| On the afternoon of June 18, 1815, the
battle of Waterloo raged with all the intensity and fury not common
to the peaceful Belgium countryside. The previous night's rain had
turned the battlefield into a sea of mud, ten inches deep at places.
The French 1st Corps advanced against the British positions on Mount
St. Jean and Picton's Division repulsed their initial attack. In support,
was the British Union Brigade of Heavy Cavalry which included the
Royal Scots Dragoons- Scotland's only cavalry regiment. For the most
part, the unit was mounted on grey horses and was usually called "The
Greys." The regiment was raised in 1681 and by 1713 was known
as The Second or Royal North British Dragoons. The Brigade Commander,
Major General Sir William Ponsonby, saw the opportunity to advance
his cavalry and help break up the French Infantry. As the Greys swept
by the Gordon Highlanders, the cry went up "Scotland Forever."
Among the troopers of the Scots Greys was one Sgt. Charles Ewart,
a giant of a man standing 6' 4'' and weighing 250 pounds. Swinging
his heavy dragoon saber Ewart surged into the struggling mass of
French Infantry and seized the flag with eagle of the 45th Regiment
of the Line. He later wrote to his father detailing his actions…"We
charged through two of their columns, each about 5000 men, it was
in the first charge that I took the eagle of the enemy, he and I
had to contest for it, he thrust for my groin-I parried it off and
cut him through the head. After which I was attacked by one of their
lancers who threw his lance at me but missed his mark by my throwing
it off with my sword by my right side; then I cut him from the chin
upwards which went through his teeth; next I was attacked by a foot
soldier who after firing at me charged me with a bayonet - but very
soon lost the combat, for I parried it, and cut him down through
the head, so that finished the contest for the eagle." Ewart
was ordered to retire with his trophy. He was later granted a commission
in a West India Regiment.
The legendary charge of the Scots Greys to the sound of the bagpipes
and shouts of "Go At Them Greys" has etched this event
into the annals of military history. Years later, Lady Elizabeth
Butler painted her famous painting of the mass of heavy horses struggling
through the mud to the cries of "Scotland Forever".
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