Page:Decisive Battles Since Waterloo.djvu/394

356 This side of the line was now considered perfectly secure. There was no fear that the French could force a passage, and there was no evidence that they intended to make an attempt farther to the north. The Prussian Guards were steadily forcing back the first corps of the French. The advance of the two infantry divisions of the Prussian Guards arrived late at night on the 31st August, near Pouru St. Reny and Pouru au Bois, and at the same time the main body of the corps came to a halt northward of Carignan. At five in the morning of September 1st they moved out in two columns, the right advancing on Villers Cernay, and the left on Francheval. At Villers Cernay they encountered the French line, and having brought their artillery into position on the high ground above the Givonne rivulet, they opened fire upon a body of cavalry and a number of trains on the opposite side of the valley. A few shells, not over a dozen probably sufficed to throw both cavalry and trains into a panic. Wagons and horses stampeded in all directions, and the wildest confusion followed. The other division moved toward the southward, and at nine o'clock went to support the Saxon troops in the vicinity of Daigny. As already stated, another division of the Prussian Guards remained in reserve. It was about 10.30 when the Saxons and Guards together took possession of Daigny and captured a considerable number of prisoners. About this time the French were making the retrograde movement on Illy, in accordance with General Ducrot's order. As already mentioned, the confused movements of the French in consequence of the difference of opinion between Ducrot and De Wimpffen proved of great advantage to the Germans. By the time the French returned from the movement upon Illy, the Saxons and Bavarians with the Prussian Guards had obtained firm possession of the valley of the Givonne. The best that the French could then