PART IV.
A few Waterloo Heroes 267–273
Appendix 275–278
Index 279
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION.
_Ah! Je les tiens donc, ces Anglais!_—NAPOLEON.
Never since the days of Oliver Cromwell had any name caused so much fear
in England as did that of Napoleon Bonaparte. From 1802 until his first
downfall, in 1814, a spirit of alarm and uneasiness pervaded all classes
in Great Britain, from the King and his Ministers down to the most
illiterate peasant. Those who were witnesses of, and participators in,
this panic have now passed away, but the national pride which our
victory over Napoleon at Waterloo excited in every Briton’s breast is as
strong as ever, and will last till the crack of doom.
In July, 1803, a little pamphlet, entitled _Important Considerations for
the People of this Kingdom_, was published in London, and “sent to the
officiating minister of every parish in England.” This pamphlet, which
bears the Royal Arms of England, was an appeal from the Government to
the Nation, and a diatribe against Napoleon. Mark the closing lines of
this appeal: “Shall we, who are abundantly supplied with iron and steel,
powder and lead—shall we, who have a fleet superior to the maritime
force of all the world, and who are able to bring two millions of
fighting men into the field—shall we yield up this dear and happy land,
together with all the liberties and honours, to preserve which our
fathers so often dyed the land and the sea with their blood?... No, we
are not so miserably fallen; we cannot, in so short a space of time,
have become so detestably degenerate; we have the strength and the will
to repel the hostility, to chastise the insolence of the foe. Mighty,
indeed, must be our efforts, but mighty also is the need.” The idea of a
French invasion was slow in forcing its way into the minds of the
uneducated classes in England. When they first heard of such a
possibility they thought it of no more consequence than the invasion of
Scotland by Charles Edward Stuart with a mere handful of Frenchmen at
his back. They also thought less of the projected descent from having
heard so much in 1797, and during the Rebellion in Ireland in 1798, of a
French army coming to the relief of the National party in that kingdom:—
“For the French are on the sea,
Says the Shan Van Vaugh,
And Ireland will soon be free,
Says the Shan Van Vaugh.”
And yet nothing had come of all this talk! But when the nation at large
had fully grasped the possibility of a Napoleonic invasion, Pitt had no
difficulty in raising the sinews of war. No fewer than 300,000 men
enrolled themselves in volunteer corps and defence associations. The
army and navy were increased, and everything was done that was possible
to counteract the power of that wonderful man, who, in the short space
of a few years, had, speaking metaphorically, built a Great Wall of
China round the British Isles, shutting the English out of the commerce
of Europe. Our preparations were none too soon. In 1805 the battle of
Austerlitz established the supremacy of Napoleon over Austria and
Russia. Fortunately for England, Nelson’s crowning victory at Trafalgar
indefinitely postponed Napoleon’s invasion scheme; but we were still
engaged in a gigantic war, single-handed, with half of Europe our
declared, and the other half our enforced, enemies. Nelson was dead;
Pitt was dying from the weight of anxieties which pressed upon him in
this tremendous crisis; Hanover had been taken from us. The outlook was
very gloomy, and affairs became more complicated in 1807, when the
military expeditions, arranged by Lord Grenville’s ministry, against
Constantinople and Egypt, had turned out failures, and resulted in the
Turks declaring war against us and confiscating all British property.
And yet in 1807 Napoleon had not yet reached the zenith of his power.
For the next five years he held the destinies of nearly the whole of
Europe in his own hands. Monarchies of long standing were disestablished
and new kingdoms—Napoleonic kingdoms—were raised up in their place.
Immense French armies traversed Europe from Portugal to the heart of
Russia, and every capital within that limit was, in its turn, subjugated
to the French yoke. But in 1808 two British Generals stemmed the tide of
French conquest in the Peninsula, viz., Sir John Moore and Sir Arthur
Wellesley. The first met a soldier’s death at Corunna, and the latter
was superseded by an incapable commander. But the British Government
soon found that they had made a grievous mistake, and Wellesley was
again entrusted with the supreme command in Portugal. Then commenced
that series of brilliant campaigns which liberated Portugal and Spain
from the Napoleonic grasp, and only ceased after the battle of Toulouse
by Napoleon’s abdication at Fontainebleau. In the spring of 1814 England
had a large army, composed for the most part of seasoned veterans, who
were fit for anything and worth millions. When war broke out again, in
the spring of 1815, at least half of the Peninsular army had been
disbanded—dispersed—and not to be had at any price. Some of the best of
the old Peninsular regiments had been sent to America in 1814, and
several of them—the gallant 43rd Light Infantry being one—did not reach
Waterloo in time to take part in the battle. Raw levies took their
place, and foreign auxiliaries helped to bring up Wellington’s army in
Flanders to the required strength. Of Wellington’s 106,000 barely
one-third were British. The remainder consisted of “King’s German
Legion,” “Hanoverian Levies,” “Brunswick Contingent,” “Nassau
Contingent,” “Dutch and Belgian Troops,” and “Nassauers in Dutch
service.” Of this polyglot force the German Legion, both cavalry and
infantry, were deserving of the highest praise for their conduct on
Waterloo Day. They formed part of the British army for nearly a dozen
years, and many British officers held commissions in the “Legion.” I
have been obliged to leave out the German Legion officers in the
following ROLL CALL (excepting those who served on the Staff), and it
would be invidious, when all did so well, to pick out the British
officers who served in the “Legion” at Waterloo and record their
services when those of their German brother-officers are omitted. I
cannot even make an exception of Colonel (afterwards Baron) Hugh
Halkett, who, like a knight in the olden days of chivalry, singled out a
French general (Cambronne) in single combat, and took him prisoner.
