Here, in these Villages on the Right, as well as at Ligny, the fight never slackened for a moment: fresh masses, from both sides, poured in among the burning houses as often as the fearfully diminished numbers and dreadfully exhausted state of the combatants rendered relief imperatively necessary; partial successes on different points were constantly met by corresponding reverses on others; and so equally were the courage, the energies, and the devotion of both parties balanced, that the struggle between them appeared, from its unabated vigour, likely to continue until the utter exhaustion of the one should yield the triumph to the greater command of Reserves possessed by the other.
The anxiety at that time on the part of Blücher for the arrival of either a portion of Wellington's forces, or Bülow's Corps, was extreme; and frequently, as he cheered forward his men in their advance to take part in the contest, did he address them with the exhortation, "Forward, lads! we must do something before the English join us!" In fact, his only Reserve remaining was the Ninth Brigade (General Borcke's), the withdrawal of which would greatly expose his Centre; and Napoleon, who had already entertained a suspicion that such was the case, resolved upon terminating the sanguinary combat in the valley, by boldly advancing a portion of his own intact Reserves, consisting of the Guard and Lobau's Corps (which had just arrived and was posted on the right of Fleuras) against the Prussian Centre.
For the execution of his project the French Emperor destined the Imperial Guard, with Milhaud's Corps of Cuirassiers in support. He wished to conceal this movement as much as possible from the Enemy, and caused it to be made to the right, along the rear of the Corps of Gérard, a portion of whose Batteries were ordered to be withdrawn, for the purpose of affording greater protection to the Guard, by diverting the Enemy's fire to other points, and of deceiving him as to the real object of the movement, if observed previously to the actual execution of the Emperor's design.
This far-famed band of veteran warriors, and Milhaud's splendid Corps of mailed Cuirassiers, were in full march towards the lower extremity of Ligny, where they were to cross the stream, when, all at once, they were halted by an Order direct from the Emperor, who had decided upon suspending the movement, until he should ascertain the result of an incident that had occurred upon his extreme Left, and which had placed him for the time in considerable doubt and anxiety respecting its real nature.
He had received a message from Vandamme, informing him that a strong Column, composed of Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery, was advancing towards Fleuras; that it had at first been looked upon as the Corps detached from Ney's forces, until it was discovered that it moved by a different road from that along which those troops had been expected, and in a direction towards the French Left Rear, instead of the Prussian extreme Right; that Girard's Division had been consequently induced to fall back, and take up a position to cover Fleurus; and that the effect produced upon his own Corps by the sudden appearance of this Column was such, that if his Majesty did not immediately move his Reserve to arrest its progress, his troops would be compelled to evacuate St Amand and commence a retreat.
This intelligence could not fail to create alarm in the mind of the French Emperor, who concluded that the Corps in question had been detached against his Rear, as a diversion in favour of Blücher, from the Army of Wellington, who had probably obtained some signal triumph over Ney. Another Officer arrived from Vandamme, reiterating the account previously given. Napoleon instantly gave the Order for the halt of the Imperial Guard; and despatched one of his Aides de Camp to reconnoitre the strength and disposition of the Column, and to discover the object of its movement.
The commencement of the march of the Imperial Guard and Milhaud's Cuirassier Corps towards Ligny, had been conducted with so much skill, and the manœuvring of these troops at one point in their line of march to shelter themselves from the fire of the Prussian Batteries, to which they had become suddenly exposed, bore so much the appearance of a retrograde movement, accompanied as it was by the withdrawal of a portion of the guns of Gérard's Corps, that the Prussians were completely deceived by it. Intelligence was hastily conveyed to Blücher that the Enemy was retreating; whereupon he ordered the march of all the remaining disposable Battalions of Colonel Langen's Brigade (the Eighth) upon St Amand, to enable him to take advantage of the circumstance by pressing upon the Enemy's Left.
In the mean time, Colonel Marwitz had been menaced by the advance of a considerable line of Cavalry and a Battery, which latter annoyed him but little. This Cavalry did not, however, seem much disposed to risk a close encounter: once it put forward a Detachment, which was overthrown by two Squadrons of the 7th and 8th Uhlans, and then a Regiment of French Chasseurs à Cheval fell upon the Skirmishers of the 2nd Regiment of Infantry, but was driven back by two Squadrons of the 5th Kurmark Landwehr Cavalry. Colonel Marwitz had been ordered by General Jürgass to send out Patrols in different directions from the Right Flank, for the purpose of seeking out the communication with the Duke of Wellington's forces. These brought in prisoners, from whom it was ascertained that a whole French Corps, the First, under Count d'Erlon, was in that vicinity.