Category: Biographies
Confusion at Landing--Scene on Shore--Difficulties--Confusion on the Beach--A Catastrophe--The Town by Night--Difficulties of the March--Night Quarters--A Pleasant Change--Return to Ostend--Waiting to Start--Costumes of the Natives--Scenes in the Town--A Wreck--Fearful Scene--...
Confusion at Landing--Scene on Shore--Difficulties--Confusion on the Beach--A Catastrophe--The Town by Night--Difficulties of the March--Night Quarters--A Pleasant Change--Retur...
3. CHAPTER III.4. CHAPTER IV.Eccloo--Arrival at Ghent--Our Quarters there--My Host--My Quarters--Louis XVIII. and his Court--French Officers--Marshal Marmont--French Deserters--Ghent--Street Architecture--T...
5. CHAPTER V.Again on the March--The Pays de Waes--Lokeren--A Village Curé--Dendermonde--My Quarters at St Gille--View from my Windows--Kindness of the Natives--A Flemish Farmhouse-- Fertili...
6. CHAPTER VI.Excursion to Alost--Aspect of the Place--We Lose our Way--Again on the Move--Parting with my Hostess--A Last Breakfast--On the March--Change of Scenery--Views from the Hills--Be...
7. CHAPTER VII.Occupations at Strytem--Our Fare--The Country round Strytem-- Beauty of the Scenery--Rich Cultivation--The Flemish Farmers--Farming Establishments--Execrable Roads--Drunkenness-...
8. CHAPTER VIII.My Difficulties--Plundering--The Duke and the Rocket Troop-- Ride to Ninove--Ninove--The great Monastery--A ruined Convent--Liederkerke--Aspect of the Country--A Character--The...
9. CHAPTER IX.10. CHAPTER X.11. CHAPTER XI.Order to Advance--Preparations--Farewell to Strytem--On the March--News from Brussels--Halt at Enghien--Doubts as to my Route--Uncertainties--Braine le Comte--Still without Orde...
12. CHAPTER XII.At Quatre Bras--Our Bivouac--Morning after the Battle--Our Position--The Battle-Field--Position of the French-- Skirmishing--An Alarm--The Retreat--Aspect of the Field--A Mement...
13. CHAPTER XIII.Morning of Battle--Survey of the Field--Alarm of Battle-- Commencement of the Battle--Orders at last--Take up Position-- The Field of Battle--View from our Position--Our own Pos...
14. CHAPTER XIV.Preparing to Move--The Field by Morning--The Wounded--The French Wounded--An Ingrate--A Grenadier à Cheval--A Welcome Feast--Visitors from Brussels--Visit to Hougoumont--A Contr...
15. CHAPTER I.The return of Napoleon from Elba, though a surprise to many, was far from being so to those who, well aware of his restless disposition, his insatiable ambition, and the enthusi...
16. CHAPTER II.Our keel had scarcely touched the sand ere we were abruptly boarded by a naval officer (Captain Hill) with a gang of sailors, who, _sans cérémonie_, instantly commenced hoisting...
17. CHAPTER III.Right glad were we to find ourselves at last _en route_ from this dismal place. In passing through the streets towards the barrier, soon after leaving the quays, we found that w...
18. CHAPTER IV._16th._ Marched through a country very similar to that of yesterday--that is, flat rich soil, highly cultivated, very populous, and diversified with patches of wood, &c.--to Ecc...
19. CHAPTER V._April 24._--Orders to march to-morrow morning to Thermonde. At a loss to know where this can be, but find it is Dendermonde. Whether this be in consequence of any movement of t...
20. CHAPTER VI.Finding all quiet, and that our move hither from Ghent had only been for the purpose of bringing us nearer to the cavalry, whose headquarters were at Ninove, and into a more abu...
21. CHAPTER VII.The next morning a most superb breakfast was on my table when I returned from a stroll in the woods--the finest milk, eggs, and butter I ever saw in my life, and in profusion. M...
22. CHAPTER VIII.I have confessed a little farther back that the happiness of our sojourn in this lovely country was not without some alloy; and having done so, I may add one or two more items t...
23. CHAPTER IX.Whilst our army thus revelled in luxury in this fine country, that of the enemy, we understood, was concentrating on our frontier, preparatory to the grand blow which was to dri...
24. CHAPTER X._May 29th._--Grand cavalry review near Grammont, in the fine meadows on the banks of the Dender, for the use of which, it is said, as much as £400 or £500 were paid.
25. CHAPTER XI._June 16th._--It would appear that our Quartermaster-General of the cavalry took a peculiar pleasure in disturbing people at very unseasonable hours. He served me so at Dendermo...
26. CHAPTER XII.The firing began to grow slacker, and even intermitting, as we entered on the field of Quatre Bras--our horses stumbling from time to time over corpses of the slain, which they...
27. CHAPTER XIII._June 18th._--Memorable day! Some time before daybreak the bombardier who had been despatched to Langeveldt returned with a supply of ammunition. He reported that he had been mu...
28. CHAPTER XIV._19th._--The cool air of the morning lasted not long; the rising sun soon burst in all his glory over our bloody bivouac, and all nature arose into renewed life, except the vict...