The Hanoverian levies did well also, excepting one regiment, which
refused to charge the French when commanded so to do. And this was
doubtless owing to the _lâcheté_ of their colonel, who, when ordered to
lead his regiment to the charge, declined to do so, saying he had no
confidence in his men. It is related that Captain Horace Seymour, who
had brought this officer Lord Uxbridge’s orders, addressed “a few words
of plain Saxon” to him, “which no gentleman ought to have listened to
unmoved,” but the only effect they had on the Hanoverian was to hasten
his departure to the rear. The Brunswick Contingent fought at a
disadvantage at Waterloo, having lost their brave leader (the Duke of
Brunswick) at Quatre Bras. Of the Nassau, Dutch, and Belgian troops it
is only fair to say that they were, mostly, utterly useless at Waterloo.
The glamour of Napoleon was upon them. They had lately been in his
service, and had a settled conviction that Wellington would be defeated
and his army cut to pieces. “Come over to us, brave Belgians!” shouted a
French regiment at Waterloo to their Belgian opponents in the battle.
But the “brave Belgians” preferred making “a retrograde movement for
strategical reasons,” and retired from the field, carrying news of
Wellington’s defeat to Brussels.
Now for Napoleon’s army: This consisted on the 15th of June of about
128,000 men[A]—mostly veterans who had served in many campaigns, and to
whom defeat was rare. Add to this, that they all belonged to one nation,
and were all equally devoted to their beloved emperor. “No army,” says
Colonel Chesney, in his _Waterloo Lecture_, “was probably ever so well
furnished with leaders as his, as none had ever the like experience
wherewith to train them.” It is no slight to Wellington to say that
Napoleon was, for rapid and offensive warfare, by far the first general
of his day. In defensive warfare Wellington was much in advance of his
great rival. Taking the words out of Philip the Second’s mouth,
Wellington might have with truth said, “Time and I against any other
two.” Once more: Wellington himself told Earl Stanhope that he
considered the presence of Napoleon with the French army at Waterloo
fully equivalent to an additional force of 30,000 men! Now this was the
total of the force sent under Marshal Grouchy, on the 17th June, to
follow the Prussian army, which had been defeated at Ligny by Napoleon
on the previous day, and which was supposed to be in full retreat on
Namur and Liége, so that, in round numbers, Napoleon was himself
considered equal to a whole army corps! If the British had a Picton, the
French had a Ney, who was considered almost Napoleon’s equal in handling
troops in the field, and who had pressed us so sorely at Quatre Bras, on
the 16th of June, when only half our army had arrived at that position.
Then as a leader of cavalry Lord Uxbridge was well matched by
Kellermann, whose fame as a cavalry general dated from Marengo. And
General Mouton (Count Lobau) was an infantry leader of whom any army
might have been proud. It was he who, at the head of the Imperial Foot
Guards, had wrested the victory from the Prussians on the bloody field
of Lützen, in 1813, and saved the French army from a reverse. Enough has
now been said to show what a splendid army the British had opposed to
them on the 18th of June, 1815. “I have them at last, these English!”
exclaimed Napoleon, in a transport of joy, early in the morning of that
day, when he saw our army drawn up in position, with their backs to the
forest of Soignies. But he underrated Wellington’s generalship, nor
could he foresee how the British generals, officers, and men of all
ranks would fight that memorable day, when the eyes of all Europe were
upon them, because upon the issue of that contest depended the fate of
empires and kingdoms, as well as the future peace of the world. And
knowing, as we all do, what glory the victory at Waterloo brought to our
countrymen and our country, we must be generous enough to give the brave
Prussians the full share due to them for their co-operation on that day.
