The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1875-05-20
WATERLOO.
How IL was Lost a RcTieW OF the Memoirs OF
Marshal 6rOucny.

not believe them to be Grouchy's corps,
and he answered "Cerlainly did.
cannot, even now, conceive why it was
not. | have not seen Grouchy since,
and I cannot understand it," With a
cariousity to learn what was denied to
the emperor, we have read what
irouchy's excuses were, as set forth in
these interesting volumes recently pub
lished in Paris. They do not exculpa;e
the marshal, and his arguments are
more specious than sound. Through
ont the whole narrative the fact is too
plain, that while the army was devoted
and tall of enthusiasm, most of the chief
officers were afraid to compromise them
selves by showing too much energy,
and were casting many backward look
on Paris 10 keep or secure favor with
the Bourbon government, should the
campaign be unfortunate. There must
have been treachcry, too, In the stat, for
two important dispatches from the en-
'peror to Grourhy from the field Of Wa
terloo, ono dated ID o'clock OF the night
Of the 18th, and q duplicate Of 1t at at
O'Clock a. IN. Of the 18th, were not de
livercd to him at all. General B0urmont
deserted 20 The allies on the night of the
ljth, and a feeling Of distrust and Of be-
ing betrayed pcryadcd the army.
The memoirs are repietc with many
aaccdotes, personal and political. Some
prove the wonderful sagacity of mind,
and knowledge Of human nature which
marked the genius of Napoleon, and
others strip the tinse from characters
whom partial history has clothed with
false lusirc. Wellington was 4 narrow
minded Tory, and not at all scrupuIous
III iaviahing adulation on any imbecile,
provided only he was Of royal orprince
~ rank. Ia his dispatch announcing the
Victory of Waterloo to the prince regent,
Inc thrusts 10 the foremost distinction the
Invaluable services and great assistance
he derived during the contest from "his
Grace, the Duke of Brunswick" Byron,
too, mislcd by the assurance in this off
GA! state paper, and never spSpecllng it's
entlre untrutb, perpetuatcs the error in
the beautiful lines of Childc Harold:
Wfha a windowcd niche Of that high hall
~ GraaawicL's lated cbieftan II did helc
Inc sound tine Lrst amid The festival
lie ri>htd INTO tbs Ec4l, and Tor, most lighting fell
This is very beautiful, but on page 10I,
vol tx, are the facts rom an eve witness
and an actor, recorded at the time, which
We translate as curious:
"N 9 had before us the troops Of Bruins
wick and Nassau. Marshal Ncy, who
commanded Us, ordered an attack on the
important position OF Quatre- Bras, de-
fcHdoi on our right by some English
and Scotch regiments, and on our left
by German troops, holding the wood of
Bossus, on the top of which they had
thrown up inirenchments. AT the mo
Dent when the division Jerome was ad- |.
vancing to the attack, IN officer ofelevat, /.
ed rank, wearing green uniform, Gov
cred with medals and decorations, wish |
ed 10 harranguo our men. Standing up,
his chapeau in hand, he cried OF, in .
French; "My friends, no fighting (pdS
de gUerre). Keep the peace; we are come
10 bring il to you, iilio brothers" IT.
seemed 10 me that he had not finished .
bis sentence, when Capt. de Brea Che
VINO was so fatally assasSinated in June,
lS48,a the Barriere d Italie,) coming up
at double quick with his company of
carbiners, 10 scale the works from the
GRAFT, gave the word "iire." The unior-
tunale palaverer (diScoWSear) fell dead,
riddled with balls. We all thought at
first il was the Duke Of Berry, but he
was soon recognized to be the Duke Of
Brunswick"
1t is difficult to imagine less apprcci-
alive audlen"e, His Grace, "Brunswick's
iated ChieltaIn," must have been drunk
or fool. Most likely, after his kind,
he was both. Gen Bourmont, no who de-
serted tho night before Waterloo and re-
vcalcd all he knew to Wellington, had
made great eXeruons to obtain a com
mand. A scene is described at the Tul-
lerics, Il day or two before Napoleon left
Paris to join the army, page 100, vol. iv.:
"Gcns. Flanault and GIrard Emporium
ed the emperor TO accord it to him. He
reluctantly yielded to the solicitations Of
TWO such attached friends, but SAID TO
them 'Gou urge it gentlemen DO il so.
| consent 10 let NJ de Bourmcut have a
command, but God grant at we do not
repent of It,
The plan Of the campaign has been
pronounced sublime in It's simplicity. A
million of Europe To overwheim Napo-
leon. He could only muster 125, 900 To
meet the Anglo-Belgic army of $4,000
under Wellington, and $4,000 P:ussians
under Butcher. Had Wellington returned
10 Antwerp, as all military critics unite
in thinking he ought to have done, Zine
would have enabled the rapidly up.
proaching millions TO arrive, and
could not have had a chance.
His strategy was, therefore, to surprise /,
then, cut in between and separate them,
turn on Butcher and defeat him, and !,
throwing him into retrea., send Grouchy,
with $4,000, 10 complete his rout, and +,
shcm turn, with all his remaining o., 900, .
a numerical superiority, on Wellingtons t,
81, GOO. The defeat Of Wellington would
have upset the Tory government of Cas- !,
ilereash in England, would have in /,
stalled liberal cabinet, and compelled :
The withdrawal Of England from the :
Continental coalition the conQuering !
!. peace, and the establishment o. Napo-
leon on the throne. he defeated Butcher :
and the Russians on the 10Th OF June.
At Llgny, and separated HIM entirely =
rom Wellington, and placed hinself be- :
tween them. The question that has oc- !,
,upied so many minds, and created so !,