by Peter Snow
‘The unfortunate war’: Las Cases, vol. 2, part 4, p. 185
‘Buonaparte’s mind’: Croker, vol. 1, p. 339
Napoleon’s presence on a field: Stanhope, p. 81
Prince Metternich is reported: Croker, vol. 1, p. 336. Croker leaves the two expletives to the imagination. I’ve assumed that the French word was baisé and translated it as ‘screwed’
‘Well, sir, you have got’: Simmons, pp. 294–5
‘I am anxious to state’: Wellington MSS, Southampton University Library, 62 — 1/372f.2, F. Ponsonby letter to Wellington 13/07/1813
‘In the first place there were’: Schaumann, p. 386
‘there were many pretty girls’: Bell, p. 80
‘uncommonly fine trout’: Leach, p. 201
‘were too civil and well-behaved’: ibid., p. 205
‘I am in hopes that’: WD, vol. 10, p. 520, W letter to Bathurst 10/7/1813
‘We began breaching’: Frazer, letter home 23/7/1813
‘I have had a scratch’: ibid., letter home 26/7/1813
‘Should it not be possible’: WSD, vol. 8, p. 114, Graham letter to W 24/7/1813
‘sharp pointed rocks’: Henegan, p. 180
‘The assault was made but stupidly’: Frazer, letter home 26/7/1813
‘imbecility and indecision’: Aitchison, p. 254, letter to his father 13/7/1813
‘The dispositions and arrangements’: WD, vol. 10, p. 577, Soult speech text
‘When on my road home’: ibid., p. 566, W letter to Graham 25/7/1813
‘horrible … for our path’: Cooper, p. 84
‘forced to give way’: Todd, p. 104
‘The 92nd were in line’: Bell, p. 134
‘really heroes when’: Fortescue, vol. 9, pp. 255–6
‘It was rather alarming’: Larpent, vol. 2, p. 71, journal entry 24/8/1813
‘I escaped as usual’: Raglan papers, W letter to W. Wellesley-Pole 3/08/1813
‘The ground was uneven’: Bell, p. 139
‘never saw such fighting’: WD, vol. 10, p. 602, W letter to Lord Bentinck 5/8/1813
‘Sergeant Cooper, go’: Cooper, p. 88
‘there is nothing in the world’: Gordon, p. 392, letter to Aberdeen 22/8/1813
counted fifty-one guns: Larpent, vol. 2, p. 78, journal entry 28/8/1813 no fewer than ninety-five: Henegan, p. 189
They had to carry the powder: the figures come from a table published in Royal Artillery Historical Society Proceedings, vol. 7, no. 5, 2/10/1996
‘You never heard such a row’: Frazer, letter home 26/8/1813
‘I was yesterday’: WD, vol. 11, p. 47, W letter to Beresford 27/8/1813
‘and show the 5th division’: Hennell, p. 124
‘as if the elements had been aware’: Gleig, Subaltern, p. 48
‘with the most deadly effect’: ibid., p. 51
‘As each succeeding party fell’: Henegan, p. 189
‘An “Oh!” burst’: ibid., p. 191
‘Fortunately there were few females’: Gleig, Subaltern, p. 36
‘See what our example’: Hennell, p. 127
Chapter Fourteen: Extraordinary news
‘Three successive times’: Smith, p. 123
‘I see that as usual’: WD, vol. 11, p. 124, W letter to Bathurst 19/9/1813
‘up to their bellies’: Stewart, p. 87
‘swarm of riflemen’: Smith, p. 134
‘The mountain was fearfully’: Cooke, p. 228
‘To my dismay’: Colborne, p. 179
‘We were called madmen’: Smith, pp. 135–6
‘most gallant style’: WD, vol. 11, p. 177, W letter to Bathurst, 9/10/1813
‘Though your brigade have even’: Smith, pp. 136–7
‘We should do much better’: Robinson, vol. 2, p. 258
‘riding up and down our columns’: Schaumann, p. 395
‘All went well’: Smith, pp. 141–2
‘At last when ready’: Lawrence, p. 109
‘He was very stern’: Gronow, Reminiscences, p. 6
‘I am very doubtful’: WD, vol. 1, p. 207, W letter to Bathurst 18/10/1813
‘These fellows think’: Smith, pp. 142–4
