504 
proach we suddenly heard in the 
town a great noise and a motion: 
of carriages ; at the entrance we 
were exposed to a brisk fire of 
musketry; we replied by some 
cannon shot, followed by an 
hurra, and an instant after, the 
town was vur’s. It was here that 
among many other equipages, the 
carriage of Napoleon was taken; 
he had just left it to mount on 
horseback, and in his hurry had 
forgotten in it his sword and hat. 
Thus the affair continued till break 
of day. About 40,000 men, in 
the most complete disorder, the 
remains of the whole army, 
have saved themselves, retreating 
through Charleroi, partly without 
arms, and carrying with them only 
27 pieces of their numerous ar- 
tillery. 
The enemy in his flight has 
passed ali his fortresses, the only 
defence of his frontiers, which are 
now. passed by our armies. 
At three o’clock Napoleon had 
dispatched from the field of battle 
a Courier to Paris, with the news 
that victory was no longer doubt- 
ful: a few hours after, he had no 
longer an army left. We have 
not yet any exact account of the 
enemy’s loss; it is enough to know 
that two-thirds of the whole army 
are killed, wounded, or prisoners: 
among the latter are Generals 
Mouton, Duhesme, and Compans. 
Up to this time, about 300 cannon 
and above 500 caissons,are in our 
hands. 
Few victories have been so com- 
- plete; and there is certainly no 
example that an army, two days 
after losing a battle, engaged in 
such an action, and so gloriously 
maintained it. Honour be to such 
troops, capable of so much firm- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
ness and valour! In the middle 
of the position occupied by the 
French army and exactly upon the 
height, is a farm, called La Belle 
Alliance. The march: of all the 
Prussian ‘columns. was directed 
towards this farm, which was vi- 
sible from every side. It was there 
that Napoleon was during the bat- 
tle. It was thence that he gave 
his orders, that he flattered him- 
self with the hopes of victory, and 
it was there that his ruin was de- 
cided. There, too, it was, that 
by a happy chance Field Marshal 
Blucher and Lord Wellington met 
in the dark and mutually saluted 
each other as victors. 
In commemoration of the alli- 
ance which now subsists between 
the English and Prussian nations, 
of the union of the two armies, 
and their reciprocal confidence, 
the Field Marshal desired, that 
this battle should bear the name 
of La Belle Alliance. 
By the order of Field Marshal 
_Blucher, 
General GNEISENAU. 
Relation of the Spanish General 
Alava. 
From the Madrid Gazette. 
“1 joined the army on the 
morning of the 18th, though I 
had received no orders to that ef- 
fectbecause I believed that Ishould 
thus best serve his Majesty, and 
at the same time fulfil your Ex- 
cellency’s directions, and this de- 
termination has afforded me the 
satisfaction of having been present 
at the most important battle that 
has been fought for many cen- 
turies, in its consequences, its 
duration, and the talents of the 
chiefs on both sides; and because 
