Battle was a close-run thing for Wellington

The Duke of Wellington chose Waterloo to face down the “Corsican Ogre”.

For Wellington, holding the high ground against the French onslaught was vital as he waited for the Prussian army to arrive and reinforce him.

By early afternoon his lines had weakened and with no sign of the Prussians, the French, sensing victory, sought to deliver a hammer-blow. Some 18,000 French infantrymen with cavalry support under the Count d’Erlon began the advance across the field and up the slope to the ridge held by Wellington’s troops.

Heavy cannon and musket fire failed to halt d’Erlon’s troops. Fighting was now taking place all along the ridge.

From where Napoleon stood, it must have seemed as though the day was his.

What he did not see was the Union Brigade and Household Brigade of heavy cavalry that waited on the reverse slope of the ridge.

The Union Brigade, so called because it contained regiments from England, Scotland and Ireland, 1st Royal Dragoons, the Scots Greys, and 6th Inniskilling Dragoons.

The Inniskillings were under the command of Sir Joseph Muter.

Dragoons are heavy cavalry – large men armed with heavy sabres and mounted on powerful horses.

With perfect timing, the Union Brigade slammed into the French columns and caused carnage.

They carried the charge on to Napoleon’s beloved artillery – but they had gone too far.

The French cavalry counter attacked and inflicted heavy losses.

Muter’s Inniskillings had 193 killed or wounded out of 400, plus 190 horses, and their butcher’s bill would increase by the end of the day.

But the charge had inflicted heavy losses on the French and bought Wellington precious time for the arrival of the Prussians.

As losses continued, Muter assumed command of the Union Brigade and they fought on. He was wounded around 6pm, with his horse shot twice at the same time.

Wellington and the Prussian forces under the command of Marshal Blucher would end the day victorious.