The Waterloo Archive Volume I: British Sources

By Gareth Glover and His Grace the Duke of Wellington

Originally published in 1900, this book features excerpts from Alexander Cavali Mercer's account of the battle of Waterloo. As an artillery officer at the sharp end, this is his eye-witness account of the events that lead to Napoleon's final defeat in June 1815. This is the contemporary view of how the events were conveyed to the public of Great Britain. Featuring original engravings from the Illustrated London News and the Graphic, and many paintings from the era, this book was written during the height of the British Empire, and the triumphalist mood of the day is reflected in the tone of the text. This detailed military history provides an echo of the contemporary attitudes to this turbulent time which shaped the destiny of the British Empire. This book is part of the 'Military History From Primary Sources' series, a new military history range compiled and edited by Emmy Award winning author and historian Bob Carruthers. The series draws on primary sources and contemporary documents to provide a new insight into the true nature of warfare. The series consultant is David Mcwhinnie, creator of the award winning PBS series 'Battlefield'.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jan 30, 2010
• ISBN: 9781473820579

Book preview

THE WATERLOO ARCHIVE

Hand-drawn image from front of Sergeant Johnston’s Journal of the Scots Greys.

THE

WATERLOO

ARCHIVE

Previously unpublished or rare journals and letters

regarding the Waterloo campaign and

the subsequent occupation of France

Volume I

British Sources

Edited by Gareth Glover

Foreword by His Grace The Duke of Wellington

FRONTLINE

BOOKS

The Waterloo Archive: Volume I

This edition published in 2010 by Frontline Books,

an imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Limited, 47 Church Street,

Barnsley, S. Yorkshire, S70 2AS

www.frontline-books.com

email [e-mail]

© Gareth Glover, 2010

Foreword © His Grace The Duke of Wellington, 2010

The right of Gareth Glover to be identified as Author of this Work

has been asserted by him in accordance with the

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN: 978-1-84832-540-1

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any

means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without

the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any

unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal

prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP data record for this title is available from the British Library.

For more information on our books, please visit

www.frontline-books.com, email [e-mail]

or write to us at the above address.

Typeset by Palindrome

Printed in the UK by MPG Books Limited

CONTENTS

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List of Illustrations

Foreword by His Grace The Duke of Wellington

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Historical Background

The Staff

The Cavalry

1st Brigade of Major General Lord Edward Somerset

1st Life Guards

2nd Life Guards

The 1st or King’s Dragoon Guards

2nd Brigade of Major General Sir William Ponsonby

1st or Royal Dragoons

2nd Royal Northern British Dragoons (Scots Greys)

