As a tribute of the Author’s respectful gratitude for the information he has obtained from many officers who havevisited the field, and, with all the advantages of being on the spot, have discussed the leading questions which have been raised in the United Service Journal, and so many other publications, respecting the details of the battle, their names are subjoined:
GENERALS.
Lord John Hay.Sir Hussey Vivian.Sir A. Barnard.Sir H. Ross.Sir Colin Campbell.Sir Guy Campbell.Sir F. Adam.Alexander Macdonald.
J. B. Parker.D. Mercer.W. Mayne.T. Reynell.H. Murray.Thomas Hunter Blair.T. W. Robbins.J. S. Kennedy.
COLONELS.
Hon. Keppell.Sir W. Verner, Bart.Sir Henry Floyd, Bart.Sir G. Hoste.G. Gurwood.T. Wildman.Bussche.Vigouroux.Forbes.N. Norcliffe.Gilbourne.Lord Douro.
Grey.Calvert.Tinling.Parkinson.Wallace.Grove.Bruce.Kuhlman.Lord Grosvenor.Lord Wellesley.Hon. G. Cathcart.Brown.
MAJORS.
Turner.Tindale.Browne.Dawson.Jackson.Edward Macready.Belcher.
Fowler.Cox.Rice.Lloyd.Maddox.Ainsley.Hawley.
Two other officers of high rank, who served on the Duke’s staff, have given me information respecting some of the most important occurrences of the day, but not permission to publish their names, as they had previously refused this favour to several writers of distinction.
The following letters are submitted to the reader as offering satisfactory evidence of the Author’s competency to attempt a narration of the battle, and to act as guide to the visitors to the field, as well as of the authenticity of the spoils and relics, which any one may inspect at his residence, Mont-St.-Jean:
“Ems, July 23d, 1839.
“SERGEANT-MAJOR COTTON,
“I promised to write to you, but I have not had time to do so till now, since I saw you at Waterloo. You were desirous of having my testimony of the authenticity of the different articles collected from the field, that I saw in your house. I can have no hesitation in giving it generally. Many of the things I saw, I could speak to as having belonged to regiments of my own brigade.
“It is but just also to you to say, that the account you gave me of the various occurrences of the day, was, as far as I knew, extremely correct, and by no means exaggerated, and I give you full credit for the pains you have taken to collect the details. I sincerely hope, that from the occupation you have undertaken, you will derive the means of passing the remainder of your days in competence and comfort; and thus reap the reward of your intelligence, on a field where you had previously proved your courage.
“Your friend,“Hussey Vivian, lieutenant-general.”
“I have seen at various times, Sergeant-Major Cotton’s collection of spoils of the campaign of 1815, and I am of opinion that they are genuine relics, and such as may be relied on.
“Henry Floyd, Bart., colonel unattached,captain 10th hussars at Waterloo.
“Brussels, 1848.”
“Brussels, October 2d, 1845.
“SERGEANT-MAJOR COTTON,
“I received so much satisfaction from our walk over the field of Waterloo yesterday, that I am induced to leave with you the expression of it.
“Being anxious to satisfy myself regarding certain operations of the day, particularly the movements of the light brigade, (52d, 71st, 95th,) to which I belonged, I found your exact knowledge of the ground, and the numerous details you have collected, highly instructive and interesting.
“I am glad to learn that you intend publishing a memoir of the battle, and will not fail to become a purchaser as soon as it appears.
“Your sincere well-wisher,“Thomas Hunter Blair, colonel.”
“Namur, June 29th, 1846.
“SERGEANT-MAJOR COTTON,
“I have read your book ... with very great interest.... Thinking from our conversation on the field respecting the present condition of the ground on which Halkett’s brigade acted, that you would be pleased to know the opinion of even so undistinguished a member of that body as myself, respecting your explanation of the events of the battle thereabouts, ... I hesitate not to say that I was at once surprised and gratified to hear from you ... the best and most correct detail of the proceedings ... that I have either heard or read.... Further ... you made me far better acquainted with the details of what occurred at Hougoumont, and to its right, than I ever was before.
“Hoping you may long enjoy health to pursue the interesting occupation for which your soldierly qualities and intelligence so well fit you, I remain, etc.
“Edward Macready, major unattached;of the 30th, at Waterloo.”
The following document is to the Author, and probably it will be to not a few of his readers, deeply interesting: it isfrom the late lamented colonel Gurwood, whose labour in collecting and publishing the Wellington Dispatches, whilst it rendered an invaluable, perhaps an unrequited service to his country and to civilization, broke his health, and bore down his gallant spirit:
“70, Lowndes-square, London, June 18th, 1843.
“SERGEANT-MAJOR COTTON,
“I have had a set of theDispatches of the Duke of Wellingtonpacked up to be forwarded to you, which I shall endeavour to send you on the return of king Leopold to Brussels, to the care of sir G. H. Seymour, her Majesty’s minister, to whom I shall write to inform you when they arrive.
“The marquis of Anglesey has much enhanced the value of my present to you, in writing his name in the title page at my request, and he appeared much pleased at gratifying an old soldier of his regiment.
“Very faithfully yours,“J. Gurwood.”
A RELIC.
On the 15th of May 1846, colonel Macdonald, of the Royal artillery, visited the Author’s interesting collection at Mont-St.-Jean, of arms, etc., spoils of the Waterloo campaign. The gallant veteran recognized his own sword of a curious workmanship, that had been lost on the field, when he was wounded.
This precious relic the colonel left with the Author, giving him the following certificate:
“This sword I wore at the battle of Waterloo, and after I was wounded my servant left it on the field.
