“Wavre, June 18th, 1815.
“Your Excellency will assure the duke of Wellington from me, that, ill as I am, I shall place myself at the head of my troops, and attack the right of the French, in case they undertake anything against his Grace. If, on the other hand, the day should pass over without their making any attack, it is then my opinion that we should jointly attack them to-morrow.
“I beg your Excellency to convey to the Duke my full and firm conviction, that this is the best measure to be adopted in our present situation.
“Blücher.”
General count Gneisenau, the chief of the staff, felt alarmed at the tenor of the above letter, which told plainly the decided manner it was to be carried out. Fearing the Prussian army might be placed in a dangerous situation, should the allies be forced to retire before they could arrive, he wrote the following note:
“General count Gneisenau concurs with the views expressed in the enclosed letter, but entreats your Excellency to ascertain most particularly, whether the duke of Wellington has really adopted the decided resolution of fighting in his present position; or whether he only intends some demonstration, which might become very dangerous to our army.
“Your Excellency will be so good as to acquaint us with the result of your observations on this point, as it is of the greatest consequence that we should be informed of the Duke’s real intention.”
The Prince de la Moskowa to the Duc d’Otrante.
“MONSIEUR LE DUC,