NAPOLEON trail in Wallonia / June 1815

Let your imagination reproduce the decor and the events of the final days of the Waterloo Campaign in June 1815, from Hestrud (France) to Waterloo. The geo-reference points of this 118 kilometre marked trail alternate between historical content and tourist information.

You are in the French village of Hestrud. Here lies a stele that commemorates the emperor’s passage through the village. It lies at the end of a path, on the banks of the river and states that Napoleon was letting his horse drink at that very spot where he met a young boy. The mentioning of this, seemingly insignificant anecdote on a commemorative plaque placed there in 1993 reveals the strength of Napoleon’s legend. True or not, this insignificant detail of history is bursting with a certain aura, as all along this Napoleon Trail history and myth intertwine and feed each other’s notoriety. Anything that touches on the famous “Hundred (final) Days” of Napoleon’s reign is scrutinised, commented and sometimes fantasised about.

Beaumont lies on a beautiful stone escarpment that overlooks the Hante valley. The area has been inhabited since the Roman era. The strategic placement and position of Beaumont on the border of the old county of Hainaut justified the construction of a fortified compound in the 12th century by Count Baldwin IV. The Tour Salamandre, which stands out in the foreground of the landscape that you will discover, is one of the relics of this ancient compound, even if, in its present state, the tower dates back to the 16th century. As the town changed very little since the Middle Ages, Beaumont very much resembles the town that Napoleon discovered in 14 June 1815.

Beaumont lies on a beautiful stone escarpment that overlooks the Hante valley. The area has been inhabited since the Roman era. The strategic placement and position of Beaumont on the border of the old county of Hainaut justified the construction of a fortified compound in the 12th century by Count Baldwin IV. The Tour Salamandre, which stands out in the foreground of the landscape that you will discover, is one of the relics of this ancient compound, even if, in its present state, the tower dates back to the 16th century. As the town changed very little since the Middle Ages, Beaumont very much resembles the town that Napoleon discovered in 14 June 1815.

Napoleon spent a night in Beaumont, from 14 to 15 June 1815, 4 days before the battle of Waterloo. He stayed in the old château des Caraman-Chimay on the Grand-Place. Napoleon enjoyed the hospitality of a very powerful and family famous for being the heirs to the Principality of Chimay since 1804. The building probably stands on the site of an old medieval fortress from the 11th century. It was fully converted in a neo-gothic style between 1805 and 1845. Since 1937, when it was bought by the sœurs de Paridaens, the building has housed the Institut Trinité Notre-Dame. The Northern French army, which was approximately 120.000 strong, had set up camp in a space of 35 by 9 km. Each soldier had enough food for four days and a stewardship service accompanied the army. It was indeed necessary to assure the favour of the civilian population that had been French, by avoiding marauding by French soldier.

While Napoleon slept in downtown Beaumont, troops bivouacked at the edge of town, towards Charleroi, at a place called La Marzelle. This place is now a field like any other but it is said that this is where some deserters exchanged their uniforms for civilian clothes. The uniforms that were left behind were subsequently used by the locals in local processions and gave birth to Military Marches of the Entre-Sambre and Meuse. As is often the case along the Napoleon Trail, the official history feeds popular legend; interpretive levels overlap and feed remembrance and the memory of the passage of the Napoleonic armies.

The movements of an army like that of Napoleon are beyond belief. The Northern Army that was mobilised in the 1815 campaign consisted of about 120.000 men. With paths are primarily reserved for rolling stock and horsemen, infantry units progressed through fields, in formation kilometres abreast. In fact, in 1815 distance was not measured in kilometres, but in leagues, a league being the equivalent of about 4.4 kilometres. Napoleon passed Donstienne Windmill at dawn on 15 June 1815. This monument, of manorial character is listed in the list of possessions of the Abbey of Lobbes from 866. Thanks to renovation works, it is now possible visit the site, with the owner, Mr Philippe Declercq’s permission.

On the morning of 15 June 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte skirted the Ferme de la Cour, in Ragnies. This large operation that depended on the former Benedictine abbey of Lobbes used many old buildings around a courtyard. But the name of this farm came more from its tower resembling a dungeon that housed a court at the end of the Middle Ages. Today, the farm contains the famous Biercée Distillery, the only genuine distillery that uses local fruit. It has gained an international reputation thanks to the high quality of its brandies that would have had their place in the canteens of Napoleon’s armies. A few kilometres from here, over main road in Thuillies, it is said that the armed emperor’s troops hid the imperial treasure in the enigmatic Maison Tchiquette.

