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DISPATCHES FROM WELLINGTON TO BATHURST,
JULY 2 & 4, 1815
The London Gazette Extraordinary
Friday, July 7.
War Department
Downing Street, July 7, 1815
Captain Lord Arthur Hill arrived last night with dispatches
of which the following are an exact extract and a copy, addressed
to Earl Bathurst by his Grace the Duke of Wellington, dated
Gonasse, 2nd and 4th instant.
Gonasse, 2nd July 1815
The enemy attacked the advanced guard of Marshal Prince
Blucher's corps at Villars Coterets, on the 28th, but the main
body coming up, they were driven off, with the loss of six pieces
of cannon, and about one thousand prisoners.
It appears that these troops were on the march from Soissons to
Paris, and having been driven off that road by the Prussian
troops at Villars Coterets, they got upon that of Meaux. They
were attacked again upon this road by General Bulow, who took
from them 500 prisoners, and drove them across the Marne.
They have, however, got into Paris.
The advanced guard of the allied army under my command crossed
the Oise on the 29th, and the whole on the 30th, and we yesterday
took up a position with the right upon the height of Rochebourg,
and the left upon the Bois de Bondy.
Field Marshal Prince Blucher having taken the village of
Aubervilliers, or Vertus, on the morning of the 30th June, moved
to his right, and crossed the Seine at St. Germain as I advanced,
and he will this day have his right at Plessis Pique, his left at
St. Cloud, and the reserve at Versailles.
The enemy have fortified the heights of Montmartre and the town
of St. Denis strongly, and by means of the little rivers Rouillon
and la Vielle Mar, they have inundated the ground on the north
side of that town, and water having been introduced into the
canal de l'Ourcq, and the bank formed into a parapet and
batteries, they have a strong position on this side of Paris.
The heights of Belleville are likewise strongly fortified, but I
am not aware that any defensive works have been thrown up on the
left of the Seine.
Having collected in Paris all the troops remaining after the
battle of the 18th, and all the depots of the whole army, it is
supposed the enemy have there about 40,000 or 50,000 troops of
the line and guards, besides the national guards, a new levy,
called Les Tirailleurs de la Garde, and the Federes.
I have great pleasure in informing your Lordship that Quesnoy
surrendered to his Royal Highness Prince Frederick of the
Netherlands on the 29th June.
I enclose the copy of his Royal Highness's report upon this
subject, in which your Lordship will observe with satisfaction
the intelligence and spirit with which this young Prince
conducted this affair.
I likewise understand that Bassume has surrendered to the officer
sent by the King of France to take possession of that town.
(Translation)
"Petit Wargnies, June 28, 1815.
On the day before yesterday I had the honour of receiving
your Grace's letter, dated Joncourt, 26th inst. Sent by your Aide-de-Camp,
Captain Catheart, whom I have requested to inform your Excellency,
that Marshal Count Rothallier had arrived this morning to summon
the place in the name of Louis XVIII. He entered into a
negotiation with Lieutenant General Despreaux, Governor of
Quesnoy. The only result, however, produced by this, was a very
singular reply from the Governor, from which it appeared to me
that he might possibly be induced to capitulate, and I determined
at once on firing some shells and shot into the town, and of
advancing our tirailleurs to the very flacis, to annoy them in
every quarter with a view of making some impression on the
Commandant, and of endeavouring, by that means, to excite to
revolt the national guards and inhabitants, who are said to be
well disposed towards us.
From the information collected as to the fortifications, there
appeared to me no reasonable chance of taking it by escalade, the
ditches being filled with water, in addition to the inundation
which had been made. At 11 o'clock at night, I ordered five
howitzers and six six-pounders to open on the town, and I
continued the fire until three o'clock at day-break. The town was
at one time on fire in three places, but the fire was shortly
extinguished. Some men were killed in the town and several
wounded, which appears to have produced exactly the effect which
I wished. Last night, General Anthing, who commands the Indian
brigade, sent an officer with the proposals to the Commandant,
according to the authority which I had given to him, and coupled
with a threat of bombardment and assault.
Upon this a negotiation was entered into, which ended in the
signing of the following capitulation, this night; that is to say,
that he would send an officer, with an Aide-de-Camp of General
Anthing, to Cambray, to ascertain the fact of the residence of
the King of France in that town, and the abdication of Bonaparte
in favour of his son, and that, thereupon, he would give us this
night (at six o'clock) possession of the Port des Forets, to be
occupied by a company of artillery, and that the next morning the
garrison should march out of the town; the national guards to lay
down their arms, and return to their homes; the Commander, and
that part of the garrison who were not national guards, were to
go and receive the orders of Louis XVIII, in whose name we shall
take possession of the town."
Gonasse, July 4, 1815.
My Lord -- Field Marshal Prince Blucher was strongly opposed
by the enemy in taking the position on the left of the Seine,
which I reported in my dispatch of the 2nd instant, that he
intended to take up on that day, particularly on the heights of
St. Cloud and Meudon; but the gallantry of the Prussian troops,
under General Ziethen, surmounted every obstacle, and they
succeeded finally in establishing themselves on the heights of
Meudon, and in the village of Issy. The French attacked them
again at Issy at three o'clock in the morning of the 3rd, but
were repulsed with considerable loss; and finding that Paris was
then open on its vulnerable side, that a communication was opened
between the two allied armies by a bridge which I had had
established at Argenteuil, and that a British corps was likewise
moving upon the left of the Seine, towards the Pont de Neuilly,
the enemy sent to desire that the firing might cease on both
sides of the Seine, with a view to the negotiations at the palace
of St. Cloud, of a military convention between the armies, under
which the French army should evacuate Paris.
Officers accordingly met on both sides at St. Cloud; and I
enclose the copy of the military convention which was agreed to
last night, and which had been ratified by Marshal Prince Blucher
and me, and by the Prince d'Echmuhl on the part of the French
army.< BR> This convention decides all the military
questions at this moment existing here, and touches nothing
political.
General Lord Hill has marched to take possession of the posts
evacuated by agreement this day, and I propose tomorrow to take
possession of Montmartre.
I send this dispatch by my Aide-de-Camp, Captain Lord Arthur Hill,
by way of Calais. He will be able to inform your Lordship of any
further particulars, and I beg leave to recommend him to your
favour and protection.
Wellington
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