Osprey - Campaign - 280 - Waterloo 1815. Mont St Jean and Wavre

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CAMPAIGN 280

WATERLOO 1815 (3) Mont St Jean and Wavre

JOHN FRANKLIN

ILLUSTRATED BY GERRY EMBLETON  Series editor Marcus Cowper

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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 Wellington learns of the Prussians’ defeat n The French pursue the coalition armies

CHRONOLOGY 9 OPPOSING COMMANDERS

12

Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France n Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington n Gebhard Lebrecht, Fürst Blücher von Wahlstadt n August, Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau

OPPOSING FORCES

16

The command and composition of the French army n The command and composition of the Allied army n The command and composition of the Prussian army n Orders of battle

OPPOSING PLANS

27

THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO

29

Movements on the morning of 18 June n The arduous march to Chapelle St Lambert n Preparations at Mont St Jean and Trimotiau • The struggle for Hougoumont commences • Communication with the Prussian vanguard n d’Erlon attacks the hamlet of Mont St Jean n Uxbridge counters with the British cavalry n The engagement escalates at Hougoumont n Blücher orders the assault upon Plancenoit n Ney leads the French cavalry to its downfall n The courageous defence of La Haie Sainte n du Plat advances with the King’s German Legion n Zieten confronts the French forces at Smohain n Wellington endures a crisis in the centre n Blücher succeeds in capturing Plancenoit n Napoleon advances with the Garde Impériale n The coalition armies gain a decisive victory

THE BATTLE OF WAVRE

84

Thielmann prepares to evacuate La Bawette n Vandamme launches an attack upon Wavre n Stengel delays the French forces at Limal

AFTERMATH 90 THE BATTLEFIELDS TODAY

92

FURTHER READING

94

INDEX 95  

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INTRODUCTION

The Allied army marched from the crossroads at Quatre Bras to the heights of Mont St Jean in three lengthy columns. (Graves Gallery, Museums Sheffield)

As the grey light of dawn pierced the darkness on the morning of 17 June, the commanders of the three armies in the Low Countries contemplated the events of the preceding day. The French had gained a substantial advantage over their opponents at Ligny, but the decision by the Prussian leaders to retire along a parallel course to the Allied army had redeemed the situation. Feldmarschall Blücher was at Mellery, where he had been taken following a heavy fall from his horse at the climax of the battle. In the absence of the elderly hussar the command of the army devolved upon August, Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau, who joined Blücher in the village and issued instructions to the various staff officers in an attempt to establish order in the retreating columns. The I Korps was directed to retire through the villages of Tilly, Gentinnes and Mont St Guibert towards Wavre. The II Korps was ordered to follow this movement north, while III Korps and the army reserve park were to move via Gembloux. Orders were also sent to IV Korps, which had not been engaged in the fighting, to march by way of Sart-à-Walhain and Corbais to Dion-le-Mont, and to establish a vigorous rearguard to counter any French pursuit. Having overseen these measures, the majority of the Prussian staff officers left Mellery for Wavre, together with Feldmarschall

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Blücher, and they reached the new headquarters, which had been established at an inn by the marketplace, shortly after 6:00am. However, Gneisenau remained in Mellery for several hours, collating the reports which arrived. When he was convinced that the army was undertaking the prescribed movements, he dispatched Major Friedrich von Massow with a message for the Duke of Wellington, who was presumed to be at Quatre Bras, informing him of the enforced retreat upon Wavre.

WELLINGTON LEARNS OF THE PRUSSIANS’ DEFEAT The commander of the Allied army had risen before first light, unaware of the perilous position in which he was situated. Being anxious to concentrate the remainder of the troops at Quatre Bras, Wellington dictated orders to the various divisions to hasten their movement upon the crossroads, and sent a letter to the authorities in Brussels confirming his intention to attack the enemy. He then rode back to the battlefield with his sizeable entourage of staff officers. The duke reached Quatre Bras towards 5:00am, and within the hour was joined by the Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau. No intelligence had been received from the Prussian high command, and after reconnoitring the French positions on the left flank Wellington concluded that the line of communication had been severed with his allies at Sombreffe. Consequently, he sent his aidede-camp, the Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon, with an escort from the 10th Hussars commanded by Captain John Grey, to make contact with the Prussians and to establish the true situation. As Gordon and the cavalry approached Marbais, en route to Sombreffe, they observed a French sentry posted on the heights opposite, and an enemy cavalry patrol stationed at a nearby house. The French evidently controlled the high road, and so Gordon and his party withdrew. After following a subsidiary road north, they encountered a local farmer who informed them that large numbers of Prussian soldiers had passed along the

The vanguard of the French army advanced rapidly on both sides of the road which led from Quatre Bras to the defile at Genappe. Painting by Henri Chartier. (Musée de l’Armée, Paris/ RMN-Grand Palais / Hubert Josse)

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road during the night, heading east. Gordon determined to pursue them. Leaving most of his escort on the road to observe any enemy movements, he rode on with a small detachment until coming upon the rearguard of the Prussian II Korps, which was formed by the cavalry commanded by Oberstlieutenant Friedrich von Sohr. The duke’s aide-de-camp conversed with von Sohr in French, mistakenly believing that he was Generallieutenant von Zieten, the commander of I Korps, and the facts of the Prussian withdrawal from Sombreffe to Wavre were confirmed. Having obtained this information Gordon and his party rode back to the crossroads with the utmost haste. Upon the field at Quatre Bras the outposts returned to their respective battalions and the Allied army prepared to renew the attack. But as the French were not disposed to engage the Allied troops, except with a few straggling shots from their tirailleurs, the dead officers were buried and the wounded were collected in blankets and placed beneath the trees adjacent to the Nivelles Road, in the expectation that they would be taken to the hospital in the rear. Shortly before 9:00am Gordon returned with his escort and informed the Duke of Wellington of the Prussian army’s loss and subsequent retreat upon Wavre. The duke turned to Freiherr von Müffling, the Prussian officer attached to the Allied headquarters, to ask why he had not been informed of these occurrences, at which moment Major von Massow arrived with the message from Gneisenau. Realising that he could no longer occupy Quatre Bras for fear of being isolated, Wellington called for the map of Mont St Jean, a position he had surveyed previously. After studying the map intensely the duke directed Sir William de Lancey, the acting QuartermasterGeneral, to concentrate the Allied army at this point, for at Mont St Jean it would be in line with the Prussians, with only 8 miles between the two armies. This would allow them to act in unison against the French. The Allied troops were set in motion, while Major von Massow returned to the Prussian high command to seek an assurance of support.  

THE FRENCH PURSUE THE COALITION ARMIES At the conclusion of the fighting around Sombreffe, Napoleon retired to the Château de la Paix in Fleurus. He was exhausted from his exertions and slept deeply until the following morning. Maréchal Soult returned to imperial headquarters at the Château de Zualart, within close proximity of the emperor. However, no orders were issued to the army, and no serious pursuit of the Prussians was initiated. Instead, Soult busied himself writing to Maréchal Davout in Paris, informing the Minister for War of the victory which had been gained. Towards midnight a report from Maréchal Ney, written at 10:00pm, containing details of the engagement at Quatre Bras was delivered. But again, no action was taken and no instructions were sent to Ney. It was not until the arrival of Charles, Comte de Flahaut shortly after 7:00am on the 17th that any real activity took place. Flahaut had delivered a detailed letter from Napoleon to Maréchal Ney the morning before, and had remained with the commander of the left wing so as to assist in the execution of the emperor’s orders. He now acquainted Napoleon with the situation at the crossroads. The emperor was displeased and immediately dictated a letter to Soult for Ney. He requested a report and informed his subordinate of his displeasure, 6 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

because Ney’s divisions had acted in isolation, and Comte d’Erlon’s Corps had failed to execute the movement he ordered. At 8:00am Napoleon travelled by carriage from Fleurus to Brye, where he reviewed his victorious troops. He conversed with his generals on various subjects and questioned the Prussian prisoners at length. Eventually, the emperor called for Maréchal Grouchy, the commander of the right wing, to join him. Earlier that day Grouchy had received reports from two of his senior cavalry officers. The first was from Comte Exelmans of II Reserve Cavalry Corps. This informed the marshal that the cavalry under his command was moving towards Gembloux to observe a sizeable Prussian force which had assembled at that place. The second report was from Comte Pajol of I Reserve Cavalry Corps. It notified Grouchy of the capture of numerous prisoners, cannon and an immense quantity of baggage on the road to Namur. This information was communicated to the emperor, and it was decided to support Pajol’s cavalry with the division under Baron François-Antoine Teste from VI Corps. Napoleon then instructed Grouchy to pursue the remnants of the Prussian army with the right wing, via Gembloux, and to ensure that the enemy was unable to unite with the force commanded by the Duke of Wellington. The marshal  let it be known that he disliked the mission he had given, but set out dutifully. Thereafter, Napoleon rode on to Gosselies with his staff officers, where he received confirmation that the Allied army still held Quatre Bras. He subsequently dictated a second letter to Soult for Ney, informing the errant commander of the left wing that an infantry corps from the Garde Impériale had been placed at Marbais to assist him in driving the enemy from Quatre Bras, and that his report of the situation was awaited with great impatience. The letter was dispatched shortly after midday. Having taken these steps Napoleon collected the troops at Marbais and moved by way of the Namur Road towards Quatre Bras. However, the rearguard was all that remained of the Allied army, and such was the tenacity of the cavalry and horse artillery under Lieutenant-General Henry Paget, the Earl of Uxbridge, that the French were unable to launch an attack until they reached Genappe. The Allied army had retired in three columns, with that in the centre moving north by way of the high road to Brussels. This route took the troops through the narrow defile at Genappe. The road to the south of the village became so congested that several infantry battalions were ordered to march through the adjacent fields. But by 4:00pm all that remained of the Allied army were a number of cavalry regiments, which were stationed on the heights to the north of the village, and the rearguard. The French advanced from Quatre Bras on both sides of the high road. The vanguard on the left was formed by the 1st Cavalry

The 2e Régiment de ChevauLégers-Lanciers had overpowered a squadron from the 7th Hussars within the confines of Genappe, but when the French horseman left the haven of the village the Earl of Uxbridge ordered the 1st Life Guards to charge. The Household troops galloped down the slope and threw the lanciers into confusion. Painting by Richard Simkin. (National Army Museum, London)

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Having arrived at the buildings of La Belle Alliance on the heights of Trimotiau, the emperor ordered the cuirassiers from Comte Milhaud’s corps forward, along with the artillery. He was delighted to see this manoeuvre countered by the Allied guns on the heights opposite. Painting by John Brown. (Musée des BeauxArts, Bordeaux/ Bridgeman Images)

Division commanded by Baron Charles-Claude Jacquinot. On the right was the 5th Cavalry Division under Baron Jacques-Gervais Subervie. These horsemen were followed by the emperor and his duty squadrons, two batteries of horse artillery from the Garde Impériale, and the cuirassiers from Comte Milhaud’s IV Reserve Cavalry Corps. As the cavalry on the right approached the defile to the south of Genappe the 1st Brigade of Lanciers wheeled towards the road and Colonel Jean-Baptiste Sourd led the 2e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers into the village. Vedettes were sent forward towards the northern perimeter, but they were engaged and overpowered by a squadron from the 7th Hussars under Major Edward Hodge. Undeterred, Colonel Sourd ordered the lanciers to advance. The front file presented an impenetrable hedge of lances as the French trotted along the paved road, using the houses on either side to cover their flanks. The 7th Hussars charged with great courage, but the attack was repulsed. During the contest Major Hodge was mortally wounded and taken prisoner, and the British sustained heavy losses. The French pursued their vanquished foe beyond the limits of the village, a fact witnessed by the Earl of Uxbridge from his vantage point on the heights above. The commander of the Allied cavalry immediately ordered the 1st Life Guards to charge. With Captain Edward Kelly at their head, the Household troops galloped down the slope and engaged the lanciers, who were formed in close column, driving them back in confusion to the confines of Genappe. Fortunately for the French cavalry their withdrawal was covered by the 7e Régiment de Hussards, who had moved up in support and the Life Guards were forced to desist. From this moment the French advanced with greater caution. The vanguard limited itself to an artillery exchange with the enemy guns, as the Allied rearguard joined the remainder of the army, which had taken a position on the heights at Mont St Jean. It had been a desperately hot day, and the troops on both sides had been tormented by the heat. But now the heavens opened and a torrential downpour commenced. As the two forces deployed on the heights at Mont St Jean and Trimotiau, the thunder of the cannon was accompanied by the occasional peal of lightning. The ground shook and the dark sky glowed bright momentarily. The Allied position followed the line of the Ohain Road, and stretched from the village of Merbe Braine in the west to the hamlet of Papelotte in the east. Napoleon arrived at the buildings of La Belle Alliance on the ridge opposite and pushed forward Milhaud’s cuirassiers, along with the artillery. However, the advance of these troops was countered by a violent cannonade from the Allied guns. The emperor was delighted, for he knew that this meant the Duke of Wellington was not retiring through the Forêt de Soignes under the cover of darkness as he had feared. The order was therefore given for the French to halt and bivouac for the night. Napoleon retired to the farm of Le Caillou where, in the full confidence of victory, he awaited the events of the morrow.

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CHRONOLOGY 17 June  3:00am

The Duke of Wellington rises before first light at his headquarters in Genappe, unaware of the Prussian army’s defeat. 

5:00am

The duke and his suite reach the crossroads and he sends the Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon to contact the Prussians. 

6:00am

8:00am



A fierce artillery exchange continues between the two armies in the midst of the thunder and lightning. The Allied rearguard halts any advance by the French cuirassiers.  10:00pm

The emperor leaves the battlefield for the inn of Le Caillou, and spends a restless night fretting that Wellington will try to withdraw through the Forêt de Soignes with his army. 

Feldmarschall Blücher and the majority of the Prussian General Staff arrive safely at the new headquarters in Wavre. 



Grouchy writes to Napoleon from his headquarters in Gembloux with news of his pursuit of the Prussians. 

Napoleon travels by carriage from Fleurus to Brye, where he reviews his troops and questions the enemy prisoners.  



Wellington retires to Waterloo and establishes his headquarters at the inn of Jean de Nivelles. He receives confirmation from the Prussians that they will join him at Mont St Jean. 

The emperor sends Maréchal Grouchy with the right wing of the army to pursue the defeated Prussians via Gembloux. 

9:00am

Gordon and his escort party return to the crossroads with news of the Prussian army’s defeat and withdrawal to Wavre. 

12:00pm

The Allied army begins its withdrawal from Quatre Bras to Mont St Jean, which is undertaken in three columns.  

18 June  3:30am

I Korps of the Prussian army begins the arduous march from Dion-le-Mont to Chapelle St Lambert. The 15th Brigade passes through Wavre, but a fire delays the other troops. 

5:00am

Napoleon reconnoitres the battlefield and finds that the enemy are still in their positions. He dictates an order to Soult for the French army to be ready for battle at 9:00am.  

4:00pm

An engagement between the Allied rearguard and the French vanguard begins in the narrow defile at Genappe. 

5:00pm

The 2e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers and the British 7th Hussars clash and Major Edward Hodge is captured. 

6:00am

Wellington and his senior officers reach Mont St Jean and the duke personally oversees the troop deployment. 



Captain Edward Kelly charges with the 1st Life Guards and drives the French cavalry back in confusion.  



Grouchy writes to Napoleon stating that the Prussians are at Wavre, and that he will pursue them to that place. 

6:00pm

The Allied rearguard and French vanguard exchange artillery fire as they approach Mont St Jean. A torrential storm begins. 

7:00am

The emperor and several of his senior officers breakfast at Le Caillou. Soult informs him that the wide dispersal of the army will not allow the battle to begin until 1:00pm. 

8:00pm

Napoleon reaches the inn of La Belle Alliance opposite the ridge upon which the Allied army has deployed. He sends forward the cuirassiers under Comte Édouard Milhaud. 

9:00am

Napoleon receives Grouchy’s report and replies, confirming the movement upon Wavre. He dictates new orders to the army for the battle to begin at 1:00pm with an artillery bombardment followed by an assault upon Mont St Jean. 

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11:00am

Ney orders Comte Reille to maintain a line of tirailleurs in the hollow ground at Hougoumont, and the three battalions of the 1er Régiment Léger advance for this purpose. 



While at Sart-à-Walhain Grouchy and several officers hear the artillery fire from Mont St Jean. Comte Maurice-Étienne Gérard advises Grouchy to march to the emperor. Grouchy declines and insists the troops continue upon Wavre. 

12:00pm

1:00pm

The fighting at Hougoumont escalates with the French attempting to capture the farm. A small party break-in at the north gate, but are killed, and the gates closed by Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonell and Corporal James Graham.  Feldmarschall Blücher and the vanguard from I Korps reach Chapelle St Lambert and, based on a disposition received from Freiherr von Müffling, discuss the attack. 



Napoleon is informed of the Prussian forces’ arrival at Chapelle St Lambert. Soult is ordered to recall Grouchy immediately, and writes to the commander of the right wing. 



The artillery bombardment of the Allied positions begins, and is followed by the assault from the four divisions of Comte d’Erlon’s I Corps, who march across the valley. 

2:00pm





As the French approach the ridge the 1er Régiment du Sapeurs attack the farm of La Haie Sainte. The troops from the 2nd Light Battalion of the King’s German Legion retire inside the compound and defend the premises resolutely.  Count Willem van Bijlandt’s Brigade is driven back by weight of numbers and the French gain the heights. Sir Thomas Picton calls the veterans of the 5th Division to charge, but is killed and the command devolves upon Sir James Kempt.  The Earl of Uxbridge places himself at the head of the cavalry and orders Lord Edward Somerset and Sir William Ponsonby to charge. The Household Cavalry clash with the French cuirassiers and eventually drive them back into the valley. 



Ponsonby’s Brigade charge the French infantry formations and rout them, capturing an Eagle. But in their ardour they charge the French cannon and are dispersed by sizeable reinforcements of enemy cavalry. Sir William Ponsonby is killed.   

2:30pm

The garrisons at Hougoumont and La Haie Sainte send requests for further supplies of ammunition. The French force their way into the outbuildings at Hougoumont but are primarily repelled by troops from the 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment.  

3:00pm

A lull in the fighting is followed by a fierce artillery exchange that forces Baron Bachelu to move with his 5th Division closer to the orchard at Hougoumont. The estate complex is completely isolated from the main line by the French cavalry. 



Reinforcements are sent forward to La Haie Sainte in lieu of rifle ammunition. The garrison maintain the complex. 

3:30pm

Graf von Nostitz and Oberst von Pfuel return to the Prussian high command at Chapelle St Lambert, having reconnoitred the field of battle at Mont St Jean. They recommend an attack upon the village of Plancenoit and Blücher concurs. 

4:00pm

Ney is informed that the Allied infantry is retiring, and he orders two divisions of cavalry to charge. When this proves fruitless, he commits another cavalry division to the fray. 



Comte Vandamme arrives at Wavre, and disregarding the orders he has received, attacks with III Corps.  

4:30pm

The 15th Brigade from IV Korps emerges from the Bois du Paris and prepares to assault Plancenoit. 



Ney orders Comte Lobau to move to a position on the right flank close to the village with VI Corps.  

5:00pm

Baron Christian von Ompteda is ordered by Count von Alten to reinforce the garrison at La Haie Sainte with the 5th Line Battalion of the King’s German Legion. While advancing in line the battalion is ridden down and Ompteda is killed. 

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Grouchy arrives at Wavre and attempts to coordinate the attacks on the bridges across the Dyle River. 

 

The preliminary artillery bombardment of Plancenoit is followed by an attack led by Oberst Hiller von Gaertringen. The columns of the 16th Brigade penetrate the village, but are driven back by a counter-attack by the Jeune Garde.   

5:30pm

6:00pm

Wellington sends an order to the 6th Cavalry Brigade under Sir Hussey Vivian to move from Smohain to the centre.   Baron Bachelu and Comte Foy are ordered to support the French cavalry charges. Their advance is repulsed by the King’s German Legion troops under Colonel Georg du Plat. 

7:30pm

Napoleon orders the Garde Impériale to attack the centre of the Allied line. The attack is supported by the remnants of I and II Corps, who advance on the flank. 

8:00pm

Two columns comprising the four battalions of the 3e and 4e Chasseurs à Pied of the Garde Impériale attack the heights. They are repelled by the 1st Foot Guards and the 52nd Light Infantry, and fall back in considerable confusion. 



A separate advance towards the ridge is conquered by the 3rd Netherlands Division under Baron Chassé.   



The 5th Brigade from II Korps joins the assaults at Plancenoit and the French are compelled to retire. 



A tumbril of ammunition is delivered to Hougoumont. But none is procured for the troops at La Haie Sainte.   

8:30pm

As the right wing of the French army collapses, so the cavalry of I Korps pours through Smohain.  

6:30pm

The vanguard of I Korps arrives in the area of Smohain, and is requested to join the attack immediately.  





La Haie Sainte is abandoned as the garrison finally runs out of ammunition and is compelled to retire. 

Wellington orders the Allied army to advance. At this moment the Earl of Uxbridge is severely wounded. Sir Hussey Vivian charges the French formations with his cavalry. 

9:00pm

The French retreat turns into a rout, and the army flees the field in disorder. Napoleon is forced to retire. 



Grouchy orders the French to bivouac in their positions at Wavre and awaits instructions from Napoleon.  

10:00pm

The Duke of Wellington and Feldmarschall Blücher meet close to La Belle Alliance and agree that the Prussians will take up the pursuit of the defeated French army. 

11:00pm

Napoleon reaches Quatre Bras, and sends a courier with a letter informing Grouchy of the calamity. 



7:00pm

At Plancenoit the 1st Battalion of the 2e Chasseurs of the Garde Impériale are thrown into the contest. They push the Prussians from the southern half of the village.    The French artillery pounds the Allied line. The Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau leads a counter-attack, but he is wounded and forced to leave the field of battle. Wellington orders his final reserves forward to fill the breach. 



At Plancenoit the Prussians commit the 14th Brigade. The attack reaches the cemetery, where it is halted by the fire from behind the low stone wall. The 2nd Battalion of the 2e Grenadiers enter the contest and drive the enemy back. 



Grouchy orders Comtes Pajol and Gérard to cross the Dyle River at Limal, but resistance from the detachment commanded by Major von Stengel delays this. 

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OPPOSING COMMANDERS If history is to aspire to anything greater than being a mere record of transaction, the events of June 1815 must be considered from more than a purely military viewpoint. Europe was shaped by the outcome of the Waterloo campaign in a manner that is almost unparalleled, because the commanders of the various armies in the field were more than generals; they were statesmen versed in the issues of the day, and their decisions were subject to military and political censure. From the moment Napoleon boarded the Inconstant and set sail for France, he had to reconcile the contrasting evils of political ambition and the inevitability of leading a nation to war. Indeed, each of those charged with the burden of high office had not only to bear the expectations of their subordinates, but also those of the people of their respective homelands. This frequently forgotten component constitutes one of the principle fascinations within a campaign that continues to evoke debate and divide opinion along nationalistic lines more than any other in modern history. Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, was plagued by illness during the Waterloo campaign, and this muted his performance. Painting by Hippolyte-Paul Delaroche. (Musée de l’Armée, Paris/ Bridgeman Images)

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, EMPEROR OF FRANCE At the pinnacle of his power Napoleon was master of Europe, but by the beginning of the Waterloo campaign he was a mere shadow of the man who had led the French to victory at Austerlitz and Jena-Auerstädt. Born on 15 August 1769, he was the third surviving son of Carlo Bonaparte, a wealthy Corsican lawyer of minor nobility. Having graduated from the École Militaire in Paris, he was commissioned into the Régiment de la Fère, and it was here that he developed an overriding belief in the power of artillery. He utilised his understanding of ordnance during campaigns against the Hapsburg and Piedmont armies, and was able to attain wealth and influence as a result. Yet his insatiable lust for power knew no bounds, and in 1799 he participated in the Coup d’Brumaire in order to overthrow the unpopular government. Napoleon was appointed Premier Consul, and by 1804 he had established himself as the absolute leader of France. With the army at his disposal, the newly crowned emperor demonstrated his military genius, elevating strategy to an art form. The sovereigns of Austria and Prussia were forced to yield, after their armies suffered crushing defeats, while the Tsar of Russia formed an uneasy alliance with the French in 1807 by signing the Treat of Tilsit.

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Yet Napoleon’s maniacal desire to establish a Bonaparte dynasty undermined this, and in 1812 he embarked upon the disastrous invasion of Russia. The Grande Armée was almost annihilated during the retreat from Moscow that winter, and was subsequently defeated by a coalition at Leipzig in 1813. The years of constant warfare had taken their toll on the nation and its leader. Despite gaining a string of notable victories in 1814 Napoleon’s position had been weakened, and following a revolt by several of his marshals he was forced to abdicate the throne. His exile on the island of Elba was brief, but during these indolent months he suffered from a variety of physical ailments which muted his ability to command with any vigour.  Upon his return to France Napoleon was carried to power by the army and the threat of the mob. However, his political influence was greatly diminished, and consequently he was forced to placate the two governing chambers. Plagued by illness, he took solace in the thought of being reunited with his wife, Marie-Louise, the daughter of Franz I of Austria, and his son, the King of Rome, both of whom were ensconced in Vienna. But when it became evident that they would not be at his side during the ceremony of the Champs de Mai, at which he was to amend the civil code, Napoleon was seized by a deep depression. He became prone to bouts of lethargy, which were accompanied by periods of grave distrust and foreboding. These symptoms persisted throughout the campaign in the Low Countries.  Despite these deficiencies Napoleon could still inspire his troops to extraordinary acts of bravery. This influence convinced him that whatever the circumstances, he would lead the army to victory over his adversaries.

ARTHUR WELLESLEY, 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON Hailed in Britain as a conquering hero for his exploits during the Peninsular War and considered an astute and trusted diplomat by his peers, the duke was seemingly destined for greatness by the summer of 1815. Born on 1 May 1769, Wellesley was the third surviving son of Garret, 1st Earl of Mornington, an Anglo-Irish Peer who died when he was a boy. An undistinguished academic career was followed by entry into the British army, where judicious use of the purchase system enabled him to rise rapidly through the ranks. By the winter of 1793 he was a lieutenant-colonel in the 33rd Regiment of Foot, although he had no experience of active service. This came as part of the army commanded by the Duke of York in Flanders and proved to be thoroughly chastening, because its senior officers mismanaged the army. After failing to gain civil employment he was sent to India, where his elder brother was Governor General. It was here that he learned the skills he would later exhibit on the battlefields of Europe. Wellesley returned to England in 1805 and was knighted. He spent four long years in administrative roles before being given the opportunity to demonstrate his leadership qualities. Between 1809 and 1814 he led the British army to a series of victories over the French forces in Portugal, Spain and southern France, which elevated him to the rank of field

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington commanded the various contingents that comprised the Allied army. Hailed as the conquering hero of the Peninsular War, he was seemingly destined for greatness both as a military leader and a politician. Painting by Robert Home. (National Portrait Gallery, London)

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marshal and secured the title 1st Duke of Wellington. His meteoric rise to prominence also resulted in considerable financial rewards. Following Napoleon’s return from Elba, Wellington was appointed to the command of the Allied army stationed in the Low Countries. Upon his arrival in Brussels the duke set about the task of turning a peacetime garrison into an effective army. Undaunted by the political delicacies, he secured trusted subordinates for the staff positions and formulated new plans for the defence of the realm. However, the duke was greatly concerned by the loyalty of the Dutch and Belgian troops, a sentiment borne of the fact that many of the officers and men had served in the French army. This prevailed to such an extent that he refrained from liaising with their senior officers outside of social events, preferring instead to correspond exclusively through the Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau. This course, although prudent, endangered the lines of communication to his headquarters at the start of the campaign. Wellington was a strict disciplinarian who devoted himself to the rigours of command and the evolution of military tactics. He also had an undeniable respect for the lives of his men, which earned him their trust.