“Alexander Macdonald, colonel,“Royal horse artillery[113].
“Waterloo, May 15th, 1846.”
Amongst the kind presents which the Author has receivedfrom his countrymen, for his Waterloo Museum and library, at Mont-St.-Jean, he gratefully mentions the following:
“Selections from Dispatches, etc., of the Duke of Wellington, by colonel Gurwood;
“Presented by Lieutenant-Colonel N. Norcliffe, K. H., of Langton-Hall, Yorkshire, to his fellow soldier, Sergeant-Major Cotton, late of the 7th hussars.
“July 25th, 1842.”
“Blackheath, July 30th, 1846.
“SERGEANT-MAJOR COTTON,
“Alderman Moon rejoiced in being able to gratify the patriotic feelings of an old Waterloo hero, and at once offered to present you with a copy of his celebrated engraving of the Waterloo Banquet, which he trusts you will frame and place in your Museum.
“Francis Bennock.”
“Mr. Billen has much pleasure ... in sending Sergeant-Major Cotton an engraved portrait of the brave general Sir James Kempt, and further promises, should he have the honour to engrave any other officers who took part in that eventful day, to send an impression to Sergeant-Major Cotton.
“23, High-street, Camden-town, 6th September, 1842.”
Of thefirst editionof this work, the following notice appeared in a London journal:
“The author of the unpretending little volume before us is principal guide to the field of battle. This duty he is well qualified to perform from his intimate knowledge of the ground, near which he has resided during eleven years, and from his zealous endeavours to render himself master of facts, by studious research, and by communicating on the spot with military men of all ranks and nations.
“The qualifications that recommend sergeant-major Cotton as guide, have facilitated his efforts to put in print those eventswhich he is daily required to narrate verbally; and it is but justice to say that he has accomplished his task lucidly, impartially, and in plain, straight-forward language, becoming his position and antecedents.
“He states in sober and graphic terms, how the tempest first gathered and suddenly burst forth in advance of Charleroi, next upon our allies at Ligny, and our own advance corps at Quatre-Bras; he informs us of the principal incidents that led to the grand crisis, as well as of the measures adopted by the British commander to stem the torrent. The author likewise gives an intelligible sketch of the limited tactical movements executed during the battle.
“Sergeant-major Cotton shows us how the lion-hearted Glengary, with Hepburn, Saltoun, and their indomitable brother guardsmen, immortalized Hougoumont. He carries us with Hamilton and his Grey squadrons into the thick of the onslaught, where the Household cavalry and Union brigades, the pride of English chivalry, hurled themselves upon their brave antagonists. He does not forget the ‘Up, guards, and make ready!’ or the resistless charge that followed; nor does he pass over in silence the unflinching valour with which Baring’s Hanoverians so long maintained their dangerous post. The author points out where the ardent Irish, thigh by thigh with heroic Highlanders, or knee by knee with stalworth English, bore down compactly upon advancing infantry, or with admirable coolness threw themselves into those impenetrable squares, wherein our devoted gunners found momentary shelter, when the field was swept by cuirassed hosts, more impetuous and daring than successful. We could willingly quote several interesting and graphic passages from sergeant-major Cotton’s clear and well-written narrative, from which we have risen with a more distinct acquaintance with the subject and scene, than we had hitherto derived from works of higher pretensions. But, as the whole volume merits perusal, we will content ourselves with expressing hopes that thisVoice from Waterloomay find an echo in public favour, and that our veteran hussar’s pen may gain for him laurels more substantial than those already earned by his well-tried sabre.” (Morning Chronicle, 22d January, 1846.)
Extract from the Brussels Herald.
We have much pleasure in reprinting, from theLiterary Gazetteof last Saturday, the following notice of sergeant-major Cotton’s new work,A Voice from Waterloo:
“The author was in the fight in the 7th hussars. He has since resided for years at Mont-St.-Jean, where this volume is published; and he acts as a guide to visitors when they desire to inspect this famous battle field.
“Sergeant-major Cotton says, (page 201,) ‘Facts are stubborn things;’ and with the qualifications we have noticed, he is the very man to tell us all about it. And he has told us in a very circumstantial manner, separating details from masses, and altogether afforded us a better idea of this dreadful encounter than we have gathered from any other quarter. We had, by a curious coincidence, just arrived at this conclusion on reading his book, when we had an opportunity, in common with a number of leading artists and connoisseurs, of seeing Mr. Sidney Cooper’s Battle of Waterloo, painted for the approaching exhibition in Westminster-Hall. We were at once wonderfully struck with the apparent realization of the accounts which had just made such an impression on our minds. It seemed as if the artist had been present with the writer, and transferred in the most graphic and spirited manner to the canvass what he had committed with such particular effect to the paper. The chivalrous encounters, the almost single combats, the groups of cavalry slaughterings, the flight, the rally, the rush of riderless horses, the dying and the dead scattered among the trampled corn: all told the terrible tale of the last charge and effort of the French to retrieve the discomfiture of the day. Of these Mr. Cooper has made a stirring and splendid use. It is indeed a battle-piece, and upon the largest scale, such as never has been produced before by English painter, if by the greatest foreign master, in this style of art. The artist is sublime in the mysteries of moving human columns under the canopy of smoke, through which the spectator may easily imagine he hears the cannon boom. The whole is real, yet imaginative;and inspires at the same moment feelings of intense individual interest, and general awe. With regard to the author we need not add any other comment. Though he mentions that the Duke and Blücher met at La Belle-Alliance after the battle, we think he shows that this could not have been the case; and we have reason to believe that no such meeting ever took place[114].”
THE END.