Star. — London, England, 1818-10-28 00:00:00

.. . . a(Z2rAehaTE. . , , tfIikZAIGN Ortst.S, BY GERERIL GOURGAUD. tr. (liiseanNslon from our Pa:ler of Saturday.) We resume our account of a Publication which can not fail to en7tge a great share,of the Public attention. In nor Piper of Saturday, we could only enter on the battle of Waterloo, which certainly assumes a very diffa‘ent appearance in • the woik of General Gourgaud from what it has done in the statements which have hitherto appeared in this country. With respect to one material point, the participa tion of the Prussians in Vie battle of Waterloo, the dispatch of the Duke of Wellington is not only con tradicted by the Prussian official account, but it is contradicted by Prince Bernard of Saxe-Weimar, who commanded the Regiments of Nassau, Orange, &c. which were stationed in the left wing of the Eng lish army, and which unfortunately suffered severely from the Prussians. who at first mistook them for French troops.. Before proceeding with our extracts from General Gourgatid, we shah first vote from the Duke of Wellington's dispatch the passage relating to Cie ar rival 'of the Prussians, and then a iassag from a let ter from Prince Bernard: These attacks (says the Duke) were repeated till nearly seven o'clock is tee etvsing, when the 4.temy made a desperate attack with his cavalry and his infantry, support:A by the fire of hit artillery, to loice the left of our centre, near the farm of La Hale-Sainte. After an obstinate combat, he was defeated, and having rem a rked that his troops withdrew in great confusion ' and that the corps ?Rubio and begun to march by Frischentoist on Plana...Wit and Belle Alliance, u soon as I could perceivit the Are of hiaguns, and that Marshal Blucher bad joined in person with a corps of his ar.ny the left of our line by chain, I deter mined to attach the enemy, and order,d.he whole line of infan-* try to advance, supported by the cavalry and atullery. Prince Bernard of Saxe-Weimar wrote to his fa ther on the 19ilt : _ . I commanded on the kft wing, and I was charged with the defence of a village and a ;caution. I succetded, but with a great loss of men. ne victory was still doubtful, what, absitt ftur o'dxk, the: Prustisas, antler Generals Ilalow and lathers, arrived an our left Sank,' and decided the battle. Unfortunately, the Prussians, who were to support Inc iq my village, took my Nassauers, who still have the French uniform, though their acarta are sufficiently German, for Frenchmen, and opened a terrible fire on them. They were driven from their position, and I rallied them at a quarter of a league distance from the geld of battle. We now turn to the French account, which we left off with at the description of the state of things on the arrival of the Prussians, and we now proceed with the subsequent part of the battle: Napoleon seeing that the Prussians continued to turn the righ t of the sixth corps, ordered to this point the division of young guards of General Duhesme, wilt two batteries. It prolonged our line as far as the first troops of the left of Bulow. At the same time a division of the fitst corps, which formed our right. and which was in reserve; made a brisk attack on the extreme left of the Atigio-Datch line, took possession of the village of La Bale, and thus cut off the communication between the Anglo- Dutch army and the fourth Prussian corps. We hoped every moment, and we expected with the keenest impatience, the arri ral of Marshal Grouchy on the rear of this carps, which would then have been cut off from all retreat. It was six o'clock, and still thtre were no new; of the Marshal. However, all these dis positions had the greatest success. The impetuusity of the young guard, which )tad dune great mischief to the enemy—the faking Of the village of La Ilate, which turned the right of Bulow, start the progress of the latter—be ceased to act on the offensive—be was no longer an object of alarm. As soon as the Emperor had seen that the attack of Bulow was in activity, and that ha was not arrested by Marshal Grou. city, gout half-put four, he ordered Marshal Ney to maintain himself in La Hale-Sainte, and to occupy It with several batta lions, bet to make no movement till the issue of the manoeuvre Of the nus.iians was seen. Half an hoar afterwards, about five o'clock, at the moment the latter were attacking us most briskly, the English endea voured to retake La llaie-Sainte ; they were vigorously repulsed .14 the fire of our infantry, and by a charge of cavalry; but fdirshal Ney, carried away by his excessive ardour, forgot the order which he had received. He debouchtd on the plateau, which was immediately crowned by the two divisions of cuiras siers of Kilhaut, and by the light cavalry of the guard. All the officers who stirroundel the Emperor, seeing this movement, the success of the charges, the retreat of several English squares, and the cessation of the fire of a part of the enemy:s batteries. sung out " Victory !" and gave themsAves up to joy. The Emperor slid not think in the same way. He said to Marshal