The Waterloo Archive Volume IV: British Sources by Gareth Glover

Author:Gareth Glover [Glover, Gareth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781848326552
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2012-10-24T00:00:00+00:00

2nd Brigade of Major General Sir John Byng

No. 65 Major General John Byng

By kind permission of Sir Michael Bunbury Bt, KCVO, DL, and

Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds, ref. E18/740/4

Nivelles, 19 June 1815

To His Royal Highness the Duke of York

Sir,

Your Royal Highness I am sure will wish to be informed of the conduct of the brigades of Guards and unfortunately that duty has devolved upon me from my respectable friend General Cooke325 being severely wounded, having lost his left arm. In the brilliant affair of yesterday both brigades have suffered severely, but I have the authority of the Duke of Wellington to say that they highly distinguished themselves; that, from the commencement to the end of the action their conduct was most excellent. It happened that both had important duties to perform, which they most gallantly executed. At the commencement of the action my brigade which was on the extreme right, had to occupy a house and wood which it was of the utmost consequence we should keep. Lieutenant Colonel Macdonell326 of the Coldstream with the two light companies occupied the house and the wood by the light companies of the 1st Brigade and some battalion companies of the battalion of the Coldstream, the whole under Lieutenant Colonel Lord Saltoun’s327 command. Against this post the first attack of the enemy was made and was successfully resisted; as were the numerous efforts made to the close of the day by the enemy to get possession. The Duke of Wellington himself in the early part of the day gave his particular attention to that point and when called to the left by a serious attack on that point, he confided it to my care with directions to keep the house to the last moment, relieving the troops as they required it and the whole of the brigade, except two companies were required before the action ceased. Colonel Hepburn328 and Woodford329 affording me every assistance and giving a fine example to their battalions. The conduct of Lieutenant Colonel Macdonell in defending the house even when it was on fire and maintaining it as ordered, has I have no doubt been particularly noticed to you by the commander of the forces. It was admirable; as was that of Lieutenant Colonel Lord Saltoun. About four o’clock the command of the division devolved upon me; and having rode over to see the first brigade just at the time the attack was made by the enemy’s cavalry, I had an opportunity of witnessing the steady manner in which they received the several charges made to their front. I had also to witness the gallantry with which they met the last attack made by the Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard ordered on by Bonaparte himself. The destructive fire they poured in and the subsequent charge which together completely routed the enemy. A second attempt met with a similar reception and the loss they caused to the French of the finest troops I ever saw was immense. I beg

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