92nd Highland Regiment at Quatre Bras and Waterloo

WATERLOO CAMPAIGN 1815

92ND HIGHLAND REGIMENT

at Quatre Bras and Waterloo

composed by Geert van Uythoven

PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF THE 16TH JUNE.

EXPLANATION.

The plan is mostly intended to illustrate the following letter, which relates chiefly to the glorious part which the 92d took in the contest, it however gives detail, and will serve to explain the movements of other Highland regiments, who came thus early into the contest. The 92d regiment is designated by its number, in three different positions. The dotted line indicates the course of its advance against the Enemy. The horizontal road is that leading from Brussels, by which our troops came up. The small circle in front of the second position of the 92d in the ditch, is the spot where the Duke of Wellington was so exposed. The road from the house, No. 2, to the village of Quatre Bras, No 6, is that by which the French cavalry made the desperate charges recounted below. No. 5, is the garden referred to in the letter, as the scene of a dreadful resistance. No. 7, is the Brunswick cavalry, which were routed. The third position of the 92d, in the right-hand corner, close to the wood, is the spot to which their gallant remnant had reached, when they were relieved by the guards. Here they were exposed to a flank fire from a column and a battery, besides a fire from the body which they had so nobly driven back. The cavalry columns are indicated, on both sides, by a half circle extending from the parallelogram. The guns will be easily distinguished.

92d Regiment, written 21st of June, from Brussels, by a wounded Officer.

“The 9th brigade consisted of 1st, or Royal Scots, 42d, 44th, and 92d regiments. The 8th brigade. the 32d, 28th, 79th, and 95th. We marched 30 miles that night, and came up with the Enemy about 2 or 3 o'clock next day, viz. the 16th. We were immediately marched into the field, as there were only one British division and some Brunswickers there before we came up. The 92d took the position in a ditch to cover the guns and the cavalry, being the junior regiment, - while the rest of the division went a little to the left to check the French infantry that were passing on there.

We lay in a most disagreeable situation for upwards of an hour, having an excellent view, however, of the fight, but exposed to a most tremendous fire from their great guns, of shot, shells, grape, &c. which we found great difficulty in keeping clear off. I say keeping clear of, because you can very often see the round shot coming. This heavy fire was maintained against us in consequence of the Duke and his Staff being only two or three yards in front of the 92d, (vide small circle in plan,) perfectly seen by the French, and because all the reinforcements which were coming up passed along the road in which we were. Here I had a remarkable opportunity of witnessing the sang-froid of the Duke, who, unconcerned at the showers of slot falling on e very side of him, and killing and wounding a number of his Staff, stood watching the Enemy and giving orders with as much composed calmness as if he were at a review.

The French cavalry were now beginning to advance in front of the 92d, to take the village, and the Brunswick cavalry that were also in our front went on to meet them ; but the French putting spurs to their horses to charge, the Brunswickers wheeled about and galloped upon the 92d in the greatest confusion. The French were soon up with their rear men, cutting them down most horribly. The Enemy also dismounted the two guns I have marked. We did not allow the flying Brunswickers to break through our regiment, but they passed round our right flank, close to the men's bayonets, having the French mingled with them cutting away. We of course could not fire to help them till they had cleared us. At the same instant, the road from the French lines towards the village, was covered with cavalry at full speed charging. When the Brunswickers cleared our right, we wheeled our grenadiers back on the road, the ditch of which we lined, that they might fire when the first of the French should pass No. 2, the rest were to fire obliquely on the road and on the remains of those that followed the Brunswickers. The volley was decisive. The front of the French charge was completely separated from the rear by the gap which we made, and nothing was seen but men and horses tumbling on each other. Their rear retreated, and the front dashed through the village cutting down all stragglers. Our assistant-surgeon dressing a man behind a house No. 4, had his bonnet cut in two, and a lance run into his side. Three of them came down the road through the grenadiers at full speed, brandishing their swords, and our rear rank firing at them all the way. Two were brought down, but the third, - (his horse gushing blood from all parts) had just cleared the regiment, when Col. Mitchell made a cut at him with his sabre, which he dexterously parried, but an officer of the Staff cut, with his sword, the hamstrings of the fellow's horse, and he was taken. The rest were likewise taken, and they tell me that eight pursued the Duke a good way. I wonder how he got off, for I saw him in front not five minutes before the charge.

The Enemy's charge being repelled, it was now our turn to have our share of charging. The French formed their cavalry again to charge, supported by infantry, and advanced past House No. 2, when Adjutant-General Barnes, our old brigadier in Spain and France, who is doatingly fond of the regiment, came down to the front, and calling out, 'Come on, my old 92d,' the men jumped from the ditch and charged in the finest style, up to the house No. 2. He was then obliged to leave us, as it was not his duty to charge, although he could not resist the impulse. We were then moved forward from behind the house, with our brave Colonel Cameron at our head. When we jumped from the ditch, the officer with the regimental colour was shot through the heart. The staff of the colour was shattered in six pieces with three balls, and the staff of the King's colour with one. I got the remains of the regimental. When we moved from behind the house, and had passed the corner of the garden parallel to the road, No. 5. we received a volley from a column on the right, which was retreating towards the wood. This fire killed Colonel Cameron and Mr. Becher, and wounded a great many. This column of the Enemy kept us five minutes before we could clear the garden in advance to the wood. The fire here was dreadful. There was an immense slaughter among us at this time, but the French began at last to give way, and retreated up the side of the wood, keeping up, however, a tremendous fire, and killing a great many of our regiment. We had advanced so far that we were now completely separated from the rest of the line, and scarcely fifty men of those of us who went into action were remaining. A regiment of guards was afterwards sent up to relieve us, but not before thirty of that fifty were hit.

