Absolvo te……your penance is……..etc
( I had an Irish RC upbringing……)
They were the most easterly (ie right) placed unit of Napoleon's left wing at "Waterloo". They were sent out when the first worry was that there just might be some Prussians…in small numbers hopefully……..trying to spoil the whole thing.
They were way, way, out on Boney's right wing therefore. All on their own.
Facing the Bois de Paris. Looking into the woods that Blucher's Army might just emerge from (OK Bulow's 4th Corps of). But not into the woods…big mistake….even for cavalry.
The whole point is that if they had gone a bit further east, just what they might have achieved. Imagine the marching the Prussians had already done, even if Bulow's lads had not seen action yet……the mud and the inclines, surprising for Belgium unless you have been there…….the congestion and awful staff work on tiny 19thC roads………..
A dozen skirmishers with carbines would have caused hours of delays. A Light Cavalry Regt……………the 4th Corps would never have got there before dark.
More than one recent writer has excused Marbot and his unit, suggesting that the fault was in the Staff and their orders.
shares his techniques for painting, rigging and basing Age of Sail warships.
