Andrew Roberts - Waterloo - June 18, 1815 - The Battle for Modern Europe

These attacks were repeated until about seven in the evening, when the enemy made a desperate effort with the cavalry and infantry, supported by the fire of artillery, to force our left centre near the farm of La Haye Sainte, which after a severe contest was defeated, and having observed that the troops retired from this attack in great confusion, and that the marc[h] of General Bulow’s corps by Euschermont upon Planchernerte and la Belle Alliance, had begun to take effect, and as I could perceive the fire of his cannon, and as Marshal Prince Blucher had joined in person, with a corps of his army to the left of our line by Ohaim, I determined to attack the enemy, and immediately advanced the whole line of infantry, supported by the cavalry and artillery. The attack succeeded in every point; the enemy was forced from his position on the heights, and fled in the utmost confusion, leaving behind him, as far as I could judge, one hundred and fifty pieces of cannon, with their ammunition, which fell into our hands. I continued the pursuit till long after dark, and then discontinued it only on account of the fatigue of our troops, and because I found myself on the same road with Marshal Blucher, who assured me of his intention to pursue the enemy throughout the night; he had sent me word this morning that he had taken sixty pieces of cannon belonging to the Imperial Guard, and several carriages, baggage, &c, belonging to Buonaparte, in Genappe…

It gives me the greatest satisfaction to assure your Lordship, that the army never, upon any occasion, conducted itself better …

I should not do justice to my feelings or to Marshal Blucher and the Prussian army, if I do not attribute the successful result of this arduous day, to the cordial and timely assistance I received from them.

The operation of General Bulow, upon the enemy’s flank, was a most decisive one; and even if I had not found myself in a position to make the attack, which produced the final result, it would have forced the enemy to retire, if his attacks should have failed, and would have prevented him from taking advantage of them, if they should unfortunately have succeeded.

I send, with this despatch, two eagles, taken by the troops in action, which Major Percy will have the honour of laying at the feet of his Royal Highness.

I beg leave to recommend him to your Lordship’s protection. I have the honour, &c,

WELLINGTON.

NOTES

INTRODUCTION

1 Philip Howes The Catalytic Wars 1998 passim

2 Gronow Reminiscences 47

3 Tomkinson Diary 305

4 Kennedy Notes 173

THE CAMPAIGN

1 Bryant Elegance 220

2 Fletcher Desperate 21

3 Ibid.

4 Hibbert Waterloo 14–1

5 The revisionist works of Peter Hofschröer are important on this subject

6 Herold Waterloo 67

7 Chandler Campaigns 1034–42

8 Fraser Ball 11–14

9 Ibid. 20–30

10 For an alternative (and much less sympathetic) view of Wellington’s troop movements, see Peter Hofschröer’s oeuvre. For a refutation of some of Hofschröer’s allegations see Weiler Wellington 181–7

11 Fraser Ball 3

12 Chandler Campaigns 1043

13 Bryant Elegance 221

14 O’Neil Adventures 228

15 Weller Waterloo 183

16 Bryant Elegance 223

17 For an explanation of these remarks see Roberts Napoleon passim

THE FIRST PHASE

1 Cotton Voice 37

2 Gronow Reminiscences 42

3 Cotton Voice 37

4 Roberts Napoleon 159–60

5 Cotton Voice 51

6 Uffindell and Corum Waterloo 35

7 Gronow Reminiscences 43

THE SECOND PHASE

1 Herold Waterloo 124

2 Urban Rifles 268–09

3 Ibid.

4 Hibbert Waterloo 206–7

5 Bryant Elegance 224 n2

6 Cotton Voice 58

7 Tomkinson Diary 303–4

THE THIRD PHASE

1 Keegan Face 126

2 Smith Charge 233

3 Kennedy Notes 115–16

4 Smith Charge 117

5 Becke Waterloo II 84

6 O’Neil Adventures 232

7 Gronow Reminiscences 46

8 Becke Waterloo II 85

9 Longford Sword 568

10 Howarth Near Run 143

11 Gronow Reminiscences 45

12 Ibid. 46

13 Becke Waterloo II 98–9

14 Kennedy Notes 100

15 Tomkinson Diary 308

THE FOURTH PHASE

1 Becke Waterloo II 102–3

2 O’Neil Adventures 234

3 Howarth Near Run 155

4 Urban Rifles 272

5 O’Neil Adventures 234

6 Kennedy Notes 128–9

7 Gronow Reminiscences 45

THE FIFTH PHASE

1 Becke Waterloo II 114–15

2 Hibbert Waterloo 227

3 Fraser Ball 50

4 Becke Waterloo II 119

5 Gronow Reminiscences 47

6 Uffindell and Corum Waterloo 41

7 Gronow Reminiscences 48

8 Sabine Letters 553

9 Cotton Vince 138

10 Gronow Reminiscences 52

CONCLUSION

1 Ropes Campaign 87 and 106, Weiler Waterloo 183, Fletcher Desperate 46–8, Hofschröer Waterloo passim

2 Weiler Waterloo 201

3 Ibid. 183–4

4 Roberts Napoleon passim

5 Ropes Campaign 120–4, Weiler Waterloo 190–1

6 Becke Waterloo I 229

7 Ibid. I 44–5, II 20

8 Weller Waterloo 194

9 Chesney Campaign 192, Weller Waterloo 196

10 Cotton Voice 138

11 O’Neil Adventures 252

CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY AND GUIDE TO FURTHER READING

Adkin, Mark, The Waterloo Companion: The Complete Guide to History’s Most Famous Land Battle 2001

Becke, A.F., Napoleon and Waterloo 2 vols, 1914

Bryant, Arthur, The Age of Elegance 1812–1822 1950

Chalfont, Lord (ed.), Waterloo: Battle of Three Armies 1979

Chandler, David, The Campaigns of Napoleon 1966

Chandler, David, Waterloo: The Hundred Days 1981

Chandler, David, Napoleon’s Marshals 1987

Chandler, David, On the Napoleonic Wars 1994

Chesney, Col. Charles, Waterloo Lectures: A Study of the Campaign of 1815 1907

Corrigan, Gordon, Wellington: A Military Life 2001

Cotton, Edward, A Voice from Waterloo 1877

Fletcher, Ian, Wellington’s Regiments: The Men and their Battles from Roliça to Waterloo, 1805–1815 1996

Fletcher, Ian, Galloping at Everything: The British Cavalry in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo 1808–15: A Reappraisal 1999

Fletcher, Ian, A Desperate Business: Wellington, the British Army and the Waterloo Campaign 2001

Forrest, Alan, Napoleons Men: The Soldiers of the Revolution and Empire 2002

Fraser, Sir William, The Waterloo Ball 1897

Fuller, J.F.C., The Decisive Battles of the Western World, and their Influence upon History 1955

Gronow, Captain Howell Rees, The Reminiscences of Captain Gronow 1977

Hamilton-Williams, David, Waterloo: New Perspectives 1993

Haythornthwaite, Philip, Waterloo Men: The Experience of Battle 16–18 June 1815 1999

Herold, J. Christopher, The Battle of Waterloo 1967

Hibbert, Christopher, Waterloo 1967

Hofschröer, Peter, 1815: The Waterloo Campaign 1998