LIGNY AND QUATRE-BRAS. The Emperor's ad vance northward was along the line of the high way through Charleroi to Brussels. The move ment began on June .13th, and on the 14th Na poleon's headquarters were at Beaumont. On the afternoon of the 15th the French army be gan the passage of the Sambre, moved upon Ziethen's position at Charleroi. and slowly forced him back upon Fleurus. Mlle advanced on Gosselies, and had already had an encounter with the Prussian rear guard, when Ney ar rived on the field and took command of two corps (the First and Second), with the composition and officers of which he was unacquainted. He continued the advance with Reille's corps through Gosselies to the vicinity of Quatre Bras, on the main line of communication between Bilicher and Wellington. While his German allies were threatened Wellington did not change his position. lest he should uncover Brussels and Ghent.. About the middle of the afternoon of the 15th, however, learning of the movement toward Quatre-Bras, he began to concentrate his forces, bringing three divisions of about 25.000 men to Nivelles, west of Quatre-Bras. Some of the Neth erland troops occupied Quatre-Bras itself, and they were reinforced on the morning of the 16th by General Sir Thomas Picton with his division. The French were to attack the Prussian position on the 16th in two wings, under Noy and Grouchy, and when Blficher had been disposed of Ney was to move on Brussels. About two o'clock in the afternoon Ney assailed Quatre Bras, but, owing to reversals of orders, D'Erlon's corps did not join him until he had been forced back upon Frasnes, after several hours of desper ate fighting. This engagement prevented Wel lington fr lllll making a movement against the French on the Prussian right, which he had promised to make if not himself attacked. At Ligny about three o'clock the Premd] divisions of Vandannne and Gerard opened an attack up on Ziethen, who was supported by Pirell and Thielemann. After thirst hours of hard fight
Mg, the Prussians were thrown into confusion by a charge of tite Guard, Bliieher himself was disabled, and twenty-one guns were captured. 'apoleon assumed that the Prussians would re treat toward Namur. On the morning of the I7Il lie wrote to Ney that the Prussians were routed and that Pajol was pursuing them on the roads to Namur and Liege. As a matter of fact, the Prussians under Gneisenan were moving north and converging on Wavre, intending to join Wellington, with whom they were in com munication. Wellington had passed the night at Genappe and was preparing to take up a position in force at Quatre-Bras, when he learned of the Prussian manceuvre. ArIliC11 left 111111 in an ex posed position. lie therefore fell hack to Water loo. At noon of the 17th Napoleon detached Marshal Grouchy with 33,000 men to pursue the Prussians and complete their defeat. As the latter had been already eight hours on the March and their real direction was unknown. this was not an easy task, Joining Net- with the remainder of his army, Napoleon followed Wellington. lle eciving information at Marbais that threw a doubt on his supposition that the Prussians had retreated to Namur, he sent instructions to Grouchy to ascertain whether the Prussians were attempting to make a juncture with the British or not. When Grouchy received this dispatch, Mitchel. was nearer to Wellington than Grouchy was to Biticher. When Grouchy reached Gembloux in a heavy rain at ten o'clock in the evening, he knew that the Prussians had marched to Wavre and not to Namur. The main French army arrived at Waterloo mm the evening of the 17th and bivouacked opposite the enemy.