GEBHARD LEBRECHT, FÜRST BLÜCHER VON WAHLSTADT Gebhard Lebrecht, Fürst Blücher von Wahlstadt was an extraordinary leader who waged war by instinct. Enthused with an indomitable courage and a fiery energy, he inspired the troops under his command and led them to greater exploits. His hatred of Napoleon and the people of France was a key component of the campaign. Painting by Friedrich Groeger. (Granger Collection, New York)

Unlike his contemporaries the aged commander of the Prussian army had no wish to partake in the affairs of state. Indeed, he viewed politicians with the utmost contempt and voiced his low opinion of their profession. Born on 16 December 1742, he was the eldest son of Christian Friedrich von Blücher, a retired cavalry officer from the northern state of Mecklenburg. At 15 he enlisted in a regiment of Swedish Hussars and fought against the Prussians in the Seven Years War. But having been captured during a skirmish he decided to change sides. He remained in Prussian service until 1772, when he resigned his commission and retired from a soldier’s life. Yet the call of the saddle was too great, and following the accession of King Friedrich Wilhelm II, he rejoined the army. By 1794 Blücher had risen to the rank to Generalmajor. He vehemently opposed Prussian neutrality towards revolutionary France, and engaged the enemy forces under Napoleon at Jena-Auerstädt in 1806 with ardent fervour. However, the Prussian army was almost annihilated and he was taken prisoner. From this moment Blücher was consumed with a vengeful hatred of the emperor and the people of France. He suffered with ill health during the ensuing peace, but with the creation of the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon in 1813, Blücher returned to lead the remodelled army at Lützen and Bautzen. At Leipzig, together with the Austrian, Russian and Swedish armies, the Prussians defeated the French, and for his part in the battle Blücher was promoted to the rank of Feldmarschall. Further honours were bestowed upon him when the coalition entered Paris in the spring of 1814. He became Fürst Blücher von Wahlstadt. Believing he had fulfilled his destiny, he retired to his estate in Krieblowitz, only for his tranquillity to be disturbed by Napoleon’s return from Elba. He was once again called to arms, and appointed to the command of the Prussian army in the Low Countries. Together with his trusted deputy, August, Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau, he prepared the troops for

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the forthcoming campaign. A lack of gold meant provisions were in short supply. There were also difficulties in integrating contingents such as the Saxons, who had fought for the French during the long years of war. But these issues were overcome by his faith in the Almighty and a firm hand. Blücher was an extraordinary leader who waged war by instinct. Although flawed as a military tactician, his indomitable courage and boundless energy inspired his troops and secured their everlasting affection. 

AUGUST, GRAF NEIDHARDT VON GNEISENAU Undoubtedly one of the greatest generals of the period, despite being viewed as an outsider by many of his Prussian protégés, Gneisenau shared his leader’s hatred of Napoleon and the people of France. Born on 27 October 1760, he was the only son of August Wilhelm Neidhardt, an impoverished artillery officer serving with the Saxon army. At 17 he entered the University of Erfurt, but within two years he left to enlist in an Austrian cavalry regiment. He subsequently took the additional name of Gneisenau. In 1781 he was sent to North America as part of the Anspach Jägerkorps, which was under British command. He saw no active service, but gained valuable experience. Following his return to Europe, Gneisenau entered the Prussian army. Much of his time was spent on administrative duties, and the expansion of his military studies. In 1806 he served at Jena under General Wilhelm von Rüchel. The crushing defeat at the hands of the French resulted in his being sent to command the small garrison at Kolberg, where his resourceful leadership maintained the fortress until the signing of the Treaty at Tilsit. For this he was promoted to Oberstlieutenant. In the wake of Jena-Auerstädt, the Prussian army was completely reorganized. The king appointed him to the commission that was responsible for this task, under the chairmanship of Generalmajor Gerhard von Scharnhorst, and Gneisenau was at the heart of the reforms. When the changes had been implemented he was sent on clandestine visits to Austria, Britain, Russia and Sweden to solicit political support. With the formation of the Sixth Coalition in 1813, he was promoted to Generalmajor and joined the army commanded by the dogged Blücher. After Scharnhorst’s death, Gneisenau was elevated to the position of Generalquartiermeister or Chief of Staff. His shrewd mind and tactical awareness complemented the bolder character of his superior, and they became a formidable duo. For his part in the significant victory at Leipzig he was promoted to Generallieutenant and awarded the title Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau. It was inevitable that he would fulfil the same role when the army was assembled in the Low Countries. However, at the outset of the campaign he was suspicious of Wellington following his machinations at the Congress of Vienna. This opinion became entrenched after the Prussian army’s defeat at Ligny, which he blamed upon the duke for not providing the vital support he had promised. Notwithstanding these sentiments, it was Gneisenau’s decision to withdraw along a parallel course to the Allied army at the close of the fighting, which provided the two forces with the opportunity to unite at Mont St Jean.

August, Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau was suspicious of the Duke of Wellington from the outset of the campaign. This view became entrenched when the duke failed to provide support to the Prussians at Ligny. Painting by Marie von Clausewitz. (Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, Germany / © DHM / Bridgeman Images)

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OPPOSING FORCES

Nicolas-Jean de Dieu Soult was appointed to the post of majorgénéral, or Chief of Staff, and was charged with the responsibility of coordinating the movements of the entire French army. This was a role he was unaccustomed to fulfilling. An educated man, he had been among the first marshals of the empire. Painting by Louis de Rudder. (Musée National, Château de Versailles/ Bridgeman Images)

By the morning of 18 June each of the armies in the Low Countries had been engaged in battle and sustained significant losses. French spirits were high after their victory at Ligny. However, III and IV Corps under Comtes Vandamme and Gérard had been weakened considerably during the intense fighting, while the 7th Division incurred such appallingly high numbers of casualties in the battle, including the loss of its commanding officer Baron Jean-Baptiste Girard, that it was effectively hors de combat. At Quatre Bras the brunt of the French losses had been borne by II Corps commanded by Comte Reille and the cavalry led by Comte Valmy. Yet these were relatively minor when compared to those of their comrades. The Allied army remained largely unscathed, although the Brunswick troops, who lost their beloved duke in the engagement on the 16th, were in a state of turmoil. Their senior officers were forced to use all of their experience to maintain order and discipline when the corps withdrew from the crossroads to the heights at Mont St Jean. The 5th Division under Sir Thomas Picton had also suffered badly. Several of the highland regiments were heavily depleted, especially in terms of officers. Other elements of the army, such as the Dutch, Belgian and Nassau-Usingen troops remained steady. Despite their reversal in the fields and villages around Sombreffe, the morale of those serving within the Prussian army endured remarkably well, primarily due to the faith the soldiers’ retained in their leaders. Order was gradually restored once the initial confusion of the retreat towards Tilly had subsided. Nonetheless, the Prussians lost almost 10,000 men in the course of the battle, and many more who belonged to states formerly under French rule absconded during the retreat.

THE COMMAND AND COMPOSITION OF THE FRENCH ARMY Having made the decision to divide the army and for Maréchal Grouchy to pursue the Prussians with the right wing on the morning of 17 June, Napoleon knew that he had to maintain a good line of communication with his 16 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

subordinate. To this end he instructed Grouchy to ensure that the cavalry belonging to Comte Pajol’s Corps were extended in such a way as to convey information along the Namur to Nivelles Road. Unfortunately, corresponding in this manner became more difficult when the imperial headquarters moved from Quatre Bras, which is where Grouchy assumed it would be located, to the farm of Le Caillou, on the heights at Trimotiau. It also became more difficult for Maréchal Soult, the major-géneral or Chief of Staff, to communicate with the commander of the right wing, who was situated at Gembloux. Nicolas-Jean de Dieu Soult was charged with the responsibility of co-ordinating the movements of the entire French army, a role he was unaccustomed to fulfilling. An educated man and a vastly experienced officer, he was amongst the first marshals of the empire. Soult commanded a corps at Ulm, and led the decisive attack during the battle of Austerlitz. He was also present at the battle of Jena. In 1808 he was created Duc de Dalmatie. However, he fared less well against the British army and their allies in the Iberian Peninsula. The marshal served briefly as Minister for War to King Louis XVIII, but was replaced amidst rumours of duplicity following Napoleon’s return from Elba. He retired to his estates in southern France, but was recalled for service in the campaign against the two coalition armies stationed in the Low Countries. It was the emperor’s intention to issue the most precise orders via his Chief of Staff, but Soult struggled to interpret his plans in a concise manner, and consequently a number of critical messages were ambiguous and resulted in costly errors. Antoine-Alexandre, Comte Drouot was another of the senior French officers elevated to a position to which he was unaccustomed. When Maréchal Mortier withdrew on the eve of the campaign, command of the Garde Impériale devolved upon Maréchal Grouchy. But the emperor decided the marshal would lead the right wing, therefore Comte Drouot was placed at the head of the veterans. Drouot was one of Napoleon’s most trusted generals, having served diligently with the artillery in numerous battles for France, notably Wagram, Moscow and Lützen. During the emperor’s brief exile on Elba he proved an invaluable ally, both politically and militarily, leading Napoleon to refer to him frequently as the ‘Sage of the Grande Armée’. The Garde Impériale had also sustained losses during the early part of the campaign, although the majority of these had been incurred at Gilly, not in the bitter fighting at Ligny. Fortunately for Napoleon, VI Corps under Comte Lobau was intact, as it had not been engaged in battle. The troops arrived at Fleurus towards the end of the action on the 16th, having marched from the environs of Charleroi on that day, and then occupied a position around Brye as darkness enveloped the battlefield. It was these troops that the emperor inspected on the morning of the 17th, before sending Grouchy to pursue the Prussians. The 21st Infantry Division commanded by Baron François-Antoine Teste was detached to assist the cavalry with the pursuit of the enemy, and remained under Maréchal Grouchy’s control.

Antoine-Alexandre, Comte Drouot was one of Napoleon’s most trusted officers and was elevated to the command of the Garde Impériale during the campaign. Coloured engraving after Charon. (Author’s collection)

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Georges Mouton, Comte Lobau commanded VI Corps during the campaign in the Low Countries. A veteran of the French Revolutionary Army, he had distinguished himself when serving at the emperor’s side. Coloured engraving by Charles Maurin (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island) A sizeable detachment of Dutch, Belgian, British and Hanoverian troops under the overall command of Prince Frederik of Orange-Nassau, the king’s second son, was deployed at Hal and in the nearby villages. Print by Genty. (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris)

Following the detachment of the troops under Baron Teste, VI Corps comprised only two infantry divisions and a battery of reserve artillery. The 19th Infantry Division, commanded by Baron François-Martin Simmer, was of average strength, containing two brigades, divisional artillery and a body of engineers. The 20th Infantry Division, led by Baron Jean-Baptiste Jeanin, was weaker. It comprised one and a half brigades of relatively modest size and calibre battalions, which were supplemented by artillery and engineers in the normal way. On the morning of 18 June Napoleon sent orders for VI Corps to join the right wing in its pursuit of the Prussians. But these instructions were ignored by the commanding officer, Comte Lobau, and the corps joined with those attacking the enemy at Mont St Jean. Georges Mouton was a veteran of the French Revolutionary army who served with great distinction in the battles of Jena and Aspen-Essling, and was created Comte Lobau in recognition of his role in the latter. During the advance upon Moscow he acted as aide-de-camp to Napoleon, and maintained his role throughout the subsequent retreat in the winter of 1812. He fought at Lützen and Bautzen, but was taken prisoner by the Austrian forces at Dresden and remained in captivity until the end of the war. Lobau rallied to Napoleon’s side upon his return from Elba, and was rewarded with command of VI Corps in the campaign.

THE COMMAND AND COMPOSITION OF THE ALLIED ARMY Upon his arrival in the Low Countries the Duke of Wellington toured the frontier and examined a number of positions, including Mont St Jean, which became part of his strategy for the defence of the kingdom in the event of a French attack. Because of this, prior to the retreat from Quatre Bras to Mont St Jean on the 17th, Wellington decided to position a sizeable contingent of Dutch and Belgian troops under Prince Frederik of Orange-Nassau, King Willem’s second son, in the vicinity of Hal. This detachment initially comprised the 1st Netherlands Division under Lieutenant-General Jan Stedman and the Indies Brigade commanded by Baron Carl Anthing. However, on the morning of 18 June they were joined by two of the three British and Hanoverian brigades and a battery of artillery from the 4th British Infantry Division led by Sir Charles Colville, along with the Bremen and Verden and the Prince Regent’s Hussars Regiments from the 1st Hanoverian Cavalry Brigade under Baron Albrecht von Estorff. The infantry were deployed at Hal and in the nearby villages of Lembeck, Tubize and Braine-le-Château, while cavalry outposts were positioned to cover the approaching roads. By removing these units the duke was denying himself almost 17,000 valuable men for the forthcoming battle at Mont St Jean, but he knew it was imperative to secure his right flank against a possible French manoeuvre. Wellington issued orders to the prince and the British general, instructing them to maintain the ground for as long as possible if attacked by the enemy.

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The cavalry and horse artillery under the command of the Earl of Uxbridge, and the 2nd Corps led by Rowland, Lord Hill had not fought at Quatre Bras. The British and Hanoverian cavalry and artillery batteries were initially massed along both banks of the Dendre River, close to Ninove, while the various regiments comprising Lord Hill’s command had been in cantonments at Grammont. The orders to move did not reach the two headquarters until the small hours of the 16th. Consequently, the troops were unable to reach the crossroads until after the close of the action on that day. But by the 18th they had reinforced the army at Mont St Jean. Henry Paget, the Earl of Uxbridge commanded the British cavalry. He was a dashing officer who had served with great distinction in various theatres of war, and who was held in the highest esteem by his peers. However, his relationship with the duke was fraught, because in 1809 he had eloped with Charlotte Wellesley, the wife of Wellington’s brother Henry. Uxbridge commanded the cavalry for Sir John Moore in Spain with the utmost diligence. But this proved to be his last involvement with the British army in the Peninsula due to his indiscretion. His only service between 1809 and 1815 was during the disastrous Walcheren expedition, in which he was forced to lead a division of infantry. The Duke of Wellington had initially sought to obtain the services of Lord Combermere to command the cavalry in the Low Countries, but at the express wish of the Prince Regent the role was given to Uxbridge. The units under Uxbridge’s control were divided into brigades composed of heavy or light cavalry. The former included the household regiments such as the Life Guards and the Royal Horse Guards. The heavy cavalry also included regiments noted for their ancient traditions, such as the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons or Scots Greys. Among the light cavalry regiments were the veterans of the King’s German Legion. These troops had played a vital role in Wellington’s success during the Peninsular War, and were an integral part of the British army. The cavalry were enhanced by batteries of horse artillery, which being mobile could move around the battlefield with speed and deliver accurate fire using a number of different munitions. Captain Carl von Rettberg commanded the 2nd Hanoverian Foot Artillery, comprising five 5-pdr guns and one 5½in. howitzer. This had been the only unit from the 2nd Corps to participate in the fighting at Quatre Bras, and had therefore retired with the rest of the Allied army to the new position. During the course of the 17th, four infantry brigades and two other artillery batteries from within the corps made their way to the heights. The remainder of the troops were detached to Hal. Amongst the brigades to arrive with Rowland, Lord Hill, were those under Frederick Adam, Georg du Plat and Hugh Halkett. Adam’s brigade contained a body of riflemen and two of the British Light Infantry regiments, while that led by du Plat contained four Line Infantry battalions of trusted King’s German Legion soldiers. Halkett’s brigade comprised four inexperienced battalions of Hanoverian Landwehr. Rowland, Lord Hill was an experienced commander who had risen to become one of Wellington’s most loyal and trusted lieutenants. His early

Henry Paget, the Earl of Uxbridge, was a British cavalry officer with an outstanding service record, who was held in the utmost regard by his peers. His relationship with the Duke of Wellington was fraught, because in 1809 he had eloped with Charlotte Wellesley, the wife of Wellington’s brother Henry. Painting by Sir William Beechey. (Private collection / Photo © Christie’s Images / Bridgeman Images)

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military career was marked by sedentary service in Ireland, followed by expeditions to France and Egypt. During the landing at Abu Qir Bay, Hill was severely wounded in the head, but continued to lead his troops with great bravery. However, it was his exploits during the Peninsular War which elevated him to the highest order. Hill commanded a brigade at Corunna under Sir John Moore, and then the 2nd Infantry Division at Talavera as part of the army commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley, as the duke was then known. Further involvement in battles at Bussaco, Badajoz and Vitoria secured the rank of lieutenant-general and his position as commander of a corps comprising 30,000 men. He was present during the invasion of southern France, and the battles of the Nive and Nivelle, Orthez and Toulouse. For his distinguished service during the war against France he was made a peer of the realm, becoming Baron of Almaraz and Hawkstone. With the majority of the Allied army assembled and at his disposal, together with his most trusted officers, the Duke of Wellington merely awaited confirmation from the Prussians that they would support him in battle with one corps. Rowland, Lord Hill commanded the 2nd Corps during the campaign. An experienced battlefield commander, he was one of Wellington’s most loyal subordinates. Painting by George Dawe. (National Army Museum, London)

A contemporary print executed during the occupation of Paris, showing a Prussian infantryman resplendent in the newly issued uniform. Print by Genty. (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris)

THE COMMAND AND COMPOSITION OF THE PRUSSIAN ARMY Having reached the haven of the new headquarters in Wavre, Feldmarschall Blücher wrote to his wife, explaining the setback the army had sustained in battle. The elderly commander was badly bruised and suffering from pain in his right side following the heavy fall from his horse at Ligny. Consequently, he took to his bed for the remainder of the day. While the marshal slept, the various officers serving on the General Staff were busily employed in drafting letters. Generalmajor Karl von Grolman prepared a detailed report for the King of Prussia for Blücher to sign. Orders were dispatched to a number of divisional commanders, and information sent to the military authorities in Brussels. Shortly after 11:00am Gneisenau reached Wavre, followed almost immediately thereafter by Major von Massow. The officer informed his two superiors of the situation with the Allied army and the Duke of Wellington’s intentions. It was imperative for the Prussian high command to notify the leaders of the coalition armies as to the state of affairs, and during the course of the day Gneisenau wrote letters to each of the commanders. When Feldmarschall Blücher was eventually roused he was advised of Wellington’s withdrawal to the heights at Mont St Jean and the Allied commander’s request for support. Blücher instructed Grolman to write to Freiherr von Müffling, notifying him to inform the duke that at daybreak IV Korps would leave Dion-le-Mont and proceed to Chapelle St Lambert, from where it would attack the enemy’s right flank. The II Korps would follow this movement, and I and III Korps would be ready to support. Grolman composed a suitable letter, and towards 11:00pm that night a courier was sent to Waterloo. General Friedrich Wilhelm, Freiherr von Bülow, Graf von Dennewitz commanded IV Korps, which had not been engaged

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at Ligny. He was a highly respected Prussian officer descended from great military leaders. Having enlisted in the army as a young man, he had participated in numerous campaigns and been decorated for meritorious service many times. This outstanding service ensured that he rose steadily through the ranks, and in due course he was favoured by King Friedrich Wilhelm II. He did not take the field in 1806, following the death of his wife, but the misfortune which befell the army at the hands of Napoleon aroused his passion. Henceforth, he was devoted to the rebirth of both his homeland and his career. By 1813 he had attained the rank of Generallieutenant, and was distinguished during the defence of Berlin. He played a conspicuous part in the final overthrow of the French tyrant, and was greeted with heroic enthusiasm by the soldiers under his command. The task of evicting the enemy from the Low Countries was entrusted to him, and together with Sir Thomas Graham, later Lord Lynedoch, he set about this with patriotic fervour. Having taken part in the victory over the French at Laon in 1814, he was promoted to General and made Freiherr von Bülow, Graf von Dennewitz. In accordance with the system the Prussian army employed, IV Korps contained four brigades of infantry. The 13th was led by Generallieutenant Albrecht Georg von Hake; the 14th by Generalmajor Gustav Xavier von Ryssel I; the 15th was under the command of Generalmajor Michael Heinrich von Losthin; the 16th was led by Oberst Johann August Hiller von Gaertringen. These were enhanced by the Reserve Cavalry, which was commanded by General Wilhelm Friedrich, Prinz von Preußen, and the Reserve Artillery.  The journey from Dion-le-Mont to Chapelle St Lambert would be arduous for the troops of IV Korps. The torrential rain had turned the dirt tracks into muddy rivers, which together with the undulating terrain posed an obstacle for the movement of the artillery. Graf von Dennewitz received the order to march shortly after midnight, and issued corresponding instructions to the brigade commanders. The vanguard was to consist of the 15th Brigade under Generalmajor von Losthin, with the 2. Schlesisches Husaren-Regiment and number 13. Schwere Batterie. The rest of the troops would follow in a single column towards the fields of battle.

General Friedrich Wilhelm, Freiherr von Bülow, Graf von Dennewitz commanded IV Korps. A respected officer of military descent, he had served with great distinction in numerous campaigns and was viewed by the troops under his command as a hero of the fatherland. Coloured engraving after Johnson. (Author’s collection)

ORDERS OF BATTLE FRENCH FORCES AT MONT ST JEAN

1st Brigade:

17e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

54e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2nd Brigade: 

Commander-in-Chief: Emperor Napoleon

55e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

19e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2nd Brigade:

51e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

28e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Divisional Artillery:

105e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

10e Compagnie, 6e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

Divisional Artillery:

9e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

20e Compagnie, 6e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

3rd Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

5e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

Baron Pierre-Louis Marcognet

I CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL JEANBAPTISTE DROUET, COMTE D’ERLON 

2nd Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

1st Brigade:

Baron François-Xavier Donzelot

21e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

1st Infantry Division: Maréchal-de-camp

1st Brigade: 

46e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Baron Joachim-Jérôme Quiot du Passage

13e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

2nd Brigade:

Bonaparte Chief of Staff: Maréchal Nicolas-Jean de Dieu Soult, Duc de Dalmatie Commanding Officer: Maréchal Michel Ney, Prince de la Moskowa

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25e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

9th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

1st Brigade: 

45e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Maximilien-Sébastien, Comte Foy

5e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

Divisional Artillery:

1st Brigade:    

10e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

19e Compagnie, 6e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

92e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2nd Brigade:

2e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

93e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

107e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

4th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

2nd Brigade:

Divisional Artillery:

Pierre-Joseph, Comte Durutte

4e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

2e Compagnie, 8e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

1st Brigade:

100e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

3e Compagnie, 8e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie 

8e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Divisional Artillery:

Reserve Artillery: 

29e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

1er Compagnie, 6e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

4e Compagnie, 8e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

2nd Brigade: 

2e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

5e Compagnie, 8e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie 

85e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2nd Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

95e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Hippolyte-Marie, Comte Piré

I RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS

Divisional Artillery:

1st Brigade:

Lieutenant-général Baron Jacques-Gervais

9e Compagnie, 6e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

1er Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval

Subervie

3e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

6e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval

1st Brigade:

1st Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

2nd Brigade:

1er Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers

Baron Charles-Claude Jacquinot

5e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers

2e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers 

1st Brigade: 

6e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers  

2nd Brigade:  

7e Régiment de Hussards

Divisional Artillery:

11e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval

3e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval

2e Compagnie, 4e Régiment d’Artillerie à

2nd Brigade: 

Cheval

3e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers

2e Compagnie, 5e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

4e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers

Reserve Artillery:

III RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL FRANÇOISÉTIENNE KELLERMANN, COMTE VALMY

Divisional Artillery:

7e Compagnie, 2e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

11th Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

2e Compagnie, 1er Régiment d’Artillerie à

7e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

Samuel-François, Baron l’Héritier

Cheval

1st Brigade:

4e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

III CORPS

2e Régiment de Dragons

Reserve Artillery:

3rd Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

7e Régiment de Dragons

11e Compagnie, 6e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

Baron Jean-Siméon Domon

2nd Brigade:

6e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie 

1st Brigade: 

8e Régiment de Cuirassiers

4e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval 

11e Régiment de Cuirassiers

II CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL HONORÉ-CHARLES, COMTE REILLE

9e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval 

Divisional Artillery:

2nd Brigade:

3e Compagnie, 2e Régiment d’Artillerie à

5th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

12e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval 

Baron Gilbert-Désirée Bachelu

Divisional Artillery:

3e Compagnie, 2e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

1st Brigade: 

4e Compagnie, 2e Régiment d’Artillerie à

12th Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

Cheval

2e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

3e Compagnie, 5e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

61e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne 2nd Brigade: 

Cheval

Nicolas-François, Comte d’Hurbal   1st Brigade:  1er Régiment de Carabiniers  2e Régiment de Carabiniers 

108e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

VI CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL GEORGES MOUTON, COMTE LOBAU 

Divisional Artillery:

19th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

2e Régiment de Cuirassiers 

18e Compagnie, 6e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

Baron François-Martin Simmer

3e Régiment de Cuirassiers 

3e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

1st Brigade:

Divisional Artillery:

6th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

5e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2e Compagnie, 2e Régiment d’Artillerie à

Prince Jérôme Bonaparte

11e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

1st Brigade:

2nd Brigade:  

1er Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

27e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

3e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

84e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2nd Brigade: 

Divisional Artillery:

1er Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

1er Compagnie, 8e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

IV RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL ÉDOUARD, COMTE MILHAUD 

2e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

1er Compagnie, 7e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

 13th Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

Divisional Artillery:

4e Compagnie, 8e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

2e Compagnie, 2é Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

20th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

1st Brigade:   

1er Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

Baron Jean-Baptiste Jeanin

1er Régiment de Cuirassiers

72e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2nd Brigade:

Cheval     4e Compagnie, 2e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

Wathier, Comte de Saint-Alphonse 

22 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

4e Régiment de Cuirassiers

Heavy Cavalry Division de la Garde

70e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2nd Brigade:   

Impériale: Lieutenant-général Claude-

2e Régiment d’Infanterie Étranger

7e Régiment de Cuirassiers

Étienne, Comte Guyot

Divisional Artillery:

12e Régiment de Cuirassiers

Régiment de Grenadiers à Cheval

18e Compagnie, 2e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

Divisional Artillery:

Régiment de Dragons de l’Impératrice

4e Compagnie, 5e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

5e Compagnie, 1er Régiment d’Artillerie à

Gendarmerie d'Elite

11th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

Divisional Artillery

Baron Pierre Berthézène

8e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie 

3e Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Cheval 

1st Brigade: 

14th Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

4e Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Cheval 

12e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Baron Jacques-Antoine Delort 

Light Cavalry Division de la Garde Impériale:

56e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

1st Brigade:

Lieutenant-Général Charles, Comte

2nd Brigade: 

5e Régiment de Cuirassiers

Lefèbvre-Desnouettes

33e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

10e Régiment de Cuirassiers

1st Brigade

86e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2nd Brigade:

Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval de la Garde

Divisional Artillery:

Cheval 

6e Régiment de Cuirassiers

Impériale 

17e Compagnie, 2e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

9e Régiment de Cuirassiers

2nd Brigade

5e Compagnie, 5e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

Divisional Artillery:

Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers de la

Reserve Artillery:

4e Compagnie, 3e Régiment d’Artillerie à

Garde Impériale 

Cheval

Divisional Artillery:

1e Compagnie, 2e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 6e Compagnie, 5e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

6e Compagnie, 3e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

1er Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à

GARDE IMPÉRIALE: LIEUTENANTGÉNÉRAL ANTOINE-ALEXANDRE, COMTE DROUOT

2e Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Cheval 

IV CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL MAURICE-ÉTIENNE, COMTE GÉRARD 

Reserve Artillery

12th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

1er Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

Baron Marc-Nicolas Pécheux 

Grenadiers à Pied de la Vieille Garde:

2e Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

1st Brigade:

Lieutenant-général Louis, Comte Friant

3e Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

30e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

1er Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied

4e Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 

96e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied

Approaching 68,000 officers and men with

2nd Brigade:

Cheval 

248 guns

3e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied 4e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied 5e Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied  

FRENCH FORCES AT WAVRE

Chasseurs à Pied de la Vieille Garde:

Commander-in-Chief: Maréchal Emmanuel-

Divisional Artillery:

Lieutenant-général Baron Charles-Antoine

Henri, Marquis de Grouchy

6e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger 63e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne  Divisional Artillery: 2e Compagnie, 5e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied 6e Compagnie, 2e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie 13th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général Baron Louis-Joseph Vichery 

Morand

1st Brigade:

2e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied

III CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL DOMINIQUE-RENÉ, COMTE VANDAMME 

3e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied

8th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

76e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

4e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied

Baron Étienne-Nicolas Lefol

2nd Brigade: 

Divisional Artillery: 

1st Brigade: 

48e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

6e Compagnie du Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

15e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

69e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

23e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Divisional Artillery:

CORPS DE LA JEUNE GARDE: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL PHILIBERTGUILLAUME, COMTE DUHESME

2nd Brigade:

1er Compagnie, 5e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

37e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

2e Compagnie, 2e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

64e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

14th Infantry Division: Maréchal-de-camp

1st Division: Lieutenant-général Pierre,

Divisional Artillery:

Baron Étienne Hulot

Comte Barrois

7e Compagnie, 6e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

1st Brigade:

1st Brigade:

1er Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train

9e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

1er Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied

1er Régiment de Tirailleurs

d’Artillerie

59e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

111e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne 

1er Régiment de Voltigeurs

10th Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

2nd Brigade: 

2nd Brigade:

Baron Pierre-Joseph Habert

44e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

3e Régiment de Tirailleurs

1st Brigade:

50e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

3e Régiment de Voltigeurs

34e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Divisional Artillery:

Divisional Artillery: 

88e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

3e Compagnie, 5e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

7e Compagnie Auxillaire d'Artillerie à Pied 

2nd Brigade:

6e Compagnie, 2e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

8e Compagnie Auxillaire d'Artillerie à Pied 

22e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

23 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

6th Cavalry Division: Maréchal-de-camp

Cheval

3rd Dutch Militia Battalion

Baron Louis Vallin 

6e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

10th Dutch Militia Battalion

1st Brigade:

10th Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

Divisional Artillery:

6e Régiment de Hussards

Baron Louis-Pierre Chastel 

Belgian Foot Artillery

8e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval

1st Brigade:

