Prussian Defense

Lt. Col. Stengel
(1,000 infantry and 300 cavalry)

19h Infantry Regt. (3 Bttns.): 1,000 men
1st Westphalian Landwehr (1 Bttn.): 100 men
6th Uhlans (2 Sqdns): 300 men

All these units were detached from the Prussian I Corps which had been decimated at Ligny 16 June. The 19th Regiment had lost 50% of its men there, while the few men left of the brigade's other regiment (the 4th Westphalian Landwehr) were streaming back to Liege. The Prussian cavalry here were remnants of Lutzow's famous "Black" 6th Uhlans which had been led personally by Blucher in the counter-attack at Ligny, and a squadron of Landwehr cavalry belonging to a unit that apparently deserted en masse after that battle.

French Attack

I Reserve Cavalry Corps: General Pajol
(2,500 infantry, 2,750 cavalry, and 12 guns)

6th Cavalry Division: General Maurin

1st Brigade: General Vallin

6th Hussars(3 Sqdns.): 450 men
8th Chasseurs (3 Sqdns.): 400 men

2nd Brigade: General Schneit

6th Dragoons (3 Sqdns.): 200 men
16th Dragoons (3 Sqdns.): 350 men

Horse Artillery

3rd Co./3rd Horse Artillery Regt.: Four 6-pdr guns and two 5.5-inch howitzers

4th Cavalry Division: General Soult (brother of Marshal Soult)

1st Brigade: General Saint-Laurent

1st Hussars(3 Sqdns.): 500 men
4th Hussars(4 Sqdns.): 400 men

2nd Brigade: General Ameil

5th Hussars(4 Sqdns.): 450 men

Horse Artillery

1st Co./1st Horse Artillery Regt.: Four 6-pdr guns and two 5.5-inch howitzers

21st Infantry Division: General Teste

1st Brigade: General Lafitte

8th Legere (2 Bttns.): 1,000 men

2nd Brigade: General Penne

65th Line (1 Bttn.): 500 men
75th Line (2 Bttns.): 1,000 men

Foot Artillery

3rd Co./8th Foot Artillery Regt.: Six 6-pdr guns and two 5.5-inch howitzers

Note: The 6th Division was from IV Corps and Teste's infantry was from the VI Corps. Some sources list a battalion of the 40th Line with Lafitte, but apparently it was still in France in the Vendee. The 6th Dragoons lost men at Ligny, but this was the first major battle of the campaign for the rest of the cavalry.

Pajol's Corps was weakened by the transfer of Subervie's light cavalry division (it fought at Waterloo), but he received Teste's infantry division and had picked up the 6th Cavalry Division when he found it disorganized after Maurin's wounding at Ligny. He then personally led it to Limal, charging with the 6th Hussars across the bridge and thereby turning Thielemann's flank at Wavre.

Diorama and Photo by Rick Schuldt.