Souk— " That premature movement may have fatal results on this day." Soult broke out into a passion against rey—u He commits us," said he, "as be did at Jena." The „Emperor sent orders to the cuirassiers of I(ellerman to support the cavalry which we :lad on the plateau, lest it should be repulsed by the enemy's cavalry, which, in the then state of things, might have caused the ing.of Rut battle; for we were at that important period when the smallest incident may occasion important results. The advanee At all this cavalry, which rushed forward at a gallop, with cries if Vise rEntrtreur / awed the enemy, gave confidence to our troops, and prevented them from being alarmed at the prolonga tion of the Ere of the Prussians on our rear. About six o'clock we perceived that the Prussians had en gaged all their force. Their offensive march ceased ; their fire remained stationary. Half an hour afterwards he retrograded amt our troops advanced. Th.: Prussian bullets no longer reached the causeway, nor even the first position which the troops of D.thesme and the Count de Lobau had occupied; these troops had advanced. The extreme left of the Prussians wheeled back wards and appeared as if they m.:ant to place themselves in a line with the first brigade. Our cavalry maintained itself on o.orplateau, notwithstanding all the fire to which it was exposed ; it had broke through several squares, taken three colours, disor ganized a great number of batteries, &c. Fear anti terror pre vailed throughout the whole of the enemy's line. The f ug itiv es were already gaining Brussels; every thiug like orderly retreat t:came impossible, and the whole army was on the point of b-ing destroyed. In the course of half an hour the situation of ths French was greatly changed ; the enemy wa.; no where me r ; we were masters of a part Of his - field of battle, in an t.4sensive position on his centre. We were victorious, not only over the Anglo-Dutch army of 85,M0 men, but also over the corps of Billow of aOAOO Prussians. We had no news of Grouchy. Tour is am 65 to 68,000 Frer.ch had beat 115,000 English, Bel gins, Prussians, &c. At half-past seven the cenonade of filar shal Grouchy was at length heard ; it was judged to be et a distance of two leagues and a half on our right. The Emperor thought that the moment was come fir making a decisive at tach and tercniaating the combat. lie recalled for that effect divers battalions and batteries of the guard which had been de imbed towards Planchenoit. At this very moment the enemy's army was informed of the arrival of Marshal Blucher, and of. the first Prussian corps, which had quitted Wavres in the morn ing, and came by Oham to join the left of the Anglo-Dotch army. It was not the only reinforcement; two brigades cf English cavalry, consisting of ale te/rments, which had been placed in reserve on that route, now rendered disposable by the of :L.: 1'ICS:1311 troops, had joined the line. 'these news glee. new tie to the Anglo-Dutch army : it plucked up courage wad kept Its position. - - • - throe critical clreutnstance• throe battalions of infantry n• second :Ire of ear right retreated in good order to the DS /lel-jai Guard, which the Emperor had rounited. This move ment, of which the motive cannot be explained , disorganised oar liar. • The uddiers said they had not been driven, but acted under orders. The Emperor barangned them, and they returned to their post. The cavalry, who from their eleTated situation could see the whole field, observed this retrograde movement of the three battalions; they at the same time saw the arrival of Mar shal Blucher, and the two brigades of fresh cavalry who were preparing to charge them. Fearing that they should he cut off, several regiments made a retrograde movement. The Emperor then formed his guard into columns to make the meditated attack. but perceiving the hesitation hi which the cavalry was, he judged that he ought to yield to circumstances, and that without waiting till all the columns were formed. he . ought instantly to support the cavalry, and make a movement Which might calm the imaginations, aol arrest the indecision In which the troopswere ' whether they were to fight or retreat. He advanced with the four first battalions on the left of La Haie Sainte, and ordered General Reille to collect his whole corps,on his extreme left, and to form it in columns of attack. On ar riving at La Haie Sainte, she Emperor met part of the troops of Ney, who were retreating : he sent his Aid-de-Camp, Labe doyere to tell them, by way of reanimating them,' that the corps Of Marshal Grouchy had arrived. He gave at the same time to Marshal Ney the four battalions of Guards which he was leading, and gave him orders to advance, in order to pre serve the position of the plateau. This produced the effect which ' the Emperor desired ; the whole stopt and returned to the po ' sition. A quarter of an hour afterwards, the eight other batta lions arrived at the brink of the ravine; the Emperor made them also form: die battalion in battle order, having two la close columns on its flanks, which