Corporal-Major Robert Falconer.
Appointed quartermaster same regt. 2nd Sept., 1836. H. p. 1847. D. Apr., 1849.
2nd Life Guards.
John Ellington.
Appointed quartermaster 19th June, 1815.
Royal Horse Guards.
Corporal-Major Andrew Heartley.
Served in the Pa. Appointed quartermaster 12th Dec., 1822. H. p. 1831. D. Feb. 1861 as a Military Knight of Windsor.
Appointed quartermaster 7th Nov., 1829. D. Feb., 1852.
Appointed quartermaster 31st May, 1828. D. Apr., 1852.
Appointed quartermaster 25th Sept., 1828. H. p. 1831.
1st Dragoon Guards.
Sergt.-Major Richard Hollis.
Appointed adjt. to above regt, 8th July, 1836. Lieut. 12th Jan., 1838. Lieut, Rl. Canadian Rifles 24th Oct., 1845. D. in Canada as a retd. capt. in 1856.
1st Dragoons.
Corporal Francis Stiles.
This brave soldier was promoted sergt. in the 1st Dns., and aftds. Ensign in the 6th West India Regt. (commission dated 11th April, 1816), for the gallantry he displayed at Waterloo, in helping Capt. Clark of the same regt. to capture the Eagle of the 105th French Regt. The following letter, copied from the original in the United Service Museum, throws additional light on the above exploit:—
Ipswich Barracks, 31st Jan., 1816.
Sir,—This day Col. Clifton sent for me about the taking the Eagle and colours. He asked me if I had any person that see me take the Eagle; I told him that you see me, I believe, as the officer of the French was making away with it. I belonged to your troop at that time, and you gave me orders to charge him, which I did, and took it from him. When I stated it to him this day he wants to know the particulars about it, and me to rite to you for you to state to him how it was. I would thank you to rite to the Colonel, as you was the nearest officer to me that day. Sir, by so doing you will much oblige,—Your most obedient humble servant,
Francis Stiles,
Sergt. 1st Royal Drag.
To Lt. Gunning, 1st Dragoons,
Cheltenham, Glostershire.
Ensign Stiles was placed on h. p., 28th Dec., 1817, and d. in London, 9th Jan., 1828.
Appointed cornet and adjt. 26th Oct., 1815. Left the regt. in 1829.
Appointed quartermaster in above regt. 18th July, 1834. H. p. 1849. Hon. capt. 1 t July, 1859. D. in Aug., 1863.
1 Sergt.-Maj. Wm. Crawford.
Appointed quartermaster 10th Dec., 1829. H. p. 1843. D. in June, 1846.
Appointed adjt. 19th Oct., 1815. Lieut. 18th June, 1819. Out of the regt. in 1840.
Troop Sergt. Maj. Thos. Jeffs.
Promoted cornet and adjt. same regt., 7th March, 1816, for gallantry at Waterloo. Lt. 4th March, 1819. H. p. unattached, 14th June, 1827. Living 1830.
Sergt.-Major Samuel Brodribb.
Appointed quartermaster 15th Jan., 1829. Quartermaster 14th Lt. Dns. 24th Apr., 1838. D. 1846.
Appointed quartermaster 16th Sept., 1819. H. p. 1839. D. 1841.
Appointed quartermaster 19th Lt. Dns. 1st July, 1824. H. p. 18th Aug., 1825. D. in Nov., 1863.
Appointed adjt. 12th Oct., 1815. Lieut. 8th Nov., 1818. Capt. 13th Nov., 1834. Retd. 1837.
Lieut. 12th Oct., 1825. Capt. 7th D.G. 25th Feb., 1843. K. in action at the Cape in Apr., 1846.
Sergt.-Maj. John Carruthers.
Promoted cornet in same regt., 26th Oct., 1815. H. p. 25th Dec., 1816.
Troop Sergt. Maj. Edward Wells.
Commanded Capt. Gubbins’s troop at Waterloo after all the officers had fallen. His gallantry that day was particularly remarked. Promoted Ensign in the 2nd West India Regt. in 1816. Lt., 25th Dec., 1823. Exchanged to 54th Regt., and quitted the service as capt. same regt. in 1841.
Troop Sergt.-Maj. Thos. Rosser.
Appointed adjt. 24th June, 1819. Out of the regt. in 1831.
Appointed quartermaster 9th Sept., 1824. Out of the above regt. in 1835.
Appointed lieut. and riding master 25th Sept., 1832. Serving on f. p. in 1846.
Appointed quartermaster 12th June, 1817. H. p. 1821.
Sergt. James Robert Cruess.
Served in Capt. Ellis’s troop at Waterloo. Promoted Ensign 92nd Regt. 11th Jan., 1816. H. p. 37th Regt., 22nd Jan., 1816. Living 1824.
