The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-10-03
NAP0hEON'S VERSION
THE GREAT SOLDIERS VERSION OS
HOW WATERLOO WAS LOST.


Premature Cavalry Charge French
Success, Until the Young Guard Was
Beaten Back. Then All Was Lost.
The London Globe asserts tl1at an &C.
count of the battle Of Waterloo, given by
Napoleon himself, which has never boon
published, is soon to appear.
The Globe prints the following cs.
sracts:
After detailing the preparations for the
battle, Napoleon says: "The cannonadc
commenced; the enemy supported the
troops he had advanced to guard tho
wood by 30 pieces of cannon We, on
our side, also posted some artillery. At
one time Prince Jerome became master
of the whole wood, and the whole Eng
lish army retired behind q ridge. The
Count d'Erlon then attacked the village
of Mont Saint lean; he supported his
attack with so pieces of cannon. He
commenced there an overpowering cam
nonade, which must have greatly harassed
the English army. The action took place
on the plain A brigade Of Count
d'Erlons LIST division took possession of tho
village of Mont Saint Jean; a second bri-
gade was charged by corps of English
cavalry, which inflicted on it great loss.
At the same moment a division of Eng
lish cavalry charged Count d'Erlon5
battery on its right and dismountcl
ceveral guns; but General Melhauds
cui.assers charged this division, of which
three regiments were routed and fled
In the afternoon the Prussian division
became engaged with Count Labous
administers, and the whole strength Of
the reserve was held ready to assist
Count Labou and crush the Prussan
corps when it should advance. lie con.
tinues: "This done, the emperor in
tended to make an attack in the direction
of the village of Mont Saint Jean, which
il was expected would prove decisive
blow, but by movement of impatience.
co frequent in our military annals, and
which has so often been disastrous to us,
the cavalry in reserve, perceiving retro
grade movement of the English to place
themselves under shelter from our bat
teries, from which they lad already suf-
fered so much, crowned the heights Of
Mont Saint Jean and charged the in
fantry. This movement, made at the
right moment, and backed by the re-
serves, ought to have decided the day;
made separately, and before the opera
tions on the right were completed, it
proved fatal. Having no means to coun-
termand it, the enemy showing large
masses of infantry and of cavalry, and
the two divisions of cuirsssiers being en-
gagged, the whole of 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 advan-
tage hardly commensurate with the losses
sustained by our cavalry from grapeshot
and musketry. 1t was impossible 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 flank. The emperor
sent there General Duchesne with the
Young Guard and several reserve batter
les. The enemy was checked, was re.
pulsed, and retreated he had exhausted
his forces, and there was nothing fur
ther to fear from him. This was the mo-
ment suitable for an attack on the cen
ter of the enemy. As the cuirassieTs
were suffering from musketry fire, four
battalions of the Young Guard were sent
to support the cuirassiers, to aid theirpo-
sition, and if it were possible to disen-
gage and withdraw part of our cavalry
TO the plain. Two other battalions were
sent TO hold the eminence on the extreme
left of the division which had maneu-
vered on our flanBs in order that there
might be no cause for uneasiness in this
direction; the rest were placed in re-
serve, one part to occupy the eminence
in rear Of Mont Saint Jean, the other on
the plain behind the field of battle, which
1unmed our line of retreat.
under these circumstances the battle
was gained we occupied all the positions
that were occupied by the enemy at the
commencement of the action; our cav
airy having been too quick and badly
employed, we could no longer hope for
decisive success. But Marshal Grouchy,
having learned OF the movement of the
Prussi,m corps, marched in rear of that
corps. which assured us a splendid sue
cess for the ueAt day. After eight hours
a firing and of charges Of infantry and
o. ..avany, the whole army saw with sat
,sr.ipu t,,e battle ga.ucd and the field
Z battie iu our power. At $50 the four
hattalions OF the YounS Guard, which
had been sent To the plain beyond Mont
paint Jean TO support the culassiers,
being iuconvenienced by the enemy's
rrapcsloti. advanced with bayonets fixed
ID sweep of its batteries
"The day'closed in; a charge ON their
fank 10y several English squadrons
broke theirranks; the fugitves repassed
the ravine; 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,
AN is lost! The guard is beaten backP
The solsiars even maintained that at
cevelal points wretched renegades cried
mt Save qui peutr BE that rs it may,
( .ror and panic Immediately spread
o.cr the whole hattlelipld 81! de I in the
Greu,est disorder along tho line of com
nuuicatiou-soliiers, gunners, wagons
hurried onl The OH Guard, which was
in reserve was fysscl back and carried
away. In an instant the army was only
a confused mass-all the arms were inter
mingled and il was Impossible 10 reform
corps. The enemy perceived this
astounding confusion; sent forward COLI
umn5 of cavalry the disorder aug
mented, the confusion Of the night pre-
vented the raIying Of the troops and
ahowing them their mistake
Wouldn't it be a great and glorious
Ching for this big nation if our leading
statesmen only really knew as much as
tho nny,,lv 0afqad coiief,e graduate thinks