Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-08-20


field on which the battle was fought and from
that time to the present there has been no diff
Guilty in ascertaining where this iuterment took
place. the growing crops clearly identifying the
spot--the grain being much better. and the stalk |
higher than in other parts of the field When |
say field you must keep in mind that there are
no fences, or very few, so that the country for
great distance appears like one vast field of
wheat, now fast approaching maturity.
have no disposition to give full account of
the battle of Waterloo, but having had the adj !
vantage Of day spent with an intelligent gen.
tleman who was an actor in the battle, and as
many of your readers may not be familiar with
it, will gives very brief outline.
The Emperor Napoleon, you will recollect,
after his escape from Elba, again established his
authority in France. The great powers of Eu-
rope resolved to unite their forces to crush him
and put stop forever to his ambition, and there
by insure the peace of Europe. The French
people, always attached to the Grand Emper-
Or" rallied around him, and he soon had a large
army under his immediate command.
The allied armies began to assemble in Bel
GUM early in April, 1876 and the Duke Of
Wellington arrived at Brussels on the 4th Of that
month. The troops continued to arrive until
June. Butcher was in command of the Prus-
SLAMS, and took post on the lth of that month
at Namur. to be near the British line.
When Napoleon re-entercd France from his
prison at Elba, Louis the 18th, with his Court,
fled to Client, to which place all the ambassa-
doris from other Courts repaired. Client is about
thirty miles from Brussels and forty from Wa
terloo.
On the 10Th intelligence was received that
Napoleon was passing along the frontier; but
Wellington had determined not to move until he
knew at what point the French army would
make the attack. 1t proved to be Charleroi, a
favorable position for defeating the Prussians
and British in detail. Napoleons intention to
take the two armies by surprise was detected by
Blucher who was appraised of the movement Of
the French army at ten o'clock on the night of
the l4th, and the PruSsian army was imme-
diatey concentrated at Fleurus.
Napoleon and his soldiers were in fine spirits,
aud few if any of that vast army doubted that
victory would result to the French arms. from
the battle which was then about to ensue. In
deed more than once during the battle Bonaparte
had good cause to believe that the allied armies
were defeated, and must yield. So generally
did this opinion prevail, that at Client, within
forty miles of Waterloo, when the news of the
defeat OF the French army was made known to
Louis XVIII, that monarch was relieved from
the most intense alarm, a news had been re-
ceived that the French army had been victorious,
and many English families were on their way
TO the sea-board.
/ But to return TO the battle. On the 18th Ma
poleon issued proclamation in his usual style
After recitino the battles in which the French
army had been successful, and abiding to his
defeat in Russia, he said: :" Madmen! one mo-
ment of prosperity has bcwidered them; the
oppression and humiliation of the French people
arc beyond their, il they enter France they will
find their grave.
"The rights, the honor and the happiness of
the country will be recovered. To every
Frenchman who has heart, the moment has
now arrived to conquer or to die
On the morning Of the 9th Napoleon attacked
the outposts of the PrusSians, and they fell back
upon their supports. Between 3 and O'Clock
in the afternoon the Duke of Wellington was
apprised of the advance of the French, and orders
were issued to be in readiness to march at Il mo-
ment's notice. After he issued his orders from
Brussels. the Duke went to a ball given by the
) Duchess of Richmond. While at tine ball, ac
companed by many of his officers, despatch
arrived informing him that Napoleon had crossed
the Sambre and taken Charero the position
recently occupied BY Blucher, and that his ad
vance was pressing on towards Brussels. A
; ten o clock that night Wellington issued his or
dcrs for the several divisions of his army t,
move.
Picton'S division and the Iiinoverian brigad.
marched from Brussels at o'clock on the morn
! ing of the 18th, taking the road 10 Brussels nea
7 which they halted, aud shortly after were iolne
by the Brunswickers. The Duke of yelling
ton soon came up, accompanied by the Duke o
Brunswick The commander in chief gave or
ders for the troops to refresh and the roads to b
kept clear of baggage. At noon orders wer
given for the troops to proceed to Quatre Bras
The Duke had reconnocred the position of tn
Il. 1 -,
with Butcher. About 3 O'Clock in the Afternoon
Napoleon commenced his attack npon Butcher,
division. Marshal Ney attacked the Dntch Bel
gian division under the Prince of Orange.
J. desperate struggle took place which continue
1t until after sunset. The prussians had thei
e centre broken, and Marshal Butcher had hi
d horse shot under him, and was twice charge
5 over by the French troops, while he was on tn
ground.
If The French fought with great bravery, an
= the British cavalry could not stand agalns
n them The Belgians and Brunswickers mad
a an attempt, but Mr.. Cotton SAYS, "wcre seal
It tered like chaf before the wind,h by the cuira-
:, siers. The British cavalry had not arrive
10 when this struggle took place. The Duke {
N Wellington was nearly taken prisoner. Anon
the killed was the Duke of Brunswick.
's On the afternoon of the 18th Il terrific thnnde
At storm, with rain, made the powed ground a
Of most impossible. Horses sunk to their knees
j. and some to the girths of their saddles. Ever
q thing that could be done Cor the great event thu
lie was to take place the next day effected, an
r. at day break on the 18th of June all who wer
ID able to move were in active motion, yet theI
r were many so chilled with cold and wet th'
s. they could not form into line for some time
n Between and 10 O'Clock the Duke of Wellin.
I'd ton passed along the line, and was loudly chez
,a ed. Soon after the Duke had passed. the banc
h. of the French troops struck up and this W;
of perhaps the moment when Napoleon had assen
IL bied his generals to give them his orders.
al Shortly after the firing commenced, and he
I'll seventy thousand of the British and allied force
nd with one hundred and tiity-six guns, were IA
sembled, and within mile seven,y-two thousal
IN men, with two hundred and forty-sX pieces
he ordnance, under Napoleon.
e- The battle went on, and many doubts al
We fears prevailed during that eventfu day, whit
EN- was not terminated until o'clock in the ey
.or ming, when the French troops were defeate
Ter and Napoleon fled To Paris. lie had a very ia
m row escape his carriage, with much of his pt
90 sonal baggage, was captured. lie escaped
me horseback. At the castle Of Stozentels, p
: ace of the King of Prussia, saw the swo
ch worn by Napoleon at Waterloo, which "
". found in his carriage.
ab- The battle OF Waterloo was termed by MAJ