Welcome back to our exploration of Charles Hamilton Smith's Costumes of the Army of the British Empire, in which we'll be looking at a different print every week of the year.
This week we're looking at "Soldiers of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, in Marching Order".
In some ways this is a follow up post both to Week Twenty, in which we first visited soldiers in marching order, and Week Twenty-Six, where we began the story of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards.
When we left the 1st Foot last week, it was 1783 and those of who had been detached to fight the Colonists (now Americans!) had just returned to England. [2] Their next major conflict would come ten years later, in 1793, with the French Revolutionary Wars (1793-1802). [3]
The 1st returned to their old stomping grounds--northern Europe-- and fought in the battles of Lincelles (1793) and Alkmaar (1799). [3] In 1800, soldiers from the 1st Guards served in Egypt. [3]
The regiment began its Peninsular War (1808-14) service in 1808 under Sir John Moore. [1,3] They accompanied him on his advance into Spain and the subsequent forced retreat. [3] At the Battle of Corunna (1809), men of the 1st carried the mortally wounded Moore from the field. [3]
NAM says that over the next five years, the regiment continued to be heavily involved in Portugal and Spain. [3] However, as far as I can tell, most of that wasn't with Wellington himself until fairly late into the war. [4] Part of the 1st was sent on the ill-fated Walcheren expedition, where they were ravaged by mosquitos and fever until the survivors limped home. [4] Others were rotated through the Cadiz garrison for much of the early war. [4] While the 1st of the 1st Guard (possibly with the 3rd of the 1st as well) came to join the army in 1812, they arrived with Wellington's forces only in time to retreat from the siege of Burgos. [4] That winter, however, disease struck them down once again. [4] It took until after the battle of Vitoria for the 1st and 3rd of the 1st Foot Guard to rejoin the forces. [4] They joined the 1st Division and helped with the siege of San Sebastian. [4] From there, they helped chase the French out of the Iberian peninsula. [3,4]
The Battle of Waterloo, however, would be a shining light in the 1st's history, the battle from which they took the name by which they are now called, by which they are remembered: the Grenadier Guards. [3] The 2nd and 3rd of the 1st Guards, with just shy of 2,000 infantry, formed the 1st British Brigade under Major General Sir Peregrine Maitland, part of the 1st British Division under Lieutenant General Sir George Cooke. [5; 237]
The 1st arrived at the Battle of Quatre Bras after it had already begun and the Prince of Orange sent it into the Bossu Wood. This was done without reforming them properly from marching order into battle order; rather than taking several companies and forming them into line before sending them in, individual companies were sent forward as they arrived, some still in column. Despite the Prince's mismanagement, the 2nd of the 1st threw back the French infantry opposed to them in hand-to-hand combat, soon to be reinforced by the 3rd of the 1st. Although they fought a confused action through the trees and undergrowth, the combined units drove the French from the forest. [5; 65-66]
The Light Companies of the 1st Guards saw action on the 17th in capturing Hougoumont. [5; 87-88] Under Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Saltoun, they appear to have won a skirmish against some French also ordered to take the position. [5; 88] They were later placed in the orchard and woods south of it, where they remained until the second attack of Jerome's Division drove them back from their hedge to the south of the orchard, through the orchard, and into the protected way.[5; 88,91] Their pursuers were then badly mauled by flanking fire from the garden wall. [5; 91] Wellington then sent in four line companies of Coldstreamers to recapture the orchard and restore the east flank of Hougomount. [5; 91] Subsequently, Lord Saltoun and the two Light Companies were recalled to rejoin Maitland's Brigade, which was on the crest of the ridge just east of the orchard. [5; 91] Maitland was later overheard saying to Saltoun, "Your defense saved the army: nothing could be more gallant. Every man of you deserves promotion." [6;59]
During Ney's cavalry charges they formed squares. [5; 107] There were Brunswickers held in reserve behind them. [5;122] Around 6pm, Maitland's Guards advanced in line to defeat the tirailleurs of a French combined arms attack near Hougoumont. [5; 115]
After the fall of La Haye Sainte, a mass of tirailleurs-- entire brigades were acting as irregular infantrymen--advanced on the Allied lines. [5; 119-120] Their fire devastated the infantry squares, so Wellington rode up to the 3rd/1st Guards and ordered the battalion to form line in a special way: four deep, done by wheeling a side and a half the rear face around each end of the front of the square as a pivot. [5; 120] This allowed them to drive off the tirailleurs with volleys and a controlled charge, before reforming square to receive a cavalry charge, and subsequently retiring in perfect order to their original position. [5; 120]