combined the advantages of the thin and the deep order. Two of these brigades, thus formed and marching at battalion distance, made a firs: liae, behind which was the third brigade in reserve. " The batteries were placed in the intervals. On his part, General RelUe assembled his whole corps towards liougountont, crossed the ravine, and attacked the enemy's slits. In the mean time the four battalions of Middle Guards were engaged; they repulsed every thing before them, and redtained Immovable under the fire of a very considerable line. of the enemy. General Friant, commanding the infantry of the Guard, wounded in the hand, came to Inform the Emperor that all went well on the plateau, and that on the arrival of the Old Guard they would have the whole field of battle. This was 'between half-past seven and eight o'clock : a cry of alarm was heard to the tight—Blucher, with the whole corps of Ziethen, attacked the village of La Hale, which waslrnmediately carried. A ge nera! movement of astonishment followed throughout the whole of ocr right; by that Measure we found ourselves cut off from the cot ps of Count de Lubau. The traitors and ill-disposed ?ar sons in the army, and those who had deserted, abiy availed themselves of this opportunity to augment the disorder, which was immediately propag ated with the greatest rapidity over the whole line. The eigh t battalions of Guards, amongst whom were those of the Old Guard, instead of advancing to support the four battalions engaged, ought to have made a movemen- on the right to serve as a reserve, and to rally the troops driven from La Haie—they obstructed the whole of this field of battle, by forming themselves in square by battalions. The whole ea tremity of our right could still rally behind them. The sun was set—nothing was desperate—when the two brigades of enemy's cavalry, which had not yet moved, penetrated between La Hale Sainte and the corps of General Reiile. They might have been stopped by the eight squares of the Guard; but seeing the great disorder which prevailed on the right. they turned them. These three thousand fresh horst • prevented all rallying. The Emperor ordered his four squadrons of service to charge them. Those squadrons were not sufficiently numerous ; the whole division of the cavalry of reserve of the Guard would have been requisite; but by a misfortune which belonged to the fatality of that day, tbts division of 2,000 horse grenadiers and dragoons, all picked men, u.A engaged on the -plateau, without orders from the Em peror. There were no longer any means of rallying the troops; the four squadrons having been overthrown, the confusion was only augmented. We will not follow General Gourgaud throughout the remaining details of the action, which was now decided. We arc informed by him that Naptleon at tributed the loss chiefly-Ist, To the uncertainty of Marshal Grouchy on the 17th respecting the move ments of the enemy. If on the evening of the 17th he had been at Wavres, in communication with the ! left of the a!my, Blucher would not have dared to uncover himself before him, where Grouchy would then have followed him To the misconception of the instructions given t 3 this Marshal, and the non-reception of the orders sent him on the night be tween the 17th and 18th, and on the morning of the 18th ; and on the :Aber part to the unseasonable at tack which Marshal Ney made with the cavalry, two hours too soon, notwithstanding the reiterated orders .of the Emperor. The General maintains, that if it had not been for the movement of Bulow, the battle would have been gained by three o'clock in the afternoon ; for the corps of Count Lobau, with the Young Guard, and sup ported by the whole of the Old Guard, was to attack the enemy's centre at two o'clock. He blames Gene rals Blucher and Wellington for not having their troops encamped by the begirring of June, and for rot knowing the movements of the French army, which concealed three matches from them. Blucher is blamed for having rallied his army in the position of his enemy, where he exposed himself to be beat in detail. With an army of nearly 150,000 men, he could only fight with 90,000. The Duke of Wellington is blamed fornot having known till one o'clock on the morning of the 15th, that the whole French army had passed the Sambre at twelve o'clock the preceding day, at Charleroi.