We formed behind the houses after we left the field, with the loss, which you will see by the Gazette, of 23 officers and 270 men.

Our regiment has again attracted the notice of all the Staff.

On the 18th, when the cavalry charged in such desperation, and the line formed squares, none stood but the 92d, and they charged with the Scotch Greys, at the time they took the Eagles.

In the afternoon of the 18th, the regiment, which was then reduced to about 200 men, found it necessary to charge a column of the Enemy which came down on them, from 2 to 3000 men : they broke into the centre of the column with the bayonet ; and the instant they pierced it, the Scotch Greys dashed in to their support, when they and the 92d cheered and huzza'd "Scotland for ever !'' By the effort which followed, the Enemy to a man were put to the sword or taken prisoners ; after which the Greys charged through the Enemy's second line, and took the eagles.

It was perhaps the most destructive battle ever fought. The loss fell almost entirely on our division, which, along with the Brunswick troops and some Prussians, was the only one up for the first two hours. The three Scotch regiments are nearly annihilated !! - ours had only six officers who escaped, and some are so dangerously wounded, as to give little hopes of their recovery. We were amply revenged, however ; and gave the French a lesson, which they will not soon forget ; but they were so strong on this point, that, notwithstanding our giving them such a drubbing, his Grace found it necessary to occupy a better position, by retiring about a league and a half in the rear. He expected another attack, but it did not take place ; and this gave time to Lord Hill and Blucher to operate upon the Enemy's flanks, which obliged him to retrograde. His Grace was strong enough to repel any attack that might be made upon him.

You would be astonished how we could have borne the fatigue which we suffered. We marched from Brussels at one in the morning, and arrived at three o'clock in the afternoon at the place of action, having marched nine leagues, We were engaged in five minutes after, and continued so till night. I was wounded about half past eight, when I wag obliged to walk six miles to the nearest village, where I lay in pain and sleepless till daylight. I was again obliged to walk to Brussels, seven leagues ; not being able to bear the motion of a waggon. The exertion has done me no good. I am indeed surprised that I was able to stand it out. The poor fellows who had escaped, bivouacked in the field, without tents or baggage -last night the same- and it has rained incessantly. I am unable to give you the particulars of the action -it was altogether brilliant and decisive. The Highlanders, and Royals, in particular, behaved admirably. Our regiment was charged by a body of Cuirassiers of the Guard, and we gave them a noble peppering. We also charged a column of infantry, which we dispersed ; on getting behind some hedges, they rallied, and gave us a terrible fire. It was here that our regiment suffered most. Cameron our gallant Colonel, and four other officers, fell almost at the same instant -this was about six o'clock. We drove them, however, from all the hedges, and advanced upon two guns, which began to open upon us with grape. These we also drove from two different positions. The French suffered prodigiously ; but our cavalry and artillery not being up, we could do no more then repel their attacks.

The courier arrived in the Duke of Bassano's carriage. Our regiment was again engaged, and suffered severely. There is scarcely one officer left. Never was there sight so touching, so extraordinary, as this town presents -the people in crowds going out to meet the wounded with refreshments, bandages, &c. -all the women employed in the kindest offices. I returned to the house of my former landlord, where I am treated as if I were his own brother. The French prisoners are treated by the populace in the most violent manner ; the escort can with difficulty protect them from being attacked."

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The Scotch regiments, who had during the battle of the 18th, given such proofs of heroic intrepidity, offered a most sympathetical example in appearing to forget their wounds to render services to their wounded Iron Foe, who, but the minute before, had been attempting with all their might to destroy them. We know from respectable persons that upwards of 500 of the French owe their lives to their generous enemies ; "among these respectable warriors, the Scotch deserve to be particularly commemorated ; and this honourable mention, is due to their discipline, their mildness, their patience, their humanity, and their bravery without example."

On the 16th and 18th of June 1815, their valour was displayed in a manner the most heroic. Multiplied, constant, and almost unheard of proofs were given, I do not merely say of courage, but of devotion to their country quite extraordinary and sublime -nor must we forget that these men so terrible in the Field of Battle, were mild and tranquil out of it." Viscount Vanderfosse.

Source: Booth’s “The Battle of Waterloo, also of Ligny, and Quatre-Bras, containing the series of Accounts Published by Authority, British and Foreign, with circumstantial details relative to the battles, from a variety of original and authentic sources, with connected official and private documents, forming an historical record by those who had the honour to share in the operations of the Campaign of the Netherlands 1815. To which are added the names, alphabetically registered and by regiments, of the officers employed, and of the killed and wounded, from 15th to 26th June, 1815, and the total strength and loss of each regiment, illustrated by an extended view of the field of battle, and plans of the positions at Waterloo, Ligny, and Quatre Bras, at different periods of the action, with a general plan of the campaign. By a near observer” tenth edition, enlarged and corrected, Volume 1 (London 1817) pp. 76-81.

A HIGHLAND SOLDIER OF THE 92ND REGIMENT

“a Highland soldier of the 92d, who had been wounded in two places at Quatre Bras, was lying on the pavement, under the shade of a house, in the streets of Antwerp, patiently waiting till he could be attended to. An English gentleman spoke to him, and praised his gallant conduct and that of his fellow-soldiers. “Hoot, maun !” said the Scotchman, “what did we gang there to do, but to fight? what for wad ye mak sic a din about the like o’that?”

Source: Booth’s “Additional particulars to the Battle of Waterloo, with circumstantial details, by a near observer; chiefly communicated by staff and regimental officers, present at the battle, with the names of the officers who were employed in the Campaign of the Netherlands, 1815" tenth edition, enlarged and corrected, Volume 2 (London 1817) p. 82.