The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-06-24

slams fell back on Wavre the mex
day, while the English retreated tc
Mont St. Jeau, hamlet two miles
south of Waterloo, and in those pc.
sitions the allies waited for Napo-
Icons attack.
The emperor misjudged the effect
CT the drubbing he had given Butcher
June 16. He imagined the Prussians
were disorganized and falling back
on Namur. Accordingly he detached
$4,000 men under Marshal Grouchy,
who had orders to skirmish toward
Gembloux, keep in touch with Blu
cher and prevent him from joining
Wellington. 1t is schoolboy knowl-
edge that Grouchy did not restrain
Butcher, who arrived at the field of
Waterloo late TIE next day in time
to deal the death blow to Napoleon's
weakened legions.
1t is not all Grouchy's fault that he
did not support his chief. The night
before Waterloo was a continual
downpour of rain, and the marshal
found himself in bog of muddy
lanes. He found some Prussiars at
Wavre and, thinking them s.he whole
army, attacked ferociously and con-
tinued fighting all day with success.
But he faced only strong rear guard
while the main Prussian force was
marching westward.
After Ligny, Napoleon decide to
make Wellington's array his object
i've He met it early in the morning
of June 49, !, A dense FOG hung close
to the ground, obscuring both arm
les. All morning that delayed ma
neuvers. The fog lay over the field
all day, dull, gray blanket, until
just at the close of day, when the
last rays of the sun broke through
and tipped with gold the steel that
was driving Napoleon into oblivion.
At 80 o'clock Ncy marched across
the valley in a. drive at Wellington's
center. The next hour saw some OF I
he bloodiest fighting in history. The
seasoned veterans of Francs brushed
aside the Dutch-Belgian line as so
much chaff Shouting to their en-
,eror and the glory Of France they
vent on A thin English line stood
waiting to receive them when the
,allant Picton sacrificed himself to
ave Wellington. He led the far
weaker English in a counter-charge
which halted the surging French long
nough for Wellington to muster his
avalry and send them into the dis
rganized French ranks.
Napoleon saw Ney's danger and
emit some squadrons of his cuiras-
iers to worry the English cavalry
ank. Again an unforeseen hand rose
0 smite the French. The long lines
f steel clad cuirassiers swept from
ne slope of La Belle Alliance, food
nough to engulf the English cav
lrymen.
No men might have stopped them;
ut a sunken road at the foot of the
ope proved deadlier than cannon OF
owder. The heavy cuirassiers and
leir horses rolled into it by hundreds
nd the few that struggled out to
,ntinue the charge fell easy victims
the British dragons lowering near.
Wellington now ordered up his cav
ry reserve, the Scot Greys, and sent
pounding at Ney's shaken columns.
he Greys rode through the Gordon
ighlanders on their mad charge. The .
tier. shouting Scotland Forever"
,abbed the stirrups of the mounted $
en- and raced down the slope with |
EN-. Last August when the British S
my was striving desperately to 7
en- the German sweep through Bel a
um, the Scots Greys rode at 7
arging column again, only a few !. :
les from Waterloo, and it is re- =
arkable coincidence that the Gordon =
ghlanders duplicated the feat OF A
: Gordons of century ago. f
News shattered columns fell back b
2:3O o'clock and furious French
1nonade began while Napoleon o
lght more men to hurl at Yelling =,
|. He was not long in finding them -
Buchelu's division tried twice to II
lodge the English from La Haye fe
inte, a collection of farm build re
S almost in the center of the field. p'
Charge after charge started out Ju
m the ranks of France only to be -
ed back. Infantry wound in steel 70
ped lines to the attack. Cavalry
ashed in the muddy valley and dc
d, time after time, to break up the he
fish squares. ic
'orty squadrons of French horse ~ =,
e out from Napoleon's left. First N
,e cuirassiers in FURNISHED steel tn
asst plates and black horse hair tn
,ts. The red lancers of the guards, tai
with many colored pennons fol- fr'
ed and chasseurs of the guard in po
en- and gold fur tipped pelisses and ~ p
/, -. .1.,,, choL0c forv,ooI a third