Isolated and preserved, Marbiseul farm remained intact. It is accessed by a dovecote doorway that opens onto a large paved tower, bordered by 18th century outbuildings. Napoleon must have discover it on 15 June 1815 just as we can still admire it today. In 1815 this region was soaked by weeks of continuous rain. The fields were waterlogged and road were quickly ploughed by the marching soldiers, horses' hooves, carriage wheels and French guns. But this detestable climate made things equally difficult for their opponents.

Saint-Roch chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of Victory, is situated in the locality called "les Trois Arbres" (the Three Trees). The Emperor went there on 15 June 1815 around 9:30pm to inspect several corps. Upon his return to power in March 1815 Napoleon noticed the deplorable state of the finances of the French state and the shortcomings of the army in terms of equipment and supplies. Napoleon poured everything into his war effort during the spring of 1815. Faced with foreign threats and despite difficulties acquiring raw materials, the Decree of 29 March 1815 required all workers exempt from military service to go to work in the Imperial factories mass producing weapons and uniforms. 235,000 rifles were manufactured in a matter of weeks. The effort was so comprehensive that the army which marched before Napoleon on 15 June had all its equipment.

Saint-André church in Jamioulx was Napoleon’s last known stop before entering Charleroi on 15 June 1815. The present building dates back to 1858 but the grave of the priest Jean Nicolas Jénicot is still visible in the cemetery. It is said here that the Emperor was struck by the intelligence of this priest and that he promised to appoint him Bishop of Tournai. It is important to note that Napoleon considered the Catholic religion to be a body of the French state in itself. He tried to reconcile the anti-clerical revolutionary values and moral and social role played by the church. As such, the Emperor appoints bishops and clergy is paid by the French State. The priests could, in a manner of speaking, be considered state officials.

Wood du Cazier is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The architectural ensemble consists of three parallel sets of buildings with two head frames. The site of a major mining tragedy, the Bois du Cazier has devoted a space to the memory of the disaster and also houses the Museum of Industry and the Glass Museum.

The Church of Saint-Martin stands near the Sambre, the current sanctuary occupies the site of a Romanesque church whose tower is a remnant of the old monument dating from the twelfth century. 19 metres high, it was both a refuge and a fortress. As for the church, it was rebuilt in the late sixteenth century.

Progress towards Charleroi was punctuated by fighting between Napoleonic vanguards and Prussian troops positioned south of the city. Charleroi was indeed a central position of major importance to the Allied armies against Napoleon. British General Wellington’s headquarters were based in Brussels while the Prussian General Blücher was set up in Namur. Charleroi was therefore the pivotal city between these two positions. Napoleon stayed in the lower part of the city in the Puissant master blacksmiths’ home, a building that has now disappeared. He most likely wrote his "Bulletins of the Grande Armée". These campaign reports were distributed the next day to the troops on the ground and across Europe. They had an informative but also a propagandist dimension. In the Bulletin of the Army of 15 June 1815, one can read that "the joy of the Belgians is indescribable. There are villages that, at the sight of their liberators, formed dances, and everywhere it is an impulse that comes from the heart".

Progress towards Charleroi was punctuated by fighting between Napoleonic vanguards and Prussian troops positioned south of the city. Charleroi was indeed a central position of major importance to the Allied armies against Napoleon. British General Wellington’s headquarters were based in Brussels while the Prussian General Blücher was set up in Namur. Charleroi was therefore the pivotal city between these two positions. Napoleon stayed in the lower part of the city in the Puissant master blacksmiths home, a building that has now disappeared. He most likely wrote his "Bulletins of the Grande Armée". These campaign reports were distributed the next day to the troops on the ground and across Europe. They had an informative but also a propagandist dimension. In the Bulletin of the Army of 15 June 1815, one can read that "the joy of the Belgians is indescribable. There are villages that, at the sight of their liberators, formed dances, and everywhere it is an impulse that comes from the heart".

With the occupation of Charleroi and the position of French troops on the roads to Brussels and Namur, Napoleon had a serious tactical advantage over his enemies on the morning of 16 June. Especially as, despite the mud, he had successfully used the element of surprise. Wellington was only warned of the Napoleonic army’s astonishing progress on the evening of 15 June. As Napoleon had intended, there was now a gap between the two enemy forces. Having understood Napoleon’s plan to confront the British and Prussian armies separately, Wellington decided to halt the emperor’s progress at the Quatre-Bras crossroads. Firstly, because the highly strategic Charleroi-Brussels and Nivelles-Namur roads met at Quatre-Bras. Secondly, because the position was easy to defend and more favourable to the British.