‘He was all gaiety and spirits’: Larpent, vol. 2, p. 155, journal entry 10/11/1813
‘As we advanced’: Bell, p. 158
‘We turned out the contents’: ibid., p. 159
‘What do you mean’: Smith, pp. 148–50
‘the sentiment throughout France’: WD, vol. 11, pp. 303 ff., W letter to Bathurst 21/11/1813
‘Dead or alive, my lads’: Bell, p. 176
‘Hill, the day’s yours’: ibid., p. 178
‘committed a great error’: Colbourne, p. 189
‘The snow drove’: Leach, p. 216
‘Without a moment’s delay’: Cooke, p. 257
Wellington reported to London: WSD, vol. 8, p. 605, General Hope to W 27/2/1814
‘In Spain’: Tradition, vol. 3, no. 17 (1960), p. 18
‘extremely thoughtful’: Surtees, pp. 229–30
‘They did it beautifully’: Colborne, p. 192
‘The action was for some time’: WSD, vol. 8, p. 607, W to Marquis Wellesley 1/3/1814
In recent years a stone: interview with Jacques Cloup, graveyard custodian, Orthez, 12/9/2008
‘Wellington was laughing’: Maxwell, vol. 1, p. 366
There is another version: Larpent, vol. 3, p. 41, journal entry 7/3/1814, and p. 37, journal entry 5/3/1814; Gleig, Life, p. 494
‘probably the ablest’: Greville, vol. 1, p. 71
‘the worst arranged’: Colborne, p. 195
‘very severe affair’: WD, vol. 11, p. 629, W letter to Lord Dalhousie 12/04/1814
‘I have extraordinary news for you’: Broughton, journal entry 17/12/14 (as told to Lord Broughton by F. Ponsonby)
‘with great warmth’: Larpent, vol. 3, pp. 138–9, journal entry 13/4/1814
‘a walking sore’: Stanhope, p. 32
‘that long-nosed beggar’: Tomkinson, p. 123
Chapter Fifteen: In the Elysian Fields
‘I have to acquaint you’: WSD, vol. 9, p. 8, Castlereagh letter to Campbell, 16/4/1814
‘much heartlessness and ingratitude’: Campbell, p. 176
‘I am most happy’: WSD, vol. 9, p. 59, Liverpool letter to W 3/5/1814
‘I am happy to hear’: ibid., p. 74, Henry Wellesley letter to W 15/5/1814
‘I believe I forgot to tell you’: ibid., p. 100, W letter to Henry Wellesley 22/5/1814
‘How wonderful was the feeling’: Bell, p. 216
‘An issue of six’: ibid., p. 223
‘to make love to the pretty’: Kincaid, p.145
Costello and some companions: Costello, p. 205
‘He appeared sullen and dejected’: Leach, p. 224
‘I left her insensible’: Smith, pp. 186–7
He was discharged: Cooper, p. 125
‘silent reproach and degradation’: Robinson, vol. 2, p. 346
reckoned he couldn’t count: Wheeler, p. 158
said he wouldn’t be able to muster: Donaldson, p. 221
‘These faithful and heroic women’: Grattan, p. 334
‘The commander of forces’: WD, vol. 12, p. 62, W General Order 14/6/1814
‘It seems a pity that’: Fraser, p. 103
‘scandalous’: Grattan, pp. 332, 340
‘I have finished my despatch’: McGrigor, p. 278
‘He repulsed the soldiers’: Napier, Life, p. 306
‘I have nothing to say of this’: Wellesley, pp. 179, 186
‘I don’t mean to be scandalous’: Larpent, vol. 3, p. 174, journal entry 29/4/1814
displaying her green pantaloons: Marchand, vol. 1, p. 460
When the manager told: Gronow, Reminiscences, p. 21
‘As she seems to prefer’: Costello, pp. 206f.
‘impossible to get anything inserted’: WD, vol. 12, p. 142, W letter to Wilberforce 8/10/1814
‘orders have at last been issued’: ibid.,
p. 170, W letter to Wilberforce 5/11/1814
‘My Lord, you owe’: Granville, vol. 2, p. 516, Lady Bessborough to Lord Granville 21/12/1814
‘I am afraid he is behaving very ill: ibid., p. 507, Lady Bessborough to Lord Granville 13/11/1814
‘Mais M. Le Duc était de beaucoup le plus fort’: Delaforce, p. 74
‘He was a true Englishman’: ibid., p. 75