Had it not been for them, Waterloo would have been as barren a victory
as Borodino, and Napoleon would have retreated in as good order,
probably, as Blucher was able to do after his defeat at Ligny. As it
was, our troops bore the whole brunt of the battle without losing an
inch of ground, and the arrival of the Prussians, at the close of the
day, sealed the fate of Napoleon.[B]
Footnote A:
Lord Wolseley, in his _Decline and Fall of Napoleon_, says the French
army consisted of about 123,000 men of all arms and 344 guns.—ED.
* * * * *
In offering this, the first annotated Waterloo Army List, to the British
public, I must ask their indulgence for any omissions and errors it may
contain. Although I have spared no trouble in the matter, there must be,
I well know, a few names of British Waterloo officers who have escaped
my notice. But when the following list is compared with the very
defective lists given by Siborne and George Jones (the foundation of all
other lists), I think the following ROLL CALL will be found infinitely
more trustworthy. I have also added the regimental and army commissions
of the Waterloo officers up to the date of the battle, and the honours
and promotions bestowed after Waterloo. The war services of _many_ of
these same officers now appear in print for the first time, and are not
to be found in the _Military Calendar_ of field officers which was
published in 1820, nor in Hart’s _Army Lists_, which date from 1840, and
are such valuable works of reference. Of course, a large proportion of
the names I have annotated, genealogically, are names of well-known
families of the present time, but there are also many names in the
following ROLL CALL which belong to families that are now extinct or
lost sight of. I have endeavoured to rescue as many names from oblivion
as time would allow, but there are a certain number of whom I can give
no information beyond their obituary notices:
“Here lies Pat Steele. That’s very true.
Who was he? What was he? What’s that to you?”
As regards the orthography of the names in the regimental lists, I am
not responsible, as they are copied from the “official” _Army List_. The
same rule applies to the precedence of the different regiments.
I am indebted to Colonel F.A. Whinyates, late R.H.A., for some
interesting information regarding artillery officers, and to George
Tancred, Esq., late captain Scots Greys, for the Waterloo muster-roll
and some memoranda relating to the Scots Greys.
CHARLES DALTON.
32 WEST CROMWELL ROAD, LONDON, S.W.
_June 1, 1890._
Footnote B:
“I should not do justice to my feelings, or to Marshal Blücher and
the Prussian Army, if I did not attribute the success of this
arduous day to the cordial and timely assistance I received from
them.”—_Wellington’s despatch to Earl Bathurst._
ABBREVIATIONS.
Par. = Peninsular.
Pa. = Peninsula.
G.C.H. = Knight Grand Cross of Hanover.
K.C.H. = Knight Commander of Hanover.
K.H. = Knight of Hanover.
K.M.T. = Knight of Maria Theresa of Austria.
K. St. A. = Knight of St. Anne of Russia.
K. St. V. = Knight of St. Vladimir of Russia.
K. St. G. = Knight of St. George of Russia.
K.T.S. = Knight of the Tower and Sword of
Portugal.
K.M.B. = Knight of Maximilian of Bavaria.
K.W. = Knight of Wilhelm of Holland.
W. after an officer’s name = Wounded.
K. ” ” = Killed.
M.I. = Monumental inscription.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE WATERLOO ROLL CALL.
-------
STAFF.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
F.-M. Arthur, DUKE OF WELLINGTON, K.G., G.C.B., &c.
MILITARY SECRETARY.
Lt.-Col. Lord Fitzroy Somerset, 1st Ft. Gds., W.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Lt.-Col. J. Fremantle, 2nd Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. C.F. Canning, 3rd Ft. Gds., K.
Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon, K.C.B., 3rd Ft. Gds., K.
Lt. Lord George Lennox, 9th Lt. Dns.
Hered. Prince of Nassau-Usingen.
EXTRA AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Maj. Hon. Henry Percy, 14th Lt. Dns.
Capt. Lord Arthur Hill, h. p.
Lt. Hon. George Cathcart, 6th Dn. Gds.
* * * * *
GENERAL.
H.R.H. The Prince of Orange, W.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Lt.-Col. Baron Tripp, 60th Foot.
Capt. Lord John Somerset, h. p.
Capt. Hon. Francis Russell, h. p.
EXTRA AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Capt. The Earl of March, 52nd Foot.
Capt. Viscount Bury, 1st Ft. Gds.
Lt. H. Webster, 9th Lt. Dns.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
The Earl of Uxbridge, G.C.B., W.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Major W. Thornhill, 7th Hussars, W.
Capt. H.B. Seymour, 18th Hussars, W.
EXTRA AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Capt. T. Wildman, 7th Hussars, W.
Capt. J. Fraser, 7th Hussars, W.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
Lord Hill, G.C.B.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Lt.-Col. C. Hill, R.H. Gds., W.
Major R. Egerton, 34th Foot.
Major C.H. Churchill, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. D. Mackworth, 7th Foot.