Belgian Horse Artillery

2nd Brigade:

4e Régiment de Dragons

1st (British) Infantry Division: Major-General

6e Régiment de Dragons

12e Régiment de Dragons

George Cooke

16e Régiment de Dragons

2nd Brigade:    

1st (British) Infantry Brigade: 

Divisional Artillery:

14e Régiment de Dragons

2nd Battalion 1st Regiment of Foot Guards

1er Compagnie, 2e Régiment d’Artillerie à

7e Régiment de Dragons

3rd Battalion 1st Regiment of Foot Guards

Divisional Artillery:

2nd (British) Infantry Brigade:

4e Compagnie, 4e Régiment d’Artillerie à

2nd Battalion Coldstream Regiment of Foot

Cheval 5e Compagnie, 2e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie Reserve Artillery:  

Cheval

Guards

5e Compagnie, 5e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

1er Compagnie, 8e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

2nd Battalion 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards

7e Compagnie, 2e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

Approaching 25,000 officers and men with 86

Divisional Artillery:

guns

VI CORPS

No. 9 Company, 3rd Battalion Royal Artillery 2nd Horse Troop, King’s German Legion Artillery

Baron François-Antoine Teste

ALLIED FORCES AT MONT ST JEAN

1st Brigade: 

Commander-in-Chief: Field Marshal Sir Arthur

21st Infantry Division: Lieutenant-général

8e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger

Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

3rd (British) Infantry Division: LieutenantGeneral Count Carl von Alten 1st (Hanoverian) Infantry Brigade:  Lüneburg Light Infantry Osnabrück Light Infantry

2nd Brigade: 65e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne Divisional Artillery:

1ST CORPS: GENERAL WILLEM, HEREDITARY PRINCE OF ORANGENASSAU

3e Compagnie, 8e Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied

2nd (Netherlands) Infantry Division:

4e Compagnie, 6e Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

Lieutenant-General Baron Henri-Georges de

75e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne

Perponcher-Sedlnitsky

I RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL PIERRECLAUDE, COMTE PAJOL 

1st Infantry Brigade: 

4th Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

5th Dutch Militia Battalion 

Baron Pierre-Benoît Soult

7th Dutch Militia Battalion 

1st Brigade:

8th Dutch Militia Battalion

1er Régiment de Hussards

2nd Infantry Brigade:

4e Régiment de Hussards 

28th Orange-Nassau Regiment

2nd Brigade:

2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment 

5e Régiment de Hussards

Volunteer Jägers

Divisional Artillery:

Divisional Artillery:

1er Compagnie, 1er Régiment d’Artillerie à

Belgian Foot Artillery

27th Dutch Jägers Battalion  7th Belgian Line Battalion

Cheval

Verden Light Infantry Bremen Light Infantry Feldjäger 2nd (King’s German Legion) Infantry Brigade: 1st Light Battalion King’s German Legion 2nd Light Battalion King’s German Legion 5th Line Battalion King’s German Legion 8th Line Battalion King’s German Legion 5th (British) Infantry Brigade: 2nd Battalion 30th Regiment of Foot 1st Battalion 33rd Regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion 69th Regiment of Foot 2nd Battalion 73rd Regiment of Foot Divisional Artillery: No. 2 Company, 10th Battalion Royal Artillery No. 4 Company, King’s German Legion Artillery

3rd (Netherlands) Infantry Division:

2ND CORPS: GENERAL ROWLAND, LORD HILL

Dutch Horse Artillery

3e Compagnie, 1er Escadron du Train d’Artillerie

Grubenhagen Light Infantry

Lieutenant-General Baron David-Henri

2nd (British) Infantry Division: Lieutenant-

II RESERVE CAVALRY CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GÉNÉRAL RÉMIISIDORE, COMTE EXELMANS 

Chassé

General Sir Henry Clinton

1st Infantry Brigade:

3rd (British) Infantry Brigade:

35th Belgian Jägers Battalion

1st Battalion 52nd Regiment of Light Infantry

9th Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-général

2nd Dutch Line Battalion

1st Battalion 71st Regiment of Light Infantry 

Baron Jean-Baptiste Strolz 

4th Dutch Militia Battalion

2nd Battalion 95th Regiment of Foot 

1st Brigade:   

6th Dutch Militia Battalion

3rd Battalion 95th Regiment of Foot

5e Régiment de Dragons

17th Dutch Militia Battalion

1st (King’s German Legion) Infantry Brigade:

13e Régiment de Dragons

19th Dutch Militia Battalion

1st Line Battalion King’s German Legion

2nd Brigade:    

2nd Infantry Brigade:

2nd Line Battalion King’s German Legion

15e Régiment de Dragons

36th Belgian Jägers Battalion

3rd Line Battalion King’s German Legion

20e Régiment de Dragons

3rd Belgian Line Battalion

4th Line Battalion King’s German Legion

Divisional Artillery:

12th Dutch Line Battalion

3rd (Hanoverian) Infantry Brigade:

4e Compagnie, 1er Régiment d’Artillerie à

13th Dutch Line Battalion

Osnabrück Landwehr Battalion

24 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

Salzgitter Landwehr Battalion

2nd Line Battalion

5th Belgian Light Dragoons Regiment

Bremervörde Landwehr Battalion

3rd Line Battalion

6th Dutch Hussars Regiment

Quakenbrück Landwehr Battalion

Brunswick Cavalry:

Divisional Artillery:

Divisional Artillery:

Hussars Regiment

Dutch Horse Artillery

No.1 Company, 9th Battalion Royal Artillery

Uhlans Regiment

Dutch Horse Artillery

1st Horse Troop, King’s German Legion Artillery

Brunswick Artillery: 

*Temporarily attached to the 3rd (British)

4th (British) Infantry Division:

Horse Artillery Battery

4th (British) Infantry Brigade:

Foot Artillery Battery

3rd Battalion 14th Regiment of Foot

Nassau-Usingen: Major-General Baron

1st Battalion 23rd Regiment of Foot

August von Kruse

1st Battalion 51st Regiment of Light Infantry

1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment

Divisional Artillery:

Cavalry Division Approaching 67,000 officers and men with 156 guns

PRUSSIAN FORCES AT MONT ST JEAN

RESERVE

BRITISH CAVALRY CORPS: LIEUTENANT-GENERAL HENRY PAGET, EARL OF UXBRIDGE

5th (British) Infantry Division: Lieutenant-

1st (British) Cavalry Brigade: 

General Sir Thomas Picton

1st Regiment of Life Guards

8th (British) Infantry Brigade: 

2nd Regiment of Life Guards

1st Battalion 28th Regiment of Foot

1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards

I KORPS: GENERALLIEUTENANT HANS ERNST VON ZIETEN

1st Battalion 32nd Regiment of Foot

Royal Regiment of Horse Guards

1st Brigade: Generalmajor Karl Friedrich von

1st Battalion 79th Regiment of Foot

2nd (British) Cavalry Brigade:

Steinmetz

1st Battalion 95th Regiment of Foot

1st (Royal) Regiment of Dragoons

2. Brandenburgisches Infanterie-Regiment

9th (British) Infantry Brigade: 

2nd (Royal North British) Regiment of Dragoons

24. Infanterie-Regiment

3rd Battalion 1st Regiment of Foot

6th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Dragoons

1. Westphälisches Landwehr-Infanterie-

1st Battalion 42nd Regiment of Foot

3rd (British) Cavalry Brigade:

2nd Battalion 44th Regiment of Foot

1st Light Dragoons King’s German Legion

Schlesisches Schützen-Bataillon

1st Battalion 92nd Regiment of Foot

2nd Light Dragoons King’s German Legion

1. Schlesisches Husaren-Regiment

5th (Hanoverian) Infantry Brigade: 

23rd Regiment of Light Dragoons

7. Fußbatterie

Hameln Landwehr Battalion

*Cumberland Hussars

2nd Brigade: Generalmajor Otto Karl von

Hildesheim Landwehr Battalion

4th (British) Cavalry Brigade:

Pirch II

Peine Landwehr Battalion

11th Regiment of Light Dragoons

1. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment

Gifhorn Landwehr Battalion

12th Regiment of Light Dragoons

28. Infanterie-Regiment

Divisional Artillery:

16th Regiment of Light Dragoons

2. Westphälisches Landwehr-Infanterie-

No. 2 Company, 3rd Battalion Royal Artillery

5th (British) Cavalry Brigade:

1st Hanoverian Foot Artillery

7th Regiment of Hussars

Westphälisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment

6th (British) Infantry Division:

15th Regiment of Hussars

3. Fußbatterie

10th (British) Infantry Brigade:

6th (British) Cavalry Brigade:

3rd Brigade: Generalmajor Friedrich Wilhelm

1st Battalion 4th Regiment of Foot

1st Hussars King’s German Legion

von Jagow

1st Battalion 27th Regiment of Foot

10th Regiment of Hussars

2. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment

1st Battalion 40th Regiment of Foot

18th Regiment of Hussars

29. Infanterie-Regiment

4th (Hanoverian) Infantry Brigade:

7th (British) Cavalry Brigade:

3. Westphälisches Landwehr-Infanterie-

Verden Landwehr Battalion

3rd Hussars King’s German Legion 

Lüneburg Landwehr Battalion

Royal Horse Artillery: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir

2nd Hanoverian Foot Artillery

Osterode Landwehr Battalion Münden Landwehr Battalion Brunswick Corps: Colonel Johann Elias

Augustus Simon Frazer A Ttroop, D Troop, E Troop, F Troop, G Troop, H Troop, I Troop, 2nd Rocket Troop

Commander-in-Chief: Feldmarschall Gebhard Lebrecht, Fürst Blücher von Wahlstadt Chief of Staff: Generallieutenant August, Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau

Regiment

Regiment

Regiment Schlesisches Schützen-Bataillon 8. Fußbatterie  4th Brigade: Generalmajor Wilhelm, Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck 

Olfermann

Netherlands Cavalry Division: Lieutenant-

Avantgarde:

General Baron Jean-Marie de Collaert

Avantgarde Battalion

1st Heavy Cavalry Brigade:

15. Fußbatterie

Light Infantry Brigade:

2nd Belgian Carabiniers

Reserve Cavalry: Generallieutenant Friedrich

Leib Battalion

1st Dutch Carabiniers

Erhard von Roeder

1st Light Battalion

3rd Dutch Carabiniers

1st Brigade:

2nd Light Battalion

2nd Light Cavalry Brigade:

Brandenburgisches Uhlanen-Regiment

3rd Light Battalion

8th Belgian Light Dragoons Regiment

Brandenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment

Line Infantry Brigade: 

4th Dutch Hussars Regiment

1. Westpreußisches Dragoner-Regiment

1st Line Battalion

3rd Light Cavalry Brigade: 

 

4. Westphälisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment (Major von der Gröben)

25 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

2nd Brigade:

15th Brigade: Generalmajor Michael

6. Uhlanen-Regiment

Heinrich von Losthin

1. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-

18. Infanterie-Regiment 

Regiment 2. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-KavallerieRegiment

3. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment  4. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 14. Fußbatterie

Reserve Artillery: Oberstlieutenant

16th Brigade: Oberst Johann August Hiller

Lehmann

von Gaertringen

2. Schwere Batterie

15. Infanterie-Regiment  

6. Schwere Batterie

1. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment   

2. Reitende Batterie

2. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment   

7. Reitende Batterie

2. Fußbatterie

10. Reitende Batterie

Reserve Cavalry: General Wilhelm Friedrich, Prinz von Prussen

II KORPS: GENERALMAJOR GEORG DUBISLAV VON PIRCH I

1st Brigade:

5th Brigade: Generalmajor Ernst Ludwig von

10. Husaren-Regiment

Tippelskirch 

1. Westpreußisches Uhlanen-Regiment

1. Pommersches Infanterie-Regiment

2nd Brigade:  

25. Infanterie-Regiment

8. Husaren-Regiment

5. Westphälisches Landwehr-Infanterie-

3. Schlesisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment 

Regiment Feldjäger-Kompanie 10. Fußbatterie 6th Brigade: Generalmajor Karl August von Krafft  Kolbergsches Infanterie-Regiment 26. Infanterie-Regiment 1. Elb Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment Reserve Cavalry: Generalmajor Alexander

6. Husaren-Regiment

3rd Brigade: 1. Neumärkisches Landwehr-KavallerieRegiment 2. Neumärkisches Landwehr-KavallerieRegiment 1. Pommerisches Landwehr-KavallerieRegiment 2. Pommerisches Landwehr-KavallerieRegiment

Georg von Wahlen-Jürgass

1. Schlesisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment 

1st Brigade:

2. Schlesisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment 

1. Dragoner-Regiment

Reserve Artillery: Major von Bardeleben

Neumärkisches Dragoner-Regiment

3. Schwere Batterie

Schlesisches Uhlanen-Regiment 

5. Schwere Batterie 13. Schwere Batterie

IV KORPS: GENERAL FRIEDRICH WILHELM, FREIHERR VON BÜLOW, GRAF VON DENNEWITZ

11. Fußbatterie

13th Brigade: Generallieutenant Albrecht

12. Reitende Batterie

Georg von Hake 

Approaching 47,000 men with 176 guns

10. Infanterie-Regiment   2. Neumärkisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment 3. Neumärkisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment 21. Fußbatterie   14th Brigade: Generalmajor Gustav Xavier von Ryssel I  11. Infanterie-Regiment 1. Pommerisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment 2. Pommerisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment 13. Fußbatterie

1. Reitende Batterie 11. Reitende Batterie 

reached the battlefield

PRUSSIAN FORCES AT WAVRE I KORPS Detachment: Major Rudolph von Stengel 19. Infanterie-Regiment 6. Uhlanen-Regiment Westphälisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment 

III KORPS: GENERALLIEUTENANT JOHANN ADOLF, FREIHERR VON THIELMANN 9th Brigade: Generalmajor Karl August von Borcke   8. Infanterie-Regiment 30. Infanterie-Regiment 1. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment 10th Brigade: Oberst Johann Karl von Kemphen 27. Infanterie-Regiment 2. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 35. Fußbatterie 11th Brigade: Oberst Hans Philipp von Luck und Witten  3. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment 4. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment 12th Brigade: Oberst Wolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel 31. Infanterie-Regiment 5. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment 6. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment Reserve Cavalry: Generalmajor Karl Friedrich von Hobe 1st Brigade: 9. Husaren-Regiment 3. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-KavallerieRegiment 6. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-KavallerieRegiment 2nd Brigade: 7. Dragoner-Regiment 5. Uhlanen-Regiment 7. Uhlanen-Regiment 8. Uhlanen-Regiment Reserve Artillery: 7. Schwere Batterie 18. Reitende Batterie 19. Reitende Batterie 20. Reitende Batterie Approaching 22,000 officers and men with 35 guns

26 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

 

OPPOSING PLANS Napoleon had achieved the majority of his principle objectives by the morning of 18 June. The Prussian army had been defeated at Ligny, decisively in his opinion, and separated from their coalition partners. The emperor believed that the Prussians would subsequently retire towards Namur and Liège, or turn north-east and attempt to unite with the Allied army somewhere between Brussels and Maastricht. To this end, he ordered Maréchal Grouchy to pursue the enemy with the right wing of the French army and prevent any juncture from taking place, while he advanced with the main body upon Mont St Jean, where the polyglot force commanded by the Duke of Wellington had taken a position. Unbeknown to Napoleon, the Prussians had been able to retire from Sombreffe in reasonable order, and the line of communication with the duke and his headquarters had been maintained. Napoleon had expected Wellington to fall back beyond Brussels towards the port at Antwerp. He was delighted that this did not transpire. In the mistaken belief that the coalition armies were divided and that he was to face a single opponent, Napoleon prepared for the forthcoming battle. Because of his continued ill health, the emperor decided to entrust Maréchal Ney with the tactical command and remain with his staff officers on the heights by the farm of Rossomme. He would observe proceedings and intervene when required. In the meantime, he made preparations for the occupation of the capital. Proclamations addressed to the people of Brussels had been printed ready for distribution, and the officers and men of the army promised the spoils once they had conquered their adversaries. The various pieces of the plan appeared to be in place. All that remained was for the victory to be realized. For the commanders of the coalition armies the plan was equally simple: they had to unite their forces, and by so doing attain an overwhelming numerical advantage that would render it impossible for the enemy to resist. Having received confirmation from Feldmarschall Blücher that the Prussians would support the Allied army with at least one corps, the Duke of Wellington resolved to stand on the heights at Mont St Jean and fight. The Allied commander had carefully selected the ground upon which he would oppose the French army and their illustrious leader, and had also taken the precaution of placing a sizeable detachment at Hal to safeguard his right flank in case the emperor attempted to attack from that direction. Together with Blücher and Gneisenau, Wellington had thoroughly outmanoeuvred Napoleon. The mistakes the duke had made during the early stages of the campaign had been redeemed by his subordinates and the Prussians, and now, confronted as he was by the finest general of the period, he prepared to write his name in history.   27 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

28

A

X

Braine-le-Comte

Tubize

Troops under Prince Frederik

Hal

XX

B

0

0

5km

5 miles

Allied Army (under Sir Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington) A. 1st Netherlands Division (Stedman) B. Indies Brigade (Anthing) C. General Headquarters (Wellington) D. 2nd Corps (Hill) E. Cavalry Corps (Uxbridge) F. Reserve Corps (Picton) G. 1st Corps (Orange) H. Brunswick Corps (Olfermann) I. 3rd Netherlands Infantry Division (Chassé) J. 2nd Netherlands Brigade (Sachsen-Weimar)

N

Nivelles

H

D

XX

E XXX

XXX

C

XX

XXX

6

3 4

XXX

7

2

J

9

8

XXX

5 XX

XX

11

Gosselies

Quatre Bras

French ammunition wagons

Genappe

10

XXX

X

F

Chapelle St. Lambert

Fischermont

Plancenoit

XXX

XXXX

1

XXX

XX

G

Braine l’Alleud Merbe Mont XX I Braine St Jean

XXX

XXX

Waterloo

XXXX

For êt d e S oig n es

ii

16

Sombreffe

Fleurus

Ligny

XX

iv

XXX

v

XX

17

XXX

14

XXX

15

13

XXX

12

Namur

French Army (under Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte) 1. Garde Impériale (LefèbvreDesnouettes) 2. 3rd Cavalry Division (Domon) 3. IV Cavalry Corps (Milhaud) 4. Imperial Headquarters (Napoleon) 5. 5th Cavalry Division (Subervie) 6. Garde Impériale (Guyot) 7. I Corps (d’Erlon) 8. Garde Impériale (Drouot) 9. VI Corps (Lobau) 10. III Cavalry Corps (Valmy) 11. II Corps (Reille) 12. II Cavalry Corps (Exelmans) 13. III Corps (Vandamme) 14. IV Corps (Gérard) 15. I Cavalry Corps (Pajol) 16. 7th Division (Girard) 17. 21st Division (Teste)

Sart-à-Walhain

XXX

Dion-le-Mont

Gembloux

XXX

Wavre

XXXX

Mont St Guibert

iii

i

Prussian cavalry detachment

Limal

Bierges

XXX

La Bawette

XXX

Prussian Army (under Gebhardt Lebrecht Fürst Blücher von Wahlstadt) i. III Korps (Thielmann) ii. General Headquarters (Blücher) iii. I Korps (Zieten) iv. II Korps (Pirch I) v. IV Korps (Bülow)

Situation with all three armies during the night of 17/18 June 1815

THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO It was a miserable night. The continuous rain fell in torrents, soaking everything that was exposed to the elements, including the two armies on the opposing heights. The ferocious downpour saturated the ground, turning the soil in the fields into a river of mud, which meant it was impossible for the officers and men to lie down. The British troops had been issued with large woollen blankets in exchange for their greatcoats, which were prepared so as to double as makeshift tents. Orders were given for these to be erected, in an effort to afford the soldiers some shelter. But the deluge quickly rendered the structures useless, as the material became drenched and water seeped through holes at the seams. The circumstances were made worse by the fact that no fires could be lit to ward off the cold, due to the close proximity of the enemy, and that during the hours of darkness the alarm was sounded several times, because it was believed the French were mounting attacks. However, these reports proved to be false, and the men returned to their bivouacs and the relative comfort of sitting on their knapsacks. Tired, wet and hungry, they awaited daybreak. Some of the Allied troops were spared these wretched conditions, because they were sent forward to occupy several buildings that formed part of the defensive line. The 2nd Light Battalion of the King’s German Legion under Major Georg Baring was ordered to move into the farm of La Haie Sainte, which was located adjacent to the high road leading to Brussels. They were instructed not to install themselves, as other units would replace them in due course, and the pioneers attached to the battalion were sent to the château and farm of Hougoumont. This was a much larger property situated in the hollow ground between the two heights, which comprised a three-storey house and a number of outbuildings. The estate also included a small wood and an orchard. The four Light Companies of Foot Guards moved to this point. The Light Company of the Coldstream Guards occupied the buildings and outhouses, and together with the pioneers they gathered materials in order to fortify the premises. A rudimentary platform was constructed as a firing step behind a high section of the wall which enclosed the garden, and loop-holes were gouged along its length. The various entrances were barricaded, with the exception of that facing the Allied line, and a reserve of ammunition was stored in

The farm of La Haie Sainte was situated in a key position immediately in front of the Allied centre, next to the high road from Charleroi to Brussels. The 2nd Light Battalion of the King’s German Legion occupied it. Coloured etching by an unknown artist. (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)

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Hougoumont encompassed a complex of buildings and an elaborate garden; the latter being completely enclosed and abutted by an orchard, bordered by a think hedge, and ditches. Adjacent were fields of grass and rye, and a wood, through which a carriageway ran to the Nivelles road, bypassing a small vegetable or kitchen garden. Coloured aquatint by an unknown artist. (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)

The hamlet of Mont St Jean comprised several humble dwellings and a large farm, which became a field hospital during the battle. Coloured engraving by an unknown artist. (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)

one of the lower rooms of the château. While this work was taking place under the supervision of the commanding officer, LieutenantColonel James Macdonell, the Light Companies of the 1st and 3rd Foot Guards patrolled the orchard and wood. The men lined the ditches and hedges as Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Fraser, Lord Saltoun, rode along the perimeter and ensured that they remained vigilant in the face of the enemy. Allied troops were also posted in the nearby villages. Those of the 3rd Netherlands Division led by Baron David Chassé occupied Braine l’Alleud, or were deployed in the immediate vicinity. Colonel Elias Olfermann, upon whom command of the Brunswick Corps devolved following the death of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm at Quatre Bras, was also ensconced in the village, together with his senior staff officers. The rest of the Brunswick contingent bivouacked between Braine l’Alleud and the hamlet of Merbe Braine. A number of different units and nationalities shared Mont St Jean, while the farms of La Haie and Papelotte, and the bastion of Smohain, situated to the east of the high road from Charleroi were held by the various Nassau-Usingen battalions under the leadership of Prince Bernhard von Sachsen-Weimer. Those commanding the Allied army were also compelled to seek sanctuary from the appalling weather. The Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau spent the night at the farm of Abeiche near the hamlet of Chênois, while the Earl of Uxbridge and Lord Hill secured rooms within dwellings close to the Duke of Wellington’s new headquarters. The duke and his suite had ridden north, in the direction of Brussels, to the village of Waterloo, where they established themselves at the inn of Jean de Nivelles. It was here, shortly after 2:00am, that the message from Feldmarschall Blücher was delivered to Freiherr von Müffling. The correspondence confirmed that the Prussians would provide the support the duke had requested. Armed with this information, Wellington wrote several letters to dignitaries in the capital, and one to the governor of Antwerp, in which he outlined the situation and made a number of recommendations. The duke also found time to write a short letter to his mistress in Brussels, Lady Frances Wedderburn Webster, the wife of a serving British officer. He advised her to leave the city and make for the port at Antwerp. Throughout the course of the day rumours had circulated in Brussels about the plight of the Allied army and the impending outcome of the hostilities. None of these were founded on genuine intelligence. However, many of the residents had packed their belongings

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and were leaving. At first light on the 18th the roads leading north were chocked with vehicles of all descriptions, while barges full of wounded soldiers, who could not travel by land, meandered slowly along the canal. The town of Malines was overflowing with people searching for somewhere to stay, and a mile from Antwerp confusion prevailed, as cannon had been placed on the road. The French army fared no better during the miserable night. Only the vanguard had reached the heights of Trimotiau, and so the rest of the troops trudged wearily along the sodden paths for several hours until reaching their allotted bivouacs. The leading divisions of II Corps arrived at Genappe to find the town occupied by VI Corps and elements of Comte Valmy’s cavalry. They were subsequently directed out of the walled enclosure and along a number of side roads towards small villages where they eventually rested. The officers were accommodated in barns, in which they were able to enjoy a bed of straw. But many of the soldiers were so exhausted from the march that they simply found a place by the side of the road and slept. While the troops commanded by Comtes d’Erlon, Reille and Lobau, together with the cavalry under Comtes Valmy and Milhaud and Barons Domon and Subervie, had either reached the battlefield or moved to within a sensible marching distance of the position, the baggage and ammunition wagons belonging to these formations was still located in the vicinity of Quatre Bras. An equally disruptive situation existed with the Garde Impériale, for although the cavalry and the vast majority of the artillery had reached Plancenoit, the ammunition had not materialized. Furthermore, the various infantry battalions of the Garde Impériale were bivouacked at Glabais or scattered to the south among the nearby hamlets and villages. This meant that the veterans had a considerable distance to cover before they reached the front line. Maréchal Soult and his officers spent most of the night collating the reports that were delivered to imperial headquarters. Having been acquainted with the number of men under arms within the various divisions, as well as the disposition of the units by the corps commanders, and considering the inclement weather, he realized that it would be some time before the army was ready to engage in battle.