4th Brigade of Major General Sir John Vandeleur

11th Light Dragoons

16th Light Dragoons

5th Brigade of Major General Sir Colquhoun Grant

15th Hussars

6th Brigade of Major General Sir Vivian Hussey

10th Hussars

18th Hussars

7th Brigade of Colonel Sir Frederick Arentschildt

13th Light Dragoons

The Artillery

The Staff of the Artillery

Royal Horse Artillery

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Hew Ross’s Troop

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Robert Gardiner’s Troop

Captain Alexander Mercer’s Troop

Major Thomas Roger’s Foot Battery

The Infantry

First Division of Major General George Cooke

1st Brigade of Major General P. Maitland

1st and 2nd Battalions 1st Foot Guards

2nd Brigade of Major General Sir John Byng

2nd Battalion The Coldstream Guards

2nd Battalion 3rd Foot Guards

Second Division of Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton

3rd Brigade of Major General Frederick Adam

1st Battalion 71st Foot

2nd Battalion 9 5th Foot

Third Division of Lieutenant General Baron Alten

5th Brigade of Major General Sir Colin Halkett

2nd Battalion 30th Foot

33rd Foot

Fourth Division of Lieutenant General Sir Charles Colville

4th Brigade of Colonel Mitchell

3rd Battalion 14th Foot

Fifth Division of Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton

8th Brigade of Major General Sir James Kempt

1st Battalion 28th Foot

1st Battalion 32nd Foot

1st Battalion 95th Foot

9th Brigade of Major General Sir Denis Pack

3rd Battalion 1st Foot

1st Battalion 42nd Foot

The Support Services

The Battering Train

Medical Services

Civilians

Miss Elizabeth Ord at Brussels

Benjamin Haydon in London

Notes

Bibliography

Index of Correspondents

Index of Officers and Places

ILLUSTRATIONS

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Colour Plates

William Mudford wrote an early history of Waterloo in 1817 and published a number of superb plates of the battlefield by James Rouse. This volume is extremely rare and expensive (upwards of £1,500) and I must thank Mick Crumplin for providing copies of all the plates, which I plan to publish over the three British volumes.

Plate 1 Waterloo Church

Plate 2 Napoleon flees the battlefield

Plate 3 Burying the dead near La Haye Sainte

Plate 4 Frischermont

Plate 5 Burying the dead with La Haye Sainte in the background

Plate 6 Burning the corpses outside Hougoumont

Plate 7 Abandoned French guns in front of La Belle Alliance

Plate 8 Mont St Jean farm

Black and White Illustrations

Sergeant Johnston’s Journal Frontispiece

Captain Radclyffe’s drawing

Sergeant Johnston trapped under his horse

The map Mercer sent to William Siborne

Line drawings by Captain Alexander Mercer

PARK CORNER HOUSE

HRCKFIELD

HAMPSHIRE

E027 OLJ

Introductory Foreword

As we approach the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo on the 18th June 2015, interest in that great event remains unflagging and Mr. Glover’s monumental work is evidence of that. I congratulate him on the huge amount of research he has undertaken in order to produce this book.

The average Briton at the time of the great Battle rejoiced that at last our old adversary on the other side of the Channel was finally beaten. But of course its importance goes far beyond this because of its effect on the history of Europ. After severel decades of war the scourge of European conflict was finally lifted by a battle in which virtually every nation in Europe was represented. In Bonaparte’s army men of many European States were serving and the Allied armies consisted of Netherlander, Russians, Germans and British.

Looking at the Battlefield today it is difficult to believe that such appalling slaughter could have taken place on such a small area but the sacrifices of that day ensured peace in Europe for fifty years.

PREFACE

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‘Mighty oaks from little acorns grow’

A germ of an idea sown by Michael Leventhal of Frontline Books, to follow up the critical success of my publication of the William Siborne’s papers,¹ has developed rapidly into an enormous project, well beyond the original concept of a single volume of less well-known primary sources from some of the participating nations in the Battle of Waterloo.

Having begun a relentless search throughout Britain for any previously unpublished first-hand material on the Battle of Waterloo languishing in the various archives and museums around the country, it soon became abundantly clear that there was a surprisingly large amount of primary material of historical significance available which was lying virtually forgotten. This, backed by a collection of rare texts, only ever published in various journals more than a century ago and now virtually impossible to obtain, has led to the amassing of a great body of material.

The search then went even further afield: similar first-hand material from French, Belgian, Dutch and German sources were sought, which had either never been published, or at least never previously been published in the English language. This step, though, was not one that was taken lightly, as I am not personally sufficiently proficient in any of these languages to achieve the required standard of translation necessary.

One of the chief benefits of editing Letters from the Battle of Waterloo, and subsequent works, has been that it has caused many fellow enthusiasts from all over the world to contact me to discuss various aspects of my work – many displaying impressively substantial knowledge of those aspects of the Napoleonic wars that they have made their particular field of interest. Among these numerous correspondents was Martin Mittelacher, an American with German roots who is well known through the numerous articles he has published on the subject; he was persuaded after much discussion to join in this project, providing translations of the German and Dutch source material which he, with my assistance, was able to track down and acquire, while adding his expert knowledge on the forces of these countries.

Other correspondents who felt unable to enter fully into this project because of time pressures have nevertheless helped with suggestions for sources, providing links to others who had collections of archive material, helping to track down rare items and freely offering advice, support and expertise whenever requested.

