William Mudford (1782–1848)
An historical account of the campaign in the Netherlands, in 1815, under His Grace the Duke of Wellington, and Marshal Prince Blucher…
London: H. Colburn, 1817
Lib.3.81.21, plate XIV (M)

This is one of James Rouse’s series of twenty-four engravings of scenes on the road between Brussels and Charleroi, executed in 1816. The view is towards the south. In the near distance, to the left of the road, is the inn of La Belle Alliance. The daylight and the absence of fighting suggest that this is a scene from the 19th or 20th of June: a day or two after the battle, the bodies of the dead have still to be collected, and the non-walking wounded remain on the field. A British casualty is shown being tended, but the French soldiers have yet to receive attention. The chaotic detritus left by the fleeing Armée du Nord is everywhere apparent. At the bottom left, three prisoners are being marched into captivity under guard.

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