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Waterloo Hanoverian CorrespondenceFranklin, John (ed.) Waterloo Hanoverian Correspondence, Vol. 1: Letters and Reports from Manuscript Sources (Waterloo 1815). Ulverson, UK: 1815 Ltd, 2010. 192 pages, 10 colour plates by Gerry Embleton and 4 colour maps. ISBN# 9780956339331. Paperback. £20.
This is the second of a series of “Correspondence” books produced by the publisher 1815 Ltd which aims to present translated transcripts exclusively from contemporary manuscripts. They are distinct from other publications in that there are no footnotes. These books are supplemented by an on-line subscription archive that over the next 5 years will encompass all participants in the Waterloo campaign. The first of two volumes on the Hanoverian and Kings German Legion (KGL) has been taken from 49 original manuscripts held in the Niedersächsisches Hauptstaatarchiv in Hanover. The second volume on the Hanoverians will be taken from printed sources and should be out in April 2011. The KGL was formed after Hanover had been overrun by the French in 1803. In 1814, the Hanoverian Army was reformed from selected cadres from the veteran KGL, new drafts and former soldiers that had fought for Napoleon. In 1815, there was not enough time to re-integrate the KGL that had fought so well in the Peninsular. Most of the KGL infantry battalions were less than 300 men strong and had 6 rather than 10 companies. According to Captain Adolphus Hesse 2nd KGL Line Battalion had 21 officers, 25 sergeants and 302 other ranks. [p46] The 5th KGL Line Battalion was reduced to only 5 companies with 24 officers, 17 sergeants and 291 other ranks after detachments according to Adjutant Wilhelm Wilhelm Walther. [p76] There are 22 KGL and 27 Hanoverian manuscripts presented in this high quality paperback. A quarter of the accounts in the book (12) are after action reports, half of which were by the brigade commanders and a further one by the commander of the 5th British Division. Two thirds (22 plus another 10 with no date give) relate to the general order dated 28 October 1824 that requested reports from officers still serving in the Hanoverian Army upon the Waterloo campaign. In 1835, Commander in Chief of the British Army, Lord Hill, requested information on the role of the KGL and Hanoverian Battalions to assist the construction of the Waterloo Model being made by Lieutenant Siborne. He was assisted by Major and Assistant Quartermaster-General Carl Jacobi who had served as a Captain in the Lüneberg Light Infantry Battalion. The report is given in full and is a very clear account of the campaign involving the Hanoverians and KGL by brigade and even by unit [see pp9-33]. The translator gives reference to the 8 maps that were submitted with the report which alas are not reproduced. [p33] This report for its clarity is probably worth buying the book alone. Another three accounts were written about 1840 and the final one in 1854. Many of the letters and reports in edited form had been published in German by Dr. Julius von Pflugk-Harttung in his 1915 book entitled Belle-Alliance (Verbündetes Heer): Berichte und Angaben über die Beteiligung deutscher Truppen der Armee Wellingtons an dem Gefechte bei Quatre Bras und der Schlacht bei Belle-Alliance. This important book has become a standard work among German speaking historians though almost unknown elsewhere. John Franklin by accessing the original papers in the Niedersächsisches Hauptstaatarchiv in Hanover was able to correct the errors and misidentification that Pflugk-Hartung had made in 1915 in his German edition. About half of the KGL and Hanoverian letters were left unidentified. John Franklin has for the first time attributed to each report or letter to a person. Many of the documents were not reproduced in full and according to John Franklin, the most important were the omissions in the Carl Jacobi manuscript that he has reproduced in full. The reviewer has extracted a series of extracts based upon my various areas of interest so many are upon the Artillery. EXTRACT 1: Muddy Ground Brevet Major Heinrich Kuhlmann [dated 1 Dec 1824] commander of the 2nd Horse Artillery King’s German Legion attached to 1st British Infantry Division. “We stood