Musket ball that killed Sir Thomas Picton, 1815 (c)
This ball killed General Sir Thomas Picton at the Battle of Waterloo (1815). It is dented where it hit Picton's skull. A typical French lead musket ball, it was probably fired from a 1777 Charleville-type smooth bore musket, of which there were many varieties.
It was most likely fired from fairly close range during a strong French infantry assault on the Duke of Wellington's line around 13.30 on 18 June. It entered Picton's right temple, killing him instantly.
NAM Accession Number
NAM. 1963-10-270-1
Copyright/Ownership
National Army Museum Copyright
Location
National Army Museum, Conflict in Europe gallery
Object URL
https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1963-10-270-1