The Twelve Great Battles of England, Etc |
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advance Agincourt allied archers arms arrived artillery attack Baliol battalions began Blucher body brigade British army Bruce campaign cavalry centre charge columns commander contest corps Crecy cuirassiers defeat disorder division duke duke's Earl Edward eight eighty thousand emperor enemy enemy's engaged England English English army Falkirk fell field of battle fifty thousand fight five hundred flank force forty four France French army Froissart fugitives gave Gourgaud Grouchy Hanoverian Harfleur Harold historian horse Hougoumont hundred and fifty Imperial Guard infantry killed king knights La Haye Sainte land Lord Lord Wellington loss Marlborough Marshal Marshal Tallard Meanwhile men at arms Napoleon never Norman Normandy o'clock ordered Poictiers Portugal position prince Prussian rear regiment retreat sand Saxon Scotland Scottish sent seven Sir Arthur soldiers Spain Spanish strength struggle thirty thousand thou took troops twelve thousand victory Vittoria Waterloo Wavre Wellington wounded
Popular passages
Page 197 - I advised him to have nothing to do with so foul a transaction ; that he and I had acted too distinguished parts in these transactions to become executioners; and that I was determined that if the Sovereigns wished to put him to death they should appoint an executioner, which should not be me.
Page 98 - was the celebrated battle which the French call the battle of Hochstet, the Germans Plentheim, and the English Blenheim. The conquerors had about five thousand killed, and eight thousand wounded, the greater part being on the side of Prince Eugene. The French army was almost entirely destroyed : of sixty thousand men, so long victorious, there never reassembled more than twenty thousand effective. About twelve thousand killed, fourteen thousand prisoners, all the cannon, a prodigious number of...
Page 126 - I saw him late in the evening of that great day, when the advancing flashes of cannon and musketry, stretching as far as the eye could command, shewed in the darkness how well the field was won ; he was alone, the flush of victory was on his brow, and his eyes were eager and watchful, but his voice was calm, and even gentle. More than the rival of Marlborough, since he had defeated greater warriors than Marlborough ever encountered, with a prescient pride he seemed only to accept this glory, as an...
Page 138 - Sebastian were invested. Joseph's reign was over, the crown had fallen from his head, and after years of toils and combats which had been rather admired than understood, the English general, emerging from the chaos of the Peninsular struggle, stood on the summit of the Pyrenees a recognized conqueror. From those lofty pinnacles the clangor of his trumpets pealed clear and loud, and the splendor of his genius appeared as a flaming beacon to warring nations.
Page 195 - On the night of the memorable hattle," says a British officer, " the words and emotions of the conqueror will long be remembered with those who sat with him at supper, after the anxious and awful day had closed. The fountain of a great heart lies deep, and the self-government of a calm mind permits no tears. But this night, Wellington repeatedly leaned back upon his chair, and rubbing his hands convulsively, exclaimed aloud,
Page 163 - Never did I see such a pounding match. Both were what the boxers call gluttons. Napoleon did not manoeuvre at all. He just moved forward in the old style, in columns, and was driven off in the old style. The only difference was, that he mixed cavalry with his infantry, and supported both with an enormous quantity of artillery. ' I had the infantry for some time in squares, and we had the French cavalry walking about us as if they had been our own. I never saw the British infantry behave so well.
Page 173 - The decisive moment was come ; there was not an instant to be lost. The Generals did not suffer it to escape. They resolved immediately to begin the attack with the troops which they had at hand.
Page 137 - Behind them was the plain in which the city stood, and beyond the city, thousands of carriages and animals and non-combatants, men, women and children, were crowding together, in all the madness of terror, and as the English shot went booming overhead...
Page 79 - This gentleman being sent out by Henry, before the battle, to reconnoitre the enemy, and to find out their strength, made this report : — " May it please you, my liege, there are enough to be killed, enough to be taken prisoners, and enough to run away.
Page 69 - At this time, a body of English came down from the hill, and, passing along the battalions on horseback, accompanied by a large body of archers, fell upon one of the wings of the duke of Normandy's division. To say the truth...