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
The following notice appeared in the _Standard_, in April or May,
1867:—“There died at the village of Ardisier, Inverness-shire, a few
days ago, an old veteran named Donald Davidson, one of the fast
diminishing band of Waterloo heroes. Donald, who, it may be mentioned,
had six toes on each foot, was born in the parish of Nairn, Nairnshire,
in the year 1792, and enlisted in the 42nd Highlanders in June, 1813. He
served with his regt. in the Pa., France, and the Netherlands, from
February, 1814, to December, 1816. He was wounded at the battle of
Toulouse, and slightly on the head at Quatre Bras. Notwithstanding, he
stuck to his regt., and was one of the gallant few who repulsed the
grand charge of cavalry in the cornfield at Waterloo. He was discharged
with 1_s._ per day of pension, and served for a long time as barrack
labourer in Fort George. He d. at the advanced age of 75 years.”
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52ND REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Private Patrick Lowe.
Served through the whole of the Par. War, and formed one of the forlorn
hope at Badajoz, where he personally captured the governor of the
fortress, by which he obtained a large reward. In 1848 he recd. the
silver war medal with 13 clasps; but it is said he would never wear this
medal, because he had claimed his right to 14 clasps and considered
himself injured by receiving one clasp less. He d., at Enniskillen, in
1852, aged 84.
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69TH REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Private John Slater.
Born at Ilkeston, co. Derby. Enlisted in the 52nd in 1803. Served
through the whole of the Par. War with that regt. Aftds. exchanged into
69th. In 1848 Slater claimed his right to the silver war medal with 14
clasps—one clasp more than Wellington obtained—but only got a medal with
12 clasps. He d. at Nottingham in 1860.
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92ND REGIMENT OF FOOT.
Sergt. Alexander Cameron, Piper Major.
Served in the Pa. during the whole of the late war, and for his zeal
attracted the attention of several officers of high rank. Lt.-Gen. Sir
Wm Erskine, in a letter to a friend, after the affair at Rio del
Molinos, says:—“The first intimation the enemy had of our approach was
the piper of the 92nd playing ‘Hey, Johnnie Coup, are ye waukin’ yet?’”
To this favourite air from Cameron’s pipe the streets of Brussels
re-echoed on the night of the 15th June, 1815, when the regt. assembled
to march out to the field of Waterloo. It is recorded of this gallant
Scot, on the 18th June, 1815, that “not content with piping at the head
of his regt. he marched forward with a party of skirmishers, and placing
himself on a height, in full view of the enemy, continued to animate by
playing favourite national airs.” D. at Belfast 18th Oct., 1817.—_Scots’
Magazine._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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