A WEEK AT WATERLOO IN 1815

LADY DE LANCEY'S NARRATIVE

BEING AN ACCOUNT OF HOW SHE NURSED HER HUSBAND, COLONEL SIR WILLIAM HOWE DE LANCEY, QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL OF THE ARMY, MORTALLY WOUNDED IN THE GREAT BATTLE

EDITED BY MAJOR B.R. WARD ROYAL ENGINEERS

LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W. 1906

[Illustration: Major William Howe De Lancey

45th Regiment c. 1800.]

"Dim is the rumour of a common fight, When host meets host, and many names are sunk; But of a single combat Fame speaks clear."

--_Sohrab and Rustum._

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS INTRODUCTION A WEEK AT WATERLOO IN 1815 NOTES TO LADY DE LANCEY'S NARRATIVE APPENDIX A--Letters to Captain Basil Hall, R.N., from Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens APPENDIX B--Bibliography of Lady De Lancey's Narrative INDEX

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

MAJOR WILLIAM HOWE DE LANCEY, 45th Regt. of Foot, c. 1800. _From a miniature in the possession of Wm. Heathcote De Lancey of New York_ _Frontispiece_

THE GOLD CROSS OF SIR WM. DE LANCEY, received after serving in the Peninsular War, with clasps for Talavera, Nive, Salamanca, San Sebastian, and Vittoria. _In the possession of Major J.A. Hay_ _Face p._ 10

LADY DE LANCEY. _From a miniature after J.D. Engleheart_ " 24

PART OF AN AUTOGRAPH LETTER OF SIR WALTER SCOTT " 34

PART OF AN AUTOGRAPH LETTER OF CHARLES DICKENS " 36

COLONEL SIR WILLIAM HOWE DE LANCEY, _c._ 1813 " 38

MAP OF PART OF THE BATTLEFIELD OF WATERLOO " 110

THE VILLAGE OF MONT ST JEAN, 1815 " 113

THE WATERLOO MEMORIAL IN EVERE CEMETERY " 118

A WEEK AT WATERLOO IN 1815

INTRODUCTION

The following narrative, written over eighty years ago, and now at last given to the world in 1906, is remarkable in many respects.

It is remarkable for its subject, for its style, and for its literary history.

The subject--a deathbed scene--might seem at first sight to be a trite and common one. The _mise-en-scene_--the Field of Waterloo--alone however redeems it from such a charge; and the principal actors play their part in no common-place or unrelieved tragedy. "Certainly," as Bacon says, "Vertue is like pretious Odours, most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed: For _Prosperity_ doth best discover Vice; But _Adversity_ doth best discover Vertue."

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: A Week at Waterloo in 1815 by Magdalene de Lancey
• 2: Vicomte de Laval et de Nouvion
• 3: General De Lancey retired to England
• 4: And father of Sir William De Lancey
• 5: Sister of Sir William De Lancey
• 6: Supplementary Despatches of the Duke of Wellington
• 7: Is shown by the following reminiscence of General Alava
• 8: Forming thereby the Quatre Bras
• 9: The Duke said a few words to De Lancey
• 10: Captain Hall alludes to his first meeting with De Lancey
• 11: His first uniform was probably that of the 45th Foot
• 12: 'Sir William De Lancey was the person
• 13: Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens
• 14: Which only that astonishing creature
• 15: The Count de Lannoy was very attentive
• 16: He would send me to Antwerp in the morning
• 17: It was distinctly heard at Antwerp
• 18: And Colonel Barclay saw that the ball had not entered
• 19: Captain Mitchell was quite sincere
• 20: When we were within a mile or two of Malines
• 21: And had a message from Brussels
• 22: The driver attempted to pass a waggon
• 23: When within ten miles of Brussels
• 24: She told me she was thankful she had been at Waterloo
• 25: We put some vinegar into a tumbler
• 26: Scovell said he would take something to eat
• 27: About ten at night Mr Powell and Mr Woolriche came
• 28: I was not long in deciding on General Dundas
• 29: Dr Hume said he had no wish to bleed him
• 30: When I went to foment his limbs
• 31: He asked Mr Powell if he might rise
• 32: About three o'clock Dr Hume and Mr Powell came
• 33: It is about a mile from Brussels
• 34: Summoned me to attend Sir William De Lancey
• 35: And next morning rode with him to Quatre Bras
• 36: And close to the famous chemin creux of Victor Hugo
• 37: Siborne's Waterloo Correspondence
• 38: And pointed to poor De Lancey covered with his coat
• 39: As being in possession of the Waterloo Medal
• 40: Disused cemetery of St Josse Ten Noode
• 41: If it extended from the 4th March to the 26th June 1815
• 42: However honourable to all concerned
• 43: I shall never dismiss the subject from my mind
• 44: Letter from Charles Dickens to Captain Basil Hall
• 45: Bibliography of Lady De Lancey's Narrative
• 46: Despatches of the Duke of Wellington
• 47: Illustrated Naval and Military Magazine
• 48: Siborne's Waterloo Correspondence