It was at this very moment, when WELLINGTON's situation had become so extremely critical, that two Infantry Brigades of the Third Division, under Lieutenant General Sir CHARLES ALTEN, most opportunely reached the Field of Action by the Nivelles road. They were the Fifth British Brigade, commanded by Major General Sir COLIN HALKETT, and the First Hanoverian Brigade, under Major General Count KIELMANSEGGE; and were accompanied by Major LLOYD's Battery of British Foot Artillery, and by Captain CLEEVES's Battery of Hanoverian Foot Artillery.
By the arrival of these troops WELLINGTON's force was augmented as follows:--
+------------------+---------------------------+--------+-------+----+ | | |Infantry|Cavalry|Guns| | | +--------+-------+----+ | |Force already in the Field | 18,090| 2,004| 30| | | | | | | |British { |Fifth Infantry Brigade | 2,254| | | | { |Battery of Foot Artillery | | | 6| | | | | | | |K.G. Legion | Do. do do. | | | 6| | | | | | | |Hanoverians |First Infantry Brigade | 3,189| | | | | | | | | |Dutch-Belgians |7th Dutch Line Battalion | 731| | | | | +--------+-------+----+ | | | 24,264| 2,004| 42| +------------------+---------------------------+--------+-------+----+
About the same time, NEY's troops were reinforced by the remaining Division of KELLERMANN's Corps of Heavy Cavalry, so that his whole force was constituted as follows:--
+-----------------------------+----------+-----------+-----+ | |Infantry. | Cavalry. |Guns.| | +----------+-----------+-----+ |Force already in the Field | 16,189| 3,472| 44| |Eleventh Cavalry Division | | 1,502| | |1 Battery of Horse Artillery | | | 6| | +----------+-----------+-----+ | | 16,189| 4,974| 50| +-----------------------------+----------+-----------+-----+
NEY, on perceiving the arrival of this reinforcement to the Anglo-Allied troops, despatched a peremptory Order to D'ERLON to hasten to his support and join him without a moment's delay; and having well calculated the advantages he still retained, he resolved upon a bold and vigorous effort to secure the victory.
The greater portion of the Wood of Bossu was now in his possession; and this circumstance appeared to him to present the means of establishing himself at Quatre Bras, and of thus enabling him effectually to turn WELLINGTON's Right Flank, and cut off his line of retreat upon Brussels. With this view he had already greatly reinforced his Infantry in the Wood through which he had even ordered the advance of two Batteries, in a direction parallel to, and within a very short distance of, its eastern boundary, so that they might be prepared to act upon the plain, as soon as circumstances rendered such a proceeding advisable or expedient. He now also threw forward additional Light Troops to strengthen his extreme Right in the vicinity of Piermont; whilst his Cavalry, so vastly superior, both in numbers and in efficiency, to that which the British Commander had brought into the Field, constituted his main central force, and compensated in a great measure for the deficiency created in this point of his line by the drawing off of the Infantry to the Flanks.