Military art print of the Scots Greys waking up on
the dawn of the Battle of Waterloo. Truppen des 2th Royal North British
Dragoons (Scots Greys) am Morgen des 18. Juni 1815.
The Dawn of Waterloo by Lady Butler.
Depicting troopers of the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons (Scots
Greys)
on the morning of 18th June 1815. before the Battle of waterloo, and their
great charge into history.
Scots Greys at Waterloo
A
few years after the dawn of the 19th century, came the culminating battle
of the long series of hard fought struggles with the once dominant power
of France. In common with the rest of the troops, the Scots Greys suffered
all the discomforts of mud, rain, soaked clothing and sodden provisions,
before the battle of Waterloo. They took up their position on that
eventful day behind the left centre of the line, and they were obliged to
wait for a long time in chafing inactivity. A multitude of glittering
bayonets and streaming colours came sweeping along in cold phalanxes,
preceded by clouds of skirmishers. A division of French infantry
outstripping their fellows, charged up into the centre of Wellington's
position, and forced the summit of the hill upon which was the Duke. The
Greys were moved up to support the infantry who were opposing the French
advance. Some of the troops composing the attacking force were Napoleon's
Foot Guards, great, big, strapping fellows, hardy old campaigners most of
them, who had been with their hitherto invincible leader in numberless
battles. The troops that prepared to bar the way were also war-scarred
veterans who had fought under the Iron Duke in Spain and Portugal, but who
were weaker in numbers than the Frenchmen. To the left of the English
regiments was a brigade of German cavalry and light horsemen. When the
French Guards came up, they charged these, and made frightful havoc of
them, men and horses alike. So shaken were the Prussians that they were
broken up and forced to retire. The French then turned their attention to
the sturdy English regiments who had formed from square into line in order
to receive them.
On came the
victorious Guards, flushed with the easy triumph of our allies. This was
only one of the many critical moments of the day. Uttering fierce cries of
" A bas les Anglais!" they swept along. Our brave fellows were
not behind hand in their reply, and a fierce bayonet to bayonet, knee to
knee struggle commenced. Sheer weight began to tell - the infantry were
shaken- the fight broke up into a series of more or less isolated combats.
Suddenly the bugles rang out. Orders were shouted. Some semblance of a
line was evolved out of the struggling mass. The psychological moment had
arrived. The foot soldiers opened ranks, the squadrons passing through the
intervals.
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