These are two sample files of a much larger project, a dossier of maps, plans and text files on the Waterloo Campaign 1815. It will hopefully eventually include battle plans, orders of battle of British and Allied, French and Prussian armies, casualty lists, etc.. The date of completion is not yet known, as this project has to fit into any spare time I happen to have, which, at the moment, is not much.
D.Morfitt, September 1996, Tel.: (01203) 332483
Notes on the files:
1) Hougomont was a farm complex (grandiosely called a Chateau) on the British and Allied right flank, which had to be held to prevent the French from using a shallow valley (which Hougomont commanded) to go round the right flank of the Waterloo position. It was successfully held all day by a mixture of Allied troops, with a core of British guards units. Casualties were horrific, especially French. Napoleon originally intended the attack on Hougomont as a diversion, to draw off Allied troops from the centre, but his brother, Prince Jerome, fed more and more troops into the fight, so weakening the French rather than the Allies.
2) La Haye Sainte was a small farm complex just in front of the centre of the Allied position. It was held until 6pm by German troops, most notably infantry of the King's German Legion Light Battalions, exiles from Hanover (of which King George III was Elector or ruler) who had escaped from Germany and come to England when Napoleon conquered Hanover in 1803. KGL troops, cavalry and infantry, had acquired a magnificent reputation fighting with the British army in spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War (1808-1814). Around 5pm the troops holding La Haye Sainte ran out of ammunition and the French took the farm, leaving the Allies in great danger of a French push through the centre of their position. Major George Baring commanded the garrison of La Haye Sainte and left a very vivid account of its defence, which I hope to include in the dossier.
