The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-11
HOW WATERLOO WAS LOST.
Napoleon's Version of It from q
Recently Published Account.
Tho Great Generals Description of tho
Famous Battle I'm Which His
Forces Suffered Sore



fore in English, is to appear in the next
Z number of the United Service Gazette.
The Globe prints the following extracts:
After detailing the preparations for
the battle Napoleon says: ''Thc can
nonade commenccd; the enemy support
cd the troops lie had advanced to guard
the wood by thirty pieces of cannon.
s. We. on our side. also posted some artil-
lcry, At one time Prince jerome be-
came master OF the whole wood, and
the whole English army retired behind
ridge. The Count d'Erlon then at
tackled the village of Mont Saint Jean;
he supported his attack with eighty
pieces of cannon. He commenced there
an overpowcring cannonadc, which
must have greatly harasscd the English
army. The whole action took place on
the plain. A brigade of Count d Erlon's
First division took possession of the
village of Mont Saint Jean; Il second
brigade was charged by corps of Eng
fish cavalry, which inflicted upon it great
loss. At the same moment division
of English cavalry charged upon Count
d'Erlon's battery on it's right and dis
mounted several guns; but Gen Mel
haud's cuirassiers charged this division,
and fled''
In the afternoon the Prussian tivis-
ion became engaged with Count Lobau's
slSirmishers, and the whole strength of
the reserve was held ready to assist
Count Lobau and crush the Prlssian
corps when it should advance. He con-
trnues: This done, the emperor in
tended to make an attack in the direc-
hon of thc village of Mont Saint Jean,
which it was expected would prove n
decisive blow, but by movement of
ltnpatience, so frequent i'll our military
annals, and which has so often been
disastrous to us, the cavalry in reserve,
perceiying n retrogradc movement of
the English to place themselves under
shelter from our batteries. from which
they had already suffered so much,
crowned the heights of Mont Saint Jean
and charged the infantry. This move
mcnt, made at the right moment and
backed by the reserves, ought to have
decided the day; made separately, and
before the operations on the right were
completed, 1t proved fatal. Having no
means to countermand it, the enemy
showing large masses of infantry and
OF cavalry, and the two divisions of
cuirassicrs being engaged, the whole of 4
our cavalry started at the same moment
to support their comrades.
There during three hours they made
numerous charges, by which we gained
the breaking of several squares and six
flags of the British infantry, an adyan
tagc hardly commensurate with the
losses sustained by our cavalry from
grapeshot and musletry. 1t was i'm
possible to use our reserves of infantry
until the attack of the Prussian corps
on our flank was repulsed. This attack
Still continued and directly on our right
Hank. The emperor sent there Gen.
Duchesne with the Young guard and
several reserve batteries. The enemy
was checked, was repulsed, and re-
trcatcd he had exhausted his forces,
and there was nothing further to fear
from him. This was the moment suit
able for an attack on the center of the
enemy. AS the cuirassicrs were suffer
ing from muslletry fire, four battalions
OF the Young guard were sent to.sup-
port the cuirassicrs, to aid their posi-
ton, and if it were possible to discnpaUe
and withdraw q part of our cavalry to
the plain. Two other battalions wcrcp
sent to hold the cmincncc on the OK
trcme left of the division which had
mancuvercd on our tanks in order that
there might be no cause for uncas;ncss
In this direction; the rest were placed
III reserve one part to occupy the chi
nence i'll rear of Mont Saint Jean, the
other on the plain behind the field OF
Oattlc, which formed our line of retreat.
Under these circumstances the bat
tie was gained; we occupied all the po-
sitions that were occupied by the enc
ny at tho commencement of the action:
our cavalry having been too quick and
badly employed, we could no longer
hope for decisive success But Mar
shall Grouchy, having learned of the
movement of The Prrssian corps,
marched in the rear of that corps,
which assured MS n splendid success for
the next day. After eight hours of fir
ing and of charges of infantry and of
cavalry the whole army saw with salts
faction the battle gained and the field
OF battle in our power At half-past
eight the four battalions of the Young
guard, which had been sent to the plain
beyond Mont Saint Jean to support the
cuirassicrs, being Inconvenience by
the cnemy's grapeshots, advanced with
bayonets fixed to sweep off its batteries.
he day closed i'll; Il charge on their
flank by several English suuadrons
broke theirranks; the fugitives rcpassed
inc ravlnc; the neighboring regiments,
who saw some troops belonging to the
guard in disorder, thought it was the
Old guard and gave way. The CRY
arose: All is lost! The guard is beaten
back! The soldiers even maintained
that at several points wretchcd rene.
fra6QS Nrin1 out. Co.