‘Matters are going on well’: WD, vol. 9, p. 146, W to Castlereagh 12/10/1814
‘Lord Wellington and the English’: Longford, Years of the Sword, p. 379 (quoting Foy MSS 26/10/1814)
‘an open insult’: Campbell, p. 317
‘There is nobody’: WSD, vol. 9, p. 425, W letter to Liverpool 9/11/1814
‘I was anxious to consult’: Campbell, p. 363
Chapter Sixteen: Duchess, you may give your ball
‘If they’d kept a frigate’: O’Meara, pp. 296–7
‘Go, my son. Fulfil’: Markham, p. 157
‘C’est pour vous encore’: Fraser, p. 31
‘he refused [the chief of staff job]’: Shulbrede archive
‘I have brought you news’: Hay, p. 158
‘one of the ablest Generals’: Smith, p. 247
‘Ho! Bonaparte’s’: ibid., p. 258
‘I never remember’: Wheeler, pp. 161–4
‘My throat swelled’: Simmons, p. 361
‘Stirring accounts of the sieges’: Morris, Recollections, p. 3
‘pressed me to her’: Leeke, vol. 1, p. 3
‘black horse with a long tail’: ibid., p. 6
‘were abruptly boarded’: Mercer, p. 15
‘He had told the Duke’: Fraser, p. 3
‘made numerous purchases’: Gronow, Reminiscences, pp. 37–8
‘he generally wore’: ibid., p. 38
‘whose wife, Emily, gave birth’: Foulkes, p. 106
‘I am thicker with old Wellington’: Gordon, p. 401, letter to Robert Gordon 29/4/1815
‘The power of appointing’: WSD, vol. 10, p. 4, Duke of York letter to W28/3/1815
‘It will be admitted’: ibid., p. 219, W letter to Bathurst 4/5/1815
‘splendid spectacle’: Mercer, p. 112
‘concluding by exclaiming’: ibid., p. 113
a hollow in a Brussels park: Foulkes, pp. 121–2
‘Duke, I have no wish’: Brett-James, Hundred Days, p. 39 (quoting Captain William Verner of the 7th Hussars)
‘so that I hope we should give’: WD, vol. 12, p. 346, W letter to Earl of Clancarty 3/5/1815
‘By God, I think Blücher’: Creevey, p. 228
‘I suppose they won’t’: Kincaid, p. 153
‘in a careless sort of way’: Gronow, Reminiscences, p. 38
‘Napoleon has humbugged’: Maxwell, vol. 2, p. 14
‘But we shall not stop him’: Malmesbury, vol. 2, pp. 445–6
Chapter Seventeen: Blücher has had a damn good hiding
‘You were lucky not to go’: Hay, p. 159
‘We had a great ball’: Shulbrede archive, letter to Lady Georgiana Lennox 16/6/1815
‘to the credit of our battalion’: Kincaid, pp. 153–4
‘upon their ladies parting’: Creevey, p. 229
‘merry as cricketers’: Costello, p. 210
‘the fine martial clang’: Mercer, p. 121
‘dull, sullen sound’: ibid., p. 126
‘provided I am not attacked’: Maxwell, vol. 2, p. 44
‘We were not advancing unobserved’: Morris, Recollections, pp. 196–7
‘their heavy horses’: Anton, p. 164
‘92nd, don’t fire’: Siborne, p. 386, Winchester memo 27/2/1837
‘“Damn it, 92nd”’: ibid., pp. 386–7
‘was unfortunately commanded by’: Morris, Recollections, p. 199
‘Though it’s considered’: ibid., p. 200
‘reduced to a mere skeleton’: Siborne, p. 381, Riddock letter to Siborne 11/4/1837
‘Some were staggering’: Mercer, pp. 128–9
‘I wanted to find out’: Hay, p. 165
‘those that were not killed’: Croker, vol. 1, p. 330
When the men of the Gordons: Siborne, p. 387
‘This was a crisis’: Kincaid, p. 158
‘I shall begin to think’: Robinson, vol. 1, p. 377
‘I heard him groan’: Gronow, Reminiscences and Recollections, vol. 1, p. 185
‘gained a considerable portion’: Kincaid, p. 159; Leach, p. 228
‘To sleep was impossible’: Costello, p. 212
‘God bless me — so I am’: Morris, Recollections, p. 203
‘Thus twenty-five or thirty’: Llewellyn, p. 65, Ney letter 26/6/1815
Napoleon, in his ham-fisted: Las Cases, vol. 3, part 5, pp. 219ff.