The Inn of Jean de Nivelles at Waterloo, which was also known as the Bodenghien Inn to those who spoke Flemish, was where the Duke of Wellington established his headquarters on the evening of 17 June. Coloured etching by an unknown artist. (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)

MOVEMENTS ON THE MORNING OF 18 JUNE Napoleon spent a restless night at the farm of Le Caillou, where he fretted over the possibility that the Allied army would withdraw under the cover of darkness. He was resolute in this belief, and so shortly after daybreak he reconnoitred the outposts with several of his aides. However, the inspection showed his adversaries motionless in their position. It was still raining, and there appeared to be no prospect of the weather improving. Yet the emperor was determined to launch an attack. Towards 5:00am he dictated an order to Maréchal Soult, in which he specified that the army was to be ready to 31 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

fight at 9:00am. He advised the various corps commanders that the troops were to put their weapons in order and prepare a meal, and that once the men had eaten they should move to their positions in the line. Soult followed the emperor’s instructions and prepared the necessary order. But he knew it would not be possible for the army to be in position by 9:00am. The poor roads and sodden ground had contributed to the corps becoming dispersed over too wide an area and subsequently separated from their ammunition. Indeed, it was the distance that the reserve ammunition wagons had to travel that morning, not just the elements, that would ultimately delay the start of the battle.  At 7:00am Napoleon settled down to breakfast at Le Caillou. He was joined by Soult and Ney, Comtes Drouot and d’Erlon and his younger brother Prince Jérôme, as well as a number of officers serving on the imperial staff. The emperor was in an ebullient mood, and the anxiety he harboured during the night had been dispelled. It was now that Soult drew his attention to the wide dispersal of the army, and the fact that it would not be possible to commence the battle at 9:00am. The information was unwelcome, as were several of the opinions voiced when Napoleon outlined his plans for the forthcoming action. Prince Jérôme had spent the night at the Hôtel de le Roi d’Espagne, where the Duke of Wellington and his suite had stayed following the fighting at Quatre Bras. One of the attendants at the hotel had told the prince that he overheard the duke discussing the union with the Prussians at Mont St Jean, and that the latter were marching from Wavre. Napoleon erupted. He insisted that it was impossible for the Prussians to participate in any juncture, their having been utterly routed only two days before. However, at the conclusion of the meal he decided to make a second reconnaissance of the battlefield and his troops. The rain had finally abated and the sky had become clear, which pleased Napoleon, together with the rousing reception he received from the soldiers as he passed along the heights. He was further satisfied when he reached the farm of Rossomme, as two reports had arrived from Maréchal Grouchy at Gembloux. Acting on the information supplied by his cavalry commanders, the marshal determined that the bulk of the Prussian army had retreated to Wavre. He stated that he would pursue the enemy via Sart-à-Walhain, and prevent them from gaining Brussels. This intelligence aligned with news the emperor had received during the night, and so at 10:00am Napoleon wrote back to the commander of the right wing, confirming his intention to attack the Allied army, which was positioned in front of the Forêt de Soignes. He also approved the proposed movement upon Wavre, but asked Grouchy to maintain a constant line of communication with imperial headquarters. Thereafter, the emperor dictated a new order to Maréchal Soult, for distribution to the various commanders. The troops were to be formed ready for battle by 1:00pm, at which time Maréchal Ney would begin the attack upon Mont St Jean, so as to seize the tiny hamlet. The 12-pdr artillery batteries belonging to I, II and VI Corps were to unite and bombard the enemy on the heights, while Comte d’Erlon was to advance with his divisions, in echelon from the left. The attack was to be supported by II Corps. This was an unsophisticated plan: a massive frontal assault proceeded by an artillery bombardment. However, upon reflection Napoleon decided to increase the number of cannon and to launch a preliminary attack with two divisions on Hougoumont. 32 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

Secure in the knowledge that Feldmarschall Blücher and the Prussian high command would provide the support he needed at Mont St Jean, the Duke of Wellington arose before first light and, mounted on his chestnut stallion, Copenhagen, preceded to the field of battle at 6:00am. The duke was accompanied by the Earl of Uxbridge and Rowland, Lord Hill, together with a sizeable entourage of military commissioners and staff officers, including the Prussian officer attached to British headquarters, Freiherr von Müffling. The Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau had already breakfasted with Baron Constant-Rebècque and several members of his staff, and was inspecting the troops at Braine l’Alleud when the duke reached the heights. Wellington informed the young prince that he wished him to command the units stationed in the centre of the line, between La Haie Sainte and Hougoumont. The Hereditary Prince accepted, but in lieu of this arrangement he requested that the Earl of Uxbridge take command of the Dutch and Belgian cavalry, and associated horse artillery.  Wellington rode down to Hougoumont to examine the measures taken to fortify the complex. Despite the preparations, he perceived that there were insufficient troops to defend the post in the event of a determined attack, and so a detachment from the Brunswick Avantgarde was ordered into the wood. The duke also arranged for the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment, which was commanded by Captain Moritz Büsgen, to move from the left wing, where it had spent the night, and to take post within the farm. The buildings were occupied by the Grenadier Company, and the adjacent vegetable garden by two further companies. One company was placed behind the hedge of the orchard, and the Voltigeurs were moved into line with the Brunswick troops. The remaining company served the aforementioned skirmishers as a reserve. The arrival of these reinforcements resulted in the Light Companies of the Coldstream and 3rd Foot Guards moving into the lane to the west of Hougoumont. The officers and men of the Coldstream Guards stood at the northern end of the path close to the open gates which faced the Allied line, while the 3rd Foot Guards were extended behind the cover of a thick hedge which ran parallel with the cornfields on that side of the estate. The additional troops also allowed the two Light Companies under Lord Saltoun to rejoin their regiment on the heights above. Unbeknown to the Duke of Wellington, a number of the Allied troops were no longer present. Many of those belonging to the Brunswick Corps had left their battalions in order to forage for food and provisions in the nearby villages. Consequently, Colonel Olfermann issued orders for the 2nd Line Battalion to secure fresh meat, which would then be distributed to the various battalions within the corps. The Brunswick soldiers had suffered great hardship in the campaign, including the loss of their beloved duke, Friedrich Wilhelm, but Olfermann threatened to punish any absence in the strictest manner. He also confirmed the

La Belle Alliance rested upon the heights at Trimotiau, overlooking the valley which stretched north towards Mont St Jean. Napoleon reconnoitred the Allied army on the morning of 18 June from this position. Coloured etching by an unknown artist. (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)

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promotion of several officers to replace those who had been killed or severely wounded at Quatre Bras, or those who simply lost their nerve and absconded during the retreat to Mont St Jean, such as Lieutenant-Colonel Friedrich von Specht, who originally commanded the Line Brigade. The Brunswick Corps was not the only one to suffer losses due to a lack of food, or to be rebuked by its commanding officer. The garrison at La Haie Sainte had burnt one of the wooden gates that barred the main door leading into the walled farmyard in an effort to keep warm. This act astonished the Duke of Wellington. However, he gave permission for the rest of the Allied troops to light camp fires and to dry their wet clothing. Several battalions even received their rations of liquor. This lifted the men’s spirits while they prepared their muskets for the forthcoming battle. Having inspected the entire Allied line, Wellington rode back down to Hougoumont for a second visit. He was satisfied with the arrangements, and told Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonell that the post was to be defended to the last man.

THE ARDUOUS MARCH TO CHAPELLE ST LAMBERT

Shortly after 11:00am on 18 June Feldmarschall Blücher and Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau left Wavre for Chapelle St Lambert. The senior commanders were accompanied by the various officers serving on the staff and a small detachment of cavalry. Coloured engraving by Rudolf Eichstaedt (Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg)

In accordance with the orders issued by Freiherr von Bülow, Graf von Dennewitz, IV Korps began the journey from Dion-le-Mont to Chapelle St Lambert shortly after daybreak. The vanguard consisted of the 15th Brigade under Generalmajor Michael von Losthin, with the 2. Schlesisches HusarenRegiment and number 13. Schwere Batterie to the fore. The route selected by the high command took the troops through the narrow streets of Wavre and over the single stone bridge which crossed the Dyle River, then down through the village of Limal. From there the soldiers had to contend with the undulating terrain of the open country, which had been made more difficult by the atrocious weather. The roads and footpaths were muddy quagmires that the infantry needed to negotiate in reasonable time. However, it was the artillery teams who faced the greatest challenge. They required every ounce of skill and energy they possessed to manoeuvre the various field guns over the ground. The 15th Brigade passed through Wavre with few difficulties, and began the descent towards Limal. But the slow-moving baggage wagons attached to the brigade, which were heading in the direction of Louvain, blocked the road and delayed the progress of the column formed by the 16th Brigade. When these troops eventually filed into the town they were confronted by another obstacle. A large mill had caught fire, and the thick smoke and flames forced the men to wait in the adjacent streets. A company of pioneers succeeded in dousing the blaze, allowing the regiments to continue their march. However, the incidents resulted in valuable time being lost.

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While the troops of IV Korps moved through Wavre, the leading elements of II Korps, commanded by Generalmajor Georg von Pirch I, reached the outskirts of the town. These units had left their bivouacs in Aisemont at 5:00am, two hours later than their comrades in arms, in the expectation that the roads would be clear. But the earlier delays caused the column to halt on the road. The 7th and 8th Brigades, and the rearguard under Oberstlieutenant von Sohr, were waiting in this manner when a report arrived that the French cavalry was on their left flank. Orders were immediately issued to the two brigades to deploy and confront the enemy. As a consequence, the troops remained within the vicinity of Wavre until after 2:00pm. During the night Generallieutenant Hans von Zieten, who commanded the troops of I Korps, had been ordered to hold his men in readiness to march upon Chapelle St Lambert. It was approaching midday when Zieten finally received confirmation that the regiments were to leave their bivouacs at Bierges, and 2:00pm before the vanguard finally set out. I Korps had been marching and fighting since the early hours of 15 June, and had borne the brunt of the losses sustained at Ligny. The officers and men were exhausted. It was fortunate therefore that the route assigned by the Prussian high command took the column through the Lasne valley, away from the delays at Wavre which II and IV Korps had encountered. Feldmarschall Blücher had not yet joined the Prussian army. He had remained at the headquarters in Wavre and enjoyed a late breakfast with his staff officers. However, the aged commander and his subordinates used the time effectively to ensure that a line of communication was established between the coalition armies. Several orders were sent to the Prussian army, and cavalry patrols, which had been extended during the course of the 17th, were sent towards Chapelle St Lambert. At 11:00am an Austrian courier arrived with a letter from Karl Philipp, Fürst zu Schwarzenberg, the overall commander of the coalition forces. The message confirmed that the invasion of France would begin between 24 and 26 June. Shortly thereafter, Blücher and Gneisenau left Wavre. The Prussian army was on the move.

PREPARATIONS AT MONT ST JEAN AND TRIMOTIAU During the months of intense preparation as the Allied army slowly assembled in the Low Countries, the Duke of Wellington had selected a number of positions at which he believed it would be possible to fight a defensive battle in the event of a French attack. The tranquil valley between the heights of Mont St Jean and Trimotiau was one of these locations. The terrain offered the duke many advantages, and allowed him to utilize a number of his favourite tactics. Wellington had had the area surveyed by his engineers, and considered the benefits of having deep trenches dug and earth shovelled into mounds at key points. However, he rejected these ideas in favour of a more flexible approach to the deployment of his troops. The principal advantage the duke wished to attain from the position at Mont St Jean was that of concealment. The steep incline from the base of the valley to the ridge of the heights would prevent the enemy from seeing his army on the reverse slope as they approached. Employment of this tactic would also render it impossible for the French artillery gunners to target the 35 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

ALLIED UNITS (SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY, 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON)

BRAINE L’ALLEUD

A. 3rd Netherlands Infantry Division (Chassé)  B. Brunswick Corps (Olfermann)  C. Netherlands Cavalry Division (Collaert)  D. 2nd British Infantry Division (Clinton)  E. 5th British Cavalry Brigade (Grant)   F. 3rd British Cavalry Brigade (Dörnberg)  G. 1st British Cavalry Brigade (Somerset)  H. 2nd British Cavalry Brigade (Ponsonby)  I. 4th British Cavalry Brigade (Vandeleur)  J. 6th British Cavalry Brigade (Vivian)  K. 1st British Infantry Division (Cooke)  L. 3rd British Infantry Division (Alten)  M. 1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment (Kruse)  N. 5th British Infantry Division (Picton)  O. 2nd Netherlands Infantry Division (Perponcher-Sedlnitsky)   P. 4th Hanoverian Infantry Brigade (Best) 

A

MERBE BRAINE MONT ST JEAN B C D

F K

E

G M

L

1 1

HOUGOUMONT

LA HAIE SAINTE

2

3

MON PLAISIR

10

4

5

LA BELLE ALLIANCE

11 15

12

ROSSOMME 3 PLANCENOIT 17

18

19

XXXX

MAISON DU ROI

NAPOLEON LE CAILLOU

EVENTS 1. At 9:00am the Duke of Wellington ordered the garrison at Hougoumont to be reinforced by the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment under the command of Captain Büsgen. Upon their arrival the Grenadier Company occupied the buildings, and two companies moved into the formal garden. The Voltijeurs were advanced into the wood, to a position adjacent with the troops from the Brunswick Avantgarde, while a company acted as a reserve. The final company of Fusiliers was deployed in the orchard. This arrangement resulted in the Light Companies of the Coldstream and 3rd Foot Guards moving to the west of the complex, into the narrow kitchen garden, where they covered the debouch from the fields. It also allowed the two Light Companies of the 1st Foot Guards to return to their battalions on the heights above.  2. Towards 11:00am the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment command by Major Sattler moved into positions adjacent with the farms of Papelotte and La Haie, while Colonel von Sachsen-Weimar led both battalions of the 28th Orange-Nassau Regiment, together with the handful of officers and men from the Volunteer Jägers who remained (as the remainder had expended their ammunition and retired to Brussels) to positions at Smohain and Fichermont. These troops were covered by three artillery pieces under 1st Lieutenant Winssinger, which were the remnants of the Belgian Foot Artillery battery which had originally been attached the brigade.     

3. By 11:30am the VI Corps commanded by Comte Lobau had taken a position to the right of the high road, on the heights to the south of Rossomme. The 19th and 20th Infantry Divisions under Barons Simmer and Jeanin were formed in columns by battalions. The 5th Cavalry Division of Baron Subervie stood in columns of squadrons further to the right of the road leading to Brussels. However, the Infantry of the Garde Impériale had not reached the front line. The veterans had only been called to arms at nine o’clock. They left their bivouacs at Glabais one hour later, and after a strenuous march had halted between Le Caillou and the Bois de Chanrelet.  

THE OPENING POSITIONS The situation at Mont St Jean, 11:30am on 18 June 1815 36 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

Note: Gridlines are shown at intervals of 1km

FRENCH UNITS (EMPEROR NAPOLEON BONAPARTE)

HIGH ROAD FROM CHARLEROI TO BRUSSELS

XXXX

WELLINGTON MONT ST JEAN FARM

H N I O

J P

1. 2nd Cavalry Division (Piré)  2. 6th Infantry Division (Jérôme)   3. 9th Infantry Division (Foy)   4. 5th Infantry Division (Bachelu)  5. 1st Infantry Division (Quiot du Passage)  6. 2nd Infantry Division (Donzelot)  7. 3rd Infantry Division (Marcognet)  8. 4th Infantry Division (Durutte)  9. 1st Cavalry Division (Jacquinot)  10. 12th Cavalry Division (d’Hurbal)  11. 11th Cavalry Division (l’Héritier)  12. 14th Cavalry Division (Delort)  13. 13th Cavalry Division (Saint-Alphonse)  14. Cavalry Division (Domon)  15. Heavy Cavalry of the Garde Impériale (Guyot)  16. Light Cavalry of the Garde Impériale (Lefèbvre-Desnouettes)  17. 19th Infantry Division (Simmer)  18. 20th Infantry Division (Jeanin)  19. 5th Cavalry Division (Subervie) 

LA HAIE

PAPELOTTE

2 6

7

8

SMOHAIN

9

FICHERMONT 13

16 14

BOIS DE PARIS

MARANSART

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Allied formations in the usual manner, thereby reducing losses. Wellington had used this ploy to great effect during the Peninsular War. At Mont St Jean the heights followed the line of the Ohain Road, and stretched from Merbe Braine in the west to Papelotte in the east. The valley was a succession of fields, bounded by hedges and ditches, which were devoid of trees. These had been felled by the local farmers who worked the fertile land and planted an array of crops, which were ready to be harvested. Indeed, the stems of wheat and corn were taller than the average man. Two paved roads traversed the fields; one ran from Charleroi, the other from Nivelles. These converged at the hamlet of Mont St Jean and continued as a single highway towards Brussels. Scattered across the quiet pastures were several farms and villages. To the south of Mont St Jean was La Haie Sainte. This farmstead stood next to the high road from Charleroi. Adjacent to this was a large sandpit. Further west, close to the road from Nivelles, was Hougoumont. The sizeable estate was situated a considerable distance in front of the Allied line, almost half way to Trimotiau. To the east was the Château de Fichermont. This imposing building was composed of two wings and a number of outhouses gathered around a rectangular courtyard. Further to the east was the hamlet of Smohain, which was a collection of cottages that ran along both banks of a wide stream. The farms of Papelotte and La Haie were located within 100 paces of this point. To the north of the heights were the villages of Merbe Braine and Braine l’Alleud. The Duke of Wellington reconnoitred the position thoroughly and, as was his custom, decided personally upon the deployment of the army. The Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau commanded the centre. The troops belonging to the 1st and 3rd Divisions under George Cooke and Carl von Alten were posted between the two high roads and supplemented by three regiments from the 6th Division commanded by Sir John Lambert, the three battalions of the 1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment led by Baron August von Kruse and the remnants of the Brunswick Corps. Rowland, Lord Hill was given command of the right wing, which was predominantly located to the west of the road from Nivelles. The brigades that comprised Sir Henry Clinton’s 2nd Division, together with the 4th British Brigade from the 4th Division, were assigned to this area. The 3rd Netherlands Division under Baron David-Henri Chassé, which occupied the village of Braine l’Alleud and the immediate vicinity during the evening of the 17th, was also placed under Lord Hill’s direct supervision. The left wing was nominally under the command of Sir Thomas Picton. The front line, which followed the Ohain Road from Mont St Jean to Papelotte, was held by the troops of the 5th and 6th Divisions, as well as the 2nd Netherland Division under Baron Henri-Georges de Perponcher-Sedlnitsky. The reserve also stood on the left wing. The Earl of Uxbridge commanded the Allied cavalry and Royal Horse Artillery batteries. These were held in rear of the troops occupying the centre and left wing, with detachments on the high ground to the west of Hougoumont. For the forthcoming battle the duke could call upon almost 67,000 men and 156 guns. The French army assembled on the heights of Trimotiau. Comte Reille’s II Corps was drawn upon the forward slope of the heights to the west of the high road leading to Brussels. On the extreme left, the cavalry division of Comte Piré stood in three lines across the road from Nivelles. Along the ridge, the 6th, 9th and 5th infantry divisions commanded by Prince Jérôme, Comte Foy and Baron Bachelu were deployed in a concave arc adjacent to the enclosure of Hougoumont, with their brigades formed in two lines. The 38 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

respective artillery was ranged in front of the divisions. Comte Valmy’s cavalry was positioned 200 paces to the rear of II Corps, with the divisions formed in two lines. The 12th Cavalry Division under Baron Roussel d’Hurbal was on the left, the 11th commanded by Baron l’Héritier was on the right. A battery of horse artillery was deployed on the flank of each division. To the east of the road running to Brussels was I Corps. The four divisions under Comte d’Erlon’s direction were deployed in two lines, by battalions, south of the track leading from La Belle Alliance to Papelotte. Situated next to the high road was the 1st Division of Baron Quiot du Passage. This was followed by the 2nd and 3rd Divisions led by Barons Donzelot and Marcognet, and the 4th Division commanded by Comte Durutte. The 1st Cavalry Division under Baron Jacquinot was positioned on the right flank, opposite Fichermont and Smohain. Comte Milhaud’s cuirassiers were some two hundred paces in rear of I Corps. The divisions were formed in two lines with a battery of horse artillery on each flank. Baron Domon’s 3rd Cavalry Division was on the right, between the Bois de Ranson and Fichermont. The cavalry of the Garde Impériale had spent the night close to the field of battle and had deployed in squadrons. The regiments under Comte LefèbvreDesnouettes were 200 paces behind Milhaud’s cuirassiers, with the artillery batteries in front of the centre of the formation. The cavalry commanded by Comte Guyot was in rear of Valmy’s divisions, in line with the farm of Rossomme.  By 11:30am VI Corps commanded by Comte Lobau had taken a position to the right of the high road, on the heights to the south of Rossomme. The 19th and 20th Infantry Divisions under Barons Simmer and Jeanin were formed in columns by battalions. The 5th Cavalry Division of Baron Subervie stood in columns of squadrons further to the right of the road leading to Brussels. The Infantry of the Garde Impériale had not reached the front line. The veterans had only been called to arms at 9:00am. They left their bivouacs at Glabais one hour later, and after a strenuous march had been halted between Le Caillou and the Bois de Chanrelet. From here they moved forward to a position immediately south of Rossomme, close to their beloved emperor. When all of the formations had finally assembled, Napoleon would have a force approaching 68,000 men and 248 guns at his disposal. The time had arrived for the battle to begin.

THE STRUGGLE FOR HOUGOUMONT COMMENCES Prince Jérôme Bonaparte and Maximilien-Sébastien, Comte Foy, who commanded the 6th and 9th Divisions respectively, were to launch the preliminary attack upon the environs of Hougoumont, prior to the main assault. They were ordered to maintain a line of tirailleurs in the hollow ground behind the wood, while Baron Gilbert-Désirée Bachelu was to advance with the 5th Division and cover the left flank of I Corps as it assaulted the Allied line. Having received word from Maréchal Ney to begin, the three battalions of the 1er Régiment Léger marched down towards the enclosure in two lines, and the cavalry rode forward on the left to threaten the flank. The French officers waved their swords and encouraged their men. As the formations came within range of the Allied batteries stationed on the heights above the farm, which were commanded by Captain Charles 39 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

The officers and men of the Coldstream Guards Light Company are shown engaged with the French at Hougoumont. The NassauUsingen troops are also evident, at the edge of the row of trees from which the Allied soldiers are emerging. Painting by Denis Dighton. (National Army Museum, London)

Sandham and Brevet Major Heinrich Kuhlmann, and those which stood more to the centre of the position under Brevet Major James Webber-Smith and Captain Andreas Cleeves, they were subjected to a devastating salvo. The shots tore through the French lines, killing and wounding dozens of men at a time, and followed each other with such rapidity that the battalions were obliged to turn into the hollow for cover. The Duke of Wellington and his staff arrived on the heights immediately to the rear of Hougoumont, and studied the attack. A vast cloud of tirailleurs, supported by closed columns, was now advanced against the wood, from where they were greeted by the Brunswick and Nassau-Usingen troops. After overcoming obstinate resistance, the French forced an entry along the southern boundary of the estate. Maréchal-de-camp Pierre-François Bauduin led the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 1er Régiment Léger into the wood, while the 1st Battalion remained in the hollow ground acting as a reserve. Amidst the onslaught Baron Bauduin was killed, but the assailants continued to drive all before them. The defenders were pushed back against the farm, where they retreated partly to the west of the buildings, and partly to the east of the garden and the hedge of the orchard, followed closely by the enemy. The Nassau-Usingen troops rallied behind the complex, although some ran back to the safety of the main line. However, the Brunswick Jägers withdrew to the hamlet of Merbe Braine. Under the watchful eye of the duke, the French swept forward and attempted to carry one of the keys to the Allied position. Consequently, four companies of Foot Guards and a detachment of Hanoverians from Count Kielmansegge’s Brigade were called to the front and moved down the hill to reinforce the garrison. Confident in their number and elated by their initial success, the French advanced with great impetuosity to within 30 yards of the buildings. But their conquest of the post was foiled by the devastating fire from the NassauUsingen troops who were positioned at the windows and behind the garden wall. As the enemy sought cover amidst the trees and the adjacent hedges, Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonell, who commanded the two Light Companies stationed in the lane to the west, ordered the right sub-division of the 3rd Foot Guards and the left sub-division of the Coldstream Guards, to drive their opponents back into the wood. The resolute sortie was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Dashwood and Captains George Evelyn and John Elrington of the 3rd Foot Guards. They were supported by the Coldstream Guards under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Wyndham and Captain the Hon. Robert Moore. However, upon reaching the edge of the wood they were assailed by close-range fire from the French. Dashwood and Moore were wounded and the advance was halted. Seeing that the two sub-divisions were in need of reinforcement, Ensign George Standen, who was temporarily attached to the Light Company of the 3rd Foot Guards, raised his cap

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The fighting at Hougoumont, midday, 18 June 1815 N

Fringe of trees around estate

Small pond to the north of buildings

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Nassau-Usingen troops reforming in the orchard

Vegetable or kitchen garden B Formal garden inside walled perimeter

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Apple orchard surrounded by a hedge

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G I

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Large haystack south of buildings

Gate to the south of the orchard

Field of grass adjacent to orchard

Cubières commanding the 1st and 2nd Battalions II

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1 Wood dissected by a narrow path

Bauduin killed in the initial attack on the wood

Enclosed field of very tall rye

Gap in hedge to the east of orchard

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Hollow lane at rear of complex

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150 yards 150m

French Force (under Maréchal-de-camp Baron Pierre-François Bauduin) 1. 3rd Battalion 1er Régiment d’Infanterie Léger (Burtin) 2. 2nd Battalion 1er Régiment d’Infanterie Léger (Buirette) 3. 1st Battalion 1er Régiment d’Infanterie Léger (Jolyet)

Allied Army (Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonell, Coldstream Guards) A. Coldstream Light Company (Gooch) B. 3rd Guards Light Company (Standen) C. Coldstream Light Company (Wyndham) D. 3rd Guards Light Company (Dashwood) E. 1st Battalion 2nd Nassau-Usingen Grenadier Company (Büsgen) F. 1st Battalion 2nd Nassau-Usingen Fusilier Company (Humbel) G. 1st Battalion 2nd Nassau-Usingen Fusilier Company (Harth) H. 1st Battalion 2nd Nassau-Usingen Fusilier Company (Stammel)

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in one hand and sword in the other and called to the troops at the rear of the lane, close to the road leading to Nivelles, to charge the enemy. This gallant band moved through the kitchen garden towards the fringe of the coppice, but was compelled to seek cover from the fire of the tirailleurs, who had taken a position on their right flank. Watching from the heights above, the Duke of Wellington observed the ferocity of the French attack. With due consideration to the proximity of the Allied troops, he ordered Sir Augustus Frazer to send for a battery of howitzers, which were ideally suited to the task at hand. Brevet Major Robert Bull’s artillery troop galloped up handsomely. Their appearance encouraged the remainder of the Guards, who were lying down to shelter from the enemy artillery fire. The Duke calmly explained what was to be done, and the battery executed their orders with admirable skill, firing spherical case shot into the small wood. Consequently the Allied troops at Hougoumont were able to advance. The movement coincided with the arrival of reinforcements from the ridge. Lord Saltoun directed the Light Companies of the 1st Guards into the orchard, where they were joined by the detachment of Hanoverians from Count Kielmansegge’s Brigade, while in the lane to the west, two companies of 3rd Guards arrived under Captains Edward Fairfield and John Moorhouse. They occupied the row of trees and the hedge which covered the debouche from the wood. Having been forced to yield in the face of the artillery bombardment, the officer commanding the three battalions of the 1er Régiment Léger, Colonel Amédée-Louis Cubières, resolved to change the imbalance of the contest. He ordered a small party to move around the buildings and to attack the rear of the complex then followed in their footsteps with the remainder of the troops. This assault was supported by fresh columns from Baron Bauduin’s Brigade, for it was now that Prince Jérôme committed both battalions of the 3e Régiment de Ligne. As the infantry engaged the defenders along the western boundary of the estate, the 1er Régiment Léger swept menacingly through the wood. Despite the overwhelming strength of the French units, the Guards resisted with the

Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonell and Corporal James Graham of the Coldstream Guards were those responsible for closing the old wooden gates in the face of the first French incursion of the complex. However, this act also locked many men of the two Light Companies outside the compound, and they were forced to make their way back to the Allied line in the utmost disorder. Painting by Robert Gibb. (National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh)

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utmost vigour. After alternate success and failure, the Guards fell back towards the gates leading into the northern courtyard, although they continued to fire at the French. Colonel Cubières noticed the withdrawal, and immediately rode forward to encourage his men. Conspicuous on horseback, he summoned the troops to take the château by storm. But as he ventured forward, Sergeant Ralph Fraser of the 3rd Foot Guards confronted him. The Frenchman was badly wounded and thrown to the ground in the struggle, as Fraser thrust at him with his pike, before seizing the horse and making for the safety of the farm. Increasingly outnumbered by the enemy all around them, the Guards retired into the northern courtyard. They shut the gate and attempted to barricade it on the inside with ladders and carts. But amidst the chaos the vanguard of the 1er Régiment Léger arrived at the entrance. The French party succeeded in forcing the gates open and burst into the courtyard. A struggle ensued, during which a number of the Guards ran into the château for safety. Shots were fired from the windows and the outhouses at the intruders and they were all killed. However, more of the enemy troops were approaching. From his position beside the door linking the northern and southern courtyards, Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonell realized that the old wooden gates had to be closed. He ran forward and was joined by Corporal James Graham of the Coldstream Guards. The two men put their shoulders to the panels and barred the opening as their adversaries strained against the opposite side. More Guardsmen lent their weight to the encounter and the gates were eventually secured. This act was pivotal in the continued maintenance of the farm, as it allowed the garrison to repel further bids to storm the complex from the cover of the buildings.

COMMUNICATION WITH THE PRUSSIAN VANGUARD While the fighting raged at Hougoumont, the Duke of Wellington had been attempting to establish the whereabouts of the Prussians. During the morning reconnaissance of the Allied positions, the duke had discussed various scenarios which might arise with Freiherr von Müffling, and the optimum method in which these should be managed to ensure the successful union of the two armies. As a result, Müffling had ridden to the heights beyond Fichermont and examined the location, with a view to it being the point at which the juncture of the two forces was consummated. Thereafter, at the duke’s instigation, towards 8:00am he had written a lengthy disposition for the Prussian high command, specifying the role Wellington wished them to play in the forthcoming affair. The document was about to be carried directly to Feldmarschall Blücher by Seconde-Lieutenant Matthäus Wucherer when a message arrived from Freiherr von Bülow, Graf von Dennewitz, confirming that he was en route to Chapelle St Lambert. Consequently, Müffling instructed his adjutant to show the message to the commander of IV Korps, if they should meet. Having reached Neuf Caberet towards 10:00am, Graf von Dennewitz had sent Major Friedrich von Falckenhausen with a detachment of 100 men belonging to the 3. Schlesisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment to reconnoitre in the direction of Céroux, to the south of Chapelle St Lambert. There were no enemy units in the area, and so Falckenhausen and his men continued to Les Flamendes, where at 12:30pm they captured a number of French soldiers 43 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

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1 2

THE LIGHT COMPANIES OF THE COLDSTREAM AND 3RD FOOT GUARDS AT HOUGOUMONT (PP. 44–45) The two Light Companies of the 2nd Guards Brigade commanded by Sir John Byng were sent down to Hougoumont on the evening of the 17th, and remained vigilant throughout the night. On the morning of the 18th, following an inspection by the Duke of Wellington, they were deployed in the kitchen garden to the west of the château and farm complex. The officers and men of the 3rd Foot Guards took cover behind a thickset hedge, while those of the Coldstream Guards stood at the northern end of the small path, close to the entrance which faced the Allied line. The two companies were led by Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonell of the Coldstream Guards, as they had been at Quatre Bras. At the outset of the campaign the two Light Companies had numbered over 270 officers and men. They had incurred only seven wounded (all from the 3rd Foot Guards) during the fighting at the crossroads and demonstrated the élan associated with Household troops. Consequently, they were prepared for the initial assault upon Hougoumont, which was undertaken by the three battalions of the 1er Régiment Léger, under Colonel Amédée-Louis Cubières. The battalions totalled almost 1,500 officers and men, as they had suffered heavy losses during the contest for the Bois de Bossu on the 16th. The French advanced behind a cloud of tirailleurs and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions drove the Brunswick and Nassau-

Usingen skirmishers from the wood. They moved rapidly towards the buildings, but the fire from behind the wall surrounding the formal garden and the windows of the property halted their progress. Macdonell instantly ordered the left sub-division of the Coldstream Guards (1) and the right sub-division of the 3rd Foot Guards (2), to drive their opponents back into the wood. The resolute sortie was crowned with success. Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Dashwood and Captains George Evelyn and John Elrington of the 3rd Foot Guards advanced at the head of their men. They were supported by the Coldstream Guards under Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Wyndham and Captain the Hon. Robert Moore. However, upon reaching the edge of the wood they were subjected to close-range fire from the enemy. Dashwood and Moore were wounded as the fighting intensified, yet the gallant band maintained their ground in the face of the French onslaught until being taken in flank. At this moment they were compelled to retire in a state of confusion. The Guards fell back amidst a hail of musketry towards their reserves, and the open gates at the end of the lane. Seeing that the British were retreating, Cubières rode forward and encouraged his men to storm the buildings at Hougoumont.