— He thinks the Duke of Wellington cannot be blamed for what happened at Quatre Bras, which was a ne cessary consequence of the fault of Blucher for rally ing his army at Ligni. The choice of the field of battle of Waterloo, in frcnt of a forest and a great town, when Blucher had been beat, was a f au l t w h ic h might have been attended with the most fatal results to the English army and the whole coalition. The nature of the roads which Blucher had to pass, ape cially in such bad weather as there had been for two days, and the great losses experienced by the Prus sian army at Ligni, should have induced the Duke of Wellington to unite his army with that of Blucher, and march in the rear of Waterloo. The two armies might have easily gained twelve or fourteen hours advance, and been tallied on the same field of battle, presenting a mass of more than 200,000 combatants The surprise of the Prussian and English armies, he says, proved the superiority of the French plan of campaign ; ani if it had not been for accidents such as, in spite of every probability, overturn the best founded calculations, the English and Prussian armies would have been totally destroyed. General Gourgaud endeavours to shew that the battle of Waterloo could not have decided the fate of Trance, if Fouche and others had done their duty. The French army under Paris was equal in numbers to that of the allies; and if they had been attacked when they marched through the valley of Montmo rency, towards St. Germain and Versailles, leaving their left flank totally uncovered during the whole operation, they would have been completely de stroyed. The capital was abandoned without a strug gle to an army only equal in force, whilst the Austrian and Russian armies were still at a distance of more than fifteen days march.—" This was undoubtedly," he says, "one of the most shameful tagnsactiolu re-' corded in the History of Ezance." FLANDERS MAIL. .9 RUSsELS, OCTOBER 23. Yesterday arrived here his Excellency General Count Benningsen, in the service of the Emperor of Russia, from Aix-la-Chapelle ; Count Schoenfeld, Chamberlain of the Emperor of Austria, from ttix la-Chapelle ; the Marquis Charteries; M . Puysegur, Major-General in the service of France ' fr om Parts; Mr. Smith, an English Courier, from London to Aix la-Chapelle. We have already said, that the Count de Lobau, and General Mouton, had obtained permission to re turn to France ; the same favour has just been granted to Messrs. Courtin, Forbin Janson, Defermont, and to General Lamarque. SECOND CHAMBER OF THE STATES-GENERAL ' /MUGS or OCTOIIIM 23. The President communicated to the Assembly, a message from his Majesty, with the copy of a Treaty concluded on the 4th of last May, with his Britannic Majesty, for the abolition of the African Slave Trade; as well as the project of a law, conformably to the 58th article of the fundamental law, containing legal regulations to ensure the full execution of this Trea y. These two pieces were read. The project contains also several penal enactments for the repression of this inhuman traffic. Those who, from the date of the promulgation of the law, should still attempt to carry it on, to be liable to a fine of 5,000 florins, besides two years imprisonment. All those who should make use of means become illicit, to encourage this' prohibited traffic, to be punished with a confinement of six months at least, and two years at the most.— The Chamber ordered all these pieces to be printed. distributed among the members, and referred to the sections.—Another message from his Majesty intro duced a project of a law relative to the poor: and a third was communicated by the Minister of the In terior, in the name of his Majesty, relative to the or ganization of the-army. The Minister made a speech, first in Dutch, then in French, explaining the nature of the law propo sed, the object of which is to form a good infantry, and at the same time lessen the burden of the service to the militia, and save the treasury about two mil-, lions. This project of a law was also ordered to be printed. The Assembly also appointed a COMlllitla r of five Members, to prepare an address in answer to his Majesty's speech at the opening of the Session. 1 .. s t., It I I . i ;'+; • • 'C • ! '., t c , 1 1 i f 0 t . i t i 1 1 1 (i I 4 fr' 1 . t • I , • i I 1 i tr I 1 t I !‘ 'A, i t . k . 1 1 1 I: t I , . , 4 . AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, OCTOBER 22. His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, who is now the only one of the three Sovereigns here, continues to visit the environs of the city ; every where en dearing himself by his affability and condescension, and leaving valuable procfs of his liberality. It is said that the Government of llanover will lay the affair respecting the Students of Gottingen before the Diet at Frankfort, for the purpose of leading to general regulations for all the German universities in this particular.. THE EVENING STAR, LONDON. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1818. Sr. &MOW ease Ss. Juse.