on the plateau of a small height overlooking cultivated fields, and because of the rain which had fallen during the night the sodden ground made it almost impossible to move the 9-pdr cannon and the heavy 5½-in howitzer by hand.” Brevet Major Heinrich Kuhlmann, commander of 2nd Horse Artillery, KGL [p35] EXTRACT 2: Light Dragoons against Cuirassiers Maj-Gen Wilhelm von Dörnberg at the head of the 1st KGL Light Dragoons counterattacked an enemy Cuirassier regiment. The Light Dragoons could do little against the enemy breast plates and lamented “if we only had our old swords!” This was a reference to their long heavy cavalry Pallasches that they surrendered upon being converted from Heavy to Light Dragoons. [About 4pm] “… an enemy Cuirassier regiment advanced at the trot. It found its way through the infantry squares and the artillery battery on the heights. As my two regiments were Light Cavalry, I ordered them to remain in column and at the moment that I believed that a counterattack would ensure the greatest success, I ordered the 23rd Regiment to charge the enemy’s left wing, while I attacked the right wing with the 1st Regiment… This attack was completely successful, and the Cuirassier Regiment was completely dispersed. ” Maj-Gen Wilhelm von Dörnberg commander of 3rd British Cavalry Brigade [p172-3] EXTRACT 3: No counter-battery fire The orders of the Duke of Wellington are repeated in most of the artillery accounts “The Duke of Wellington, who visited us on a number of occasions, personally ordered me not to exchange fire with the enemy artillery... At this time a strong enemy artillery battery of the highest calibre fired at us from a position of 1200 paces away, but because of the order I had received from the Duke of Wellington, I did not return fire.” Brevet Major Heinrich Kuhlmann, commander of 2nd Horse Artillery, KGL [p35] EXTRACT 4: Captain Wilhelm Braun [c1824: pp151-152] commanded 1st Hanoverian Foot Artillery. He reported in May 1815, his company was armed with 6-pdrs wagons from various countries, probably Westphalian and French. On 8-9 June, the company was fully equipped as 9-pdr battery from the British stores and were given instruction in its operation by a Lt and some NCOs from the KGL. “On the 8th and 9th June I received the complete equipment for a 9-pdr battery with all the appropriate reserves from the English Arsenal at Ghent, and due to the extraordinary undertaking of Lt von Schulz and several artillery corporals of the KGL, who were made available to me by Lt-Col Sir J. Hartmann of the same corps, it was possible to practice with the battery and for me to learn within a very short space of time the correct method of handling the ordnance which had been supplied.” Captain Wilhelm Braun commanded 1st Hanoverian Foot Artillery [p151] EXTRACT 5: British 9-pdrs By 7pm most batteries had expended their ammunition and could only carry on fighting by borrowing ammunition from RA batteries. This clearly showed how sensible it was to standardise upon British ordnance and equipment despite most only receiving it only a week before. “Lt-Col Adye joined us with the English foot artillery battery … and as we had fired many more rounds than they had, they supplied us with some ammunition.” Brevet Major Heinrich Kuhlmann, commander of 2nd Horse Artillery, KGL [p36] “Towards 6 o’clock in the evening the battery had been reduced to such an extent, due to the number killed, wounded and those who had carried their wounded comrades to the rear etc., that only 3 cannon could be operated… It was towards 7.30pm when the last cannon finally exhausted the last of the ammunition.” Lt Friedrich d’Huvelé of the 1st Hanoverian Foot battery [p156]. EXTRACT 6: Defeat of a French horse artillery half battery. At about 6:30pm, three 6-pdr guns of French Horse Artillery deployed within canister range [300 yards or less] of the 1st Hanoverian Foot Battery who outclassed them with their Blomefield 9-pdrs and the French were forced to withdraw. “At this time [6.30pm] three cannon belonging to the enemy’s horse artillery moved to N, which fired at the battery with canister. But after a few shots from our Hanoverian Battery one of these enemy’s cannon was destroyed and the other withdrew.” Lt Friedrich