Read Online The Battle of Waterloo: Europe in the Balance by Rupert Matthews - Free Book Online
Authors: Rupert Matthews
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soldiers as they recognized one of their favourite and most respected commanders.
It had been Ney who had advised King Louis to imprison Napoleon in an iron cage, and before that it had been Ney who had persuaded Napoleon to abdicate in 1814. His subsequent decision to join Napoleon as the emperor marched on Paris had done nothing to disarm Napoleon’s apparent distrust. The highly talented Marshal of France had been given no job to do. It was not until Napoleon had been leaving Paris that he had sent Ney a message telling him to hurry up and join his emperor if he wanted to be present at the first battles.
The message had given Ney no clue as to what – if anything – Napoleon would want Ney to do. Ney had thought to bring with him his favourite staff officer, Colonel Heymes, but had not had time to get his proper campaign steeds and arrived to see Napoleon mounted on a borrowed horse.
Napoleon greeted Ney with the words. ‘Bonjour, Marshal Ney. I want you to take command of my I and II Corps. Then you must go to Quatre Bras, drive away any enemy troops you find there and open up the main road to Brussels.’ Ney was amazed, but delighted. Pausing only to get hold of a proper cavalry horse and to collect an escort of light cavalry to act as bodyguard and messengers, Ney rode off.
As Ney left he had little idea where d’Erlon’s I Corps or Reille’s II Corps actually were. His first job was to find out, then lead them to Quatre Bras. He soon found d’Erlon at Jumet but found that much of his corps was spread out on the march. Ney issued orders to close up the troops into a more compact body and march to Quatre Bras. He sent out numerous messengers to try to find Reille. Napoleon had also given Ney the III Cavalry Corps, but they would not join him until late the following day.
Ney himself reached Quatre Bras at almost 10 pm. It was getting dark and he could not see the enemy position clearly. The French officers already there told him that the enemy was present with about one division of infantry plus a few guns and a small number of cavalry. Realizing that he could do nothing until daylight and reinforcements arrived, Ney went to Gosselies to sleep and await news of Reille.
Napoleon had, meanwhile, put Marshal Grouchy in command of the right wing of the French Army. That meant Grouchy had the III Corps (Vandamme), IV Corps (Gérard), I Cavalry Corps and II Cavalry Corps. Napoleon kept under his own command, as a central reserve, VI Corps (Lobau), IV Cavalry Corps and the Imperial Guard. His orders to Grouchy were to drive back the Prussians of Zieten’s Corps – and any others they meet – as far as Sombreffe.
Grouchy’s advance proved to be slower than Napoleon wanted due to the larger than expected size of the Prussian rearguard. By nightfall, Grouchy had got only as far as halfway between Fleurus and Ligny. Napoleon was not too upset, however, for all the reports indicated that a large part of the Prussian army was at Ligny, where it was isolated from Wellington and ripe for destruction.
At midnight Ney, Grouchy and Napoleon dined together in Charleroi. It turned out to be an unfortunate event for the French. Napoleon chose to criticize Ney for some of the minor movements he had made with his advanced units. Grouchy came away with the impression that Napoleon had been angry because Ney had not done exactly as ordered. He decided that he would do as ordered in future.
Napoleon told Ney and Grouchy that he would decide what to do next day as soon as the situation became clear. The two marshals left for their own headquarters and got some sleep. There would be a battle next day and they needed to be fresh.
Marshal Ney
Michel Ney was born the son of a retired soldier in Sarrelouis, then in France but now in Germany, in 1769. After leaving school, Ney became a civil servant but in 1787 ran off to join the army as an hussar. An ardent supporter of the ideals of the Revolution, Ney was commissioned to be
It had been Ney who had advised King Louis to imprison Napoleon in an iron cage, and before that it had been Ney who had persuaded Napoleon to abdicate in 1814. His subsequent decision to join Napoleon as the emperor marched on Paris had done nothing to disarm Napoleon’s apparent distrust. The highly talented Marshal of France had been given no job to do. It was not until Napoleon had been leaving Paris that he had sent Ney a message telling him to hurry up and join his emperor if he wanted to be present at the first battles.
The message had given Ney no clue as to what – if anything – Napoleon would want Ney to do. Ney had thought to bring with him his favourite staff officer, Colonel Heymes, but had not had time to get his proper campaign steeds and arrived to see Napoleon mounted on a borrowed horse.
Napoleon greeted Ney with the words. ‘Bonjour, Marshal Ney. I want you to take command of my I and II Corps. Then you must go to Quatre Bras, drive away any enemy troops you find there and open up the main road to Brussels.’ Ney was amazed, but delighted. Pausing only to get hold of a proper cavalry horse and to collect an escort of light cavalry to act as bodyguard and messengers, Ney rode off.
As Ney left he had little idea where d’Erlon’s I Corps or Reille’s II Corps actually were. His first job was to find out, then lead them to Quatre Bras. He soon found d’Erlon at Jumet but found that much of his corps was spread out on the march. Ney issued orders to close up the troops into a more compact body and march to Quatre Bras. He sent out numerous messengers to try to find Reille. Napoleon had also given Ney the III Cavalry Corps, but they would not join him until late the following day.
Ney himself reached Quatre Bras at almost 10 pm. It was getting dark and he could not see the enemy position clearly. The French officers already there told him that the enemy was present with about one division of infantry plus a few guns and a small number of cavalry. Realizing that he could do nothing until daylight and reinforcements arrived, Ney went to Gosselies to sleep and await news of Reille.
Napoleon had, meanwhile, put Marshal Grouchy in command of the right wing of the French Army. That meant Grouchy had the III Corps (Vandamme), IV Corps (Gérard), I Cavalry Corps and II Cavalry Corps. Napoleon kept under his own command, as a central reserve, VI Corps (Lobau), IV Cavalry Corps and the Imperial Guard. His orders to Grouchy were to drive back the Prussians of Zieten’s Corps – and any others they meet – as far as Sombreffe.
Grouchy’s advance proved to be slower than Napoleon wanted due to the larger than expected size of the Prussian rearguard. By nightfall, Grouchy had got only as far as halfway between Fleurus and Ligny. Napoleon was not too upset, however, for all the reports indicated that a large part of the Prussian army was at Ligny, where it was isolated from Wellington and ripe for destruction.
At midnight Ney, Grouchy and Napoleon dined together in Charleroi. It turned out to be an unfortunate event for the French. Napoleon chose to criticize Ney for some of the minor movements he had made with his advanced units. Grouchy came away with the impression that Napoleon had been angry because Ney had not done exactly as ordered. He decided that he would do as ordered in future.
Napoleon told Ney and Grouchy that he would decide what to do next day as soon as the situation became clear. The two marshals left for their own headquarters and got some sleep. There would be a battle next day and they needed to be fresh.
Marshal Ney
Michel Ney was born the son of a retired soldier in Sarrelouis, then in France but now in Germany, in 1769. After leaving school, Ney became a civil servant but in 1787 ran off to join the army as an hussar. An ardent supporter of the ideals of the Revolution, Ney was commissioned to be
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