Letter from Lieutenant Standish O'Grady to his father the 1st Viscount Guillamore, 31 July 1815

In this letter from Croissy, O'Grady recounts in detail his experiences at Quatre-Bras and Waterloo on 17-18 June 1815. He writes that he and Captain William Verner had been attending the Duchess of Richmond's ball (15 June) when the Duke of Wellington ordered his army to mobilise. His regiment arrived too late to participate in the fighting at Quatre-Bras but was then tasked to cover the army's retreat through Genappe, which resulted in some desperate rearguard fighting. He mentions Lord Uxbridge taking the regiment under his command and fighting against enemy lancers. The regiment suffered serious casualties in this engagement.

Following this, the regiment found itself on the extreme right of the Allied army and O'Grady describes the intensity of the fighting his regiment was involved in on 18 June. Eventually the 7th and 15th Hussars had only 35 men and five officers remaining unwounded and they merged with Vivian's brigade as their brigade was too weak. O'Grady aso refers to false rumours that the 7th had not distinguished itself on the field, saying he can hold his head high. He also mentions that the regiment will be quitting Paris for Normandy and that his promotion to captain was soon to be announced.

From a collection of 45 letters associated with Lieutenant-Colonel Standish O'Grady, later 2nd Viscount Guillamore 1813-1830. These include those written whilst serving as a lieutenant with the 7th Light Dragoons in the Peninsular War (1808-1814) and at Waterloo (1815).