d’Huvelé of the 1st Hanoverian Foot battery [p157]. EXTRACT 7: Ammunition and men exhausted The accounts show that few of the KGL and Hanoverian Batteries could be operational for the pursuit of the French Army. “The 1st Horse Battery was the only one which received orders to pursue the enemy.” Brevet Major Augustus Sympher commander of 1st Horse Artillery, KGL [p64] “On the morning of 19th… Only two cannon and 2 ammunition wagons were fit for service. The cannon were manned by 1 sergeant and 8 gunners.” Lt Friedrich d’Huvelé of the 1st Hanoverian Foot battery [p157]. Closing comments The attached appendix has been compiled by the reviewer to give the reader a full outline of the book contents by unit type rather than order of battle as used in the “Correspondence” Series. The reviewer has proposed approximate dates to those that are not dated and the ranks have been added as they were on the day of the battle. There are a few places that the layouts seem a little confused and it is unclear why they are in a larger font and not indented as I assume they are part of the report [see pp39-40, pp82-83, p86 etc..] and the captions of the illustrations are at the top rather than the academic convention of being below. These are very minor issues that I would expect with further books will be remedied. The book is an important addition to literature on Waterloo as it shows the undigested accounts that are the important raw material for the historian or enthusiast to understand the role of the Hanoverians and KGL at Waterloo especially the much neglected artillery where only Mercer RA seems to be the only allied artilleryman quoted by modern historians. This is shown by the extract examples that I have taken with my explanatory notes. The simple transcript style may not suite everybody but the serious researcher will enjoy this blank canvass approach as being the next best thing to visiting the archives themselves. This book is recommended to the historian, re-enactor and wargamer who will enjoy the fascinating accounts especially the overview report by Carl Jacobi. APPENDIX: Letters and reports contained in this volume. General Staff Overview
Letters and Reports by Divisional and Brigade Commanders made in [5 in 1815, 1 probably 1815 and 3 in 1824] DIVISIONAL COMMANDERS 3rd British Infantry Division
BRIGADE COMMANDERS 1st King’s German Legion Brigade, 2nd British Infantry Division
1st Hanoverian Infantry Brigade, 3rd British Infantry Division
3rd Hanoverian Brigade, 2nd British Infantry Division
4th Hanoverian Infantry Brigade, 6th British Infantry Division
5th Hanoverian Infantry Brigade, 5th British Infantry Division
3rd British Cavalry Brigade, British Cavalry Corps,
Letters and Reports by the KGL and Hanoverian Artillery made in 1824 [1 in 1815, 3 in 1824 and a further 4 probably in 1824] Commander of the King’s German Legion artillery
4th Foot Artillery King’s German Legion
1st Horse Artillery King’s German Legion
2nd Horse Artillery King’s German Legion attached to 1st British Infantry Division
HANOVERIAN ARTILLERY Commander of the Hanoverian artillery attached to 5th Division
1st Hanoverian Foot Artillery
2nd Hanoverian Foot Artillery
Letters and Reports by the KGL Infantry [2 in 1824 and a further 5 accounts probably in 1824] KGL LINE INFANTRY 1st Line Battalion King’s German Legion
2nd Line Battalion King’s German Legion
5th Line Battalion King’s German Legion
8th Line Battalion King’s German Legion
KGL LIGHT INFANTRY 2nd Light Infantry Battalion King’s German Legion
Letters and Reports by the KGL Cavalry [5 made in 1824] KGL CAVALRY 2nd Light Dragoons King’s German Legion
1st Hussars King’s German Legion
3rd Hussars King’s German Legion
Letters and Reports by the Hanoverian Infantry made in 1824 [2 in 1815, 7 in 1824, 2 in 1840 and 1 in 1854] HANOVERIAN LIGHT INFANTRY Bremen Light Infantry Battalion
Verden Light Infantry Battalion
HANOVERIAN LANDWEHR Bremervörde Landwehr Battalion · Ensign Friedrich Scheuch [9 Nov 1825: pp54-55] Giffhorn Landwehr Battalion
Hameln Landwehr Battalion
Osnabrück Landwehr Battalion
Salzgitter Landwehr Battalion
Reviewed Dr Stephen Summerfield, Loughborough University. Placed on the Napoleon Series: November 2010
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