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Waterloo Series Archives
7 March - Duchess of Devonshire || 17 March - Caroline Capel || 10 March - Caroline Capel || 18-22 March - Creevey || April - Caroline Capel || 2 June - Caroline Capel || 10 June - Muzzy Capel || 15 June - Spencer Madan || 16 June - Edward Costello || 19 June - Dr Hume || 20 June - Thomas Creevey || 22/23 June - Major Frye || 26 June - Georgy Capel || 12 July - Charlotte Eaton || 14 July - Spencer Madan || || Mid August - Major Frye || Timeline || Other pages of interest
Introduction - This is part of series leading up to Waterloo, the anniversary of which is on 18 of June. I have a number of different
sources from which I will be quoting for this period. Some from the battlefields such as officers in the 95th regiment Harry Smith, and
John Kincaid. Then there are those that were in Brussells over this period, the Capel's and Spencer Madan who
was tutor to the Duchess of Richmond's children. Other sources such as Joseph Ballard describe life in
London during 1815 including when news of the battle arrived. Lady Bessborough whose son was severely
wounded during the fight and finally from the list of sources is Major W. Frye who returned to
the battlefield a few weeks after.
7 March
Letter from Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, to Augustus Foster (her son). One of the most interesting things about the intial news of Bonaparte's escape from Elba is that the early information all seemed to indicate that he would never make it as far as Paris and that he had little support. Napoleon landed in the south of france on the 1st of March, 1815 and rumours of this first appear in letters from France on the 3rd of the month. Yet Napoleon not only made it to Paris on the 20th of March, but he was feted. This letter is dated Marseilles, March 7, 1815:
Caro [married to George Lamb, she was the duchess's illegitimate daughter] will tell you about Bonaparte. Was there ever any thing so extraordinary! The spirit here is excellent, and later last night a traveller who saw him at Sisteron says his force was reduced to 400. People generally seem to think it is a desparate effort made on the idea that he was to be moved from Elba - that the great mass of the Nation is against him - a part of the army for him, and even they would hesitate at fighting against friends and relations. Eight hundred marched from here yesterday - Guards volunteers, troops of the line; the concourse which accompanied them was immense and touching to see."
17 March
The first news reports of Napoleon's escape from Elba were very positive - he was receiving little support, his numbers were dwindling and someone might soon 'knock him on the head'. He landed in the South of France on March 1st and this was a letter on March 17th from Lady Caroline Capel to her mother, Lady Uxbridge, in London. Lady Caroline was pregnant with her 13th child and was due at the end of June;
"what annoys and worries me most at the Moment is that idea that you will feel in a State of Anxiety at the News of the Tyger having broke loose; and as distance sometimes Magnifies Evils you will perhaps think there is cause for alarm on our Account, which I assure you there is not - the Numbers of English flocking from Paris will naturally cause consternation in England; but believe me there are as many have flocked here as to a place of Safety, as have gone to England, the Belione & every other Hotel in the place are full - as they can hold; of course every hour teems with reports of various kinds....I am perfectly well had have no thought of it before the end of June which is a later than I mentioned to Jane by a month - I have heard of a Woman who came from England with the Army & who attends the Soldier's wives & hope to hear every thing satisfactory - in which case I will see her, & you shall hear from me the result.. Capel is just come in & says the Stocks at Paris have risen immensely which is the next possible sign."
18-22 March 1815
Letters from Major Hamilton to Mr Creevey, both based in Brussels. Colonel Hamilton was an aide de camp of General Barnes who, as Adjutant General to the army, was intimate with the details of what was going on. Colonel Hamilton was engaged to Mr Creevey's step daughter, Miss Ord. After the news of Napoleon's escape it was difficult to get reliable news of his progress, but by the 18th of March clearly the news was starting to look bad.
Brussels - March 18th
My dear Mr Creevey,
If you will not blab, you shall hear all the news I can pick up, bad and good as it comes. I am
sorry to tell you bad news today. General Fagal writes from Paris to say that Bonaparte my be in
that Capital ere many days. His army increases hourly, and as fast as a regiment is brought
up to the neighbourhood of Lyons, it goes over to its old master."
Brussels March 22nd - "All news with Paris is at an end, and we now look with anxiety for the arrival of Lord Wellington."
On March 20th Napoleon had entered Paris - two days later the news reached the army in Brussels.
