The First Day, Chapters 1 thru 6 Summary

SHARPE'S WATERLOO is the account of the four days in June 1815, when the Allied armies under the command of British Duke of Wellington stand against the French Army, under the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and ultimately defeat him at the Battle of Waterloo. The story, largely historically accurate, is told from the point of view of a fictional, veteran British army officer.

Chapter 1 starts describing the bucolic calm of a summer's day in June being broken when French Dragoons cross into Belgium without any resistance. The inhabitants of the region are sympathizers to the French cause and welcome the Dragoons. Only slight resistance is offered by Prussian infantry; the first casualties of both sides are suffered when the Dragoons are unexpectedly struck by some concealed Prussian cannon, which retreat northwards after the exchange.

The Emperor Napoleon...