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who were foraging for food. The prisoners informed Falckenhausen that Napoleon was engaged with Wellington. This information was immediately transmitted to Graf von Dennewitz. The cavalry rode on to a position north of Maransart, from where they could ascertain the deployment of the French army. They could clearly see the line extending towards Fichermont, so this was also reported to the general’s headquarters. Graf von Dennewitz accompanied the vanguard of IV Korps, and, upon arriving at Chapelle St Lambert with the 15th Brigade, he instructed Generalmajor von Losthin to occupy the hamlet with the 2. Schlesisches Husaren-Regiment, the 2nd Battalion of the 18. Infanterie-Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the 3. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment. The main body of the brigade was subsequently deployed in rear of the position, in two columns either side of the road. While the troops rested after their tiring march, Graf von Dennewitz ordered his Chief of Staff, Generalmajor Georg von Valentini, to reconnoitre the terrain to the west of Chapelle St Lambert. At the same time he sent Capitaine Ignat von Szwykowski, aide-de-camp to Generalmajor von Valentini, with a detachment of cavalry to Couture, with the task of inspecting the defile at Lasne. Valentini, accompanied by a local farmer, discovered that both the village of Lasne and the Bois de Paris were unoccupied. This important information was conveyed to the commander of IV Korps, and two companies from the 18. Infanterie-Regiment were sent to occupy Lasne. Meanwhile, Szwykowski reached the Bois de Fichermont. There were no enemy troops at this point, and it appeared that the French had taken no steps to secure their right flank. At 11:30am Graf von Dennewitz wrote to Freiherr von Müffling, providing details of the situation. He noted that two of his brigades were established at Chapelle St Lambert, but that he did not expect the last of his troops to arrive until 4:00pm. Feldmarschall Blücher reached the designated assembly point with his staff officers towards 1:00pm, and met with Graf von Dennewitz at the old rectory, opposite the church at Chapelle St Lambert. Towards 1:30pm Blücher received Freiherr von Müffling’s disposition for the Prussian army. After discussing the various attacking options with the commander of IV Korps, Blücher ordered his adjutant, Graf von Nostitz, together with Oberst Ernst von Pfuel of the General Staff, to ride forward and to discover more about the French deployment and the situation on the battlefield. He also sent Seconde-Lieutenant Ernst-Ludwig von Gerlach to the commander of III Korps with the order to follow the army towards Couture. Accordingly, the two officers made their way to the Bois de Paris, and found a position to the south-west where they could discern the enemy formations. It was evident that an assault upon the village of Plancenoit, to the right-rear of the French line, would be the most effective. It was also clear that the Prussians could establish outposts prior to the attack without any enemy resistance. Nostitz sketched a plan of the battlefield, showing the various positions, and the two officers rode back to the rectory.

A Silesian infantryman illustrated in 1815. IV Korps contained several Landwehr (militia) regiments which played an important part in the fighting at Plancenoit. Print by Genty. (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris)

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D’ERLON ATTACKS THE HAMLET OF MONT ST JEAN

The rifle-armed British troops of the 95th Regiment were forced to withdraw from the sandpit during the attack upon La Haie Sainte. Print by Genty. (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris)

Napoleon prepared to launch his principle attack upon Mont St Jean. In accordance with his order of 11:00am: a massed battery was to be assembled and posted along an intervening ridge, so as to deliver a preliminary bombardment of the heights to the east of the high road leading from Charleroi to Brussels, on the reverse slope of which the Allied troops were positioned. This cannonade would be followed by an assault from the four infantry divisions of Comte d’Erlon’s I Corps. Maréchal-de-camp Baron Victor-Abel Dessalles, who commanded the artillery belonging to I Corps, had reconnoitred the sodden ground and identified an area where the guns could be unlimbered. He was discussing this with Comte d’Erlon when Charles, Comte de la Bédoyère, the emperor’s aide-de-camp, rode across and informed him that he was to command the massed battery, which would consist of 80 pieces. The emperor wished the cannon to be deployed in a single line and to fire simultaneously, so as to shatter the morale of the enemy. However, the guns belonging to the Garde Impériale were not present at that time. Indeed, Baron Dessalles could only assemble 54 pieces with sufficient ammunition prior to the attack. The final preparations for the offensive having been completed, Napoleon viewed the field of battle and shortly thereafter a Prussian officer was brought to imperial headquarters. He had been captured by a patrol and found to be carrying a letter from General von Bülow, Graf von Dennewitz to Freiherr von Müffling. The contents of the document revealed that the Prussian IV Korps was about to fall upon their right flank. With increased urgency, Napoleon dispatched two cavalry divisions under Barons Domon and Subervie to oppose the hostile force, and instructed Maréchal Soult to add a postscript to the letter he had at that moment written to Grouchy and the right wing, commanding him to unite with the main body of the French army in order to prevent the junction of the coalition armies. Napoleon then sent word to Maréchal Ney, affirming that the action was to begin forthwith. A tremendous cannonade commenced shortly after 1:00pm. The massed artillery battery pounded the Allied line, during which time the troops within Comte d’Erlon’s corps moved steadily forward, despite the array of obstacles in their path. As the leading files reached the thundering guns the deafening onslaught subsided, and the infantry formed in the manner prescribed for the attack. Comte d’Erlon had ordered the troops to form in colonne de division par bataillon, vast columns composed of an entire infantry division; each infantry battalion subsequently deployed in three ranks, 150 files wide and 24 deep. This antiquated formation was a relic of the French revolutionary armies. Nonetheless, supported by the cavalry and screened by a cloud of tirailleurs, the four divisions descended into the valley in echelons from the left. Once the infantry had cleared the guns, the roar of the artillery resumed in full measure, drowning the beat of the pas de charge, and the animated cries of the officers. On the extreme left, the leading brigade of the 1st Division moved towards the farm of La Haie Sainte.

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The 1er Régiment du Sapeurs led the attack upon the farm. The officers and men belonging to the 1st Company of the 2nd Battalion, which was attached to the division, stormed the barricade that had been erected on the high road and forced the Allied troops defending the orchard and adjacent sandpit to retire. The rifle-armed sharpshooters of the King’s German Legion under Major Baring withdrew hastily into the haven of the buildings or ran back towards the main line, while the British of the 95th Regiment of Foot made a dash for the heights. Major Jean-Baptiste Lagneau directed the two battalions of the 54e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne, which were formed in a single column, into the orchard as Colonel Jean-Pierre Monneret, who commanded both battalions of the 55e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne, marched with his troops towards the open doorway on the west side of the complex. However, they were assailed by accurate and sustained fire from the defenders, and the advance came to an abrupt halt with the ground littered with bodies. While the 1st Brigade attacked the farm, the brigade commanded by Baron Charles-François Bourgeois, comprising the 28e and 105e Régiments d’Infanterie de Ligne, marched towards the heights. To the east were the divisions under Donzelot and Marcognet, with that commanded by Comte Durutte on the right flank, adjacent to the bastions of Papelotte and La Haie. The troops trudged slowly northwards through the wet fields and, although raked by the Allied guns posted on the plateau, they gained the crest of the ridge. The French artillery batteries stopped firing as the tirailleurs drove the British and Hanoverian skirmishers, who formed a chain of outposts on the slope of the heights, back and the 1st Brigade of Baron Donzelot’s Division approached the thickset hedge, behind which the Dutch and Belgians of Count Willem van Bijlandt’s Brigade were situated. The two battalions of the 13e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger, the third having been detached in the direction of Chapelle St Lambert, now attempted to deploy. Bijlandt’s beleaguered troops stood in line, two ranks deep, and for a time were able to pour their fire into the massed ranks. But the overwhelming number of tirailleurs pushed them back. They rallied momentarily, yet could not form, and their retreat presented an irresistible breach for the French to exploit. As the Allied skirmishers fell back towards the 5th Division, Sir Thomas Picton called upon his officers to rally the men. At this critical moment, as Picton bellowed at his Peninsula veterans, he was struck in the temple by a musket ball and fell dead from his horse. Captain John Tyler, one of his aides-de-camp, recovered his body and the command of the division devolved upon Sir James Kempt. The fighting along the line of the Ohain Road intensified as the head of Bourgeois’ massive column, together with the leading elements of Donzelot’s Division, advanced onto the plateau. Kempt ordered the English and Scottish soldiers to charge. They surged forward and delivered a disciplined volley into the ranks of the enemy, but the battalions had

Colonel Jean-Pierre Monneret led the two battalions of the 55e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne, which were formed in a single column, towards the open doors on the west side of the farm. But the accurate fire from the defenders within was sufficient to stop the advance, and within minutes the ground was littered with dead bodies. Painting by Richard Knötel. (Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin)

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been heavily engaged at Quatre Bras, and were so severely depleted in number that, although they brought their opponents to a confused halt, they could not hold back the imposing French formations for very long.

UXBRIDGE COUNTERS WITH THE BRITISH CAVALRY The audacious attack upon the centre and left of the Allied line by Comte d’Erlon’s corps appeared to be crowned with success. The French had scaled the heights and silenced the artillery, while the cuirassiers under Wathier, Comte de Saint-Alphonse had moved up to exploit the advantage that had been gained. However, in the low ground beyond the infantry, forming the third line stood the British cavalry brigades under Lord Edward Somerset and Sir William Ponsonby. Henry Paget, the Earl of Uxbridge had witnessed the attack from his position in the centre of the Allied line. Shortly after 2:00pm he rode to Somerset and Ponsonby and instructed them to prepare their brigades to advance. Having then placed himself in front of the left flank of Somerset’s Household Brigade, Uxbridge gave the signal for the cavalry to trot forward. The 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards were in the centre, the 1st Life Guards on the right, while the Royal Horse Guards were in second line acting as a reserve. The 2nd Life Guards were still in the process of forming when the signal to advance was given, and consequently only the squadron on the left was set in motion. The French cavalry had charged and almost completely destroyed the

ALLIED ARMY (UNDER SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY, 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON) A.  1st Dutch Carabiniers (three squadrons) B.  2nd Belgian Carabiniers (three squadrons) C.  3rd Dutch Carabiniers (three squadrons) D.  4th Dutch Hussars Regiment (four squadrons) E.  8th Belgian Light Dragoons Regiment (three squadrons) F.  Dutch Horse Artillery (four guns) under Capt. Petter G.  5th Belgian Light Dragoons Regiment (three squadrons) H.  6th Dutch Hussars Regiment (four squadrons) I.  Dutch Horse Artillery (four guns) under Capt. Geij J.  Rocket Troop under Capt. Whinyates K.  1st Regiment of Life Guards (two squadrons) L.  1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards (three squadrons) M.  Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (four squadrons) N.  2nd Regiment of Life Guards (two squadrons) O.  1st (Royal) Regiment of Dragoons (three squadrons) P.  2nd (Royal North British) Regiment of Dragoons (three squadrons) Q.  6th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Dragoons (three squadrons) R.  Osnabrück Light Infantry Battalion S.  Grubenhagen Light Infantry Battalion T.  1st Light Battalion King’s German Legion

U.  5th Line Battalion King’s German Legion V.  8th Line Battalion King’s German Legion W.  32nd Regiment of Foot X.  79th Regiment of Foot Y.  28th Regiment of Foot Z.  Royal Artillery Battery under Brevet Major Rogers AA.  Dutch Horse Artillery under Capt. Bijleveld BB.  8th Dutch Militia Battalion CC.  7th Belgian Line Battalion DD.  7th Dutch Militia Battalion EE.  27th Dutch Jägers Battalion FF.  5th Dutch Militia Battalion GG.  1st Regiment of Foot HH.  42nd Regiment of Foot II.  92nd Regiment of Foot JJ.  44th Regiment of Foot KK.  16th Regiment of Light Dragoons (three squadrons) LL.  11th Regiment of Light Dragoons (three squadrons) MM.  12th Regiment of Light Dragoons (three squadrons) NN.  Lüneburg Landwehr Battalion OO.  Münden Landwehr Battalion PP.  Osterode Landwehr Battalion

QQ.  Verden Landwehr Battalion RR.  Hanoverian Artillery Battery under Capt. Rettberg SS.  Royal Horse Artillery Battery under Brevet Lt-Col. Gardiner TT.  Hameln Landwehr Battalion UU.  Hildesheim Landwehr Battalion VV.  Peine Landwehr Battalion WW.  Gifhorn Landwehr Battalion XX.  1st Hussars King’s German Legion (four squadrons) YY.  10th Regiment of Hussars (three squadrons) ZZ.  18th Regiment of Hussars (three squadrons) AAA.  King’s German Legion Artillery under Capt. Cleeves BBB.  Royal Horse Artillery (four guns) under Brevet Lt-Col. Ross CCC.  Two guns from Royal Horse Artillery (Ross) DDD.  2nd Light Battalion King’s German Legion EEE.  2nd Battalion 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment FFF.  3rd Battalion 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment GGG.  three guns from Belgian Foot Artillery (Stevenart) under Lt. Winssinger HHH.  1st Battalion 28th Orange-Nassau Battalion

FRENCH ARMY (UNDER EMPEROR NAPOLEON BONAPARTE) 1.  4e Régiment de Cuirassiers (three squadrons) 2.  1er Régiment de Cuirassiers (four squadrons) 3.  55e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 4.  54e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 5.  28e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 6.  105e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 7.  17e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 8.  13e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger (two battalions) 9.  51e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 10.  19e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 11.  46e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions)

12.  21e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 13.  45e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 14.  25e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 15.  29e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 16.  8e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 17.  95e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 18.  85e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 19.  4e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers (two squadrons) 20.  3e Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers (three squadrons)

21.  Artillery attached to 1st Division (one battery) 22.  Artillery attached to 2nd Division (one battery) 23.  Artillery attached to 3rd Division (one battery) 24.  Reserve Artillery attached to VI Corps (one battery) 25.  Reserve Artillery attached to I Corps (one battery) 26.  Artillery attached to 4th Division (one battery) 27.  Artillery attached to 1st Cavalry Division (one battery) 28.  3e Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval (three squadrons) 29.  7e Régiment de Hussards (three squadrons)

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XX YY

19

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EEE Papelotte Farm

Nassau-Usingen troops occupy Papelotte

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2nd barricade 1st barricade

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Mont St Jean Farm

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95th Riflemen fall back from the sandpit Z

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La Haie Sainte Farm

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Attack by Comte d’Erlon’s I Corps, 2:00pm, 18 June 1815

51

Lord Edward Somerset commanded the brigade composed of the various Household Cavalry Regiments. Painting by Jan Willem Pieneman. (Apsley House, The Wellington Museum, London, UK / © English Heritage Photo Library / Bridgeman Images)

Lüneburg Light Infantry Battalion as it advanced to reinforce the garrison at La Haie Sainte, and threatened the infantry squares formed by the 5th and 8th Line Battalions of the King’s German Legions, which stood to the north of the farm. The 1er and 4e Régiments de Cuirassiers commanded by Baron JacquesCharles Dubois were still on the plateau when the two bodies came together. The 1st Dragoon Guards and 1st Life Guards collided with the cuirassiers and a tremendous melee ensued, which lasted for several minutes. Neither side were seemingly willing to give quarter. But eventually the French wheeled to the right and attempted to flee. The British cavalry pursued, and a considerable number of the cuirassiers were cornered in the hollow ground close to La Haie Sainte and slaughtered. Meanwhile, the leading elements of the 2nd Life Guards crossed the high road and descended to a position close to the sandpit, where they encountered small groups of enemy cuirassiers who had been driven from the ridge. Individual fights broke out as the French horsemen tried desperately to escape from their adversaries. At this moment the remaining squadrons of the 2nd Life Guards, together with the two centre squadrons of the 1st Dragoon Guards, charged the left flank and rear of the 28e and 105e Régiments d’Infanterie de Ligne. The British cavalry sabred the terrified French troops, many of whom threw their muskets to the ground and began to stream from the heights. In the thick of this action, Corporal Francis Styles and a party of Dragoon Guards captured the Eagle belonging to the 105e Régiment. Along the line, Sir William Ponsonby had ordered the regiments within his brigade to deploy and charge the enormous French infantry columns. The 1st (Royal) and 6th (Inniskilling) Regiments of Dragoons were in the first line, with the 2nd (Royal North British) Dragoons, the famous Scots Greys, in the second. Two squadrons of 6th Dragoons broke into a brisk trot and passed through the intervals of Kempt’s Brigade, which stood in open columns of companies, then attacked Baron Donzelot’s formation. The infantry had insufficient time to form square, as the horsemen scythed a passage into the right flank of the column. The French were gripped with panic, which spread rapidly through the ranks, and the various regiments began moving to the rear. In their exuberance to enter the fray the 2nd Dragoons abandoned their responsibility of acting as the reserve. They rode hurriedly past their countrymen in Sir Dennis Pack’s Brigade and threw themselves upon the head of Marcognet’s unwieldy column. The Scots dealt death and misery, and the attack upon the heights was thwarted. Amidst the turmoil Sergeant Charles Ewart assisted in capturing the Eagle of the 45e Régiment de Ligne. A Fanion was also taken. But in their ardour the cavalry swept into the valley towards the enemy formations. Comte Durutte’s Division, which was on the right of the French line, had advanced in echelon towards the height. The cloud of tirailleurs gradually drove the skirmishers from the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment back towards the farm of Papelotte, where Captain Carl von Rettberg, who commanded, was reinforced by four companies from the 2nd Battalion. These troops pushed the French from

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the environs of the farm and maintained the low hedge that bordered the complex, as additional companies from the 2nd Battalion, under Captain Ludwig Wirths, moved up in support. However, the main column continued its steady march across the sodden plain. The infantry observed the attack upon Marcognet’s Division, and hesitated as the cavalry on the left of Ponsonby’s Brigade approached. At the head of the column was the 1st Brigade led by Chevalier JeanGaudens Pégot, which comprised the four battalions of the 8e and 29e Régiments d’Infanterie de Ligne, totalling almost 2,000 officers and men. The order to fire upon the British was hastily issued to the troops and a withering salvo unseated scores of riders. Consequently, the cavalry did not press home the charge, but instead turned south towards the mass of French batteries positioned on the small height in the centre of the valley. Despite ordering the buglers to sound the recall, the Earl of Uxbridge was powerless to stop the British cavalry as they careered into the plain. The horsemen headed for the French artillery, where Baron Dessalles managed to re-limber one of the batteries and send it to the rear. However, the remaining guns were overrun, the gunners killed and the horses cut from their harnesses. It was a frenzied attack. But retribution was swift. Baron Charles-Claude Jacquinot advanced on the right flank and ordered the 3e Régiment de ChevauLégers-Lanciers to charge the British. As the lanciers rode forward many of 2nd Dragoons wheeled around and attempted to escape. Only this was not possible, for their horses were blown from the headlong gallop across the muddy field. They were caught and either wounded or killed. Sir William Ponsonby was among this number. Having chosen to ride a smaller horse, he was unable to

The King’s Dragoon Guards and the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, were distinguished for their gallant conduct during the fighting at Mont St Jean, and played a conspicuous part in repelling the attack upon heights by the cuirassiers led by Wathier, Comte de SaintAlphonse. Painting by Franz Manskirch. (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

The 2nd (Royal North British) Dragoons, otherwise known as the Scots Greys, had been ordered to act as the reserve. But in their exuberance they relinquished their responsibility and threw themselves upon the head of Marcognet’s massive infantry column. The Scots overpowered their enemies, and during the turmoil captured the Eagle belonging to the 45e Régiment de Ligne, and a Fanion. Painting by Orlando Norie. (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

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1 2

THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE ROYAL HORSE GUARDS AND 1ER CUIRASSIERS (PP. 54–55) The attack by Comte d’Erlon’s I Corps upon the heights in front of Mont St Jean had pushed back the Dutch and Belgian troops in Count Willem van Bijlandt’s Brigade and compelled Sir Thomas Picton to charge with the 5th Division. However, this had failed to halt the French advance, and Picton had been killed in the midst of the charge. The commander of the British cavalry, the Earl of Uxbridge, having placed himself in front of the left flank of Lord Edward Somerset’s Household Brigade, gave the signal for the cavalry to trot forward from their position in the low ground behind the Allied infantry, to the west of the high road leading to Brussels. The 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards were in the centre of the formation, the 1st Life Guards on the right and the 2nd Life Guards on the left. The Royal Horse Guards were in the second line acting as a reserve. The latter had not been engaged on the 15th, 16th or 17th, and so on the morning of the battle the two squadrons that formed the contingent in the Low Countries numbered 18 officers and 239 men. As the cavalry began to advance the 2nd Life Guards were still in the process of forming, and consequently only the squadron on the left was set in motion. This compelled the Royal Horse Guards to move up. As the British cavalry crested the brow of the height they saw the 1er

and 4e Régiments de Cuirassiers commanded by Baron JacquesCharles Dubois. The French cavalry were on the ridge, having ridden forward to support the infantry attack, and already overwhelming the Lüneburg Light Infantry Battalion, which was attempting to support the isolated troops at La Haie Sainte. Both French cavalry regiments had been engaged at Ligny, but had sustained relatively minor losses, and so they numbered in excess of 800 officers and men in seven squadrons. The 1st Dragoon Guards and 1st Life Guards collided with the cuirassiers and a tremendous melee ensued. This lasted for several minutes. Neither side were seemingly willing to give quarter. But eventually the French wheeled to the right and attempted to flee. The British cavalry pursued, and a considerable number of the cuirassiers (1) were cornered in the hollow ground close to La Haie Sainte and slaughtered. The right squadron of the Royal Horse Guards (2) abandoned their role as the reserve and pursued the enemy to the west of La Haie Sainte, while part of the left squadron moved across the high road to the west of the farm. These officers and men became embroiled in a vain charge towards the French guns and were almost annihilated in the ensuing counter-attack.

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reach the haven of the Allied line. After being surrounded and thrown from his mount by the French cavalry, he succumbed to multiple lance wounds.

THE ENGAGEMENT ESCALATES AT HOUGOUMONT In the aftermath of this bloody confrontation the battle was dominated by a ferocious exchange of artillery fire, the intensity of which forced Baron Bachelu to seek shelter with the 5th Division by the enclosures at Hougoumont. From the heights to the north of the farm complex Sir John Byng, in whose care the Duke of Wellington had placed the château and grounds, observed the movement and prepared to commit further reinforcements to the fight. By 2:30pm a sizeable force was already engaged in the defence. Eight companies of Coldstream Guards, five of 3rd Guards and the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment were in the buildings and formal garden, while the remnants of Lord Saltoun’s party of 1st Guards, a contingent of Hanoverians from Count Kielmansegge’s Brigade and two further Companies of 3rd Guards were in the orchard. However, Byng decided to counter the threat posed by the French columns by committing the final three companies of 3rd Guards under LieutenantColonel Douglas Mercer to the fray. Accordingly, the troops descended the slope and marched directly to the orchard, which was situated to the east of the formal garden. While seeing his men pass through the hedge Mercer encountered Lord Saltoun, who directed his attention to the fact that the ground was flanked on both sides; to the left by a gap in the hedge and on the right by a wooden gate. The large number of dead and dying men that were thickly strewn at these points testified to the severity of the contest. Thereafter, Saltoun and the vestiges of the Light Companies that were under his command returned to the ridge. The troops defending the orchard were deployed in extended order along the entire length of the front hedge, despite being subject to a galling fusillade from the wood and the adjacent fields. Yet the garrison could take little solace from their situation as they bore the brunt of the next assault. Napoleon ordered a battery of howitzers to be drawn on to the forward slope to the west of Hougoumont, from where incendiary shells were poured onto the complex. The heat and smoke turned the environs into a blazing inferno, and many of the severely wounded, who had been placed in the barns and stables for safety, were trapped. Those who heard their cries for help tried in vain to gain entrance, but they were beaten back by the flames. However, Corporal James Graham of the Coldstream Guards would not desist. After seeking permission to leave his post in the garden, he fought his way into the outhouses and amidst the chaos, pulled his brother from the furnace. After placing him in a ditch behind the rear wall, he returned to the contest with the skirmishers in the wood. Undeterred by their failure to dislodge the defenders from inside the farm and behind the garden wall, the French launched another attack against the buildings. With the cover from the smoke and flames, Chef-de-bataillon Jean-

Sir William Ponsonby commanded the brigade of cavalry commonly known as the Union Brigade, because it contained a regiment from England, Scotland and Ireland. On the day of the battle, Ponsonby opted to ride a smaller horse than that to which he was accustomed. This decision would ultimately lead to his demise, for when the French lanciers charged, Ponsonby and his mount were unable to flee through the muddy fields. They were caught and he was mercilessly slain. Painting by an unknown artist. (National Army Museum, London)

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Louis Sarrand led the 2nd Battalion of the 2e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne through the wood and across the kitchen garden to the west of the estate. Several fusiliers commanded by Lieutenant Sylvian Toulouse penetrated through the small door into the upper courtyard, but they were ejected following a short struggle with the Nassau-Usingen Grenadiers, and the resolute action of the Guardsmen under Captain John Elrington. Amidst the debris and slaughter, the Allies retained possession of the buildings, the formal garden and the orchard, while their assailants occupied the small wood and the fields surrounding Hougoumont. Yet it was the significant developments occurring elsewhere, regardless of the importance the Duke of Wellington attached to holding the farm, which were set to determine the outcome of the battle.

BLÜCHER ORDERS THE ASSAULT UPON PLANCENOIT Graf von Nostitz and Oberst von Pfuel returned to the rectory at Chapelle St Lambert with the plan showing the positions of the combatants on the battlefield, and reported their observations to the Prussian high command. As the French had already gained ground against the Allied army, Feldmarschall Blücher decided to attack the village of Plancenoit. However, the old hussar had to wait until 4:00pm before the two brigades within IV Korps were ready to advance from the Bois de Paris. Shortly thereafter, the Prussians began to emerge from the wood. On the right of the road which ran from Lasne to Plancenoit was the 15th Brigade under the command of Generalmajor von Losthin, while the 16th Brigade led by Oberst Johann Hiller von Gaertringen was on the left. Graf von Dennewitz directed the 2nd Battalion of the 18. Infanterie-Regiment towards Fichermont, in order to secure the right flank, and had the 3rd Battalion of the 3. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment move forward to a position between the brigades, so as to maintain a line of communication. The commander of IV Korps placed number 14. Fußbatterie and number 11. Reitende Batterie adjacent to the road. The four squadrons of the 3. Schlesisches LandwehrKavallerie-Regiment covered these guns, while those of the 2. Schlesisches Husaren-Regiment trotted forward towards the French formations. Directly opposed to the Prussian troops debouching from the Bois de Paris were the 3rd and 5th Cavalry Divisions under the command of Barons Jean-Siméon Domon and Jacques-Gervais Subervie, as well as the 7e Régiment de Hussards and the 3rd Battalion of the 13e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger. The cavalry divisions, complete with their artillery, were deployed between Fichermont and the Bois de Ranson. At the same time the hussards occupied an oblique position, in order to correspond with the main body of the French army. Indeed, towards 4:00pm a messenger was sent to Maréchal Ney to inform him that a substantial Prussian force had concentrated in the Bois de Paris, and was preparing to attack the right flank. Ney immediately instructed Comte Lobau to march with VI Corps to that part of the battlefield and to deploy his divisions in such a way as to oppose the enemy columns. It was approaching 5:00pm when Comte Lobau arrived with his troops on the right of the line, and, in accordance with the order he had received from Maréchal Ney, he posted his divisions on the heights behind the path 58 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

which ran between the Château de Fichermont and the Bois de Ranson, in rear of the two cavalry formations. The 19th Infantry Division commanded by Baron François-Martin Simmer formed in front of the 20th Infantry Division under Baron Jean-Baptiste Jeanin, with both divisions deployed in close columns. A line of tirailleurs was sent forward. Together with the artillery batteries attached to VI Corps, the French had a formidable force composed of all arms, with the advantage of being well posted to defend the flank. The guns opened fire upon the Prussian horsemen, who withdrew. This action unwittingly informed the Duke of Wellington that his coalition partners had arrived. Shortly thereafter, Comte Lobau withdrew to a position north of Plancenoit. The right flank of the corps was positioned adjacent to the village, while the left flank extended towards Comte Durutte’s 4th Division, which was deployed in front of Fichermont and Papelotte. As a direct result, Napoleon ordered Philibert-Guillaume, Comte Duhesme to move with both infantry brigades of the Jeune Garde, together with the divisional artillery, to occupy Plancenoit. The emperor realized that the position would be pivotal, and a crucial phase of the battle was about to begin.

