Collection of Sketches and Reports of Wounded at the Battle of Waterloo

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 237 Coll-530
  • Dates of Creation
      [1815]
  • Language of Material
      English.
  • Physical Description
      2 manuscript volumes Access to records in a fragile condition may be restricted.
  • Location
      Gen. 594-595D

Scope and Content

The material is composed of sketches by Dr. Thomson and Dr. Somerville of the wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, and reports, descriptions of cases many with drawings of wounds, and statistical tables of the wounded at the site, probably done in 1815.

Administrative / Biographical History

After 23 years of warfare between France and other European powers, the Battle of Waterloo fought in the afternoon and evening of 18 June 1815 brought the final defeat of the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte. The battle was fought three miles south of the village of Waterloo (twelve miles south of Brussels) during the One Hundred Days of Bonaparte's restoration and after some secondary fighting in the area on 16 June. The French army of 72,000 faced the 113,000 allied British, Dutch, Belgian, German and Prussian forces under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the 'Iron Duke', and Gebhard Leberecht von Bluecher. Other prominent commanders were Michel Ney and Emmanuel de Grouchy, who were both Marshals of France, and Georges Mouton, Comte de Lobau, and Karl von Buelow and H. E. K. von Zeiten of the Prussian forces. Napoleon lost 25,000 men either killed or wounded, and 9,000 captured, while the allies lost 23,000. Napoleon abdicated four days later.

Access Information

Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance.

Acquisition Information

Material acquired June 1962, Accession no. E62.43-44.

Note

The biographical/administrative history was compiled using the following material: (1) The new encyclopaedia Britannica. Vol.12. Micropaedia. Ready Reference. 15th edition. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1991.

Compiled by Graeme D Eddie, Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections Division.

Other Finding Aids

Important finding aids generally are: the alphabetical Index to Manuscripts held at Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives, consisting of typed slips in sheaf binders and to which additions were made until 1987; and the Index to Accessions Since 1987.

Accruals

Check the local Indexes for details of any additions.

Geographical Names