, delivered a volley, and then ordered +a bayonet charge. Pouring from behind the +hedges, the English rushed upon the confused +mass of French, and a terrible fight at +close quarters took place. It was here that +Picton was killed.</p> + +<p>While the column of Donzelot was engaged +in this desperate struggle, the column +of Marcognet had broken through the hedges +and was advancing to take a battery. But as +the French shouted “Victory,” the sound of +the bag-pipes was heard, and the Highlanders +opened fire. Owing to their faulty formation, +the French could only reply by a volley from +the front line of a single battalion. Their +only hope was to charge with the bayonet. +While desperately engaged with the Scotch +troops, Lord Uxbridge dashed upon them +with his cavalry.</p> + +<p>The issue could not be doubtful. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">111</span> +French could not deploy; the confused mass +could not defend itself against infantry or +cavalry. They were raked by cannon shot, +and by musketry, and the English cavalry +hacked them to pieces. The slaughter was +pitiable and was mainly due to a formation +which gave these brave men no chance to +fight.</p> + +<p>In their exultation the English carried their +charges too far. The Scotch Greys, indeed, +dashed up the slope upon which the French +were posted, captured the division of batteries +of Durutte and attempted to carry the main +battery. Napoleon himself ordered the +countercharge which swept the English cavalry +beyond La Haye-Sainte.</p> + +<p>All this while, Jerome Bonaparte was still +assaulting Hougoumont. Defenders and +assailants had each been reinforced. The +Emperor ordered a battery of howitzers to +shell the buildings. Fire broke out, and the +château and its outbuildings were consumed. +The English threw themselves into the +chapel, the barn, the farmer’s house, a sunken +road, and continued to hold the position.</p> + +<p>It was now half-past three o’clock. Wellington +and Napoleon were both becoming +uneasy—the former because Blücher’s troops<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">112</span> +were not yet in line, the latter because he had +begun to doubt that Grouchy would come. +The Emperor ordered Ney to make another +attack on La Haye-Sainte. The English, +from behind hedges of the Ohain road, repulsed +it.</p> + +<p>While the movement was being made the +main French battery of eighty guns cannonaded +the English right center. “Never had +the oldest soldiers heard such a cannonade,” +said General Alten.</p> + +<p>The English line moved back a short distance +so as to get the protection of the edge +of the plateau. Ney, mistaking this movement, +ordered a cavalry charge. At first he +meant to use a brigade only, but owing to +some misunderstanding that cannot be cleared +up, this intended charge of a brigade drew +into it practically all the cavalry of the French +army. Napoleon himself did not see what +was happening. From his position near the +“Maison Decoster” inn, Napoleon did not +have a view of the ground in which the cavalry +divisions were forming for this premature +disastrous attack.</p> + +<p>The English saw it all, and were glad to +see it. What better could they ask? Their +lines had not been disordered by artillery or<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">113</span> +by infantry; what had they to fear from cavalry? +Nothing. They sprang up, formed +squares and waited. The English gunners, +whose batteries were in front, were ordered +to reserve their fire till the last moment, and +then to take shelter within the squares.</p> + +<p>As the French advanced, they were exposed +to the full fury of the English batteries. +The slope up which the cavalry rode is not +steep, but the tall grain and the deep mud +made it extremely difficult.</p> + +<p>Yet this magnificent body of horse, in spite +of dreadful losses, drove the gunners from +the batteries and took the guns!</p> + +<p>But they had nothing to spike them with, +they could not drag them away, they did not +even break the cannon sponges.</p> + +<p>Therefore when they found that the English +infantry was not in disorder, but in +squares upon whose walls of steel no impression +could be made; when they fell into confusion +because of their own numbers crowded +in so small a space, when Uxbridge’s five +thousand fresh horses were hurled upon the +jaded French, and they fell back before the +shock, the English gunners had but to run +back to their guns and renew the murderous +cannonade.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">114</span></p> + +<p>Yet no sooner had the wonderful soldiers +of Milhaud and Lefebre-Desnoette reached +the bottom of the valley than they charged up +the muddy slopes again. Once more they +drove in the cannoneers: once more they +carried the heights, and fell upon the English +squares. At this moment some of the English +officers believed that the battle was lost. +But Napoleon watched the cavalry charge +with uneasiness and called it “premature.” +Soult declared that “Ney is compromising us +as he did at Jena.”</p> + +<p>The Emperor said, “This has taken place +an hour too soon, but we must stand by what +is already done.” Then he sent to Kellerman +and Guyot an order to charge. This carried +into action the remaining cavalry. It +was now after five o’clock.</p> + +<p>In a space which offered room for the deployment +of only one thousand, eight or nine +thousand French cavalry went to fight unbroken +infantry!</p> + +<p>A storm of cannon balls broke upon these +dense masses, and the slaughter was terrific, +but nothing stopped the French. Again they +swept past the guns, again they assaulted the +squares, time and again and again—while an +enfilading fire emptied saddles by the hundred<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">115</span> +at every volley. Some of the squares were +broken, an English flag was captured, the +German Legion lost its colors, the French +horse rode through the English line, to be destroyed +by the batteries in reserve. Wellington +had taken refuge within a square, but he +now came out and ordered a charge of his +cavalry. For the third time the French were +driven off the plateau.</p> + +<p>Yet Ney, losing his head completely, led +another cavalry charge! Again ran the gunners +away from the batteries, and again the +cavalry broke on the squares. In fact, the +wounded and dead were piled so high in front +of the squares that each had a hideous breastwork +before it which made it almost impossible +for the French to reach the English.