LIGNY, Iniyi". A village in the Province of N8111111% liCigh1111. 111110 miles northeast of Charle roi, noted as the scene of a battle between the French Napoleon and a Prussian army commanded by Bliicher. _liter driving the Prus sian vanguard from Charleroi on Juno 15, 1815, Napoleon dispatched Ney With 50,000 1114211 to engage Wellington at Quatro-Bras. while the French right. numbering sonic 60.000, led by the Emperor and Grouchy, prepared to assail the Prussian army. which was drawn up more than 80,000 strung between the villages of Saint Amami and Sombref, with its centre at Ligny. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the 10t1r, the sound of heavy cannonading announced that fighting was going on at Quatre-Bras, seven miles The Emperor immediately ordered an attack, and the Prussians at the first onset were driven from Lipny. They returned, how ever, in increased numbers and succeeded in recapturing the village, but only to lose it again.
The battle was decided by a charge of the Guard and Cuirassiers through the centre of the Prus sian army, which broke and fled in spite of Bliicher's desperate endeavors to rally his troops. An unaccountable omission on the part of Na poleon to hurl Erlon's fresh corps on the rear of the diseomfited Prussians saved the enemy from destruetion. After the first moments of panic the retreat was admirably conducted by aneise nail (q.v.), Bliieher:s chief of staff, who by fall ing hack on WaVl'e made possible the subsequent opportune arrival of the Prussians on the field of Waterloo (q.v.). The Prussians lost about 1:2. 000 Men in dead and wounded. while the loss on the side of the Frond] was 5000. Consult Morris, The Campaign of 1S15: Ligny, Quatre-Bras, ( London, 1900).