April 1815
The first quote is from Lady Caroline Capel. Her brother, Lord Uxbridge (later the Marquess of Anglesey) was one of Wellington's leading commanders. Lady Caroline's family had moved to Brussels in 1814 to escape her husband's debtors. Napoleon escaped from captivity and in March had re-entered Paris. By April things were looking rather pressing and Caroline wrote to her mother to clearly to allay some of her fears;
"We are in as perfect security here as you are in London - Lord Wellington is arrived in the highest spirits & it seems generally believed that Napoleon never was in such as scrape before - Certainly there is already a Strong party against him in France & there is already a cordon of 100,000 men between us and him, without the Russians & Austrians who are yet to join....You must know & feel the variety of reasons which would make it impossible for me to remove from this Place as long as it is one of security, of which by this time I hope even you have no doubt - I think Lord Wellington allowing, nay even encouraging his neice, to remain here is sufficient proof of this & I trust entirely quieted your kind affectionate anxieties about us all - Nothing can be better disposed or more Layal than the People here - The Ball given to the King and Queen at the Hotel de Ville was most splendid & their receiption was all one could wish."
June 1815
Caroline Capel adds;
10 June 1815
"At present we have 200 Brunswickers quartered here, but they are soon to be removed. There is regular
little Parade of above 200 men in the Courtyard every day. Their Dismal Black Uniforms & Deaths head Caps
look so pretty...the Duke of Wellington gives a Grand Fete Champetre next week. Mama say she [is] determined
not to stir from this place unless for something very brilliant. We have not made the same determination &
therefore mean to make Papa Chaperone us to a ball at the Duchess of Richmond in a day or two."
Of course this is infinitely more interesting in retrospect as the ball which the Duchess of Richmond gave on the 15th
of June was in fact the ball where Wellington learned of Napoleon's advance, and the final glamorous farewell to many
of the officers.
15 June 1815
"the family are at present gone of Enghien to a cricket match amongst the gentlemen of the
guards in which the Duke [of Richmond] takes part. You have of course heard of his fame as a cricketer;
he was, I believe, considered one of the two best in England, the other is Ld. Frederic Beauclerc.... The
Prince [of orange] has fixed his headquarters at Brain le comte, and each time he takes leave as if the last.
It has good effect that the Dss and his sisters who doat on him do not mind the parting; they say "Oh! we shall
see him again in a day or two.' "
"Tho I have given some pretty good reasons for supposing that the hostilities will soon commence, yet no one wd.
suppose it judging by the Duke of Wn. He appears to be thinking of anything else in the world, gives a ball
every week, attends every party and partakes of every amusement that offers."
16 June 1815
"It is curious to observe the confusion and uproar that generally exists in the rear of an army in battle,
while all in front is order and regularity. Many people imagine the reverse. This, however, is generally to be
imputed to the soldiers' wives and camp followers of all descriptions, who crowd in great numbers,
making inquiries after their husbands, friends, &c., for whom they generally are prepared with
liquors and other refreshments, I had no such ties, save my comrades, who now were too busily occupied
watching their enemies, and with their own personal considerations, to have either time or opportunity to
inquire after mine. The crowds of carts, horses, &C~ which thickly thronged the roadway, were greeted on all
sides by anxious faces and earnest inquiries. But now and then as one of the vehicles hurried along, a
burst of laughter hailed it, and indeed, it seemed to bear a load of a more enlivening nature than that
which characterised the others. My sound legs, for my arm only was wounded and hung suspended in a sling,
enabled me to approach the cart and scrutinise its contents. My surprise was soon dissipated, and wounds
almost forgotten, in the merry features of my old friend, Josh Hetherington, who, having received a flesh
wound in the leg. was now being borne to the hospital with other fellow sufferers."
Indeed he knew just how closely wives and camp followers were willing to approach the battle lines in order to know
the safety of their men. Costello had already
found one woman dead with her son beside her, killed by a stray bullet.
19 June 1815
20 June 1815
"My great surprise was at not being more horrified at the sight of such a mass of dead bodies. On the
left of the road going from Waterloo to Mont St Jean, and close up to within a yard or two of a small
ragged hedge which was our own line, the French lay as if they had been mowed down in a row without
any interval. It was a distressing sight, no doubt. to see every now and then a man alive amongst
them, and calling out to Lord Arthur for something to drink...I rode home with Hume, the physician
at headquarters, who said there were 14,000 dead on the field; and upon my expressing regret at the
wounded people being still out, he replied; - 'the two nights they have been out is all in their favour
provided they are now got into hospitals. They will have a better chance of escaping fever this of weather
than our own people who have been carried in to hospitals first."
This of course was probably a fallacy, although a great number of men who had been carried to a nearby
spa died from infected wounds, suspected at the time as having been caused by the mineral waters used to
wash their wounds.
22/23 June 1815
" The sight was too horrible to behold...the multitude of carcases, the heaps of wounded
men with mangled limbgs unable to move, and perishing from not having their wounds dressed or
from hunger, as the allies were, of course, obliged to take their surgeons and waggons with them..
.both allied and the French, remain in an equally deplorable state."
He says further on the 23rd of June,
"It was suggested by some humane person that they who went to see the field of the battle from motives
of curiosity would do well to take with them bread, wine and other refreshments to distribute amonth the
wounded, and most people did so."
