It is night. Napoleon 's sleep is often interrupted by the arrival of messengers. At 1 o'clock in the morning, he mounts on horseback and under heavy rain, he reconnoitres his outposts, accompanied by general Bertrand.
 
 

From the hill of Belle-Alliance he explores the horizon with his spy-glass, where the fires of the English bivouacs glitter at a ball's distance.

Appreciating the excellent position of Wellington he is of opinion that the English general will expect his attack there. At daybreak, when coming back to the farm of Caillou, he finds tidings from Grouchy.

"The retreating army of Blücher has been divided into two columns: one directing towards Liege and the other in disorder towards Wavre; the marshall takes it upon himself to separate the Prussians from the English." So the events correspond to the Emperor's previsions.All is right ! At 4 o'clock it rains no more. He orders the troops to be in battle-order at 9 o'clock, on the fixed spots, then he goes to bed and sleeps till seven. At eight he has breakfast at the Caillou with Soult, the Duke of Bassano, Lobau, Reille and his brother Jérôme; his guests are in full-dress and under his gray ridingcoat the Emperor wears the uniform of Colonel of his guard chasseurs with the badge of the Legion of Honour.

Napoleon is good-humoured and self conceited. In July 1794, Soult had already participated in the attack of Mont-St-Jean as a chief of Lefèbvre 's staff. "So he knew the position very well, but he was not ignorant of the solidity of the English artillery"; "Ney thought that Wellington would have retreated at daybreak to rally Blücher." But Napoleon encourages them; he does not doubt of the victory; and yet he puts off the attack, the movements of the troops being performed slowly on account of the rain of the day before; he does not care to undertake anything without disposing of everybody. Nevertheless he gives his last instructions to his lieutenants and at 9 o'clock mounts on horse-back.

As he wants to avoid any error, Bonaparte has asked for a guide and an inn-keeper of the road to Charleroi, called Decoster, is brought to him. He has him tied upon a horse and conducted at the thong by a man of his escort.
 

Then the staff trots over the battle-line, disposed as follows:

"The French army extends over a line or about five miles, supported to the left by the road to Nivelles, crossing the road to Charleroi near Belle-Alliance and reaching to about 500 metres off the village of Ohain.

The left wing comprehends the bodies of foot of Jérôme, of Count Foy and of Baron Bachely; the right wing: the bodies of Soult and Ney, composed of the divisions of Allix, Donzelot, Marcognet and Duruette.

The flanks are occupied by the cavalry of Jacquinot and Piré.

Behind the left wing, the hussars of Kellermann, the dragoons of Guyot; behind the right wing, the guides of Lefèbvre-Desnouettes and the cuirassiers of Milhaud. The centre is formidable: in the first line, near the inn of Decoster, marshall Lobau has massed enormous powers of infantry and at the other side of the road to Charleroi, the cavalry of Donon and Subervie commands the plain.

Finally the whole infantry of the Guards is kept in reserve under the command of marshall Soult".

Napoleon however was crossed by the slowness with which those sites were occupied and which decided him to retard the attack; Drouot's artillery was late, the troops of the deserter Bourmont, placed under the command of Cambronne, had lost their time by erroneous instructions.

But Napoleon was impatient and at 35 m. past eleven o'clock, he decided for the action. Moreover, the enemy had maintained his positions.

At any rate, Bonaparte was sure to succeed. His plan was: staggering the English at first by a false attack, darting upon the center with all his men, throwing the enemy into disorder and pushing them back beyond Mont-St-Jean.