Wellington's report
15th June 1815. The day's events.
I wanted to see what was happening and to keep in close contact to the various corps commanders rather than relying on couriers.
Without reviewing all the correspondence, my recollection is that the first intimation of enemy activity came from Uxbridge at Quatre Bras.
Uxbridge went to reconnoitre enemy activity reported at Charleroi and I was concerned that a significant push there would split us from the Prussians. Obviously the Anglo Allied force must co-operate with the Prussians to defeat the French as individually neither the Anglo-Allied forces nor the Prussians are not strong enough to defeat them.
I still had heard nothing from the west. In the west were placed cavalry screens to cover and report on enemy movements. I had anticipated that these screens would have alerted me in sufficient time to react to any French advance there, especially as the main bodies of troops were held back from the frontier to allow them to move to wherever they were required. A deployment too far forward may have exposed them to the possibility of being overwhelmed in a sudden French assault.
As it was midday and I had heard nothing from the west, apart from confirmation that it was quiet, I decided that the main French assault must be falling further east, especially as there had been reports of 3 French Corps at Binche and a corps south of Charleroi. Because of this I decided that the army should concentrate at Quatre Bras, to counter the perceived threat from these 4 French army corps and to be able to assist the Prussians if necessary.
It was whilst travelling towards Quatre Bras at 1.30 pm about that messages arrived from the west, giving accounts of large numbers of cuirassiers moving along the Leuze road, towards Ghent, as well as other troop movements in the west. Uxbridge commented on the movement of the cuirassiers as follows: ‘Most relevant, in my opinion, is the presence of a corps of cuirassiers at Leuze on the road to Ghent. I know not upon what mistaken principle this maneuver was undertaken, but I am concerned that the two brigades of cavalry attached to I Corps may be insufficient to repel this advance.'
If it was the intention that the cuirassiers were headed towards Ghent then I believed Ghent was lost, given the time the report had been written, the time it had taken to get to me and the time it would take to get to the troops for them to act. In the slim hope there may a chance I wrote to the Prince of Orange asking him to despatch a division the Ghent where I thought should they arrive before the cuirassiers then in the confines of the city they may have a good chance of success.
I then went towards the west to see for myself what was going on. I heard artillery fire from the direction of Braine le Compte and in the hope that we may be able to influence the fighting I instructed Picton to march there. Unfortunately the fighting had been concluded by the time we were underway and our first indication of the result was when some discomfited British light cavalry appeared pursued by French guard heavy cavalry. Rather than continue the march to Braine le Compte and take on the French imperial guard without cavalry support I decided a retreat to Hal was appropriate.
Picton had already thoughtfully prepared Hal for defence.
Captured despatches indicated the presence of the imperial guard in Mons, then in Soignes and finally in Braine le Compte, and of three other corps, one of which was in Ath and then later in Enghien. Furthermore there were the French corps at Binche or Roeulx and the cuirassiers at Ghent
In view of this we took up defensive positions in Hal and Nivelles to counter attacks from Binche, Braine le Compte and/or Enghien. The Prince of Orange's corps was en route from Enghien to Hal and part of the cavalry corps was at Waterloo on its way to Hal, as I believed that the decisive battle would be fought there.
There remained the possibility that the cuirassiers at Ghent might attempt to repeat their feat of taking Ghent by similarly marching on Brussels, though fatigue must have taken its toll on their ability to do this.
Urgent despatches have been sent to the Prussians for support.
16th June 1815.
The loss of Ghent was a major blow. Much of our stores were taken by the enemy and some of the Dutch Belgian troops deserted. However, the loss of Brussels would be a much greater blow and if it were to be lost then the ability of the British Army to stay in the field would be compromised. French forces at Ghent, Braine le Compte and Binche (or Roeulx) all could easily march into Brussels within hours unless opposed.
Due to intelligence during the night it was believed that the French imperial guard supported by a corps at Enghien was to attack Hal in the morning.
Due to the delays in receiving reports during the 15th I decided to remain at Waterloo in anticipation that the couriers would be able to find me more quickly. General Picton was asked to take overall command in Hal and the Prince of Orange was agreeable to this.
General Picton was asked to defend the east bank of the River Senne both at Hal and at Brussels. I cannot recall his precise reply but it did involve the unorthodox use of a brush.
As the Prince of Orange was between Enghien and Hal I did anticipate his corps' imminent arrival at Hal.
At 7.00 a despatch (from General Uxbridge I recall) arrived which both contained a captured despatch and news that General Blucher was approaching Nivelle. The captures despatch stated the French imperial guard was to march on Nivelles and not Hal.
This necessitated a rapid change of plan. Unfortunately it was at this juncture that Mrs Miggins served my breakfast and I quite forgot about despatches and such like until 8.00. Once I had finished my breakfast the despatches were sent.
Essentially the despatch to General Picton asked him to defend (and preferably destroy) the bridges over the River Senne at both Hal and Brussels. The defence to be undertaken by the minimum forces possible. At the very least this would slow down any advance on Brussels by troops at Enghien and Ghent. Destruction of the bridges may have temporarily isolated a significant part of the French army on the west side of the River Senne.
The bulk of General Picton's and the Prince of Orange's troops were then to march to Waterloo as quickly as possible, but to be ready to vary the line of march as the situation dictated.
At the same time the despatch to General Hill informed him of Picton's movements and should he feel he had insufficient strength to resist the enemy then to fall back towards Waterloo.
In the end I ought not to have been concerned about the delay in sending the despatches as the despatch to General Hill never arrived (I think I sent it twice to be sure), and General Picton and different plans (and a different geography as it turned out).
In light of the intelligence of the movements of the imperial guard and the approach of Blucher I instead sent the cavalry at Waterloo to General Hill, together with Lord Hill's Dutch division, which had been roughly handled by the imperial guard at Braine le Compte on the 15th.
I had intended to go to Nivelles to confer with General Blucher but the non-arrival of the Prince of Orange's corps concerned me and so I went towards Hal at about 10.30.
Shortly after I set off, a despatch from General Picton confirmed the arrival of the Prince of Orange's corps at Hal. However, General Picton was deployed on the west side of the River Senne and was about to engage with a French force. As retiring in the face of the enemy across a river is a fraught enterprise I wished him well in his battle and resumed my original course of action, namely conferring with Blucher.
(It transpires that on General Picton's map Hal is on the west side of the River Senne, as is the main road from Hal to Brussels, and that the River Halle flows east-west. This would account for various the comments made by General Picton to me in his despatches.)
Approaching Nivelles I found General Hill preparing to defend a ridge, some distance from the Prussians. Unfortunately I became unwell and the next thing I can remember was being in Waterloo again.
It was about this time that news began to arrive that the French had also captured Brussels.
The conference at Waterloo was particularly acrimonious. It transpired that General Picton had been discomfited at Hal, though he had brought a significant amount of his troops to Waterloo, leaving the Prince of Orange to defend the river crossing at Hal. I again became unwell and had to retire to my sick bed.
General Uxbridge took command but the French were pursuing us closely and our remaining forces were overwhelmed.
paints brigs for the British fleet.
