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Auction: 19001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 23

(x) An important Waterloo Medal to Private J. Hudson, 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards; Hudson served with Lord Saltoun's Light Companies in Hougoumont's Great Orchard, beating off determined assaults by vastly superior numbers of French infantry. Later in the battle, he would have seen his gallant Company CO famously dispose of a live French shell which entered the square

Waterloo 1815 (John Hudson. 2nd Batt. Grenad. Guards.), original steel clip and split ring suspension, traces of lacquer, some light edge knocks, very fine

John Hudson served in the 1815 Waterloo Campaign as a Private in Lieutenant-Colonel Colquitt's Light Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Foot Guards. He would have been present at Quatre Bras on 16 June, when the Guards secured Wellington's position by evicting Jérôme's Division from Bossu Wood. Hudson's skill as a sharpshooter was in great demand, as the French took full advantage of the cover afforded them by the trees and foliage. Costly skirmishes took place in which French voltigeurs would melt into the undergrowth before the Guards could close with the bayonet. It was a frustrating action in which the Guards lost heavily.

During the night of 17 June, having redeployed his army nine miles south of Brussels on the ridge of Mont St. Jean, Wellington ordered all four Guards Light Companies - one from each Guards Battalion - to leave the ridge and prepare Hougoumont farm for defence the following day. In torrential rain, the guardsmen laboured to build fire-steps up against Hougoumont's 2 metre high red-brick walls, into which they bored loopholes with their bayonets. Pioneers of the King's German Legion were sent from La Haye Sainte to assist. The Guards arrived just in time, as French patrols very nearly took Hougoumont for the Emperor.

At the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June, both 1st Foot Guards Light Companies - under Lord Saltoun's overall command - were stationed in the Great Orchard to the east of Hougoumont, an area of roughly 200 square metres that was fiercely contested throughout the day. The assault closest to capturing Hougoumont was that of Baudin's Brigade at 11.30 a.m. The French 1st and 2nd Light Regiments moved forward in skirmish order, driving back Hanoverian and Nassau contingents. Saltoun led his two companies in a spirited charge which stopped the French from encircling the position. At around 2 p.m. the French brought up a howitzer which poured canister into Saltoun's men at point-blank range; both Light Companies made unsuccessful attempts to seize the artillery piece. At 2.45 p.m. Saltoun was relieved by the 3rd Foot Guards under Colonel Hepburn. He then marched his Light Companies back up the ridge to join their parent Battalions, meaning that Hudson also served in the repulse of the Imperial Guard at 8 p.m.

It was under the dreadful hail of fire that Lieutenant-Colonel Colquitt wrote himself into the history of the battle. His action was immortalised by Wills's Cigarette (Waterloo No. 24) cards with the following account:

'During the last mighty combined attack of the French Guards led by Ney, many acts of heroism were performed. Our Guards, were lying down to escape the terrible hurricane of fire from the French Artillery. A live shell dropped in the midst of one of our squares, and Colonel Colquitt, of the Guards, coolly picked it up, carried it to the edge, and threw it outside to explode harmlessly.'



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Sold for
£2,200