Netherlands Artillery
in the Waterloo Campaign

Foot Artillery Battery ‘Stevenart’

by Geert van Uythoven, The Netherlands

This ‘southern’ battery was served by a company of the 4th Line artillery battalion. The battery was commanded by Captain Emmanuel-Joseph Stevenart (30 years old). Other officers: 1st Lieutenant George Frederik Ruysch van Coevorden; 2nd Lieutenant Charles Emile van de Wall; 2nd Lieutenant Leopold Winssinger (20 years old). Train detachment: 2nd Lieutenant F. van Ga(h)len. On 12 June 1815 the battery had a strength of 3 officers, 116 others, and 3 horses. The train detachment had a strength of 2 officers, 137 others, and 248 horses.

This battery was armed with six short 6-pdr bronze cannon, and two 24-pdr (iron) bronze howitzers. Stevenart made mobile the first southern foot artillery battery. Being assigned to De Perponcher’s 2de Nederlandsche Divisie, this battery was present at Quatre-Bras on 16 June. The Netherlands troops were in order of battle about 2,000 paces south of the crossroads. Foot artillery battery ‘Stevenart’ was deployed with four cannon and two howitzers just west of Gemioncourt. They were covered by the 3rd battalion of the 2nd Regiment Nassau. To the left and slightly in front of them, the Horse artillery battery ‘Bijleveld’ was deployed.

The 4th section of two cannon, commanded by Lieutenant Leopold Winssinger, was deployed more to the west, just south of Bois de Bossu and behind Grand Pierrepont, to reinforce the right wing of the 2nd Brigade (Prince Karel Bernhard, Duke of Saxen-Weimar. This section was covered by two companies of the 1st bat/2nd Regiment Nassau in skirmish order. All vehicles of the battery were left behind Quatre-Bras itself. During the morning of the 16th only some minor skirmishing took place, but around 14.00 p.m. Marshal Michel Ney started his attack in earnest. The French deployed two batteries (fourteen guns) just north of Frasnes, which concentrated theirfire on Captain Bijleveld’s horse artillery battery first. As a result, Bijleveld had to retreat his remaining four guns to a new position between Gemioncourt and Quatre-Bras. Next, the French gunners turned their attention to Stevenart’s battery, which by order of Prince William of Orange also retreated to a new position at the edge of Bois de Bossu, from where it could deliver flanking fire on the chaussee from Charleroi. Deployed again Captain Stevenart resumed fire, but immediately all French guns concentrated their fire on the battery again, and having fired only a few shots Stevenart was killed by an exploding shell, and with him many horses and gunners. Badly shaken, the survivors left their position, making their way back to the crossroads as best as they could with two guns moving through the Bois de Bossu itself. Recovering behind Quatre-Bras Farm, the gunners were able to reform their battery with five guns usable.

Advancing again, they took up position to the right and somewhat further back of the Horse artillery battery ‘Bijleveld’ which as we already have seen was deployed between Gemioncourt and Quatre-Bras. Luck was again not on their side though, because already a few moments later the battery was charged by some squadrons of the 6me Régiment Chasseurs à Cheval when the attack of Van Merlen’s light cavalry brigade had been defeated, during which attack all officers were wounded, the gunners ridden down or sabred, and the battery captured. Captain Gey, noticing that the French cavalry was busy trying to carry off the guns, and using his own mounted gunners as cavalry reinforced with some volunteers charged the French, routed them and recaptured the guns, of which one could not be moved but was also retrieved later that day.

During the battle of Waterloo, although the guns had all been retrieved but because of the heavy losses sustained in personnel and material, only the section of Lieutenant Winssinger was able to take part. It was reinforced by a howitzer of the Horse artillery battery ‘Bijleveld’, serving a total of three guns. This battery was positioned on a height just north of Papelotte, supporting the 2nd Brigade (Saxen-Weimar) of the 2de Nederlandsche Divisie (De Perponcher) holding the far left flank of the Anglo-Allied army. No further details are available for this day. The battery ‘Stevenart’ had lost, except of its commander, so many men, horses, and material, that it was not able to take the field anymore except for the section of Lieutenant Winssinger; the remaining horses were sent to the Foot artillery battery ‘Kaempher’ to enable it to take the field. This section was the only artillery accompanying the 2nd Division during the initial days of its advance into France, with the Horse artillery battery ‘Bijleveld’ recovering in Brussels and only rejoining on 28th June, and the Foot artillery battery ‘Kaempfer’ joining on 19 July. On 30 June the section ‘Winssinger’ was absorbed into the Foot artillery company ‘Steenberghe’, which formed a new battery. The battery ‘Stevenart’ thus ceased to exist on that date.

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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