The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-17
THE NEWS OF WATERLOO.

How the Story of a Great Battle Was Told
Before the Days of Telegraph.
A year or two ago an enterprising English
publisher got out reprint of the London Times
of June %, 1915. Although its four pages are
but sixteen inches long by ten in width, their
contents. more than theiD small size form 9 con.
trast to the mammoth Times of to-day. In
place of being record of national humiliation,
they tell of highlands browning mercy'-the
victory of Waterloo.
The Illness correspondent on this occasion was
the Duke of Wellington. It's only account of
the battle is his despatch to Lord Bathurst the
chief Of the War Department, dated Waterloo
June 10, 1915. This dispatch, which is compare
lively modest in tone, occupies nearly the whole
of the second page, but the account of the battle
of Waterloo fills less than a column. The rest
is devoted to the actions at Ligny and Quatre
Bras. to subsequent military movements and
to short list OF the more distinguished persons
who were killed and wounded. In reference to
the part the Prussians took in the battle, the
Duke says:
Il should not do justice to my feelings or to
Marshal Butcher and the Prussian army if L did
not attribute the successful result Of this ar
duous day to the cordial and timely assistance
| received from them"
In contrast to this military modesty is the
boastful editorial On the next page. Here is a
part of it,
such is the great and glorious result of those
mastery movements by which the hero Of Brit
ain met and frustrated the audacious attempt
of the rebel chief. Glory to Wellington, to our
gallant soldiers and to our brave allies. Bona
parties reputation has been wrecked, and his last
grand stake has been lost in this tremendous
conflict. Two hundred and ten pieces of cannon
captured in single battle put to the blush the
Boosting column of the Place de Nendome
Long and sanguinary, indeed, we fear, the
fict must have been but the boldness Of the
rebel Frenchmen the boldness of despair
and conscience sat heavy on those arms which
were raised against their sovereign, against
their oaths and against the peace and happiness
OF their country. We confidently anticipate a
great and immediate detection from the rebel
cause. We aware that great part of the French
nation looked to the opening of this campaign
with Superstitious expectation of success to a
man. whom, though many of them hated, and
many of them feared, all had been taught to look
on as the first captain of the age. He himself
went forth boasting in his strength and still
more in his talent but he did not take
into the account that he was to be opposed by
abilities superior to his That unpalatable
truth his vanity would not allow him to believe
nor would it easily find credit with his admirers;
but the 18th of June, we trust, will satisfy the
most incredulous. Two hundred and ten pieces
of cannon! When. or where, or
how is this loss to be repairedl
vincible guard, of his admired and dreaded
cuirassiersi Again We do not deny that these
We're good troops, but they were encountered by
better. We shall be curious to learn with what
urSEco VI COOiucsS, ol pcISO COuTHs6 anu sell
possession Buonaparte played his stake, on
which he must have been well aware that his
pretentions to empire Lung. 1t is clear that he
reiterated; nor are we prepared to hear that he
fed with cowardce; but greatly suspect that
he did rot court an honorable death We think
his valour is of the cal oulating kind, and we do
not attribute his surviving the abdication at
Fontainebleau entirely to magnanimity
Further on the article refers to Ney as "per-
jured wretch " and hopes that he and his sac
and will ho Oft
alone marks for the indignation of Europe and
just sacrifices to insulted French honor"
An official announcement of the victory by
Bathurst to the Lord Mayor, a list of the killed
and wounded, headed with the name of Bruins
wick's fated chieftain" some gossip about the
battle from u gentleman who left Brussels the
day after, and few local paragraphs comprise
about all the remainder of the reading matter,
the first and last pages of the small sheet being
devoted almost entirely to advertisements. The
of the SixnanpA