Beschreibung:

Battle of Waterloo. An important and dramatic autograph first-hand account of the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815) by Lt. Col. Robert Batty (1789-1848) of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards, the author’s contemporary manuscript fair copy of three letters written in the villages of Bavay and Gommegnies in the days following the Battle, and dated 21, 22 and 23 June 1815, giving vivid and detailed accounts of the run-up to the Battle and the Battle itself: 'I constantly saw the noble Duke of Wellington riding backwards and forwards like the Genius of the storm who, borne upon its wings, directed its thunders where to burst. He was everywhere to be found encouraging, directing, animating, - He was in a Blue Coat with a plain cocked hat, his telescope in his hand there was nothing that escaped him nothing he did not take advantage of and his Lynx's eyes seemed to penetrate the smoke and forestall the movements of the foe - How he escaped, that merciful Power alone can tell ... '; and ‘Every tree every walk every hedge every avenue had been fought for with an obstinacy almost unparalleled and the French were killed all round and at the very door of the house to which as well as a haystack they succeeded in setting fire and though all in flames over their heads our brave fellows never suffered them to penetrate beyond the threshold - the greatest part of the wounded on both sides were alas here burned to death’; and ‘The Duke who riding behind us watched their approach and, at length when within an hundred yards of us, exclaimed 'Up Guards and at them again', Never was there a prouder moment ... for our country or ourselves ... The enemy did not expect to meet us so soon, we suffered them to approach still nearer and then delivered a fire into them which made them halt, a second like the first carried hundreds of deaths into their mass, and without suffering them deploy we gave them three British cheers and a charge of the bayonet’, 30 unnumbered pages, written neatly in ink on both sides, owner’s name and regiment in ink to front cover, printed library ticket to front pastedown ‘John Hanington Collection No. W41’, stubs of excised (presumably blank) leaves at rear, contemporary manuscript rough notes to rear pastedown, contemporary limp vellum, rubbed and soiled, slim 8vo (19 x 13 cm) Battle of Waterloo. An important and dramatic autograph first-hand account of the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815) by Lt. Col. Robert Batty (1789-1848) of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards, the author’s contemporary manuscript fair copy of three letters written in the villages of Bavay and Gommegnies in the days following the Battle, and dated 21, 22 and 23 June 1815, giving vivid and detailed accounts of the run-up to the Battle and the Battle itself: 'I constantly saw the noble Duke of Wellington riding backwards and forwards like the Genius of the storm who, borne upon its wings, directed its thunders where to burst. He was everywhere to be found encouraging, directing, animating, - He was in a Blue Coat with a plain cocked hat, his telescope in his hand there was nothing that escaped him nothing he did not take advantage of and his Lynx's eyes seemed to penetrate the smoke and forestall the movements of the foe - How he escaped, that merciful Power alone can tell ... '; and ‘Every tree every walk every hedge every avenue had been fought for with an obstinacy almost unparalleled and the French were killed all round and at the very door of the house to which as well as a haystack they succeeded in setting fire and though all in flames over their heads our brave fellows never suffered them to penetrate beyond the threshold - the greatest part of the wounded on both sides were alas here burned to death’; and ‘The Duke who riding behind us watched their approach and, at length when within an hundred yards of us, exclaimed 'Up Guards and at them again', Never was there a prouder moment ... for our country or ourselves ... The enemy did not expect to meet us