EXTRA AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. Hon. O. Bridgeman, 1st Ft. Gds., W.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
Sir Thomas Picton, G.C.B., K.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Capt. Algernon Langton, 61st Foot, W.
Capt. J. Tyler, 93rd Foot, W.
Capt. N. Chambers, 1st Ft. Gds., K.
EXTRA AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. B. Price, h. p.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
Sir Henry Clinton, G.C.B.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Capt. F. Dawkins, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. J. Gurwood, 10th Hussars, W.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
Charles, Count Alten, K.C.B.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Lt. W. Havelock, 43rd Foot, W.
Bt. Maj. A. Heise, 2nd Lt. Batt. K.G.L.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
Sir Charles Colville, G.C.B.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Capt. J. Jackson, 37th Foot.
Lt. F.W. Frankland, 2nd Ft. Gds.
EXTRA AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. Lord James Hay, 1st Ft. Gds.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
V. Count Alten.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Lt. Baron Estorff, 2nd Dns. K.G.L.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. Einem, K.G.L.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir John Vandeleur, K.C.B.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. W. Armstrong, 19th Lt. Dns.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Maj. M. Childers, 11th Lt. Dns.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Maj.-Gen. Cooke, W.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. G. Disbrowe, 1st Ft. Gds.
EXTRA AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Ensign Augustus Cuyler, 2nd Ft. Gds.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir James Kempt, K.C.B., W.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. Hon. Charles Gore, 85th Foot.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. Charles Eeles, 95th Foot, K.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Hon. Sir Wm. Ponsonby, K.C.B., K.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Lt. B. Christie, 5th Dn. Gds.
EXTRA AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Maj. D. Evans, 5th W.I. Regt.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Maj. T. Reignolds, 2nd Dns., K.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir John Byng, K.C.B.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. H. Dumaresq, 9th Foot, W.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. Wm. Stothert, 3rd Ft. Gds., K.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir Denis Pack, K.C.B., W.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Maj. E. L’Estrange, 71st Foot, K.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Bt.-Maj. Charles Smyth, 95th Foot, K.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Lord Edward Somerset, K.C.B.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Lt. H. Somerset, 18th Hussars.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir John Lambert, K.C.B.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Lt. T. Baynes, 39th Foot.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Maj. H.G. Smith, 95th Foot, W.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir Colquhoun Grant, K.C.B., W.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Lt. R. Mansfield, 15th Hussars, W.
EXTRA AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. W. Moray, 17th Lt. Dns., W.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. Jones, h. p.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir James Lyon, K.C.B.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Lt. Jas. McGlashan, 2nd Lt. Batt. K.G.L.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. Richter, 1st Ceylon Regt.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Maj.-Gen. P. Maitland.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Ensign Lord Hay, 1st Ft. Gds., K.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. J. Gunthorpe, 1st Ft. Gds.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Maj.-Gen. G. Johnstone.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. C.G. Gray, 95th Foot.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. S. Holmes, 78th Foot.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Maj.-Gen. F. Adam, W.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Lt. R.P. Campbell, 7th Foot.
EXTRA AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. C. Yorke, 52nd Foot.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Maj. Thos. Hunter-Blair, 91st Foot, W.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir Colin Halkett, K.C.B., W.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Capt. H. Marschalk, 1st Lt. Batt., K.G.L., K.
Capt. A. Home, 2nd Lt. Batt., K.G.L.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. W. Crofton, 54th Foot, K.
* * * * *
MAJOR-GENERAL.
Sir Hussey Vivian, K.C.B.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Capt. Edward Keane, 7th Hussars.
EXTRA AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Lt. C.A. Fitzroy, R.H. Gds.
MAJOR OF BRIGADE.
Capt. Thos. Noel Harris, h. p., W.
* * * * *
ADJUTANT-GENERAL.
Maj.-Gen. Sir Edward Barnes, K.C.B., W.
AIDE-DE-CAMP.
Maj. Andrew Hamilton, 4th W.I. Regt.
DEPUTY ADJUTANT-GENERAL.
Col. Sir John Elley, K.C.B., R.H. Gds., W.
ASSISTANT ADJUTANTS-GENERAL.
Lt.-Col. J. Waters, Unattached, W.
Lt.-Col. Sir George H. Berkeley, K.C.B., 35th Foot, W.
Lt.-Col. Sir Guy Campbell, Bt., 6th Foot.
Lt.-Col. Sir Noel Hill, K.C.B., 1st Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. D. Barclay, 1st Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. H. Rooke, 3rd Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. E. Currie, 90th Foot, K.
Maj. A. Wylly, 7th Foot.
Maj. G. Evatt, 55th Foot.
Maj. W. Darling, h. p.