Napoleon launched his campaign in Belgium to prevent coalition forces from gathering and invading France. Taking advantage of the fact that Russian and Austrian forces were late to join the north of the French border, Napoleon went on the offensive, hoping to prevent the gathering of the British and Prussian armies at the gates of France. Napoleon's tactical thinking was to invade the territory of modern-day Belgium by surprise to prevent his enemies from joining forces and enabling him to confront the Prussians and British separately. The campaign in Belgium saw 124.000 French troops face a force of 220.000 soldiers allied against Napoleon. Armies from Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany under the command of the Duke of Wellington gathered together 100.000 soldiers. The Prussian troops under the command of Blücher numbered 120.000.

Rather than retire to the north to join Wellington, Blücher concentrated his troops around Ligny between Fleurus and Sombreffe. He hoped to crush Napoleon, believing that he was only up against the 50.000 French troops that were advancing toward him and counting on the support of Wellington on his right flank in the heart of the battle. However, he did not realise that Napoleon had kept reinforcements back from the battle and that Marshall Ney would attack Wellington at Quatre Bras. When he arrived in Fleurus, Napoleon climbed to the top of the Naveau windmill to overlook the battlefield in Ligny. As with all other battles, Napoleon chose the highest point so that he could watch the fighting unfold from a distance. Surrounded by his staff officers, orders were transmitted to the field of operations by experienced messenger riders.

Napoleon moved his headquarters and spent the night of 16 to 17 June in a room on the first floor of the Château de la Paix. 16 June was a day of heavy loss for the Prussians. Depending on the source, more than 20.000 of their men were killed, wounded or missing, as opposed to only 8.000 on the French side. This disparity can be explained by Blücher’s choice of tactics. He had closed ranks to ensure the numerical superiority of his troops. The Prussian columns were so tight that the French artillery had no trouble decimating entire columns. If the cannonballs did not hit the front lines, they were taking out the reserves.

It was from the edge of the village of Brye, away from the fighting, that the Prussian leader led his troops on the battlefield. Like Napoleon, Blücher took place at the top of a windmill, that of Bussy. This is where Wellington came to meet Blücher to take the measure of the French forces. The content of relations between Blucher and Wellington are still subject to discussion: had they had time to establish a common strategy to counter Napoleon's plans? While the battle seemed already to be beyond the Prussians, Blücher, aged 73, charged at the head of his cavalry. However, his horse fell under gunfire and pinned the Field Marshall to the ground. He avoided capture thanks to the darkness that had fallen over the battlefield and was rescued by his camp aides.

Artillery was one of the deadliest forces on the battlefields of the early 19th century. The sheer number of guns present during this campaign were pretty impressive: Napoleon had approximately 370, Wellington had 250 and Blücher had 280. During the Battle of Ligny, the Prussian battery took up a position on the Brye plateau to dominate the landscape. Even today, we can see the strategic importance of this location. Most guns used during mobile campaigns in those days were bronze cannons weighing a ton at the most. These guns had a maximum range of 400 to 800 metres.

While Napoleon was facing Blücher at Ligny, Marshall Ney faced the forefront of Wellington's army at the Quatre Bras crossroad. Early in the battle, before the arrival of reinforcements, the French Marshall had only 8.000 men to face the 14.000 British, Dutch and German allies under Wellington’s command. Without going into detail on the precise course of the battle, the result is quite clear: Ney lost 4.300 men, Wellington lost 4.700. At 9pm, everyone had more or less resumed their original position, with the British led forces blocked and unable to come to the aid of the Prussians. The Quatre Bras crossroad is a symbolic place. Five monuments stand there to remind us. First the large Gémioncourt farm which remained in the hands of the allies during the entire battle. From either side of the junction, four other memorials evoke the sacrifice of the British, Dutch, German and Belgian soldiers. A little clarification is necessary regarding these "Belgian" forces before Belgium became independent in 1830. In 1815, the territory of modern-day Belgium had officially been under the rule of William II of the Netherlands since 1 August 1814. Although today it appears that some of the so-called Belgian units consisted of German and Dutch soldiers, the issue of "Belgians" fighting in the conflict was subject to controversy as some would have liked to see them fight with the republican, francophone French forces, while others preferred to link them to the allied Germanic forces who had occupied our regions since August 1814.

The Battle of Waterloo was only the final episode of this campaign in Belgium. The events of the days preceding 18 June were decisive in determining the outcome of the battle. Let’s recount some of the major events: Regarding Napoleon’s attitude towards the Prussians: on 16 June 1815, Napoleon managed to defeat Blücher at Ligny but not completely crush the Prussian, allowing them to fall back and regroup. On 17 June Napoleon wasted the whole morning before sending, much too late, Field Marshall Grouchy and his troops in pursuit of the Prussians. On June 18, Blücher managed to rejoin Wellington at Waterloo and inflicted defeat upon the French. As for Napoleon's attitude towards the British: 16 June 1815, Napoleon blocked Wellington at Quatre Bras. On 17 June he marched on Brussels but Wellington instead chose to confront him at Mont-Saint-Jean. On 18 June Wellington had a terrain advantage, with the bulk of his troops positioned on the higher ground above the battlefield of Waterloo.

