Quatre Bras
16th June 1815
The Arrival of the Guards
by Leon Parte
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Soon after 5pm the 3rd Division of Wellington’s army (Alten’s) arrived at Quatre Bras, the men having marched 22 miles under a hot sun, and without any dinner. These troops were immediately called into action, Kielmansegge’s brigade moving down the Namur road to reinforce Wellington’s left; whilst Halkett’s brigade took up its position at the northeastern edge of the Bossu wood, on the ground from which the Brunswick troops had been driven back. Half an hour later the 1st Division (Cooke’s) consisting of Maitland’s and Byng’s Brigades of Guards, arrived at Quatre Bras, and began, with a determination which nothing could resist, to gain ground in the northern end of the wood. This was the turning point of the battle. Wellingtons forces now outnumbered those of Ney, who at this time was vainly endeavouring to bring back D’Erlon’s corps to his assistance, and the French troops were being slowly but surely driven back. Marshal Ney, however, declining to admit defeat, decided to launch Kellermann’s cavalry, supported by the remnants of Piré’s division and Foy’s infantry, against the Allied battalions, who now were without cavalry to assist them, for the demoralised Brunswick horsemen had retreated, and no British-mounted troops arrived at Quatre Bras till eight o’clock in the evening. “My dear General,” said Ney to Kellermann, repeating, perhaps unconsciously, the text of a letter which he had just received from Napoleon, “a great effort is necessary on you perhaps depends the fate of France; you must charge, and break through the infantry in our front. Advance, and I will have you supported by all Piré’s cavalry.” Kellermann, the finest cavalry leader in Napoleon’s army, then advanced, himself riding with BrigadierGeneral Guiton at the head of the 8th Cuirassiers. As General Halkett, of Alten’s division, took up a position, with the four battalions composing his brigade, he received a pressing demand for support from Pack, whose men had run short of ammunition. Accordingly, he sent the 69th (2nd Welsh) Regiment to the east side of the road, and formed up the three remaining battalions between the road and the Bossu wood. Halkett himself then rode forward to the Gemioncourt stream to observe the French dispositions. From here he saw Kellermann preparing to advance. So he sent his aidedecamp forthwith to the 69th, and ordered it to form square since a cavalry attack might be expected; whilst he himself galloped back to the remainder of his brigade and gave similar orders. Kellermann’s Advance A few minutes later the Prince of Orange, who commanded the 1st Army Corps, rode up to the 69th and asked what the battalion was doing. The Commanding Officer explained that he had been ordered to form square. The Prince ordered him to get into line again, saying that he did not believe an attack to be imminent. Yet 800 sabres had already crossed the stream, and Kellermann’s Cuirassiers, hidden among the tall standing crops, were within 400 yards of the battalion. In a moment, the horsemen were upon the infantry; and in less than two minutes 150 of the 580 men of the 69th were lying on the ground, dead or dying. Mr. Clark, a volunteer in the battalion, fought magnificently, and though wounded in twenty-two places by sabre cots, preserved the colour he was carrying. The other colour was taken, and sent back to be paraded before Foy’s infantry, then preparing, to advance. More Quatre Bras 16th June 1815
Wellington at Quatre Bras The Brunswickers’ Severe Trial The Arrival of the Guard The Flight of the French Large Map (slow: 207K) Jumbo Map (very slow: 285K) Related Netherlands Victory Quatre Bras 1815 [FE60] Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #59 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |
Thus, shortly before 5pm, ended the first main attack on the Allied position. Ney had driven the Dutch Belgians and the Brunswick troops to the north of Quatre Bras. His artillery had severely punished Picton’s division, Pack’s brigade having suffered so heavily that the 42nd and 44th Regiments were now reformed in one square. Towards the conclusion of the struggle, moreover, Ney’s infantry had got possession of the Bossu wood almost up to its northern end, and he had advanced two batteries inside the wood, close to its eastern boundary.