Maj. F. Breymann, 2nd Lt. Batt., K.G.L.
DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADJUTANTS-GENERAL.
Capt. Hon. E.S. Erskine, 60th Foot, W.
Capt. Lord Charles Fitzroy, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. C.A.F. Bentinck, 2nd Ft. Gds.
Capt. George Black, 54th Foot.
Capt. H. Blanckley, 23rd Foot.
Capt. Hon. Wm. Curzon, 69th Foot, K.
Lt. Jas. Henry Hamilton, 46th Foot, W.
Lt. John Harford, 7th Rl. Veteran Batt.
Lt. E. Gerstlacher, 3rd Hussars, K.G.L.
Lt. Jas. Rooke, h. p.
DEPUTY JUDGE ADVOCATE.
Lt.-Col. Stephen Arthur Goodman, h. p.
DEPUTY QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL.
Col. Sir Wm. Howe de Lancey, K.C.B., K.
ASSISTANT QUARTERMASTERS-GENERAL.
Col. the Hon. Alex. Abercromby, 2nd Ft. Gds., W.
Col. F.E. Hervey, 14th Lt. Dns.
Lt.-Col. Robt. Torrens, 1st W.I. Regt.
Lt.-Col. Sir Charles Broke, K.C.B. (Permanent).
Lt.-Col. Sir Jeremiah Dickson, K.C.B. (Permanent).
Lt.-Col. Lord Greenock (Permanent).
Lt.-Col. John George Woodford, 1st Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. C. Grant, 11th Foot.
Lt.-Col. Sir Wm. Gomm, K.C.B., 2nd Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. Sir Henry Hollis Bradford, K.C.B., 1st Ft. Gds., W.
Lt.-Col. Sir George Scovell, K.C.B., h. p.
Lt.-Col. D. Kelly, 73rd Foot.
Maj. Wm. Campbell, 23rd Foot.
Maj. Hon. George Lionel Dawson, 1st Dn. Gds., W.
Maj. Chas. Beckwith, 95th Foot, W.
Capt. Jas. Shaw, 43rd Foot.
Capt. J. Jessop, 44th Foot, W.
DEPUTY-ASSISTANT QUARTERMASTERS-GENERAL.
Capt. E.T. Fitzgerald, 25th Foot, W.
Capt. Richard Brunton, 60th Foot.
Capt. Thos. Wright, Rl. Staff Corps, W.
Capt. H. MacLeod, 35th Foot, W.
Capt. J.J. Mitchell, 25th Foot, W.
Capt. W. Moore, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. Geo. Hillier, 74th Foot.
Capt. W.G. Cameron, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. F. Read, Rl. Staff Corps.
Lt. P. Barrailler, 33rd Foot.
Lt. Basil Jackson, Rl. Staff Corps.
Lt. A. Brauns, Rl. Staff Corps.
COMMANDANT AT HEAD-QUARTERS.
Col. Sir Colin Campbell, K.C.B., 2nd Ft. Gds.
STAFF.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
F.-M. Arthur, Duke of WELLINGTON, K.G., G.C.B., &c.
Born in Dublin, 1st May, 1769. 3rd son of Garrett, 1st Earl of
Mornington, by Anne, eldest dau. of Arthur (Hill), 1st Viscount
Dungannon. Educated at Eton and Angers Military Academy. Like Clive,
he was “a heaven-born general.” His fame far exceeded the many
titles he won by his genius. “I am going to dine with Wellington
to-night,” said a young Irish staff officer to a group of brother
officers at the close of a hard-fought battle in Spain. “Give me at
least the prefix of Mr. before my name,” said Lord Wellington, who
happened to ride by at the moment and had overheard the jubilant
remark. “My Lord,” replied the officer, “we do not speak of Mr.
Cæsar, or Mr. Alexander, so why should I speak of Mr. Wellington?”
The Duke d. at Walmer Castle, 14th Sept., 1852, and was buried in
St. Paul’s Cathedral. He had m., in 1806, the Hon. Catherine
Pakenham, 3rd dau. of Edward, 2nd Lord Longford, and by her, who d.
in 1831, left issue.
MILITARY SECRETARY.
Lt.-Col. Lord Fitzroy Somerset, 1st Ft. Gds., W.
Youngest son of Henry, 5th Duke of Beaufort. Was Wellington’s A.D.C.
and “right hand” throughout the campaign in Spain and Portugal. Lost
his right arm at Waterloo, from a shot fired from the top of La Haye
Sainte farmhouse after its capture by the French. Created Baron
Raglan a month after Wellington’s death. F.-M. and C.-in-C. of the
British army in the Crimea in Nov., 1854. D. in the Crimea during
the siege of Sebastopol, at a farmhouse overlooking the plains of
Balaklava. In the principal room is still to be seen a marble slab
with the inscription, “In this room died F.-M. Lord Raglan, G.C.B.,
Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in the Crimea, 28th June,
1855.” Lord Raglan’s body was brought to England and interred at
Badminton with his ancestors. He had m., in 1814, Lady Emily Harriet
Wellesley-Pole, 2nd dau of Wm., 3rd Earl of Mornington, and by her,
who d. 1881, left issue.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Lt.-Col. J. Fremantle, 2nd Ft. Gds. (1st Batt.)