Afterwards Capt. J. Payne, late quartermaster of the Grenadier Guards. Served in Sicily in 1806–7 and in Spain in 1808–9, and was present in several actions, including Corunna. He was also at Walcheren. He served in the campaigns of 1812 to 1815, and was present at the actions in the Pyrenees, capture of San Sebastian, passage of the Bidassoa, Nive, Nivelle, investment of Bayonne, Quatre Bras, and Waterloo. He was commissioned as a quartermaster the 31st Aug., 1815, and retd. with the rank of capt. in Dec., 1855. Living 1876. The following description of the square of the Grenadier Guards during the afternoon of Waterloo day is by Capt. Gronow of that regt., and is certainly worthy of remembrance, exhibiting as it does the desperate heroism of the British resistance:—
“During the battle our squares presented a shocking sight. Inside we were nearly suffocated by the smoke and smell from burnt cartridges. It was impossible to move a yard without treading upon a wounded comrade, or upon the bodies of the dead; and the loud groans of the wounded and dying were most appalling.
“At four o’clock our square was a perfect hospital being full of dead, dying, and mutilated soldiers. The charges of cavalry were in appearance very formidable, but in reality a great relief, as the artillery could no longer fire on us; the very earth shook under the enormous mass of men and horses. I shall never forget the strange noise our bullets made against the breast-plates of Kellerman’s and Millhaud’s cuirassiers, six or seven thousand in number, who attacked us with great fury. I can only compare it, with a somewhat homely simile, to the noise of a violent hailstorm beating against panes of glass.
“The artillery did great execution; but our musketry did not at first seem to kill many men, though it brought down a large number of horses, and created indescribable confusion. The horses of the first rank of cuirassiers, in spite of all the efforts of their riders, came to a standstill, shaking and covered with foam, at about twenty yards’ distance from our squares, and generally resisted all attempts to force them to charge the line of serried steel. On one occasion two gallant French officers forced their way into a gap momentarily created by the discharge of artillery; one was killed by Stables, the other by Adair. Nothing could be more gallant than the behaviour of those veterans, many of whom had distinguished themselves on half the battle-fields of Europe.
“In the midst of our terrible fire, their officers were seen as if on parade, keeping order in their ranks, and encouraging them. Unable to renew the charge, but unwilling to retreat, they brandished their swords with loud cries of ‘Vive l’Empereur!’ and allowed themselves to be mowed down by hundreds rather than yield. Our men, who shot them down, could not help admiring the gallant bearing and heroic resignation of their enemies.”
Sergt. Robt. Steele.
Appointed adjt. 66th Foot 23rd March, 1826. Lieut. 10th Foot 26th Sept., 1833. H. p. 8th Nov., 1842.
Sergt.-Maj. Christopher Main.
Appointed ens. 43rd L.I. 4th Aug., 1825. H. p. 18th May, 1826.
Quartermaster 4th Foot 8th Jan., 1829. H. p. 27th May, 1836. D. at Ardres en Calais 7th March, 1856.
Quartermaster-Sergt. Wm. Thompson.
Appointed quartermaster 6th May, 1819. H. p. 1837. D. Sept., 1851.
Quartermaster 41st Foot 14th Feb., 1828. H. p. 1836.
Quartermaster 9th Aug., 1833. D. in the Tower 23rd June, 1853. Bd. within the Tower precincts with military honours.
Appointed ens. in above regt. 19th Nov., 1818. D., of fever, in Barbadoes, 1823.
Sergt. Samuel Goddard (3rd Batt.).
In the Standard of 5th Jan., 1868, appeared the following obituary notice regarding this gallant soldier:—
“Death of a Military Knight, at Windsor Castle.—On Sunday last Capt. Samuel Goddard, Military Knight of Windsor, died at his residence in the Lower Ward, Windsor Castle. This veteran and gallant officer was formerly of the 14th or Buckinghamshire Regt. of Foot, and had seen very lengthened service in the army, having served in the campaign of 1815, including the battle of Waterloo and the storming of Cambray; in 1817, in the East Indies, he was present at the siege of Hattrass, and in the campaign of 1817–18, in the Deccan; also at the siege and storming of Bhurtpore, in 1825–26. With the medal so well earned, he was one of the officers receiving rewards for distinguished service; moreover, as having originated the measure by which was accorded to meritorious quartermasters of long service the nominal rank of captain, several of whom, many years since, presented him with a handsome testimonial, expressive of their obligation, and of his efficient aid.”
