The Waterloo Roll Call: With Biographical Notes and AnecdotesDalton, Charles
History
The Waterloo Roll Call: With Biographical Notes and Anecdotes
Dalton, Charles
Great Britain. Army -- Registers; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
Afterwards Gen. Sir Wm. Bell, K.C.B. Col.-comdt. R.H.A. His father was
Wm. Bell, a native of Tanfield, Yorkshire, a cornet in the Yeomanry,
but a surgeon by profession, who had a good practice in Ripon, and was
twice mayor of that town. His mother was Ann Atkinson, one of the
daughters of Henry Atkinson, town clerk of Ripon. The way W. Bell
became an artilleryman was as follows:—“Old Col. Quist of the R.A.,
head of the riding establishment (who belonged to a Dutch family),
came to Ripon to buy horses when Bell was a boy in his teens, and
happening to meet the youth in Ripon society, he took a fancy to him.”
Col. Quist used his interest in obtaining for Bell a nomination to a
cadetship at Woolwich Academy. In due course Bell obtained a
commission in the R.A., and soon evinced that he had a talent for “the
music of war.” He served in the West Indies from 1807–1810, and was
present at the capture of several of the West Indian islands. Served
in the Pa. from July, 1813, to 1814, and was present at five general
actions. Slightly wounded at Toulouse. His duties were very onerous
both at Quatre Bras and Waterloo, where he was employed in conveying
instructions and orders to officers commanding batteries in all parts
of the field. He had the narrowest escape of being crushed to death,
in after life, that ever befell anyone. “He fell from his horse in
front of a battery of R.H.A. at Norwich (or Ipswich), and the battery
going over him at a gallop, the drag-shoe of one of the guns knocked
his ear off!” Sir W. Bell resided during the latter part of his life
at Ripon, and d. there, unm., 28th March, 1873. Buried at Tanfield.
M.I. (The above is from information supplied by the late Gen. W.H.
Askwith, R.A.)
Footnote 10:
Afterwards Maj.-Gen. Stephen Galway Adye, C.B. Superintendent of the
Rl. Laboratory. 2nd son of Maj. Stephen P. Adye, R.A. Served under
Abercromby in Egypt, and took part in the Walcheren Expedition. Served
also in the Pa. D. 13th Sept., 1838.
Footnote 11:
Afterwards Col. Charles Gold, C.B. Sold his commission 31st Dec.,
1827. D. at Leamington, 17th April, 1842.
Footnote 12:
C.B. for Waterloo. M., 30th April, 1817, Miss Maclean, of Giese, co.
Caithness. Was an officer of considerable ability, and his scientific
knowledge of gunnery was most beneficial to his corps. D. at Woolwich,
26th April, 1836.
Footnote 13:
Afterwards Col. James Hawker, C.B., Lt.-Gov. of Tilbury Fort. Brother
to Capt. Edward Hawker, of the _Britannia_, and to John Hawker, of
Plymouth. D. at Woolwich, 12th Oct., 1827, leaving a widow and three
daughters.
Footnote 14:
Afterwards Maj.-Gen. Percy Drummond, C.B. Son of Duncan Drummond,
R.A., Director-Gen. of the Field Train. Lt.-Gov. of the R.M. Academy,
1829. Director-Gen. of Artillery, 1840. D. at Woolwich, 1st Jan.,
1843.
Footnote 15:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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