Served as A.D.C. to Wellington at Vittoria, and brought home the
despatch. Eldest son of Col. Stephen Fremantle, by Albinia, dau. of
Sir John Jeffrys, Bart.; C.B. M., 17th Feb., 1829, Agnes, 3rd dau.
of David Lyon. Died a maj.-gen. on ret. list.
Lt.-Col. C.F. Canning, 3rd Ft. Gds., K.
3rd son of Stratford Canning, by Mehetabel Patrick, of Summerhill,
Dublin, and brother of the subsequently celebrated diplomatist,
Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe. Had acted as A.D.C. to Wellington
in the Pa., and it was by the former’s special request that the Duke
took him again on his personal staff just before Waterloo.
“Dying lamented CANNING lay,
On MARCH he wistful gaz’d.
‘How fares the Duke?’ ‘How goes the day?’
‘All well’—his head he raised.”
Lt.-Col. Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon, K.C.B., 3rd Ft. Gds., K.
It is said that when Wellington was roused from sleep by Dr. Hume
early on the morning after Waterloo and told that Gordon had died
from the effect of his wounds, he burst into tears. Alex. Wm. Gordon
was 3rd son of George, Lord Haddo, by Charlotte, youngest daughter
of Wm. Baird, of Newbyth. He had served as A.D.C. to his uncle, Sir
David Baird, at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope and in several
subsequent campaigns.
Lt. Lord George Lennox, 9th Lt. Dns.
2nd son of Charles, 4th Duke of Richmond, by Lady Charlotte Gordon,
eldest daughter of Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon. He and his eldest
brother took an active part in the drama of the 18th June, whilst
the duke, his father, and Lord Wm. Pitt Lennox, his younger brother,
were spectators of a battle in which they were unable to play a more
active part. (See notes to 35th Regt. of Foot.) Lord George m., 29th
June, 1818, Louisa, dau. of the Hon. F. Rodney, and had issue. Was
M.P. for West Sussex, 1832–41, and Gent. of the Bed-chamber to
Prince Albert. D. 1873.
Hered. Prince of Nassau-Usingen.
Son of Duke Bernard of Nassau, who sent a contingent of Nassau
troops to fight at Waterloo. In the Wellington Despatches is a
letter from Wellington to Duke Bernard, in July, 1815, in which he
speaks highly of the bravery of the young Prince.
EXTRA AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Maj. Hon. Henry Percy, 14th Lt. Dns.
Sent home with the Waterloo Despatch, and recd. the bonus usual on
such occasions and a brevet of Lt.-Col. A Jew—an agent of
Rothschild, who was at Ghent when news was brought to Louis XVIII.
of the defeat of the French army, drew his own conclusions from the
king’s happy face which he saw through a window—set off at once for
London and did his little business on the Stock Exchange a few hours
before Percy reached the metropolis. 5th son of Algernon, 1st Earl
of Beverley, by Isabella, 2nd dau. of Peter Burrell, of Beckenham.
Was A.D.C. to Sir J. Moore at Corunna. C.B. D. unm. 15 April, 1825.
Capt. Lord Arthur Hill, h. p.
2nd son of Arthur, Marquis of Downshire, by Mary, Baroness Sandys in
her own right. Succeeded his mother as Baron Sandys in 1836.
Lt.-Gen. and Col.-in-Chf. 2nd Dns. D. unm. 1860.
Lt. Hon. George Cathcart, 6th Dn. Gds.
3rd son of William, 10th Baron, and 1st Earl, Cathcart, by
Elizabeth, dau. of Andrew Elliott, Gov. of New York. Bn. 12th May,
1794. M., 1824, Lady Georgiana Greville (dau. of Louisa, Countess of
Mansfield, by her 2nd husband, the Hon. Robert Greville), and had
issue. G.C.B. Lt.-Gen., Com. of the forces at the Cape of Good Hope.
Commanded the 4th Division of the British Army in the Crimea, and
fell at Inkerman. He was a worthy descendant of the founder of his
family—Sir Alan de Cathcart—whose bravery at the battle of Loudoun
Hill is thus recorded in an old rhyme:—
“A knight that then was in his rout,
Worthy and wight, stalwart and stout,
Courteous and fair, and of good fame,
Sir Alan Cathcart was his name.”