</p> + +<p>Inasmuch as the Emperor had decided to +support Ney in his cavalry charges, it seems +strange that neither he nor Ney used the infantry.</p> + +<p>The 6,000 men of the Bachelu and Foy +division were close by, watching the cavalry +charges and eager to support them. As Ney +was personally leading the cavalry, it is easy +to understand how he came to forget everything +else; but the Emperor’s failure to send +in this infantry is not readily understood.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">116</span></p> + +<p>Only after the fourth charge of the cavalry +had been repulsed, did Ney call in the infantry. +But he was too late; the English +batteries tore this closely packed body of men +to shreds, and in a few minutes 1,500 had +fallen and the column was in retreat.</p> + +<p>It was now six o’clock. La Haye-Sainte +was at length taken, with great loss of life on +both sides. From this point of vantage Ney +assailed the English lines. The sand pit was +again abandoned by the enemy, and Ney used +this and a mound near La Haye-Sainte to +pour a destructive fire upon the center of Wellington’s +line. The French infantry charged, +drove the English, captured a flag, and there +was now a gap in the very center of the English +line. Wellington was in a critical condition, +and had the Old Guard charged <em>then</em>, +neither Blücher nor night might have come +in time.</p> + +<p>Ney saw the opportunity and sent to the +Emperor for a few infantry to complete the +work. “Troops?” exclaimed Napoleon to +the officer who brought Ney’s message. +“Where do you expect me to get them? Do +you expect me to make them?”</p> + +<p>At the same moment, one of Wellington’s +lieutenants sent for reinforcements. “There<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">117</span> +are none,” he said. Suppose that at this +moment Napoleon could have hurled on the +English line the 16,000 men who were holding +back the Prussians!</p> + +<p>Yet the fact is that the Emperor had in +hand fourteen battalions which had not been +engaged, and what amazes the civilian is that, +after refusing to take advantage of the impression +Ney had made upon the enemy’s line, +Napoleon organized another general advance +against Mont-Saint-Jean an hour later.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>Ever since two o’clock the Prussians had +been operating on the French right wing. +Bülow’s corps was having a bloody struggle +with Lobau and the Young Guard. Time +and again the Prussians were thrown back; +time and again they returned to the attack. +At the instant when Ney was demanding more +troops, Lobau’s corps was in retreat and the +Young Guard was driven out of Plancenoit. +Napoleon’s own position on La Belle Alliance +was threatened. To prevent the Prussians +from coming upon his rear, the Emperor sent +in eleven battalions of the Old Guard which, +with fixed bayonets and without firing a shot, +drove the Prussians out of Plancenoit and +chased them six hundred yards.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">118</span></p> + +<p>It was now after seven o’clock. There +were still two hours of daylight. In the distance +were heard the guns of Grouchy; the +sound seemed to draw nearer. The Emperor, +counting too much on Grouchy always, believed +that at last his tardy lieutenant was engaged +with the bulk of the Prussian army, +and that he himself would have to deal with +the corps of Bülow only.</p> + +<p>The Emperor swept the field of battle with +his glass. On the right, Durutte’s division +held Papelotte and La Haye and was advancing +up the slope toward the English line. On +the left, Jerome had stormed the burning +château of Hougoumont, and the Lancers +had crossed the Nivelles road. In the center, +and above La Haye-Sainte, the French were +driving the enemy along the Ohain road. +The valley was crowded with the wrecks of +broken French regiments.</p> + +<p>Placing himself at the head of nine battalions +of the Old Guard, Napoleon led it down +into the valley, spoke to his men briefly, and +launched them against the enemy. It was +too late. A deserter had given Wellington full +notice of the preparations for the attack and +he had thrown reinforcements into the weak +portions of his line. The arrival of Zeiten’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">119</span> +Prussians relieved the flanking squadrons of +Vivian and Vandeleur, and Wellington now +had 2,600 fresh horsemen to throw into the +fight.</p> + +<p>At full gallop, the Prussian Commissioner +to the Allies, Muffling, rode to Zeiten, exclaiming, +“The battle is lost if you do not go +to the Duke’s rescue.”</p> + +<p>On came the Prussians, striking the French +flank from Smohain, and in spite of all the +personal exertions of the Emperor, a panic +spread throughout that part of his army.</p> + +<p>Couriers had been sent all along the line +to tell the French that Grouchy was approaching. +Yet the battle on the right where +Lobau and the Young Guard were struggling +to keep Bülow back must have been known +to thousands of the troops. Then, when +they actually saw the Prussians taking them +in flank, all their fears of treachery were intensified +and they were filled with terror.</p> + +<p>But the Emperor had raised his arm to +strike the enemy one final blow and he could +not stay his hand. Even had he tried to recall +Ney, D’Erlon, Reillé, it is doubtful +whether the situation would have been improved. +There was so much confusion, so<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">120</span> +many shattered commands, that an orderly +retreat had become impossible.</p> + +<p>Encouraged by the report that Grouchy +had come, the charging columns shouted +“<i lang="fr">Vive l’Empereur!</i>” and passed on.</p> + +<p>Freeing himself from the fifth horse which +had been shot under him that day, the dauntless +Ney went forward on foot, sword in +hand. Losing terribly at every step, the +French advanced up the slope. They took +some batteries, they almost gained the Crest; +but suddenly Maitland’s Guards, 2,000 +strong, sprang up out of the wheat where they +had been lying concealed, and poured a deadly +volley into the French. Why was there no +officer with presence of mind enough to cry +then, “<em>Give them the bayonet</em>”? That was +the one hope of the French. Instead of doing +this, the officers tried to place the men in +line so as to exchange volleys with the enemy. +Fatal mistake. Wellington, noting the confusion +and the hesitation, took advantage of +it like a good soldier.