Letter from the Adjutant of the Scots Greys at the Battle of Waterloo, Lieutenant Macmillan, to Major-General Balfour of Ballurnie, Fife, late Colonel of the Scots Greys, and giving an account of the part the Regiment took in the battle. Copied by Major Donnithorne from the original in the possession of Mr. Balfour of Ballurnie, son of General Balfour.
"Nantevin. July 13th, 1815.
"5 miles west of Paris.
"Dear General,
"After a long silence on my part I shall attempt to give you a short extract of our late movements. No doubt ere this time you will have seen the Gazette containing a list of the killed and wounded of the Greys on the 18th ultimo. I fancy it's much greater than has ever occurred since it was a regiment. We took into the field that day three squadrons above sixty files each. Now we muster one of little more than that number. I fear many of the men and horses wounded, will never be again fit for service. Poor Colonel Hamilton led the regiment in grand stile into action. You know him, more than courage is required on such occasions.
"Major-General Ponsonby who commanded the Brigade fell early in the action, as did Colonel H.; but which of them fell first, the former being in the centre of the Brigade, and we being on the left, I do not know which of them was first killed.
"No regiment could behave better than the Greys, Sergeant Ewart took an Eagle, and the Royals another, which I believe were all that were taken, but not one word in the Despatch by whom taken, indeed the Despatch is extremely cold, and which is observed as such by everyone here, that has seen it. The Heavy Brigade are mentioned as having done their duty—the first consists of 2 Regiments, Life Guards, Blues, and first Dragoon Guards. The 2nd, second and sixth Dragoons: the Hussars and Light Dragoons had little or anything (sic) to do except look on. Sergeant Ewart cut down the officer and two soldiers before he could get possession of the Eagle.
"Hankin's horse fell with him at the commencement of the charge, we saw nothing more of him for that day, had he remained a short time in the field he must have been killed from his been (sic) so very inactive that the French Lancers immediately got into our regt. after each charge, he having no reserve he would certainly have been destroyed, the Light Dragoons this time might have been made extremely useful.
"Colonel Hankin's horse also fell with him twice on the 17th, when we in our turn covered the retreat of the British Army, which was done under a most tremendous fire of cannon from the enemy, the First Dragoons only lost one man, that was all, Lord Uxbridge's Hussars[3] (the 7th) were to have been the last and were so placed, but from some cause or other, behaved not very well, indeed his Lordship said in front of the first Life Guards, that he must call upon them to advance for that his own regiment had deserted him. The Life Guards charged a mass of Lancers on the chasee (sic), and which they tumbled over like rats and the road covered with them and their horses.
[3] This Regiment no longer exists.—E. A.
"It is quite impossible to describe in a letter the battle of the 18th. The carnage is far beyond belief.