26 June 1815
"...how can I describe all the horrors of a Hospital Station - which Brussels is - The streets crowded
with wounded wretches and with waggons filled with dead and dying - the atmosphere is so much affected by
it that many English are thinking of quitting Bruxelles in fear of pestilence ..... We are all employed
constantly in making Lint for the unfortunate wounded; it is impossible to shew more humanity than the
Belgians do for them, all the shopkeepers spend much of their time in their service. Brussels looks very
dismal indeed to us who have seen it in such gaiety, the Park quite deserted, nothing but wounded men
wandering about. Hundreds of dead horses lying also, having been shot since they came into Town. Upon
the Ramparts not far from us 3,000 dead bodies are exposed, there not being room to bury them; a gentleman
who past thro the Plains of Waterloo yesterday declares that he saw several men living heaped upon dead bodies,
indeed it is too horrible - the Duke of Wellington never was known to be in such low spirits as he was in
consequence of the blood shed at Waterloo, which they say exceeded any that ever was shed at any other they
remember...."
12 July 1815 - Madan
"The ground was ploughed up in several places with the charge of the cavalry, and
the whole field was literally covered with soldiers' caps, shoes, gloves, belts, and scabbards,
broken feathers battered into the mud, remnants of tattered scarlet cloth, bits of fur and leather,
black stocks and havresaces, belonging to the French soldiers, buckles, packs of cards, books, and
innumerable papers of every description. ... The quantities of letters and of blank sheets of dirty
writing paper were so great that they literally whitened the surface of the earth ..."
14 July 1815 - Madan
Madan wrote to his father on July 14th;
Given the problems of medical care - the immense number of wounded many died who might otherwise have survived.
14 July 1815 - Capel
Georgy Capel had some advantage of knowing a little more of the battle itself than many others in Brussels.
Her uncle, Lord Uxbridge, led the allied cavalry and had visited them during the three day campaign to let
them know what was happening. He had lost his leg in the last hours of the battle of Waterloo - or more
precisely, had it amputated. So the family also knew first-hand the rigours of battlefield medicine.
Brussels, early June of 1815 - The British army was based here and there was a feeling that there must be some confrontation
with Napoleon and sometime soon. But to pass the
time there was a continued whirl of social gaiety led, not least, by the Duke of
Wellington himself. So even in the two weeks leading up to the battle of Waterloo there was little
sense of urgency to the military preparations, indeed,
there was more of a sense of unreality in the entertainment offered. For the Capels who had lived in Brussels since
June, 1814, the military were not so much saviours as entertaining newcomers. In March their letters home had
been full of worried references to Napoleon, by June they had to actively
remind themselves of the reason the military had been stationed in Brussels in the first place.
On June 2nd, 1815 - Muzzy Capel writes to her Grandmother;
"Tomorrow Lord Wellington gives a Great Ball. Sir Charles Stewart [Stuart?] Monday
& the Duke again on Wednesday."
"Balls are going here as if we had had none for a year - Nothing ever
was so fine or so Magnificent as the review of English Cavalry 3 days ago -
It was 30 miles off, & Capel thought it too great an undertaking for me or I
certainly should have gone, for I could have it free of expence, Lord Hill having
offered me Quarters, & General Barnes relays of horses; The day was tremendously Hot
however - & part of the Road Bad, and as Capel was generous enough not to go himself as I
did not, there was nothing to be said - Paget gave a most Magnificent Dinner to above 100
People, & Lord Hill a breakfast......the Duke of W. has not improved the Morality
of our society, as he has given several things & makes a point of asking al the Ladies of
Loose Character - Every one was surprised at seeing Lady John Campbell at his House & one of
his Staff told me that it had been represented to him her not being received for that her
Character was more than Suspicious, 'Is, by - - - ' said he, "the I will go & ask her Myself.'
One which he immediately took his Hat & went out for the purpose."
Back to the top
The Capel's had just moved to a new house 2-3 miles to the North of Brussels for Summer. This new residence, The
Chateau de Walcheuse, was opposite the Grounds and Palais of Laeken. It has been said that Napoleon had stationery
printed in advance with this palace as his new address. Still those thoughts were unknown to the family, and the French
advance into the lowlands not expected which is shown by the letter which Muzzy Capel wrote to her grandmother
on June 10th, 1815 - all she really had on her mind were balls and parties;
Spencer Madan was a tutor to the 4th Duke of Richmond's family in Brussels. He wrote to his family on June 13th, 1815.