</p> + +<p>“Up, Guards, and at ’em!” cried the Duke.</p> + +<p>“Forward, boys, now is your time!” cried +Colonel Saltoun.</p> + +<p>The French, fighting frantically, were beaten +back to the orchard of Hougoumont.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">121</span></p> + +<p>Here a fresh battalion (4th Chasseurs) +came to the relief of the retreating French, +and the English returned rapidly to their own +lines.</p> + +<p>Once more the Old Guard moves up the +muddy slope, under the tremendous cannonade +of the English guns. As they cross the +Ohain road, an English brigade opens four +lines of fire upon their flank; Maitland’s +Guards and Halkett’s brigade oppose them +in front; and a Hanoverian brigade, coming +from the hedges of Hougoumont, fire upon +them from the rear. The finishing blow is +Colborn’s charge with fixed bayonets.</p> + +<p>“The guard gives way!” rings over the +battlefield—a wail of despair, of terror.</p> + +<p>“Treachery!” is the cry throughout the +field.</p> + +<p>Now is the time to make an end of this +panic-stricken army, and Wellington, spurring +to the crest, waves his hat—the signal for an +advance all along the line.</p> + +<p>As night closes in, the English army, +40,000 strong, rush down the bloody, corpse-strewn +slope, trampling the wounded and the +dead, crying, “No Quarter!”</p> + +<p>The drum, the bugle, the bagpipe quicken +the march of the English and the flight of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">122</span> +French. Making no stand at La Haye-Sainte, +none at Hougoumont, none anywhere, +the French army, already honeycombed with +suspicion, dissolves in terror. Never had so +strong a war-weapon shown itself so brittle.</p> + +<p>Napoleon was at La Haye-Sainte, forming +another column of attack which he meant to +lead in person, when he looked up and saw +the Old Guard falter and stop.</p> + +<p>“They are confused. All is lost!” Hoping +to stem the tide of the English advance +and to establish rallying points for his flying +troops, he formed four squares from a column +of the Old Guard which had not been engaged. +These he posted above La Haye-Sainte. +As the English horsemen came on, they +dashed in vain against these walls of steel +and fire. But nothing so frail as four squares +could arrest the advance of 40,000 men. +The English cavalry poured through the gaps +which separated the squares and continued +their headlong pursuit of the terrified French.</p> + +<p>When the English infantry came up and +raked the squares with musketry; when the +English batteries began to hail grapeshot upon +them, the Emperor gave the order to abandon +the position. Attended by a small escort<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">123</span> +he galloped to the height of La Belle +Alliance.</p> + +<p>The three squares fell back, slowly, steadily, +surrounded on all sides by the enemy. +With the regularity of the paradeground +these matchless soldiers of the Old Guard +halted to fire, to reform their ranks, and then +move on again.</p> + +<p>“Fugitives from the battlefield looked back +from the distance and marked the progress of +the retreat by the regular flash of these guns.” +On that black valley of death and vast misfortune +it was the repeated flashes of lightning +irradiating a stormcloud.</p> + +<p>Filled with admiration and sympathy, let +us hope, an English officer cried out, “Surrender!”</p> + +<p>And Cambronne shot out the word which +Victor Hugo indecently glorified, but which +with convincing emphasis spurned the very +thought of surrender. The squares, unbroken, +reached the summit of La Belle Alliance, +where Cambronne fell, apparently dead, from +a ball which struck him in the face.</p> + +<p>It was here that the Prussians, who had at +last broken in on the right, bore down on the +squares. Assailed by overwhelming odds—infantry,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">124</span> +artillery, cavalry—they were destroyed.</p> + +<p>Several hundred yards back there were +two battalions of the Old Guard, formed in +squares. Within one of these squares was +the Emperor. Planting a battery of 12-pounders, +he made a final effort to check the +pursuit and to rally his troops. The Guard’s +call to arms was sounded, but the fugitives +continued to pour by and none rallied. The +battery exhausted its ammunition and the gunners, +refusing to fly, were cut down by the +English hussars.</p> + +<p>Upon the squares themselves the enemy +could make no impression until overpowering +masses of Prussian and English infantry +came up. Then the Emperor ordered a retreat. +In good order these veterans marched +off the field, stopping from time to time to +fire a volley upon their pursuers.</p> + +<p>At the farm of Le Caillou the battalion +formed in column, and on its flank slowly +rode the Emperor, reeling with fatigue, so +that he had to be supported in the saddle. +His bridle reins were loose upon his horse’s +neck.</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">125</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</h2> +</div> + +<p>As the moon came out that night, her cold +face was hateful to the fleeing French, for it +lit the roads for the merciless pursuers.</p> + +<p>The exhausted English had halted at La +Belle Alliance.</p> + +<p>The Prussians came thundering on, and +the two victors, Wellington and Blücher, embraced. +Each called the other the winner of +the day. Justly so—for each <em>was</em> the winner. +To success both had been necessary.</p> + +<p>The Prussians had made a most fatiguing +march in the morning, and had fought with +desperation for many hours, but they alone +had strength left for the pursuit. Wellington’s +troops fell down among the dying and +the dead, to rest and sleep. But not until +they had cheered the Prussians passing by. +“Hip, hip, hurrah!” shout the English, while +the bands play.</p> + +<p>The Prussians go by, singing Luther’s +hymn, “Now praise we all our God.”</p> + +<p>And then these devout Christians hot-foot +upon the track of other Christians, hurry on +to a moonlight hunt—vast, terrible, murderous.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">126</span> +These Prussians remember the pursuit +after Jena; yes, and the pursuit after Austerlitz; +yes, and the long years of French +military occupation of the Fatherland. And +now it is their turn.</p> + +<p>“As long as man and horse can go—push +the pursuit!” cried Blücher.