"And it was absolutely sure." Topic

Just FYI, during the recent discussion of the headgear of the 28th Foot at Waterloo, I attempted to confirm its divisional assignment to know which volume of Waterloo memoirs would contain accounts. I googled "British Fifth Division, Waterloo" and was immediately informed by my computer's AI that the British Fifth Division could not be related to Waterloo, since it was only created in 1914. So it was nice to have that clarified.

Robert, I asked Google AI 2 questions, here is the response. For the first question, 15 linked articles supplied by it.

My Question:

Please give me all the information you can on the British 28th regiment of foot at the battle of Waterloo.

AI Response:

The 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot was one of the most distinguished British infantry units at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. Renowned as hard-bitten veterans of the Peninsular War, they played a pivotal role in holding the Allied center-left line against massive French assaults. They achieved the unique honor of being the only English infantry regiment mentioned by name in the Duke of Wellington's famous Waterloo Despatch. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Organization & Command Structure
The 28th Foot served in the 5th Infantry Division under Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton. They were grouped into the 8th British Brigade, commanded by Major General Sir James Kempt. [1, 2]
A chain of severe casualties forced rapid leadership transitions during the battle: [1]
* Colonel Charles Philip Belson: Began the day commanding the 28th Foot. He was elevated to brigade command early in the battle after Sir James Kempt was wounded.
* Lieutenant Colonel Robert Nixon: Took over from Belson but was wounded around 6:30 PM.
* Captain Kelly: Assumed command next, until he was also wounded.
* Captain Caddell: Successfully led the regiment through the end of the battle. [1]

Demographics and Strength
* Total Strength: The regiment brought 625 officers and men into the fray. [1]
* Nationality: Despite its regional title, only four men were actually from Gloucestershire. The unit's composition was almost an exact split between Irish soldiers (49%) and English soldiers (46%), with the remaining 5% consisting of small Scottish, Welsh, and foreign detachments. The English troops hailed predominantly from Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall. [1]
* Experience: The unit was filled with seasoned, battle-hardened troops who carried physical scars from brutal Peninsular War campaigns like the Battle of Albuhera. [1, 2]

Key Actions at the Battle of Waterloo
The 28th Foot spent the battle positioned on the crucial reverse slope just east of the Brussels-Charleroi road. This tactical positioning protected them from heavy French artillery before close-quarters combat began. [1]
* Repulsing D'Erlon's Attack: Around 1:30 PM, Count d'Erlon's I Corps launched a massive assault of 14,000 French infantrymen. The 28th Foot advanced to a hedge line, caught a deploying French column through the thick smoke, and delivered a devastating volley before launching a counter-charge. [1, 2]
* The "Belgian" Confusion: During their counter-advance, a fresh enemy column materialized out of the smoke. Several British officers mistook them for Allied Dutch-Belgian troops and shouted, "Don't fire! They are Belgians!". The mistake was caught just as the French troops turned and retreated. [1]
* Holding the Square: Throughout the day, the 28th Foot had to form defensive squares to repel relentless charges by French cavalry. They stood firm alongside the 1st Royal Scots, relying on disciplined, close-range volleys to shatter the enemy cavalry momentum. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Uniforms and Distinctions
The 28th Foot stood out visually on the battlefield due to a mix of historical honors and supply timing:
* The Stovepipe Shako: While most British line infantry at Waterloo had transitioned to the newer Belgic shako, the 28th Foot famously continued to wear the older "stovepipe" style shako.
* Yellow Facings: Their uniforms featured distinctive yellow cloth on the collars and cuffs.
* The Back Badge: Though earned earlier at the Battle of Alexandria (1801)—where they fought back-to-back to defeat a French cavalry charge from the rear—the men proudly wore their unique regimental badge on both the front and the back of their headgear. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

My Question:

What is the consensus on their whole regiment wearing the stovepipe shako?

