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THE BATTLE OF WAVRE AND
GROUCHY’S RETREAT
THE BATTLE OF WAVRE
AND GROUCHY’S RETREAT
A STUDY OF AN OBSCURE PART OF
THE WATERLOO CAMPAIGN
By W. HYDE KELLY, R.E.
WITH MAPS AND PLANS
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1905
AUTHOR’S PREFACE
So much has been written on the Waterloo Campaign that, even in the smallest details, nothing new can be revealed; but the dazzling magnitude of the great battle itself has obscured a part of the campaign which is seldom studied—the battle against Thielemann, and Grouchy’s skilful retreat from Wavre.
I have chosen this tail-end of the campaign because little is known about it; because it serves useful lessons even for to-day; because the operations leading up to the battle round Wavre are of great interest; and because a campaign full of mistakes should be studied as carefully as a campaign free from error. From history we obtain experience, and experience teaches us how to act for the future. We learn how great men of old time fought their battles and managed their retreats; we see the reasons of their successes and their failures; and we should endeavour to make use of our lessons when our own time comes. Not that Grouchy can be deemed a great soldier; nor can his part of the 1815 campaign be regarded as of prime importance in itself; but as showing the small trifles that mar great plans in their execution, as showing how little a thing will sometimes destroy the grandest conceptions, his operations from 16th June to the end of the month are well worthy of attention.