</p> + +<p>Not a great many Prussians are needed. +A few cannon to make a noise, a few bugles +to sound the charge, a few drums to send +terror ahead—these, with about 4,500 +troops, will be quite sufficient to chase Napoleon’s +army like a flock of sheep.</p> + +<p>Forty thousand Frenchmen, unwounded, as +brave a lot of men as ever stepped into line, +are now so crushed by unexpected disaster, so +filled with the terror of sheer panic, that no +human power can check their stampede.</p> + +<p>Ney has tried it, vainly. Napoleon has +tried it, vainly. They abandon the artillery, +they throw away their guns, they cast off their +accouterments, intent only on running for +dear life. They cut through the fields, they +fight for passage on the road, they murder +one another in their frantic efforts to get on.</p> + +<p>The Prussians chase them, cut them down, +ride over them—the roads, the fields, the +woods are strewn with slaughtered Frenchmen.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">127</span> +If any stand is made and a few of the +firmer rally, the first blare of Prussian trumpets +sets them running again. The 4,500 +Prussians dwindle, as the chase lengthens, until +scarcely a thousand pursue. But the +French have lost their senses. The mere +blare of a Prussian bugle throws them into +agonies of fright. One drummer-boy, galloping +on horseback, a dozen cavalrymen to +yell the Prussian “Hourra!” are enough to +keep the stampede going.</p> + +<p>“No quarter!” cry the pursuers. Yet after +Ligny Napoleon had gone, in person, to +take care of the Prussian wounded, and had +threatened the Belgian peasants with the terrors +of hell if they did not succor these sufferers. +“God bids us love our enemies,” said +the Emperor to these peasants. “Take care +of the wounded, or God will make you burn.” +But the English had cried “No quarter!” as +they charged down from Mont-Saint-Jean, +and now the Prussians are repeating the cry +and slaughtering, with indiscriminate fury, +those who surrender, those who are wounded +and those who are overtaken.</p> + +<p>So mad is the panic of the French that at +Gemappe, where the little river Dyle is only +about fifteen feet wide and three feet deep,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">128</span> +they have a frightful crush at the narrow +bridge and never once think of wading across.</p> + +<p>Here, once more Napoleon vainly endeavors +to stop the rout. The Prussians appear, +beat the drum, blow the trumpets, fire cannon, +and the thousands of Frenchmen fight +madly with each other for the privilege +of running away. They slash each other +with their swords, stab each other with their +bayonets, and even shoot each other down.</p> + +<p>To appreciate the state of mind of this +fleeing army it is necessary that one should +have a good idea of what happens to the +crowd in a packed theater when the red +tongues of the flames are seen in the hangings +and the cry of “<em>Fire! Fire!</em>” smites the startled +ear. The horrible scene which invariably +follows is the outcome of exactly the uncontrollable, +unreasoning terror which made the +flight from Napoleon’s last battlefield such a +disgrace to human nature.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>The moon which held a light for the pursuit +silvered also the slopes where the great +battle had been fought, shone upon the unburied +corpses that still lay at Ligny and +Quatre Bras, shone upon 25,000 Frenchmen, +6,000 Prussians, and 10,000 of the English<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">129</span> +army, who lay on the field of Waterloo; shone +also upon other thousands who lay dead or +dying on the futile battle-ground of Wavre. +Within three days and within the narrow +radius of a few miles more than 70,000 men +had been shot down—for what?</p> + +<p>For what? To force upon the French a +King and a system which they detested, and +to prevent the spread of democratic principles +to other countries where kings and aristocracies +were in power.</p> + +<p>Creasy numbers Waterloo among the +Twelve Decisive Battles of the World, but +it does not deserve the rank. It did not give +democratic principles anything more than a +temporary set-back. It did not permanently +restore the Bourbons. It did not even keep +the Bonaparte heir off the throne. Much +less did it settle the principle that one nation +may dictate to another its form of government.</p> + +<p>In his old age, Wellington was asked to +write his Memoirs. “No,” he answered. +“It wouldn’t do. If I were to tell what I +know, the people would tear me to pieces.”</p> + +<p>I think I understand. If the ruling oligarchs +of England,—Eldon, Castlereagh,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">130</span> +Pitt, Canning, Liverpool, Bathurst,—had +revealed the inner secrets of the Tory administration, +the last one of them would have +been torn to pieces—deservedly.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>The man-hunt rolls off toward the Sambre, +the drum dies away in the distance, the horror +of the retreat goes farther and farther away,—while +the moon looks down upon the English +army, asleep on La Belle Alliance, upon +the blood-stained valleys and slopes that lead +to Mont-Saint-Jean, upon the smouldering +ruins of Hougoumont, of La Haye-Sainte, of +Papelotte, of Plancenoit. There are dead men +everywhere. Everywhere are dying men, +dismounted cannons, broken swords, abandoned +guns and knapsacks, dead horses, and +mangled horses that scream as they struggle +with pain and death, wounded men who moan +and groan and curse their fate.</p> + +<p>A mile wide and two miles long, this strip +of hell writhes beneath the unpitying stars; +and perhaps the most awful sound that shocks +the ear and the soul is that choked yell of terror +and agony of the officer who is being +clubbed to death with a musket by the night +prowler who wants the officer’s watch, decorations +and money.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">131</span></p> + +<p>Enter the ground of the Château of Hougoumont, +pass the shattered buildings and go +into the flower garden. Here was once the +beauty of nature and the beauty of art, combined. +This morning, when the sun broke +through the mists, these formal walks were +bordered by the bloom of flowers; these +balustraded terraces were fragrant with the +incense of the orange and the myrtle. The +birds were singing in the garden overhead, +along these quiet covered walks in the old +Flemish garden, vine clad with honey-suckle +and jessamine, where many a word of love +had been spoken as lovers wandered here in +years long past.