Thus the idea of a single volume of selected texts has rapidly grown into a projected series of no less than six volumes, one to be published each year until 2015, when we celebrate the two-hundredth anniversary of this famous campaign, to form a truly sensational library of new primary source material on the Waterloo campaign and the occupation of France that followed.

Gareth Glover

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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With a project of this magnitude, invariably there are very large numbers of people in the archives of this country, who deserve thanks for their invaluable help in unearthing the material, providing copies and eventually graciously giving their permission for these to be published. The various museums and archives that have so freely given their consents are listed with their individual entries; however a few people have been extraordinarily gracious of their time and support; those that deserve a special mention are: Iain Brown of the National Library of Scotland; Alan Readman and Richard Childs at West Sussex Record Office; Dr Alastair Massie of The National Army Museum; Peter Starling of the Army Medical Services Museum; Margaret Wilson and Jonathan Ferguson of the National Museum of Scotland; Brian Owen of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum; Thomas Smyth of the Black Watch Museum; Michael Carter of the Centre for Kentish Studies; and last but not least Mark Dorrington and William Bell of Nottinghamshire Archives. Many others have contributed letters which they have held in collections or are family heirlooms; their willingness to share their treasures has been truly humbling; I must here mention Alan Lagden; Eunice and Ron Shanahan; Greg Todd. Furthermore, a number of experts in various aspects of this period of history have been incredibly enthusiastic and supportive, never once failing to offer helpful advice on issues that perplexed me; among these has been Gary Cousins, Don Graves, Mick Crumplin, David Miller, Rory Muir, Rod MacArthur, Digby Smith and Bob Burnham.

I do hope that I have remembered to mention everybody who made a significant contribution to this book; if I have forgotten anybody I am truly sorry and hope that they will not hold it against me.

Gareth Glover

Cardiff

INTRODUCTION

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More has probably been written on the subject of the Battle of Waterloo over the last two centuries than perhaps any other campaign in history. With this mountain of previously published material already available to the interested reader, the question has to be asked, ‘Is there anything new to publish on this subject?’ Given the plethora of general histories of the Waterloo campaign which seem to sprout forth inexorably every year with the same hackneyed version of events, one would be forgiven to think not; however, you would be very much mistaken.

Much of the ‘accepted version’ of the campaign of Waterloo – and I purposely introduce it as the campaign, as it did not simply start and finish on that fateful day of battle, although many books would leave you with that impression – was written well over a hundred years ago and despite occasional challenges over the years has remained virtually unchanged ever since. Too many of these general histories have simply re-hashed previously published material and regurgitated the accepted view rather than re-appraising and challenging. Indeed, it is sadly obvious that all too many of these histories have been written without any attempt at original research or even a fresh look at the original sources to confirm that the established line is based on solid ground. One example of this will perfectly illustrate my point.

The heroic but ultimately unsuccessful defence of the farm complex of La Haye Sainte by 2nd Light Battalion of the King’s German Legion and various other small units of German troops is often used as one of the centre-pieces of any re-telling of the battle, and the account invariably ends with the statement that, having run out of ammunition, they were forced to abandon the farm and that only forty-two men survived the ensuing carnage. Such an heroic and stubborn defence with the subsequent massacre of over 90 per cent of the defending garrison makes for truly enthralling story-telling – if only it were true! As journalists often say, ‘Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story!’

Major Baring, who commanded the truly heroic defence of this little fortress, wrote a detailed report of the action and is the only known source for the figure of forty-two survivors; therefore, one might think that this was a true statement, until one reads his original report properly. In the original version Baring refers to the abandonment of the farm and the return of his men to the main allied line; he then describes how the various detachments returned to their parent units, and how his men continued to dwindle in numbers, taking casualties as the intense fighting continued over the next few hours with others aiding wounded colleagues to the rear or retiring to seek ammunition or water. Only with the final defeat of the French at the end of the battle does Baring state that the number of men still remaining actually with him was forty-two. This is far from stating that only he and forty-two others escaped the massacre at La Haye Sainte and even a cursory view of the casualty figures recorded immediately after the battle make it very obvious that many more than forty-two people survived in his battalion alone.

