The Waterloo Archive: Volume I: The British Sources by Gareth Glover

Author:Gareth Glover [Glover, Gareth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: history, Modern, 19th Century, reference, Military, General
ISBN: 9781473820579
Google: -36jAwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2010-01-30T23:52:49.023747+00:00

Major Thomas Rogers’s Foot Artillery Battery

No. 30 First Lieutenant George Silvester Maule273

By kind permission of Wiltshire County Archive, ref. 1953/110

Extract from his journal, comprising three days from night of the 15th to the night of 18 June 1815.

We had as usual passed an evening in the garden of the Chateau at Foret 2½ miles south of Brussels, where we were then lodged, ie our brigade of artillery (myself and three other officers) when we retired to bed it being then 10 o’clock on the evening of the 15 th June. We had expressed during the day as well as several days previous our astonishment at the apparent quiet state of affairs and more than once also expressed our wishes to commence the campaign. Our wishes were this very evening or rather night granted, for at 11 o’clock a courier arrived with orders to march. Having been some time stationary, and orders arriving so suddenly, a thousand things were to be accomplished in the space of 2 or 3 hours; the brigade however marched between one & two o’clock. On getting to Brussels the order was to await the arrival of the head of the column of the 5th Division (to which we were attached), we were here therefore delayed some time. At length the British Grenadiers by the band of [the] 95 th Regiment announced its arrival by a street leading to the gate of Namur; we had halted just before getting to the gate by another street. Here therefore the 95th took the lead, we joined in and were followed by the 28th, 42nd, 79th &c all cheering on passing the gate. Jogging along, different reports went about, one that Napoleon had passed the frontiers, which was the cause of our march, another that we were merely marching to occupy the frontier towns & so on. All went on well and joy was depicted on everyone’s countenance. About 8 on the morning of the 16th we arrived at Waterloo reposing on each side of the road (outside the village) in the forest of Soignies. The report of Napoleon’s advance now gained ground for firing was heard at a distance. The bugle soon sounded the advance and the column moved forward again, we passed during the morning, Mont St Jean, La Belle Alliance, Genappe &c. the inhabitants had chiefly decamped hearing a tremendous firing in front, with the exception of a few old women whose terror however appeared visible enough. We then came in sight of Les Quatre Bras (1 o’clock 16th) and at the same time of bursting shells which hovered over some Prussians274 and Belgians engaged with the enemy on our left flank. Troops were then also seen about a league off advancing on our right. These proved to be the 3rd Division [of the] British army forming therefore soon after a sort of line, our light infantry opened the fire and the action became pretty general. The enemy pushing strong on the Charleroi road, his cuirassiers who charged and fought well, but suffered considerably.

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