Chapter I: Preface

This work--the ‘Journal of the Campaign of 1815’--was written by my father in its present form about forty years ago, from rough notes jotted down every evening after the scenes and events of the day were over. It has no pretension to be an account of the military operations of the war, but merely a diary of the writer’s own impressions--what he saw and felt while with the army, from the first landing in Belgium to the final embarkation for England. Of the great battle, no other description than that of the part taken in it by his own troop of Horse-Artillery, or those corps in his immediate vicinity, is given; but from its very nature as a diary, the tedium of out-quarters, the fatigues of the march, and the hardships of the bivouac, are made present, as it were, to the reader. My father having been a very good amateur artist, was much struck, of course, by new and picturesque scenes, consequently has described them _con amore_, and in considerable detail. The author himself belonged to a military race; all his family were either in the army or navy. He was the second son of General Mercer of the Royal Engineers, who, after serving on Sir H. Clinton’s staff during the American War of Independence, was more than twenty years commanding engineer in the West of England, where his honourable character procured him many friends. My father (also a general officer at the time of his death) was born in 1783, and passing as usual through the Military Academy at Woolwich, obtained a commission in the Royal Artillery at sixteen, and was sent to Ireland at the time of the Rebellion. In 1808 he went to the river Plate to join Whitelock’s unfortunate expedition, and covered the retreat from Buenos Ayres. This proved a most unhappy affair for him; for having been in South America, he was prevented from partaking in the glorious campaigns of the Peninsula, and only saw foreign service again in the campaign of Waterloo. After the peace, he was placed upon half-pay. In 1824 he was ordered to Canada, having the brevet rank of major (I should have noticed that at Waterloo he only held the rank of second captain, although commanding a troop--Sir Alex. Dickson, whose troop it was, being otherwise employed). In 1837, being then a lieutenant-colonel, he was again sent to North America, and commanded the artillery in Nova Scotia at the time when the Maine boundary-line threatened to terminate in a war between this country and the United States. He subsequently commanded the garrison at Dover, after which he retired from active service, although, being colonel-commandant of the 9th Brigade of Royal Artillery, he was never placed on the retired list. From that time to the period of his death, at the advanced age of eighty-five, he continued to reside at Cowley Cottage, near Exeter.

Another addition to the numerous books which have been published about Waterloo will hardly seem out of place at a time when the subject has been revived both here and in France. It would seem that men’s interest in this great “World Battle” is as strong now as fifty years ago; and although this little contribution will not elucidate any of the questions that are agitated, still (as far as memory serves) it is the first account of the campaign given to the world by an artillery officer, and may add another stone to the cairn raised to the glory of the British army and its immortal chief. At any rate, the surviving veterans of this stirring epoch will rejoice to go again over the scenes of their younger days; while the lovers of peace will congratulate themselves on the cessation of such strife between two noble nations, whose last (and may it continue to be the last) hostile _rencontre_ took place upon the plain of Waterloo.

CAVALIÉ A. MERCER.

TRIPOLI, SYRIA.

CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Preparations for Departure--Reports of Fugitives--Embarkation
and Departure--The Voyage--Off the Coast--First View of
Ostend--Aspect of the Coast--Ostend Harbour--Its Dangers--
Unceremonious Landing of Dragoon Horses, 1

CHAPTER II.

Confusion at Landing--Scene on Shore--Difficulties--Confusion
on the Beach--A Catastrophe--The Town by Night--Difficulties
of the March--Night Quarters--A Pleasant Change--Return
to Ostend--Waiting to Start--Costumes of the Natives--Scenes
in the Town--A Wreck--Fearful Scene--Impressions of Ostend, 14

CHAPTER III.

Change of Scenery--Arrival at Ghistel--Our Quarters there--Again
on the March--Arrival at Bruges--Our Hotel--First
Impressions of Bruges--Present and Past--The Stadthouse
and Cathedral--Mass in the Cathedral--The Worshippers--The
Ramparts--Dinner, 32

CHAPTER IV.

Eccloo--Arrival at Ghent--Our Quarters there--My Host--My
Quarters--Louis XVIII. and his Court--French Officers--Marshal
Marmont--French Deserters--Ghent--Street Architecture--The
Place D’Armes--Flemish Postilions--View
from the Citadel--The Corn-Market--The Hôtel de Ville--Meat
and Vegetable Markets--General Order and Cleanliness--A
Suppressed Monastery--The Cathedral--A Royal
Mass--Domestic Architecture--An Interior--Comfortable
Quarters--Numbers of Priests--Costumes--Character of the
People--Immorality--German and English Cavalry, 46

CHAPTER V.

Again on the March--The Pays de Waes--Lokeren--A Village
Curé--Dendermonde--My Quarters at St Gille--View from
my Windows--Kindness of the Natives--A Flemish Farmhouse--
Fertility of the Land--At Dinner--Our Host--Attachment
to Napoleon--Peace and War--Flemish Teams--Cattle
and Sheep--Dendermonde, 78

CHAPTER VI.

