THE CAMPAIGN OF 1815. 155 



the matter is that this same De Bourmont, being honored by the 

 Bourbons, became Minister of War under Charles X., organized the 

 expedition which resulted in tlie capture of Algiers, and was made a 

 Marshal of France. He died in 1846, having passed his latter days 

 in obscurity, owing to the fall of Charles X. But his i-eception by 

 sturdy old Bliicher must have shown him what honest men thought 

 of him. That stout old hero turned on his heel when he was pre- 

 sented, and when attention was called to the white cockade De 

 Bourmont had mounted, all he said was : Einerlei was das Volk fiir 

 ein Zeichen aufsteckt. Hunds/ott hleiht Hundsfott. " What has the 

 " cockade to do with it? The man is a scoundrel." Quinet says of 

 this event : " After half a century, in which we have honoured and 

 " crowned every man who has succeeded, this desertion is perhaps 

 " the only one which has not found apologists among us." How 

 different was the feeling of Berthier ! He refused to join Napoleon, 

 and retired to his palace at Bamberg. But when he heard the 

 drums of the Russian troops on their march to invade France, in an 

 agony of shame and remorse he threw himself from one of the palace 

 windows and was taken up dead. 



But the advance continued. The first enemy met was by the left, 

 which struck part of the Prussian division of Pirch II. (so called to 

 distinguish him from another general of the same name, who is called 

 Pirch I.), belonging to Ziethen's corps, one of the four of Bliicher's 

 army. News of the French advance had by this time been conveyed 

 to Wellington and Bliicher. The latter at ten o'clock on the night 

 of the 14th, had ordered Ziethen to wait the attack and slowly retire 

 towards Fleurus. The other three corps of the Prussian army were 

 ordered to move. Billow from Liege to Hannut, Pirch I. from 

 Namur to Sombref, Thielmann from Ciney* to Namur. 



As the French divisions successively came up on the left and 

 centre they were pushed forward, driving the Prussians back, but 

 the latter stubbornly held every position, both on the Brussels and 

 on the Namur roads. The French had to fight their way. The 

 Pirch II. division was gaining time for the other divisions of 

 Ziethen's corps to concentrate at Fleurus. Charleroi was taken 

 by one o'clock, and the French passed through, some towards 

 Gosselies, others towards Gilly. At five o'clock. Marshal Ney 

 came up to take command on the Brussels road. On the 11th 



* Liege, Hannut and Clney are east of the limits of the map. 



