OF MILITARY SERVICE, IN 1813, 1814, & 1815, THROUGH GERMANY, HOLLAND, AND FRANCE; INCLUDING SOME DETAILS OF THE BATTLES OF QUATRE BRAS AND WATERLOO. BY THOMAS MORRIS, Late Sergeant of the 2nd Battalion of the 73rd Regiment of Foot. A New Edition. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, AT 14, YORK TERRACE, COMMERCIAL ROAD, EAST. MDCCCXLV. PREFACE. IN the various histories which have been published recording the events of the late war, the greatest praise has invariably been given to those regiments whose officers were of high birth and aristocratic connexions; while other corps, not possessing these fortuitous advantages, have had the mortification to find their services pass altogether unnoticed. This cannot be imputed as a fault to the historian, as he derived his information from the official despatches: the onus, then, must rest with the General commanding, and without ascribing to him any corrupt motive, we may consider it to have been but natural for him to make the most honourable mention of those regiments whose officers he was desirous of recommending to the special notice of head-quarters. However, favouritism always has existed, and doubtless always will. I shall endeavour, therefore, in the following pages, simply to place on record some of the exploits of the regiment in which I served, as well as of some others with whom we occasionally co-operated; but who, like ourselves, had not the honour to be noticed in public despatches, for the reasons I have before stated. As I have no written data to go by, but trust entirely to memory, should any inaccuracies be discovered, I hope it will be imputed to that circumstance, rather than to any wilful intention on my part to record events which I do not know or believe to be true. PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION. THE first edition of this work was published in January last, and copies forwarded to the metropolitan Journals and Magazines,-and the reviews in general were satisfactory,-some indeed very complimentary. There was, however, one exception. The United Service Gazette of the 22nd of February last, after taking some six weeks to consider its verdict, produced a most elaborate critique, concocted with great care and labour, and evidently intended to put the extinguisher on my humble work,-professing to regret that I had no friend discreet enough to advise me to burn it. But as those among my acquaintance who have done me the honour to read the book have been pleased to express their approbation of it, and, moreover, as it is well known that the United Service Gazette was established, and is supported, by the very class of persons against whom some of my strictures were intended to apply, I had no hopes of being patronised by them; but certainly I did not expect the |