Show NAPOLEONS SAY the version of the 1 king making victory by th the little corporal has just been given to the public through the medium of the london united ser WW needless to say even after the lapse apse of seventy five years bristles with keen interest the narrative world still wants to know owford for the if Wt waterloo was lost through the perfidy of general grouchy the bad gen of the hero bero of marengo and austerlitz or the superior tactics tactic 8 of ma iron don duke ke y after d detailing the prop preparations orations for the battle napoleon saye the cannonade commenced the supported the troops he had ad enemy danced to guard the wood by thirty r of cannon we on our side also at 1 artillery 1 posted some became master of the f prince jerome f s whole wood and the whole english aei army retired behind a ridge the count derlon then attacked the village R of mont saintjean saint jean he supported his V s attack with eighty pieces of cannon I 1 he commenced there an overpowering cannonade which must have greatly harassed h army the whole action took place once on the plain A brigade e of count derlong dEr lons first division V took 1 k possession of the village of mont saint jean a second brigade w was all charged by a corps of english cavalry which inflicted upon it great loss at the same moment a division of english cal cavalry valry charged count derlong dEr lons bat tery on its ito right and dismounted several guip but general Mel hauda cuir charged this division of which three regiments were routed and fled in the afternoon the prussian division became engaged with count lobass skirmishers and the whole strength of the reserve was held ready to assist count cobau and crush the prussian corps when it should advance he continues this done the emperor intended to make an attack in the direction of the village of mont saintjean saint jean which it was expected would prove a decisive blow but by a movement of impatience so frequent in our military annals and which has been so often disastrous to us the cavalry in reserve perceiving a retrograde movement of the english to place themselves under shelter from our batteries from which they had already suffered ered so much crowned the heights of mont blont saintjean saint jean and charged the infantry this movement 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 it proved fatal having no means to countermand it the enemy showing large masses of infantry and of cavalry and the two divisions of cuirassiers belt beir g engaged the whole of our cavalry started at the same me 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 ad vantage hardly commensurate with the losses sustained by our cavalry from 9 grapeshot grape rape shot and musketry etwas it was impossible to use our reserves of infantry until the of the prussian cor corps pa on our flank was repulsed this attack still continued and directly on our right flank the emperor sent there general Due duchesne beene with the young guard and several reserve bat the enemy was checked was repulsed and retreated he be had exhausted his bis forces and there was nothing ing further to fear from him this was the moment suitable for an attack on the center of the enemy As the cuirassiers were suffering from musketry ore four battalions of the young guard were sent to support the calme to hold their position and if it were possible to disengage and withdraw a 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 maneuvered on our flanks in order that tha there might be no cause for uneasiness in this direction the rest were placed in reserve one part to occupy the eminence in rear of mont saintjean saint jean the other on the plain behind the field of battle W which aich formed our line of retreat under these circumstances the battle was gained we occupied all the PO positions sitione that were occupied by the enemy at the commencement of the action our cavalry having been too quick and badly employed we could no longer hope for a decisive success but marshal grouchy having learned of the movement of the prussian corps marched in the rear of that corps which assured us splendid a splendid the next day A after ft r 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 the four battalions of the youba guard which has been sent to the plain beyond mont st jean to support the cuirassiers being inconvenienced by the enemy s grapeshot grape shot advanced with bayonets fixed to sweep off its batteries the day closed in a charge on their flank by several english Equa squadrons drons broke their ranks the fugitives re passed the ravine the neighboring regiments who saw some troops belonging to the guard in tits ills order thought it was the old guard and gave way the cry arose all are lost the guard is beaten bad P I 1 the soldiers even maintained that at several points wretched renegades rene gades cried out sauve qui beut beull 11 1 be that as it may terror and pan panic le immediate ly spread over the whole battlefield all fled in the greatest disorder along the line of communication 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 confused mass all the arms were intermingled and it was as impossible to reform a corps the enemy perceived this astounding confusion sent forward columns of cavalry the disorder augmented the c confusion 0 of the night prevented 0 the rallying of the troops and showing them their mistake |