Long before many (British) historians started to doubt if the infantry brigade of Major-General van Bijlandt was positioned behind the hollow road and thus was secured by the ridge from any destructive fire from the French Grand Battery, numerous sketched maps were made by the involved officers. One of these was made shortly after by the chief of staff of the 2nd Netherlands Division, Colonel van Zuijlen van Nyevelt, which we show here. Another one was made by van Bijlandt himself shortly afterwards, also showing the brigade to be positioned in full protection of the ridge from the start of the battle.
For similar evidence look at an older post we made here a year ago, regarding the Hanoverians that collected mapping material for Wlliam Siborne, which he ignored at the time. And had been ignored ever after: Bijlandt's brigade behind the hollow road.
With Craan's map of the battle dated 1816, we now thus have a total of four (4!) further documents in the form of (sketched) maps that reveal Bijlandt's brigade was behind of the hollow road from the start of the battle. All of this is ofcourse further corroborated by the many accounts of veterans from 1815 who fought that day in this brigade at Waterloo, which we have published.
Sketch of the battlefield of Waterloo, by Colonel (chief of staff) Van Zuijlen van Nyevelt.
If you had any doubt that this subject was still a controversy on the battle of Waterloo: No, it no longer is!
You can all read about it in our book Standing firm at Waterloo, directly available here for ordering online.
