The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-06-18

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Dtxhuts Jnia.
TIL. "A the 18Th Of Jupe--"S cay, say
M.c,a,ay, "which. II the Greek superstition
retained it's infiaente, wsnia be held "a
cred to Nemesis--a day on which Tue W.
greatest princes and soldiers OF mode''
times were taught, by . terrible exPef'
snce. that neither skin nor valor can "
the Inconsistency of fortune" The princes
alluded to were Frederic and NApoleon-tn'
battles BIZ which they were taught 80 mue'
were Colin and Waterloo. 1t IS OF 'n'
latter that we desire to say few WORDS
decming the occasion not inappfof'is'e'
since there is nothing around US tut wal
and rumors of wars, and the people VIII feat
of and listen to nothing else.
The incidents Of this battle, and the elaine
Of those who were concerned IN II, are as
hotly contested nor rs they were during the
first year that eneceeded its occurrence. -
The French say that they would have won
It but for the folly or treachery Of Grouchy;
the Pru.eisns say 1t would have been lest
but for their opportune arrival at the criti-
cal moment, when Wellington was already
beaten; the English, with modes'y t'u'y
national, claim ali the credit for themselves
not outstanding they were assisted by - ,0oi
Pruksiaus and between $1,000 and 59,pVU
Belgians, Dutch, aud Germs Of Hanover,
Brunswick, and Nassau, while, according to
their own account, they had less than 70 tao
on the field Wewill oonfne ourselves merely
to this battle, without taking in the opera
tons of the two preceding days, on the first
Of which Napoleon had defeated Blucher al
Ligny, sending Grouehy in pursuit OF him
on the second, With orders to keep him col
stautly In sight.
Tue "a and 9TH corps Of the French army
fought the battle. They numbered, as Ma
poleon tells as, upon the field that day Is $50
men. From the same authority We learn
that the Anglo Dutch army under yelling
ton was 80, 500 strong. Captain Siborne
tells us that this estimate would have been
correct had all the regiments been full. Blu;
he says some of them were mere skeletons,
aud that the whole did not greatly exceed
81 600. We will not dispute his estimate,
although We believe it to be much under the
truth. About half-p eleven the battle
commenced by an attack on the Chateau
Hougomont, made by several French diyi-
Stops; at one Marshal Ney, who commanded
the grand attack Gu the centre, sent word to
the Emperor that he was ready to begin,
and only waited for the signal. Before he
gave II Napoleon swept the field with his
glass. and perceived ST netting ut q distance
OH his right, which he believed to be col
uaiu Of five or siG thousand men-proba-
bly,, he thought. a detachment from Grouchy,
who he knew was on his right, though he
did nst know that the pfussians were be-
tween him and that officer. He immedi-
ately dispatched the cavalry divisions OF
Generals Domont and Subervie, 3 QUO strong,
to communicate with the approaching
troops, to hold them in check if they were
Prussians, and to give them Intelligence and
orders If they were from Groucby. Pros
ceeding about two miles, Gen. Domont as
that they were the advanced guard
Of the Prussian General Bulow, who had
$1,000 men with him. Napoleon now Or
dered Count Lobau, with his division OF
l1,OO0 men, to advance ana oppose Buiou,
which was instantly done. He was thus
weakened by 14,0OO men, who were taken
Of from his attack on the Auglo- Dutch line.
He had now only "a 900 men to do that
Job. These 14,OOO men did not at
tack Wellington at all, being entirely occa-
pied by the Prussians all day. The worst OF
twas, that Loban's troops were designed to
support Ney, 10 his attack upon the centre
Of the Anglo Dutch army, and when Ney
the attack, he aound himself
deprived Ct them. The battle with Bulow
Wss At right angles to the battle with Well
iugton, on the right fink Of the French
army. Napoleon was facing North, i.obau
was facing Est. The English lay much
stress upon the late hour when the rrussiaps
commenced fighting. That seems to us
matter Of small moment. They came up
time enough to take Il. 600 men of their
hands, and IA 900 men more, would have de-
cided the battle. 1t may be as well here to
mention, that during the day, the divisions
OF Generals MOrand, Friant, and Duhesme,
were sent to reinforce Lobau. The two
6rst numbered 200 men each--the last o.
O00 50 that Enlow's advance took off "a
Ooo meu from the attack on Wellington, leav
ing but $4,000 for that service. Really it
does appear that the Prussians must have
helped some.
In the meantime the attack on Wellington
proceeded with great vigor. and desperate
struggle ensued We need not attemps to
describe II, cor we have not space Suffice
it, that at half past seven, when Blucher ar
rived With 81 900 fresh trnoPs and Joined his
latt to Buiow's right, the Eaglish. according
to their oHu account, were about to finish
the French army without Lis help. Accord
ing 10 the Prussian bulletin, however, they
could not have stood but very few minutes
longer, and that Is exactly what the French
say. Yet the English claimed all the credit
for their rs coo men, and went SO far as to
accuse tbs Belgihns Of c0wardice, although
the Bzlgiaps, according to Capt. 6iborne
lost nearly - many mcn In proportion al
they did. They will not. TO this day, give
the PrnesiAns credit for .ything which they
could not have done without their assist.
ance. Let us sec, then. what the Prussianl
did. do.
First: They held Grouchy 10 check will