Louis XVIII, unable to stem the torrent, withdrew from Paris to Ghent, and Napoleon resumed his former dignity of Emperor of the French. This assumption the Allied Powers determined not to acknowledge, but resolved to deprive him of his sovereignty, and again restore the ancient dynasty.
The first battalion of the Seventy-first, in consequence of these occurrences, proceeded to the Downs, and was there embarked on board small vessels, which conveyed it to Ostend, where it disembarked on the 22nd of April.
The battalion next proceeded to Ghent, and, after remaining there a week, marched to Leuze, between Ath and Fournay, and was subsequently placed in the light brigade with the first battalion of the Fifty-second, six companies of the second, and two companies of the third battalion of the Ninety-fifth Regiment (Rifles), under the command of Major-General Frederick Adam, in the division of Lieut.-General Sir Henry Clinton.
The strength of the brigade was as follows:—
| Rank and File. | ||
| 52nd Regt. | 1st bat. | 997 |
| 71st do. | do. | 788 |
| 95th do. | 2nd bat. Rifles | 571 |
| 95th do. | 3rd do. do. | 185 |
| ——— | ||
| Total | 2,541 |
Brevet Colonel Reynell, afterwards Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Reynell, commanded the battalion at this period.
Napoleon resolved on attacking the Allies before their forces had been fully collected, and by well-marked and admirably combined movements, a portion of his army was concentrated, on the 14th of June, between the Sambre and the Meuse.
On the morning of the 16th of June, as the battalion was proceeding to the usual exercising-ground of the brigade at Leuze, it received orders for an immediate advance upon Nivelles, where it arrived late that night. On the same day, Prince Blücher had been attacked at Ligny, and was forced to retreat to Havre. The Duke of Wellington and a portion of his army had been also attacked at Quatre Bras by Marshal Ney, who, however, made no impression upon the British position.
In the course of the morning of the 17th of June, the Duke of Wellington made a retrograde movement upon Waterloo, in order to keep up his communication with the Prussians. At day-break on the same morning, the first battalion of the Seventy-first retired, and took up its position, with the rest of the allied army, on the plains in the neighbourhood of Waterloo, being situated to the left and rear of Hougomont.
The Seventy-first, with the rest of the army, bivouacked in position during the night of the 17th of June, drenched by the rain, which fell heavily. Upon the morning of the memorable 18th of June, the battalion stood in open column, and in this situation was exposed for some time to a heavy fire of artillery, but a judicious movement to a short distance alleviated in a great measure this annoyance. Line was next formed, and about two o’clock the battalion, with the rest of the brigade, advanced, met their opponents in position, charged, and instantly overthrew them.