‘if my troops were so disposed’: Stanhope, p. 109
‘dragged out … bruised’: Houssaye, pp. 105–6
‘I passed that night’: Stanhope, p. 110
‘Old Blücher has had’: Maxwell, vol. 2, pp. 37–8
‘I still hold to the original’: James, pp. 185–6
‘regretted that they were obliged’: Tomkinson, p. 284
‘Make haste, make haste!’: Mercer, pp. 139–40
‘the very reversing of the limber’: ibid., p. 140
‘away we went’: ibid., p. 141
‘The order to fire is given’: ibid., p. 143
‘It will break’: ibid., p. 88
‘reduced the face of the country’: Farmer, pp. 141–2
‘a man of no very’: Mercer, p. 145
‘all perfectly still and silent’: ibid., pp. 146–7
‘I have not the slightest idea’: Fraser, p. 2
Chapter Eighteen: Hard pounding
‘I think you ought to make’: WSD, vol. 10, p. 501
‘They all seemed as gay and unconcerned’: Gronow, Reminiscences and Recollections, vol. 1, p. 186
‘I never remember a worse night’: Lawrence, p. 141
‘the most welcome thing’: Todd, p. 117
sent off with a small party: Leeke, p. 15
‘collected armfuls of standing corn’: Morris, Recollections, p. 211
‘You often blamed me for smoking’: Wheeler, p. 170
‘I told him I thought’: Morris, Recollections, pp. 218–19
‘had the effect’: Llewellyn, p. 83, Sergeant Robertson
‘in rather a strange plight’: Hay, p. 174
‘It was delightful to see’: Smith, p. 268
‘We made a fire’: Kincaid, p. 163
‘No! No!’: Pitt Lawrence, p. 117
‘We have ninety chances’: Houssaye, pp. 157, 177—8, 180
‘His Majesty desires’: Chandler, p. 1067
‘The success of the battle’: Low, p. 123
‘Colonel Frazer, you are going’: Frazer, pp. 555f., letter 20/6/1815
‘Burning timbers crashed down’: Paget, p. 25
‘As yet all was quiet’: Leach, p. 235
‘No, no. Black is black’: Fraser, p. 207
‘I can scarcely comprehend’: O’Meara, p. 113
‘We saw Buonaparte himself’: Kincaid, pp. 165–6
‘had forced their way through’: Siborne, p. 72, Captain A. K. Clark Kennedy
‘I dug my spurs’: Low, pp. 142–3, Sergeant Major Dickson of the Scots Greys
‘It was fearful to see’: Llewellyn, p. 84, Sergeant Robertson
‘Right shoulders forward’: Siborne, pp. 75–6
‘Charge! Charge the guns!’: Low, p. 145, Sergeant Major Dickson of the Scots Greys
‘I shall never forget the sight’: ibid., pp. 145–6
‘I committed a great mistake’: Siborne, p. 9, Uxbridge letter
‘were in the utmost peril’: ibid., p. 112, F. Ponsonby letter
‘I know we ought not’: ibid., p. 113
‘coming full tilt at me’: Hay, pp. 180–1
‘You’re not dead, you rascal?’: Shulbrede archive
‘Well, Paget, I hope you’: Anglesey, p. 135
‘The cavalry of other European armies’: Gronow, Reminiscences, p. 45
‘hard pounding’: Kaye, vol. 2, p. 101
Chapter Nineteen: Now, Maitland, now’s your time!
‘Suddenly a dark mass’: Mercer, p. 157
‘Forward! The salvation of France’: Houssaye, p. 203
‘Left, limber up’: Mercer, p. 158
‘No one who was’: Gronow, Reminiscences, p. 40
‘we could not have the slightest’: Morris, Recollections, p. 219
‘The effect is hardly’: Mercer, p. 160 his best spongeman, Private Butterworth: ibid., p. 161
‘The ground, already encumbered’: ibid., p. 163
‘reaching over his horse’s’: Morris, Recollections, p. 223
‘Our poor old Captain’: ibid.
‘This was a job’: Lawrence, p. 145
‘Without his personal exertion’: Frazer, p. 559
‘shocking sight’: Gronow, Reminiscences and Recollections, vol. 1, pp. 70, 190—1
‘strewed with the fallen horses’: Gronow, Reminiscences, pp. 40–1
‘dreadfully cut up’: Morris, Recollections, p. 224
‘Here come those fools again’: Creasy, p. 368 (quoting Ensign Edward Macready)
‘The battle is mine’: Gronow, Reminiscences and Recollections, vol. 1, p. 70
the Prussians had arrived: Croker, vol. 1, p. 124
‘staff officers whom I sent to Grouchy’: O’Meara, p. 249
‘kept up a dreadful fire’: Leach, p. 237
‘laughing and joking’: Simmons, p. 365
‘The finger of providence’: Stanhope, p. 184
‘Cold and indifferent, nay’: Frazer, p. 550
‘reining back his horse’s head’: Pitt Lawrence, pp. 115–16
‘Troops? Where do you expect’: Houssaye, p. 218
‘What was my astonishment’: Llewellyn, p. 66, Ney letter 26/6/1815
‘confident of his own powers’: Shaw Kennedy, p. 128
‘like a cricket ball’: Leeke, p. 39
‘Every shot almost took effect’: Mercer, p. 166
‘sounded very like this’: Leeke, p. 41
‘to make that column feel our fire’: Siborne, p. 284
‘the Duke of Wellington’: Leeke, p. 45
‘Now, Maitland’: Longford, Years of the Sword, p. 477
‘Guards, get up and charge’: Gronow, Reminiscences and Recollections, vol. 1, p. 73
‘I witnessed several’: Gronow, Reminiscences, p. 42
‘Oh dammit, in for a penny’: Anglesey, p. 148; Low, p. 163
‘No cheering, my lads’: Kincaid, p. 171
‘I will ever maintain’: ibid., p. 172
