The National Register. — London, England, 1815-07-02 00:00:00

420 THE NATIONAL REGISTER. the troops shall have been collected.—Before the disorder broke out, wo had already experienend a very considerable loss, particular ly i❑ our cavalry, so fatally, though so bravely engaged.—Notwith standing these losses, this brave cavalry constantly kegt the po sition it had taken from the English, and only abandoned it'when the tumult and disorder of the field of battle forced it. In the midst of the night, and the obstacles which encumbered their route, it could not preserve its own organization. The artillery Ines, as nsol, covered itself with glory. The carriages belonging to the head-quarters remained in their ordinary position ; no re trograde tnovement being jailed necessary. In the course of the night they fell into the enemy's bands. Such hasheen the issue of the battle of Mount St. Jean, ES oriom for the French armies, and yet so fatal. news ; it was on the spot where he was, and no where affair was to be decided. A cunlict continually same obstinacy and kept up by fresh troops, cc.. the victory, and if it were obtained here, an. Wavre %% as of little consequence. The coheir continued their movement. It was half an 110111 and the issue of the battle was uncertain. The w! corps and a part of the :Id under General Nish come up. The French hoops fought with desperat: some uncertainty was perceived in their movement% observed that some pieces of canecn mere retreating. At this moment the first columns of the corps of General Ziethen arrived on the points of attack, near the village of Smonlien, on the ene my's right flank, and instantly charged. This moment decided the defeat of the enemy. His right wing was broken in three places ; he abandoned his positions. Our troops rushed forward at the pas de charge, and attacked him on all sides, while, at the same tinfe, the whole English line advanced. Circumstances were extremely favourable to the attack formed by the Prussian army ; the ground rose in an amphitheatre, so that our artillery could 'lively open its fire from the summit of a great many heights which ruse gradually above each other, and in the intervals of which the troops descended into the plain %rmed iitto brigades, and in the greatest order; while fresh corps continually unfolded themselves, issuing from the forest 011 the height behind us. 'l'l►e enemy, however, still preserved means to retreat, till the village of Pldn- Mellon, which he had on his rear, and which was defended by the guard, was, atter several bloody attacks, carried by storm. Front at time the retreat became a rout, whicl► soon spread through il:e whole French army, which in its dreadful confusien. Ittnryint: away every thii•g that attempted to stop it, soon assumed the ap pearance of the flight of an army of barbarians. It was half past nine. The Field Marshal assembled all the superior officers, arid gave orders to send the last horse and the last man, i•n pursuit of the enemy. The van of the at my accelerated its march. The French being pursued without inlet mission, was absohitely &sot.- - ganised. The causeway presented the appearance of an intmetee shipwreck: it was covered with an innumerable quantity of can non, caissons, carriages, luggage, anus, and wrecks of every kind. Those of the enemy who had attempted to repose for a time, and had not expected to be so quickly pursued, were driven from more than nine bivouacs. In some viliages they attempted to natintain themselves; but as soon as they heard the beating awe drun►s or the sound of the trumpet, they either fled or threw theinselvea into tf►e• houses, where they were cut down or made prisoners. It was moonlight, which greatly favoured the pursuit, for the whole march was but a continuedchace, either in the corn fields or the houses. At Genappe the enemy had entrenched himself with cannon and overturned carriages ; at our approach vt e sud denly heard in the town a great noise and a motion of cat riages ; at the entraece we were exposes] to a brisk fire of musketry ; we replied by some cannon shot, followed by au hurrah, and in an instant alter the town was ours. It- was here that, among other equipages, the carriage of Napoleon was taken ; he had just left it to mount on horseback, and in his burly had forgotten in it his sword and hat. Thus the affairs continued till break of day. About 40,000 men, in the most complete dis order, the n mains of the whole army, have saved themselves, re , ticativir, through Chailcroi, partly without aims, and carrying with JULY 2. lll■lnMlmgmimgm.....l Dare else, that the i Appported by tte 1 ,nld alone insure any rcverse near mins, theleforei l hour past seven, 1 hole of the 4th I had successively i to fury : however, Nuts. and it was I PRUSSIAN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF THE 18TH. A r break of day the Prussian army again began to move. The 4tb and g2d corps marched by St. Lambert, where they were to take a position, covered by the forest, near Friehemont, to take the enemy in the rear, when the moment should appear favourable. Ttte first corps was to operate by Ohairn on the right flank of the enemy. The third corps was to follow slow, in order to afford succour in ease of need. The battle began about ten o'clock in the Droning. The English army &copied the heights of Mont St . Jean ; that of the French was on the 7 height; before Plachenoit ; the former about 80,c00 Rtrong ; the even-y had above 15'0,1;00. In a short time, the battle became gt ner a l along the w hole It seems that Napoleon had the design' to throw the left wing upon the centre, and thns to I ffert the separation of the English army from the Prussian, which he believed to he retreating upon Macs" tricht. For this purpo , e, he had phwed the greatest, part of Iris Nese:be in the centre, against his right wing, and upon this point attacked WC fury. The English army fought with a valour whieb it is impossible to surpass. The repeated charges of the Old Guard were hatfloil by the intrepidity of the Scotch regi ments ; and at every charge the French cavalry was overthrown by the English cavalry. But the superiority of the enemy in number' were too great ; Napoleon continually brought forward consider able masses. anthill!' whatever firmness the English troops main. tainted themselves in their position, it we's nut possible but that such heroic exertions must have a limit. It was half past four o'clock• Tae excessive difficulties of the passage by the defile of St. Lambert ;.ad considerably retarded the march of the Prussian col u mns, so that illy two brigades of the forret!) corps had arrived at the covered rosition assigned to them. The decisive moment was conic ; there as not an in•tant to be lust. The Generals did not sufiCr ;I to escape. They resolved immediately to begin the attack with the troops w hich they had at band. Gt octal ltulow, therefore, with s.,‘o brigades arid a corps of cavalry, advanced rapidly upon the rear the enemy's right wing. The enemy did not lose his presence or mind ; he instantly turned his reserve against us, and a murder. sus conflict bitten on that side. The combat remained torrential. lain, while the battle of the English Army still continued with the saute vioteuee. Towards six o'clock in the evening, we received tre un‘ss that General Thit lman with the third corps, was attacked mearr Wavre by a very considerable corps of the enemy, and that tiieywere already disputing the possession of the town. The Field howtvcr, did not buffer himself to be disturbed