BLÜCHER'S dispositions for the grand Flank movement of his Army towards the Field on which Wellington had announced to him his intention of accepting Battle from Napoleon, provided he might calculate on the Marshal's assistance, were fully described in Chapter VIII. Reconnoitring parties and Patrols had been pushed forward, early in the day, to feel for the Left of the Anglo-Allied Army, the communication with which was successfully established. It then became desirable to explore the ground that lay more to the Right Front of the Prussians, in the direction of the Right Flank of the main French Army, in order to ascertain the nature of any precautionary measures adopted by Napoleon to impede the junction of the Allied Commanders. Major Lützow, of the Staff, was sent upon this duty, with a Detachment of the 2nd Silesian Hussars; and on reaching the Wood of Paris, he not only found this unoccupied, but discovered that no steps whatever had been taken by the French to cover and secure their Right Flank. A Prussian Troop of Hussars advanced beyond the Wood of Paris, to a point near Frischermont, whence it had a good view of both the French and Allied dispositions and movements; and where it was not even menaced by the approach of any hostile party.
As Major Lützow, fully alive to the importance of speedily occupying the Wood of Paris, was returning to communicate the above intelligence to the Prince, he met General Grolman, the Quartermaster General of the Army, to whom he immediately represented how matters stood: when this Officer directly pushed forward the Silesian Hussars and two Battalions of Infantry from Bülow's Advanced Guard, to take possession of the Wood; these troops having fortunately just crossed the Defile of St Lambert. Grolman at the same time sent a message to the Prince, suggesting that the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Brigades should be ordered to follow the Advanced Guard as soon as they should be collected on the French side of the Defile.
Great as had been the difficulties hitherto encountered along the Prussian line of march, the passage of the Defile of St Lambert seemed to present an almost insurmountable obstacle. The rain which had set in during the afternoon of the 17th, and had continued without cessation the entire night, had transformed the valley of the Lasne into a perfect swamp. The miry and watery state of the roads between Wavre and St Lambert had caused so many stoppages and breaks in the Columns that they were frequently lengthened out for miles.
Blücher showed himself on every point of the line of march, encouraging his exhausted soldiers, and inciting them to renewed efforts. The troops, after a short halt to collect their scattered ranks, entered the Defile. As the ground yielded to their pressure, both Cavalry and Infantry became dispirited; and when the Artillery were fairly checked by the guns sinking axle deep, and the men, already worn down by fatigue, were required to work them out, their murmurs broke forth in exclamations of—"We cannot get on."
"But we must get on," was old Blücher's reply; "I have given my word to Wellington, and you will surely not make me break it: only exert yourselves a few hours longer, children, and certain victory is ours." This appeal from their venerated Chief was not made in vain: it served to revive the drooping energies of the wearied, and to stimulate still further to successful exertion the more robust and able bodied.
At length, after considerable delay and constant difficulty, the passage of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Brigades, as also of the Reserve of both Cavalry and Artillery, was accomplished; and by four o'clock these troops had ascended the opposite slope of the valley, and reached the plateau of the ridge which, constituting the narrow interval between the Lasne and the Smohain, with a rapid fall on either side towards those streams, presented a comparatively dry and firm soil favourable for the further operations of the Prussian forces in this direction.
As the troops reached the Wood of Paris, they were disposed, with a considerable front, and in a close compact order, on each side of the road leading from Lasne towards Planchenoit. The Artillery kept the road itself; and the Cavalry was drawn up in rear of the Wood, ready to follow the Infantry.
The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Brigades were expected to join in a short time; and Pirch's Corps was following along the same line. It had been Blücher's intention to await the arrival of these troops, and then to debouch with the assembled force; but having watched the progress of the Battle, he became apprehensive, on perceiving the tremendous cannonade, and the renewed attack after four o'clock, that the Enemy might direct a still greater force against Wellington's Line, and succeed in breaking the latter before he commenced the attack on his side of the Field. He could clearly distinguish Napoleon's Reserves, in rear of La Belle Alliance, evidently prepared for being launched against the Anglo-Allied Line, which had already sustained the most desperate attacks. The frequent and pressing communications he had received from the Duke also showed how anxiously the latter relied on his support. These considerations satisfied the Prince, that the moment had arrived in which his appearance on the Field would be productive of consequences the most favourable to the views of his Ally, and the most influential on the development of their combined exertions; and he now gave the Order for the attack to commence, even with the small amount of force then at his disposal, as also for the hastening of the march of the troops still in the rear.