On Waterloo day, Sergt. Goddard was with an advanced party of skirmishers of the 14th, and about four o’clock the reflux wave of some French cuirassiers passed through them. They were, of course, fired at by the 14th skirmishers, and several bit the dust. One poor wounded Frenchman was thrown from his horse, and a comrade nobly returned and offered the soldier the help of his stirrup. An active light infantry man of the 14th, Whitney by name, who had shot one cuirassier, having reloaded, was about to fire at the mounted Frenchman, who was then rescuing his comrade, when Goddard interfered and said, “No, Whitney, don’t fire; let him off, he is a noble fellow.” (Communicated by a friend of Capt. Goddard.)
Severely wounded at Quatre Bras whilst serving in the ranks. Was acting-quartermaster to the Grenadier Guards in Canada in 1838–39. Appointed quartermaster to the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers 5th July, 1844. Retd. on h. p. with rank of capt. in 1854. D., in London, 12th Dec., 1865.
Appointed 2nd lieut. and adjt. 60th Rifles 25th Aug., 1827.
Appointed quartermaster in above regt. 8th Nov., 1827. H. p. 5th July, 1844. D., Dec., 1852, at Picton, Canada.
Appointed quartermaster 35th Foot 29th March, 1827.
Appointed quartermaster 22nd June, 1820. Appears with the “W.” before his name in Army List for 1825 only.
In one of the charges made by the 28th, at Waterloo, “a flag belonging to the 25th French regt. was taken by Private John O’Brien, of the 8th company, who the moment after received a severe wound, which ultimately occasioned the loss of his leg. The trophy, however, was preserved, and sent to Maj.-Gen. Sir James Kempt, who commanded the division, when the regt. arrived at Paris.” Received a lieut.’s commission in the Sicilian Regt., and subsequently in 61st Foot. Retd. f. p. Rl. Veteran Batt. in 1817.
Appointed ens. 7th July, 1837, and quartermaster 1st June, 1838. H. p. 1844.
Appointed adjt. 8th Dec., 1825. Lieut. 26th June, 1828.
Sergt.-Major Wm. Pepperal.
Appointed quartermaster 15th Oct., 1818. H. p. 1827. D. 1837.
Appointed quartermaster 29th Nov., 1827. H. p. 28th June, 1844. D., at Quebec, in Jan., 1849.
Sergt.-Major Finlay King.
Appointed quartermaster 31st Dec., 1818. Retd. 1840. D., in Guernsey, 1842.
Armourer-Sergt. Edwd. Paton.
Appointed quartermaster 19th June, 1840. D., at Southsea, in May, 1863.
Appointed quartermaster 19th Sept., 1827. H. p. 24th Jan., 1840. D. July, 1853.
Ens., 82nd Foot, 28th Dec., 1832. Quartermaster 28th Aug., 1835. D. May, 1856.
Bn., in County Clare, in 1794; joined the Kerry Militia 1812, and in 1813 enlisted in 73rd Regt. and went to Holland. Served under Gen. Graham, and was at the siege of Antwerp. Was in Capt. Kennedy’s company at Waterloo. In 1835 joined the British Legion at Cork as quartermaster, and was subsequently promoted lieut. Was in twenty-six engagements during the war. Received the Order of Isabella II. for his Spanish services. D., at Sherbrooke, Canada, in March, 1892. He was the last Waterloo survivor known.—Army and Navy Gazette, 2nd April, 1892.
Appointed adjt. 30th Nov., 1815. H. p. 1817.
Served throughout the Par. War with the 79th, and was twice sev. wnded. Was again badly wounded at Waterloo. Served in Canada during the rebellion of 1838–39. Received an ensign’s commission 30th Jan., 1835, and appointed Town Major at Montreal. Living 1855.
Appointed quartermaster 12th Oct., 1838. H. p. 1849. Fort Major, Edinburgh Castle, 1851.
Appointed adjt. 5th Nov., 1819.
Appointed quartermaster to above regt. 1st Dec., 1823, and paymaster 95th Regt. of Foot 15th Dec., 1837. Serving as paymaster to the depÔt battalion at Parkhurst in 1860.
Sergt.-Major Robt. Fairfoot.
A Peninsular hero who had been wounded in the breach at Badajoz; had his right fore-arm fractured by a shot on 17th June, 1815. Appointed quartermaster to above regt. 28th Apr., 1825. D. in Sept., 1838.
Appointed quartermaster to above batt. 25th Dec., 1826. H. p. 29th March, 1839.
Appointed quartermaster to above batt. 2nd June, 1837.
Appointed 1st lieut. 18th July, 1815. H. p. Feb., 1816.
Appointed quartermaster to above regt. 27th Sept., 1827. H. p. 1846. D. June, 1864.
Sergeant-Major Andrew Maclean.
Appointed quartermaster to above regt, 8th Aug., 1823. D., at Boulogne in 1869.
