“Before the battle France was strong, but after it she was weak; her empire was overthrown at a blow. Buonaparte and Wellington, the two most celebrated generals in the world, met each other for the first time on the plains of Waterloo. The shock was dreadful, but since then the sword has remained in its scabbard, peace has succeeded war, and the voice of nations has uttered a mighty cry against kingly aggression. ‘If there still exists,’ says one, ‘a passion for lawless aggrandizement, the grave that swallowed up the French empire is still open, and deep enough to show the perils of treading on its verge. The warning still is—Waterloo!’”
“Now for the battle! How many men had the Duke of Wellington? and how many had Buonaparte? which began to fire first? and how many soldiers were killed?”
“Patience! patience! my account will answer all these questions.”
“Now for it, then! now for it!”
“‘I have these English now,’ said Buonaparte, in the pride of his heart, before the battle, but his thoughts were of a very different kind afterwards. See! here is an account of the British and Hanoverian army at Waterloo, as formed in divisions and brigades on the 18th of June 1815. The cavalry were commanded by Lieutenant-General the Earl of Uxbridge; the 1st brigade, by Major-General Lord Edward Somerset, K.C.B.; the 2nd by Major-General Sir William Ponsonby, K.C.B.; the 3rd by Major-General W. B. Domberg; the 4th by Major-General Sir John O. Vandeleur, K.C.B.; the 5th by Major-General Sir Colquhoun Grant, K.C.B.; the 6th by Major-General Sir Hussey Vivian, K.C.B., and the 7th by Colonel Sir Frederic Arenschildt, K.C.B.”
“What is the meaning of K.C.B.? There seems to be a great number of them that have K.C.B. at the end of their names.”
“The meaning of K.C.B. is Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. It is a very high distinction; and military men are very anxious to attain it. The infantry were commanded by—the 1st division, Major-General G. Cooke; the 2nd division, Lieutenant-General Sir H. Clinton, G.C.B.; the 3rd division, Lieutenant-General Baron Alten; the 4th division, Lieutenant-General Hon. Sir Charles Colville, K.C.B.; the 5th division, Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton, K.C.B., and the 6th division, Major-General J. Lambert, Colonel Best, and Major-General M’Kenzie. The cavalry consisted of 8,883 men, the infantry of 29,622, and the artillery of 5,434, total 43,939.”
“More than forty-three thousand men. And how many were there on the side of the French?”
“The troops that I have mentioned were English and Hanoverian, but the whole of the army under Wellington amounted to about 75,000 men, and Buonaparte’s army was of somewhere about the same force; but then, the French guards were looked upon as equal to double their number of common soldiers, being long accustomed to battle and conquest. Wellington’s position was ably chosen, with the villages of Mont St. Jean and Waterloo, and the forest of Soignies, at his back.”
“What a deal of room the troops would take up?”