During the retreat of the Centre of the Prussian Army, which had been effectually broken, and of its Right from St Amand and Wagnelé, which, in consequence of Blücher's previous dispositions for his contemplated attack upon the French Left, was better prepared to sustain a reverse of this kind; the Left Wing, under Thielemann, maintained its position, and contributed not a little, by its firm countenance, in diffusing a considerable degree of caution into the French movements in advance.
This was strikingly exemplified by the conduct of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 30th Prussian Regiment. They were posted at Mont Potriaux, and although their knowledge of what was passing on other points of the Line was very imperfect, still it sufficed to prompt their Commander to cross the rivulet, and undertake, if not a vigorous attack, at least a demonstration, which, now that darkness had almost covered the Field, would tend to impede, perhaps to paralyze, the French movements against the Prussian Centre. Having effected their passage, they met at first but a feeble opposition from a line of Skirmishers: a French Regiment of Dragoons then advanced very close upon the 2nd Battalion, but was driven off; whereupon both these Battalions pushed forward, and gained a Height which was occupied in force by the Enemy. Here they sustained two more Cavalry attacks, which proved equally unsuccessful. A mass of Infantry belonging to Lobau's Corps, having its Flanks covered by parties of Cavalry, now advanced against the 1st Battalion; but having, in the dark, exposed a Flank to the Battalion, it was also repulsed.
Major Dittfurth, however, finding himself in too isolated a position, did not deem it prudent to advance further upon ground which he knew to be in full possession of the Enemy, and therefore retraced his steps.
A renewed attempt was made, at the same time, by the French Light Cavalry Brigade under General Vallin, to push forward along the high road towards Sombref, and gain possession of the barrier; but the attack was as abortive as had been the former one upon this point.
With the darkness of night, now rapidly deepening, the din of battle, which had been terrific and incessant until the last faint glimmering of twilight, became gradually hushed: its expiring sounds still issuing from the Heights in front of Bry, whence the flashes from the fire of Artillery, and from that of Skirmishers along the outskirts of this village (held by General Jagow with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 9th Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Westphalian Landwehr), indicated to the French Army the extreme verge of its advance; while the still more vivid flashes emitted from the rattling musketry fire of the two Battalions of the 30th Regiment, which had so gallantly sallied forth out of Mont Potriaux, under Major Dittfurth, as previously described, as also from the Prussian guns which defended the approach to Sombref, and frustrated the renewed attack along the high road towards that point, plainly intimated that the Prussian Left Wing (Thielemann's Corps) still firmly maintained itself in a position whence it might seriously endanger the Flank of any further movement in advance against the Centre.
Vandamme's Corps (the Third) bivouacked in advance of St Amand, Gérard's Corps (the Fourth) in front of Ligny, the Imperial Guard upon the Heights of Bry, Grouchy's Cavalry in rear of Sombref, and Lobau's Corps (the Sixth) in rear of Ligny. This possession of the Field of Battle, and the capture of 21 pieces of cannon, were the only advantages of which the French could boast as the immediate result of so severe a struggle. With these, however, it would seem that their Emperor was fully satisfied: if he had entertained any idea of pursuit, it was now abandoned; he took no measures for watching the movements and prying into the designs of his adversary: but left his troops resting in their bivouacs, offering no molestation whatever to the Prussians, whilst he in person returned to Fleurus, where he passed the night.
The contrast between the circumstances of the two Armies during the night was very striking; for whilst the victors were indulging in perfect repose, the vanquished were completely on the alert, seizing every possible advantage which the extraordinary quietude of their Enemies afforded during the precious hours of darkness; and never, perhaps, did a defeated Army extricate itself from its difficulties with so much adroitness and order, or retire from a hard fought field with so little diminution of its moral force.
The Prussian Commander was carried to Mélioreux, about six miles in rear of Ligny, and the Head Quarters were established there for the night.