Excursion to Alost--Aspect of the Place--We Lose our
Way--Again on the Move--Parting with my Hostess--A Last
Breakfast--On the March--Change of Scenery--Views
from the Hills--Beauty of the Country--Arrival at
Strytem--The Château--Our Quarters there--Comfortless
Prospect--Family Portraits--Choosing our Quarters--A
Private Chapel--Increasing Comfort--Our Mess-Room--Karl--His
History--His Acquirements--An Interruption--The
Maire and his Following--A Garde-Champêtre--A Scene--M.
L’Adjoint’s Speech--Our Answer to it--I am peremptory--The
Deputation in a Fright--The Mayor in Safe
Keeping--Petit Jean--A Sleepless Night, 100

CHAPTER VII.

Occupations at Strytem--Our Fare--The Country round Strytem--
Beauty of the Scenery--Rich Cultivation--The Flemish
Farmers--Farming Establishments--Execrable Roads--Drunkenness--
Frog Concerts--Draining the Moat--Result of the Experiment--The
Duc de Berri--His Brutality--A Dog-Chase--Disposition of the
Troops--Visitors from England--The Duc de Berri again--Artillery
at Waterloo--Our Equipment--Our Organisation, 138

CHAPTER VIII.

My Difficulties--Plundering--The Duke and the Rocket Troop--
Ride to Ninove--Ninove--The great Monastery--A ruined
Convent--Liederkerke--Aspect of the Country--A Character--The
Lord of Gaesbeke--The Château de Gaesbeke--My Reception--The
Marquis D’Acornati--Interior of the Château: its desolate
Aspect--The Kitchen--The Grounds: their Beauty--Variety of
Views--History of the Château--Career of its Owner--His
Singularities--His Mode of Life--Visits to the Grounds, 163

CHAPTER IX.

Visit to Hal--Return to Strytem--Start for Brussels--First View
of Brussels--Its Internal Aspect--The Park--The Ramparts--The
Hôtel de Ville--The Cathedral--The Bruxellaises--The
Allée-Verte--Prince D’Aremberg--A Mistake--Anticipations
of the Campaign, 194

CHAPTER X.

Cavalry Review--The Duc de Berri again--His Unceremonious
Reception--The Duke and Blucher--Dinner after the Review--
Strytem again--New Species of Game--Change of Quarters--A
Death--Visit from our Host--Our Landlord--A Spy--Approaching
Departure, 212

CHAPTER XI.

Order to Advance--Preparations--Farewell to Strytem--On the
March--News from Brussels--Halt at Enghien--Doubts as
to my Route--Uncertainties--Braine le Comte--Still without
Orders--Beauty of the Scenery--We are left alone--Sounds
of Distant Battle--Pressing on--Nivelle--Excitement in the
Town--Signs of Battle--Fugitives from the Field--A Wounded
Highlander--Belgian Gasconading, 230

CHAPTER XII.

At Quatre Bras--Our Bivouac--Morning after the Battle--Our
Position--The Battle-Field--Position of the French--
Skirmishing--An Alarm--The Retreat--Aspect of the Field--A
Memento of Battle--Alone on the Field--Inactivity of the
Enemy--Their Advance--Orders and Counter-Orders--Napoleon--A
Storm--Our Danger--Our Narrow Escape--Our Retreat--Arrival
at Genappe--The Enemy again--In Action with them--The Rocket
Brigade--An Eccentric Missile--Panic among the Brunswickers--
Take up Position--Rejoin the Army--Bivouac for the Night--
Discomforts--Comfortless Night--Speculations as to the
Morrow--A Godsend, 253

CHAPTER XIII.

Morning of Battle--Survey of the Field--Alarm of Battle--
Commencement of the Battle--Orders at last--Take up Position--
The Field of Battle--View from our Position--Our
own Position--We open Fire--Our first Casualty--An Alarmed
Doctor--Death of Captain Bolton--A Wounded Horse--A Cavalry
Charge--Our Situation--Advance of Cavalry--Dangerous
Mistake--New Position--The Brunswickers--Danger of Panic--
Advance of Cavalry--Their Retreat--Our first Death--
Skirmishers--Attack Renewed--Effect of our Fire--The Cavalry
again Repulsed--A Narrow Escape--A third Attack and Repulse--
The Duke--Heavy Fire--Fearful Losses--Further Escapes--A
Remonstrance--Our Losses--Victory--Arrival of Prussians--The
Field by Moonlight--The Prussian Bivouac--Moonlight Thoughts, 291

CHAPTER XIV.

Preparing to Move--The Field by Morning--The Wounded--The
French Wounded--An Ingrate--A Grenadier à Cheval--A
Welcome Feast--Visitors from Brussels--Visit to Hougoumont--A
Contrast--Garden of the Château--A Striking
Oration--A Noble Enemy--A Keepsake--A Recognition--On
the March--A Comfortable Bivouac--Resume our March--Block
before Nivelles--Reception in the Town--Aspect of
the Town--Arrival of Prisoners--We get on at last--Belgic
Infantry--Our Bivouac--Rejoin the Army--The Greys and
Highlanders--Aspect of the Country--We Cross the Frontier--Our
first Night in France, 338

JOURNAL

OF THE

WATERLOO CAMPAIGN.