Paris

more than one half of these consisted of the first French corps d’armee, under
Count d’Erlon; and Ney was deprived of the use of this corps at the time that
he most required it, in consequence of its receiving orders to march to the aid
of the Emperor at Ligny. A magnificent body of heavy cavalry under
Kellerman, nearly 5,000 strong, and several more battalions of artillery
were added to Ney’s army during the battle of Quatre Bras; but his effective
infantry force never exceeded I 6,000. When the battle began, the greater
part of the Duke’s army was yet on its march towards Quatre Bras from
Brussels and the other parts of its cantonments. The force of the Allies,
actually in position there, consisted only of a Dutch and Belgian division of
infantry, not quite 7,000 strong, with one battalion of foot, and one of horse-
artillery. The Prince of Orange commanded them. A wood, called the Bois de
Bossu, stretched along the right (or western) flank of the position of Quatre
Bras; a farmhouse and building, called Gemiancourt, stood on some elevated
ground in its front; and to the left (or east), were the inclosures of the village
of Pierremont. The Prince of Orange endeavoured to secure these posts; but
Ney carried Gemiancourt in the centre, and Pierremont on the east, and
gained occupation of the southern part of the wood of Bossu. He ranged the
chief part of his artillery on the high ground of Gemiancourt, whence it
played throughout the action with most destructive effect upon the Allies.
He was pressing forward to further advantages, when the fifth infantry
division under Sir Thomas Picton and the Duke of Brunswick’s corps
appeared upon the scene. Wellington (who had returned to Quatre Bras from
his interview with Blucher shortly before the arrival of these forces) restored
the fight with them; and, as fresh troops of the Allies arrived, they were
brought forward to stem the fierce attacks which Ney’s columns and
squadrons continued to make with unabated gallantry and zeal. The only
cavalry of the anglo-allied army that reached Quatre Bras during the action,
consisted of Dutch and Belgians, and a small force of Brunswickers, under
their Duke, who was killed on the field. These proved wholly unable to
encounter Kellerman’s cuirassiers and Pire’s lancers; the Dutch and Belgian
infantry also gave way early in the engagement; so that the whole brunt of