The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1862-11-29
WATERLOO.
BY J. s. C. ABBOTT.

Paris was the signal for all the allied armies
of Europe to be on the march to crush him.
Hurriedly Napoleon collected 1OO,O men
to repel the million of bayonets now crowd
ling upon France. Wellington and Butcher
were in the vicinity of Brussels with 100,-
900 each. To save France the horrors of
invasion, Napoleon resolved to cross the
frontier and to fall on one body of the ene
my and then another, until they should be
compelled to negotiate.
At three O'Clock on the morning of the
18th of June, Napoleon left the Tuilleries
for his last campaign. He took leave Gff
Caulalncourt, saying, Farewell we must
conquer or die, Driving rapidly through
the day and the succeeding night, he ar
rived on the morning of the 18th at AYES
mes, $50 miles from Paris. Here he had
assembled all his available force. Yelling
ton was at Brussels, and Butcher few
leagues from him, neither of them dream
ing of an attack. They were awaiting the
arrival of 100000 Russians, with whom
they were to commence their march upon
Paris. Napoleon's plan was to attack Wei
lngton by surprise, aud destroy his force,
and then Blucher's, and then march against
the Russians.
In an hour after Napoleon's arrival at
Avesnes his whole army was in notion
By different routes they were directed to
meet at Charleroi, 35 miles distant, at an APP
pointed hour. General Bourmont was in
charge of one of these divisions. Infa-
mously he deserted, and revealed to the al
lies the plans of the Emperor. Behind the
entertainments of Charleroi Napoleon found
10000 Prussians ready to dispute his pass
age. He attacked them so vigorously that
, they soon retreated, leaving 5000 of their
dead behiad them. It was 80 miles from
Charleroi TO Brussels Ten miles on this
road is situated the little hamlet of Quartre
Bras. Ney, with 10000 men, was or
dered to advance Immediately to that spot.
Concentrate there your men," said the
Emperor. "Fortify your army by field
works. Hasten, so that by midnight this
position, occupied and impregnable, shall
bid defiance to any attack" Butcher, act
ing from the information received by the
traitor Bourmont, was fastening with 3d.
600 troops to join Wellington. Napoleon,
at the head of $4,000, Unexpectedly en-
countered him. After one of the most ter
e rible conflicts ever waged, the Prussians
S fled utterly routed, leaving 10000 weller
ing in their blood, and 10000 prisoners in
the hands of Napoleon. Had Ney obeyed
his orders the Prussian army would have
perished without the escape Of man.
: But as Ney approached Quartre Bras, in
dark night, of storm and floods Of rain,
and through an ocean of mire, he allowed
: his exhausted troops to stop few miles be-
: fore reaching that important post, which be
u intended to take with the earliest morning
;: light He sent word that the post was &C
ually in his position. Wellington, at bal
s in Brussels, turned pale with dismay as he
heard of the approach of Napoleon.
1t was 5 miles from Brussels to Quartre
Bras. Fully aware of the Importance o
that post, Wellington instantly dispatched
division to occupy it. Through the whole
night these troops passed along the miry
II road, mingling their tumult with the roar
of the tempest. In the morning Ney il
CONSERVATION found that the English haC
possession of the post. The whole day wa:
: spent in the most bloody, desperate and un
= availing endeavors to regain it. The an
guish of Ney, in view of the irreparablt
fault, was awful. The night of the 18th o.
t June came; a night of darkness and del
/ uging rain. Napoleon at Ligny was vic
tor. Ney, ten miles distant, at Quartr'
it Bras, was baff1ed, bleeding and exhausted
;, BlucheI, with his broken battalions, conse
l quently escaped, and retreated towards Wa
S vre, where he was joined by reinforce
It ments. Napoleon sent Grouchy with 80,
% QUO men to pursue him. Wellington Eel
a back to Waterloo to be joined by his Prus
] sian allies. Such was the state of affairs
o when the morning of the 18th of Jun
l. dawned upon these drenched armies.
8 Napoleon, leaving Grouchy to pursu
: Butcher, passed over to Quartre Bras. JOINED
= his troops with those of Ney, and with thi:
d combined force of &c. 900 followed Yelling
2 ton to the spacious plain of Waterloo
3 Wellington had here skillfully posted hi
,. troops on an extended ridge, and-was anx
:. iously awaiting the arrival of Butcher. 1
u was the night of the 18th, dark and rainy
d when Napoleon reached the field. Flo
E. eighteen hours he had not INDUCED in
e moment of repose, or received any nourish
n mem. All the night the rain fell in tor
3. rents,- as the Emperor stationed his men fol
lie the battle of the morrow.
Ie Wellington's force has been varously es
e timated at from ~ 900 to 10000 men,
Ell Napoleon had from 65 900 to IS 900. Th'
10 morning of the 18th dawued lurid anC
lie stormy. 1t was the Sabbath. The undu
70 latlng plain of Waterloo was a vast whes
IT held. Soaked with rain, and cut up by tn,
II wheels and the tramp of these armies, j
e now resembled quagmire. At o'clocl
the clouds broke, and the sun brilliantly
D. shone out. At half past ten the troop.
; were all 10 their positions. the hospitals es
tabished in the rear, and the surgeons will
l bandages, spiinters, knives and saws, ready
y for their melancholy work.
> AT II O'Clock the carnage commenced
ID The English with their formidable batteries
were extended along the ridge of gentle
elevation, about mile and a half in length