17 June: The Tardy Pursuit of Wellington and Blücher

It started to rain very hard. At 10 p.m. on the 16th, Grouchy requested orders and one hour later Grouchy went as requested to see Napoleon. The Emperor told him to pursue the enemy early in the morning with the light cavalry. So, Pajol was dispatched.

Early on the 17th, neither Soult nor Napoleon had yet informed Ney of the French victory at Ligny. At 6:30 a.m., Ney informed Napoleon that the enemy was still in force at Quatre-Bras. Since the Emperor was not moving, Ney could not attack alone. So, he waited. He was apparently disgusted with the way he had been left in the dark.

Until 8 a.m., Napoleon did not issue any new orders. His army had been ready to move since 2 a.m., and now, not understanding why the Emperor was inactive, soldiers cleaned their weapons and even received the authorization to visit the battlefield. "We have made our soup at dawn, so we could move right away, and now it's four hours that we are here doing nothing!"

The generals themselves were worried about Napoleon's unusual inactivity and indolence. Gérard deplored, as he did on the preceding day, the "incomprehensible, irremediable slowness." Vandamme, always to the point, declared: "The Napoleon that we have known does not exist anymore; our success of yesterday will remain without results." Drouot, the Major-General of the Guard, was also worried. Grouchy, who had come to the Imperial Palace requesting orders, was told to wait for the Emperor who had decided to visit the troops at Ligny.

While taking his breakfast, Flahaut, back from Frasnes, explained the combat of Quatre-Bras. Thus, with this information and the first report from Pajol, the situation was developing as the Emperor wished. Ney was able to hold Wellington without d'Erlon and Ney with d'Erlon could easily take the position. Obviously Wellington alone could not wait there without Blücher who was now retreating toward Namur. Once more, Napoleon engaged in wishful thinking without bothering to confirm it with proper reconnaissance. He instructed Soult to send Ney the following new orders:

"The intention of His Majesty is that you take the position at Quatre-Bras, as he ordered yesterday; but if this is impossible, inform me immediately of the reasons and the Emperor will go there immediately as you were told. If on the contrary there is only a rearguard, attack it and take the position.

"Today it is necessary to finish that operation and to replenish the ammunition, rally the troops and recall the detachments."

It is very clear from the above that Napoleon intended to use the day to rest his army and only to take the position at Quatre-Bras.

Between 9:30 and 10 a.m., new information became available. The Anglo-Allies still occupied Quatre-Bras with their flanks covered by numerous cavalry. Meanwhile, Pajol pursued the Prussians toward Namur. It became obvious that Wellington had more than a rear-guard at Quatre-Bras. Suddenly, Napoleon decided to completely change his plans as he had modified them the previous day when reality had forced him to do so. But much precious time had been wasted.

The Emperor was going to send the right wing to pursue the Prussians. Then, with the rest of the army, he would join Ney and deal with Wellington. Consequently, at about 11 a.m., Napoleon finally dispatched Grouchy to pursue the Prussians.15 He started to move some 30 minutes later without much enthusiasm. He was instructed: "to complete their defeat by attacking them as soon as you'll recontact them."

New Orders

Then, at noon, Soult sent new orders to Ney:

"Monsieur le Maréchal,
"The Emperor has just ordered an infantry Corps and the Guard to take position in front of Marbais. His Majesty told me to inform you that he desires you to attack the enemy at Quatre-Bras in order to push them away, and that the Corps presently at Marbais shall support you. His Majesty is going to Marbais and await your report with impatience."

At about the same time, the troops in front of Marbais were set in motion and Napoleon rejoined them at l p.m. when they were about two kilometers from Quatre-Bras. Ney had not yet attacked. Napoleon learned that the Anglo-Allied army had started to withdraw from Quatre-Bras around noon and that only cavalry was holding the position. D'Erlon was ordered to pursue the retreating enemy.

It started to rain very hard. In that part of Europe, summer storms can be very violent and often produce severe cloud bursts. Such storms were to plague both armies during the rest of the day and most of the night, soaking the ground in the process.

Ney finally joined Napoleon. He had received Soult's dispatch a little after 1 p.m., and he had not yet set his troops in motion.16 All the French troops were finally moving by about 2 p.m. Many hours had been lost and in spite of the fast pace of the pursuit, Napoleon's troops were unable to attack Wellington's army on the 17th.

Would the French have been in a position to attack Wellington if Napoleon had set them in motion at dawn? [17] Possibly, but at the very least all his troops would have been concentrated at Waterloo to attack at 9 a.m. on the 18th That would have given an additional four and a half hours to break Wellington's motley army before the Prussians could arrive to rescue him. The loss of that half day was going to destroy Napoleon.

Continued

To 15 June
16 June: The Events of the Second Day
The Orders of 18 June
Conclusion and Sources