</p> + +<p>And now it is one of the frightful spots +of the world, reeking with blood, cumbered +with dead and dying men, torn by shells, gutted +by fire. The well is ever so deep and ever +so large, but is never so deep nor so large as +to hold all the dead and the dying. To-morrow +it will be filled. The dauntless defenders +and the fearless assailants will embrace +in the harmony of a common grave. +And for many and many a year the peasant +at his fireside at night will tell, in hushed +tones, of the sounds—the groans, the faint<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">132</span> +calls for help—which are said to have been +heard coming from the well, nights after its +hasty filling in.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>Few partisans of Napoleon now contend +that he was free from serious fault in this, +his last campaign.</p> + +<p>First of all, he should have made his appeal +to the people, put himself once more at their +head as the hero of the French Revolution, +remained in France, and nationalized the +war.</p> + +<p>Again, he should not have placed two such +generals as Vandamme and Gérard under +Grouchy.</p> + +<p>He showed no vigor in following up his +victory at Ligny, and made a capital error in +not breaking up the retreating foe with cavalry +charges.</p> + +<p>He lost a great opportunity at Quatre +Bras.</p> + +<p>On the night of the 17th he should have +sent definite orders to Grouchy, and should +have hearkened to Soult when he was urged +by that thorough soldier to call in at least a +portion of Grouchy’s force.</p> + +<p>He took the reports of Haxo and Ney, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">133</span> +based the battle upon their erroneous reports. +The Napoleon of earlier years would have +<em>gone to see for himself</em>.</p> + +<p>He did not have a good view of the field +and consequently missed detailed movements +of immense importance.</p> + +<p>He treated with too much scorn the opinion +of Soult and Reillé (who had tested the English +soldier in Spain), when they warned him +that the English, properly posted and properly +handled—as Wellington could handle them—were +invincible.</p> + +<p>He made the attack without maneuvering, +in just the bare-breasted, full-face way that +best lent itself to bloody repulse.</p> + +<p>The premature cavalry movement which +contributed most to the final disaster was under +full headway,—too far advanced to be +stopped,—before he knew that it was contemplated.</p> + +<p>In holding off the Prussians, the Emperor +displayed his genius, directing every movement +himself. On the field of Waterloo, he +left too much to Ney and Jerome. Had he +taken Ney out of the fight at the time that he +recalled Jerome, the issue might have been +different.</p> + +<p>The last grand charge should not have been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">134</span> +made at all. He should have stopped, as +Lee did at Gettysburg, in time to save his +army, for by this time he <em>knew</em> that Grouchy +would not come. To stake so much on one +last desperate throw was the act of a man +who was no longer what he had been at Aspern +and Essling when he withdrew into the +Island of Lobau.</p> + +<p>When the Emperor was giving the order +for the last great charge, General Haxo +would have remonstrated. “But, Sire—” he +began. Napoleon flapped his glove lightly +across Haxo’s face and said, “Hold your +tongue, my friend. There is Grouchy who +will give us other news.” He had mistaken +Bülow’s cannonade for Grouchy’s.</p> + +<p>One can understand what was passing in +his mind when he said to Gourgaud, a few +weeks later, “Ah, if it were to be done over +again!”</p> + +<p>On Wellington’s side the management was +superb. It was practically faultless. He +made the most of every advantage, and made +the most of the errors of his enemy.</p> + +<p>With this exception: He left 18,000 of +his men at Hal, four or five miles away, protecting +a road which he feared the French +might take. But with Napoleon facing him,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">135</span> +here at Mont-Saint-Jean, the 18,000 men +were no longer needed at Hal; and no one has +ever been able to explain why Wellington did +not call them in during the early morning of +the 18th.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>In other books than this you will read of +how the wreck of Napoleon, the man, and the +wreck of Napoleon, the Emperor, found their +way to Paris; how the well-meaning but +weak-headed La Fayette, dreaming of an impossible +Republic, worked in reality for the +Bourbon restoration in working against Napoleon; +how the Chambers, honeycombed by +the intrigues of Fouché, demanded the second +abdication; how the wreck of Napoleon +floated aimlessly down the current of misfortune; +how he signed away his throne; how +the masses thronged about his palace, wildly +clamoring for him to put himself at the head +of a national uprising; how he sends his +empty coach and six through the mob, and +makes off by the back way in a cab; how he +stops at Malmaison, weeps for his lost Josephine, +listens to all kinds of counsel, takes +none, and has no plan; how the soldiers, +marching past in straggling detachments, +cheer him with the same old enthusiasm, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">136</span> +how he calmly remarks, “They had better +have stood and fought at Waterloo.”</p> + +<p>Napoleon was no longer the volcanic man +of action, of connected ideas, of sustained +exertion, of inflexible purpose. The Waterloo +campaign had been a sputtering of the +candle in the socket—a brief eruption of a +Vesuvius that made Europe quiver; and then +all was over.</p> + +<p>From Malmaison he is ordered off by +Fouché, and he meekly obeys. At Rochefort +he dawdles, doubts, delays, and does nothing. +Logically, he becomes a prisoner to those by +whom he has been beaten.</p> + +<p>To St. Helena, and a few years of torture; +to hopeless captivity and the bitter inbrooding +that eat the heart out; to the depths of humiliation +and the canker of impotent rage; +to weary days of depression and dreary nights +of pain; to a long agony of vain regrets, of +wrath against fate, of soul-racking memories—to +these go Napoleon Bonaparte, the +greatest man ever born of woman.