NEY LEADS THE FRENCH CAVALRY TO ITS DOWNFALL  As the relentless storm of shot and shell beset the Allied troops stationed on the ridge south of Mont St Jean, Maréchal Ney gathered two of the beleaguered brigades from Comte d’Erlon’s Corps and renewed the attack upon La Haie Sainte. The attempts to carry the farm were stubbornly resisted, but while at the front Colonel Jean-Louis de Crabbé, one of the marshal’s aides-de-camp, distinguished a retrograde movement in the Allied line which he interpreted as a general retreat. The information was sent to Ney, who immediately called for riders to exploit this perceived weakness. In fact the movement was the result of a direct order from the Duke of Wellington for the army to retire 100 paces in a conscious effort to reduce the deadly effect of the artillery bombardment. Consequently, the Allied troops were able to confront the impending onslaught from the cavalry with remarkable poise. Having resolved to profit from the retreat, Maréchal Ney impatiently addressed Baron Pierre-Joseph Farine du Creux, who commanded a brigade of cuirassiers within the 14th Cavalry Division, and ordered him to advance with his men. But the commander of the division, Baron Delort, halted the movement under the auspices that they could only accept orders from Comte Milhaud, their immediate superior. Delort also tried to tell the marshal of the disadvantage of attacking formed troops. Ney was furious. He insisted that the order was to be obeyed. However, he now told Delort to commit his entire division. Ney also instructed Comte LefèbvreDesnouettes to put his cavalry in

Having received intelligence that the Allied infantry on the heights in front of Mont St Jean was making a retrograde movement, and believing this to be a retreat, Michel Ney led the French cavalry in repeated charges. Despite overrunning the artillery on the plateau, the horsemen were thrown into confusion by steady fire from the formed squares, and driven back by astute counter-attacks from the enemy cavalry. Painting by Henri Dupray. (© Dahesh Museum of Art, New York, USA / Bridgeman Images)

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ALLIED UNITS (SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY, 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON)

BRAINE L’ALLEUD

A. 1st British Cavalry Brigade (Somerset)  B. 2nd British Cavalry Brigade (Muter)  C. 3rd Netherlands Infantry Division (Chassé)  D. Netherlands Cavalry Division (Collaert)  E. 5th British Cavalry Brigade (Grant)   F. 2nd British Infantry Division (Clinton)  G. Brunswick Corps (Olfermann)  H. 1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment (Kruse)  I. 4th British Cavalry Brigade (Vandeleur)  J. 3rd British Cavalry Brigade (Dörnberg)  K. 1st British Infantry Division (Byng)  L. 3rd British Infantry Division (Alten)  M. 5th British Infantry Division (Kempt)  N. 2nd Netherlands Infantry Division (Perponcher-Sedlnitsky)   O. 4th Hanoverian Infantry Brigade (Best)  P. 6th British Cavalry Brigade (Vivian)  Q. 2nd Netherlands Infantry Brigade (Sachsen-Weimar) 

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MERBE BRAINE MONT ST JEAN A

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PRUSSIAN UNITS (GEBHARD LEBRECHT, FÜRST BLÜCHER VON WAHLSTADT) i. 15th Brigade (Losthin)  ii. 16th Brigade (Hiller von Gaertringen) 

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LA HAIE SAINTE

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LA BELLE ALLIANCE 9

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ROSSOMME 20

PLANCENOIT XXXX

MAISON DU ROI

NAPOLEON LE CAILLOU

EVENTS 1. By 3:30pm the struggle at Hougoumont had escalated to such a degree that almost the entire body of the 2nd Guards Brigade had been committed to the defence of the complex, while both brigades of Jérôme’s 6th Infantry Division and the 1st Brigade of Comte Foy’s 9th Infantry Division were engaged in fruitless attempts to storm the buildings and gardens. The situation had been worsened for the defenders by the setting fire to the buildings and outhouses by the French artillery, which poured incendiary shells onto the farm.   2. Towards 4:00pm Maréchal Ney was informed by one of his aides that the Allied army was retreating. Having resolved to profit from the situation by launching the French cavalry, Ney addressed Baron Farine du Creux, who commanded a brigade of cuirassiers within the 14th Cavalry Division, and ordered him to advance with his men. Baron Delort halted the movement under the auspices that the brigade could only accept orders from Comte Milhaud, the immediate superior. Ney was furious and insisted that the order was to be obeyed without delay. He thereafter committed the entire division, and also instructed Comte Lefèbvre-Desnouettes to put his cavalry in motion towards the heights.  3. Shortly thereafter, the Prussians began to emerge from the wood. On the right was the 15th Brigade under the command of Generalmajor von Losthin, while the 16th Brigade led by Oberst Hiller von Gaertringen was on the left. The 2nd Battalion of the 18. Infanterie-Regiment was directed towards Fichermont and the 3rd Battalion of the 3. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment moved forward to a position

between the brigades, in order to maintain a good line of communication. Number 14. Fußbatterie and number 11. Reitende Batterie were positioned adjacent to the road, and were covered by the squadrons of the 3. Schlesisches Landwehr-KavallerieRegiment, while those of the 2. Schlesisches Husaren-Regiment trotted towards the French formations.  4. Directly opposed to the Prussian troops debouching from the Bois de Paris were the 3rd and 5th Cavalry Divisions under the command of Barons Domon and Subervie, as well as the 7e Régiment de Hussards and the 3rd Battalion of the 13e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger. The cavalry divisions, complete with their artillery, were deployed between Fichermont and the Bois de Ranson. The hussards occupied an oblique position, in order to correspond with the main body of the French army. A messenger was sent to Maréchal Ney to inform him that a substantial Prussian force had concentrated in the Bois de Paris, and was preparing to attack the right flank. Ney immediately instructed Comte Lobau to march with VI Corps to that part of the battlefield and to deploy his divisions in such a way as to oppose the enemy columns.  

THE PRUSSIANS ARRIVE The situation at Mont St Jean, 4:00pm on 18 June 1815 60 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

Note: Gridlines are shown at intervals of 1km

FRENCH UNITS (EMPEROR NAPOLEON BONAPARTE)

HIGH ROAD FROM CHARLEROI TO BRUSSELS

1. 2nd Cavalry Division (Piré)  2. 6th Infantry Division (Jérôme)   3. 9th Infantry Division (Foy)   4. 5th Infantry Division (Bachelu)  5. 14th Cavalry Division (Delort)  6. 13th Cavalry Division (Saint-Alphonse)  7. Light Cavalry of the Garde Impériale (Lefèbvre-Desnouettes)  8. 1st Infantry Division (Quiot du Passage)  9. 2nd Infantry Division (Donzelot)  10. 3rd Infantry Division (Marcognet)  11. 4th Infantry Division (Durutte)  12. 1st Cavalry Division (Jacquinot)  13. 12th Cavalry Division (d’Hurbal)  14. 11th Cavalry Division (l’Héritier)  15. 19th Infantry Division (Simmer)  16. 20th Infantry Division (Jeanin)  17. Cavalry Division (Domon)  18. 5th Cavalry Division (Subervie)   19. Heavy Cavalry of the Garde Impériale (Guyot)  20. Garde Impériale (Drouot) 

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The contest for supremacy between the different bodies of Allied and French cavalry was overwhelming. Painting by Denis Dighton. (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

The 1st Light Dragoons of the King’s German Legion charge a squadron of French lanciers, while the riflemen of the 95th Regiment take careful aim at the officers from a concealed position on the battlefield. Painting by Charles Warren. (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

motion with the words ‘Forward. This is the salvation of France!’ The two cavalry divisions crossed the high road leading to Brussels and formed in the hollow ground close to the farm of La Haie Sainte. The cuirassiers were in front, the squadrons at quarter distance, with the regiments in column, en echelon from the right. Ney gave the order to charge, and with his customary zeal took a position at the head of the troops. The horsemen ascended the slope at little more than a trot due to the poor state of the ground, and the Allied skirmishers retired. As the cavalry crested the ridge they were assailed by the close-range canister fire from the artillery batteries positioned on the heights. The salvos tore through the ranks and created havoc. But as the seething mass approached the guns, the crews abandoned their weapons and fled to the rear for the safety of the nearest infantry square. The French cavalry swarmed around the cannon and attempted to disable the barrels and spike the vents. However, they had no materials with which to achieve this task, so instead groups tried to drag several pieces back down into the valley. From his position on the heights the Duke of Wellington had seen the French cavalry preparing for the charge, and had issued the order for the various infantry battalions to form square. This had been undertaken with great expediency, so that the squares were offset, which allowed each to fire at the enemy without inflicting casualties upon the adjacent formation. The first line stood 40 paces behind the artillery, while the second line was more than double this distance to the rear. Their destructive fire was unleashed upon the French horsemen as they drew closer. A succession of attacks was thwarted by the fierce enfilading fire from the squares at the French as they galloped between the different formations. Swathes of riders, together with their mounts, were cut down by the deadly shower. The cavalry slowly began to lose heart, as they could make no impression upon the squares. But Ney harangued them, calling the officers by their names and exhorting them to gain their freedom on the field of battle that very day. In order to maintain the momentum of the charge, and to reap the rewards of the situation on the plateau, the marshal sent word to Comte Valmy to commit the 11th Cavalry Division.

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Baron Samuel-François l’Héritier, who commanded the division, placed himself at the head of the 2e Régiment de Dragons and ordered the two brigades under Barons Picquet and Guiton to advance. The cavalry crossed the fields of trampled corn at the trot and passed to the west of the high road to Brussels and La Haie Sainte, where the ground inclined steeply. The defenders of the farm fired upon them as they rode by, yet the cavalry ascended the heights. At this moment the cuirassiers and the elite Chasseurs à Cheval and Chevau-Légers-Lanciers of the Garde Impériale were falling back to re-form, as the Allied cavalry were trotting forward to attack. Seeing that the French cavalry had overrun the artillery on the crest of the ridge and were threatening the infantry squares, the Earl of Uxbridge instructed Sir Wilhelm von Dörnberg, the commander of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, to drive them back. Dörnberg, who had deployed his regiments in column, ordered the 2nd Light Dragoons of the King’s German Legion to move towards the right of the line, and attacked both flanks of a considerable body of cuirassiers with the 23rd Light Dragoons and the 1st Light Dragoons of the King’s German Legion. Their intervention was a complete success and the enemy were dispersed. However, the sheer number of French horsemen obliged Uxbridge to call upon other elements of the cavalry at his disposal to confront them. Major-General Albert Trip van Zoutelande threw several squadrons of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Carabiniers into the fray, while the 3rd Hussars of the King’s German Legion were also sent forward to help stem the tide. The series of charges was repeated. However, they did not attain the success Ney had expected, and the number of men and horses lost during these reckless forays was overwhelming. As some French cavalry units charged, so others re-formed. But each attack was driven back by the fire from the squares, and the Allied cavalry cut in among the disordered horseman and completed the carnage. Ney ordered Comte Guyot to move forward with the division of heavy cavalry of the Garde Impériale, which he commanded. These were the only cavalry that remained.  

THE COURAGEOUS DEFENCE OF LA HAIE SAINTE While the French cavalry was engaged in its futile attempt to break the Allied squares and secure the heights, the garrison at La Haie Sainte was running perilously short of rifle ammunition. Major Georg Baring, who commanded the 2nd Light Battalion of the King’s German Legion, sent repeated requests to his superiors for more stock, but it proved impossible to obtain further supplies. Instead, Count Carl von Alten sent more troops to the farm complex. Three companies belonging to the 1st Light Battalion and the Light

The garrison at La Haie Sainte was composed principally of troops belonging to the King’s German Legion. They maintained the farm in the face of repeated French attacks. But a desperate shortage of ammunition ultimately led to the abandonment of the post. Painting by Adolph Northern. (Landesmuseum, Hanover)

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Baron Christian von Ompteda commanded the 2nd King’s German Legion Brigade at Waterloo. A highly respected and experienced officer, he was ordered by Count Carl von Alten to deploy the 5th Line Battalion in line and advance upon the farm of La Haie Sainte, despite the presence of enemy cavalry. Ompteda questioned the order, only for it to be reiterated by the Hereditary Prince of OrangeNassau. Realizing the implications, he gallantly placed himself at the head of his men and advanced in accordance with the command. The troops were subsequently overrun by enemy cavalry and the entire battalion almost annihilated. Ompteda was killed in the contest. Painting by an unknown artist. (Bomann Museum, Celle)

Company of the 5th Line Battalion of the King’s German Legion were sent forward to reinforce the position, as well as 200 men from the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment.  However, by 6:00pm the situation had become so desperate for the defenders that yet another request for ammunition was sent to the commander of the brigade. Baron Christian von Ompteda was both the officer leading the 2nd King’s German Legion Brigade and brevet colonel of the 5th Line Battalion. He had striven to secure additional rifle ammunition for the troops at La Haie Sainte to no avail, and therefore forwarded the numerous messages to the commander of the 3rd Division, Count Carl von Alten, shortly after they had been received. Ompteda and his staff had seen the various reinforcements join those charged with the maintenance of the farm. But for almost two hours they had been engaged in repelling the French cavalry charges upon the Allied infantry squares. Now, as the troops stood and waited for the next enemy attack, Ompteda received an order from his immediate superior to deploy in line with the 5th Line Battalion, and advance in this manner to support those at La Haie Sainte. He suggested that the battalion should remain in square, and advance in this way, as enemy cavalry was still close at hand. However, an adjutant from the Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau arrived and confirmed the order for the battalion to advance in line immediately. The implications of this proposal were obvious to the gallant officer. Stoically, he ordered his men to change formation in accordance with the order, and rode forward on his horse towards the bastion. The vain attempt by the battalion to gain the complex was countered by the French. A body of cuirassiers charged upon the troops from the hollow ground, and chaos reigned. Ompteda fell in the struggle and almost the entire battalion was cut down. Those who managed to escape the cold steel of the cavalrymen’s swords ran hurriedly back to the haven of the square formed by their comrades in the 8th Line Battalion. During the attack the 5th Line Battalion lost its Regimental Colour, which was captured in the melee by Maréchal-des-logis Isaac Palan of the 9e Régiment de Cuirassiers. Despite the tragic loss of Baron von Ompteda, and the lack of ammunition, the farm of La Haie Sainte remained in Allied hands. However, several other senior officers were either severely wounded or killed during at this time. The commander of the 1st Division, Major-General George Cooke, was struck by a cannonball on the left arm and forced to leave the field of battle. The command of the 1st Division devolved upon Sir John Byng, while Colonel Francis Hepburn became responsible for the 2nd Guards Brigade, which was almost entirely engaged at Hougoumont.

DU PLAT ADVANCES WITH THE KING’S GERMAN LEGION By 6:00pm the French cavalry had sustained such appalling losses that there was little chance of their breaking the Allied squares on the plateau without support from the infantry. Ney belatedly called upon Comte Reille to send elements of II Corps forward in an attempt to carry the heights. 64 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

The 2nd Brigade of the 9th Division and the whole of the 5th Division were subsequently ordered to advance from their positions adjacent to Hougoumont and to overthrow the troops on the ridge. Comte Foy and Baron Bachelu led their respective commands into the fight. The battalions were formed in columns deployed at quarter distance, and they marched in echelon from the right behind a mass of tirailleurs. The movement of these three formations encouraged the French troops within the environs of Hougoumont to advance once again. They surged across the orchard and drove the defenders beyond the hedge at the rear, into a hollow road. Yet the fire from the Coldstream Guards posted inside the walled garden, and that maintained by the Allied troops behind the thickset hedge, prevented the French from making any further inroads. To remedy the situation for the troops at Hougoumont, who were completely isolated from the main line, the Duke of Wellington ordered MajorGeneral Frederick Adam to march eastwards across the Nivelles Road with his brigade to a point adjacent to the rear of the buildings. Furthermore, the four battalions of the 1st King’s German Legion Brigade commanded by Colonel Georg du Plat, advanced in three squares to the crest of the ridge, and down into the valley below. They were accompanied by the battery of horse artillery under Brevet Major Augustus Sympher. The guns unlimbered on the declivity of the slope and prepared to open fire upon the sizeable French columns that were approaching their position. The tirailleurs that preceded the formations attempted to encroach upon the battery and to shoot the crews and the officers. However, a composite battalion of marksmen from the four King German Legion battalions, many of whom were armed with Baker rifles, was sent forward by Colonel du Plat, and they succeeded in forcing the French to retire some distance. The Hanoverians were supported by light infantrymen from the 1st Foot Guards led by Lord Saltoun, whose battalions had suffered from the galling fire of the enemy tirailleurs. The French columns drew near. Having advanced to within 30 yards of Colonel du Plat’s Brigade, the French were subjected to a ferocious volley and several rounds of canister from the artillery. The severity of the salvo forced the head of the first column to the left, whereupon the remainder broke and fled into the orchard at Hougoumont. The squares of the King’s German Legion pursued their opponents. As they did so a regiment of cuirassiers, followed by the Lanciers Rouges of the Garde Impériale, swept forward and bravely drew their fire. The momentum of the pursuit was subsequently lost, and the horde of seemingly shattered French soldiers was thereby afforded sufficient time to re-form. The soldiers lined the eastern boundary of the Hougoumont estate, and from the hedge and ditches maintained a relentless fusillade, which accounted for many in the adjacent Allied squares. To counter this threat, the battalion of marksmen and the 2nd Line Battalion of the King’s German Legion were sent into the orchard, where they joined with those already engaged in the monumental struggle.

The Duke of Wellington observed that the garrison at Hougoumont was completely isolated from the main line and ordered Frederick Adam to advance with his brigade to a position adjacent to the rear of the buildings. The duke also sent word to Colonel Georg du Plat to cross the heights with the King’s German Legion troops under his command. Painting by Ernest Crofts. (Private Collection / Photo © Bonhams, London, UK / Bridgeman Images)

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ZIETEN CONFRONTS THE FRENCH FORCES AT SMOHAIN

A romantic interpretation of the march by the Prussian forces to Mont St Jean. Here Feldmarschall Blücher encourages his men to join with the Allied army against the French. Painting by Friedrich Kaiser. (Museum am Burghof, Loerrach, Germany / Bridgeman Images)

The Duke of Wellington had waited anxiously for I Korps under Generallieutenant von Zieten to reach the battlefield. But having grown concerned at the circumstances the Allied army was enduring, he instructed Freiherr von Müffling to position himself at Smohain and establish a line of communication with the vanguard of the Prussian formation as it approached from the Lasne valley. The 6th Cavalry Brigade under Sir Hussey Vivian was stationed in this area on the left wing, and was ordered to assist in this task by sending patrols in the direction of Ohain. However, towards 6:00pm a message arrived for the cavalry to reinforce the centre of the line. Freiherr von Müffling eventually established contact with Oberstlieutenant August von Reiche, the Chief of Staff of I Korps, who had ridden forward of the vanguard to reconnoitre the terrain. Müffling explained that the Allied army required immediate support, as the Duke of Wellington had been forced to draw troops from the left flank to reinforce the centre. Reiche noted the observations and returned to the column of I Korps, which had reached the road to the west of Chapelle Notre Dame de Bon Secours. But towards 6:30pm he received an order from Gneisenau to wheel the troops to the left and to join with IV Korps, which was attacking Plancenoit. Reiche faced a very difficult decision, and ordered the troops to halt. Generalmajor Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz led the vanguard of I Korps. Without waiting for corresponding orders, he began to march with his troops in the direction of IV Korps. However, Reiche countermanded this movement, while he attempted to explain the situation to Generallieutenant von Zieten. Once the commanding officer was informed of the circumstances, and in the knowledge that a message had arrived from IV Korps requesting support, he decided to continue the advance upon the left flank at Smohain, and to enter the battle from this position. Zieten ordered number 7. Fußbatterie and number 7. Reitende Batterie to unlimber on the left and right of Smohain and to cannonade the French troops deployed in the valley beyond. Additional guns were sent forward to increase the firepower, while the two companies of Schlesische Schützen, commanded by Major August von Neumann, and the 3rd Battalion of the 2. Brandenburgisches Infanterie-Regiment engaged the enemy within the hamlet. The French held the southern part of Smohain. But the northern section was maintained by three companies from the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd NassauUsingen Regiment under Captain Carl Frensdorf. The Prussians mistook these troops for Frenchmen, because of their uniforms, and a brisk exchange of musketry ensued between the two bodies. Several men were killed and a number wounded before the error was realized. However, it convinced the French to retire. Oberst Georg von Hoffmann, who commanded the infantry of the 1st Brigade, moved the 3rd Battalion of the 24. Infanterie-Regiment to the extreme left, to occupy Cheval de Bois, and advanced with the two remaining battalions towards Smohain. As the enemy had withdrawn, the Prussians deployed without any resistance. From their positions within the hamlet the officers and men could see

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the French forces across the valley, including those around Plancenoit. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 2. Brandenburgisches Infanterie-Regiment now moved towards the farms of Papelotte and La Haie. They were supported by all three battalions of the 1. Westphälisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment, and several squadrons from the reserve cavalry. The union with the left wing of the Allied army was almost complete.

WELLINGTON ENDURES A CRISIS IN THE CENTRE Having failed to break the infantry squares stationed on the plateau, the exhausted remnants of the French cavalry retired to the haven of their lines. The withdrawal allowed the troops in the hollow lane at Hougoumont to advance, and they drove the enemy back across the orchard and through the thick hedge. The hedge was less than 30 yards from the garden wall, and so the Coldstream Guards posted inside were able to pour a destructive fire into the French as they tried to negotiate the ditch beyond. Scores were felled, and as the Allied troops in the orchard came up, they added to the slaughter by firing from the cover of a large bank. With the orchard secure, and the ground immediately behind Hougoumont occupied by the squares of the King’s German Legion, Colonel Francis Hepburn instructed the acting adjutant of the 3rd Foot Guards, Ensign Berkeley Drummond, to ride back to the heights and request more ammunition from Sir John Byng, as the shortage was a great concern. Drummond found Byng on the ridge above Hougoumont with Captain Horace Seymour, one of the Earl of Uxbridge’s aides-de-camp, and informed them of the desperate situation. The staff officer immediately addressed a driver of the Royal Wagon Train in charge of a tumbrel of musket ammunition. Seymour merely pointed to where the stock was required, and the man gallantly started his horses and drove straight down the hill to the farm, to the north gate at the rear. The contents of the wagon were distributed amongst the garrison, and the crisis was averted. However, the troops at La Haie Sainte were less fortunate. They had failed to obtain a supply of ammunition, and were forced to engage in hand-to-hand combat in order to prevent the French from storming the farm. A fire was started in the barn with the aim of setting the buildings alight, but the NassauUsingen soldiers had large camp kettles which they used to carry water from the pond to extinguish the blaze. However, the French realized that their attacks were not being fired upon and became bolder. They charged the open gates on the west of the complex and forced their way into the courtyard. Major Baring had no alternative but to issue the order for the defenders to withdraw towards the heights.

The Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau led the NassauUsingen troops forwards in a courageous attempt to disperse the French tirailleurs. Painting by Jan Langendyck. (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

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Upon occupying the compound, the French brought an artillery battery to within 100 paces of the Allied squares positioned on the ridge. An incessant salvo tore into the infantry either side of the high road to Brussels and the centre of the line wavered. Wellington sent word to the Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau that La Haie Sainte must be retaken. The prince in turn ordered Count von Alten to advance with the square formed by the 30th and 73rd Regiments, and that comprising the 33rd and 69th. However, both Alten and Sir Colin Halkett were severely wounded by the artillery fire, and the counter-attack stalled. The Duke of Wellington rode forward into the eye of the storm, accompanied by his sizeable suite, and attempted to steady the line. As he did so Sir Alexander Gordon, his aide-de-camp, was wounded, and moments later Sir William de Lancey, the acting Quartermaster-General, was struck by a cannonball and thrown from his horse to the ground. In the midst of this furious assault, the French tirailleurs gained the brow of the ridge and began to pour a steady fire into the three battalions of the 1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment. Bravely, the Hereditary Prince placed himself at the head of the troops and called to them to advance, in a desperate attempt to push the enemy back. They had hardly begun to do so when the heir to the throne was struck in the shoulder by a musket ball. The prince was momentarily disorientated and dismounted slowly from his horse, which was struck in the girths at this time. He staggered, and was fortunate that several men from the 2nd Battalion rushed forward to assist him before he fell to the ground. Baron Constant-Rebècque and a numbers of the prince’s staff officers arrived upon the scene, and escorted him safely to the rear. However, the incident had shaken the young Allied soldiers, who began to fall back. Sensing the opportunity to break the centre of the Allied line was at hand, Maréchal Ney sent his aide-de-camp, Colonel Pierre-Agathe Heymès, to the emperor to appeal for support. Yet Napoleon greeted the request with incredulity, for at that moment he had been forced to commit more troops to the defence of Plancenoit, which he knew could not be relinquished to the enemy under any circumstances.

BLÜCHER SUCCEEDS IN CAPTURING PLANCENOIT The initial assault upon the village followed a fierce bombardment from the Prussian artillery batteries posted on the heights opposite Plancenoit. The shots from number 13. Schwere Batterie reached the road leading to Brussels, close to where Napoleon and his subordinates were standing. Oberst Hiller von Gaertringen formed the troops of the 16th Brigade, who were to lead the attack, into three columns. Each column comprised two battalions. The first, which marched towards the right of the village, consisted of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 15. Infanterie-Regiment; the second, which moved towards the centre, by the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1. Schlesisches LandwehrInfanterie-Regiment; the third column, which moved towards the left, was formed by the 1st and 2nd Battalions 2. Schlesisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment. The columns were preceded by four platoons of Schützen. Despite being assailed by a hail of artillery and musket fire, the columns reached the outskirts of the village and attempted to continue. But the 1er Régiment de Voltigeurs disputed every inch of ground. The right-hand 68 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

column advanced slowly along the narrow road leading to the church. Here, the French launched a daring counter-attack which drove both battalions of the 15. InfanterieRegiment back in confusion. The centre column marched up the main road with bayonets fixed, while the left-hand column crossed the small stream to the south of Plancenoit and moved north, driving the 1er Régiment de Tirailleurs from their positions within the buildings by sheer weight of numbers. Comte Duhesme, who commanded the Jeune Garde, was mortally wounded during these ferocious exchanges.  The abandonment of the southern half of the village uncovered the right flank of the 1er Régiment de Voltigeurs, and forced them to vacate the ground which they had taken. They withdrew through the church cemetery to the last houses within the environs of Plancenoit and prepared to make a stand. Napoleon was informed of the desperate situation and he instantly ordered Baron Charles-Antoine Morand, the commander of the Chasseurs à Pied of the Garde Impériale, to restore it. The 1st Battalion of the 2e Régiment de Chasseurs under Maréchal-de-camp Jean-Jacques Pelet was thrown into the contest one company at a time, and together with the troops from the Jeune Garde who had rallied, they succeeded in pushing the enemy back. The 1st Battalion of the 1. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment was very heavily engaged and suffered accordingly. Nonetheless, the Prussians withdrew from the southern part of the village, leaving several French cannon which had fallen into their hands in the process, and the Chasseurs of the Garde Impériale moved forward and deployed in the streets. Both battalions of the 15. Infanterie-Regiment, which were under Oberst Hiller von Gaertringen’s personal supervision, were driven from their positions in the houses that surrounded the cemetery. However, they still held a sizeable part of the northern sector, and reinforcements were about to arrive. By 7:00pm the 14th Brigade under Generalmajor Gustav von Ryssel I was ready to enter the contest at Plancenoit. Instructions were sent forward to the commander of the 16th Brigade to launch an attack upon the high ground to the north, while the 14th Brigade would attempt to penetrate the centre. Oberst Hiller von Gaertringen re-formed his troops and returned to the fray on the right of the Prussian line, as the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 11. Infanterie-Regiment, together with the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1. Pommerisches Landwehr-

While at the head of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment the Hereditary Prince of OrangeNassau was struck in the left shoulder by a musket ball and severely wounded. Painting by Johannes Oderare. (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

Towards the end of the battle the Dutch troops were united with their Prussian allies at Maison du Roi. Painting by Jan Hoynck van Papendrecht. (Nationaal Militair Museum (NMM) Soesterberg)

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THE OPENING SALVOS FROM THE ARTILLERY OF THE IV KORPS AT PLANCENOIT (PP. 70–71) The IV Korps under the command of General Friedrich Wilhelm, Freiherr von Bülow, Graf von Dennewitz formed the vanguard of the Prussian army which marched from Wavre to Chapelle St Lambert. Having reached the Bois de Fischermont at 4:30pm the 15. Brigade under Generalmajor Michael von Losthin was ordered to deploy into battalion columns and send forward a body of skirmishers. Number 14. Fußbatterie, which was attached to the brigade, together with number 11. Reitende Batterie (1) of the reserve artillery, followed this movement. The two batteries moved to the brow of the heights and attempted to unlimber without being subject to fire from the enemy guns stationed both to the east and north of the village of Plancenoit. The 2. Schlesisches Husaren-Regiment covered their movement. The IV Korps had not been engaged at Ligny and so, despite the arduous march from Wavre, the troops were relatively fresh. At the beginning of the campaign number 11. Reitende Batterie was commanded by Rittmeister Friedrich Borchard and comprised 170 officers and men. They were armed with six 6-pdr cannon and two 7-pdr howitzers, in the usual manner for a battery of Prussian horse artillery. Two sizeable formations of chasseurs à cheval (2) bravely trotted forward to a position within 600 paces of the two

batteries, and attempted to reconnoitre their deployment. The 4e and 9e Régiments de Chasseurs à Cheval belonged to the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Cavalry Division under the command of Lieutenant-général Baron Jean-Siméon Domon. They had been engaged in the fighting at Ligny and had incurred some losses. However, the two regiments still numbered over 50 officers and approaching 600 men in six squadrons. To counter the threat the French cavalry offered, the 2. Schlesisches Husaren-Regiment moved towards the left flank of the infantry, while the 16. Brigade moved forward and deployed. The 2. Neumärkisches LandwehrKavallerie-Regiment under the direct supervision of Oberstlieutenant von Hiller von Gaertringen moved to the right, in rear of the infantry, and shortly thereafter the Westpreußisches Uhlanen-Regiment took a position in rear of the right flank for the same purpose. It became apparent that the chasseurs were acting as a screen and that they had no serious intentions other than to cover the advance of the French Tirailleurs, who engaged in a lively fire-fight with the skirmishers extended from the 15. Brigade. The order was given for the Prussian artillery to cannonade the enemy positions, and the contest for Plancenoit commenced.

