During the two hour long episode of the cavalry charges there was a brief pause halfway, during which several French horsemen taunted their adversaries. Some men to men duels were fought in front of the positions, among which three recorded incidents with cavalrymen from the Netherlands regiments.
Take a look here of how we present this in our soon to be published Volume Three.
(Scene from the Waterloo panorama where the 1st Nassau Regiment is being charged)
After almost an hour of continuous charges across the sodden and difficult terrain in which the horses were much fatigued, there was a brief pause. Both sides were forced to regroup and give their mounds some rest. During this period there were a few incidents between cavalrymen, as French riders came forward and provoked their adversaries to a personal duel. In front of Ghigny’s brigade, positioned behind Alten’s division close to La Haye Sainte, Sergeant-Major Fundter recalled the following:
An odd spectacle now took place as the regiment advanced and came opposite the 12ème Cuirassiers. This regiment, of which the bulk of the old 14e of that arm, the former Dutch cuirassiers of Colonel Trip had been attached to, counted many old comrades-in-arms among our ranks, who recognised eachother and called their names. This was especially the case with a certain dragoon Jansen, called the funny one, who was called from all sides. While standing in line, uninterruptedly these cuirassiers and chasseurs of the 6ème Régiment, standing close by, rode along the front and fired their pistol or carbine on the regiment and challenged ours to a duel. And although this was accepted by many of ours, many of our young men were nevertheless not experienced in it. On this occasion Captain Maschek was killed, while he was busy sending some of his men forward and the horse of Lieutenant Muijzer was wounded.
A little further to the right of the Allied cavalry there was apparently a French commanding officer of the cuirassiers who also left the rank and defied one of the Netherlands carabineer officers for a duel. It was 1st Lieutenant Jean Baptiste Simon Joseph de Lobel of the 2nd Carabiniers who spontaneously presented himself. Both men fought bravely and wounded eachother several times, before de Lobel finally had to yield after a sabre thrust on his forehead. For his courage he was awarded the medal 4th Class of the Militaire Willems Orde. Captain Krayenhoff described another incident, which involved one of the officers of the 4th Light Dragoons:
Lieutenant van Eupen commanding the 2nd platoon of the 3rd squadron was affronted by the taunts of the trompette-major of the 6e Régiment des Chasseurs à cheval, who came to the front in a defiant manner and expressed insulting remarks, and took his chance to charge the trompette-major and drove him back to his regiment with a few sabre cuts. As he returned his horse was shot dead and he collapsed and a voltiguer from the 2nd [sic] Nassau Usingen Regiment rushed to the front and took our brave Lieutenant van Eupen into the square and he soon rejoined the regiment, took his position mounted on a troopers horse.
[Text to be edited prior to publication]
The history presented by Sovereign House Books on the part played by the Netherlands field army in 1815 is the most detailed one over the last 100 years.
In fact no other history up to this date, or in anticipation of 2015, will present such a fine history. With our 2 volumes yet published, we already offer some very fine books through A4 page-publications.
Now already totalling 486 pages! And with Volume Three in sight by May 2014, this number of pages will expand to over 750+ !!!! So just think of that with another 4th volume on the way in 2015...
Complete with dozens of unknown quotes, further sources mentioned in the note apparatus, and above all a fine collection of illustrations.
Whatever there will be published on 1815... nothing will beat the contents of our publications!!!!
The period between 4 and 6 o'clock in the afternoon of 18 June is well described as the great cavalry charges made by the French and ordered by Marshall Ney.
Of course these will be presented in our next volume as well, but did you ever wonder that this carnage of France's splendid cavalry was not the original plan to launch a second main assault at the lines of the Duke of Wellington? But instead there was a plan to move forward the infantry again! Well, how it all happened is going to be described in the greatest detail, especially as you realise that 40% of the cavalry that defended Wellington's positions during the episode in the battle was made up of units from the Netherlands field army.
Volume Three has an enormous amount of sources to use and quote, like never before. If ever before there was a chance to get acquainted with new material in this worldwide most famous battle of Waterloo.... then here is your chance!
Did things really happen as Lieutenant-général Milhaud, commander of the French 4e Corps de Cavalérie here mentions:
An hour after this successful action, we received three times the order to take the great plateau, which was occupied with more than 20,000 English infantry and 10,000 English and Hanoverian horses. A plateau which had not been taken yet by the infantry. The 4e Corps, supported by the 3e Corps and the cavalry of the Garde, charged with interpridety and by brigade upon the plateau. It overtook five or six English squares and a line of cavalry, three times stronger, and after sabering thousands of English infantrymen gained 40 positional guns, slashed the gunners in place who had no time to find shelter in the openings prepared for them to be received.
Find out soon, when you can read the experiences of the Netherlands cavalry, its countercharges, its bravery and ulitimate commitment to safeguard the nations indepedance and be part of a new Europe.
The Hougoumont compound was defended not merely by the British Guards, or detachements from the Hanoverians, but right from the start to the end by the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Nassau Regiment under the command of Captain Büsgen. The story of these Nassau defenders is the main focal point, when we present the staunch defence of Hougoumont in our 3rd volume. Through the accounts left to us of not only Captain Büsgen, but also of Sergeant Andreas Buchsieb and Private Leonhard we experience the hard fight for the farm, garden orchard and wood.
And to achieve and present an even further balanced history numerous French memoirs are included as well, such as that of Chef de Bataillon Jolyet from the 1e Léger, or Sous-Lieutenant Puvis serving in the 93e Ligne, and ofcourse other account from General Foy, the chiefs of staff of the 5e and 9e Division Trecon and Lemonnier DelaFosse, or Comte Reille, etc, etc.
Thus resulting in an exciting history for you to read! And we do have some nice quotes to look at as a preview, when you click the 'read more' button. So don't hesitate and...
Read more ...
That is going to be the title of our 3rd Volume.... Standing firm at Waterloo.
A third volume in a series on the Netherlands field army in the 1815 campaign, which up and until now has already added an enormous wealth of additional and for the most part also often unknown material to the historiography of this campaign. No doubt this 3rd volume adds even more new insights and information on the role of the Netherlands troops in the Battle of Waterloo.
Illustrated with dozens of quotes from the Netherlands troops as well as their French adversaries, this history provides a balanced account of the battle.
You simply cannot afford to miss this history!
Whether you are generally interested in the Napoleonic Wars, or an afficionado on Waterloo, a wargamer or re-enactor portraying one of the Netherlands units of the period, or even a serious historian on the battle and campaign.... THIS IS A MUST HAVE!!!
Volume Three is due for the end of May 2014.
