WI: Cornwallis commands at Waterloo

WI: Cornwallis commands at Waterloo

  • Cornwallis holds on until the Prussians arrive and wins the battle.

    Votes: 20 50.0%
  • Napoleon crushes Cornwallis before the Prussians arrive.

    Votes: 18 45.0%
  • Cornwallis defeats Napoleon without the Prussians!

    Votes: 2 5.0%

  • Total voters
    40
WI: Cornwallis commands at Waterloo
Charles Cornwallis helped to negotiate the Treaty of Amiens in 1802 and shortly after died, so he probably couldn’t be the commander at Waterloo in 1815. But, let’s pretend for this thread that he is still alive, in fighting condition, at the ripe age of 76, and is given command of British forces in Belgium. Events will play out the same way. Napoleon and Cornwallis will engage each other at Waterloo and yes the Prussians will arrive late in the battle as normal. If you’ve seen my Wellington commands at New Orleans alternate history thread you may know that Wellington was not in Europe at the time of the Battle of Waterloo and is instead in the America’s.
The question is can Napoleon defeat Cornwallis before the Prussians come to his rescue?
Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Cornwallis,_1st_Marquess_Cornwallis#cite_note-85
Wellington commands at New Orleans
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=275060
 
A 76 year old Cornwallis and a 73 year old Blucher. One imagines a witty comment from Napoleon about fighting a coalition of old men.
 
Lol. It would be an even more popular quote if he lost...

Well, there's a challenge for the willing. Come up with a Napoleonic one-liner that would fit such a battle. Perhaps something like:

"I will not be put in my grave by men who should be in theirs"

...lacks his flair perhaps...

Edit: and the quote in Frech curtesy of an online translator:

"Je ne serai pas mis dans ma tombe par les hommes qui devraient être dans le leur"
 
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"They have avoided the grave thus far and send their soldiers to it in their place"

"My armies beat Blucher before and Cornwallis could not even hold against colonial militia. A century and a half of experience between them and not one major victory in all that time. I am not sure whether to be elated or insulted"

"Soon the color of their flags will match the color of their hair"
 
"Soon the color of their flags will match the color of their hair"

I like that one, and it looks pretty good in French as well:

"Bientôt la couleur de leurs drapeaux assortira la couleur de leurs cheveux"
 
"My armies beat Blucher before and Cornwallis could not even hold against colonial militia. A century and a half of experience between them and not one major victory in all that time. I am not sure whether to be elated or insulted"

"Soon the color of their flags will match the color of their hair"

These two are the best.
 
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