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The Prussians attack Plancenoit, 6:30pm, 18 June 1815 Lasne

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Bois de Hubermont

French Army (under Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte) 1. 84e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 2. 27e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 3. Artillery attached to 20th Division (one battery) 4. 5e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 5. Artillery attached to 19th Division (one battery) 6. 11e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (three battalions) 7. Reserve Artillery attached to VI Corps (one battery) 8. 1er Régiment de Tirailleurs (2nd Battalion) 9. 1er Régiment de Voltigeurs (1st Battalion) 10. 1er Régiment de Tirailleurs (1st Battalion) 11. 1er Régiment de Voltigeurs (2nd Battalion) 12. 3e Régiment de Voltigeurs (2nd Battalion) 13. 3e Régiment de Tirailleurs (1st Battalion) 14. 3e Régiment de Voltigeurs (1st Battalion) 15. 3e Régiment de Tirailleurs (2nd Battalion) 16. Artillery attached to Corps de la Jeune Garde (one battery) 17. Artillery attached to Corps de la Jeune Garde (one battery)

Infanterie-Regiment advanced rapidly into the village. Oberst Friedrich von Funck led these troops. However, their progress was halted by the Garde Impériale, who had entrenched themselves behind the stone wall of the cemetery and occupied strong positions on either flank, from where they directed deadly volleys into the head of the approaching formations. The Prussians recoiled, but maintained a foothold in the village. Napoleon was informed of the progress at Plancenoit, and the overwhelming strength of the Prussian force. He subsequently decided to commit the 2nd Battalion of the 2e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied of the Garde Impériale, under the command of Major Juste Golzio, to the engagement. The emperor addressed the men in person. He told them to banish their muskets and to expel their adversaries from the village with the bayonet alone. Having received these 73 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

ALLIED UNITS (SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY, 1ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON)

BRAINE L’ALLEUD

A. 1st British Cavalry Brigade (Somerset)  B. 2nd British Cavalry Brigade (Clifton)  C. 3rd Netherlands Infantry Division (Chassé)  D. 4th British Cavalry Brigade (Vandeleur)  E. 6th British Cavalry Brigade (Vivian)  F. Netherlands Cavalry Division (Collaert)  G. 2nd Netherlands Infantry Division (PerponcherSedlnitsky)   H. 5th British Cavalry Brigade (Grant)   I. 3rd British Cavalry Brigade (Dörnberg)  J. Brunswick Corps (Olfermann)  K. 1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment (Kruse)  L. 3rd British Infantry Division (Kielmansegge)  M. 5th British Infantry Division (Kempt)  N. 6th British Infantry Division (Lambert)  O. 2nd British Infantry Division (Clinton)  P. 1st British Infantry Division (Byng)  Q. 2nd Netherlands Infantry Brigade (Sachsen-Weimar)  

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i. 1st Brigade (Steinmetz)  ii. 13th Brigade (Hake)  iii. 15th Brigade (Losthin)  iv. 16th Brigade (Hiller von Gaertringen)  v. 14th Brigade (Ryssel) 

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EVENTS 1. Towards 7:00pm the Hereditary Prince of Orange-Nassau placed himself at the head of the three battalions of the 1st Nassau-Usingen Regiment and bravely ordered the troops to advance against the French tirailleurs who had gained the brow of the height. They had hardly begun to move forward when the prince was struck in the shoulder by a musket ball. Fortunately, several men from the 2nd Battalion rushed forward to assist him before he fell to the ground. Baron Constant-Rebècque and a number of staff officers arrived upon the scene and escorted him safely to the rear. However, the incident had shaken the young soldiers, who began to fall back.  2. Shortly after 7:00pm Generalmajor von Steinmetz led the vanguard of I Korps towards Smohain.The southern part of the hamlet was held by the French. However, the northern section was maintained by three companies belonging to the 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Nassau-Usingen Regiment under Captain Frensdorf. The Prussians mistook the troops for Frenchmen because of their uniforms, and a brisk exchange of musket fire ensued between the two bodies. Several men were killed and a number wounded before the error was realised and the coalition troops were reconciled.  

3. While the fighting at Smohain raged, the 14th Brigade under Generalmajor von Ryssel prepared to enter the contest at Plancenoit. Instructions were sent to Oberst Hiller von Gaertringen of the 16th Brigade to launch an attack upon the high ground to the north, while the troops of the 14th Brigade would attempt to penetrate the centre. Accordingly, Hiller von Gaertringen reformed his troops and returned to the fray on the right of the Prussian line.   4. Napoleon learned of the desperate situation at Plancenoit, and subsequently decided to commit the 2nd Battalion of the 2e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied of the Garde Impériale under Major Golzio to the engagement. The emperor addressed the men in person, telling them to banish their muskets and to expel their enemies from the village with the bayonet alone. Having received these orders the troops charged into the streets and drove the Prussians from their positions and into the open fields to the east. 

THE MOMENT OF CRISIS Situation at Mont St Jean, 7:00pm on 18 June 1815 74 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

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1. 2nd Infantry Division (Donzelot)  2. 1st Infantry Division (Quiot du Passage)  3. 3rd Infantry Division (Marcognet)  4. 2nd Cavalry Division (Piré)  5. 6th Infantry Division (Jérôme)   6. 9th Infantry Division (Foy)   7. 5th Infantry Division (Bachelu)  8. 1st Cavalry Division (Jacquinot)  9. 4th Infantry Division (Durutte)  10. 12th Cavalry Division (d’Hurbal)  11. 11th Cavalry Division (l’Héritier)  12. 14th Cavalry Division (Delort)  13. 13th Cavalry Division (Saint-Alphonse)  14. Cavalry Division (Domon)  15. 5th Cavalry Division (Subervie)   16. 20th Infantry Division (Jeanin)  17. 19th Infantry Division (Simmer)  18. Heavy Cavalry of the Garde Impériale (Guyot)  19. Light Cavalry of the Garde Impériale (Lefèbvre-Desnouettes)  20. Jeune Garde (Barrois)  21. Vieille Garde (Drouot) 

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The 2nd Battalion of the 2e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied stormed Plancenoit and drove the Prussians from their positions. Painting by Ludwig Eisholtz. (Private collection)

Generalmajor Ernst von Tippelskirch supported the attacks upon Plancenoit with the 5th Brigade. The grenadiers and chasseurs of the Garde Impériale were unable to stop the Prussians from storming the cemetery. Painting by Carl Röchling. (Deutsche Historisches Museum, Berlin)

orders, the troops charged into the streets and with relentless fury, drove the Prussians from their positions and pursued them into the open fields to the east. Fortunately for Oberst von Funck and his men, cavalry belonging to II Korps had just reached the battlefield, and were able to cover the various infantry formations as they retreated from Plancenoit. While the fighting within the confines of the village had been raging, the Prussians had also been engaged with the French divisions deployed between Plancenoit and Fichermont. The 13th and 15th Brigades under Generallieutenant Albrecht von Hake and Generalmajor Michael von Losthin advanced against the defensive line formed predominantly by Comte Lobau’s VI Corps. In the centre, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 4. Schlesisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment suffered from the continuous fire emanating from the French artillery, and were forced to withdraw without having reached the French positions. However, subsequent attacks upon the left and right flanks by the 1. Westpreußisches Uhlanen-Regiment and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 4. Schlesisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment met with success. The cavalry drove the swarm of French tirailleurs from the positions they had taken behind thick hedges, and the infantry moved forward in closed columns, threatening the right wing where Comte Durutte’s depleted 4th Division was situated. Because of the movement towards this point, and the fact that Zieten’s I Korps had made inroads on that wing at Smohain, Barons Domon and Subervie were compelled to commit several squadrons of Chasseurs à Cheval in order to counter the Prussian threat. It was approaching 8:00pm. The French were masters of Plancenoit. Yet the hammer blow was about fall upon those defending the village. The vanguard of II Korps had reached the battlefield, and this provided the Prussian high command with a substantial number of fresh troops. The 5th Brigade commanded by Generalmajor Ernst von Tippelskirch was immediately directed towards the left flank and ordered to attack Plancenoit with the 14th and 16th Brigades. Two of the artillery batteries from II Korps moved up in support and began to fire at the French positions. The infantry advanced in columns, with the Füsilier Battalions of the 1.

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Pommersches Infanterie-Regiment and 5. Westphälisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment in front. It was impossible for the small detachment from the 1st Battalion of the 2e Régiment de Chasseurs in the Bois de Chantelet to halt the advance, and the leading elements of the 5th Brigade forced an entry into the village. The French were driven back to the cemetery. As before, their entrenched positions behind the stone wall thwarted the attack. However, Oberst Hiller von Gaertringen, who led the assault, instructed the various brigade commanders to send masses of Schützen forward in extended order and to attack across a wider frontage. Gradually, the sheer weight of numbers drove the officers and men of the Garde Impériale from the cemetery. Maréchal-decamp Pelet endeavoured to assemble the scattered remnants of his battalion for one final effort. But there were insufficient troops to stem the Prussian tide. The French began to withdraw. Plancenoit had been lost to the enemy.

Despite the valiant defence of Plancenoit by the grenadiers and chasseurs of the Garde Impériale, sheer weight of numbers eventually led to the village being overrun by the Prussian forces. Painting by Adolph Northern. (Kunsthalle, Hamburg)

NAPOLEON ADVANCES WITH THE GARDE IMPÉRIALE Being unable to retreat in the presence of two armies, Napoleon determined to make one great effort to force the Allied centre. For this object he called upon the remaining battalions of the Garde Impériale. Shortly after 7:00pm the four battalions of the 3e and 4e Chasseurs à Pied moved from their positions between Rossomme and La Belle Alliance, and formed to the west of the high road to Brussels. The 2nd Battalion of the 3e Grenadiers à Pied advanced towards the orchard at Hougoumont which the Allied troops occupied, and deployed in square, only 300 paces from the enclosure. Charles, Comte de la Bédoyère, the emperor’s aide-de-camp, was sent to Comte Reille, the commander of II Corps, with orders for his battalions to support the attack about to be made by the 77 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

French Formations (under Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte) 1. 4e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied (1st Battalion) 2. 4e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied (2nd Battalion) 3. 3e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied (1st Battalion) 4. 3e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied (2nd Battalion) 5. 4 guns from d’Artillerie à Cheval de la Garde (Mancel) 6. 4e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied (1st Battalion) 7. 3e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied (1st Battalion) 8. Régiment d’Artillerie à Cheval de la Garde (Chenin) 9. 13e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger (three battalions) 10. 29e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 11. 8e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 12. 6e Régiment de Cuirassiers (three squadrons) 13. 9e Régiment de Cuirassiers (four squadrons) 14. 5e Régiment de Cuirassiers (three squadrons) 15. 10e Régiment de Cuirassiers (three squadrons) 16. 17e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 17. 19e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 18. 3e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied (2nd Battalion) 19. 1er Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied (2nd Battalion) 20. 2e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied (2nd Battalion) 21. 2e Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied (1st Battalion) 22. 2 guns from d’Artillerie à Pied de la Garde (Jacques) 23. Artillery attached to 5th Division (one battery) 24. Artillery attached to 1st Division (one battery) 25. Artillery attached to 2nd Division (one battery) 26. 72e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 27. 2e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger (four battalions) 28. 108e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (three battalions) 29. 61e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 30. 100e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (three battalions) 31. 4e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger (three battalions) 32. 2e Régiment de Cuirassiers (two squadrons)

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1er Régiment de Carabiniers (three squadrons) 3e Régiment de Cuirassiers (four squadrons) 2e Régiment de Carabiniers (three squadrons) Artillery attached to 11th Cavalry Division (one battery) Régiment de Dragons de l’Impératrice (four squadrons) Régiment de Grenadiers à Cheval (four squadrons) Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval de la Garde Impériale (four squadrons) Régiment de Chevau-Légers-Lanciers de la Garde Impériale (four squadrons) Régiment d’Artillerie à Pied de la Garde (Résigny) 1er Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied (1st Battalion) 1er Régiment de Grenadiers à Pied (2nd Battalion)

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Allied Army (under Sir Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington) A. Belgian Foot Artillery under Capt. Lux B. 2nd Netherlands Infantry Brigade (d’Aubremé) C. Quakenbrück Landwehr Battalion D. 11th Regiment of Light Dragoons (three squadrons) E. 12th Regiment of Light Dragoons (three squadrons) F. 1st Netherlands Infantry Brigade (Detmers) G. 69th Regiment of Foot H. 33rd Regiment of Foot I. 73rd Regiment of Foot J. 52nd Regiment of Light Infantry K. 95th Regiment of Foot (2nd Battalion) L. 1st Regiment of Foot Guards (2nd Battalion) M. 1st Regiment of Foot Guards (3rd Battalion) N. 30th Regiment of Foot O. 8th Line Battalion King’s German Legion P. 27th Regiment of Foot Q. 32nd Regiment of Foot R. 79th Regiment of Foot S. Royal Horse Artillery Battery under Brevet Lt-Col Webber-Smith T. Royal Horse Artillery Battery under Capt. Mercer U. Royal Artillery Battery under Capt. Bolton V. Royal Artillery Battery under Brevet Major Lloyd W. King’s German Legion Artillery under Capt. Cleeves X. Belgian Horse Artillery under Capt. Kramer de Bichin Y. Royal Artillery Battery under Brevet Major Rogers

Attack of the Garde Impériale, 8:00pm,18 June 1815

Garde Impériale. In accordance with Napoleon’s wishes, as Bédoyère rode along the line he told the troops that Grouchy had arrived and that the victory was at hand. However, this was a blatant lie, for the commander of the right wing was 10 miles away and thoroughly committed to a contest at Wavre with Generallieutenant von Thielmann and III Korps. With the emperor at their head, the four battalions of chasseurs marched across the valley in two columns until they reached the intervening heights, south of the orchard at La Haie Sainte, where Maréchal Ney assumed the command. After a lengthy delay the 1st Battalions of the 3e and 4e Grenadiers à Pied also advanced. They were in turn followed by the 2nd Battalion of the 2e Chasseurs, the 2nd Battalion of the 1er Chasseurs and the 1st Battalion of the 2e Grenadiers à Pied. The veterans in the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1er Grenadiers à Pied took positions either side of the high road, as a final reserve upon the heights at Rossomme. Napoleon was impatient for the attack to commence. Without waiting for the 3e and 4e Grenadiers to deploy in their positions to the west of the high road, adjacent to La Haie Sainte, he ordered Ney to march at the head of the four battalions of chasseurs and pierce the Allied line. The colonel-en-second within the Chasseurs à Pied of the Vieille Garde, Claude-Étienne Comte Michel formed the troops in two columns for the attack, with the 3e Chasseurs on the right. The 1st and 2nd Battalions were deployed in columns of grand divisions at quarter distance, one battalion placed behind the other. The 4e Chasseurs were on the left, in echelon, slightly to the rear. They were formed in identical manner. The order to advance was given, and the troops marched with shouldered arms up the gentle slope towards the ridge. The drums beat the pas de charge and the officers encouraged their men with shouts of ‘Vive l’Empereur!’ To the left and right the French artillery unlimbered and began to fire. The roars were answered by the guns stationed on the heights. Nonetheless, Michel led his troops onto the brow of the heights with the utmost intrepidity. The Duke of Wellington and his army had been alerted to the imminent attack by a French deserter. As the various battalions of the Garde Impériale were forming to the south-west of La Belle Alliance, an officer of cuirassiers rode forward to the Allied line and appraised several men in the 3rd British Brigade that Napoleon was about to advance with his veterans. The French officer was taken to Sir John Colborne, the commander of the 52nd Regiment of Light Infantry, whom he convinced of this fact. The intelligence was passed to the duke, who acted accordingly. Frederick Adam’s Brigade was pulled back to a favourable position on the heights, and the battalions in this area told to form in line, four ranks deep, and to lie on the ground. The duke also ordered his infantry reserves to move up in support.

Baron Pierre Cambronne, the officer commanding the 1er Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied of the Garde Impériale, was captured by Colonel Hugh Halkett and members of the Osnabrück Battalion towards the end of the battle. Painting by Adolph Northern. (Landesmuseum, Hanover)

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Baron David-Henri Chassé ordered the 1st Brigade of the 3rd Netherlands Division to advance against the grenadiers of the Garde Impériale. The 1st Brigade commanded by Colonel Hendrik Detmers duly charged, and drove the French veterans back in a state of confusion. Painting by Jan Hoynck van Papendrecht. (Legermuseum, Delft)

Close to the high road the British and Hanoverian troops had grimly maintained a line of irregular formations in the face of the artillery onslaught. But they had sustained enormous losses in the process. Through the smoke the troops could discern various enemy columns approaching the ridge. The bombardment from the Allied guns had slackened, as they had expended almost all of their ammunition, and so the French were able to advance with few obstacles. To the left of the high road, east of La Haie Sainte, moving against the remnants of Sir Colin Halkett’s Brigade was a sizeable column. This comprised the 8e and 29e Régiments d’Infanterie de Ligne under the command of Chevalier Jean-Gaudens Pégot from Comte Durutte’s 4th Division, and was supported by a small body of cuirassiers. The British officers called to the men in the 30th and 73rd Regiments of Foot to hold their fire until the enemy were within 30 paces of the line. When the order to fire was given a withering volley crashed into the head of the formation. To the surprise of the British soldiers, when the smoke cleared, they saw that the French had started to retreat. However, they were in no fit state to pursue, for fear of being cut down by the cavalry. Wellington positioned himself next to the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Foot Guards, ready to receive the attack by the Garde Impériale. To the right, behind a low bank formed by the Ohain Road, was the 2nd Battalion of the regiment. The officers and men were lying on the ground and a small number, fatigued by their exertions, were fast asleep at this critical moment. Further to the right was Adam’s Brigade. The head of the column composed by both battalions of the 3e Chasseurs à Pied crested the brow of the heights and the French troops continued their steady advance. The duke waited until they were within pointblank range then gave the order ‘Stand up, Guards!’ The British obeyed and the leading files of the enemy column hesitated. The French troops started to deploy in line, but before they could complete this manoeuvre, the Guards opened a deadly fire by ranks. The ground was littered with the dead. Lord Saltoun, upon whom the command of the 3rd Battalion had devolved, now called the British soldiers to charge. The Guards pushed the French back. However, the column comprised by the two battalions of the 4e Chasseurs had reached the heights. The Foot Guards were momentarily thrown into confusion. Sir John Colborne had witnessed the movements to his left, and realized that he had to act immediately if the situation was to be redeemed. Without waiting for orders from his superiors, he instructed the 52nd Regiment of Light Infantry to advance in two lines, and for the left flank of the battalion to wheel to the left. In this way the front line became parallel with the left flank of the French column. The chasseurs stopped and the column opened, allowing those on the flank to form a line. A severe fire-fight ensued between the two bodies. The riflemen of the 95th Regiment moved up and opened fire at the French, while the troops of

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the 71st Light Infantry, who also formed part of Adam’s Brigade, marched towards the right flank. The encounter was decided when the British charged. The chasseurs broke, and began to stream back down the slope towards their comrades stationed at the foot of the valley. The two battalions of Grenadiers à Pied, with Maréchal Ney and Comte Friant at their head, were close to La Haie Sainte. The 1st Battalion of the 3e Grenadiers were on the right, adjacent to the high road. The 4e Grenadiers were on the left, a little to the rear, in echelon. They started to advance when suddenly they were assailed by the most accurate and sustained artillery fire. Friant was wounded, and Ney’s horse was struck in the left flank and fell, pinning the marshal to the ground. This fire came from the battery of Belgian horse artillery commanded by Captain Carel Krahmer de Bichin, which was attached to the 3rd Netherlands Division. Baron David-Henri Chassé, the commander of the division, had brought the Dutch and Belgian troops forward from Merbe Braine, as ordered, and noticing that the fire from the Allied artillery had diminished, and that the columns of the Garde Impériale were approaching, he rode back to the artillery and ordered them to unlimber and fire upon the enemy without delay. As the guns came into action, the 1st Brigade of the division under Colonel Hendrik Detmers, advanced to the left of the exhausted remains of Halkett’s Brigade and down the slope towards the French formations. With the 35th Belgian Jägers to the fore, the brigade charged the enemy and drove them back, capturing several cannon in the process. The attack the emperor hoped would break the Allied army had been emphatically defeated.

THE COALITION ARMIES GAIN A DECISIVE VICTORY By 8:30pm the veterans of the Garde Impériale were streaming back from the heights in front of Mont St Jean, and the French troops defending Plancenoit had begun to withdraw from the village en masse. The Duke of Wellington realised that the moment had arrived to attack, and so he turned to the Earl of Uxbridge and instructed him to advance with the Allied cavalry. The movement would support the 52nd and 71st Light Infantry Regiments, who were pursuing the enemy in the centre and on the right of the line, as both Lord Hill and Frederick Adam, who had ridden forward, were wounded. Uxbridge rode across the plateau, and was in the course of placing himself at the head of Sir Hussey Vivian’s 6th Cavalry Brigade when he was struck on the right knee by a fragment of grapeshot. Lord Greenock was on hand to support the gallant cavalry commander. However, the injury was so severe that Uxbridge was forced to leave the field and retire to the village of Waterloo. Sir Hussey Vivian led his brigade over the Ohain Road and into the valley. The 10th Regiment of Hussars formed the vanguard. Having advanced a short distance they were subjected to artillery fire, and were charge by a squadron of cuirassiers. This resulted in the 18th Hussars moving forward from the second line to engage with a body of chasseurs à cheval, who were attempting to cover the retreat of the French infantry. The four squares of the Garde Impériale, which stood in the centre of the plain, to the west of the high road leading to Brussels, were also undertaking this task. The 1st Battalion of the 2e Grenadiers à Pied were adjacent to the road. To their left were the 2nd Battalion of the 2e Chasseurs, followed by the 2nd Battalion of

The 1st Battalions of the 3e and 4e Grenadiers formed the second line for the attack upon the heights. They had started to advance when they were assailed by the fire from the Belgian artillery. Print by Martinet (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris)  Sir John Colborne led the 52nd Regiment of Light Infantry in an attack against the flank of the column formed by the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 4e Régiment de Chasseurs à Pied of the Garde Impériale. Print by Genty. (Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris)

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The Earl of Uxbridge had been ordered to advance with the Allied cavalry, and was in the course of placing himself at the head of Sir Hussey Vivian’s Brigade when he was struck on the right knee by a fragment of grapeshot. Uxbridge was taken to Waterloo, where the leg was amputated. Painting by Charles Warren. (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

The Prussian cavalry pursued the fugitives with great vigour. At Genappe the French attempted to make a stand. But this was overwhelmed and the emperor’s carriage captured by the Brandenburgisches Uhlanen-Regiment. Painting by Charles Warren (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

the 1er Chasseurs, while the 2nd Battalion of the 3e Grenadiers secured the flank. This battalion had already withdrawn from its position close to Hougoumont, as troops of different nationalities were emerging from the orchard and wood. The troops of Colonel Hugh Halkett’s 3rd Hanoverian Brigade were among the Allied infantry advancing from this direction. As the Salzgitter Landwehr Battalion passed through the enclosures of Hougoumont, driving the French forces before them, so the Osnabrück Landwehr marched over the trampleddown fields immediately east of the orchard, towards the squares formed by the Garde Impériale. The French cavalry fell back slowly, from the threat posed by the British and King’s German Legion Hussars and Light Dragoons. The former clashed with the infantry. Major Frederick Howard led the left squadron of the 10th Hussars in a charge against the square of the 2nd Battalion 1er Chasseurs, which was commanded by Baron Pierre Cambronne. The troops of the Vieille Garde remained steady in the face of the attack, and delivered a solid volley to drive the cavalry off, killing Howard in the process. But the French square slowly began to move to the rear. Cambronne, who was bleeding from a wound to his head, tried to animate his men. He was forward of the formation, waving his sword and calling, as the Osnabrück Landwehr approached. Halkett saw there was a chance to capture the Frenchman. He rode forward and grabbed Cambronne by the collar. A small party of Hanoverians assisted their leader, and the prize was secured. Cambronne duly surrendered and was taken to the rear. As the French formations began to fall slowly back in the centre, those on the right at Smohain were confronted by an advance from both the Prussian I and IV Korps. The

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2nd Battalion of the 18. Infanterie-Regiment breached the defensive line and moved with great determination towards the heights of La Belle Alliance. To their right, where the Prussians enjoyed the greatest numerical advantage, the cavalry commanded by Generallieutenant Friedrich von Roeder, especially the Brandenburgisches Dragoner-Regiment and the Brandenburgisches Uhlanen-Regiment, penetrated the line. This act threw the French into a state of panic. Within moments a torrent of fugitives were heading to the rear. The Prussian artillery came up at the double and unlimbered on the plain. The guns fired into the confused mass of French soldiers as they tried to escape. Their plight was worsened as Prussian troops began to debouch from the village of Plancenoit to their rear, and cries of treason rent the air. Napoleon witnessed the defeat of the Garde Impériale and the disintegration of the French army from the heights of La Belle Alliance. As the coalition forces advanced he sought shelter in the square of the 1st Battalion of the Grenadiers à Pied, together with Maréchal Soult, Comte Drouot and various staff officers. It soon became evident that the situation was irretrievable, whereupon several officers beseeched him to leave the field. The emperor waited until it became absolutely necessary to flee, at which point he transferred the command of the army to his brother, Prince Jérôme. Then, accompanied by his subordinates and a duty squadron of chasseurs à cheval, he rode south with the intention of rallying the troops at Genappe. But the tumult in the streets was so great that he was forced to abandon his coach and ride on to Quatre Bras. At the crossroads, Capitaine Pierre Dumonceau, aide-de-camp to Baron Gressot, volunteered to take a letter to Maréchal Grouchy, informing him of the misfortune which had befallen the army, and the necessity of an immediate retreat. Thereafter, Napoleon continued his flight, passing through Charleroi and crossing the Sambre into France towards 5:00am. Amidst the chaos of the advance the Duke of Wellington and Feldmarschall Blücher met on the road south of La Belle Alliance, and in the gathering gloom it was agreed that the Prussians would continue the pursuit. The Allied army was ordered to bivouac for the night, and as the roar of cannon fire gradually faded into the distance the duke rode back to his headquarters in the village of Waterloo.

