Lt Col William Tomkinson 16 Light Dragoons, quoted in Kristine Hughes’ Waterloo Winesses page 113, answering criticism of Wellington’s attendance at the Duchess of Richmond’s Ball:
”Something has been said of the headquarters at Brussels thinking so little of the enemy’s advance that they were at a ball, and considerable delay occasioned in consequence. If an army receives information at night which requires an immediate move of troops, it is of great consequence to have the Quartermaster General and other staff officers collected, in place of having to seek and assemble them over a large town. There was considerable time saved by this, and no objection to attending a ball twenty miles from an enemy.”
So, essentially it wasn’t a party, it was a work event….
Lieutenant John Stepney Cowell Nec aspera terrent (Nulli secundus)
Very clever, made me smile!!
The following is a list of Guards and 1st Division Officers who were
invited. Those who were known to attend are indicated in bold. Those
who were invited and were known to not have attended are in italics. All
others on the list were invited but there is no record stating whether they
attended or not.
Army Staff
Lieutenant Colonel Hon. Alexander Abercromby 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Delancey Barclay 2nd Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Colin Campbell 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards
Lieutenant Colonel John Fremantle 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon 2nd Battalion 3rd Foot Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Thomas Noel Hill 2nd Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Lord Fitzroy Somerset 2nd Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Major Chatham Churchill 1st Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Captain Francis Dawkins 2nd Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Captain Lord Charles Fitzroy 3rd Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Captain Hon. Orlando Bridgeman 1st Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Guards Division
Major General George Cooke Commander
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Henry Bradford AQMG
Captain George Disbrowe ADC
1st Brigade Guards Division
Major General Peregrine Maitland Commander
Captain James Gunthorpe Brigade Major
Ensign James Lord Hay ADC
2nd Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Lieutenant Charles Allix Adjutant
Ensign Hon. Seymour Bathurst
Ensign George Fludyer
Ensign Algernon Greville
3rd Battalion 1st Foot Guards
Captain Alexander Lord Saltoun
Captain Hon. James Stanhope
2nd Brigade Guards Division
Major General Sir John Byng Commander
Captain Henry Dumaresq ADC
Ensign Hon. Edward Stopford Extra-ADC
2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards
Major Alexander Woodford Commander
Captain Hon. Edward Acheson
Captain Henry Wyndham
Lieutenant George Bowles
Lieutenant John Stepney Cowell (Was not invited but crashed the party!)
Ensign Hon. James Forbes
Ensign Hon. John Montagu
2nd Battalion 3rd Foot Guards
Captain Edward Bowater
Lieutenant Hon. Hastings Forbes
Lieutenant Robert Hesketh
Ensign David Baird
Ensign Hon. Ernest Edgecombe
Ensign Hon. Henry Montagu
“The Duchess of Richmond’s Ball 15 June 1815” by David Miller Spellmount 2005 and “Dancing into Battle” by Nick Foulkes Weidenfield & Nicholson 2006 gives more background on this piece of social history. With the Richmond household there is thought to be 238 invited attendees. It was also commented on by many of those who were either invited and did not go, or only knew of it.
I was under the impression that the only winesse of any significance that night was the Duchess of Richmond. I am intrigued