A few historians such as Andrew Uffindel have come to the same conclusion as myself and the statement has been discredited; yet it still crops up regularly in these histories. Indeed, it is usually used as a litmus test for this writer in deciding whether to take the book seriously and buy a copy – or not.

I use this example purely as an illustration of my general point; that the history of the Waterloo campaign is littered with misinterpretations that have been followed doggedly by those that have come behind and thereby have become established fact by default. It is therefore high time that much of the original material is re-appraised in an effort to eradicate these errors, so that we may move on towards that ultimate goal of a perfect version of the events of the Waterloo campaign.

Much of the published primary source material has been printed in mainstream books which allow relatively easy access to it, particularly in recent years when many of the rarer editions have been reprinted. There is, however, a mass of further material published in journals and newspapers of the day, some of which is accessible, but a great deal of which is extremely difficult to obtain, even from the great libraries and archives; some I have actually found impossible to obtain anywhere (but the search continues). These rarer, more difficult-to-obtain articles and journals have been included in this series of volumes, to preserve them properly before they also disappear for ever.

The main source of material for these volumes however has been the archives of Great Britain. Hidden in various files of undisturbed family papers slowly gathering dust in archives all over the country are little bundles of letters from loved ones who served in the army in the Waterloo campaign, describing the military build-up, their travels and adventures and sometimes they are supplemented by their very personal descriptions of the fighting and the subsequent march to Paris, if they were lucky enough to survive the battles. Others wrote from their sick beds of their wounds, their experiences and their hopes for the future, whether they eventually survived to see them through or finally succumbed to their injuries. Many wrote their letters by adding a bit each day, just like a journal, until closing it on post-day; others kept full journals, logging everything that happened every day; as if they knew in advance how famous and significant in world history the ensuing campaign was to become. A few more are written by junior officers to curry favour with more senior officers at home by describing the action, not forgetting to include those incidents which were particularly favourable to themselves!

What virtually all of these various texts have in common, however, is their immediacy. They were written daily as things occurred, their reactions to events are genuine and honest, their descriptions are unembellished and their criticisms are unguarded. Of course, such material is invaluable in enabling us to gain a true understanding of the mindset of the soldiers and for an honest description of events, but like any other source, they must be treated with caution and verified against other witness statements.

Many of these texts are provided by men from the ranks, a relative rarity at a time when many of the rank and file were unable to read and write; indeed it is no surprise that most are written by sergeants, the ability to write being a particular requirement to attain such rank. But the surprisingly large number of letters from ordinary privates is interesting, indicating a level of literacy beyond that generally expected at this time. Some regiments had been active in forming schools for the men, and there may be some significance in the rise of Methodism in the army in these years, which could have been a factor in this growing ability to read and write, as many proclaim deep religious conviction and indeed some did become lay preachers after the wars. This may well be an interesting area of opportunity for deeper analysis in future years.

Their naive style does not come without consequences, however; rumours abounded and were readily reported as fact, such as Napoleon’s presence at a cavalry review dressed as a fishmonger; or that the black flag was raised before the Battle of Waterloo, indicating that neither side would give quarter. Exaggeration of losses and the consequences of actions can also be a problem. However, overall, these honest soldiers give a true picture of the grim realities of their lives both in camp and in battle. Bland generalisations, such as ‘pillage was unknown in Wellington’s army’, is shown to be romanticised tosh; hints abound that the deaths of certain officers who were renowned for their cruelty by ‘friendly fire’ were clearly not accidental; and the cowardly acts of others are not hidden. Such are the truths of all wars in every century from time immemorial; but it is refreshing to hear their honest accounts of these events, rather than the sanitised versions often produced by their ‘gentleman’ officers. High strategy was beyond them, as it was beyond many of the field officers, but battle tactics were readily understood and recorded, many of these men being hardened professionals who had seen years of hard fighting, not just in Spain with Wellington, but throughout the world. Regiments of fresh-faced youths with little combat experience were the exception and stood out and were noted as such, the 14th Foot for example. But the greatest asset of all is that these candid and graphic letters and journals make not only excellent primary source material for the serious student of this conflict, but also a genuinely great read for those with a more general and passing interest, and with the coming bicentennial of the campaign, they will aid understanding of a truly great event in world history.

