From: Alan and Carmel Brain <aebrain@w...>
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 1999 11:18:03 +1000
Subject: Re: [OT] Waterloo.
> ScottSaylo@aol.com wrote: > I also usually play the Brits, but once had the distinct pleasure to It came pretty close to that in the original too. Read "The Napoleonic Wars" by Sgt Thomas Morris of the 2nd Batallion, 73rd (Highland)Regt. (Ed by John Selby, Longmans Military Memoirs 1967). I quote: "Hitherto, we had only acted against cavalry, but now Napoleon was leading up his infantry, in masses: and as our brigade was literally cut to pieces, the remnant was formed into line four-deep. But the French infantry, that were now advancing, was so overwhelming in numbers, that we were forced to retire; while doing so, General Halkett received a musket ball through the cheek, and falling from his horse, was taken to the rear. The fire from the French infantry was so tremendous that our brigade divided, and sought shelter behind some banks... The only captain we now had left, invited us from the shelter of the bank, to follow him in an attack on about three thousand of the French infantry. About a dozen of us accepted the invitation; and such was the destructive fire to which we were opposed, that we had not advanced more than six or seven paces, before every one of the party, except me and my brother, were either killed or wounded. We carried the captain back to the shelter of the bank, where we found our first major [Dawson Kelly], who had not been with us during the day, having been attached to the staff. He ordered the captain to be taken to the rear, and caused us to be mustered. We numbered two officers and seventy men; the batallion, when we entered the field the first day, had twenty-nine officers and