Quatre BraS
In June 1815, Napoleon was faced
with the most serious dilemma of his military life. All around
him, France’s enemies were mobilizing to crush his resurgent
power. Determined to strike at the separated allied armies before
they could form into an invincible force, Napoleon set out with
an army of 125,000 men to surprise his enemies in Belgium. Deciding
to attack both the Anglo-Dutch army and the Prussian army simultaneously,
Napoleon gave command of the left wing of the army to Marshal
Ney, to attack the Anglo-Dutch at Quatre Bras, while Napoleon
himself led the right wing and the Imperial Guard against the
Prussians at Ligny. Ney was ordered to take the I and II Corps,
along with the III Cavalry Cops, and attack the Anglo-Dutch positions
at Quatre Bras. He was to capture this vital road net in order
to prevent the Prussian Army, under General Bluecher, from joining
with Wellington’s force. Ney, left to his own devices, was
cautious and waited until 11:00 on the morning of the 16th before
issuing orders to his subordinates. Finally, the word went out
and the French advance began around 1:30.The French advance, starting
late, was further delayed by being extremely cautious. The French
commanders were fearful that the British were lying in ambush
behind the thick fields of tall corn or behind the gentle slopes
which dotted the landscape. These very techniques were the favorite
tactics of the Duke of Wellington and had been used with devastating
effectiveness during the Peninsular campaigns. However, the local
Allied commander had but 8,000 troops with which to defend Quatre
Bras. Worse still, most of these troops were either Dutch or Belgian
infantry of dubious quality at best. In order to deceive the French
as to the actual number of Allied troops present, Wellington ordered
the 27th Jager Battallion to deploy in front of the main defense
line in a mile-long perimeter. This totally over extended the
unit and they were all but wiped out in the ensuing battle. However,
the effect had been to slow the French advance, buying more time
for the Allied army. The first major French assault was on the
line formed in front of Quatre Bras, with the village of Pireaumont
on the left flank, the Bossu Woods on the right flank, and the
Farmhouse at Gemioncourt in the center. Slowly the French drove
the defenders back, taking Pireaumont and beginning the push into
the Bossu Woods. However, in the center the French assault was
stalled by stiff resistance put up by the Dutch 5th Militia in
the Gemioncourt farmhouse. Meanwhile, Ney found himself deprived
of D’Erlon’s I Cops by the order of Napoleon. I Corps
had been ordered to attack the Prussian flank at Ligny. Ney ordered
them back, only to be countermanded again by an Emperor who knew
little of the events taking place at Quatre Bras. They ended up
spending most of the day marching back and forth. Ney found himself
in a quickly deteriorating situation. He still outnumbered the
enemy, but they were rapidly building while Ney’s forces
were dwindling. At this critical moment, Ney ordered a cavalry
charge by Pire’s lancers. The initial charge crushed the
27th Dutch Jagers, only to be halted by the 5th Infantry Division
led by General Picton. The Allies, bolstered by Picton’s
5th and others, managed to fight the French to a standstill. Ney
tried to force Wellington’s center with two divisions, only
to be once again repulsed by point-blank musket fire. This, combined
with the arrival of information that D’Erlon’s I Corps
was on its way back to Ligny, frustrated Ney beyond all reason.
Ney turned to General Kellerman, in command of the III Cavalry
Corps, and ordered him to charge, without infantry support, the
reinforced enemy line. After futile protest, Kellerman led his
800 Cuirassiers forward in a reckless charge that overran several
unprepared infantry regiments, including the 69th and 33rd Regiments
of Foot, and even reached the contested crossroads in Quatre Bras.
Unsupported as they were, they were then attacked by concealed
batteries of cannon and fresh infantry battalions and forced to
flee back through the swath they had cut in the Allied lines.
Ney, now outnumbered and pressed by British counter-attacks all
along his line, pulled back and waited for night. The Battle for
Quatre Bras was over, and before the end of the day the original
Anglo-Dutch lines would be recaptured. It was a draw in every
sense of the word, something Napoleon could ill afford at this
stage.
