FOOTNOTES:

[9] For the sake of uniformity, and to prevent misconception, I have adopted, throughout this work, the terms "Horse Battery" and "Foot Battery," employed in all the Continental Armies, although in the British service the distinction is better known by the terms "Troop" and "Brigade."

[CHAPTER X.]

WHILE the preparatory dispositions, alluded to in the preceding Chapter, were in progress, Napoleon ordered the following despatch to be forwarded to Grouchy:—

"En avant de la Ferme de Caillou,
le 18 Juin,
à 10 heures du matin. 		"In front of the Farm de Caillou,
18th June,
at 10 o'clock in the morning.
"Monsieur le Maréchal, "Monsieur Marshal,
"L'Empereur a reçu votre dernier rapport daté de Gembloux. Vous ne parlez à sa Majesté que des deux Colonnes Prussiennes qui ont passé à Sauvenières et Sarra Walin; cependant des rapports disent qu'une troisième Colonne, qui était assez forte, a passé à Gery et Gentinnes, se dirrigeant sur Wavres. "The Emperor has received your last report dated from Gembloux. You only speak to His Majesty of the two Prussian Columns which have passed by Sauvenières and Sarra Walin; however the reports say that a third Column, which was pretty strong, has passed by Gery and Gentinnes, directing itself on Wavre.
"L'Empereur me charge de vous prévenir, qu'en ce moment S.M. va faire attaquer l'Armée Anglaise qui a pris position à Waterloo, près de la Forêt de Soignes; ainsi S.M. désire que vous dirigiez vos movemens sur Wavres, afin de vous rapprocher de nous, vous mettre en rapport d'opérations et lier les communications, poussant devant vous les Corps de l'Armée Prussienne qui ont pris cette direction et qui auraient pu s'arrêter à Wavres, ou vous devez arriver le plus tôt possible. "The Emperor charges me to inform you, that at this moment His Majesty is going to attack the English Army which has taken up a position at Waterloo, near the Forest of Soignies; so His Majesty desires that you would direct your movements on Wavre in such a manner as you may approach us, so as to put yourself in touch with the operations and to knit up the communications; pushing before you the Corps of the Prussian Army which has taken that direction, and which may have halted at Wavre, where you should arrive at the earliest possible moment.
Vous ferez suivre les Colonnes Ennemies qui ont pris sur votre droite par quelques Corps Légers, afin d'observer leur mouvements et ramasser leurs fuyards; instruisez moi immédiatement de vos dispositions et de votre marche, ainsi que des nouvelles que vous avez sur les Ennemis, et ne négligez pas de lier vos communications avec nous; l'Empereur désire avoir très souvent de vos nouvelles. You will cause the Enemy's Columns which have taken (the road) on your right to be followed by some Light Corps, in order to observe their movements and to collect their fugitives. Instruct me immediately of your dispositions and of your march, as well as of the news you may have of the Enemy, and do not neglect to knit up your communications with us. The Emperor desires to receive news from you very frequently.
"Le Major Général
Duc de Dalmatie." 		"The Major General
Duke de Dalmatia."

It will thus be seen that Grouchy's report, despatched from Gembloux on the previous night, was well calculated to inspire the Emperor with great confidence as to the result of his present plan of operations, notwithstanding the very little progress that had hitherto been made in that quarter; and which, as already remarked, must be ascribed principally to his own inactivity during the early part of the 17th. He approved of the movement upon Wavre, in pursuit of the great mass of the Prussian Army: but at the same time expressed his desire that it should be executed in such a manner as to draw the Detached Force more within the sphere of the operations of the main French Army; and above all, he enforced the necessity of maintaining a close communication with the latter.

Some time before the Battle commenced, a Prussian Patrol reached the Village of Smohain, in which was posted the Picquet of the 10th British Hussars, under Captain Taylor; whom the Officer accompanying the Patrol desired to report to the Duke of Wellington that General Count Bülow was at St Lambert, and advancing with his Corps d'Armée. Captain Taylor immediately despatched Lieutenant Lindsey, of the 10th, with the intelligence to Head Quarters, as directed. The Prussian Officer was certainly ignorant of the very slow progress made by the main body of Bülow's Corps; and the information which he thus conveyed to the Duke, before the Battle had commenced, naturally led the latter to calculate upon a much earlier arrival of the Prussians than could possibly take place: for, in point of fact, it was only Bülow's Advanced Guard which had then reached St Lambert.