Waterloo, 18 June 1815

[vinteuil]

... surely one of the best descriptions of what it must really have been like to be at the battle of Waterloo is in Stendhal's 'La Chartreuse de Parme' - poor Fabrice del Dongo finding nothing but chaos and confusion, not ever really aware of what was going on.

Thackeray's description of it in 'Vanity Fair' seems to me to be on the money too...

[vinteuil]

... and I remain a fan of Sergei Bondarchuk's film, with an amazing Rod Steiger as Napoleon -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_(1970_film)

Mme V is descended from the young Paget [ ie Uxbridge] who famously had his leg blown off -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Paget,_1st_Marquess_of_Anglesey

"During the Hundred Days he was appointed cavalry commander in Belgium, under the still resentful eye of Wellington. He fought at the Battle of Quatre Bras in June 1815 and at the Battle of Waterloo later that month when he led the spectacular charge of the British heavy cavalry against Comte d'Erlon's column which checked and in part routed the French Army.

One of the last cannon shots fired that day hit Paget in the right leg, necessitating its amputation. According to anecdote, he was close to Wellington when his leg was hit, and exclaimed, "By God, sir, I've lost my leg!" — to which Wellington replied, "By God, sir, so you have!" According to his aide-de-camp, Thomas Wildman, during the amputation Paget smiled and said, "I have had a pretty long run. I have been a beau these 47 years and it would not be fair to cut the young men out any longer." While Paget had an articulated artificial limb fitted, his amputated leg meanwhile had a somewhat macabre after-life as a tourist attraction in the village of Waterloo in Belgium, to which it had been removed and where it was later interred.
Paget was created Marquess of Anglesey on 4 July 1815. A 27m high monument to his heroism (designed by Thomas Harrison) was erected at Llanfairpwllgwyngyll on Anglesey, close to Paget's country retreat at Plas Newydd, in 1816. He was also appointed a Knight of the Garter on 13 March 1818 and promoted to full general on 12 August 1819."







.

[Richard Tarleton]

... and I remain a fan of Sergei Bondarchuk's film, with an amazing Rod Steiger as Napoleon -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_(1970_film)

Me too. Currently available versions are much cut, I fear, but it tells a great story - I saw the original on the big screen when it came out. Parts are remarkably accurate, parts not - my last mentioned book tells a very different story for the end of the Imperial Guard....also it is not clear from the film how successful the Union Brigade (Uxbridge's cavalry) were, in first repulsing d'Erlon's Corps (whose attack was supposed to win the battle in one great thrust) and then disrupting the Grand Battery, before they in turn were cut to pieces by Jaquinot's Lancers.

Mme V is descended from the young Paget [ ie Uxbridge] who famously had his leg blown off -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Paget,_1st_Marquess_of_Anglesey

"During the Hundred Days he was appointed cavalry commander in Belgium, under the still resentful eye of Wellington. He fought at the Battle of Quatre Bras in June 1815 and at the Battle of Waterloo later that month when he led the spectacular charge of the British heavy cavalry against Comte d'Erlon's column which checked and in part routed the French Army.

One of the last cannon shots fired that day hit Paget in the right leg, necessitating its amputation. According to anecdote, he was close to Wellington when his leg was hit, and exclaimed, "By God, sir, I've lost my leg!" — to which Wellington replied, "By God, sir, so you have!" According to his aide-de-camp, Thomas Wildman, during the amputation Paget smiled and said, "I have had a pretty long run. I have been a beau these 47 years and it would not be fair to cut the young men out any longer." While Paget had an articulated artificial limb fitted, his amputated leg meanwhile had a somewhat macabre after-life as a tourist attraction in the village of Waterloo in Belgium, to which it had been removed and where it was later interred.
Paget was created Marquess of Anglesey on 4 July 1815. A 27m high monument to his heroism (designed by Thomas Harrison) was erected at Llanfairpwllgwyngyll on Anglesey, close to Paget's country retreat at Plas Newydd, in 1816. He was also appointed a Knight of the Garter on 13 March 1818 and promoted to full general on 12 August 1819."

It's a great story. Interestingly - Mme V may be interested - Sale's book places the loss of Uxbridge's leg well to the south of La Haye Sainte - he and Wellington had ridden down on the heels of the 52nd's dramatic rout of the Middle and Old Guard. This makes much more sense than a most unfortunate stray shot up on the ridge. Also, Wellington mentioned the loss of Uxbridge's leg in the infamous despatch "but gave the rest of him not a word of praise". In fact Uxbridge's cavalry counter-attack on d'Erlon's corps was perfectly timed, albeit lacking in discipline later on.

Sadly Lady Butler's marvellous painting is far from what actually happened - at the start, the charge of the Scots Greys was a trot uphill on the reverse slope, as d'Erlon's Corps was already on the ridge - and they had to pick their way through a hedge and a sunken lane, and countless bodies, which precluded picking up much momentum.