AI Answer:

The general consensus among modern military historians is that the 28th Regiment of Foot did indeed wear the older 1800-pattern "stovepipe" shako at Waterloo, making them the only standard line infantry regiment to do so. [1, 2]
However, because official records are ambiguous and 19th-century artwork contradicts itself, this topic remains one of the most fiercely debated "button-counter" arguments among military enthusiasts and historical modelers. [1, 2]

The Evidence Supporting the Stovepipe
Historians lean heavily toward the stovepipe shako due to several compelling pieces of evidence:
* The Unique Plate Modification: Documents and surviving artifacts show that the 28th Foot deliberately cut apart their standard-issue Universal shako plates to fit the stovepipe cap in a unique design. [1]
* The Continuation Request: Records indicate the 28th Foot actively requested a "continuance" to keep their older headgear. They were immensely proud of their "Back Badge" earned at Alexandria, and the stovepipe shako accommodated the dual-badge look much better than the new Belgic design. [1, 2, 3]
* Contemporary Sketching: Sketches and drawings made shortly after the battle by contemporary artist George Jones depict the 28th wearing the old-style, double-plated stovepipes. An auction of a brass shako plate linked to a post-Waterloo London exhibition in 1815 also featured the old-style badge. [1, 2]

The Source of the Confusion
If the consensus points to the stovepipe, why is there a debate? The ambiguity stems from two main sources:
1. The Battle of the Paintings: The two most famous artistic depictions of the regiment completely contradict each other. Lady Elizabeth Butler's iconic 1875 painting The 28th Regiment at Quatre Brasdepicts the men in the newer Belgic shako. Conversely, William Barns Wollen's The 28th Gloucestershire Regiment at Waterloo shows them in stovepipes. Butler historically ordered replica uniforms from a government manufacturer that used standard line infantry patterns, likely missing the 28th's unique exemption. [1, 2, 3]
2. Vague Bureaucracy: Official British Army supply manifests from the era rarely used the terms "stovepipe" or "Belgic". Clerks simply recorded shipments of "caps" or "felt regulation caps," making it incredibly difficult to track exactly when a unit received a new shipment. [1]

Did the Whole Regiment Wear It?
While the regiment as a collective unit retained the stovepipe style, historians note that 100% uniformity was rare on a Napoleonic battlefield. [1]
* Shakos had a standard life expectancy of about two years.
* Because the 28th had been on continuous, grueling campaigns in the Peninsula, individual soldiers frequently replaced lost or ruined headgear with whatever they could scavenge.
* It is highly probable that while the vast majority wore the stovepipe, a few individual replacement troops or officers might have sported the Belgic cap. [1, 2]
Ultimately, if you are painting miniatures or analyzing the battle, equipping the 28th Foot entirely in stovepipe shakos with front-and-back badges is considered the historically accurate consensus

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I next used your question. 14 links returned.

Question:

"British Fifth Division, Waterloo"

AI response:

At the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, the British 5th Infantry Division served as a vital component of the Duke of Wellington's Reserve Corps. Famously commanded by the eccentric and fiery Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Picton, the heavily depleted division held the left-center of the Anglo-Allied line. They successfully repulsed the massive opening assault by the French I Corps under Comte d'Erlon. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Order of Battle
The 5th Division was an Anglo-Hanoverian formation composed of two British regular brigades (8th under Maj-Gen Kempt, 9th under Maj-Gen Pack) and one Hanoverian militia brigade (Col von Vincke), along with field artillery. [1]
* 8th British Brigade: 1/28th, 1/32nd, 79th Foot, 1/95th Rifles
* 9th British Brigade: 3/1st (Royal Scots), 42nd (Black Watch), 2/44th, 92nd Highlanders
* 5th Hanoverian Brigade: Landwehr Battalions (Gifhorn, Hameln, Hildesheim, Peine)
* Divisional Artillery: Capt. Roger's Battery (RA), Capt. Braun's Battery (Hanoverian) [1]

Key Actions and the Death of Picton
Following heavy losses at Quatre Bras on June 16, where Picton concealed a severe wound, the 5th Division held the Allied left-center. Dressed in civilian attire due to lost luggage, Picton commanded the under-strength division. On June 18, the division stood behind the Ohain road and, as Dutch-Belgian forces fell back, Picton ordered a charge against d'Erlon's column. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Picton was killed instantly by a musket ball in the temple during this action, with Maj-Gen Kempt taking command. Aided by cavalry charges, the 5th Division successfully broke the French assault. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

I then asked for everything it could give me on the 5th Div at Waterloo. Much longer, with position details, OOB and much more.

Is this 100% accurate? I Did not follow up the links. But it seems to be pretty good based on memory.

I especially liked the stovepipe response.