For a time Napoleon sheltered in the square of the 1st Battalion of the Grenadiers à Pied of the Garde Impériale, together with Maréchal Soult, Comte Drouot and his staff officers. His subordinates beseeched him to leave the field of battle, and having transferred the command of the army to his brother, Prince Jérôme, the emperor departed in the company of a squadron of chasseurs à cheval. Painting by Robert Hillingford. (Private collection / Photo © Bonhams, London, UK / Bridgeman Images)

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THE BATTLE OF WAVRE

Carl von Clausewitz was Chief of Staff with III Korps. He was a military theorist whose posthumously published work, Vom Kriege, elevated the study of war in its various forms to the highest level. Lithograph after Wach. (Clausewitz Museum, Burg)

In accordance with Napoleon’s instructions, Maréchal Grouchy had marched towards Gembloux with the right wing of the French army. His mission was to ensure that the Prussians, who the emperor believed to be in a state of ruin following their defeat at Ligny, were unable to unite with the army commanded by the Duke of Wellington. But by the evening of the 17th, the marshal was still unsure as to whether the Prussians were retiring towards Wavre or Perwez. At 10:00pm, Grouchy reported this fact to Napoleon, together with the deployment of his corps. However, by 6:00am on the 18th the whereabouts of the Prussian army was confirmed, and the marshal issued orders to his subordinates to move upon Wavre.  Unbeknown to the French commander the Prussian forces had begun to march from Wavre to Chapelle St Lambert at first light, and although they encountered a number of obstacles, they were well underway by the time Grouchy and his staff joined the vanguard of III Corps in front of Sart-àWalhain. Having collated all the available intelligence, and established a temporary headquarters within the village, the marshal wrote a lengthy report to Napoleon at 11:00am. He confirmed that the right wing was moving upon Wavre, and that he believed the Prussians were moving northeast towards Brussels in order to join with Wellington around Chyse. Shortly after dispatching Major André de la Fresnaye with the report for the emperor Grouchy settled down for a breakfast of strawberries, when Comte Maurice-Étienne Gérard, the commander of IV Corps, arrived. The two men were busily discussing the situation when cannon fire could be distinguished by several of the staff officers standing in the garden. Grouchy and Gérard were informed of the cannonade, which was judged to be coming from the direction of the Forêt de Soignes. Without being asked for his opinion, Gérard ventured the need to march with the utmost haste to the emperor’s aide, or at the very least for the commander of the right wing to allow him to lead IV Corps for this purpose. The statement was made in such a tactless manner that it merely strengthened Grouchy’s resolved to execute his original order and to pursue the Prussians to Wavre. At that moment Chef d’escadron Alexandre-César, Comte d’Estourmel, aide-de-camp to Comte Exelmans, arrived with important information. He told the marshal that a strong rearguard stood in front of Wavre and that the majority of the Prussian army had already crossed the Dyle River, with the intention of joining the troops under the Duke of Wellington. Furthermore, the officer

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stated that Comte Exelmans intended to pursue the enemy across the river. Grouchy was concerned by the announcement, and decided to ride ahead and liaise with his cavalry commander. It appeared the French had been deceived. The town of Wavre was situated in the centre of the Dyle valley, through which a river of the same name ran. The torrential rainfall the night before had swollen the water so that it was both wide and fast-flowing, and ensured that the marshy fields which approached the position from the south were sodden. Within the town a single stone bridge, called the Pont du Christ, crossed from the right bank to the south. A number of smaller wooden bridges also spanned the river, and led to several villages which followed the line of the Dyle. To the north-east was the village of Basse Wavre, while to the south-west, in the lower ground, were Bierges and Limal.

THIELMANN PREPARES TO EVACUATE LA BAWETTE Generallieutenant Johann, Freiherr von Thielmann was commander of the Prussian III Korps, which had retired with I and II Korps from Ligny. During the early hours of the 17th he had established his headquarters at the Château de la Bawette, to the north of Wavre, and endeavoured to assemble the various units. On the morning of the 18th he had been ordered to hold his troops in readiness to march, whereupon he would follow the other formations to Mont St Jean. However, at 1:00pm the Chief of Staff, Oberst Carl von Clausewitz, was told by Generalmajor Karl von Grolman, commander of the Prussian General Staff, that III Korps would be required to defend Wavre, or to leave a strong rearguard when it marched towards Mont St Jean. Accordingly, Thielmann prepared for both eventualities, although the lengthy delays suffered by I and II Korps meant that at 2:00pm many of the roads through Wavre were still blocked, and this in turn meant that some of his troops were unable to deploy in the various positions he had prescribed. Fortunately for Thielmann, he had not intended to defend the town by deploying large numbers of troops, but by positioning detachments at key locations and reinforcing these as and when required with units from the reserve, which stood on the heights above the left bank of the river. Three hundred Schützen from the 1. Kurmärkisches LandwehrInfanterie-Regiment were placed at the Pont du Christ and in the streets around the stone bridge, and were initially supported by the Füsilier

A romantic portrayal of Maréchal Grouchy, Comtes Gérard and Vandamme, who are shown at the head of their troops, en route to Wavre. The marshal is being implored by his subordinates to march to the sound of the guns, which can be heard from Mont St Jean, in order to reinforce the emperor. Coloured engraving after Hünten. (Author’s collection)

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battalions of the 30. Infanterie-Regiment and 1. Kurmärkisches LandwehrInfanterie-Regiment. The officers were ordered to defend the bridge resolutely, and as a result a barricade was erected from barrels and wagons. However, the 2nd Battalion of the 30. Infanterie-Regiment and the 1st and 2nd Squadrons of the 3. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment, were subsequently ordered to reinforce the garrison. The latter were positioned by the crossing at the Château de Laurensart. A detachment of Schützen from the Füsilier Battalion of the 8. Infanterie-Regiment together with the 1st Battalion of the 30. Infanterie-Regiment was positioned at the wooden bridge in Basse Wavre, and along both banks of the Dyle. These troops were commanded by Major Friedrich von Bornstedt, who had acted with tremendous judgement during the earlier stages of the campaign. Realizing the importance of the position he occupied, Bornstedt sent patrols to the south to observe any enemy movement. Towards 3:00pm Thielmann received the order to march with III Korps upon Couture. He immediately began to move the reserve from their positions when news arrived that the enemy had appeared in strength on the heights opposite Wavre. The movement to Couture was halted at once and the brigade commanders instructed to return to their former positions with the troops and prepare for battle.

VANDAMME LAUNCHES AN ATTACK UPON WAVRE Maréchal Grouchy rode from Sart-à-Walhain towards Wavre accompanied by a small escort party. He passed through the Bois de Warlembrout to the heights of Limelette in order to ascertain more information on the battle being fought in front of the Forêt de Soignes. While at l’Auzel he received the order timed at 10:00am from Maréchal Soult which directed him to pursue the Prussians to Wavre. The marshal knew that IV Corps was marching from a position to the south of Sart-à-Walhain, and would therefore require some time to reach the Dyle River, but that Comte Vandamme and his divisions should be in position. Grouchy had already instructed the commander of III Corps to take up positions on the heights close to the town, to reconnoitre the bridges, but to take no action until he had received further orders. Shortly after 4:00pm the vanguard of III Corps arrived in front of Wavre. Despite his being fully acquainted with the marshal’s wishes, Vandamme, who held Grouchy’s authority in low esteem, decided to launch an immediate attack. He notified Baron Pierre-Joseph Habert, whose 10th Division was the foremost, to prepare to advance. A preliminary artillery bombardment of the town was to be followed by an assault. The action began towards 4:30pm. As the French infantry penetrated into the southernmost part of Wavre, so the Prussian outposts withdrew. However, the troops defending the bridges across the river inflicted severe losses on the French columns as they approached. The initial attack upon the Pont du Christ was met by heavy artillery fire from the Prussian batteries stationed on the high ground to the rear, and completely repelled by two companies from the 3rd Battalion of the 1. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-InfanterieRegiment. Yet the French would not desist, despite a number of the buildings around them being set alight. Habert called for the 2nd Brigade to move up 86 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

The fighting at Wavre, 4:30pm, 18 June 1815 To Brussels Prussian Formations (under Johann Adolf, Freiherr von Thielmann) i. 7. Dragoner-Regiment (three squadrons) ii. 5. Uhlanen-Regiment (three squadrons) iii. 7. Uhlanen-Regiment (three squadrons) iv. 8. Uhlanen-Regiment (four squadrons) v. 19. Reitende Batterie (one gun) vi. 3. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment (one squadron) vii. 27. Infanterie-Regiment (three battalions) viii. 2. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment (three battalions) ix. 20. Reitende Batterie (one battery) x. 3. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment (one squadron) xi. 9. Husaren-Regiment (three squadrons) xii. 3. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment (three battalions) xiii. 4. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment (three battalions)

v iv III

iii III

ii III

i III

II II II

x

II I

I

I

II

II

1

I I

II

II

II

I I

I

II

II

I

II

II

3

II

2

II

I

II

II

xxi

4

I

I

II

xix

5

II I

6

II

II

Mill at Bierges II

8

7

II II

II

Vandamme orders an attack upon the town

II

9

er

Riv

xxxiii

I

II

I

II I

II

Limelette

xxvi

10

12

11

13

xxxi

xxxii

Limale

II

II

II

xv

Bierges

le Dy

xxv

II

xxx

Wavre xxiv

xxii

xx Stengel with a detachment from the I Korps

xviii

xxiii

xiv

II

xxiii. xiv. xxv.

II

xxii.

xvi

Bas Wavre

II

xx. xxi.

xvii

xxviii II

xvi. xvii. xviii. xix.

II

xv.

6. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-xiv. 6. Kurmärkisches LandwehrKavallerie-Regiment (two squadrons) 6. Kurmärkisches LandwehrInfanterie-Regiment (three battalions) 35. Fußbatterie (one battery) 7. Schwere Batterie (one battery) 18. Fußbatterie (one battery) 8. Infanterie-Regiment (three battalions) 18. Reitende Batterie 5. Kurmärkisches LandwehrInfanterie-Regiment (three battalions) 3. Kurmärkisches LandwehrKavallerie-Regiment (two squadrons) 30. Infanterie-Regiment (one battalion) 30. Infanterie-Regiment (one battalion) 1. Kurmärkisches LandwehrInfanterie-Regiment (one battalion)

xxix

xxvii

II

I I

viii vii

xiv.

II

I

vi

xiii

II

xii

ix

Prussian formations deployed north of Wavre

II

xi

La Bawette Point du Jour

xxvi. 1. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment (300 Schützen) xxvii. 8. Infanterie-Regiment (3rd Battalion) xxviii. 30. Infanterie-Regiment (1st Battalion) xxvix. 8. Infanterie-Regiment (100 Schützen) xxx. Westphälisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment (one squadron) xxxi. 19. Infanterie-Regiment (two battalions) xxxii. 19. Infanterie-Regiment (one battalion) xxxiii 6. Uhlanen-Regiment (two squadrons)

French Formations (under Maréchal Grouchy, commanding the right wing) 1. 34e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (three battalions) 2. 88e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (three battalions) 3. Artillery attached to 8th Division (one battery) 4. Reserve Artillery attached to III Corps (one battery) 5. Artillery attached to 10th Division (one battery) 6. Artillery attached to 11th Division (one battery) 7. 22e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (three battalions) 8. 70e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 9. 2e Régiment d’Infanterie Étranger (one battalion) 10. 37e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (three battalions) 11. 64e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 12. 15e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger (three battalions) 13. 23e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (three battalions) 14. 15e Régiment de Dragons (three squadrons) 15. 20e Régiment de Dragons (three squadrons) 16. 5e Régiment de Dragons (three squadrons) 17. 13e Régiment de Dragons (three squadrons) 18. Artillery attached to 9th Cavalry Division (one battery) 19. 33e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 20. 86e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 21. 12e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions) 22. 56e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne (two battalions)

14 15

III

III

III

III

16 17

I

18 19 20

21

N

22

0

750 yds

0

750m

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and to storm the bridge. Successive attempts by the two leading battalions of the 22e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne were pushed back, although the troops holding the position were running short of ammunition and had to be reinforced by the 2nd Battalion of the 30. Infanterie-Regiment. After these attacks had failed Colonel Jean-François Uny was ordered to undertake a bayonet charge with both battalions of the 70e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne. The momentum of the advance forced the troops from their positions, and the French momentarily occupied the stone bridge. But they were assailed by the most relentless artillery fire and thrown into confusion. Colonel Uny took hold of the Regimental Standard and called to his men to rally at his side, only to perish in the barrage. The French infantry fell back hastily. By 5:00pm the French assault encompassed all the major points across the Dyle River, including the mill at Bierges and the bridge at Basse Wavre. It was now that Maréchal Grouchy reached the heights to the south of the town. He was furious to discover that Vandamme had disobeyed his orders and attacked. The vain attempts to storm the bridges had resulted in significant losses, and the Prussian artillery barrage forced Habert to abandon the suburbs of Wavre and retire towards the heights upon which Grouchy and his staff were situated. Comte Gérard had arrived shortly before the marshal and had also witnessed the fruitless attacks by the troops of the 10th Division. At that moment he could only call upon the vanguard of IV Corps, formed by the 14th Division under Baron Étienne Hulot. This was marching through the Bois de Manil towards Bierges. Yet Gérard decided to renew the attack upon the mill and instructed Hulot to advance with the 1st Battalion of the 9e Régiment d’Infanterie Léger for this purpose. The commander of IV Corps unwisely accompanied the French troops during the assault, as he received a minor chest wound and was taken to the rear as a result. When this news was passed to Grouchy he halted the attack and ordered Hulot to

Colonel Jean-Antoine Mouton led the officers and men the 34e Régiment d’Infanterie de Ligne in the attacks upon the bridges that spanned the Dyle River. Coloured engraving after Tallandier. (Author’s collection)

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wait with his division in the low ground to the south-west while he assessed the situation. Grouchy did not have long to wait, for it was now that he received the order written by Maréchal Soult at 1:00pm, specifying that he move with the right wing towards the emperor with all haste. Having digested the content of the order Grouchy decided to leave the 14th Division in the vicinity of Bierges and to direct the other divisions of IV Corps across the Dyle at Limal.

STENGEL DELAYS THE FRENCH FORCES AT LIMAL Earlier that day Generallieutenant von Zieten had, at the request of Thielmann, left a detachment from I Korps between Bierges and Limal to cover the right flank of III Korps. This comprised the three battalions of the 19. Infanterie-Regiment, two squadrons from the 6. Uhlanen-Regiment, and a squadron from the Westphälisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment. The whole were placed under the command of Major Rudolph von Stengel. Towards 7:00pm the commander of the 12th Brigade, Oberst Wolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel, who was at Bierges, observed French columns moving towards Limal. These were in fact the 12th and 13th Divisions under Barons Pécheux and Vichery. Stülpnagel sent word to Major von Stengel, who was in front of the Bois de Rixensart, of the enemy advance and reinforced the small detachment with two squadrons from the 6. Kurmärkisches Landwehr-Kavallerie-Regiment. When Stengel was informed of this activity he duly placed the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 19. Infanterie-Regiment on the heights north of Limal, and approached the village with the 3rd Battalion. However, the French cavalry belonging to the 1st Brigade of the 6th Cavalry Division, which was acting under the supervision of Comte Pajol, had already entered Limal and secured the bridge. Stengel tried to re-take the crossing. He sent sharpshooters forward and ordered the 1st and 2nd Battalions to move up and support the attack. The Prussians succeeded in driving the French from the majority of the village. Having reached a covered position in a hollow road parallel with the river, and a vantage point on the eastern side which had the bridge within range, Stengel’s men were able to fire upon their enemy. This action was prolonged, and lasted until half past nine without either side being able to gain an advantage. Eventually, a counter-attack by the 1st Brigade of Baron François-Antoine Teste’s Division forced the Prussians to relinquish their positions and retire to the heights to the north of Limal. The Prussian cavalry squadrons moved forward to cover the infantry as it withdrew, and to prevent the tirailleurs from venturing beyond the northern boundary of the village. Despite an attempt to force the right flank, which was borne by the 2nd Battalion of the 19. Infanterie-Regiment, the French divisions were unable to advance any great distance north of the Dyle. The onset of night brought the fighting to an end, although skirmishes between the outposts continued throughout the hours of darkness. The attempts to conquer and maintain the bridges along the river had been repulsed. Indeed, the Prussians had been able to drive the French from the lower part of Wavre. Grouchy established his headquarters in Limal and waited for news from the emperor. 89 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

AFTERMATH Daylight revealed the extent of the carnage upon the field at Mont St Jean. The dead and dying littered the scene for as far as the eye could see. Thousands of men and horses had perished during the ferocious fighting. The gutted ruins of Hougoumont presented a particularly melancholy spectacle, for there the blackened bodies of those who had been burned in the fire lay intermixed with the carved cornices and gilded mirrors that ornamented the château. Yet amidst the smouldering ashes stood the tiny chapel, where a number of the wounded had been placed during the course of the battle. The fire had engulfed the door, but miraculously subsided after having scorched the feet of the figure of Christ crucified that hung inside. The Duke of Wellington spent the night at his headquarters in Waterloo. This was an equally sombre setting. While the duke and the surviving staff officers arranged for news of the victory to be supplied to the authorities in

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Brussels, the surgeons in the next room were undertaking amputations. The Earl of Uxbridge and Lord Fitzroy Somerset were among those to lose limbs; the Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon died in his bed during the course of the night. In this environment Wellington began to compose a dispatch for the Earl Bathurst, the Secretary for War and the Colonies. But he was too deeply disturbed by the scenes at the inn, and so he returned to his headquarters on the rue Royale in Brussels to finish the composition. At Wavre, the Prussian forces under Freiherr von Thielmann learned of the coalition victory at Mont St Jean towards 9:00am. They also discovered that II Korps was manoeuvring by way of Glabais and La Hütte in order to place itself between Maréchal Grouchy’s troops and the Sambre River. The marshal had still not been informed of the outcome of the fighting in front of the Forêt de Soignes, and at 10:00am he called his senior officers together to decide upon the most appropriate action in the circumstances. It was now that Capitaine Dumonceau arrived with the letter from the emperor. Grouchy was dismayed at the news. But in accordance with the instructions contained within the note, he determined to withdraw with his troops via Namur, back into France. There he would unite with Napoleon. When the emperor and his party reached Philippeville at midday he looked haggard and pale. However, he was convinced that the situation could be redeemed, and wrote accordingly to his brother Joseph in Paris. Napoleon knew that the politicians would now determine his fate and that of his dynasty. He therefore asked for a report of the reaction from the governing chambers to news of the calamity. He hoped the deputies would rally around him to save France, and to prevent the capital from being occupied by the coalition forces, as it had been in the spring of 1814.

The harrowing scenes which greeted those who visited the battlefield in the aftermath of the fighting are depicted in this contemporary painting. The search for survivors among the vast number of bodies lasted for several days. Painting by Edward Orme. (Anne SK Brown Military Collection, Rhode Island)

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THE BATTLEFIELDS TODAY Within hours of the fighting reaching its bloody conclusion on 18 June 1815, visitors had made their way to the battlefield in order to savour the horrors of warfare and to obtain souvenirs. Fortunately, the morbid spectacle that greeted those early tourists has long since vanished. The principle fascination for modern visitors to the area is to recapture the atmosphere which embodied the epic encounter. This can be sampled at numerous points within Mont St Jean, Waterloo and Wavre. The battlefields are adorned by a multitude of memorials, and none of these is more imposing than the Lion Mound. This man-made feature was erected in the aftermath of the campaign to celebrate the Allied victory. It is supposedly located on the exact spot where the Hereditary Prince of OrangeNassau was wounded towards the end of the battle. The enormous hill, which is surmounted by a statue of a lion, is a point from where the entire area can be viewed. Access to the 226 steps which lead to the top may be obtained at the Visitors’ Centre. Many of the buildings that were used by the Allied army as fortified bastions against the French attacks remain. Hougoumont, which has recently undergone considerable renovation, is perhaps the most emotive, although La Haye Sainte, Papelotte and La Haye remain interesting locations to

La Haye Sainte (formerly La Haie Sainte) has changed very little over the years and remains a working farm in private ownership. During the course of the battle it was defended by a contingent of Hanoverian and Nassau-Usingen troops, principally the 2nd Light Battalion of the King’s German Legion under Major Georg Baring. Plaques commemorating the valiant defence of the complex adorn the walls of the property. (Photograph by Jean-François Schmitz)

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examine. The inn of La Belle Alliance was an important vantage point during the battle. Napoleon launched the final attack of the Garde Impériale from this point. The monument of the Wounded Eagle to the south of the inn commemorates Victor Hugo, the author of Les Misérables.  The village of Plancenoit, which ultimately proved to be the location where the battle was decided, was the scene of ferocious fighting between the Prussians and the battalions of the Garde Impériale. The encounter around the churchyard and the cemetery was particularly brutal. The stone wall that surrounded the latter was used by the defenders as cover, from where the French fired devastating salvos into the packed ranks of the Prussian columns as they approached. A monument to the Prussian dead was erected at the end of the 19th century. No visit to the area would be complete without a tour of the Wellington Museum in the village of Waterloo. This is housed in the inn that acted as the duke’s headquarters both before and after the battle. It was here that Wellington began to write his victory dispatch, having just been told of the passing of the Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon. A large number of contemporary artefacts form part of the collection. At Wavre, the most poignant reminder of the battle is the Pont du Christ, the stone bridge situated in the heart of the town. It was here during the vicious fighting that the combatants wrestled for possession of the important crossing, and that the dead and dying littered the ground beneath the figure of Christ crucified.

Plancenoit was the scene of ferocious fighting between the Prussian forces and the various battalions of the Garde Impériale that were charged with the maintenance of the village. The encounter was especially brutal in the area around the church and cemetery. (Photograph by Jean-François Schmitz)

The Pont du Christ within the heart of Wavre remains an emotive remainder of the contest that took place on Sunday 18 June 1815. The French forces from III Corps launched successive attacks in a vain attempt to secure the crossing, but each of these was beaten back by the Prussians. (Photograph by Jean-François Schmitz)

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FURTHER READING Adkin, M., The Waterloo Companion: The complete guide to history’s most famous land battle London, 2001 Arcq, A., La bataille de Wavre et le combat de Namur, 18–21 Juin 1815 Annecy-le-Vieux, 2008 Bas, F. de and T’Serclaes de Wommersom, J. de, La campagne de 1815 aux Pays-Bas, d‘après les rapports official Néerlandais Brussels, 1908 Beamish, N.L., Geschichte der Königlich Deutschen Legion Hanover, 1837 Bowden, S., Armies at Waterloo Arlington, 1983 Chesney, C., Waterloo Lectures London, 1868 Clausewitz, C. von, Der Feldzug von 1815 in Frankreich Berlin, 1835 Damitz, C. von, Geschichte des Feldzuges von 1815 in den Niederlanden und Frankreich Berlin, 1837–1838 Delbrüch, H., Das Leben des Feldmarschalls Grafen Neidhardt von Gneisenau Berlin, 1894 Dellevoet, A., The Dutch-Belgian Cavalry at Waterloo The Hague, 2008 d’Elchingen, Duc., Documents inédits sur la champagne de 1815 Paris, 1840 Field, A., Waterloo: The French Perspective Barnsley, 2013 Franklin, J. (ed.), Waterloo: Hanoverian Correspondence – Letters and Reports from Manuscript Sources Ulverston, 2010 Franklin, J. (ed.), Waterloo: Netherlands Correspondence – Letters and Reports from Manuscript Sources Ulverston, 2010 Gérard, E. M., Derniers observations sur les operations de l'ail droite de l'armee français da bataille de Waterloo Paris, 1830 Glover, G. (ed.), Letters from the battle of Waterloo: the unpublished correspondence by allied officers from the Siborne papers London, 2004 Grouchy, Marquis de, Mémoires de maréchal Grouchy Paris, 1873 Harvard, R., Wellington’s Welsh General: Life of Sir Thomas Picton London, 1996 Hofschröer, P., The Waterloo campaign. The German victory London, 1999 Houssaye, H., 1815 Paris, 1914 Jomini, A. de, Atlas portatif pour servir à l’explorateur des champs de bataille de Waterloo et de Ligny Paris, 1848 Kelly, C., A full and circumstantial account of the memorable battle of Waterloo London, 1817 Leeke, W., The history of Lord Seaton’s regiment at the battle of Waterloo London, 1866 Lettow-Vorbeck, O. von, Napoleons Untergang 1815 Berlin, 1904 Müffling, C. von, Aus meinem Leben Berlin, 1851 Nofi, A., The Waterloo Campaign, June 1815 Conshohocken, 1993 Ollech,  K. von, Geschichte des Feldzuges von 1815 Berlin, 1876 Paget, J. and Saunders, D., Hougoumont, the key to victory at Waterloo London, 1992 Pétiet, A., Souvenirs militaires de l’histoire contemporaine Paris, 1844 Pflugk-Harttung, J. von, Belle Alliance. Berichte und Angaben uber die Beteiligung deutscher Truppen der Armee Wellington’s an dem Gefechte bei Quatre Bras und der Schlacht bei Belle Alliance Berlin, 1915 Quinet, E., Histoire de la campagne de 1815 Paris, 1861 Ropes, J. C., The campaign of Waterloo New York, 1916 Shaw-Kennedy, J., Notes on the battle of Waterloo London, 1865 Siborne, H. T. (ed.), Waterloo Letters. A selection from original and hitherto unpublished letters bearing on the operations of the 16th, 17th and 18th June, by officers who served in the campaign London, 1891 Siborne, W., History of the war in France and Belgium in 1815; containing minute details of the battles of Quatre Bras, Ligny, Wavre and Waterloo London, 1844 Sichart, A. and R. von., Geschichte der Königlich Hannoverschen Armee Hanover and Leipsig, 1898 Thiriar, J., Waterloo Brussels, 1914 Unger, W. von, Blücher in Briefen aus den Feldzügen 1813–1815. Stuttgart, 1876 Wachholtz, L. von, Geschichte des herzoglich Braunschweigischer Armeekorps in dem Feldzuge der alliierten Mächte gegen Napoleon Buonaparte in Jahre 1815 Braunschweig, 1816 Wacker, P., Das herzoglich-nassauische Militär, 1813–1866. Taunusstein, 1998

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AUTHOR’S NOTE

First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Osprey Publishing, PO Box 883, Oxford, OX1 9PL, UK PO Box 3985, New York, NY 10185-3985, USA E-mail: [email protected]

French was the international language in 1815. To ensure that the narrative within this publication retains a contemporary quality, a number of conventions have been adopted. This is especially relevant for the French and Prussian ranks and regimental designations. Wherever possible the original terminology has been employed, while that used for the Allied army is exclusively British.

© 2015 Osprey Publishing Ltd Osprey Publishing, part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. © Osprey Publishing. Access to this book is not digitally restricted. In return, we ask you that you use it for personal, non-­‐commercial purposes only. Please don’t upload this ebook to a peer-­‐to-­‐peer site, email it to everyone you know, or resell it. Osprey Publishing reserves all rights to its digital content and no part of these products may be copied, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise (except as permitted here), without the written permission of the publisher. Please support our continuing book publishing programme by using this e-­‐book responsibly. Every effort has been made by the Publisher to secure permissions to use the images in this publication. If there has been any oversight we would be happy to rectify the situation and written submission should be made to Osprey Publishing.A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978 1 4728 0412 9 E-book ISBN: 978 1 4728 0413 6 E-pub ISBN: 978 1 4728 0414 3 Editorial by Ilios Publishing Ltd, Oxford, UK (www.iliospublishing.com) Index by Alison Worthington Typeset in Myriad Pro and Sabon Maps by Bounford.com 3D bird’s-eye view by The Black Spot Battlescene illustrations by Gerry Embleton Originated by PDQ Media, Bungay, UK

Key to military symbols

Army

Corps

Division

Brigade

French terminology includes: Maréchal (Field Marshal) Lieutenant-général (Lieutenant-General) Maréchal-de-camp (Major-General) Chef-de-bataillon (Infantry Major)  Chef d’escadron (Cavalry Major)  Garde Impériale (Imperial Guard) Vieille Garde (Old Guard) Jeune Garde (Young Guard) d’Infanterie de Ligne (Line Infantry) d’Infanterie Léger (Light Infantry) Artillerie à Pied (Foot Artillery) Artillerie à Cheval (Horse Artillery) Lanciers (Lancers) Sapeurs (Engineers) Tirailleurs (Skirmishers)   Prussian terminology includes: Feldmarschall (Field Marshal) Generallieutenant (Lieutenant-General) Generalmajor (Major-General) Oberst (Colonel) Oberstlieutenant (Lieutenant-Colonel) Rittmeister (Cavalry Captain) Unteroffizier (Sergeant) Kurmärkisches (Kurmark) Neumärkisches (Neumark) Schlesisches (Silesian) Westphälisches (Westphalian) Westpreußisches (West Prussian) Fußbatterie (Foot Artillery) Reitende Batterie (Horse Artillery) Schützen (Riflemen) Uhlans (Lancers)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It would not have been possible to produce this volume without the assistance of a considerable number of individuals who, over many years, have made important new material on the campaign available for me to study. I would especially like to thank Peter Hofschröer and MichaelAndreas Tänzer, Gerard Cronin and Pierre de Wit for their contributions to my understanding of the events at Mont St Jean and Wavre.

ARTIST’S NOTE Regiment

Battalion

Formations

Company (squadron)

Detachment

Readers may care to note that the original paintings from which the colour plates in this book were prepared are available for private sale. The Publishers retain all reproduction copyright whatsoever. All enquiries should be addressed to: www.gerryembleton.com

Column

Square

Enlarged Square

Line

Type

The Publishers regret that they can enter into no correspondence upon this matter.

THE WOODLAND TRUST Osprey Publishing are supporting the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, by funding the dedication of trees.

Infantry

Cavalry

Artillery

Skirmishers

Detached guns

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