Napoleon set up his last headquarters at the Ferme du Caillou on the evening of 17 June 1815. The farm now houses a small museum dedicated to the memory of the Emperor’s stay. The park also contains a statue of Napoleon in his legendary attire and French ossuary built in 1813. The day of 17 June was a trying one for all the protagonists of this historical episode. It is said that it rained heavily for nearly 8 hours straight, turning fields into swamps and paths into rivers of mud.

On the eve of the battle of Waterloo, Field Marshall Grouchy had set off in pursuit of General Blücher and his Prussian army in the hope of stopping him from joining Wellington's army. But he was 15 hours behind the Prussians. Everyone in Waterloo had Grouchy’s continuing pursuit of Blücher on their minds. Convinced that he could beat the British without reinforcements from Grouchy, Napoleon was counting on his Field Marshall to prevent Blücher from re-joining the battlefield. In the other camp, Wellington expected Blucher’s numbers to create numerical advantage over the French armies. Without Prussian reinforcements, Wellington could only align 67.000 soldiers to face the 74.000 French force. At 11am, Napoleon set himself up at La Belle Alliance farm, next to a natural mound that he used as an observation point. The Battle of Waterloo began at around 11:30am with the French assault on Hougoumont farm. A square farm, fortified before the battle and located at the bottom of the slope to the west of the battlefield. The attack on the farm had only one tactical aim: to focus Wellington’s attention and efforts on his right flank, allowing Napoleon to better pierce the centre of the British army and split up the troops.

Waterloo ! Waterloo ! Waterloo ! Morne plaine ! Comme une onde qui bout dans une urne trop pleine, Dans son cirque de bois, de coteaux, de vallons, La pâle mort mêlait les sombres bataillons. These first lines of (Les) Châtiments" were written by Victor Hugo. He lived in Waterloo from May to July 1861 in order to soak up the essence of the site and the poem was a huge success in 1870, after the end of the Second Empire. Thanks to Victor Hugo, literature has become the true resting place of France’s collective memory of the battle. The Victor Hugo column is located near the French Wounded Eagle Monument, was inaugurated on 28 June 1904 and is dedicated the last soldiers of Napoleon’s Grande Armée. These French monuments are also close to La Belle Alliance farm, Napoleon's last command centre.

The first monument commemorating the campaign in Belgium to be erected was the Lion’s Mound during the Dutch regime, between 1815 and 1826. The Lion erected on top of the mound, facing towards France, was made in the Cockerill factories of Seraing in the province of Liège. It was the largest cast iron piece ever to have been cast at the time, measuring 4.45m high, 4.50m long and weighing 28 tons. On the evening of June 18, 1815, the fields around the Lion were strewn with 10.000 dead, 30.000 injured and thousands of horse carcasses. Like most other memorials erected on the Napoleon Trail, the Lion’s Mound is a burial mound which celebrates the fallen soldiers as heroes. However, the mound is more of a "knoll dripping with blood". The Lion’s Mound came to symbolise more and more depending on the era and the origin of its visitors. It initially celebrated the victory of the British, Prussian, Dutch and “Belgian” victory. Today, such is the legend and cult status of Napoleon that the Mound symbolises the glorious and tragic destiny of the emperor. Rarely has a monument to the victors fed so much the legend of the defeated".

In the second part of the afternoon of 18 June 1815, fighting raged around La Haie Sainte. It was that during that afternoon that Field Marshall Ney led his 10.000-strong French cavalry on major repeated charges against the British defensive square which resisted the onslaught. Meanwhile, the Prussians had joined the battlefield to Napoleon’s right, and fighting of a rare intensity would take place in the village of Plancenoit, where it was the French who resisted against the attacks of the significantly numerically superior Prussian troops. The battle was not yet won or lost yet for anyone, but time was short for Napoleon, who risked being squeezed, even though Haie Sainte farm fell into French hands for a while. Napoleon then sent his Imperial Guard into battle in an attempt to gain victory over Wellington, but the latter, with unwavering determination, did not give up any ground. On the contrary, his troops inflicted terrible losses on the elite of the Napoleonic army, who eventually retreated, a move that caused the French to collapse. Around 9:30pm, Wellington and Blücher met at La Belle Alliance to savour their decisive victory over the French emperor together.

Opening times The Waterloo Battlefield is open every day, all around the year. April to September: 9.30 a.m. – 6.30 p.m. October to March: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Last admission: 1/2 hour before the Battlefield closes. Tél. : +32 2 385 19 12 Fax : +32 2 385 00 52 reservations@waterloo1815.be