Left Wing History:
Waterloo 1815
Initial Deployment
by Gary Cousins, Germany
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“As the last gleaner lingering on a field, that has been searched over and over again, but few ears of corn can be expected to fall to my share; so, not to leave it entirely empty-handed, I am compelled to pick up a few straws, which coming from such a field as Waterloo, are perhaps worth preserving.”
[1]
“…nothing very serious…”
Major-General Sir Richard Hussey Vivian (later 1st Lord Vivian) (1775-1842). By Sir Martin Shee (1769-1850).
During the 1815 campaign, the 6th (Light) Cavalry Brigade of Wellington’s “Army of the Netherlands” comprised the British 10th and 18th Hussars and the 1st Hussars of the King’s German Legion (K.G.L), and was commanded by Major-General Sir Richard Hussey Vivian.
Arriving too late to be engaged at the Battle of Quatre Bras on the 16th June, and suffering only light casualties during the retreat on the 17th June, on the 18th June Vivian’s Brigade began the day at a strength of about 1,274 rank and file. [2]
But evidently initial instructions about the opening position and general operation of Vivian’s Brigade were given to Vivian by Wellington, through Colonel Sir William Howe De Lanc-ey, the Deputy Quartermaster General. Lieu-tenant
Ingilby, of Gardiner’s “E” Troop of the
British Royal Horse Artillery, attached to
Vivian’s Brigade, recalled that, when he returned
from an errand (to scout for routes in
case a further retreat was necessary):
“…I reached [the Troop] about half-past ten
o’clock [in the morning of the 18th June], and immediately
proceeded to make my report to Sir Hussey
Vivian. I found Sir William Delancy [sic] with him,
and it was at this time I became acquainted with the
instructions he was receiving from the Duke of Wellington,
through Sir William Delancy, for the operation
of his brigade during the day.” [5]
“Sir William Delancy was with Sir H.
Vivian, and I learned the ultimate position of
the Brigade was to be on the extreme left of
the Line, and that Sir H. Vivian would be in
communication with the Prussians, for whom
a look-out was to be kept, and who would
arrive on our left…
…Sir H. Vivian’s Brigade was not to
engage, and be kept entire, until the arrival of
the Prussians…” [6]
Vivian was certainly keen to stir his artillery
that morning, as Captain Dyneley, also of
“E” Troop, remembered:
“The next morning (18th) we were turned
out by Vivian and half a dozen galloping
aides-de-camp after him, who came into our
camp calling out: “Turn out artillery! turn out
artillery!” We thought by the noise they made
we should have the fellows upon us before we
had time to hook in; however, we were not
long in moving off, and had advanced about
half a mile when we came upon the French
army.” [7]
Between 10 and 11 a.m. the cavalry brigades
left their bivouacs for their assigned
positions. [8]
Vivian’s Brigade was posted on
the extreme left of Wellington’s position:
“…[The 10th and 18th Hussars] were in
line, in rear of the Wavre road, and withdrawn
a little from the crest of the ridge: the right of
the 10th resting upon a lane, which, leading up
from Smohain, crossing over the position, and
descending along its reverse slope, proceeds
in the direction of the village of Verd-cocou.
The 1st Hussars of the King’s German legion
were also in line, and formed in reserve. The
left of the brigade was completely en l’air,
upon high, open and flat ground; the main
ridge widening considerably in that direction…” [9]
The Brigade had a picket in Smohain,
with an advanced post on the further side of
the village, a chain of vedettes on the rising
ground beyond, and a patrol on the road towards
Ohain. [10]
To its right was the 4th (Light) Cavalry
Brigade of Sir John Ormsby Vandeleur, comprising
the British 11th, 12th and 16th Light
Dragoons: and further to the right, and sepa-
rated from Vandeleur’s Brigade by a narrow
hedge-lined lane, were posted Oberst von
Vincke’s 5th Brigade and Oberst Best’s 4th
Brigade of Hanoverian Landwehr infantry,
both part of the 5th British-Hanoverian Infantry
Division (under Lieutenant-General Sir
Thomas Picton) for the day.
Vivian’s Brigade stood to the rear of the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd
Netherlands Infantry Division: this brigade
was temporarily under the command of Oberst
H.S.H. Prinz Bernhard von Sachsen-Weimar,
and held the villages and farms on the far left
in the Ohain valley. Gardiner’s “E” Troop of
the British Royal Horse Artillery (five 6-pdrs.
and a 5½” howitzer) was attached to Vivian’s
Brigade, and there was other artillery in the
area: Stevenart’s Netherlands Foot Battery
(after the Battle of Quatre Bras, down to two
6-pdrs. and a borrowed 5½” howitzer, and
now commanded by Lieutenant Winssinger),
attached to Sachsen-Weimar’s Brigade, and
placed on a height behind Smohain; and von
Rettberg’s Hanoverian Foot Battery (five 9-pdrs. plus a 5½” howitzer), attached to the
Hanoverian infantry. [11]
As the battle began, outposts were pulled
back to a degree, and Vivian’s and
Vandeleur’s Brigades were ordered to withdraw
behind the crest of the position and dismount
for better cover; [12] and a minor probing
action by the French against the left of
Wellington’s line was seen by some of the
outposts; [13] but otherwise, in this position,
Vivian’s Brigade saw little action during the early part of the day, for as Vivian said: “…On the extreme left nothing very serious took place. It was appuyéd on a village which was immensely strong, and defensible by a very small number of men.” [14]
But about now Vivian and the other brigade commanders received new instructions: “…About the time of commencing the Action, an order arrived from Lord Anglesey [Uxbridge] to Generals Vandeleur and Vivian to engage the Enemy, whenever they could do so with advantage without waiting for orders…” [15]
Ingilby (quoted earlier) did not say that Vandeleur was given similar early instructions by Wellington (through De Lancey), at the same briefing as Vivian. Vandeleur’s account, listing the orders he was given early in the day, mentioned no such orders, [16] so (unless
his memory had failed when he wrote) he may only have received Uxbridge’s orders, and may have been clearer about what was expected of him.
But perhaps Vivian, with potentially conflicting orders from Wellington and Uxbridge, might have had reason for being
confused. He may also have had little opportunity to seek clarification if it was needed:
the new orders were not given personally by Uxbridge but through his staff, and having
issued them from the centre of the position, and as the attacks upon Hougoumont began,
Uxbridge then rode towards the right to meet Wellington and to communicate with the cavalry
on that flank. [17]
Left Wing History Waterloo 1815: Vivian's 6th Cavalry Brigade
Left Wing History (2) Prussian I Corps
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In the first of an occasional series, Gary Cousins looks at events in lesser-known parts of the battleground of the 1815 campaign, beginning with some observations on the experiences of Vivian's 6th (Light) Cavalry Brigade on Wellington's
left flank.