—Holiday at the Bank, Exchequer, and South-Sea llouse. A Hamburgh Mail arrived this morning a•itli Papers to the 24th instant. We subjoin the only ex tracts worthy of notice : lIAMBURGH, OCTOBER 23. We have certain intelligence that the Swedish Go vernment. has repeated its otders to the Governor of St. Bartholomew not to allow any privateer of unrecognised Governments to sell its prizes in that Island. It is even said, that the above Governor has received a severe reprimand on the subject and or ders to justify his conduct. BREMEN, OCTOBER yr. We have received from an authentic source the following remarkable account of the true plan of the new Fri:nal Colony : " BAT OF GALVESTON, JUNE 18. " The Junta of the Mexican Insurgents, who have been long dissatisfied with Mina; who enrages the inhabitants by the ravages which he commits, have concluded an agreement with General Charles Lalle mand, according to which we are to join them as soon as the great heat is over. t , We are about 4000 strong, infantry, artillery, and cavalry. The cavalry is commanded by Count Rigaud, and the artillery by the brother of the Com mander-in-Chief, who was distinguished as General of Artillery under Napoleon, and will arrive here to-morrow wit► artillery horses from New Orleans. The soldiers are animated with splendid hopes, and think to pay, on occasion, a visit to the mines of Potosi." CONSTANTINOPLE, SEPTEMBER 9. A few days ago, while the Sultan was following his favourite amusement of archery, news was sud denly brought of a fire having broken out, near his summer residence, Beshietash. He immediately mounted a horse, and hastened to the spot ; but the violent storm prevented speedy assistance, :lad in the space of five hours eighty houses were reduced to ashes—the Palace, however, was not injured. Some days ago, the Grand Vizier, accompar7ecl by all the Ministers of the Porte, paid a visit of cere mony to the High Admiral, in the Arsenal, and af terwards gave a grand entertainment to the Ministers- BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 16. One of the causes of the suppression of the Jour nal of East and West Panders, which appeared lat terly under the name of the Bcf,;ic Lion, was the groundless accusation made in it against the Officers of a neighbouring garrison, that they had celebrated the 15th of Augi4t, in honour of Napoleon. PETILDSBUR6II, OCTOBER 3. The great works which have been commer.ccci for the improvement of this city, are carrying on with great activity. The broad pavement for the convc- nience of foot passengers, m particular ornament. The grc aver the 'Moilca, is nearly con Af iron (at 401 b. per pool) hav The expense will amount to IC The Paris Papers of Sunday with the exception of the Jou acne de France, which have e we have frequently seen, WI We quoted yesterday front thi of unusually free advice to tic :cct of the extension of Trial b Picas. Can the Ministers hi to illustrate the justness of th new proof in their arbitrary ri sity of putting the Press art equal Laws? The Emperor of RUSSIA at arrived, as was expeczrd, at instant. The Msrquisses received their Majesties on ti dam. The Dul:e of WELL: day, at his head-quarters, a reigns, and or. the following the troops was to take plaze, gent, commar.ded by Lieutar RONZOW, is cantoned in the c and the Danish troops undvr The English arc at Aspre The whole of the troops to nearly 35,000 men, a.'.l described as superb. Arno particular notice is tai: n of which is said to have Leon for its excellent discipli:.2. troops will immediately col their respective homes. The is traced, and they will folio intervals in order not to cro they may have to traverse c: or towards Boulogne and C. The re-delivery of ti:e and every thing else left in made on the 13th by two Er by the Duke of WELLING:co MORIN and CAPELLE, Iv,o Artillery, nominated to thi3 War. The pc3:ess:on of ' Landrecies, Quemoy, Maub resumed, it is said, by the I solemnity, and different r Guard, and several Legior their organization in Picar, already designed as intendt garrisons. The National places ate in the meantinu and to perform the service c of the line, until the army i by the Royal Ordinances. A letter fwm Cadiz of that from the Bth to the 23c of deaths at Tangiers amour that the plague had extender tains of Tetuan, as also to French 5 per Cents. Satu We have received Boston ] those formerly announced: The following addition d struction given to the reces Acts, tc. by the American ) ful for the guidance of those 4, TREASURY DE 64 M '• Sir—Titc Act cf Congress, c is to t.ke effect the fast day in change the cenitnerce of the Uni and Territories of his Britannic the convenience and interest cf th, the construction of the Act shonli " Accord:l2g to the tern+, undo every port or plzce of the I3s L: the Wc&t Indies, and on the Co: considered as clostd against vesseh they ate not by Act of Par!lam• same trade bat in exports and 13 be, carried on in B:iti►h vessels h. 'States and the ports of any Britisl " The permission by Act of United States to go in ballast to salt, or to carry certain articles t laids and bring away salt and : considered u opening the ports of the United States, accordiag to th great, whilst British vessels arc pt trade In articles prohibited to ve It may be proper to observe that don, applies equally to vessels whe " The form of the bond requici the Act, is hereunto annexed. I, circumspection will be exercised i of the efficacy of the Act will 1, Marge of this part of y ou r d u ty.— (Signed) " The Duke of DEVONNIIII ABERCROMBIE,. M.P. arriv( Devonshirellcuse, from his Derbyshire. The Marchioness of E] i r l Langley, Kent, from a tour The Earl and Cc,untess seat, Workscp Manors, No: The Countess SPENCER IC seat at 'tVinibledon. Lord SYDNEY left town Frognail, Kent. The Duke clad Duchess town for their scat, Ga%tun,