[BBMmk2]

Thanks for the thumbs up for this anniversary of Waterloo and the great survey of the plethora of books that have come out,especially the last one by Bernard Cornwell, especially looks rather a good read!

[Richard Tarleton]

Thanks for the thumbs up for this anniversary of Waterloo and the great survey of the plethora of books that have come out,especially the last one by Bernard Cornwell, especially looks rather a good read!

Bbm I actually said "Passing swiftly over" Bernard Cornwell's contribution - one to avoid unless you're an avid Sharpe fan and don't feel the need to look further! As an example of the sloppy editing in the Cornwell: Sir John Colborne, colonel of the 52nd, becomes two people - Colborne and Colville - even appearing on the same page (327), and each having his own index entry, in spite of being one and the same person. There was a Sir Charles Colville whose two brigades Wellington had posted well to the west of the battlefield in case Boney tried to sneak round that way, but he played no part in the battle. I expect Bernard Cornwell just got mixed up. Also, he slips into the historic present in places.

[Alain Maréchal]

Thomas Creevey's papers are apparently the origin of the "close run thing" remark. He rode out to view the battlefield in the evening (a fashionable thing to do) and met Wellington returning to Brussels, who told him (I quote from memory) "that was the nicest run thing I ever did see in a battle". Creevey was an MP, knew everybody who was anybody, and wrote gossipy letters which are a great aid to historians of the Regency, and an entertaining read. His description of the Regent without his corset is worth buying the book for.

[french frank]

Latest Churchill posts to be transferred here when located.

Second thoughts: if they are transferred, or copied over, they will appear at the top of the thread in date order. Is that all right?

[aeolium]

Thomas Creevey's papers are apparently the origin of the "close run thing" remark. He rode out to view the battlefield in the evening (a fashionable thing to do) and met Wellington returning to Brussels, who told him (I quote from memory) "that was the nicest run thing I ever did see in a battle". Creevey was an MP, knew everybody who was anybody, and wrote gossipy letters which are a great aid to historians of the Regency, and an entertaining read. His description of the Regent without his corset is worth buying the book for.

Alain, this is somewhat OT but you might enjoy a small book by T H White called The Age of Scandal which is full of quotes from figures such as Creevey, Horace Walpole, Selwyn, Sporus (Hervey) et al. It includes Creevey's description of a journey on "the Locomotive machine" in 1829, on which he timed the journey of 5 miles at 15 minutes or 20 mph: "the quickness of motion is to me frightful; it is really flying, and it is impossible to divest yourself of the notion of instant death to all upon the least accident happening."

Sorry, derailing (sic) the topic again.

[Belgrove]

Thanks for that useful roundup Richard. I feel I already know too much about this military campaign, having read a great deal about it as a young teenager. All those books are long since lost, but I'm tempted to rekindle knowledge through Clayton's book. The last I read was Andrew Roberts' Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Gamble, which was brief enough to polish off on a transatlantic flight. It provides a succinct account of the battle but it did not contain anything new, OK if you are seeking a thumbnail sketch rather chapter, verse and context.

[Alain Maréchal]

Thanks aeolium, I will search it out. Please look out for Creevey's papers; they are very entertaining. I first read them as a teenager improving my English (the alternative was learn Vlaamse) which might explain my oftentimes archaic usages.

I think TC exaggerated: coaches must have travelled at that speed.
correction: I was wrong: 10 mph seemed to be the best speed of a coach.

[aeolium]

Some of the Creevey papers are actually viewable online:

http://lordbyron.cath.lib.vt.edu/monograph.php?doc=ThCreev.1903&select=Intro

though probably I should invest in a copy.

According to Rogers, ex-Florizel George IV suffered from numerous delusions in his dotage including that he had commanded a division at Waterloo. He also claimed that in his youth he had "made a body of Troops charge down the Devil's Dyke (near Brighton). Upon which the Duke of Wellington merely observed to him 'Very steep, sir.'"

[Alain Maréchal]

My copy of Creevey is ed. John Gore, 1951 I think.

Prinny did in fact win a wager by driving a coach and four down a very steep and narrow hill in Lewes. There is a plaque to commemorate it. Perhaps his memory of ithe event became embroidered.

[french frank]

New instruction that from now on we maintain the separate threads for Churchill & Waterloo. [This one is Waterloo]

[BBMmk2]

Bbm I actually said "Passing swiftly over" Bernard Cornwell's contribution - one to avoid unless you're an avid Sharpe fan and don't feel the need to look further! As an example of the sloppy editing in the Cornwell: Sir John Colborne, colonel of the 52nd, becomes two people - Colborne and Colville - even appearing on the same page (327), and each having his own index entry, in spite of being one and the same person. There was a Sir Charles Colville whose two brigades Wellington had posted well to the west of the battlefield in case Boney tried to sneak round that way, but he played no part in the battle. I expect Bernard Cornwell just got mixed up. Also, he slips into the historic present in places.

Ah right, thanks for that RT!

[Richard Tarleton]

Ah right, thanks for that RT!

In its defence it's lavishly illustrated with lots of maps!