They have commenced the most unjust aggressions. Let us march then to meet them. Are they and we no longer the same men? Soldiers," continued he, in that lying and bombastic style for which he was so remarkable, "at Jena, against these same Prussians, now so arrogant, you were one against three, and at Montmirail one against six!" Pursuing this false declamation, he turned to those whom British bravery had oftener than once compelled to yield, though in reality sometimes six to one, and endeavoured to heighten that animosity their corrupted hearts entertained against that country, before which in valour, in honour, and in morality, they felt themselves humbled and subdued. "Let those among you," said he, "who have been prisoners of the English, detail to you the hulks, and the frightful miseries which they suffered!" Having thus, as he conceived, awakened their appetites, keen at all times for vengeance, he proceeded to inform them that friends every where awaited their advance, to render them assistance and bid them welcome. "The Saxons, the Belgians, the Hanoverians, the Soldiers of the Confederation of the Rhine, lament that they are compelled to lend their arms to the cause of Princes, the enemies of justice and of all nations." Describing their ambition as so insatiable, that after having devoured 12 millions of Poles, 12 millions of Italians, 1 million of Saxons, 6 millions of Belgians and the German States of the 2d rank, their next object was France. "The madmen! a moment of prosperity blinds them. The oppression and humiliation of the French people are beyond their power. If they enter France, they will find there their tomb. Soldiers," continued he, "we have forced marches to make, battles to fight, dangers to encounter; but with steadiness, victory will be ours; the rights, the honour, the happiness of the country will be re-conquered."* In this document we discover the same characteristic disregard for truth, which had distinguished the former productions of its author-the same arrogance and self-consequence were visible, though shorn of their power. The power, not the will, was wanting. "We have battles to fight, dangers to encounter," was not exactly the style which predicted, in a few days we will be in Vienna-the next day • Proclamation, dated Avesnes, June 14th, 1815. in Berlin-and at the return of Spring, we will finish the contest upon the Confines of Asia. "Let us march to meet them; are not they and we still the same men?" said Bonaparte. A short time decided this important question. With this menace, and his collected strength consisting of five corps of his army, and the several corps of his Guards, with nearly all his Cavalry, he burst upon the Netherlands; with the fury of the mountain torrent, when increased by the Equinoctial deluge; it rolls its billows to the ocean, sweeping before it all feebler obstacles. From Beaumont he dashed forward to the Sambre. On the 15th his force advanced at all points by Thuin and Lobez, along both banks of the river; upon Charleroy, Marchienes au Pont and Gosselies; where the first corps of the Prussian army, under the command of the brave General Zeithen were stationed. Various engagements here took place, attended with considerable loss on both sides; but the Prussian General succeeded in repulsing the enemy, so far as to effect his retreat unmolested, to the point of concentration allotted to him on the plains of Fleurus, The enemy in his usual style of dispatch writing, carried on these partial skirmishes, by informing the world that his battalions sabred here 400 Prussians, and cut to pieces there 500 more, and so on, till the result of the day was a loss to them of 1000 killed and wounded and 1000 prisoners. His own loss" was 10 killed and 20 wounded." Yet this small loss was "sensibly felt by the Emperor, on account of the dangerous wound received by General Letort his Aide-de-Camp.”+ At Charleroy he asserted that considerable magazines fell into his hands, The Prussian advance retiring before this superior force, fell back upon their main body as the enemy came on, After these partial affairs, in order to animate his hardened band, Bonaparte caused the Prussians who had been taken prisoners to be formed in small parties, and paraded in front of the different divisions of his army, and whose approach the troops saluted with the cries of "Vive le Empereur." These unfortunate men were thus held up to the mockery of a whole army of unfeeling Frenchmen, in whose bosoms the misfortunes of the vanquished never met with pity or consolation. • Prussian official account. Dispatch, Charleroy, June 15th, 1815. Degraded and barbarous race! whose fall and whose misfortunes no principle of humanity or justice can lament.This was one French exhibition on the banks of the Sambre. These were soon destined to see another, wherein the actors had changed places, to the general satisfaction of mankind. Immediately upon entering the Belgian territory, the enemy would have us believe, that he was received with the greatest joy, and welcomed as a deliverer. "The joy of the Belgians," said he," it would be impossible to describe. There were some villages which, on the sight of their deliverers, formed dances; and every where there is a movement which proceeds from the heart." That this was in some degree, and in some instances the case, is extremely probable; though coloured, no doubt, by the enemy, with his usual address. The reason of this conduct, on the part of these degenerate Belgians, was not diflicult to comprehend. They had not only been demoralized in the French school, but many of them had gained their property during the Revolutionary times, by the most infamous and criminal means; who, of course, trembled at the return of the reign of justice; and rejoiced when, by the approach of their former deliverers, they were set free from that fear. It was characters such as these, who formed dances to welcome the French locusts-dances and joy, which were soon to be turned into mourning. At this time, General Bourmont, Colonel Clouet, and the chief of the squadron Villontreys, and also the lieutenant of the 10th chasseurs, deserted the Imperial standards, and went over to the Prussians. The army, however, according to the enemy, viewed the defection of this small number of traitors, as " a fortunate event." The actions of the 15th, were but the prelude to a more extensive and sanguinary action on the following day. Bonaparte advanced with all his force, and on the 16th, occupied the position of Fleurus. In front of it, the Prussian army was posted on the heights between Brie and Sombref, and beyond the latter place; occupying at the same time in great force, the villages of St. Amond and Ligny on their front. The whole, under the immediate command of Blucher, consisted of three corps, amounting to 80,000 men. On their right, was stationed • Dispatch, Charleroy, June 15th. * a considerable force of Dutch and Belgian troops, 12 or 13,000 • Ney's Letter: but see general enumeration of this army, the battle. He was informed, that Wellington had put all his army in motion to his support; and he was not without hopes, but that the 4th corps of his army, under Bulow, might reach the field in the evening. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon of the 16th, that both armies were ready for action; when an engagement began, which proved long, sanguinary and undecisive. It might "be considered," said Blucher, "as one of the most obstinate recorded in history."* At least 210,000 men, and, perhaps, 500 pieces of artillery on both sides, were here employed in the work of mutual destruction. The French army began the attack. The first effort was intended to turn the right of the Prussian army. Lefol's division of Vandamme's corps, attacked the village of St. Amand, "and carried at it the point of the bayonet, after a vigorous resistance." The combat here was close and severe. The Prussians at this point, "fought in considerable force," said the enemy. Bonaparte maintains, that his troops kept possession of the burial ground and steeple of St. Amand, throughout the day. But this was not the case, they were driven out after having occupied part of it. Again they returned, and got possession of the place. Again, and again, they were driven from it. Above 30,000 men, on the side of the enemy, attacked this village. It is obvious, that the combat, at this point, was long maintained in this manner; for the enemy merely says, that "General Girard, as reserve to Vandamme, turned the village by its right, and there fought. with his accustomed bravery." Each side, at this point, was supported by 50 pieces of artillery. The combat here, was, in reality, peculiarly obstinate and bloody. "After a resistance, which cost the enemy very dear, the village was taken. It was again recovered by the Prussian troops, and again taken by the enemy. It was stormed a third time by the Prussian troops, and, at last, each party remained in possession of one half of it; so that the part called little St. Amand, and La Haye, remained in the possession of the Prussian troops."§ From time to time, the action also extended along the whole line; as Bonaparte directed a vast number of troops against the third corps *Prussian Official Account of the battle of Ligny. +French Official do. French Official do. do. $ Austrian Official do. do. |