four thousand three hundred men and ninety guns more than Wellington.  But this does not represent the full disparity of strength, for Wellington had but eighteen thousand five hundred British infantry including the German legion—­who having fought through the Peninsular were excellent troops—­seven thousand eight hundred cavalry and three thousand five hundred artillery.  The remainder of his force consisted of troops of Hanover, Brunswick, Nassau, Holland, and Belgium, upon whom comparatively little reliance could be placed.  The British infantry consisted almost entirely of young soldiers; while the whole of Napoleon’s force were veterans.

As early as six o’clock in the morning both armies had taken up the positions in which they were intended to fight.  The British infantry were lying down, the cavalry dismounted in their rear, and so completely were they hidden from the sight of the French that Napoleon believed they had retreated, and was greatly enraged at their having, as he supposed, escaped him.  While he was expressing his annoyance, General Foy, who had served against the duke in the Peninsula, rode up and said: 

“Your majesty is distressing yourself without just reason, Wellington never shows his troops until they are needed.  A patrol of horse will soon find out whether he is before us or not, and if he be I warn your majesty that the British infantry are the very devil to fight.”

The emperor soon discovered that the British were still in front of him; for the English regiments were directed to clean their arms by firing them off, and the heavy fusillade reached Napoleon’s ears.  At eight o’clock Wellington, who was anxiously looking over in the direction from which he expected the Prussians to appear, saw a body of mounted men in the distance, and soon afterward a Prussian orderly rode in and informed him that they were on the march to his assistance, and would soon be on the field.

Grouchy had, in fact, altogether failed to intercept them.  Napoleon had made up his mind that after Ligny the Prussians would retreat toward Namur, and sent Grouchy in pursuit of them along that road.  That officer had gone many miles before he discovered the route they had really taken, and only came up with the rear of their column at Wavre on the morning of Waterloo.  Blucher left one division to oppose him, and marched with the other three to join Wellington.

It was not until nearly ten o’clock that the French attack began; then a column moved down from the heights of La Belle Alliance against the wood of Hougoumont, and as it approached the leading companies broke up into skirmishing order.  As these arrived within musketry range a scattering fire broke out from the hedges in front of the wood, and the battle of Waterloo had begun.