When the crisis of the battle came, Maitland's Guards remained stationed toward the western side of the line, near Hougoumont, in the front, with D'Aubreme's brigade in the second line behind them. [5; 142-43] They were ordered back into a line formation of four ranks deep-- maximize firing ability and protection from cavalry while minimizing exposure to artillery-- and laid prone. [5;144] Wellington was just behind Maitland's troops as the Imperial Guard appeared through the smoke. [5; 146] In a strong, confident voice he called out, "Now Maitland! Now is your time!" He paused, then, "Up Guards! Make ready! Fire!" [5; 146-47]
The 1st rose up out of the corn, a startling apparition who presented muskets and fired at point-blank range. [6; 106] Maitland's Guards soon were firing their half-company volleys with a front of nearly 400 men into a column with a front of 60. [5;147] The ends of the British line were raking the head of the French column with cross fire. [5;147] Line beat column, and any attempt by the French to change formation exposed them to withering fire from multiple battalions. [5;148] The surviving French broke completely and melted to the rear and Maitland led his men in a short pursuit after them. [5;148] The appearance of further troops caused them to halt and return to their original positions. [6; 107]
It was first believed that the British 1st Guards had beaten the French Grenadiers of the Guard, and from this victory over the previously unbeaten force they took their name, bearskin headdress, and the flaming grenade that became their cap badge, at first informally, then officially in 1877. [3, 5;148n] Weller suggest this force was probably the 1/3rd Chasseurs, 2/3rd Chasseurs, part of the 4th Chasseurs, and the 2/3rd Grenadiers. [5;148] Roberts claims the Grenadiers were dealt with by another regiment while the 1st Foot Guards fought the 1st and 3rd Chasseurs of the Middle Guard. [6;105]
Weller says, "No men who ever fought were more effective than Byng's Guards in Hougoumont, Maitland's Brigade on the crest and Adam's Light Infantry Brigade." [5;164] Yet perhaps the greatest praise came from Wellington himself: "Our loss is immense, particularly in that best of all instruments, British infantry. I never saw the infantry behave so well." [5;165]
I find this print fascinating for a few reasons. The winter setting, first of all: is it an allusion to the 1808 retreat from Spain? Or is it merely an excuse for them to be in their great coats? I like that we get to see the oilskin covers for their hats, which I often see referenced but rarely see depicted. So too do I like that we see all their gear.
I'm not sure what is going on with the man on the right. My first thought was that the red near his waist was the end of an officer's sash, which would also explain the sword. However, if he is an officer, I'd expect him to be mounted. And as to why he's carrying a polearm... I have no idea.
If you'd like to look at the full series of weekly posts exploring Smith's Costumes of the Army of the British Empire, search the tag #CABE Project 2026
Honestly I didn't think they had so much to show but I like being proven otherwise! (I mean it was a key point of the battle lmao) they also had a movie with moving blocks with were really cool. Also the guy who I posed with was kind of a guide who explained the whole battle inside of the farm which was appreciated 😄
The battle of Waterloo depended on the closing of those gates.
Duke of Wellington.
There were many key moments at the Battle of Waterloo. Many were only recognised after the battle had been won as a close run thing. But in the heat of the battle there was one moment that was not lost on either Wellington or Napoleon and that was the chateau and outbuildings of Hougoumont which were situated 500 yards from Wellington’s line, and if held by the Allies would disrupt any French advance. Likewise, their loss to the French would have created an immense threat to Wellington’s right flank.
Hougoumont was defended by 2600 allied crack troops including Coldstream, Grenadier and Scots Guards plus Nassauers and Brunswickers. The north gate of Hougoumont had been deliberately left open to allow friendly troops to pass through, but had to be closed rapidly when the French started to attack at about 11.30 am. This attack was the first action of the Battle of Waterloo. The gates were however not closed properly and French soldiers started to push through. Desperate hand-to-hand fighting ensued but somehow the defenders managed to close the gates. The 30 Frenchmen who had entered were swiftly dealt with, all being mercilessly killed except for a young and unarmed drummer-boy.
This brave action meant that the French were never able to take Hougoumont at any time during the remainder of the day, although 12,700 of Napoleon’s troops were tied up in the attempt.
Some years later a Reverend John Norcross left a sum of money in his will to be given “to the bravest man at Waterloo”. Wellington, who was asked to nominate the winner, said that the success of the battle turned upon the closing of the gates at Hougoumont, and the recipient was a Corporal James Graham of the Coldstream Guards. This soldier had shown immense bravery and probably saved the life of the commanding officer at Hougoumont, Lieutenant-Colonel James MacDonell.
Photo: Guards Memorial Hougoumont, Waterloo, Belgium.
