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

JULY 2.

made known to as by our reports, and by the letter of a Prussian
General, inclosing an order of battle, and which was taken by our
fight troops. The troops were full of ardour. We estimated the
force of the English army at 80,000 men, We inpposed that the
Prussian corps which might be in line towards the right might be
15,000 men. The enemy's force then was upwards of 90,000 men.
Ones less numerous. At noon, all the preparations being fermi'
rated, Prince Jerome, commanding a division of the second corps,
and destined to form the extreme left of it, advanced upon the
wood of which the enemy occupied a part. The cannonade began,
The enemy supported with 30 pieces of cannon the troops he had
sent to keep the wood. We made alFo on our side dicpositions of
artillery. At one o'clock Prince Jerome was master of all the
wood, and the whole English army fell back behind a curtain.
count d'Erlon then attacked the village of Mount St. Jean, and sup-
ported his attack with 89 pieces of cannon, which must have oecw
sinned great loss to the English army. All the efforts were made
towards the bridge. A brigade of the first division of Count d'Erlon
took the village of Mount St. Jean ; a second brigade was charged
by a corps of English cavalry, which occasioned it much loss. At
the saute moment a division of English on its right, had disorganised
several pieces; but the enir issiers of General Milhaud charged that
divisiou, three regiments of which were broken and cut up, It
was three in the afternoon. The Lmperor made the guard advance
to place it in the plain upon the ground which the first cores had
occupied at She outset of the battle, this corps being already in
advance. The Prussian division, whose movement had been
foreseen, then engaged with the light troops of Count Lobau, spread-
ing its fire upon our whole right think. It was expedient, Wrote
undertaking any thing elsewhere, to wait for the event of this at-
tack. Hence, all the means in reserve by cavalry charged the
battery of Count d'Erlon, were ready to succour Count Lobar, and
overwhelm the Prussian corps when it should be advanced. This
done, the Emperor had the design of leading an attack upon the
village of Mount St. Joan. from whieli we expected decisive sue-
eta, ; but by a movement of impatience, so frequent in our military
annals, and which has often been so fatal to us, the cavalry of re-
serve having perceived a retrograde movement made by the Eng.'
lisp to shelter themselves from our batteries, from which they
had snffeied so much, crowned the heights or Mount St. Jean, and
charged the infantry. This movement, which, made in time, and sup-
ported by the reserves, must have decided the day, made in an
isolated.matiner, and befoie affairs on the right were terminated
became fatal. Having no means of countermanding it, the enemy
chewing many masses of cavalry and infantry, and our two divi-
sions of cuirassiers being engaged, all our cavalry; ran at the same
moment to support their comrades. There, for thtee hours,
numerous charges were made, which enabled us to penetrate
several squares, and to take six standards of the light infantry,
an advantage out of proportion with the loss which our cavalry
experienced by the grape shot and mu.ket firing. It was im
possible to dispose of our reserves of infantry until we had re-
pulsed the first flank attack of the Prussian corps. This at-
tack always prolonged itself perpendicularly upon our right
flank. The Emperor sent thither General Dnhesme with the
young guard, and several batteries of reserve. The enemy wa, kept
in check, repulsed, and fell back—he had exhausted his forces,
and we bad nothing more to fear. It was this moment that was
indiCated for an attack upon Wu centre of the enemy. As the