</p> + +<p>At last, the reprieve comes. At last there +comes the day when the little man can no +longer torture the big one. Sir Hudson Lowe +may at length rest easy—the sweat of the +final pain gathers on his captive’s brow.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">137</span> +English sentinels may slacken their vigilance +now—the death rattle is in the prisoner’s +throat.</p> + +<p>The storm comes up from out the wrathful +sea, and the terrible anger of the tempest +beats upon the tropical rock. The thunder, +peal on peal, volleys over the crags, and the +glare of the lightning lights up the track of +devastation. Within the renovated cow-house, +and within a room which will soon be +used again as a cow-stall, is stretched the +dying warrior.</p> + +<p>What was it that the storm said to the unconscious +soldier? By what mysterious law, +yet to be made plain, does the sub-consciousness +move and speak when deep sleep or the +delirium of disease has paralyzed the normal +consciousness of man? We do not know. +In poetry, the sub-conscious produces the +weird “Kubla Khan”; in music it notates +“The Devil’s Sonata.” It is the sub-conscious +which often gives warning of evil to +come; it is the sub-conscious that sometimes +tells us the right road when all is doubt.</p> + +<p>As the thunder volleyed over Longwood, +and the roar of the storm held on, the dying +Captain was strangely affected. Just such<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">138</span> +thunder had rolled over his head that Saturday +night and Sunday morning, when he went +the rounds of his outposts in the drenching +rain—which may have been the main cause +of his loss of Waterloo. He and the faithful +Bertrand had made those night-rounds alone, +and Napoleon, as he stopped to listen to the +thunder, muttered, “We agree.”</p> + +<p>It must have been that in his delirium he +fancied he was again on the front line, listening +to the storm which preceded his last battle.</p> + +<p>“The Army! The head of the Army!” he +muttered. “Desaix! Bessiéres! Hasten +the attack! Press on! The enemy gives +way—they are ours!”</p> + +<p>With a convulsive start he sprang up, out +of the bed, and got upon his feet. Montholon +seized him, but he bore the Count to the +floor. Others rushed in; he was already +exhausted, and they put him back in bed. +Afterward he lay still, and the boat drifted +on, quietly on, toward the bar.</p> + +<p>The storm had passed away, and the Emperor, +lying on his back, with one hand out +of the bed, fixed his eyes “as though in deep +meditation.”</p> + +<p>Those about the bed thought they heard<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">139</span> +him say, “France! Josephine!” Then he +spoke no more.</p> + +<p>A light foam gathered on the parted lips. +There was peace on his face—for the pain +had done what it came to do.</p> + +<p>As the clear sun dipped beneath the distant +rim of the sea, Napoleon died.</p> + +<p>It was May 5th, 1821.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>In Hillaire Belloc’s magnificent study of +Danton, the author makes reference to a legend +which is said to be current among the +peasants of Russia.</p> + +<p>It is a story of “a certain somber, mounted +figure, unreal, only an outline and a cloud, +that passed away to Asia, to the East and +North. They saw him move along their +snows through the long, mysterious twilight +of the Northern autumn, in silence, with the +head bent and the reins in the left hand, loose, +following some enduring purpose, reaching toward +an ancient solitude and repose. <em>They +say that it was Napoleon.</em> After him, there +trailed for days the shadows of the soldiery, +vague mists bearing faintly the forms of companies +of men. It was as though the cannon-smoke +of Waterloo, borne on the light west +wind of that June day, had received the spirits<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">140</span> +of twenty years of combat, and had drifted +farther and farther during the fall of the year +over the endless plains.</p> + +<p>“But there was no voice and no order. +The terrible tramp of the Guard and the +sound that Heine loved, the dance of the +French drums, was extinguished; there was +no echo of their songs, for the army was of +ghosts and was defeated. They passed in the +silence which we can never pierce, and somewhere +remote from men they sleep in bivouac +round the most splendid of human swords.”</p> +<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> + +<div class="chapter"> +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">141</span></p> + +<h2 class="nobreak" id="A_SUPPLEMENTARY_CHAPTER"><span class="smaller">A SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER</span></h2> +</div> + +<h3>BLÜCHER</h3> + +<p>“Captain Blücher has full permission to +resign, and to go to the devil, if he likes.”</p> + +<p>Thus endorsed by Frederick the Great, +Captain Blücher’s written request for leave +to retire from the Prussian Army went into +effect.</p> + +<p>Yet this headstrong, boisterous, hard-drinking, +hard-riding, hard-fighting, indefatigable +Blücher became one of the most thorough +and effective soldiers that ever led an +army to battle. He possessed some of those +very qualities which made Washington, +Cromwell, and Frederick so great. He was +tireless, he was iron-willed, he was true-hearted, +he was fearless, he was not to be discouraged, +and he never could be whipped so +badly that he did not come back to fight again, +harder than ever.</p> + +<p>Something of a national hero, something of +a typical German soldier, something of an +ideal patriot, he was something of a ruthless +Goth. He had gone to England after the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">142</span> +Campaign of Paris, in 1814, and rode conspicuously +in the great procession through +London. As he looked upon the wealth displayed +on every side, he growled, “What a +town to sack.” Yet he was a devoted husband, +a most loyal subject; a generous, faithful, +daring ally.</p> + +<p>He had fought against the French a +greater number of times than any other commander. +He had been whipped oftener and +harder than any other commander. He had +been captured, and had grazed annihilation +oftener than any other commander.