The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-31
PAGES 13 to 16.

of the world, slip out from my plans"
These three opportunities were lost ac-
cording to Napoleon. by reason Of high
officer who carried word to the enemy. by
the unusual delay of Ney at Quatre
Bras. and by the strange manners of
Grouchy." in search of the Prussians. He
could not allow that he had made the
strangest maneuver of all in dividing his
forces while the allies were uniting theirs.
1t was 4 similar maneuver that made 10 I'M
possible to win the battle OF Gettysburg,
where Meade, like Wellington, chose his
own ground Gather hurriedly in both in
stances and by defending it stOutly won
the day.
As in other countries where have fol-
lowed the route of Byron, l found his
"Childe Harold" the best-known guide
book to Waterloo. But he has led his read
ers into some error by his magnificent
verses. 1t was not to the decisive field, as
we generally suppose. that 1.-THE cannonS'
opening roar" summoned Wellington and
the Duke of Brunswick
FROM THE BALL
OF the Duchess of Richmond, but to the
preliminary fight against Ney at Quatre
Bras, where Brunswick rushed into the
field, and foremost fighting fell"
A grand monument was dedicated to him
n few weeks ago on that battlefield lying
to the south, half way between Charleroi
and Hougoumont. That Wellington was
SuTDTIStu ny but UtWS VI -NdpUlcUU uu-
vance is true. for he confessed it himself in
his dispatch of June 10Th, already quoted.
~ did not hear of it," he says, until the
evening of the 15th-the ball evening
and | Immediately ordered the troops to
prepare TO march, and afterward to march
to the left through the forests of S0ignic),
as soon as l had intelligence from other
quarters to prove that the evenings move
ment was the real attack" This shows
how we'll Napoleon had disguised his plans;
but the plans of Butcher and Yelling
ton were equally well formed, though
not SO swift in execution, and
they were carried out with
firmness and certainty that were quite lack
ing on the French SIDE. This and the
heroic staying quality of the British de-
feated Napoleon at Mont Saint Jean. Our
guide told us the anecdotes OF Marshal
SOult little otherwise than the books give
it. According to him, Napoleon was
sending his lancers to attack
the British left where the Scotch
Greys were posted. and he said to Soult,
I'm an hour | shall cut those Scotchmen in
pieces and turn Wellington's left" Soult.
VINO had met them in Spain, said: Sire, you
don't know those Scotchmen. They will die
where they stand before you will get an
inch of ground from them"
And, In fact, they not only held their po-
sitiun, but moved forward against the en-
envy and spoiled the whole charge of the
French. And of the Britisd infantry not
single square was broken the whole day
long by the incessant pounding and charg--
ing of Napoleon. He had never attacked
British squares before, and he had to learn
by experience what it means.
All this is old news TO the reader of
history, but ON this field you must see and
say over again the old heroic things. Never
was battle more fiercely delivered by great
General than here; never was it more
fiercely met than by the Iron Duke, who.
standing 16O feet below where | sit. here
fully won his title. To-day the whole land
is peaceful; war seems never to have in
vaded these rural lanes, as l look down
from this triumphal mount which
itself has become almost natural hill in
the undulating table-land. But like Their
mopyl9, Marathon and Platea, like Sara
toga and Gettysburg, this lovely district
seems likely to preserve forever the memory
of great schemes, of cOnquests thwarted,
and heroic valor displayed in defense Of
sober and rational liberty. The accessories
and incidents of these fights are in time
forgotten, bat their impress remains deep
craven in history, which is the family
record of mankind.