Sergeant Stubbings and his one eared horse

During the battle Corporal John Stubbings (later promoted Sergeant on the field) of the King’s Dragoon Guards was engaged in single combat with a French cuirassier. The Frenchman struck a downward blow. Stubbings managed to avoid it but one of his horse’s ears was cut off by the Frenchman’s sword. After his discharge from the army and years later a detachment of Stubbings’s old regiment stopped at his village Market Warsop in Nottinghamshire. The old soldier was amazed to see one of the troopers mounted on his old horse which was still serving with the regiment. It is said that the entire village turned out to see Sergeant Stubbings reunited with his one eared Waterloo horse.

 

 

Waterloo

Horses

Corporal Dickson and Rattler

 

Mounted on his magnificent grey mare, Rattler, Corporal John Dickson took part in the charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo, later immortalised by Lady Elizabeth Butler’s world famous painting “Scotland Forever”. The following is taken from Dickson’s account :-

 

“I dug my spur into my brave old Rattler, and we were off like the wind. After rearing for a moment, she sprang forward, uttering loud neighings and snortings, and leapt over the holly-hedge at a terrific speed.……..Rattler lost her temper and bit and tore at everything that came in her way. She seemed to have got new strength……Armour shouted to me to dismount, for old Rattler was badly wounded. I did so just in time, for she fell heavily the next second. I caught hold of a French officer's horse and sprang on her back and rode on.”

 

Caught in the counterattack by French cavalry, Dickson had no choice but to leave Rattler to her fate and escape back to the British lines on his captured horse. Imagine his joy when he found that Rattler, despite her wounds, had galloped back with the retreating Greys. There she was standing in line riderless.

 

Melet and Cadet

Private Melet of the Empress’s Dragoons of the Imperial Guard rode his beloved horse Cadet at Waterloo. They had been inseparable for nine years. Cadet had carried him through twelve major battles and countless lesser engagements. They had ridden together across Prussia, Poland, Spain, Austria, Spain again, Russia, Saxony and France. During the retreat from Moscow Melet would ride into the Russian lines at night to steal forage for Cadet and invariably brought back a prisoner as well. Sadly, they were finally separated at Waterloo when Melet was wounded and Cadet was killed.

                                         from The Waterloo Companion by Mark Adkin

The Duke of Wellington’s famous horse was Copenhagen. Born in 1808, he was a chestnut stallion of 15 hands. Sired by Meteor, who was second in the Derby of 1786, Copenhagen was a failed race horse. He won only one minor race at Newmarket in 13 outings. He was then shipped off to Spain during the Peninsular War and it was here that he was purchased by Wellington in 1813. Copenhagen carried the Duke throughout the day at Waterloo and, to illustrate that he was a horse of some spirit, he tried to kick him when he dismounted at the end of the battle. After Waterloo, he was retired to the Duke’s country estate at Stratfield Saye where he lived out his life. He died in 1836 at the age of 28. He was given a funeral with full military honours on the estate. His grave, which can be seen today, is marked by a magnificent turkey oak tree planted in 1843 by Mrs. Apostles, the Duke’s housekeeper.

the Waterloo Rooms in Pall Mall (entrance fee one shilling). Later he was put to stud in Cambridgeshire and sired two colts and a filly, but was not considered suitable for breeding and was then retired to Suffolk where he lived out the rest of his days in comfort. He died in 1832, aged about 38. His skeleton is in the National Army Museum in Chelsea.

Napoleon had a large stable. He is known to have ridden four different horses at Waterloo. His favourite horse is said to have been Marengo, a white Arab stallion of 14 hands captured from the Turks at the Battle of Aboukir Bay in 1799. It is believed that Marengo carried Napoleon at the battles of Austerlitz, Jena, Wagram and Waterloo. His most remarkable achievement, however, came at the age of 19, when he walked 3,000 miles to Moscow and back during the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812. Marengo was left in the stables at Le Caillou as Napoleon made his escape from Waterloo and taken “prisoner” by the British. He was brought to London where he was exhibited at

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                     Sir Astley Cooper’s Waterloo horses

 

 

Sir Astley Cooper

Napoleon and Marengo

Wellington and Copenhagen

“After the battle of Waterloo, all the wounded horses of the Household brigade of cavalry were sold by auction. Sir Astley Cooper attended the sale and bought twelve, which he considered so severely hurt as to require the greatest care and attention in order to effect a cure. Having had them conveyed, under the care of six grooms, to his park in the country, the great surgeon followed, and, with the assistance of his servants, commenced extracting bullets and grape-shot from the bodies and limbs of the suffering animals. In a very short time after the operations had been performed, Sir Astley let them loose in the park; and one morning, to his great delight, he saw the noble animals form in line, charge and then retreat and afterwards gallop about, appearing greatly contented with the lot which had befallen them. These manoeuvres were repeated generally every morning to his great satisfaction and amusement.”

from The Reminiscences of Captain Gronow