Suidakkra (July 26, 2008 at 11:15 pm)

When the Germans (Prussians) enter the battlefield, all men tremble!!!

slizzler1 (July 8, 2008 at 7:03 pm)

Check out this website by searching this keyphrase "Cowards at Waterloo" -it has excellent references and maps regarding all the Dutch-beigian units in the campaign.

slizzler1 (July 8, 2008 at 6:10 pm)

Next Bylandt's soldiers that did run away never were off the battlefield, they formed up just north of Picton's position -still within the battle area... the rest of the brigade was positioned there after D'Erlon's repulse... Wellington was at the Hougoumont area personally directing British Guard reinforcements to be committed into saving Hougoumont for a few hours-he never rallied Bylandt's brigade that was half a battlefield away during such a crucial phase at Hougoumont. away.

slizzler1 (July 8, 2008 at 6:01 pm)

Third point is that the initial statement of '10,000' Dutch running away being false, your latest source-quote is accurate... some Dutch/Belgians did retreat/rout... but others stood, and others were rallied to take part in the counter attack against D'Erlon. Several british witnesses state this -one being your quote. Many people prefer to use the 'booing' by Brits witnessing the retreat as a superiority thing but remember Pictons unit was deployed in reverse slope and in cover from cannonade.

slizzler1 (July 8, 2008 at 5:51 pm)

Secondly, Wellington was over in the Hougoumont area during D'Erlon's attack. Uxbridge was in general command of the 'Picton area'.He himself was busy in the British cavalry counter charge. I'm taking the following from several detailed sources about the Dutch-Belgians at Waterloo;Remember too the Dutch were 200yds ahead of Picton's unit, so when the French were coming on in their columns of 8 battalions massed in lines, Bylandt faced huge odds-alone-and after sustaining the Grand Battery fire.

slizzler1 (July 8, 2008 at 5:36 pm)

Several mistakes there- I initially thought you were referring to the English right in your reference, but now that you mention Bylandt's Brigade there are several things I can factually point out to you as incorrect of your inititial statement.The Bylandt's Brigade was not 10,000 in number at Waterloo it numbered 3233 men.There were NO other Dutch/Belgians in the area where D'Erlon attacked except on the extreme Allied left wing in the fortress farmhouses and a Dutch Cavalry brigade behind.

24878281 (July 7, 2008 at 2:05 pm)

Wellington himself had to go and raleigh them again.

24878281 (July 7, 2008 at 2:04 pm)

Hi slizzler, couldnt find the actual quote but in the battle by barbero page 177 quotes "When the first french regiment, the 105th Ligne, appeared before them, most of the dutch stopped fighting and ran away. Only the belgiun battalion the seventh, remained in position and kept firing, while the last of kempts brigade ran to their left, where they could see the french better advancing along their flank and clearing the hedges" I will keep pluging away and find other quotes, especially when

slizzler1 (July 7, 2008 at 12:05 pm)

Hi again 24878,just wondering if you found the quotes-I didn't see it in Howarth's book.Also alot of redcoats would've been escorting the French prisoners from D'Erlons corps back to Brussels;perhaps I'm guessing from the Hanoverian units next to Picton,being low grade troops and not crucial to being on the battlefield- and Picton's Division had alot of casualties in that episode-so doubtless alot of redcoats going back.Also there were no Dutch formations 10,000 strong-they were smaller units.

slizzler1 (June 28, 2008 at 7:43 pm)

Yes- no-one would dare run when he was about either...... He had astonishing luck not getting hit with all the front-line riding around risks he took- truly a brave man- all his staff officers following him were dropping like flies -when they could keep up with him AND Copenhagen -a true war-horse.