that no doubt beset him through the
shortcomings of his staff, and the spirit of mutual distrust that
reigned among his officers. He did nothing till the morning of the
17th, and it was not till 2 P.M. that he sent Grouchy with 33,000 men
to follow the Prussians in the supposed direction of their retreat
toward Liege, and keep them at a distance while he turned against
Wellington. But he had lost his opportunity; the wasted hours had
enabled the Prussians to disappear, and he did not know the fact that
Bluecher had taken the resolution to move on Wavre, giving up his own
communications in order to reunite with Wellington. The latter had
retired to a previously chosen position at Mont St. Jean, and received
Bluecher's promise to lead his army to his assistance. So on the 18th,
when Napoleon attacked the duke, unknown to him the bulk of the
Prussian army was hastening up on his right flank, while Grouchy was
fruitlessly engaged with the Prussian rear-guard only. This led to the
crowning defeat of Waterloo, where Napoleon's fortunes were finally
wrecked. He fled to Paris, and abdicated for the last time on June
22d; and, finding it impossible to escape from France, he surrendered
to Captain Maitland, of the Bellerophon, at Rochefort, on July 15th.
He was banished by the British Government to St. Helena, where he
arrived on October 15, 1815, and died there of cancer of the stomach
on May 5, 1821.

ARTHUR, DUKE OF WELLINGTON

By L. DRAKE

(1769-1852)

[Illustration: Duke of Wellington. [TN]]

Arthur Wellesley, the fourth son of the Earl of Mornington, was born
on May 1, 1769, at Dungan Castle, in Ireland. Although exhibiting no
decided inclination for the profession of arms, a soldier's career was
chosen for him at an early age; and after some preparatory years spent
at Eton, he was sent to Angers, in France, to learn in its ancient
military school those lessons in the art of war which he was destined
in after-life again and again so gloriously to surpass.

Unlike his contemporary Napoleon, the genius of Wellington did not
display itself beyond enabling him to attain a fair and creditable
proficiency at Angers. On his return to England he was gazetted to an
ensigncy early in 1787; and five years later, having passed through
the intermediate degrees, he obtained a troop in the Eighteenth Light
Dragoons.

His first appearance in public life was as a statesman, having been
returned to the Irish Parliament for