Chapter I: Front Matter

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been
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Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.

JOURNAL

OF THE

WATERLOO CAMPAIGN

JOURNAL

OF THE

WATERLOO CAMPAIGN

KEPT THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN OF 1815

BY THE LATE

GENERAL CAVALIÉ MERCER

COMMANDING THE 9TH BRIGADE ROYAL ARTILLERY

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. II.

WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS
EDINBURGH AND LONDON
MDCCCLXX

_The Right of Translation is reserved_

CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER XV.
PAGE
Passage of the Army--The Road blocked up--Preparing to
Bivouac--The Nassauers--The White Flag--Reception at
Forêt--The Peasantry--Village of Montay--Ordered to
Return--A Night Alarm--A Halt--Visit to Cateau--Our
Allies Plundering--The German Bocks--Wretched Fare--Return
to Forêt--Female Costumes--Louis XVIII.--Again
on the Move--Difficulties of our March--Aspect of the
Country--Lose our Way--Our Destination at Last--Rejoin
the Main Army--Caulincourt’s Country House--Comfortable
Quarters--A Warm Welcome--Our Sleeping-Quarters--French
Cultivateurs--Their Characteristics--Our Dinner, 1

CHAPTER XVI.

Passage of the Somme--Indifference of the Natives--Our
Quarters--French Deserters--A French Chaussée--Mortemer and
its Miseries--Improved Aspect of the Country--First Traces
of the Prussians--Prussian Revenge--A Deputation--Valley
of the Oise--Its Scenery--Our March unopposed--Preparation
to Bivouac--Again in Advance--Beauty of the Scenery
at Verneuil--Our Bivouac--Plundering--Senlis--Feelings
of the Population--Prussian Lancers--Devastation by the
Prussians--Chenevière--Our Night-Quarters, 33

CHAPTER XVII.

The Cumberland Hussars--Warlike Rumours--Expectation and
Excitement--A Quiet Morning--Orders to Advance--We come on the
Enemy--Our Dilemma--In Sight of Montmartre--First Glimpse of
Paris--Prussian Devastations again--Comfortless Bivouac--Progress
of the Prussians--A Halt--Davoust’s Country Seat--Devastation
in it--Destruction of the Library--Churlishness of our
Allies--Rumours of Peace--St Denis--An Excursion--Aspect of the
Country--Revolting Destruction--The Destroyers at Work--Visitors
for Paris--Inconstancy of the People--Aspect of the Crowd--At
Arnouvilles--The Royal Cortège--Louis XVIII., 60

CHAPTER XVIII.

On the March--The Seine--Beauty of the Country--Passage of
the Seine--Colombes--Drawbacks--My Quarters--The Garden
and Grounds--View from my Window--My Chateau--Its
Furnishings--State of our Horses--An Excursion--The
Country round Paris--View of Paris--A Wet Day--My
Landlord--Country Pleasures--My Occupations--Our Fare--A
Fracas--Our Brunswickers Mutinous--Their Complaints--My
Answer to them--Harvesting--French Peasantry--The
Women--Food of the Peasantry--Inn Signs--A Lady of the Old
Régime--A Ride to Paris--The Seine and its Banks--First Visit
to Paris--Aspect of the Streets--Parisian Equipages--The
Champs Elysées--The Place Louis Quinze--The Austerlitz
Column--London and Paris--The Streets of Paris--The Boulevard
des Italiens, 94

CHAPTER XIX.

Our Major Domo--Inspection of Troops--Prospect of Change--Prussian
Bivouac--The Louvre--The Venus de Medici--The Laocoon and the
Apollo--The Paintings--The Tuileries--The Gardens--The Palais
Royal--Habitués of the Palais--Road to Malmaison--Malmaison--A
Panic--A Farmhouse--Versailles--Sevres and St Cloud--Hôtel Dieu
and Nôtre Dame--The Invalides--Models of Fortresses--A Sunday, 138

CHAPTER XX.

My New Quarters--Their Desolate Aspect--First Night in
them--Change of Abode--My New Residence--Ma’amselle Rose--A
She-Dragon--Our Fare--The Villagers--The Maire and
his Complaints--More Grievances--The Postmaster of St
Denis--Insolence of the Villagers--The Allied Sovereigns--A
Review--Difficulties--Order from Headquarters--A
Complaint--A Visitor--Rascalities--The French Police--Pertinacity
of my Persecutor--Church Reopened--Sunday in France--Review
of Prussians--A Scene--A Craven--Our Artillery--Positions
of Troops--Scenes of Battles--View from Montmartre--The Works
on Montmartre--Belleville and Vincennes--Aspect of
Country--Washerwomen--Village Gossip, 166

CHAPTER XXI.

Sisters of Charity--New Messroom--A House-warming--The Bond
Street of Paris--The Boulevards--Their Frequenters--Street-
Beggars--Street-Vendors--Street-Scenes--News-Rooms--Open-Air
Loungers--An Exquisite--A Parisian Restaurant--Waiters--Parisian
Cookery--Paris by Night--Torment of Flies--Amicable Relations--The
Peasantry--Again at Paris--A Russian Equipage--A Picturesque
Coachman--A Russian Boy--Russian Soldiers--The Austrians, 206

CHAPTER XXII.

My First Ride to Paris--The Aristocratic Quarters--Different
Quarters of the City--Differences in these--The Boulevards--The
Quays--The Squares of London and Paris--An Excursion--Again
in Paris--Numbering the Streets--The Jardin des Plantes--The
Menagerie--The Hothouses--Released from Arrest--An Unfortunate
Accident--A Comrade’s Quarters--Cabriolet-Drivers--The
Fountains--A Street-Lecturer--Itinerant Violinist--A Suicide--The
Change of Dynasty--The Luxembourg--The Chamber of Peers--The
Poultry and Flower Market--Marauding Neighbours--A
Capture--Bibliothèque Royale--Cabinet des Gravures--Shop-Signs
in Paris--The Palais Royal--Café Aux Milles Colonnes--A
Shoeblack’s Establishment--The Jardin du Prince--The Place
des Innocens--The Vegetable Markets--The Louvre once more--The
Statuary, 233

CHAPTER XXIII.

Admiral Rosily’s Villa--The Duke and the 5th Division--Views
in the Neighbourhood--Our Patron Saint--Village Amusements--The
Fauigny Affair--M. Fauigny and the Duke--Injustice
of the Duke--Indifference as to Dress--A General
Order--An Affray--Russian Review--The Allied Sovereigns--The
Russian Artillery--The Artillery Horses--Leave of Absence
at last--Regrets at Leaving--My Portmanteau--Departure--Our
Journey--We take the Wrong Road--At Amiens--The Hôtel
d’Angleterre--A Caravan Journey--A Cabriolet--A John Bull
Astray--Montreuil--An English Party--A Misadventure--England
once more, 273