[351] Doc. Inéd., XIII, p. 40; App. C, xxv; post, pp. 383, 384.
[352] The battle of Ligny has often been described. Charras, La Tour d’Auvergne, Thiers, on the French side, Clausewitz and Ollech on the German side, give excellent descriptions. Siborne’s account is also very clear and good. It is unnecessary to repeat the details here.
[353] Sir Henry Hardinge, speaking to the Duke of Wellington, said: “When you had examined the Prussian position, I remember you much disapproved of it, and said to me, ‘if they fight here they will be damnably mauled.’” * * * The Duke added: “They were dotted in this way—all their bodies along the slope of a hill, so that no cannon ball missed its effect upon them.” Stanhope, p. 109. Cf. Hooper, p. 96.
[354] Doc. Inéd., XIV, p. 42; App. C, xxvi; post, p. 384.
[355] The Duke of Elchingen—Doc. Inéd., p. 41—estimates the distance at nearly five leagues, that is, 12-1/2 miles, and allows two hours for the time occupied. Charras, vol. 1, page 204, n., makes the distance six leagues (15 miles) and estimates the time at three hours.
[356] Charras, vol. 1, p. 166.
[357] Ib., p. 164.
[358] Sometimes classed as part of the Old Guard, as in Charras, vol. 1, p. 67 and La Tour d’Auvergne, p. 48, and sometimes as “the Middle Guard” (la Garde moyenne). See “Napoléon à Waterloo,” p, 315, n. 1; p. 325.
[359] We shall consider in another place how d’Erlon’s Corps came to be there. Shortly after it was seen by Vandamme it retired to Frasnes.
[360] La Tour d’Auvergne, p. 135: Jomini, pp. 138, 139.