The return of Bonaparte to France, the sudden defection of the forces of Louis XVIII., and the elevation of the usurper to the throne, filled Europe with astonishment. War was resolved upon, and on the 25th of March three squadrons of the Queen's Own Hussars, commanded by Col. Sir Edward Kerrison, marched from London for foreign service; they embarked at Dover, landed at Ostend, and, after marching a few stages up the country, went into cantonments, and were formed in brigade with the Fifteenth hussars, and Second hussars of the King's German legion, under the orders of Major-General Sir Colquhoun Grant, K.C.B. On the 29th of May they were reviewed, with other brigades of the cavalry, by Field-Marshal his Grace the Duke of Wellington, accompanied by Marshal Von Blucher, the commander of the Prussian army.
Bonaparte, endeavouring, by one of those rapid movements for which he had been so famous, to interpose between the British and Prussian armies, and beat them in detail, suddenly attacked and drove in the out-posts, and early on the morning of the 16th of June the Seventh Hussars advanced to support the troops engaged at Quatre Bras. After a march of many miles, they arrived at the scene of conflict; the French were repulsed, and the troops bivouacked in the fields.
The Prussians having been defeated and forced to retreat, the Duke of Wellington made a corresponding movement on the 17th of June, to preserve his communication with them, and the Seventh Hussars were engaged, with other corps, in covering this retrograde movement. On passing through the village of Genappe, the French lancers began to press upon the rear of the retiring army, and the Seventh were directed by their colonel, Lieutenant-General the Earl of Uxbridge, to charge. This order was executed with signal bravery; but the lancers, being sustained by a great mass of cavalry, and having their flanks secure, presented an almost impenetrable row of pikes, through which the hussars were unable to break. The regiment rallied and charged a second time; but the lancers, being well supported and advantageously posted, were enabled to maintain their ground. Some impression had, however, been made, and two squadrons of the first regiment of life guards coming up at speed, the weight and power of their charge broke the lancers, who were pursued through the village with great slaughter. The retreat was afterwards continued with skirmishing and cannonading to the position in front of the village of Waterloo, where the army passed the night exposed to a heavy rain.
On the following day the hard contested and sanguinary battle of Waterloo was fought,—a battle memorable in the annals of Europe,—where the fate of empires was decided by the sword, and the British troops acquired immortal honour! During the early part of the action the Seventh Hussars supported the infantry, and towards the evening they were ordered forward. Moving from Hugomont, they acted nearly on the reverse of the enemy, and by a series of brilliant charges, most nobly executed, contributed to the final overthrow of the French army. On this occasion the officers and men proved their resolution to support the high character which the regiment had so long borne; and their conduct was publicly noticed and attested in the strongest and most unequivocal terms by the commander of the cavalry, Lieutenant-General the Earl of Uxbridge, who, after having gone through this arduous day, received a wound at the close of the action by which he lost his right leg.
The loss of the regiment on the 17th and 18th of June was, one serjeant, fifty-five rank and file, and eighty-four horses killed; Captains J. W. Robins, W. Vernor, and P. A. Heyliger; Lieutenants R. Douglas, E. Peters, and R. Beattie; with nine serjeants, one trumpeter, eighty-three rank and file, and one hundred and sixteen horses wounded.
The gallant conduct of the regiment on this occasion, was subsequently rewarded with the honour of bearing the word "Waterloo" on its appointments; the officers and men received each a silver medal; and the privilege of reckoning two years' service for that day, was conferred on the subaltern officers, and also on the non-commissioned officers and private men.
On the 19th of June, the regiment advanced in pursuit of the French, who fled in dismay towards Paris; on the evening of the 24th, it was at the capture of Cambray by escalade, by Lieut.-General Sir Charles Colville's division. On arriving at the vicinity of Paris, the war was terminated, by the surrender of the capital, and the restoration of Louis XVIII. to the throne of his ancestors.
After occupying village cantonments near Paris for several months, and taking part in several grand reviews, at which the Emperors of Russia and Austria, and the Kings of Prussia and France, were present, the Seventh Hussars were selected to form part of the army of occupation in France, and they proceeded to Estaples and neighbouring villages.
1816
In the summer of 1816, the Seventh marched to quarters between St. Omer and Dunkirk, for the purpose of field exercise and review, and were joined by a squadron from England. On the 22nd of October, the Duke of Wellington reviewed the army on the plains of St. Denain, and witnessed the troops go through the formula of a mock engagement. The Seventh afterwards returned to their former quarters.