[K]General Berton, in what he calls his “Précis Historique militaire et critique des Batailles de Fleurus et de Waterloo,” says, that the French dispositions for the battle of Ligny evinced “le chef-d’œuvre du coup-d’œil militaire,” which he afterwards calls “le génie de la guerre.”

[317] An army hastily drawn together, composed of the troops of various nations, amongst which were counted several brigades of inexperienced militia, was the force the Duke of Wellington had to oppose to one of the most formidable and best-appointed armies which France ever produced.

Every officer and soldier, I am persuaded, did his duty; but the Duke of Wellington alone was capable of giving union to such a force. No other man living could have rendered the service which he performed with an army so composed.

The British cavalry and artillery of this army were superb and magnificent; superior, perhaps, to any force of the kind which the world had ever seen; and Marshal Blucher, who reviewed the former a short time before the opening of the campaign, declared that he had not given the world credit for containing so many fine men. The infantry, who, after all, carried away the foremost honours of the day, were inferior in point of men; there were many second battalions, composed entirely of lads and recruits that had never seen a shot fired.

[318] Return of killed and wounded, with an abstract of the disposal of the wounded from the War-office, July. 1815.

Killed on the spot, non-commissioned and privates,1715
Died of wounds856
Missing, supposed killed353
Total2924
Wounded6831
Total killed and wounded9755
Abstract of the disposal of wounded:—
Wounded by amputation236
Discharged506
Transferred to the veteran battalion167
Rejoined their regiments5068
In hospitals, under cure, 10th April, 1816854
Total wounded6831

Return of French Artillery taken at Waterloo:—

12-pounder guns35
6-pounder ditto57
6-inch howitzers13
24-pounder ditto17
Total cannons122
12-pounder waggons74
6-pounder ditto71
Howitzer ditto50
Total195
Spare gun-carriages.
12-pounder6
Howitzer6
6-pounders8
20
Forage waggons20
Waggons of Imp. Guard52
Total72
Grand total409

[319] “After being informed of the loss of the battle of Waterloo, Vandamme remained constantly with the rear-guard: it was under these circumstances that he was severely wounded in the belly by a ball; notwithstanding his pain and loss of blood, he still remained on horseback. When he reached the village, where the army had just halted, he dismounted from his horse; his breeches were full of blood, a surgeon offered to dress his wound—‘Let me alone,’ said he; ‘I have something else to do.’ He immediately began to examine the map, and to write his orders.”

[320] To render The Victories of the British Armies complete to the present day, the Indian campaigns, occurring since the issue of the first edition of the work, have been annexed, as supplementary chapters, by the author.