Patriot - Scots At Waterloo 2

Hougoumont was the key to Wellington’s right flank and the epicenter of the Battle at Waterloo. The Chateau was surrounded by a heavily forested garden that served as a natural defensive position for the troops outside the Chateau. Once again the Scots who found themselves front and center. It was the Coldstream Guards who held the position inside Hougoumont. The same, now weary and bloodied Coldstream Guards that protected Wellington and their Scottish brethren retreat from Quatre Bras. They were reinforced by the Scots Guards who held the forested garden around the Chateau.

The day long fighting at Hougoumont Chateau was by far the fiercest of the day and again it was the Scots who came through victorious. Although the Chateau never contained a large number of troops, The 300 or so Coldstream Guards were reinforced by a slightly larger number of Scots Guards assigned to defend the forested gardens. They were significantly outnumbered by the attacking French. They were eventually reinforced by about 3,000 allied troops both British and Prussian who were also stationed in the gardens.

The officer in command of Hougoumont Chateau was Colonel James MacDonnell. At a critical juncture at an early part of the battle, the French forced open the North Gate and about 40 French soldiers fought their way into the chateau. Colonel MacDonnell together with a small company of Scots forced the French back and closed the gate while Sergeant James Graham threw the bolt securing the chateau. The attackers were dispatched in hand to hand fighting. Only the young drummer boy was spared. Wellington later remarked “The success of the battle at Waterloo turned upon the closing of the gate (at Hougoumont).”

At this point the 71st Highlanders arrived and the French were driven back. Wellington’s right flank was still secure. As the attack progressed, ammunition was running low. Sergeant Fraser, rode through ranks of French defenders to the main line and returned with a wagon load of cartridges. This heroic act allowed the defenders to hold the chateau against more than 14,000 French troops throughout the battle.

There was a sunken road or hollow running from Mont St. Jean to Hougoumont. When word once again reached headquarters of an ammunition shortage, Private Brewster of the Royal Wagon Train distinguished himself by driving a loaded ammunition cart along the sunken road ringed by French troops. Miraculously he was able to resupply the troops despite his horses receiving wounds. He was later promoted to Corporal for his heroic action, and was presented with a silver medal for bravery by the Officers of the Coldstream Guard.

Following Private Brewster’s heroism Wellington devoted 21 battalions (12,000 troops) over the course of the afternoon to keeping the hollow way open to allow fresh troops and ammunition to be admitted to the Chateau. He also moved several artillery batteries from his hard-pressed center to support Hougoumont.

The Chateau then came under French cannon fire and soon the thatched roofs of the buildings were aflame. Still the valiant defenders held their ground

fighting both fire and French bullets. The Scots held the vital position thwarting every one of the seven French attacks. At nightfall the French withdrew leaving the Scots alone in their crumbling buildings and burning forest.

Another notable phase of the battle also involved Scottish troops. About 1:30 in the afternoon, the French had isolated part of Wellington’s center at La Haye Sainte allowing them to exert tremendous pressure on Wellington’s position. At this point in the battle the French were on the verge of victory. An elite French Brigade of about 14,000 soldiers mounted an attack on the center of Wellington’s line. It was defended by about 6,000 troops. The first line was the Dutch 1st Division. The second line, held in reserve, consisted of the Black Watch and 92nd Gordon Highlanders.

Although they fought stubbornly, the Dutch defenders retreated leaving a gap in the line. This gap was filled by the reserves that held the field at Quatre Bras. The now depleted Royal Scots (the Black Watch), stepped up to the challenge and faced 3,000 elite French troopers. Although greatly outnumbered (almost 7 to 1), initially they held their ground. But under a heavy attack they soon wavered and began to give way. They were reinforced by the 92nd Highland Regiment of Foot, (the Gordon Highlanders).

The men of the 92nd rushed in to fill the gap with strict orders not to yield. The arrival of the Gordons steadied the line and the advance was checked temporarily. Like the Black Watch, the 92nd also had been depleted to a mere 250 men. They had lost half of their company at Quatre Bras. The French temporarily withdrew to reorganize.

Also in reserve were the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons, better known as the Scots Greys (Their mounts were all grey horses.) They too had covered Wellington’s withdrawal from Quatre Bras and had suffered accordingly. The Scots Greys fielded 391 mounted troopers. Facing the French brigade the Scots would be outnumbered almost 5 to 1.

The devastated French elite corps was reinforced by 3,00 fresh French troops. Standing less than 30 yards away the Scots fired volley after volley into the advancing 6,000 fresh French soldiers, filling the battlefield with thick smoke. The French kept on advancing. At a critical moment, just as the 92nd was wavering and about to break, the Scots Greys arrived.

Legend has it that the Greys, yelling furiously, sabers flashing, horses snorting and galloping wildly, charged headlong into the French, yelling “Scotland Forever!” with the remaining Gordons grabbing the stirrups of the horses and being carried to glorious victory completely decimating the French. It would have been a truly memorable sight, indeed!

If truth be told, it didn’t quite happen that way. That legend sprang from the portrayal of the charge as depicted in the famous 1881 painting by Lady Elizabeth Butler entitled Scotland Forever! It depicted the heroic charge of the Scots Greys exactly as described in the previous paragraph. It was, of course, romantically,