"Union Brigade at Waterloo" Topic

Does anyone have a reference that points to the positions of the three Heavy Dragoon regiments – left to right – in the Union Brigade at Waterloo? I am trying to make a mini-diorama and don't want to finish and then someone tell me "but the Scots Greys were on the right…"

Thanks in advance,

Dale

Evelyn Wood "Cavalry in the Waterloo Campaign" link

Unfortunately the map is incomplete but you will see looking from the Anglo-Allied position, initially the 6th Dragoons (Inniskillings) were on left, 1st dragoons on the right and the 2nd Dragoon (Scots Greys) in the second line and the

Ref Adkin's Waterloo Companion pg. 158; at 11:30 am they were to the east of the Brussels road, facing the French (facing south) the 1st Royal Dragoons were on the right, to their left were the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons and to the rear of the 6th were the and 2nd RNB Dragoons. All three regiments were in column.

For the attack at 1:45-2:15 all the regiments were in line in the same position but east of Whinyates Rocket Det, facing south on the right 1st RD, middle 6th and on the left the 2nd RNB. pg. 348. As they were line of squadrons they took up about 600 metres of frontage.

There is a good sketchmap in the Waterloo Letters – P38

Unfortunately the map is folded in this source

link

I think this is the same map here

The memorandum in letter is interesting:-

Prior to the action "the Brigade had been standing in line in the hollow behind La Haye Sainte, with their right about 250 yards on the left of the Brussels road".

"The cannon shot that passed over the crest of the ridge was beginning to fall pretty fast, the Brigade was advanced slowly towards the ridge by the Troops wheeling to the left, and taking ground to the right by the flank march of Threes".

"On arriving very near the top of the ridge the Column fronted, and halted for perhaps four or five minutes.
The Marquis of Anglesey came up at speed….wheeled the Royals and Inniskillings into line and ordered them to charge, the Greys forming a second line in reserve".

Wyndham #40 – Greys. "We moved up, and I think took ground to the left to get more under cover of the hill."

"We afterwards wheeled into line".

Stratton relying on Maddox #43 – We were in column and wheeled into line.

Miller #46 even mentions the Inniskillings dismounting at the foot of the hill, marching up the hill on foot then remounting at the top of the hill".

In the unpublished letters Clarke #31 mentions the Greys being in line "then wheeled half squadrons to the right thus forming an open column to the right. Subsequently they received a sudden order to wheel again 'left into line'and attack immediately."

The interesting thing about these columns is that the Troops were not in a column one Troop behind the other facing the French but one Troop behind the other facing to the flank. This would allow lateral movement before wheeling the Troops into line.

The flank march by threes means that the Troops were first in line, then wheeled by Troop to form an open column facing to the left, then performed "Threes Right" to form a flank column each Troop now having a frontage of six horses. Each column then moves up in parallel to the line of deployment then "fronts" back into the open column of Troops. Flank march by "threes" is a normal means of adjusting the location of a line rather than advancing in line and dealing with the obstacles in the way.