Having amassed such a treasure trove of new information, I have been forced to spread the vast amount of documents over at least three volumes of British material. Some particular gems are reserved for later volumes to maintain the readers’ interest, but perhaps a short precis of the treasures in volume I would not go amiss.

Probably the most famous description of the Battle of Waterloo came from the pen of Captain Alexander Mercer of G Troop Royal Horse Artillery – the book has virtually never been out of print in some version or other since his son published it in 1870. His son wrote in the preface: ‘My father having been a very good amateur artist, was much struck, of course, by new and picturesque scenes, consequently has described them con amore, and in considerable detail.’ No one who has read Mercer’s account can argue with that assessment; but what is odd is that he does not refer to, nor publish any of the twenty-one line drawings that Mercer drew to accompany his journal. These drawings, which are of great historical significance, were discovered in the original handwritten manuscript which now lies forgotten in the National Library of Scotland. I have placed these drawings with the text of a few letters Mercer wrote to Henry Leathes, a former fellow-officer in his troop at Waterloo which was only privately published and of which there are very few copies, but which gives further information on major incidents mentioned in his journal.

Another great discovery from the National Museum of Scotland is the journal of Sergeant Johnston of the Scots Greys, recording all his experiences in great detail, which includes a very rare unabridged transcript of his own court martial! This survived together with a copy of all the orders the regiment received during the campaign and in France; this is an invaluable document.

Many senior staff officers wrote letters immediately after the battle to Sir Thomas Graham, an erstwhile colleague during the fighting in Spain. These letters contain some very interesting views untainted by the Duke’s Despatch or later political machinations. There are also a number of early (1816–17) replies to William Mudford’s request for information before publishing his early history of the battle, a precursor of the circular letter by William Siborne with which I have previously been so involved.

Beyond the combatants, many others have valuable contributions to make to our knowledge of the campaign, those of the support services for example. Letters from a number of eminent surgeons such as Doctors Hume, Davy and Haddy James, who had to deal with the horrific after effects of intense close quarter combat with hopelessly inadequate equipment and resources, give a fascinating glimpse into their ghastly world. Another particular treasure is the diary of Lieutenant Edward Greene of the Royal Artillery, who provides a very rare if not unique insight into the battering train of heavy cannon which was formed at Brussels and their cooperation with the Prussian troops in besieging various fortresses during the advance into France following Waterloo.

Then finally there are the civilian accounts, which can be very useful for atmosphere behind the battle front, but can even provide candid and unguarded comments from senior officers, including the Duke of Wellington himself. Perhaps the most well-known and frequently quoted account of this type is that of Thomas Creevey, whose conversations with the Duke of Wellington the morning after Waterloo are of great interest. Until now, however, it has not been generally known that his step-daughter, Miss Elizabeth Ord, also kept a journal of these eventful days. Her account of Brussels at this time gives even greater detail of events than Creevey and she even records Creevey’s versions of his talks with the Duke as reported to his own family within the hour. Interestingly Elizabeth’s version again conveys much more information than Creevey does himself on these famous conversations and again forms a very valuable additional source.

There are many other letters from individual officers and soldiers in these pages giving their account of events, the total forming a mass of very important primary source material, of great value to expert historians but also a very good read for the general reader.