</p> + +<p>After Jena, his king owed his escape from +being made prisoner to a bold falsehood—to +General Klein—that an armistice had been declared. +At Bautzen he just did get out of the +trap Napoleon laid for him, and he did it +because Ney, in making the turning movement, +stopped to do some fighting which gave +the Prussian his warning. In 1814 he just +did miss being bagged time and again—but +he missed it. And now in 1815 his pluck, +his dash, and his luck were to save him, as by +fire, again and again. He was beloved by +his troops. Wherever he sent them, he was +ready to go himself. He shirked nothing, +and was whole-hearted in everything. Like<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">143</span> +the Russian soldier, Skobeleff, he was sublime +on the field of battle, and led his men in person. +With a kindly word, “Come, comrades, +follow me!” he could lead them into +the jaws of hell. With a plea like this, +“Comrades, I gave my word to be there; you +won’t make me break it!”—he could inspire +them to superhuman efforts, to drag the heavy +guns through the mud, and thus reach his +ally in time to save.</p> + +<p>Heading a cavalry charge at Ligny, his +horse was shot under him, and the French +passed over him twice—once in advancing, +once in retreating—and the darkness was his +friend each time. Dragged by one of his +officers from under his horse, he was borne off +the field bruised, almost unconscious. In two +days, he is leading charges again. Too generous +to suspect an ally, he stands and fights +at Ligny on Wellington’s promise of support, +and when the support doesn’t come he still +does not suspect his ally of calculating selfishness. +His staff <em>does</em>. Hence it was that his +staff opposed him when he wished to yield +to Wellington’s plea for help, on the night of +the 17th. Long did Gneisenau resist +Blücher, contending that Wellington meant +to leave them in the lurch again. But at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">144</span> +length the chief of staff consented that the +promise of relief be sent, and old Blücher was +happy. The promise was sent, and Wellington +<em>knew</em> it would be kept! Hence he fought +at Waterloo, with the knowledge that his task +consisted in holding out until the Prussians +could arrive.</p> + +<p>The heroic struggle of Blücher to make +progress over the terrible roads, his enormous +energy, his magnificent devotion to the common +cause, his unselfish renunciation of credit +for the victory which was due to him more +than to Wellington, raise him to the pinnacle +of military glory. No student of this last +campaign of Napoleon can fail to reach the +conclusion that while Wellington was delaying +at Brussels, sending out orders not suited +to the condition of things at the front, and +taking his supper at Lady Richmond’s ball, +it was Blücher who was where he should have +been, and doing what he should have done. +But for the skilful retreat of Thielman, followed +by the bold concentration at Ligny and +the stubborn fight there, the French would +have gone into Brussels without firing a shot.</p> + +<p>On the night of the 18th, Blücher followed +the pursuit as far as Genappe, where his +strength gave out. He went into the inn to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">145</span> +go to bed, but before undressing, wrote his +wife:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“On the 16th I was compelled to withdraw +before superior forces, but on the 18th, in concert +with my friend Wellington, I have annihilated +the army of Napoleon.”</p> +</div> + +<p>To a friend he wrote:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"> + +<p>“The finest of battles has been fought, the +most brilliant of victories won. I think that +Bonaparte’s history is ended. I cannot write +any more, for I am trembling in every limb. +The strain was too great.”</p> +</div> + +<p>Blücher was seventy-three years old. +Napoleon and Wellington were nearly the +same age, both being born in 1769, and therefore +forty-seven years old.</p> + +<p>Blücher was notoriously a hard drinker, +and had been so all his life. Both Napoleon +and Wellington were extremely sober men; +yet Blücher had shown more energy than the +other two together.</p> + +<h3>NEY</h3> + +<p>A mournful interest must always attach to +Ney.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">146</span></p> + +<p>As Napoleon said, his “Bravest of the +Brave” was no longer the same man. First +of all, in this campaign he was not handled +right. The Emperor should have employed +him sooner, or not at all: should have +trusted him further, or not at all. The manner +in which he was caught up at the last +moment and cast into the activities of the +campaign was most unwise.</p> + +<p>In spite of the bad behavior of Ney in +1814, the troops were glad to see him in their +midst. Their nickname for him was “Red-head,” +and they called him this to each other +as they saw him join the Emperor at Beaumont. +“All will go well now—Red-head +is with us!”</p> + +<p>But Ney was not at himself. There is no +other phrase that will do,—all of us know +what it means. When the orator whom we +<em>know</em> to be a heaven-born orator fails to move +us, we say, “He is not at himself.” When +the brilliant writer is dull; when the expert +mechanic is awkward; when the painter’s +brush misses the conception, when the sculptor’s +chisel cannot follow his thoughts, when +the master musician makes discord, we have +nothing better to say than “He is not at himself.”</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">147</span></p> + +<p>So it was with Marshal Ney. Advancing +upon Quatre Bras, he stopped, afraid of going +too far. When had Ney been timid before?</p> + +<p>Realizing at length what was expected of +him, he fought furiously to take the position +which would have been his without a fight +had he simply not stopped in sudden fear +the evening before. Then, having been the +Ney of old on the 16th, he became timid +again on the morning of the 17th, and let +Wellington draw off without any attempt to +molest the retreat. Why no reports to the +Emperor all that day of the 16th? Why +none on the night of the 16th? Very near +to the treason for which officers are shot, was +this sullen silence. He was not at himself. +Then at Waterloo, the Ney of old comes out +again. He is not only bold, but rash. He is +possessed of a devil of fight. He is no longer +a general: he is just a reckless brigadier. +Headlong charges, blind rushes, frantic management +which is calamitous mismanagement; +premature sacrifice of cavalry, false formation +of columns of attack, then wild rage and +despair, and prayers for death! The soldier +never lived that fought harder and longer +than Ney at Waterloo. As darkness closed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">148</span> +down, and the torrents of retreat ran past +him, this heroic and ill-starred soldier, his +face black with powder smoke, his uniform +in tatters, the blood oozing from bruises, a +broken sword in his hand, cried out, “Come +and see how a Marshal of France dies!” +But alas, the flood of disaster bore him away, +and this leonine Frenchman was left to make +a target for French muskets. All of Ney’s +horses had been killed under him, and he +owed his life—a bad debt, as it turned out—to +a faithful subaltern.