* * * * *
GENERAL.
H.R.H. the Prince of Orange, W.
Bn. 6th Dec., 1792. Appointed a maj.-gen. in the Brit. Army in Dec.,
1813. Succeeded his father, William I. King of Holland (who d. in
1843), as William II. Became a F.-M. of England in 1845. D. in 1849,
and was succeeded by his son, the reigning King of Holland.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Lt.-Col. Baron Tripp, 60th Foot.
Ernest Otto, Baron Tripp, C.B., was maj. in the 60th Rifles and
brevet lt.-col. He d. 1816.
Capt. Lord John Somerset, h.p.
Brother to Lord Fitzroy Somerset. Bn. 30th Aug., 1787. M., 4th Dec.,
1814, Lady Catherine Annesley, and had issue. Col., 10th Jan., 1837.
D. 3rd Oct., 1846, whilst holding the appointment of Inspecting
Field Officer, Recruiting District.
Capt. Hon. Francis Russell, h. p.
Placed on h. p., 2nd Garrison Batt., 28th April, 1814. Restored to
f. p. as capt., 57th Regt., in 1816. Afterwards capt. and lt.-col.,
Coldstream Guards. Eldest son of Lord Wm. Russell, who was murdered
by his valet in 1840. In the _Army List_ for 1815 is styled
“Honourable.” May have been a royal page.
EXTRA AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Capt. the Earl of March, 52nd Foot.
At the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, the Earl of March, then a lt. in the
13th Lt. Dns., and serving as A.D.C. to Visct. Wellington, entered
the breach as a volunteer with the storming party of the 52nd. The
Prince of Orange and Lord Fitzroy Somerset were Lord March’s
companions in this adventure. On the following morning, when
breakfasting with Wellington, they received a gentle reproof, being
staff officers, for thus risking their lives. Succeeded his father
as 5th Duke of Richmond in 1819. Placed on h. p., 25th July, 1816.
Served in the Pa. with the 52nd Regt. and was severely wounded at
the battle of Orthes. M., 10th April, 1817, Lady Charlotte Paget,
eldest dau. of the 1st Marquis of Anglesey, and had issue. A.D.C. to
the Queen. K.G. Lt.-col. in the army, and col. Sussex Militia. D.
21st Oct., 1860.
Capt. Viscount Bury, 1st Ft. Gds.
Eldest son of William Charles, 4th Earl of Albemarle, by the Hon.
Eliz. Southwell, dau. of Edward, Lord de Clifford. Bn. 2nd June,
1794. Served in the Pa. M., 4th May, 1816, Frances, dau. of Charles
Steer, of Chichester. Succeeded as 5th earl in 1849. D. s. p. 15th
March, 1851.
Lt. H. Webster, 9th Lt. Dns.
Afterwards Col. Henry Vassall Webster, K.T.S., 2nd son of Sir
Godfrey Webster, Bart., by Eliz. Lady Holland, dau. and heir of
Robt. Vassall, of Jamaica. Made a Knt. of Wilhelm of the Netherlands
for his services at Waterloo. M. Grace, dau. of Samuel Boddington.
Killed himself in a fit of insanity, 19th April, 1847.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
The Earl of Uxbridge, G.C.B., W.
“The Prince Murat of the British Army.” This brilliant cavalry
leader served with distinction in the early part of the war in the
Pa. The way he handled the cavalry at Waterloo is a matter of
history known to every Briton. Wounded in the right knee during the
last charge; his right leg was amputated after the battle and buried
under a tree. A board was afterwards affixed to this tree with this
verse:—
“Here lies the Marquis of Anglesey’s leg;
Pray for the rest of his body, I beg.”
Was created Marquis of Anglesey 23rd June, 1815. Bn. 17th May, 1768.
Succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Uxbridge in 1812. Attained the
rank of F.-M. in Nov., 1846. Was twice m., and left issue by both
wives. D. 29th April, 1854. Bd. in Lichfield Cathedral.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Maj. W. Thornhill, 7th Hussars, W.
2nd son of Bache Thornhill, of Stanton-in-Peak, near Bakewell, by
Jane, dau. of Edward Gould, of Mansfield Woodhouse. Promoted
lt.-col. of 7th Hussars 12th Aug., 1819. K.H. He had received his
brevet lt.-colcy. in June, 1815, at Lord Anglesey’s request. D. at
Wimborne, 9th Dec., 1850.
Capt. H.B. Seymour, 18th Hussars, W.
“The strongest man in the British Army,” who is said to “have slain
more men at Waterloo than any other single individual.” Was taken
prisoner on the 18th June, but rescued by some of our cavalry sent
by Wellington himself for the purpose. He is the identical “Capt.
