devastated the exposed Prussian infantry - for the arrogant Blucher had
waved away Wellington's suggestions for placing them in more hidden
positions. If Ney had appeared on the flank as planned, the result would
have been a crushing victory. When there was no sign ofNey and instead
there came news that he was meeting stiff resistance at Qu atre Bras,
Napoleon decided to call up Ney's reserve under General d'Erlon to
provide the knock-out blow at Ligny. What fo llowed was one of the great
fiascos in military history.
D'Erlon's I Corps began the day on r6 June on the road to Qu atre
Bras, where Ney planned to use them as a surprise reinforcement thrown
into the fray at the last moment. But when Napoleon realized that Ney
would not be appearing at Ligny, he himself sent orders to d'Erlon to
march there to play the role originally to have been acted by Ney. His
courier, General de Ia Bedoyere, found d'Erlon's corps toiling north to
Qu atre Bras and at once rerouted them east to Ligny. In one of the many
misunderstandings that bedevilled this day, I Corps arrived on the
French flank instead of the Prussian at around 6 p.m., causing
momentary panic in the Grand Army, as it was thought that there were
22,000 enemy troops on their flank. Napoleon was just about to send in
the Guard when this news arrived. He was forced to suspend the
operation for an hour, wasting critical time, while the confusion was
sorted out. Consoling himself with the thought that at least he could now
use d'Erlon's men for the coup de grace, he sent word to d'Erlon to alter
course so as to come in on the Prussian flank. To his stupefaction he was
informed that I Corps had disappeared.
The villain was once again Ney, who spent the day in one towering
tantrum after another. When he learned that the Emperor had ordered
I Corps to Ligny, he lost his temper and raged. Then came an imperial
aide with a message from Napoleon to take Quatre Bras without delay.
Again Ney lost his temper and raged. He told the aide caustically to
report to the Emperor that he could hardly take Qu atre Bras 'without
delay' when Wellington's entire army was there and the Emperor was
ordering his best units to Ligny. When Wellington counterattacked, Ney
began to panic. At risk of grave displeasure from the Emperor, he
overruled de Ia Bedoyere's orders to d'Erlon, making it a court-martial
offence ifl Corps did not respond. D'Erlon was actually in sight ofLigny
when he received Ney's final orders and turned back. The upshot was
that 22,000 crack French troops spent all day pointlessly marching
between Ligny and Qu atre Bras but seeing action in neither place.
At Ligny Napoleon ended the day far short of the sweeping victory
that could have been his. Further time was lost between 6.30 and 7.30
marcin
(Marcin)
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