</p> + +<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> + +<p>The restored Bourbons were determined +to put Ney to death. Instead of leaving his +fate in the hands of his old companions in +arms, as his lawyer wanted him to do, Ney +foolishly gave preference to a trial by the +civilians of the Chamber of Peers. This tribunal +condemned him, and he was shot. So +says History.</p> + +<p>But Tradition is persistent in claiming that +the execution was a fake: that blank cartridges +were fired, that Ney fell unhurt, and +that his body was spirited away, and that he +was shipped off to America, and that he lived +in North Carolina, a school-teacher, until he +died a natural death.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">149</span></p> + +<p>Many a time I have ridiculed this tradition, +and marshaled in convincing array the +evidence against it. I must confess, however, +that a statement in the book of Sir William +Fraser, called “Wellington’s Words,” +startled me. He expresses a doubt as to the +genuineness of the execution of Marshal Ney, +<em>and Sir William was close to Wellington</em>. +Indeed, the account which Sir William gives +of the alleged execution is somewhat suggestive +of a mock execution.</p> + +<p>It was a beautiful morning, and the Garden +of the Luxembourg was filled with children, +attended by their nurses, taking the +morning air, amid the trees and birds and +flowers. A closed carriage drove up to the +gate and four men, leaving the carriage, entered +the garden. One was Marshal Ney, +the others an officer and two sergeants. The +officer placed Ney against the wall, called +the picket guarding the gate, gave the word +“Fire!” and Ney fell on his face. The body +was immediately put into the carriage and +driven off. The nurses and the children had +not realized what was happening. Says Sir +William Fraser (who had this account from +Quentin Dick, an eye-witness), “I confess<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">150</span> +to have got a lingering doubt whether Ney +was shot to death.”</p> + +<p>But Sir William himself supplies a bit of +evidence which resettles my own conviction +that Ney <em>was</em> shot to death. The second +Duke of Wellington was invited by Queen +Victoria to meet at Windsor Castle the Emperor +of the French. In the train of Louis +Napoleon, the French Emperor, was the son +of Marshal Ney. The Emperor said, “I +must introduce two great names,” leading +the Duke of Wellington to the Prince of +Moscowa. The Duke made a low bow: the +Prince did not return it. He remembered +the murder of his father, and knew that the +first Duke of Wellington should have prevented +it. In answer to the Emperor’s +whispered remonstrance, Ney’s son firmly declared +that he did not wish to make the acquaintance +of Wellington’s son. To my +mind this is conclusive. Had Ney’s life been +saved by the first Duke of Wellington, as +Sir William Fraser broadly hints, two things +are certain: (1) Ney’s son would have known +it, and (2) Ney’s family would have gratefully +honored Wellington’s memory, instead +of detesting it.</p> + +<p>No: the lion-like Ney did not teach school<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">151</span> +in North Carolina; he died a dog’s death +in the garden of the Luxembourg. A victim +to the cold perfidy of Wellington, a bloody +sacrifice to the vindictive ferocity of Bourbon +royalism, the magnificent French soldier was +shot to death by Frenchmen—shot like a +dog, and fell on his battle-worn face dead, +dead, while the song of birds was in the trees, +and the innocent laughter of children rang in +his ears. Well did he say when they were +reading his death-sentence, in which all of his +high-sounding titles were being enumerated, +“Just Michel Ney—soon to be a handful of +dust.”</p> + +<p>Full of error, yet full of virtue: pure gold +at one crisis, mere dross at another; superbly +great on some occasions, and pitiably weak +on others; true as steel one day, unsubstantial +as water the next; dangerous to the +enemy on some fields, fatally dangerous to +Napoleon in the last campaign, the truth remains +that this strenuous soldier had been +fighting the battles of France all his life, had +never failed her at any trial, had never joined +her enemies, and must have died of heart-break +as well as bullet-wound when he heard +a French officer give the word, and saw<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">152</span> +French soldiers raise their guns to shoot him +down.</p> + +<p>Honor to the son of Ney who refused to +take the hand of Wellington’s son, although +a Queen was the hostess, and an Emperor +whispered a remonstrance!</p> + +<div class="chapter transnote"> +<h2 class="nobreak" id="Transcribers_Notes">Transcriber’s Notes</h2> + +<p>Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made +consistent when a predominant preference was found +in the original book; otherwise they were not changed.</p> + +<p>Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced +quotation marks were remedied when the change was +obvious, and otherwise left unbalanced.</p> + +<p><a href="#Page_40">Page 40</a>: “Auerstadt” was printed that way.</p> +<div> </div> +</div> + +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75682 ***</div> +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/75682-h/images/cover.jpg b/75682-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..df93f51 --- /dev/null +++ b/75682-h/images/cover.jpg diff --git a/75682-h/images/coversmall.jpg b/75682-h/images/coversmall.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..77c8d60 --- /dev/null +++ b/75682-h/images/coversmall.jpg diff --git a/75682-h/images/i_001.jpg b/75682-h/images/i_001.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..28b791b --- /dev/null +++ b/75682-h/images/i_001.jpg diff --git a/75682-h/images/i_002.jpg b/75682-h/images/i_002.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..94af9b0 --- /dev/null +++ b/75682-h/images/i_002.jpg |
