The Waterloo Roll Call
23RD REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Col.-Sergt. Jonathan Thomas.
D., at the Union Workhouse, Swansea, in Dec., 1867, aged 85.
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27TH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Private Thos. Kerrigan.
One of the few of this regt. who escaped being blown to pieces when
standing in square on the Charleroi road, 18th June, 1815. D., at Calky,
near Enniskillen, 3rd Dec., 1862. Is said to have attained the great age
of 108.
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33RD REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Private John Riches.
Was at the storming of Seringapatam, and is said to have been present at
both Quatre Bras and Ligny on 16th June, 1815. Aftds. a Chelsea Hospital
pensioner. D., at Attleburgh, in June, 1860.
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40TH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Sergt. Wm. Lawrence.
Born at Bryant’s Piddle, co. Dorset, 1791. Enlisted in the 40th Foot at
age of fifteen. Served with the 1st Batt. in the expedition to Monte
Video, and throughout the Par. War. Wounded at Badajoz, where he was one
of the forlorn hope, and kept six weeks in hospital at Estremos. Soon
after made corporal. Earned Lord Wellington’s praise for the gallant
manner in which he captured three French cannon, and drove off a score
of French artillerymen with only six men of his own regt. Promoted
sergt. Narrowly escaped being killed at Waterloo by a French shell,
which exploded near Lawrence, “hurling him two yards into the air.”
About 4 o’clock P.M. on Waterloo day was ordered to the colours, in
defending which an officer and fourteen sergts. had already lost their
lives that terrible day. M., when at St. Germains, a Frenchwoman named
Marie Louise Claire, who, under Napoleon’s _régime_, had, in common with
all other “Marie Louises,” been obliged to change their Christian names,
so that the Empress might be the only one of that name in France!
Pensioned on 9_d._ a day in 1819. D., at Studland, co. Dorset, 1867.
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42ND REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Private Donald Davidson, W.
The following notice appeared in the _Standard_, in April or May,
1867:—“There died at the village of Ardisier, Inverness-shire, a few
days ago, an old veteran named Donald Davidson, one of the fast
diminishing band of Waterloo heroes. Donald, who, it may be mentioned,
had six toes on each foot, was born in the parish of Nairn, Nairnshire,
in the year 1792, and enlisted in the 42nd Highlanders in June, 1813. He
served with his regt. in the Pa., France, and the Netherlands, from
February, 1814, to December, 1816. He was wounded at the battle of
Toulouse, and slightly on the head at Quatre Bras. Notwithstanding, he
stuck to his regt., and was one of the gallant few who repulsed the
grand charge of cavalry in the cornfield at Waterloo. He was discharged
with 1_s._ per day of pension, and served for a long time as barrack
labourer in Fort George. He d. at the advanced age of 75 years.”
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52ND REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Private Patrick Lowe.
Served through the whole of the Par. War, and formed one of the forlorn
hope at Badajoz, where he personally captured the governor of the
fortress, by which he obtained a large reward. In 1848 he recd. the
silver war medal with 13 clasps; but it is said he would never wear this
medal, because he had claimed his right to 14 clasps and considered
himself injured by receiving one clasp less. He d., at Enniskillen, in
1852, aged 84.
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69TH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Private John Slater.
Born at Ilkeston, co. Derby. Enlisted in the 52nd in 1803. Served
through the whole of the Par. War with that regt. Aftds. exchanged into
69th. In 1848 Slater claimed his right to the silver war medal with 14
clasps—one clasp more than Wellington obtained—but only got a medal with
12 clasps. He d. at Nottingham in 1860.
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92ND REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Sergt. Alexander Cameron, Piper Major.
Served in the Pa. during the whole of the late war, and for his zeal
attracted the attention of several officers of high rank. Lt.-Gen. Sir
Wm Erskine, in a letter to a friend, after the affair at Rio del
Molinos, says:—“The first intimation the enemy had of our approach was
the piper of the 92nd playing ‘Hey, Johnnie Coup, are ye waukin’ yet?’”
To this favourite air from Cameron’s pipe the streets of Brussels
re-echoed on the night of the 15th June, 1815, when the regt. assembled
to march out to the field of Waterloo. It is recorded of this gallant
Scot, on the 18th June, 1815, that “not content with piping at the head
of his regt. he marched forward with a party of skirmishers, and placing
himself on a height, in full view of the enemy, continued to animate by
playing favourite national airs.” D. at Belfast 18th Oct., 1817.—_Scots’
Magazine._
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ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY.
Sergt. Daniel Dunnett.
Belonged to Capt. Whinyates’s Rocket Battery. The Waterloo historian
(Siborne) gives the following:—“A party of horse artillery proceeded
under Capt. Dansey along the Charleroi road, to the front of the centre
of the Anglo-allied line, and came into action with rockets near the
farm of La Haye Sainte, leaving its two guns in the rear under Lt.
