Left Wing History (3):
Waterloo 1815
Vivian’s Journey to the Right…
by Gary Cousins, Germany
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Siborne’s History stated that, due to error, Vivian’s Brigade initially halted on the left of the Brussels-Charleroi road, until Uxbridge personally brought it to the right place, to the west of the road: “The Brigade had previously, in consequence
of a mistake in the transmission of
orders, been halted on the left of the high road
about midway between the front line and the
farm of Mont St. Jean; whence, however, it
was speedily brought forward, and posted as
above, by Lord Uxbridge.” [25]
Siborne passed over the identity of the
person responsible for the error, but in one of
his letters of 1837 Vivian elaborated, and
named the culprit as one of Uxbridge’s ADCs:
“On the march, in consequence of a mistake
on the part of Capn. Horace Seymour,
who (Lord Anglesey having left me to proceed
towards the centre in order to see where I
could be of most use) brought me an order
from Lord Anglesey, I understood to form line,
I wheeled my Brigade into line immediately
before reaching the high road & with my right
touching on it. I remained there some few
minutes, until Lord Anglesey discovering the
mistake came & moved me on” [26]
However, Vivian’s halt did allow him to
observe the situation on the left:
“I have mentioned this because it enables
me to speak to what was then occurring on the
position on the left of the road, where there
was much firing, but I should not say any
determined attack.” [27]
Left Wing History (3) Vivian’s 6th (Light) Cavalry Brigade on the 18th June 1815
Left Wing History (2) Prussian I Corps
Left Wing History (1) Waterloo 1815: Vivian's 6th Cavalry Brigade
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