Waterford. A maritime county of the province of Munster, in Ireland. In the time of Ptolemy, it was inhabited by the tribe of the Brigantes. It was afterwards peopled by the Desii, who are supposed to have migrated from a tribe of the same name in Meath; and having spread themselves also over the plain country of Tipperary; those settled in Waterford were distinguished by the name of South Desii, and the others by that of North Desii. Here the Danes established a permanent settlement in the 9th century, making the city of Waterford their chief seat of government; and though frequently involved in wars with the surrounding natives, they retained possession of the city and district until their subjugation by the English, who, in 1170, under Strongbow, stormed Waterford, took their chieftain or prince prisoner, and brought the whole of the Desiis into the possession of the English. Shortly after, Henry II. granted the greater part of the county to Robert le Poer, and the remainder, with that of Cork, then a petty kingdom, to Milo de Cogan, two of his followers. King John landed at Waterford in 1211, and personally visited many parts of the country. The next king of England who visited Ireland, Richard II., landed at Waterford in 1394, with an army of 4000 men-at-arms, and 30,000 archers. The county suffered severely in the reign of Elizabeth, through the rebellion of the Earl of Desmond, and the Spanish invasion; and also in the wars of 1641, during the first years of which, its possession was the subject of continued sanguinary contention between the English and Irish forces, until it was ultimately reduced under the authority of the English Parliament by Cromwell. During the war of the Revolution, it took part with King James, and was reduced by King William’s forces, under Gen. Kirk, after the decisive battle of the Boyne.
Watering-bucket. See [Implements].
Watering-call. A trumpet sounding, on which the cavalry assemble to water their horses.
Waterloo. A village of Belgium, province of South Brabant, on the highway from Charleroi to Brussels; which was the scene of the greatest and most decisive battle of modern times. This battle was fought on June 18, 1815, between the French army of 71,947 men and 246 guns, under Napoleon, and the allies, commanded by the Duke of Wellington; the latter with 67,661 men and 156 guns, resisted the various attacks of the enemy from 10 o’clock in the morning until 5 o’clock in the afternoon. About that time 16,000 Prussians reached the field of battle; and by 7 o’clock, the force under Blücher amounted to above 50,000 men, with 104 guns. Wellington then moved forward his whole army, and in every point this attack succeeded. The French were forced from their positions, and fled in the utmost confusion, leaving 227 pieces of artillery in the hands of the victors. The pursuit was kept up with great energy throughout the whole night by the Prussian troopers, who seemed bent upon at once avenging the defeats of Jena, Auerstadt, and Ligny, and glutted their fierce animosity by an indiscriminate slaughter. The total loss in this battle was, from the obstinacy and determination with which it was contested, necessarily large; the figures are: British and Hanoverians, 11,678; Brunswickers, 687; Nassauers, 643; Netherlanders, 3178; a total of 16,186; which added to 6999 Prussians, gives the aggregate allied loss, 23,185. The French had 18,500 killed and wounded, and 7800 prisoners (some French accounts raise the total list of [hors de combat] to 32,000). Napoleon, quitting the wreck of his flying army, returned to Paris; and, finding it impossible to raise another, abdicated the throne of France.
Wattignies. A village of France, department of Nord, where Jourdan and the French republicans defeated the Austrians under the Prince of Coburg, and raised the siege of Maubeuge, October 14-16, 1793.
Waver. A body of troops is said to waver when it becomes unsteady if at the halt, or to hesitate and lose its order if on the march, under the fire of the enemy.
Wavre. A town in the province of South Brabant, Belgium. It is known as the scene of a desperate and protracted conflict between the French and Prussians, on June 18-19, 1815. The former under Grouchy, Gérard, and Vandamme, advanced against the Prussians at the same time as Napoleon directed the troops under his immediate orders against Wellington at Waterloo, and being much superior in number (32,000 to 15,200), drove the Prussians under Thielman into Wavre, where they defended themselves with desperate firmness, repulsing thirteen different assaults in the course of the 18th. On the following morning, Thielman, who had heard of the victory at Waterloo, attacked Grouchy, but was repulsed with vigor, though the urgent orders of Napoleon forced the latter to retreat to Laon, instead of following up his success.
Wawz, or Wawer (Poland). The Poles under Skrzynecki attacked the Russians at Wawz, and after two days’ hard fighting, all the Russian positions were carried by storm, and they retreated with the loss of 12,000 men and 2000 prisoners, March 31, 1831. The loss of the Poles was small, but their triumph was soon followed by defeat and ruin.
Way, Covert. See [Covert Way].
Way of the Rounds. In fortification, a space left for the passage of the rounds between the rampart and the wall of a fortified town.