The later decisive battles of the world, from Hastings to Waterloo, an excerpt from 'The fifteen decisive battles of the world'. |
Common terms and phrases
advance Allies American Armada arms artillery assailed attack Austria barons battalions battle BATTLE OF VALMY Blenheim Blucher brave brigade British Brussels Burgoyne camp campaign cavalry centre Charleroi Charles coast column command commenced conquered conquest corps cuirassiers d'Erlon defeated defence Duke of Wellington Duke's Dumouriez Dutch effect Emperor empire enemy enemy's England English Europe favour fell fight fire flank fleet force forward France French army Genappe German Grouchy ground Guard guns Harald Hardrada Harold hauberk horse Hougoumont infantry invaders Joan Kellerman King La Haye Sainte land Ligny Lord Louis XIV Marlborough Marshal miles military Müffling Napoleon nation night Norman officers Orleans Paris Philip position Prince Prussians Quatre Bras regiments retreat river rode Russia Saxon Sclavonic sent ships soldiers Spain Spaniards Spanish spirit squadrons stood strong thousand Tourelles troops Valmy victory village Waterloo Wavre whole William wounded
Popular passages
Page 176 - And there was mounting in hot haste: the steed, The mustering squadron, and the clattering car, Went pouring forward with impetuous speed, And swiftly forming in the ranks of war; And the deep thunder peal on peal afar; And near, the beat of the alarming drum Roused up the soldier ere the morning star; While throng'd the citizens with terror dumb, Or whispering, with white lips — »The foe! They come! they come!« And wild and high the 'Cameron's gathering...
Page 176 - Sate Brunswick's fated chieftain; he did hear That sound the first amidst the festival, And caught its tone with Death's prophetic ear; And when they smiled because he...
Page 176 - Last noon beheld them full of lusty life, Last eve in Beauty's circle proudly gay, The midnight brought the signal-sound of strife, The morn the marshalling in arms— the day Battle's magnificently stern array!
Page 176 - And Ardennes waves above them her green leaves, Dewy with nature's tear-drops as they pass, Grieving, if aught inanimate e'er grieves, Over the unreturning brave, - alas! Ere evening to be trodden like the grass Which now beneath them, but above shall grow In its next verdure, when this fiery mass Of living valour, rolling on the foe And burning with high hope shall moulder cold and low.
Page 78 - The Spaniards had an army aboard them, and he had none ; they had more ships than he had, and of higher building and charging; so that, had he entangled himself with those great and powerful vessels, he had greatly endangered this kingdom of England.
Page 147 - Burgoyne to Great Britain, upon condition of not serving again in North America during the present contest...
Page 175 - There was a sound of revelry by night, And Belgium's capital had gathered then Her Beauty and her Chivalry, and bright The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men ; A thousand hearts beat happily ; and when Music arose with its voluptuous swell, Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again, And all went merry as a marriage bell...
Page 202 - Then to the musket-knell succeeds The clash of swords — the neigh of steeds — As plies the smith his clanging trade, Against the cuirass rang the blade ; And while amid their close array The well-served cannon rent their way, And while amid their scatter'd band Raged the fierce rider's bloody brand, Recoil'd in common rout and fear, Lancer and guard and cuirassier. Horsemen and foot, — a mingled host, Their leaders fall'n, their standards lost."- -SoorT.
Page 147 - This article is inadmissible in every extremity ; sooner than this army will consent to ground their arms in their encampment, they will rush on the enemy, determined to take no quarter.
Page 122 - Westward the course of empire takes its way ; The four first acts already past, A fifth shall close the drama with the day — Time's noblest offspring is the last.