The letter shows just how unaware the British were of French Movements at this time. Already the French were close to the
border with Belgium, and news would reach Brussels on the evening of the 15th of June. Yet two days before things still appear
quite tranquil;
Edward Costello was solidier in the 95th Rifles. In his autobiography recalls some details
of the retreat of the Allied/British army following the battle of Quatre Bras on the 16th of June, 1815 - 2 days before
the battle of Waterloo. He and his battalion had arrived at Quatre Bras, a point where four roads met, sometime
aroud 3 O'clock. The Belgians were already engaged against a superior force of French. The British joined the fight but
Costello was soon injured. His account of his making his way back from the Battle line that afternoon through Genappe and
back to Brussels is worthwhile in itself, but too long to quote here. Instead we have a short observation of his as for
the first time in his life he is not up the front - but rather amongst the baggage at the rear of the army;
The following is Dr Hume's account of his visit to the Duke the morning after the battle (19th of June, 1815).
"I came back from the field of Waterloo with Sir Alexander Gordon, whose leg I was obliged to
amputate on the field late in the evening. He died rather unexpectedly in my arms about half-past
three in the morning of the 19th. I was hesitating about disturbing the Duke, when Sir Charles
Broke-Vere came. He wished to take his orders about the movement of the troops. I went upstairs
and tapped gently at the door, when he told me to come in. He had as usual taken off his clothes,
but had not washed hirnself As I entered, he sat up in bed, his face covered with the dust and
sweat of the previous day, and extended his hand to me, which I took and held in mine, whilst I
told him of Gordon's death, and of such of the casualties as had come to my knowledge. He was much
affected. I felt the tears dropping fast upon my hand, and looking towards him, saw them chasing
one another in furrows over his dusty cheeks. He brushed them suddenly away with his left hand,
and said to me in a voice tremulous with emotion, "Well, thank God, I don't know what it is to
lose a battle; but certainly nothing can be more painful than to gain one with the loss of so
many of one's friends."
Thomas Creevey, a British MP who had settled in nearby Brussels visited the battlefield 2 days later;
On June 22nd, two days after Creevey visited the battlefield , Major W.E Frye also visited Waterloo and
even then little progress had been made;
In fact the Bruxelloise stepped in to try to assist. Georgy Capel wrote to her Grandmother on around
the 26th of June;
Charlotte Eaton, an Englishwoman, visited the battlefield a month after Waterloo in the middle
of July, 1815 - she wrote;
Spencer Madan was tutor to the Duchess of Richmond's children - she has been referred to as
the 'Waterloo Duchess' as it was her ball on the 15th of June that the news of Napoleon's
advance was received by Wellington.
"It is supposed that the dead will be in far greater proportion to the wounded than usual as has since been
made plain by the returns."
Sight-seeing to Waterloo was commonplace and Georgy Capel went there herself on the 14th of July;
"...the Field of Battle is not quite sweetened but I should thing this hot weather wd. prevent its
continuance as the unfortunate dead Bodies are only slightly covered with earth. A great number of bodies
have been in found in the corn by the Reapers within the last day or two, and it is said that the People
living nr. Waterloo have realised fortunes by plunder, there are remaining upon the field thousands of the
most moving English and French letters from the friends of the fallen, and caps pierced with balls and all
the inside filled with congealed Blood....."
Timeline 1815
26 February - Napoleon steals out of Elba on the Inconstant
1 March - Napoleon Lands in South of France near Antibes - chooses a route from Grasse, through the basses
Alps and the grenoble gap to avoid Royalist Provence.
3 March - Rumours reach Marseilles and other parts of France
4 March - News of Napoleon's Landing given to King of France
7 March - News of his escape reaches the Congress of Vienna
9 March - News reaches Britain
13 March - Congress outlaws Napoleon
19 March - King Louis XVIII flees from Paris
20 March - Napoleon enters the Tulieres born shoulder high by cheering crowd, the Hundred Days begins
28 March - Wellington leaves the Congress of Vienna
4 April
- Wellington reaches Brussells where he is to assemble the allied army - about 93,000 men in all
12 June - Napoleon leaves Paris to join his army on the Belgian Frontier
14 June - Napoleon's headquarters are at Beaumont, about 16 miles south of Chareloi. He has 5 corps d'armee with him - about 126,000 men
15 June - Napoleon crosses the Belgian frontier - the Duchess of Richmond's ball
16 June - Battles of Ligny (Prussians) and Quatre Bras (Allied army)
17 June - Retreat of Prussians to Ligny and Allied Army to Waterloo
18 June - Battle of Waterloo
21 June - the date Wellington was to have given his big ball (planned prior to 15 of June and, not surprisingly,
abandoned!), Napoleon is back in the Elysee Palace.
25 June - Wellington enters Paris. Napoleon escapes Paris for Malmaison 8 miles outside Paris the property of Hortense, ex-queen of Holland
thus beginning 3 weeks of evasion of the allied army.
8 July - King Louis returns to Paris.
13 July - Napoleon surrenders to the Captain of the Bellephron
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