nch got into
motion, and by that time the Prussian cavalry had disappeared from
their front, and nothing remained to inform them of the line by which
the enemy had retreated.

There was a general feeling of disappointment among the gallant
defenders of Quatre Bras when on the following morning orders were
issued for them to abandon the ground they had so stoutly held. They
had been astir at daylight, firearms were cleaned, fresh ammunition
served out from the reserve wagons, and the men fell into the ranks,
expecting that in a short time they would again be engaged; but no
movement could be seen on the part of the enemy, and arms were again
piled. The commissariat wagons had come up in the night, and rations
were served out to the troops and breakfast prepared. As soon as this
was over strong parties were again sent over the battlefield to
collect any wounded who had escaped the search of the night before. As
soon as these were collected the whole of the wounded were placed in
ambulance wagons and country carts, and despatched to Brussels.

Presently a general movement of the great baggage trains was observed
by the troops to be taking place, and the long column moved along the
road to the north. The duke had sent off a staff-officer at daybreak
to ascertain the state of things at Ligny; he returned with the report
that the Prussians had left the field. He then sent out a small party
of cavalry under Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon. This officer
pushed forward until he encountered General Zieten, who was still at
Sombreuf, but a mile distant from the battlefield. The general
informed him of the whole events of the preceding day, and gave him
the important intelligence that Blucher had retreated to Wavre, and
would join hands with Wellington at Mount St. Jean, which the English
general had previously fixed upon as the scene of the battle for the
defense of Brussels.

The news relieved Wellington of all anxiety. It had been before
arranged that Blucher if defeated, should if possible fall back to
Wavre; but it was by no means certain that he would be able to do
this, and had he been compelled by the events of the conflict to
retire upon his base at Namur he would have been unable to effect a
junction for some days with Wellington, and the latter would have been
obliged single-handed to bear the whole brunt of Napoleon's attack.
The latter's plans had indeed been entirely based on the supposition
that Blucher w