Wellington, his Staff and that Elm Tree

 

While Napoleon's staff was nothing like as large as it had been for previous campaigns, the Emperor's retinue at Waterloo was considerably bigger than that of the Duke of Wellington.  Moreover, while Napoleon spent much time ensconced at Rossomme, only coming forward to La Belle Alliance at the crisis of the battle, Wellington was mobile throughout.

Unlike Napoleon, Wellington was an accomplished horseman used to long hours in the saddle.  During many of the more distributed campaigns in the Peninsula, Wellington had been known to cover 50 miles or more a day.

While the Emperor had access to the extensive Imperial stables (and not just the famed but partly mythical Marengo), Wellington rode a smaller number of horses, of which Copenhagen is easily the best known.  On the day of Waterloo, Copenhagen was the only horse used by the Duke, carrying him safely throughout the battle.  Ironically, having survived unscathed throughout the day, Copenhagen lashed out viciously with his hind leg as Wellington dismounted, almost inflicting serious injuries on the Duke.

While Wellington spent most of the day moving along the ridge, placing himself at the point of most need, if there was a spot where he and his staff could view the battle, it was at the elm tree situated at the crossroads in the centre of the Allied position.

This elm tree was a large and handsome tree but its fame was to be its downfall.

Wellington's Elm

The tree became the focus of tourist attentions after the battle, with branches and bark removed as souvenirs.  Such was its condition that when Anna Children drew the picture above, it was in a sorry condition.  Anna's father, the scientist, John Children, visited the battlefield with her and arranged to have the tree felled and brought to England as a souvenir.

The wood was put too a number of uses, including this desk:

A chair was also produced by Thomas Chippendale, and presented to George IV with the following plaque:

There were two Halkett brothers at Waterloo, both of whom commanded brigades.  It is unclear whether it was Colin or Hew Halkett who arranged for fragments of the tree to be turned into keepsakes presented in gratitude to veterans of the battle.  My guess is that it would have been Colin for three reasons: his brigade was British, not Hanoverian, his battalions were much depleted during the battle and were situated much nearer to the tree than were Hew's.

The wood was put to other uses, including a wine cooler at Wellington College and Walter Scott arranged for this quaich to be made, no doubt to be drunk from at Waterloo dinners:

Here is the elm, with a selection of Wellington's staff and the square of the 8th KGL in the background.

The small cottage occupied by Lt Col Barnard of the Rifle Brigade can be seen in the background.

My aim is to increase the numbers of staff shown here to show the full numbers, or at least the core, with others despatched to pass messages or having become casualties.  There is a good record of the British officers who were as follows:

Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, K.G., G.C.B., &c.
MS, Lt Col Lord Fitzroy Somerset, 1st Ft. Gds., wounded
ADCs
Lt.-Col. J. Fremantle, 2nd Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. C.F. Canning, 3rd Ft. Gds., killed
Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon, K.C.B., 3rd Ft. Gds., killed
Lt. Lord George Lennox, 9th Lt. Dns.
Hereditary Prince of Nassau-Usingen.
Extra ADCs
Maj. Hon. Henry Percy, 14th Lt. Dns.
Capt. Lord Arthur Hill,
Lt. Hon. George Cathcart, 6th Dn. Gds.
Adjutant General, Maj.-Gen. Sir Edward Barnes, K.C.B., wounded
ADCs
Maj. Andrew Hamilton, 4th W.I. Regt.
Deputy Adjutant General, Col. Sir John Elley, K.C.B., R.H. Gds., Wounded
Assistant Adjutant Generals
Lt.-Col. J. Waters, Unattached, Wounded.
Lt.-Col. Sir George H. Berkeley, K.C.B., 35th Foot, Wounded.
Lt.-Col. Sir Guy Campbell, Bt., 6th Foot.
Lt.-Col. Sir Noel Hill, K.C.B., 1st Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. D. Barclay, 1st Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. H. Rooke, 3rd Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. E. Currie, 90th Foot, K.
Maj. A. Wylly, 7th Foot.
Maj. G. Evatt, 55th Foot.
Maj. W. Darling
Maj. F. Breymann, 2nd Lt. Batt., K.G.L.
Deputy Assistant Adjutant Generals
Capt. Hon. E.S. Erskine, 60th Foot, Wounded
Capt. Lord Charles Fitzroy, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. C.A.F. Bentinck, 2nd Ft. Gds.
Capt. George Black, 54th Foot.
Capt. H. Blanckley, 23rd Foot.
Capt. Hon. Wm. Curzon, 69th Foot, Killed
Lt. Jas. Henry Hamilton, 46th Foot, Wounded
Lt. John Harford, 7th Rl. Veteran Batt.
Lt. E. Gerstlacher, 3rd Hussars, K.G.L.
Lt. Jas. Rooke,
Judge Advocate, Lt.-Col. Stephen Arthur Goodman,
Deputy Quartermaster General, Col. Sir Wm. Howe de Lancey, K.C.B., Killed.
Assistant Quartermaster General
Col. the Hon. Alex. Abercromby, 2nd Ft. Gds., Wounded.
Col. F.E. Hervey, 14th Lt. Dns.
Lt.-Col. Robt. Torrens, 1st W.I. Regt.
Lt.-Col. Sir Charles Broke, K.C.B.
Lt.-Col. Sir Jeremiah Dickson, K.C.B.
Lt.-Col. Lord Greenock
Lt.-Col. John George Woodford, 1st Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. C. Grant, 11th Foot.
Lt.-Col. Sir Wm. Gomm, K.C.B., 2nd Ft. Gds.
Lt.-Col. Sir Henry Hollis Bradford, K.C.B., 1st Ft. Gds., Wounded
Lt.-Col. Sir George Scovell, K.C.B.
Lt.-Col. D. Kelly, 73rd Foot.
Maj. Wm. Campbell, 23rd Foot.
Maj. Hon. George Lionel Dawson, 1st Dn. Gds., Wounded.
Maj. Chas. Beckwith, 95th Foot, Wounded.
Capt. Jas. Shaw, 43rd Foot.
Capt. J. Jessop, 44th Foot, Wounded.
Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General
Capt. E.T. Fitzgerald, 25th Foot, Wounded
Capt. Richard Brunton, 60th Foot.
Capt. Thos. Wright, Rl. Staff Corps, Wounded.
Capt. H. MacLeod, 35th Foot, Wounded.
Capt. J.J. Mitchell, 25th Foot, Wounded.
Capt. W. Moore, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. Geo. Hillier, 74th Foot.
Capt. W.G. Cameron, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. F. Read, Rl. Staff Corps.
Lt. P. Barrailler, 33rd Foot.
Lt. Basil Jackson, Rl. Staff Corps.
Lt. A. Brauns, Rl. Staff Corps.
Commandant at Headquarters, Col. Sir Colin Campbell, K.C.B., 2nd Ft. Gds.

We can also assume that the three Corps commanders (Sir Rowland Hill, The Prince of Orange and Lord Uxbridge) were also with Wellington from time to time, along with their staff.

It's interesting to note that all of Uxbridge's staff were wounded:

The Earl of Uxbridge, G.C.B., W.
ADCs
Major W. Thornhill, 7th Hussars, W.
Capt. H.B. Seymour, 18th Hussars, W.
Extra ADCs
Capt. T. Wildman, 7th Hussars, W.
Capt. J. Fraser, 7th Hussars, W.

Hill's faired little better:

Lord Hill, G.C.B.
ADCs
Lt.-Col. C. Hill, R.H. Gds., W.
Major R. Egerton, 34th Foot.
Major C.H. Churchill, 1st Ft. Gds.
Capt. D. Mackworth, 7th Foot.
Extra ADCs
Capt. Hon. O. Bridgeman, 1st Ft. Gds., W.

The Prince of Orange was himself wounded, although his British staff were unharmed:

H.R.H. The Prince of Orange, W.
ADCs
Lt.-Col. Baron Tripp, 60th Foot.
Capt. Lord John Somerset,
Capt. Hon. Francis Russell,
Extra ADCs
Capt. The Earl of March, 52nd Foot.
Capt. Viscount Bury, 1st Ft. Gds.
Lt. H. Webster, 9th Lt. Dns.
It is not clear which Dutch officers accompanied the Prince.

We also know that the Duke's army had a number of Allied liaison officers attached to it.  The most consequential was undoubtedly Baron von Muffling, whose encouragement to Blucher to rendezvous with Wellington on the battlefield undoubtedly won the day.

The Russians chose as their Liaison Officer someone who nursed a fierce hatred of Napoleon but could by no means be described as a native Russian.

Pozzo di Borgo was a Corsican contemporary of the young Bonaparte and in the traditional way of that island indulged a life long feud against the future emperor.  Since Borgo served as a diplomatic version of the soldier of fortune, he was always suspected of being more loyal to Royalist France than to Imperial Russia.

The Austrian Liaison officer was Field Marshal Baron de Vincent.  I can't find a picture of him, but this portrait of Schwartenburg shows an Austrian Field Marshal's uniform of the period:

The Sardinian liaison officer was Count des Sales:

Perhaps the most interesting international officer at Waterloo was the Spaniard, Count Alava.  Alava has the distinction of being the only person in any of the three armies who fought at both Waterloo and Trafalgar; of course, this meant being on different sides.  He accompanied Wellington during the Peninsular campaign and had become a good friend of the Duke.