PARIS. 
546 
confufion, the means of retreat was not yet cut off. They 
ftill held the village of Planchenoit in their rear, with a 
part.of the old guard in referve. The Pruffians advanced 
againft them ; and the ground for the attack was ex¬ 
tremely favourable. It rofe like an amphitheatre, fo that 
the Pruffian artillery could open from the fumtnit of a 
great many heights, which rofe gradually above each 
other. The old guard, however, flood firm to the hit; 
but the place was at length (formed. The daughter was 
dreadful; for the Pruffians were fo exafperated, that they 
neither gave nor fought quarter. From this moment the 
rout was general and complete ; and the road foon became 
choaked with fugitives, equipages, cannon, and wrecks of 
every defcripticin. The commanders, of all ranks, were 
feparated from their corps, and hurried along with the 
multitude. In vain did Napoleon make an effort to rally 
his troops, by bringing up fome battalions of the young 
and old guard, which had not yet been engaged ; but it 
was ufelei’s. Intimidated by the confufion around them, 
overpowered by the recoiling friend and advancing foe, 
they foon yielded to the alarming torrent. Emperor, 
princes, generals, officers, and foldiers, fled in difmay, and 
in the utmolf alarm and terror. The foldiers of the wag¬ 
gon-train cut the traces of their horfes, the artillerymen 
fled from their guns, the officers of the higheft rank were 
hurried away and lolt in the crowd ; and not a Angle bat¬ 
talion exifted, behind which another could rally. Cavalry, 
infantry, and artillery, ruflied pell-men upon each other, 
and became blended in one mal's of confufion. The dra¬ 
goons rode over the foot-foldiers, and trampled them to 
death. A complete panic had fpread itfelf throughout 
the field of battle. 
6. The cavalry and infantry of the allies purfued them 
rapidly; and for about five miles the ground was covered 
with the dead bodies of Frenchmen only. At the farm- 
houfe of La Eelle Alliance the (laughter was prodigious. 
The French formed a battery of the garden-wall, by 
making holes through it. All the trees in the orchard 
were ftripped by the bullets. Every houfe, and every 
hole, was found full of dead and dying Frenchmen. The 
duke of Wellington met marfhal Blucher at the fmall 
public-houfe at this place, where they cordially embraced, 
and congratulated each other upon their glorious and de- 
cifive fucctfs. The Britifli army having been warmly en¬ 
gaged for upwards of nine hours, and exhaufted with fa¬ 
tigue and hunger, w'as now halted, the Pruffian general 
promifing to continue the purfuit during the night. 
Before halting, the Britifli columns gave the flying 
enemy three cheers. If any thing had been wanting to 
raife the fpirits of the duke of Wellington’s army, or to 
exalt the glory ofBritain,at this important moment, it was 
found in the conduct of the Pruffians. In the purfuit, 
when they came in contact with the Britifli columns, they 
made way for them to take the lead ; and, when the Britifli 
halted for the night, the Pruffians, as they paffed their bi- 
vouacks, flopped for a moment and played “ God fave the 
king.” About half-paft nine, Blucher affembled the 
whole of his fuperior officers, and gave orders for them to 
fend every man and horfe in purfuit. The van of the 
Pruffian army accelerated its march; and the French army, 
being purfued without intermiffion, became abfolutely 
diforganized. The Pruffians, taking advantage of this 
dreadful confufion, attacked with their cavalry and 
heightened the diforder. Nature feemed to confpire for 
the deftruflion of the enemy. The weather had cleared 
up, and the night was beautiful and ferene. The moon 
flione bright through the clear midfummer fky, and di- 
refled the march of the Pruffians towards their enemies. 
