Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-08-11
FRENCH ORATION-BATTLE OF
WATERLOO.

WAIERLOO.
The second volume of Lamartine's Histor'
of the Restoration of Monarchy in France, jus
published by the IIarpers, is filled with incident
of the most interesting character The battl,
of Waterloo is described with the genius Of
poet, and the impartiality of historian. Napo
leon and Wellington, their successes and thei
errors, are sketched in mastery manner. One
of the principal events of that day--the advance
of Ney-is thus described:
Meanwhile Ney was advancing slowly, bu
constantly, with his colume of attack. On reach
ing the palisade entertainments, he charged the
Hanoverians who occupied them with Mhaut's
cuirassiers and his light cavalry, who routed the
Hanoverians, and killed General Ompteda, who
had commanded them. Major General Ponson.
by, who had been sent to replace the Hanoveri-
ans with three regiments of Dragons, also fell
beneath the deadly thrusts of party of lancers.
Ney succeeded in reaching, under /. canopy of
fire, Of shell and round shot, the topmost slope
which led to the terrace of Mont-Saint john
Here, as at the foot of the walls Of a fortress,
French and English, officers, soldiers men, and
horses, endeavoring to scramble up, others dash
ing them down again, all striving, were mingled
together under a shower Of balls from two hun
dred pieces of English artillery; firing into each
others breasts, saberiDg, bayoneting tearing
each other, making Of the dead bodies
OF men and horses, some rampant, and 9TH
ers bloody steps, to defend or to escalade the
glorious summit. Ney who saw amidst the
smoke the first French uniforms at the brink of
the plateau, rushed forward to seize his victory,
sending word mt the same time to the Emperor,
that one last effort of the reserve would give
him the battle, and that the English, in confu-
sion, were already sending off their field equip
page TO BRUSSELS.
" l have, then, these English!' cried the En-
peror, with triumphant visage, voice and gesture
in the midst of his staff; his bosom at once re-
lieved from load of anxiety. He re-mounted
his horse, and galoped to the Generals of his
Guard, whom he ordered to form their columns,
and fly to the support of Ney. Whilst he was
riding to and fro in the valley from corps to
corps to animate his impatient reserves, round
shot from the English batteries killed General
Devereaux, of the artillery by his side He saw
him fall with regret. But the heat of the action
gave him no time to deplore single loss; he
returned to his post, and again dismounted to
observe the execution of the orders given to his
reserve, and the final triumph Of Ney.
The intoxcations Of victory at length display
ed on his breast he walked backward and for
ward, amidst the plans of the battle unfolded at
his feet, his eyes fixed on the immovable smoke
)f Mont-Saint-Jeau which neither advanced nor
etired, in spite of the incessant thunder that is
sued from those dense clouds. Behind these
clouds, however, he seemed to comprehend the
ate of the battle, and that Of Europe, already
'isbe to him alone Marshal Soult, with face
Al a ,bn. =
n unbent or overcast, from the alternate tri-
lmphs and discOuragements Of war, imped af.
er the Emperor, receiving his impressions in
llnts, and sharing and sustaining his confidence
All the intervening ground between La Hale
Sainte and Saint Jean, was swept of the ene-
ny's troops. The French army covered with
is squares, and its columns, and its reserves,
Ilready formed, the accivitics visible to the eve
IT the forest of Soignies. The slackened fire
II the English artillery seemed, by their long in
to Indicate batteries silenced in sue
ession by theSabres Of Ney's cuirassiers.-
Yearly all the Emperors staff being sent off in
Inherent directions bearers of his final orders to
he guard, Rossomme presented the aspect of
,lvouac full of leisure and security, after the IA
lgues OF victory, in which the General has |
loihing further to do than to order the pursuits,
nd complete the glorious results.
Behind the English army, on the other side of
he Forest everything on the contrary, indicated
onfusion and the commencement of defeat
The road to Brussels, and the borders of the
elds on each side, were crowded with the
wounded, dragging themselves onward, and
the road with their blood, or being
orne with their sick wagons to the neighborinS
ottages. A long column of panic-stricken
easants, OF women, old men and children, driv-
ig their flocks before them or carrying off their
lrniture in wagons-sodiers, officers and gen.
rails struck by the enemy's balls, horses dying
y the sides of the bitches, military servants
urrying to save the equpage of their masters
'rmed over space of four leagues nothing but
mass of fugitives from the field of battle to
ne gates of the capital. The cannon, which had
cen booming since eleven o'clock approaching
nd increasing in volume, had rent the air and
smaycd all the hearts in the streets of Brus-
u.s. The entire population had Quilted their
ouses to question each other in the public pla-
IS. The rnmor of Napoleon's victory, which
lould yield Belgium up to his arms, and for
lrd time turn its flourshing field into the dis
acted and sanguinary arena of Europe's conten-
ons, passed from mouth to mouth. The peo-
e were panic-struck, the princes, and the veal
y inhabitants dismantled their hotels, and fled
lth their families on the road to Antwerp
Such at six o'clock in the evening, was the
rking contrast in the aspect of the two causes
both armies.