The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1875-05-20

But for some reason which is un
explained, Grouchy had no heart in The
enterprise. An angry discussion took
place between the emperor and Grouchy
on the morning of the 18th. This re-
flutes entirely Grouchy's assertion tina,
he did not receive the order to pursue
the Prussians until II m, of the Eth.
On page los, vol. w., we read:
"Plodding slowly through beating
rain, after coming ont of the barrack
where the imperial headquarters had
been established, the Emperor, seeing
that Groucher continued suggesting OBJ
stacles to his plans, put stop to the in
terview With, Enough said; obey by serv-
ing as shield for me against the Rus
SLAMS, and don't busy yourself with the
English"
Ga the morning Of the 18th eff June
Napoleon drove his carriage to the field
of battle of the day before. He was suff-
erng SO intensely with hemmorf oids
that he could not sit on bis horse. He
pointed with his finger in the direction
of the retreatIng Prussians, and SAID 10
Grouchy, what he thought had but one
meaning: "Pursue the Prussians, COM
plsfe their defeat IS soon as you over
take them and don't lose sight OF them"
Grouchy says this was attwcIve o'clock
He did not set his troops in motion to
obey this earnest in junction until four
O'Clock, and urges the usual excuses,
that at was raining hard" .rhe men
had not cooked their dinners" "that the
muskets were foul and required clean
Ing," "that the saddles had been taken
off the cavalry horses" etc. The con
sequence was that he did not find out
the route which the beaten aud retreat
ing army OF Prussian8 had taken , He
came up with small rear guard on mid
day Of The 18th, which old Blucher had
lett at Wares as screen, while the
whole Prussian army, augmented by 80
600 under BDlon, slipped away to join
Wellington at Waterloo. At midday OF
the 18Th, the fearful cannonade Of Wa
tcrloo was distinctly heard by Grouchy.
His staff urged him TO march TO the can
non (marcher an cannon; that 1t was
plain the emperor was engaged in u
decisive battle with The English. Gen.
Girari was impOr,unatc, Grouchy says,
"ey eli to naturalization" to march 10
Waterloo with tho whole army-to dis
regard the PrGssaB rear guard, and that
Il be lGrouchy) would not 20, to let
Girard 90. Grouchy said his orders
were, "when ho overlook HE Prussans
not TO lose sight Of them" His fatal
error was that by "prussians" every one
bat himself understood the availablcand
whole army Of tie Prussians against I.
which be WAS 10 ",h!o!d' Napoleon. /
and not small rear-guard. in TACT, with /
"the Prussians' he had never ovcriaken,
or even had sight of them at all. The .
French and Prussian authorities unite
in saying that until the Prussians ap-
peared or the field, at 1870 in the even
inS, the battle was decidedly against the
English. 1t is certain thar the dead
bodies of many French cGirasscrs were
found on the morning of the 18th entire
" in the rear of the English lines.
There is a melancholy interest attach
I'd to letter from the emperor to Gen
eral Girard, which appears on page II,
vol V. This devoted soldier received his
thirteenth and last wound, was removed
o Paris, and died the day the allies
entered it. Two days before, and while
hc pillars Of his empire were falling!
around him, Napoleon, "serene alike in
)eace or danger" wrote IS follows TO
he dying soldier:
"2lst June, 1873.
General: The emperor is satisfied
With your conduct. His majesty thinks
t each one had done his duty as YOU
lid yours, we would not have met with
my reverse. In the midst Of pre-occu-
'ations, the most sorrowful and import
mt, the emperor has been mindful of
our devotion,and has created you Duke
If Ligny."
Catching q Cannon Ball.