Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-06-05
Napoleon at Waterloo.

Ihe FOLLOWING letter addressed to the Moniteur
by Count de Flahaut. who was one of Napoleon's
aids de.camp on the field of Waterloo is by far the
most estng of the many protests that the post
LONDON, APRIL 7, 1857.-Marshal Marmont
says, (vol Z, p Ill giving an account of the battle
OF Waterloo : In the course of the day Napoleon
found himself so far off from the field of battle that
he could not make the necessary notifications in the
execution of his plans More particularly he was
unable to support the cavalry movements in proper
time. This movement, being premature and isolated,
While II Inc guard had been sent forward simultane
ousy, the effect might have been decisive. When
the army was in disorder, Napoleon's mind was so
acted upon by terror that he fed at gaop for several
leagues, and every moment, (it was Jarkl fancy,ny
he saw the enemy's cavalry On his fink, he { MT
people to reconnoitre 1t is impossbl not to per-
ceive the malice of this whole story, which the
shall prstends to have had from Gen. Bernard That
canno be true, because Gen. Bernard was brave
and honest man, and consequently incapable of tell.
ing a tissue Of fasehoods.
"The Emperor placed himself during the battle
hilock in the centre of the position, from which
he could survey The whole of the operations, from
which he saw The advance of cavalry ordered by
Marshal Ney and which did, in point Of fact appear
to him premature and i'll timed He al once exclaim-
ed, there's Ney turning certainty into an uncer
talnty, but now that the movement is commenced
there is nothing to be done but TO support it, He
cavalry should advance to support and follow those
troops which had already crossed the hollow which
lay between them and the enemy's position. This
was done, but, unfortunately, the Emperor had
tsared, the moment had not come when such move
merit might have been successful However it was
impossible TO recall the squadrons that already
engaged. In war they are certain faults which can
only be repaired by persevering in them leave to
Marshal Marmont the honor which do not envy, of
the parallel he has Instituted Up: 1859 between the
leaders OF the two armies and of the share atrbuta.
BILE to each in the results OF the battle. He takes
pleasure in prasiDg the English General at the ex-
pense OF the Emperor butt instead of taking 80 much
pans 10 prove the Emperor guilty Of mistakes which
led to the 1atal issue of the day, he might have un
derstood that the unexpected arrival f1nk of
6O,OOO Prussans, whose artillery swept line of
operations, was the real Of the loss 4 the bat
tie and lts disastrous consequences The Duke of
Wellington had the justice TO admit this in his re-
port to his Government. AS to the terror which the
Marshal pretended the Emperor gave way to.
cannot better refute this false assertion than by
stating facts of which 1 was an eyewitness, and
which, therefore, no is in a better position to
bear witness of than myself.
After having taken part il the successive attacks
OF the cavalry and the guard and when the retreat.
ing movement had most dec dedly set in, | went 10
look for the Emperor. 1t VS. dark Ifouad him in
the centre of square of infantry, AMI did not af-
terwards leave him. After waiting there some time
longer, the battle being rrerievably lost he left The
field BY the Chartered road. We went along, not in
galop, as is UNANIMOUSLY said in the memoirs but
at walk, and no pursuit of the enemy inspired the
Emperor with any such fears as the Warshals malice
attributes to him. So far The Emperor from bs.
ing troubled with any personal fears, although the
situation was not very reassurlng, that being knock
ell up by the fatigue he had undergone during The
preceding days. he several times fell asleep, and
would have fallen of his horse had not held him
on. We arrived the next morning at Chareroi, where
he took post for Laon There the Emperor halted to
write The bulletin giving of the fata day,
and he then set out for Paris This is the ruth
Let the public compare it with Marshal Ma.monts
malicious and lying narrative, and then judge. But
how can one express ones feeling of Indignation and
disgust at seeing whose place it was 10 hope
to be forgotten, the best thing that could happen
to him, thus to attack who was his benefactor,
and defane his memory after having betrayed him
when living?