The fituation of the French army was indeed become de¬ 
plorable. No words can paint their diftrefs. From this 
moment their fituation difarnis all refentment, and 
awakens only pity. Their menacing afpeft was gone; 
and -their glory was fet in blood. On all fldes the 
roads, the fields, the woods, the Ilreams, were covered 
with dead and dying Frenchmen. The officers that 
efcaped ftated, that the horrors they experienced in their 
flight from Mofcow were unequal to thofe which fur- 
rounded and accompanied them from Waterloo to the 
Sambre. The Pruffian army, being comparatively frefh, 
continued to purfue them with the molt unwearied perfe- 
verance. In vain they attempted to fnatcli one moment’s 
repofe. They were driven from nine bivouacks at the 
point of the fword. They then attempted to defend 
themfelves in the villages or infulated houfes; but they 
were immediately driven from them, cut down, or made 
prifoners; and hundreds were conliimed in the flames of 
the barns fet on fire in thefe confliffs. Not only on the 
high road, but for a hundred feet in breadth on each fide 
of it, paths were made where every thing was beat down 
and covered with dead and wounded. The road was in 
many places blocked up by artillery ; and the military 
waggons, endeavouring to efcape, were in many places 
driven fixteen abreaft on the caufeway. 
During this difaftrous retreat Napoleon ran great dan¬ 
ger of being taken prisoner. When the laft battalions of 
the guard were overthrown, he was hurried away with 
them, furrounded on all fldes by the troops of the allies, 
into a cider-orchard, near the farm of Caillou. There he 
was met by two cavaliers of the guard, who conducted 
him cautioufly through the Pruffian parties that were 
fcouring the country ; but who, fortunately for him, were 
all employed in plundering. 
When the wreck of the French army arrived at 
Genappe, a part of the troops feemed refolved to halt for 
the night, and the entrance into the town was barricadoed 
with broken waggons and gun-carriages, and a few guns 
were planted in the principal ftreets. Impreffed with fome 
idea of fecurity, after thefe preparations, the houfes were 
filled in a moment with the hungry and fatigued, in fearch 
of food and repofe. They had not halted above half-an- 
liour when the advance of the Pruffian cavalry was heard. 
The French for a fhort time, opened a brifk fire of muf- 
ketry and artillery; but, the Pruffians having brought 
up fome cannon, the place was ftormed, and a dreadful 
daughter enfued. The French foldiers ceafed refiftance ; 
and fuffered themfelves to be cut down like cattle. Ge¬ 
neral Duhefme was cut down at the gate of an inn by a 
Brunfwick huffar, who accompanied the ftroke with thefe 
words; “The duke fell yefterday ; and now thou alfo 
ffialt bite the duff.” The fury of the Brunfwickers knew 
no bounds. Upwards of 800 French were killed in Ge¬ 
nappe. From this point the flight, if poffible, became 
more diforderly than ever: arms, knapfacks, every thing, 
was thrown away. Here Napoleon efcaped with great 
difficulty. The waggons and baggage were fo clofely 
wedged together, that it took an hour and a half for him, 
and about 150 of his ftaff, to get through them. A Ger¬ 
man officer afterwards afked Lacofte, the guide we have 
mentioned, why he did not take Bonaparte by the bridge 
of Ways, where nobody paffed; he replied, “ I was not 
aware of that bridge.” Thus, with all the maps of the 
war depot, with all the engineer geographers, who, with 
their repeating circles, can fet off the geographical pofi- 
tion of places even to a fecond, Napoleon, and with a 
large ftaff, here depended on the ignorance of a peafant, 
who did not know that there was a bridge over the Dyle 
at Ways. People talk a great deal of military fkill and 
military fcience; while often, in the decifive moment, the 
whole depends upon the knowledge of a very common 
man. 
So clofe were his purfuers, that, in efcaping from his 
carriage, Napoleon was obliged to defend himfelf with 
liis piftols; and lcarcely had he quitted his feat, when 
the vehicle, with fix beautiful horfes which drew it, fell 
into the hand of the viftors. So great was his hafte to ef¬ 
cape, that in it he left his hat, his fword, his magnificent 
embroidered ftate-mantle, and the perfpeftive glafs with 
which he furveyed the battle ; all of which fell into the 
hands of Blucher himfelf. His feal-ring, all his jewels 
and equipage, fell into the hands of the Pruffian foldiers. 
All 
