Confusion Reigns

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The barrier in the road had been cleared and the men of the two companies of the KGL's 1st Light Battalion had been starting to fall in in preparation to head back towards Nivelles and then north towards Brussels.

They had received no further official word since the dispatch rider had gone through. As the storm broke around them, Christian gave the word to step off.

The rain was torrential, the men had had to move off into the saturated fields twice in order to make way for artillery and ammunition carts. Christian realized that this would double the amount of time needed to reach their destination.

As they marched, the storm started to break up, though on the horizon there were clouds promising another storm hard on the heels of this one. Christian remounted his horse, as he looked towards the east, he saw mounted men in the distance.

"Battalion! Prepare to receive cavalry!!" Though only two companies strong, the commands were given as if to an entire battalion, Christian saw no other way unless it was to let the two companies operate as separate entities, which would have meant disaster if the French were now upon them.

In fairly short order, the two companies had moved off the road and into the muddy fields. Christian wondered why the horsemen were taking so long to come up. As they got closer, he realized that the men were allies, among them he spotted his brigade commander, Colonel von Ompteda.

"Kaltenweide! What is the meaning of this?" Ompteda sounded furious.

"Sir, a dispatch rider came through and ordered us to fallback to Nivelles and thence onwards to Mount St. Jean. Said that the Prussians were defeated and that the Duke had ordered the retreat." Christian answered.

Ompteda reined up but gestured to the men with him to continue on, only a single aide stayed with the colonel.

"Damn it!" Ompteda snapped, then softened his tone.

"Sorry Kaltenweide, it's just that rumors have been spreading and some officers have deserted the field, spreading panic and misinformation in their wake. Did you recognize this dispatch rider's uniform?"

"No Sir, he was covered in mud from head to toe, his cap was correct and he spoke German like a Hanoverian. So I took him at his word."

"Quite so. Damn it again. Probably an officer with one of the militia battalions, they took casualties and one unit fell apart. Panicky bastards."

"Your orders, Sir?"

"Continue back to Nivelles, we probably shall head for Mount St. Jean yet, but we have no orders to do so at the moment. From what I understand, the army still holds its position in front of Quatre Bras. The French pulled back as I believe we outnumber them now. But it is true that we've heard old Blücher was licked. Some reports indicate Prussian fugitives fleeing towards Liege, others state that the Prussians are falling back in good order. I don't know what to believe at the moment."

"So we continue?"

"Smartly, Kaltenweide, smartly."

Then Ompteda rode off to catch up with his staff.

When they arrived at Nivelles the streets were clogged with supply wagons, stragglers, and walking wounded. He had his two best sergeants go out to find the rest of the battalion, to no avail.

"Sir, I talked with a mate in another regiment, he said the KGL was ordered north late in the afternoon, seems that that was not a valid order, but anyone's best guess is that most of our guys are farther up the road, strung out between here and Brussels."

Christian nodded, "Thank you, Sergeant. Rejoin your company and my compliments to your Captain, we shall continue the march shortly. Have the men fed, no one to leave the company area under pain of death. Am I clear?"

"Klar wie Glas, Herr Major!¹"

As the night grew darker, it rained again, off and on. To the east, towards Quatre Bras all was quiet. Christian and his two companies waited, he was fretting that they were wasting time.

Around midnight word arrived, the horseman looked exhausted as he gave Christian his orders, "Bivouac here for the night. The army holds its position at Quatre Bras. We wait for orders from the Duke. Blücher has been defeated, we have not. But as he is falling back, no doubt we shall as well. We're not even sure if the Prussians are retreating at this point. The Duke's orders are to stand fast until further notice. By the way, I have two letters for you, one from Lieutenant Colonel von dem Bussche and another from someone named Weiding." The mounted man handed the letters over.

"Thank you, Captain." Christian said to the man's back as he was already riding off.

He opened the first letter, it was a short note ordering the two companies to rejoin the battalion at Mont St. Jean as soon as possible. The second was from Kurt, Elsbeth's husband.

My dear von Kaltenweide,

Just a short note, I have been wounded, not too badly I trust, but am being sent back to Brussels. The last I heard, my wife was in Nivelles. Could you find her and let her know. Tell her to come to Brussels, fast as she can.

Respectfully,

Von Weiding

Christian folded the letter from Kurt and tucked it into his jacket. As to Elsbeth, he decided that she would probably check in at the inn. Unfortunately, he couldn't leave his troops to go there in person, so he summoned one of his sergeants.

"Sir?"

The man waited as Christian hurriedly scribbled a note. When done, he folded it and handed it to the man. "Get this to the inn where we had our headquarters on the 14th, hand it to the proprietor and tell him to hold it for the addressee. Questions?"

"None Sir."

"Off you go then, get back as fast as you can, I suspect we shall be marching at first light."

"Sir!"

Elsbeth hurried to the inn when a soldier told her that there was a message there for her. The man had served with her husband in the past so he knew her by sight.

"You have a letter for me?" 

The proprietor recognized her, who could forget such a face? He turned and saw the piece of paper, he noted that the address simply said, "E. von Weiding."

"I suspect this is for you, Ma'am."

"Thank you."

She returned to her quarters and tore the note open ...

My dearest Elsbeth,

Kurt has been wounded and is being evacuated to Brussels, he desires to meet you there.

All is confusion here, trust you are well, we march soon.

With affection,

Christian von Kaltenweide

Her heart leapt into her throat, Kurt, wounded? She thought for a moment, then put on her best walking shoes and a good cloak. Packing a few necessaries into her bag, she went to find the Legion. If Christian was still there, she would go with him. The roads were choked with stragglers, wounded, baggage wagons, artillery and all sorts of riff-raff, no doubt deserters. Traveling alone would be suicide, she would go with Christian, or not go at all.

The sun rose on the 17th of June, a Saturday. Three armies would soon be converging on a ridge to the south of Brussels. The destinies of thousands would be decided there on the morrow ...

Some would live, many would die.

¹ Clear as glass, Major.