Cannons at a Rapid Gait
British Royal Horse Artillery
1793-1815

RHA Uniform Plates:
Mercer Troop G at Waterloo
(73K)

© by Keith Rocco
© by Mark Churms

Keith Rocco

Keith Rocco's painting portrays Mercer's Troop G in action at Waterloo in front of two squares of Brunswick infantry. The Duke of Wellington, center, is astride his famous horse, Copenhagen. To Wellington's right is Lord Uxbridge, commander of the cavalry, wearing his colonel's uniform of the 7th Hussars. Following Wellington is Sir William Delancey, the Duke's able staff officer who was killed at the battle. To the left in the painting, in front of Wellington, is Captain Alexander Cavalie Mercer, who constantly rode up and down his line of guns throughout the battle. Rocco accurately shows how close together Mercer's gun were.

Casualties among the troops and the exhausted state of those still serving the pieces prevented the possibility of the guns always being run up after each round was fired.

Mark Churms

This new painting by Mark Churms shows Capt. Mercer riding his charger Cossack through driving rain as he leads his battery to the ridge of Mont Saint jean on the eve of the battle of Waterloo. After the battle, Mercer was promoted and given D troop, which was then disbanded. Despite eventual promotion to the rank of general, Mercer believed that he was unjustly ignored and received little recogntion of his service at Waterloo due to remarks made by jealous brother officers during the occupation of Paris following the battle.

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