From our correspondent with the Allied army: A sight to make speech superfluous, indeed, so dry is one's mouth that speech is nigh impossible. At dawn the rain finally ceased and cold, soaked troops gradually appeared trying to dry their tunics and equipment and scavange for food. The battlefield is surprisingly small, only some 3,000 metres in length, although it is known that the Duke has considerable forces well to the west in case the Emperor attempts some surprise from that direction which would threaten his route to the ports were they needed. Both armies face each other across a shallow valley which runs due east and west. The valley is bisected down the middle, south to north, by the main road which eventually leads directly to Brussels. The allied army is drawn up on the northern ridge but, as is the Duke's habit learned in Spain, almost all of his troops are stationed just behind the ridge line in order to avoid the ravages of the French artillery. In another innovation learned in Spain, the Duke has mixed his formations so that the experienced and the inexperienced stand together. The bulk of the Duke's forces are to the right of the dividing road which is in line with his instinctive desire to ensure that in extremis he can move more easily to the west. There are two features to his front by which the Duke means to take advantage. Some 200 metres down the road leading to the French lines there is a small farmhouse on the right of the road called La Haie Sainte, and this has been filled with troops to act as a fortified strongpoint. Similarly, over on the Duke's right, but well forward of the ridge line, is a large chateau farmhouse called Hougoumont with walled gardens. Any advance by the French on to the Duke's right wing needs must deal with this obstacle first. Now we wait for the Emperor to strike. According to sources close to the Duke, he is content to wait, indeed, the longer the better so that there is sufficient time for Marshal Blucher to keep his promise and appear from the east striking at Napoleon's flank.
From our correspondent with the Emperor's HQ: At last the rain has stopped! it is early morning and the Emperor's soldiers are still marching in from the south and being deployed along the southern ridge of this east/west valley. The Emperor, himself, has taken station at a small inn called La Belle Alliance which lies on the main road to Brussles which divides the battle field. One aspect of his deployment is already clear - he has massed his guns to the right of centre in front of Gen. d' Erlon's Corps. To the left of the road he has stationed Gen. Reille's Corps which faces the large Chateau Hougoumont currently occupied by Allied forces. One of Gen. Reille's divisions has the honour of being commanded by the Emperor's brother, Prince Jerome. As is the Emperor's custom, he has a reserve to the rear, and stationed well back and out of sight, all three divisions of the Imperial Guard - the Young Guard, the Middle Guard and the Old Guard. There is some irritation that the British appear to be hiding behind the ridge line but in any event the Emperor has forbidden the guns to fire until the ground has dried sufficiently to ensure the canon balls are able to ricochet and are not swallowed by the soaked ground. Thus, we wait ... and wait.
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