Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-07-05
NAPoLEoN's VERSION.
How Waterloo Was Last, According to q
Paper Hitherto Unpublished.
London Globe


Paper Hitherto unpublished.
London Globe.
Napoleon's version of the Battle o
Waterloo, which has never been pub
llshed before in English, is to appear II
the next number Of the United SerUtc
Gazette. The following are some ex
tracts
After detailing the preparations To-
the battle Napoleon says: 1.-THE cannon
ade commenced; the enemy supported
the troops he had advanced to guard tn,
wood by thirty pieces Of cannon. We
on our side, also posted some artillery
At one time Prince Jerome became mas
ter of the whole wood, and the whole
English army retired behind ridge,
The Count d'Erlon then attacked the
village of Mont Saint Jean; he sup
ported his attack with eighty pieces Of
cannon.
"He commenced there an overpower-
ing cannonade, which must have great
ly harassed the English army. The
whole action took place on the plain
A brigade of Count d'Erlon's First Di
vision took possession OF the village o.
Mont Saint Jean; second brigade was
charged by corps of English cavalry,
which inflicted upon it great loss. Al
the same moment division of English
cavalry charged Count d'Erlon's battery
on it's right, and dsmounted severa
guns; hut General Melhaud's cuirassier:
charged this division, Of which three
regiments were routed and fed"
In the afternoon the Prussian division
became engaged with Count Lobau':
skirmishers, and the whole strength OF
the reserve was held ready to assist
Count Lobau's and crush the Prussian
corps when it should advance. He con
tinues: "This done, the Emperor in
tended to make an attack in the direc'
ton of the village Of Mont Saint Jean
which it was expected would prove &
decisive blow, but by a movement OF
impatience, so frequent in our annals
and which has so often been disastrous
to us, the cavalry in reserve, perceiving
a retrogade movement Of the English
to place themselves under shelter from
our batteries, from which they had al
ready suffered so much, crowned the
heights of Mont Saint Jean, and
charged the infantry.
"This movement, made at the right
moment, and backed by the reserves,
ought to have decided the day; sep
arately, anc before the operations on
the right were completed, it proved IA
tai. Having no means to countermand
it, the enemy showing large masses OF
infantry and of cavalry, and the two
divisions of cuirassiers being engaged,
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
advantage hardly commensurate with
the losses sustained by our cavalry from
grapeshot and musketry. 1t was impos
sible to use our reserves Of infantry un'
til the attack Of the PrusSlan corps or
our flank was repulSed. This attack
still continued and directly on our right
flank. The Emperor sent there Genera
DucheSne with the Young Guard anC
several reserve batteries. The enemy
was checked, was repulsed, and re-
treated; he had exhausted his forces
and there was nothing further to fear
from him.
''This was the moment suitable for ar
attack on the center of the enemy. AS
the cuirassiers were suffering from mus
kerry fire, four battalions Of the Young
Guard were sent to support the cuiras
siers, to hold their position, and ii II
,,o.o oose;blo ~ 6iconnoua and uit n.
draw 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 man@uvered on oul
TANKS in order that there might be nc
cause for uneasiness in this direction
the rest were placed In reserve, one part
to occupy the eminence in rear Of Mont
Saint Jean, the other on the plain be
hind the field of battle, which formed
our line Of retreat.
"Under these circumstances the bat.
tie was gained; we occupied all the po-
sitons that were occupied by the enc
my at the commencement OF the action;
our cavalry having been too quick and
badly employed, we could no longer
hope for decisive success. But Mar
shall Groucby, having learned Of the
movement of the Prussian corps, march
ed in the rear of thatcorps..which assured
US splendid success the next day.
After eight hours of firing and OF
charges of infantry and OF cavalry, the
whole army saw with satisfaction 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 cuirassiers,
being Inconvenience by the enemy's
grapeshot, advanced with bayonets
fixed TO sweep off its batteries.
THE day closed in; charge on their
flank by several English squadrons
broke their ranks; the fugitives repassed
the ravine; the neighboring regiments
whosaw 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 al
several points wretched renegades cried
out, Save qui peut.'
''Be that as it may, terror and panic
Immediately spread over the whole bat
tlefield; all fed in the greatest disorder
along the line Of communications
soldiers, gunners, wagons hurried on
The Old Guard, which was In reserve
was pressed back and carried away. In
an instant the army was only a con
fused mass-all the arms were inter-
mingled and it was impossible to reform
corps. The enemy perceived this sas-
founding confusion, sent forward col
umns OF cavalry, the disorder aug
mented. The confusion of the nightpre-
vented the rallying Of the troops and
showing them their mistake"
STORM COMING