"Waterloo - Goodwin Colquitt" Topic

Further to my previous posts, please find an extract of a letter written by Lt-Col. Goodwin Colquitt, 2nd Battalion 1st Foot Guards. This section – from a lengthy series of letters I found recently – describes the events at Quatre Bras, a battle I know many of you wargame:

'We were suddenly moved from Enghien, where we had remained so many weeks in tranquillity, on the night of the 15th instant, or rather the morning of the 16th at three o'clock. We continued on our march through Braine-le-Comte, (which had been the Prince of Orange's headquarters,) and from thence to Nivelles, where we halted and the men began making fires and cooking. During the whole of this time, and as we approached the town, we distinctly heard a constant roar of cannon; and we had scarcely rested ourselves, and commenced dressing the rations, which had been served out at Enghien, when an aid-de-camp from the Duke of Wellington arrived, and ordered us instantly under arms, and to advance with all speed to Les Quatre Bras, where the action was going on with the greatest fury, and where the French were making rapid strides towards the object they had in view, which was to gain a wood, called "Bois de Bossu;" a circumstance calculated to possess them of the road to Nivelles, and to enable them to turn the flank of the British and Brunswickers, and to cut off the communication between them and the other forces which were coming up. The order was, of course, instantly obeyed; the meat which was cooking, was thrown away; the kettles &c. packed up, and we proceeded, as fast as our tired legs would carry us, towards a scene of slaughter, which was a prelude well calculated to usher in the bloody tragedy of the 18th.

We marched up towards the enemy, at each step hearing more clearly the fire of musquetry; and as we approached the field of action, we met constantly wagons full of men, of all the various nations under the duke's command, wounded in the most dreadful manner. The sides of the road had a heap of dying and dead, very many of whom were British; such a scene did, indeed, demand every better feeling of the mind to cope with its horrors; and too much cannot be said in praise of the division of guards, the very largest part of whom were young soldiers, and volunteers from the militia, who had never been exposed to the fire of an enemy, or witnessed its effects. During the period of our advance from Nivelles, I suppose nothing could exceed the anxiety of the moment, with those on the field. The French, who had a large cavalry and artillery, (in both of which arms we were quite destitute, excepting some Belgian and German guns,) had made dreadful havock [sic] in our lines, and had succeeded in pushing an immensely strong column of tirailleurs into the wood I have before mentioned, of which they had possessed themselves and had just began to cross the road, having marched through the wood, and placed affairs in a critical situation, when the guards luckily came into sight. The moment we caught a glimpse of them, we halted, formed, and having loaded, and fixed bayonets, advanced; the French immediately retiring; and the very last man who attempted to re-enter the wood, was killed by our grenadiers. At this instant, our men gave three glorious cheers, and, though we had marched fifteen hours without anything to eat and drink, save the water we had procured on the march, we rushed to attack the enemy. This was done by the 1st brigade, consisting of the 2d and 3d battalions of the first regiment; and the 2d brigade, consisting of the 2d battalion of the Coldstream and third regiment, were formed as a reserve along the chaussee. As we entered the wood, a few noble fellows, who sunk down overpowered with fatigue, lent their voice to cheer their comrades. The trees were so thick, that it was beyond anything difficult to effect a passage. As we approached, we saw the enemy behind them. Taking aim at us; they contested every bush, and at a small rivulet running through the wood, they attempted a stand, but could not resist us, and we at last succeeded in forcing them our of their possessions. The moment we endeavoured to go out of this wood (which had naturally broken us), the French cavalry charged us; but we at last found the third battalion, who had rather skirted the wood, and formed in front of it, where they afterwards were in hollow square, and repulsed all the attempts of the French cavalry to break them. Our loss was most tremendous, and nothing could exceed the desperate work of the evening; the French infantry and cavalry fought most desperately; and after a conflict of nearly three hours (the obstinacy of which could find no parallel, save in the slaughter it occasioned), we had the happiness to find ourselves complete masters of the road and wood, and that we had at length defeated all the efforts of the French to out-flank us, and to turn our right, than which nothing could be of greater moment to both parties. General Picton's superb division had been engaged since two o'clock P.M. was still fighting with the greatest fury; no terms can be found sufficient to explain their exertions. The fine brigade of Highlanders suffered most dreadfully, and so did all the regiments engaged. The gallant and noble conduct of the Brunswickers was the admiration of everyone. I myself saw scarcely any of the Dutch troops; but a regiment of Belgian light cavalry held a long struggle with the famous cuirassiers, in a way that can never be forgotten; they, poor fellows, were nearly all cut to pieces. The French cuirassiers charged two German guns, with the intent of taking them to turn them down the road on our flank. This charge was made along the chaussee running from Charleroi to Brussels; the guns were placed near the farm-house of Les Quatre Bras, and were loaded, and kept till their close arrival. Two companies (I think of highlanders) posted behind a house and dung hill, who flanked the enemy on their approach, and the artillery, received them with such a discharge, and so near, as to lay (with an effect like magic) the whole head of the column low; causing it to fly, and be nearly all destroyed. We had fought till dark; the French became less impetuous, and after a little cannonade they retired from the field. Alas! when we met after the action, how many were wanting among us; how many who were in the full pride of youth and manhood, had gone to that bourn, from whence they could return no more.'

1815.ltd.uk

A superb description of the action around Quatres Bras and Bois de Bossu including the fact that the Brunswickers, Dutch and Germans (Hanoverians) fought well.
Many thanks John

Belgians …. He said he didn't see any Dutch.

Very interesting read!

Interesting also about how the Belgian Chasseurs were manhandled by the Cuirassiers, but only after a "long struggle". Many games try to force a melee to be over with in a round, but here it sounds like desperate fighting until the Cuirassiers won out.

What I wonder is if the casualties to the Belgians were before or AFTER the break from the French. Most rules emphasize inflicting enough to cause a break but very few seem to reward the morale victors with oppotunities to get "nearly all cut to pieces".

Obviously not alot of damage was done to the French as the heavies had enough stamina to charge the guns afterwards. I suspect he is talking about the famous charge by them at Quatre Bras at that point.

Another thing I liked / noticed was the commitment of formed infantry into the woods, how the woods distinctly caused their disorder and how that disorder prompted an immediate cavalry charge when the debouched from the woods. If that could happen to them, then it happened to anyone in the same type of circumstance. LOL! You could almost hear the wargame rule describing it in your head while you read the account!

Great read again! It makes me want to go back home and dig out my books on Waterloo to read up again on Quatre Bras.
Larry

Larry,

The comment about the Belgian light cavalry and their long struggle with the French Cuirassiers – a clear reference to their courage – is most unusual, as the vast majority of letters written by British soldiers are highly critical of the Dutch and Belgians (as well as the Brunswick troops). The effect of the combat was, as you state, clealrly not enough to prevent the French from charging the Allied guns. Indeed, the various Dutch and Belgian accounts I have collected do not deny that their cavalry was over-run. But that, as they say, is a story for another day.

P.S. I'm pleased to see that it has inspired you to revisit the battle of Quatre Bras. Mike Robinson's book on the subject is worth considering, if you don't already have it.

Thank you for posting, another enjoyable read. I like the even hand he takes in his description and makes it clear that all the participants fought hard and contested ground.
Look forward to more.