The layout of the material follows that of Siborne’s Waterloo Letters and the editor’s previous Letters from the Battle of Waterloo, organising the material by regiment/corps to enable easy cross-reference between these editions. As usual, I have chosen to present the letters in full to preserve their context, my amendments being solely to alter the spelling of names and places to those presently accepted to aid identification, and the replacement of abbreviated text with the full version to make the text easier to follow for the general reader. In cases of very idiosyncratic spelling, I have taken the liberty of producing a plain English version but have annotated it as such. Odd idiosyncrasies have been retained with the standard [sic] applied, and where obliterated text has proven impossible to read with certainty it has been signified by the use of square brackets [ ] according to convention. Similarly, underlined text in the letters is represented by italics.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

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The Napoleonic wars began in 1793, largely as a reaction by the monarchies of Europe to the establishment of the French Republic and the execution of King Louis XVI and many of the nobility of France. The French had seen rare successes and numerous defeats before the emergence of a young General Napoleon Bonaparte, who perfected the strategy of rapid movement without being tied to static supply lines and swept the Austrian army out of Italy in 1796. Alongside his successful generalship, political machinations soon allowed Napoleon to gain virtual control of power in France as First Consul in 1799, which he later secured by proclaiming himself Emperor in 1804. The repeated defeat of the great armies of Russia, Austria and Prussia, eventually led to a French Empire stretching from Madrid to Moscow at its zenith in 1812.

Only one nation, Britain, remained doggedly fighting against French supremacy throughout the wars; her ascendancy at sea ensured her own safety, while her commercial trading throughout the world, and the emergence of a strong manufacturing base with the Industrial Revolution, gave her the finances and equipment to continue to harass the French Empire and, more importantly, to support the countries that railed against French domination. The destruction of a huge French army of over half a million men in the snows of Russia in 1812 gave Europe hope again; the advancing Russians persuaded the Prussians and Austrians to join forces and they advanced rapidly across Germany, while the British under the Duke of Wellington, aided by the Portuguese and Spanish, drove the French from the Peninsula and invaded southern France. Eventually France was defeated by vastly superior numbers and Napoleon was forced to abdicate on 6 April 1814 and live in exile on the Mediterranean island of Elba, while Europe sank back exhausted.

Napoleon was not so easily conquered, however; the returning King Louis XVIII was badly advised by his government and the initial enthusiasm of the populace soon began to wane. Napoleon found his promised pension did not materialise, causing him financial difficulties, and on hearing of the discontent in France he took his chance and sailed with a mere one thousand men from Elba on 26 February 1815. Landing at Frejus on 1 March, his arrival was initially greeted with incredulity and amusement but, gaining support as he marched, he reached Paris on 20 March and reclaimed his throne.

The heads of Europe were meeting in Vienna when news of Napoleon’s escape was received. Without hesitation all the countries of Europe declared war, not on France, but against Napoleon himself and the great armies of Europe began to march again.

Napoleon professed peace but prepared enthusiastically for war and before the forces of Prussia, Britain, Russia, Spain and Austria could form in position to make a concerted attack, Napoleon launched a surprise attack into Belgium where the armies of Wellington and Blücher’s Prussians were encamped. I do not intend to give a detailed history of the campaign here, but the following succinct version of events may help the general reader put it into context.

Crossing the River Sambre in the early hours of the 15 June, the Prussian forward units were quickly forced back on their main body and by the morning of the 16th Napoleon faced the Prussian army in position on the heights near Ligny, while Marshal Ney faced a small Dutch force at the vital crossroads at Quatre Bras. In a severe battle of attrition Napoleon finally broke Prussian resistance but failed to follow up the victory; while Ney fought a battle of encounter, units of the British army were thrown into the severe fighting as they arrived, until darkness forced both to accept a stalemate.

Napoleon, rashly assuming that the Prussian army was routed and fleeing towards the Rhine, tardily sent a force under Marshal Grouchy to drive them along. The Prussians had, however, retired in good order and quietly marched towards Wavre where they could still support Wellington’s force if they stood against Napoleon in front of Brussels. Having collected his army together, but aware of the Prussian defeat, Wellington surreptitiously marched his army back to a ridge he evidently had marked out a year previously as a good defensive position just south of the village of Waterloo, a then unknown backwater not even appearing on many of the maps used by the officers commanding troops. By the time Napoleon woke from his torpor and ordered his troops to turn against Wellington, he found nothing but a dense cavalry screen; he only came up with Wellington when safely ensconced in his selected position as darkness fell and settled down to attack in the morning. Wellington had received assurances that Blücher at Wavre would march early in the morning to join him; Wellington therefore set his army to defend his position until the Prussian support arrived when he would outnumber the French army significantly and could then launch a counter attack.

