"
Had the duke been able to concentrate his force round Quatre Bras in
time, he intended to aid the Prussians by taking the offensive; but
the unfortunate delay that had taken place in sending the news of the
French advance on the previous morning rendered it now impossible that
he should do so, and he therefore rode back to Quatre Bras to arrange
for its defence against the French corps that was evidently gathering
to attack it.
It was well for the allies that Napoleon was not in a position to
attack in force at daybreak. His troops, instead of being concentrated
the night before at Fleurus, were scattered over a considerable extent
of country, and many of them were still beyond the Sambre. Marshal
Ney, who had been appointed to the command of the corps, intended to
push through Quatre Bras and march straight on Brussels, had only
arrived the evening before, and was ignorant of the position of the
various divisions under his command. Therefore it was not until two
o'clock in the afternoon that Napoleon advanced with sixty thousand
men to attack the Prussians at Ligny, while at about the same hour the
column under Ney advanced from Frasnes against Quatre Bras. The delay
was fatal to Napoleon's plans.
Had the battles commenced at daybreak, Ney could have brushed aside
the defenders of Quatre Bras, and would have been at Mount St.
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