THE internal economy and discipline of His Majesty's Armies having arrived at the highest state of perfection under the auspices of your Royal Highness, the World must acknowledge to how great an extent you have contributed to the splendid and glorious results of the last campaign. 1 Impressed with the most profound respect towards Your Royal Highness, I have the honor to dedicate this Narrative to you; being satisfied, that any Work, however humble, which treats of the BATTLE OF WATERLOO, and the immortal HERO under whom it was achieved, will meet the sanction and countenance of Your ROYAL HIGHNESS. I have the honor to be, With the highest respect, Your ROYAL HIGHNESS's Most faithful, devoted, and Obedient humble Servant, ARTHUR GORE, Captain 30th Regiment of Foot. TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. THE unparalleled consequences of the Battle of Waterloo, and the avidity which has been evinced throughout Great Britain to obtain every possible information respecting that memorable event, have induced me to offer to the Public a Translation of CRAAN'S Account of it, which comprises more genuine intelligence, and gives a clearer and more correct idea of the occurrences of that important epoch, than any other hitherto published. The very great and extraordinary merits which the Topographical Plan accompanying this Work has been generally allowed to possess, and the high and flattering encomiums with which it has been honored by several of the first and most exalted personages in Great Britain and in Europe, supersedes, on my part, the necessity of comment: however, I will venture to observe, that to those who had either relatives or friends upon the field, it will prove peculiarly interesting, as it distinctly points out the position where each regiment was respectively engaged. I have also undertaken this Narrative, which I respectfully submit to the Public, not only from the motives already stated, but from a personal esteem for the Author, and a desire to join in giving publicity to every circumstance connected with that glorious campaign, which, after so many years of bloodshed, has given peace and tranquillity to Europe! A. G. AN Historical Account OF THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO. INDICATIONS AND REFERENCES EXPLANATORY OF THE PLAN. In order to avoid repetition, the indications, alphabetically arranged, point out at once the position and formation of the respective corps; a particular description of which the nature of this Work will not admit. In referring to the plan, it will be necessary to pay considerable attention to the distinctive marks, characterized by the Roman and Italic Alphabets, used in the reference; and also to regard particularly the dotted lines, which lead from position to position. : THE ANGLO-ALLIED ARMY WAS UNDER THE COMMAND OF HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON (*). THE FIRST CORPS OF THE ARMY WAS COMMANDED BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS GENERAL THE PRince of oraNGE, AND OCCUPIED THE CENTRE OF THE POSITION OF THE ALLIED ARMY. B |