Trevanion” in Charles Lever’s _Harry Lorrequer_, who was grossly
insulted by a French officer—a noted bully—at a restaurant in Paris
a few weeks after Waterloo. After repeated insults the French bully
ordered a glass of brandy, and, whilst sitting just opposite
Trevanion, drank it off, saying, in a loud voice that could be heard
all over the café, “A votre courage, Anglais.” “Trevanion slowly
rose from his chair, displaying to the astonished Frenchman the
immense proportions and gigantic frame of a man well known as the
largest officer in the British Army. With one stride he was beside
the chair of the Frenchman, and with the speed of lightning, he
seized his nose by one hand while with the other he grasped his
lower jaw, and, wrenching open his mouth with the strength of an
ogre, he spat down his throat.” The bully’s jaw was broken by his
adversary’s iron grasp, and he disappeared to be seen no more.
Horace Beauchamp Seymour was transferred, in 1815, to a troop in the
1st Life Guards. Was put on h. p. 1819, K.C.H.; M.P. for Lisburn.
3rd son of Adml. Lord Hugh Seymour, by Lady Anne Waldegrave, dau. of
2nd Earl Waldegrave. M. twice, and by his first wife (Eliz., dau. of
Sir L. Palk, Bt.) was father of Adml. Lord Alcester. D. at Brighton
23rd Nov., 1851.
EXTRA AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Capt. T. Wildman, 7th Hussars, W.
Purchased the Newstead Abbey estate for £95,000 from Mr. Clawton,
who had bought it of Lord Byron for £14,000. Eldest son of Thos.
Wildman of Bacton Hall, Suffolk, by Sarah, dau. of Henry Hardinge,
of Durham. Served at Corunna and in many of the subsequent
engagements. M., 1816, Louisa Preisig, a Swiss lady. D. s. p., 20
Sept., 1859.
Capt. J. Fraser, 7th Hussars, W.
Aftds. Sir James John Fraser, Bart. Succeeded his brother, Sir Wm.
Fraser, in 1827. Son of Wm. Fraser (a direct descendant of 1st Lord
Lovat), who was created a bart. in 1806, by Elizabeth Farquharson.
M. Charlotte, only child of D. Craufurd. D. 5th June, 1834, and was
succeeded by his son, Wm. Augustus.
* * * * *
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
Lord Hill, G.C.B.
The 2nd son and 4th child of a family of sixteen. His father was Sir
John Hill, a Shropshire bart. His mother, the dau. and co-heir of
John Chambré, of Petton, in the same county. Bn. 11th Aug., 1772, at
The Hall, in the village of Prees, in Shropshire. Entered the 53rd
Regt. as lieut., in 1793. Was A.D.C. to Gen. O’Hara, at Toulon.
Commanded the 90th Regt. at the age of 23. Appointed to a brigade
command in the Pa., in 1808, and to a division in 1809. Greatly
distinguished himself at Arroyo and Almaraz—victories that were
entirely his. K.C.B. In 1814 was created a baron of England. At
Waterloo had a horse shot under him—was rolled over and severely
bruised. In a letter to his sister, dated 24th July, 1815, he said:
“I verily believe there never was so tremendous a battle fought as
that at Waterloo.” C.-in-C. 1828–42. Created a viscount, 1842, with
remainder to his nephew, Sir Rowland Hill. D., unm., 10th Dec.,
1842, at Hardwick Grange.
AIDES-DE-CAMP.
Lt.-Col. C. Hill, R.H. Gds., W.
Brother to the above. Bn. 6th Dec., 1781. As a Maj.-Gen. commanded
the forces at Madras. Equerry to H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent. D.
unm., 20th Jan., 1845.
Maj. R. Egerton, 34th Foot.
9th and youngest son of Philip Egerton, of Oulton, Cheshire, by
Frances, dau. and co-heir of Sir Griffith Jefferies, Knt. As a
subaltern served in North America with the 29th Foot, and in South
America with the 89th Foot. Served with the 2nd Batt. 34th Foot in
the Pa., in 1809. In 1810 was appointed to the Staff of Wellington’s
army. In 1812 was A.D.C. to Lord (then Sir Rowland) Hill, and served
in that capacity at Waterloo, and with the army of occupation in
France. In 1828 Lord Hill chose Col. Egerton for his first A.D.C.
and private sec. C.B. Par. medal with 8 clasps. Col.-in-Chf. 46th
Foot. M., 1st Dec., 1814, Arabella, youngest dau. of H. Tomkinson,
of Dorfold. D. at Eaton Banks, Cheshire, aged 72, 21st Nov., 1854.
Maj. C.H. Churchill, 1st Ft. Gds.
Col. Chatham Horace Churchill, C.B., appears to have sprung from the
Dorsetshire family of this name. This officer, who took a prominent