The first Napoleon : a sketch, political and military . ly immaterial; in any event, it wasexceedingly doubtful if it could be prevented;but the course for Grouchy to take was plainenough, — it was to march as quickly as he couldtowards the main army under the Emperor. Hisforce was the right w4ng of that army; it wasclearly for him to get as speedily as possible be-tween it and the Prussians. The Prussians wereat or beyond Wavre, not ten miles from the po-sition where the Emperor had told him he ex-pected to fight the English ; he was at Gembloux,more than twenty miles aw^ay. There was notime
The first Napoleon : a sketch, political and military . ly immaterial; in any event, it wasexceedingly doubtful if it could be prevented;but the course for Grouchy to take was plainenough, — it was to march as quickly as he couldtowards the main army under the Emperor. Hisforce was the right w4ng of that army; it wasclearly for him to get as speedily as possible be-tween it and the Prussians. The Prussians wereat or beyond Wavre, not ten miles from the po-sition where the Emperor had told him he ex-pected to fight the English ; he was at Gembloux,more than twenty miles aw^ay. There was notime to be lost. Any delay might bring uponNapoleon the pressure of both the allied armies. All this is very simple; indeed, Grouchy seemsat ten oclock in the evening to have seen itplainly enough. But forgetful, apparently, ofhis expressed intention contained in his letterof that hour, of manoeuvring in the direction ofWavre in such a way as to separate the Prussiansfrom Wellington, he in his two oclock in themorning despatch announces, as we have seen,. CAMPAIGN OF WATERLOO. Situation of the opposing Armies at 4 A. IV!., June 18th, 1815. French, Englisli, ^ Napoleons Headquarters, ^ Knglish Heailciuurters, ^ GroucUys n Prussians, tr Prussian Headquarters, ^ WATERLOO AND ST. HELENA. 269 his intention of going to Sart a Walhain, a stepwhich most unnecessarily increased the distancebetween himself and the turnpike. Grouchy, infact, instead of marching so as to separate thePrussians from Wellington, proposes to march insuch a direction that they will be separating himfrom Napoleon. Had Grouchy, when, at twooclock in the morning, he definitely ascertainedthat BlUcher had retired on Wavre, given ordersfor his troops to march at four oclock, that is, atsunrise, with all speed, by the country roads, ofwhich there are plenty thereabouts, straight forthe bridge of Mousty, he would have crossed theDyle by twelve or one oclock at furthest. Hewould have been able with his two corps to holdth
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnapoleo, bookyear1895
