e of Wellington, with a
brilliant staff, rode forward on his way to the front.

Already a booming of guns in the distance told that the troops were
engaged, and there was another cheer when the order ran along the line
to fall in again.

Fighting had indeed begun soon after daylight. Prince Bernhard who
commanded the division of Dutch troops at Quatre Bras, had commenced
hostilities as soon as it was light by attacking the French in front
of him; and the Prince of Orange, who had ridden to Nivelles, directly
the ball was over, brought on the Dutch troops from that town, and
joining Prince Bernhard drove back the French to within a mile of
Frasnes.

The Duke of Wellington reached Quatre Bras soon after eleven, and
finding that there was no immediate danger there, galloped away to
communicate with Blucher.

He found that the latter had gathered three of his corps, and occupied
a chain of low hills extending from Bry to Tongres. The rivulet of
Ligny wound in front of it, and the villages of St. Armand and Ligny
at the foot of the slope were occupied as outposts. These villages
were some distance in front of the hills, and were too far off for the
troops there to be readily reinforced from the army on the heights.
The Duke of Wellington was of opinion that the position was not a good
one, and he is said to have remarked to Blucher: "Everyman knows his
own people best, but I can only say that with a British army I should
not occupy this ground as you do."

Had the duke been able to concentrate his force round Quatre Bras in
time, he intended to aid the Prussians by taking the offensive; but
the unfortunate delay that had taken place in sending the news of the
French advance on the previous morning rendered it now impossible that
he should do so, and he therefore rode back to Quatre Bras to arrange
for its defence against the French corps that was evidently gathering
to attack it.

It was well for the allies that Napoleon was not in a position to
attack in force at daybreak. His troops, instead of being concentrated
the night before at Fleurus, were scattered over a considerable extent
of country, and many of them were still beyond the Sambre. Marshal
Ney, who had been appointed to the command of the corps, intended to
push through Quatre Bras and march straight on Brussels, had only
arrived the evening before, and was ignorant of the position of the
various divisions under his command. Therefore it was not until two