800 



WATERFORDWATERLOO. 



no great importance. Population of the county, in 

 1841, 172.U71. 



WATERFORD ; a city and seaport of Ireland, 

 and chief town of the county of Waterford, situat- 

 ed on the river Suir, ninety-four miles south-west 

 of Dublin. This city employs many vessels in the 

 Newfoundland trade, whence they sail to the West 

 Indies, and return with the productions of these 

 islands. The harbour is deep and spacious, and pro- 

 tected by a fort. The quay about half a mile long, 

 is considered the most beautiful in Europe. A fine 

 wooden bridge has been erected here, to facilitate 

 communication with the counties of Wexford and 

 Kilkenny. The population of Waterford, includ- 

 ingthesuburbs,inl841 was23,216,wbichis sometnou- 

 sands less than it was estimated at nearly fifty 

 years ago. By the reform act of 1832, it is entitled 

 to return two members to the imperial parliament, 

 to which it previously returned but one. 



WATERLANDERS. See Anabaptists. 



WATERLOO; a Belgic village, on the road 

 from Charleroi to Brussels, about ten miles from 

 the latter city, at the entrance of the forest of 

 Soignies. A short distance from this village, oc- 

 curred, June 18, 1815, the memorable battle to 

 which Wellington gave the name of his head-quar- 

 ters, Waterloo ; Bliicher that of the turning point 

 of the contest, Belle Alliance ; and the French that 

 of the chief point of their attack, St Jean. After 

 the engagement at Quatre Bras (q. v.), and in con- 

 sequence of the battle of Ligny, Wellington had 

 retired to the forest of Soignies, and, June 17, oc- 

 cupied an advantageous position on the heights ex- 

 tending from the little town of Braine la Leud to 

 Ohain. Bliicher having promised to support him 

 with all his army, he here resolved to risk a battle. 

 The British army was divided into two lines. The 

 right of the first line consisted of the second and 

 fourth British divisions, the third and sixth Hano- 

 verians, and the first corps of Belgians, under lord 

 Hill. The centre was composed of the corps of 

 the prince of Orange, with the Brunswickers and 

 troops of Nassau, having the guards, under general 

 Cocke, on the right, and the division of general 

 Alten on the left. The left wing consisted of the 

 divisions of Picton, Lambert and Kempt. The 

 second line was, in most instances, formed of the 

 troops deemed least worthy of confidence, or which 

 had suffered too severely, in the action of the seven- 

 teenth, to be again exposed until necessary. It was 

 placed behind the declivity of the heights to the 

 rear, in order to be sheltered from the cannonade, 

 but sustained much loss from shells, during the ac- 

 tion. The cavalry were stationed in the rear, and 

 distributed all along the line, but chiefly posted on 

 the left of the centre, to the east of the Charleroi 

 causeway. The farm-house of La Haye Sainte, in 

 the front of the centre, was garrisoned ; but there 

 was not time to prepare it effectually for defence. 

 The villa, gardens and farm-yard of Hougomont 

 formed a strong advanced post towards the centre 

 of the right. The whole British position formed a 

 sort of curve, the centre of which was nearest to 

 the enemy, and the extremities, particularly the 

 right, drawn considerably backward. Napoleon 

 had bivouacked, a cannon-shot from the British 

 camp, on the eminence of Belle Alliance. His army 

 consisted of three corps of infantry, two of cavalry, 

 and all the guards. It might contain about 90,000 

 soldiers.* On the other hand, the combined Bri- 



tish and Dutch forces (prince Frederic of the Ne- 

 therlands having remained at Hal with 19,000 men) 

 amounted to about 60,000 men. According to 

 Gourgaud's account. Napoleon's design was to break 

 the centre of the British, and cut off their retreat, 

 but in all events to separate them from the Prus- 

 sians. The battle began about noon, June 18, by 

 an attack of the second French battalion on the ad- 

 vanced post of Hougomont. The wood, defended 

 by the troops of Nassau, was taken by the French, 

 but the house, garden and farm-offices were main- 

 tained by the British guards. About two o'clock, 

 four columns of French infantry advanced from 

 Belle Alliance, against the British centre. The 

 cavalry supported them, but were repulsed by the 

 British cavalry, while the infantry, who bud forced 

 their way to the centre of the British position, 

 were attacked by a brigade brought up from the 

 second line by general Picton, while, at the same 

 time, a brigade of heavy British cavalry charged 

 them in flank. The French columns were broken, 

 with great slaughter, and more than 2000 men made 

 prisoners. About this period, the French made 

 themselves masters of the farm of La Haye Sainte, 

 and retained it for some time, but were at last 

 driven out by shells. Shortly after, a general at- 

 tack of the French cavalry was made on the squares, 

 chiefly towards the centre of the British right. In 

 spite of the continued fire of thirty pieces of artil- 

 lery, they compelled the artillery-men to retire 

 within the squares. The cuirassiers continued 

 their onset, and rode up to the squares, in the con- 

 fidence of sweeping them away before their charge ; 

 but they were driven back by the dreadful fire of 

 the British infantry. Enraged at the small success 

 of his exertions, Napoleon now threw his cuiras- 

 siers on the British line, between two cheuutfe*. 

 They broke through between the squares, but were 

 attacked and defeated by the British and Dutch 

 cavalry. During the battle, several French bat- 

 teries were stationed only a few hundred paces in 

 front of the British, and did great execution. At 

 five o'clock, the repeated attacks of superior num- 

 bers had already weakened the British, and the 

 victory seemed to incline to the side of the French. 

 At this juncture, the van of the fourth Prussian 

 battalion (which the French thought, at first, to be 

 the corps of Grouchy), under the command of gene- 

 ral Billow, showed itself in front of the forest of 

 Frichemont, on the right flank and the rear of the 

 enemy. The battalion had left Wavre (q. v.) the 

 same morning, and, animated by the presence of 

 prince Bliicher, had overcome all the obstacles of 

 the march. The sixth French corps, hitherto sta- 

 tioned as the reserve of the right wing, was imme- 

 diately opposed to the Prussians, and a bloody fight 

 ensued. It was six o'clock when this took place. 

 Napoleon, meanwhile, when he perceived the attack 

 of the Prussians, instead of diminishing his attacks 

 on the British line, resolved to assail it with all 

 his forces. ' The second French corps, all the 

 cavalry, and all the guards, therefore, put them- 

 selves in motion. Wellington quietly awaited their 

 approach, and, as soon as the dense columns had 

 arrived within a short distance, he opened on them 

 so murderous a fire that they stopped, and were 

 compelled to fire in return. The right wing of the 

 French had also advanced at the same time with 

 the centre, had driven the Nassau soldiers from 

 Papelotte, and attacked the Prussians in Friche- 



According to rourgaud. Napoleon's army amounted to not Grouchy marched, on the seventeenth, upon Wavre, \vitli 

 more than 67,000 men and 240 piece? -of artillery. Marshal . 35,220 men and 110 pieces of artillery. 



