Netherlands Artillery
in the Waterloo Campaign
Foot Artillery Battery ‘Lux’
by Geert van Uythoven, The Netherlands
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This ‘northern’ battery was served by the 1st company of the 2nd line artillery battalion. The battery was commanded by Captain Johann Hendrik Lux (28 years old). Other officers: 1st Lieutenant Lodewijk Schuller (27 years old); 1st Lieutenant W. Baron van Bentinck (19 years old); 2nd Lieutenant Jan Theodoor van den Bijllaard (18 years old). Train detachment: 1st Lieutenant Isaäk Kikkert (26 years old); 2nd Lieutenant Frederik Henrici (31 years old). On 12 June 1815 the battery had a strength of 4 officers, 117 others, and 4 horses. The train detachment had a strength of 2 officers and 139 others, and 254 horses. This battery was armed with six short 6-pdr bronze cannon, and two 24-pdr (iron) bronze howitzers. On 18 March, Lux was ordered to Delft with his company, to make mobile a 6-pdr battery, although it is unclear why Lux was chosen before other more experienced captains in the battalion. In addition, he was also not the most senior. Anyway, leaving Delft on 19 and 26 April in two half batteries, the battery arrived with its Division on 30 April respectively 6 May. After his arrival, Lux received temporarily command of both artillery batteries that were present (his own and Captain Krahmer’s horse artillery battery), until the commander of the artillery of the 3rd Division, Major van der Smissen had arrived. Lux’ battery was assigned to the 2nd Brigade (Major-General Alexander Carel Joseph Gislain d’Aubremé) of Chassé’s 3de Nederlandsche Divisie Division, [1] not taking part in the battle of Quatre-Bras. However, during the battle of Waterloo, d’Aubremé’s Brigade stood near Braine l’Alleud village on the far right flank. Therefore, the more mobile Horse artillery battery ‘Krahmer’ was attached to it, while the battery ‘Lux’ came on the inner left wing of the Division, attached to the 1st Brigade (Colonel Hendrik Detmers) which occupied the village itself.
At 3.00 p.m., Brigade ‘Detmers’ was ordered to link up with the British 2nd Division (Clinton), placed in second line on the right wing of the Anglo-Allied army. Initially, two infantry battalions and the Foot artillery battery ‘Lux’ had to remain in Braine l’Alleud. When it became clear that this flank was not threatened by the French, these units were also or-dered to move, joining the Division again
which was placed in low ground along the chaussee from Nivelles to Mont St. Jean, about 500 metres behind the Guard brigades ‘Byng’ and ‘Maitland’. Arriving here, Foot artillery battery ‘Lux’ was united with the Horse artillery battery ‘Krahmer’ and positioned some distance behind the infantry under the command of Major van der Smissen. When around 7.30 p.m. Lieutenant-General Chassé noticed that the fire of the British artillery in front of him slackened, because of sustained casualties of the heavy French artillery fire and lack of ammunition, in addition observing the advance of the French Guard, on his own account he ordered Major van der Smissen to sent Horse artillery battery ‘Krahmer’ into the firing line. A short while later, Foot artillery battery ‘Lux’ was also ordered to advance. Unfortunately, the less experienced Captain Lux decided to use a hollow road for his advance, which was stopped by an overturned caisson, blocking any further movement. After having extricated his battery from this mess, his advance was hampered again, this time by masses of foot and horse and the difficult terrain. In addition both half batteries lost sight of each other, with the forward half battery straying off in the direction of Mont Saint Jean.
Because of all this, the battery never reached the firing line, and the contribution of battery ‘Lux’ to the outcome of the battle has been insignificant. Later both half batteries found back each other again, and for the rest of the day stayed in reserve with d’Aubremé’s Brigade. According to some sources the battery finally deployed behind the hollow road, at the same spot where Maitland’s Guards had beaten off the attack of the French Guards, but in any case it did not fire a single shot. Apparently, Lux’ lack of experience, and the heavy and cumbersome equipment of his battery with all its gunners on foot walking alongside the guns and limbers, were the main cause of the inactivity of his battery. The battery bivouacked on the crest, between the battered British batteries. During the battle, the battery ‘Lux’ lost about 10 men dead or wounded.
After Waterloo, the 3de Nederlandsche Divisie became part of the 1st Netherlands Army Corps (Prince William of Orange), which took part in the advance on Paris. On 5 July the 2nd Brigade of the 3rd Division, including battery ‘Lux’, occupied the Montmartre suburb of Paris. After that, all Netherlands artillery bivouacked in the Bois de Boulogne, west of Passy. On 17 July, the 3de Nederlandsche Divisie moved to the valley of Montmor-ency, with the Foot artillery battery ‘Lux’ at Domont, its train detachment 3 kilometres to the northeast in Moiselles. On 29 November the battery marched back to the Netherlands with the 2nd Brigade, being garrisoned in Mechelen, where its personnel was gradually replaced by men of the southern Netherlands.
Netherlands Artillery in the Waterloo Campaign 1815 Part III: Artillery Batteries and Companies
Netherlands Artillery in the Waterloo Campaign 1815 Part II: Artillery Officers [First Empire 72]
Netherlands Artillery in the Waterloo Campaign 1815 Part I [First Empire 71]
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