"Lost eagles at Waterloo" Topic

Two questions/remarks about the lost eagles at Waterloo.
First, it has always struck me as odd that the French lost"only" two eagles (45e and 105e) at Waterloo and both were lost in the early stages of the battle. What happened to the other eagles, did they leave the field early? ( I am thinking especially about the regiments in VIe corps, they were very hard pressed and involved in streetfighting in Plancenoit so the regimental cohesion would have been lost there, so where did they post their eagles during this time?)

Second I once read about the the French 55e linge also losing their eagle in the attack of D'Erlons corps but it was recovered by the French cavalry, I believe it was mentionned by Colonel Bro of the 4th Lanciers but cannot find the exact reference, has anyone more info on this?

As an aside – and not wishing to go off topic so early on (sorry) – one of my best friends can trace his ancestry to Lt George Gunning, 1st Royal Dragoons, who witnessed and gave evidence on the capture of the 105th eagle (it was contested who actually did capture the eagle).

I always assumed that the Eagles would be protected to the last and hidden (secreted away) amongst the troops if the eagle was threatened – I seem to recall the like happening during the retreat from Moscow, as an example.

First, it has always struck me as odd that the French lost"only" two eagles (45e and 105e) at Waterloo and both were lost in the early stages of the battle.

The thing to remember about this is how few Eagles the French Army carried in comparison to their opponents, so one Eagle per regiment of 4 battalions, as opposed to 2 flags per British battalion for example. So if you are using Eagles/Standards as a rough guide to how well a side was doing, you should multiply Eagle losses by about 8 for Waterloo.

Indeed Whirlwind and the entire guard carried only two eagles. Still you should have expected the prussians in their relentless pursuit to capture one… thats why maybe the eagles left the field early I don't know

The most part of the Prussian pursuit took part after nightfall, when it is easy to hide an eagle even from the sight of men who are only a few paces away – just by lowering it.

"it has always struck me as odd that the French lost "only" two eagles"

I was just reading 'Waterloo Letters' which has an account by Lt-Col Miller of the Iniskilling Dragoons of a private taking an Eagle – p. 88
This would have been from the centre french column of Donzelot and probably the 17th Fr. Line.
A Private Penfold took the eagle after a brief struggle in which the staff was broken. He then gave it to another man and it was last seen being taken toward Brussels with the French prisoners.
Unfortunately no other account or direct confirmation is given.

Many a story of the third eagle taken, indeed even in Wellington's dispatch. Various versions described in books published this last year. Best known tales are either taken but recaptured but also this strange story on the 6th (Inniskillings)Dragoons taking one and it being handed over to another regt's trooper.

Must confess my reaction has always been, to dismiss as irrelevant (nowadays anyway). Surely over 150 cannon taken, with most the train, is more important. They look good in museums and make great Perry Vignettes, but, if you wish to win a war……….

Boney came back to Paris with more trophies than DoW or Blucher had……..well various standards taken by his cavalry.Little good it did him.

Indeed Deadhead, it looks rather irrelevant to us, but certainly not to the contemporaries where winning or losing an eagle/colour was headline news and meant great fame or deep disgrace. Hard to imagine this nowadays.
O. Schmidt, you have a good point about nightfall of course.

Most French regiments at Waterloo had two battalions, a few had three present, none of them four. Even during the retreat, a small core of soldiers around the eagle might convince enemy cavalry to look for easier pickings among those showing less fight.

On the other hand the fugitives were driven past Genappe that same night and given no chance to coalesce around the few still in order.

@vtsaogames
You might want to recheck that.
There was the 2nd Legere in Jerome's 6th division (who were transferred from 5th Division prior to QB), who had 4 battalions surrounding their Eagle.

MG

I heard they were burned by the French.

The eagles were burned during the retreat from Moscow in 1812. There wasn't time during the rout after Waterloo.

Thank you marshalGreg, I stand corrected.

The eagles were burned during the retreat from Moscow in 1812.

The colors and poles were burnt at the Berezina. The Eagles, being lumps of metal, were much less flammable. I assume these were spirited home by the survivors, thrown in bodies of water or buried to prevent capture, although I can't say I know for sure what happened to them.

Clausewitz remarked, that the main purpose of war was to destroy both your opponents ability and will to fight.

The taking of Napoleon's field artillery at Waterloo was a vitally important factor in this regard. The loss of the immediate array of caissons was also important, although they were probably empty by the time they were ditched. The main park was still in the neighborhood of Quatre Bras, if I'm not mistaken, but little good that was, when there were no cannon to be resupplied.

The loss of an eagle, or standard, was certainly devastating to the honor of the unit. However, in an attempt to redeem their honor and show they were still a worthy combat formation, in many cases, it could elevate the will of the unit to fight on. I have to agree with Deadhead, capturing these emblems didn't win wars – victory or loss was measured more in the count of prisoners, or cannon lost, than the number of standards taken in infrequent melee.