A tremendous night of heavy rain caused the Belgian fields to turn into a quagmire and there were significant delays in bringing up all of Napoleon’s forces; however, all being finally ready, the first cannon shot was fired at approximately 11:35 on the morning of Sunday, 18 June, and the Battle of Waterloo commenced. The battle raged with an intensity that all combatants agreed had never been seen before until around eight o’clock as darkness fell. By this time the Prussians had joined and were attacking the French right wing; Napoleon launched his Imperial Guard in a desperate attempt to snatch victory but failed and the fragile morale of the French collapsed into total rout.

The French army was unable to rally to offer battle again and Napoleon raced to Paris in an attempt to buoy his people for a staunch defence; but their heart was no longer in it and Napoleon abdicated for a second time on 22 June. Fleeing to the coast in an attempt to reach the United States of America, Napoleon was once again thwarted by his arch nemesis, the Royal Navy, and he stepped onboard HMS Bellerophon on 15 July, soon to be taken to exile on the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena where he died on 5 May 1821.

The allied powers marched into Paris on 7 July and King Louis XVIII was re-installed on his throne. To ensure the allied powers received their war reparation payments they maintained an army of occupation for three years, finally leaving France in 1818.

The letters and journals in this volume are from British soldiers who participated in the Waterloo campaign, commonly referred to as the ‘Hundred Days’ and the subsequent occupation of France.

THE STAFF

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Major General Cooke’s 1st or Guards Division

No. 1 Captain and Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Willoughby Rooke, and Battalion 3rd Foot Guards Assistant Adjutant General

²

By kind permission of Gloucester Archives, D1833/F9

Heights of St Jean, Monday, 19 June 1815

My dear father,

I wrote a few lines this morning from Brussels in which I mentioned the action that had taken place yesterday near Waterloo. I was not at that time aware of the magnitude of the victory which was one of the hardest fought, and unfortunately attended with a[s] great a loss, as any that have lately occurred. The attack of the enemy first commenced on Thursday last when he beat the Prussians with a loss they say of 16,000 men and several pieces of cannon.³ On Friday the French attacked the Dutch troops on our left when they were nearly unsupported, Lord Wellington having only heard on Thursday evening of their having concentrated on that evening.⁴ Our army received orders to move towards that point and as soon as Lord W[ellington]. heard of the attack on the Dutch troops he sent to hasten the march of all the divisions to Les Quatre Bras where the Dutch were attacked. They were soon driven back, and the 3rd Division arrived in time to save them, they were in their turn vigorously attacked but maintained their ground till the arrival of our division who had marched that day 24 miles and were immediately brought into action.⁵ Our united forces soon drove back the enemy and the contest closed at night by our retaining the field of action. Had our cavalry been up, we should have gained a complete victory over they [sic]. They were very strong in cavalry & artillery and we had none of the former excepting some Belgians who ran away and but two brigades of artillery. On Saturday morning all our artillery & cavalry having joined, we were to have attacked when Lord Wellington heard that the Prussians having been beat the preceding day, they had retired from Fleurus to Wavre twenty miles to the rear. This made it necessary for us to retreat also and we accordingly moved back with the infantry about eleven o’clock and took up a position over the heaths of St Jean, the cavalry and horse artillery followed us & had several affairs with the enemy’s cavalry and on their arrival on the ground, we were attacked, but the night soon put a stop to it.

Yesterday morning we observed them on the heights opposite to us forming & moving their columns & soon ascertained on what point they meant to attack us. Our ground was not very high but there was a sufficient extent of open ground in front to enable us to see all their manoeuvres & to open our fire upon them as soon as they came within reach. On our right was a large farm with a small wood and some enclosures. This was evidently the point to which they would direct their attack, as the possession of it would enable them to turn our right flank. This house was confided to the care of 400 of the Guards & some Brunswick troops.⁶