Wright. Capt. Dansey very soon received a severe wound which obliged him
to retire; and the party, after firing a few rockets, fell back a little
to where its horses were standing. It was then commanded by a sergeant
(Daniel Dunnett), who, on perceiving the advance of the nearest French
column towards the farm, dismounted his men as coolly and deliberately
as if exercising on Woolwich Common, though without any support
whatever, laid rockets on the ground, and discharged them in succession
into the mass, every one of them appearing to take effect. The advance
of the column was checked, and was not resumed until Dunnett, having
expended all his rockets, retired with his party to rejoin the guns in
rear.”
APPENDIX.
STAFF.
Col. C.H. Churchill was son of Maj.-Gen. Horace Churchill, and a
descendant of the Earl of Orford. In a letter to his father from “Le
Cateau, 24th June, 1815,” Churchill thus graphically describes
Napoleon’s final effort at Waterloo:—
“It was about four o’clock. The enemy had made great efforts, but our
troops foiled them everywhere. We could not follow him; he had retired
rather than be beaten back. His position was very strong. About six
o’clock we perceived formation columns, cavalry and infantry, formed in
a great mass—the enemy’s artillery was brought to a more forward
position—and again he began to cannonade us. He opened a fire, the most
tremendous ever known, I believe, in the annals of war—250 pieces, very
close, throwing shells and round shot, grape, and every instrument of
destruction. It is really not exaggeration to say we could not ride
quick over the ground for the bodies of men and horses. Under cover of
this cannonade advanced Bonaparte at the head of his Imperial Guards;
cavalry in a column on the left flank, and the Grenadiers of the Guard
on their right flank. They advanced most steadily up to our line in one
great mass. They halted and commenced firing. Our troops were literally
mowed down. The fire was so great nothing could stand.” The writer then
goes on to describe how he had two horses killed under him, and a third
disabled by a shot in the knee before the advancing French columns were
“licked back.” “The Prussians,” continues Churchill, “now came upon the
enemy’s flank, and this obliged them to hurry their retreat.”
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SIR DE LACY EVANS.
In Kensal Green Cemetery is a handsome altar monument to the memory of
Sir De Lacy Evans, his wife, and his brother, Maj.-Gen. Richard Evans,
C.B., Col. of the Madras Grenadier Regt. The epitaph to Sir De Lacy and
Lady Evans is as follows:—
“Beneath this monument lie the remains of
JOSETTE, Lady EVANS, the beloved and deeply mourned wife of
Gen. Sir DE LACY EVANS.
Born 1787. Died 1861.
Here, too, lie the remains of Gen. Sir DE LACY EVANS, G.C.B.,
Col. of the 21st Rl. N. Brit Fusiliers.
Born 1787. Died 1870.
He commenced his career in India.
Fought under Wellington in the Peninsula and South of France.
Served with distinction in America.
Was engaged at Quatre Bras and Waterloo.
Commanded with marked ability the British Legion in the service of
Spain.
And in old age nobly led the 2nd British Division in the Crimea.
During 30 years he was M.P. for the City of Westminster.
An enterprising and skilful commander. An accomplished politician.
His comrades mourn the chivalrous soldier,
And many friends affectionately cherish his memory.”
Letter from Capt. (aftds. Lt.-Gen.) Alexander Macdonald, R.H.A., to Col.
Sir W. Robe, K.C.B., R.A., regarding the death of Lt. W. Robe, R.H.A.,
at Waterloo. From a copy in the possession of Col. F.A. Whinyates, late
R.H.A.:—
“Amiens, _7th August, 1815_.
“MY DEAR SIR WILLIAM,—I should have written to you long ere this had not
a wound, which deprived me of the use of my arm, prevented me. As to the
fall of your son, and my esteemed friend, I can only say that few young
men have left this life more sincerely regretted, and his exertions on
the 18th will ever endear his memory to all who witnessed his noble
conduct on that day. Major Ramsay’s last words to me were as follows:
‘Did you ever witness such noble conduct as that of Brereton and Robe?’
In short, it is a most painful task to relate the history of a man whose
fall I sincerely lament, and I cannot without tears of sorrow think of
your son, and my esteemed friend Major Ramsay. About five o’clock on the
18th your son received a mortal wound, and about the same time the
following day he died at the village of Waterloo, after twice having
taken leave of me in the most friendly and affectionate manner. I was
too ill to ask him any questions; indeed, I was so distressed when I saw
him at his last moments, that I could only shake him by the hand, and in
the course of a few minutes he expired. His remains were interred in a
beautiful spot of ground in the village of Waterloo, where I intend to
raise a monument to his memory.—Yours most truly,
“A. MCDONALD.”
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REMINISCENCES OF WATERLOO [? 1895].
“Our Paris correspondent states that a correspondent of the _Gaulois_
gives an interesting account of a conversation with one of the very few
surviving spectators of the battle of Waterloo, a widow named Givron,
the hundredth anniversary of whose birth is about to be celebrated in
the little village of Viesville, Hainault. She relates that on the
morning of the day of the great battle she ran away from her parents and
made her way through the woods, being curious to see what was going on.
She was close to Hougomont when the place was attacked by the French