Letter describing Waterloo by Colonel Joseph Muter

It was written to his brother. It first dealt with family financial matters, and then with his being wounded during the action. Download a transcription of the letter.

During the battle Muter’s regiment took part in the famous charge of the so named ‘Union Brigade’. After a diversionary assault on Wellington’s right centre at the farm of Hougoumont, Napoleon’s major infantry assault on Wellington’s left centre took place around 1.30pm. Around 17,000 of Count Drouet d’Erlon’s fine and relatively fresh 1st Corps seriously threatened the Allied line right up on the ridge of Wellington’s position.

In response, the Union Brigade moved forward. They were unseen until late in their advance and caught the French by surprise. Around 1,000 French prisoners were taken, but the two British heavy cavalry brigades were severely mauled by French Lancers and Cuirassiers, losing half their number.

Muter describes how he and his horse were hit later in the battle, at around 6pm, after the fall of La Haye Sainte farm to the French. The ball hit his right wrist and the injury seemed slight (as injuries often do in the heat of an action). However the joint injury soon became infected and very painful, with pieces of glove and pus being discharged from the wound. Muter had no sleep for around three weeks because of the pain.

Muter recovered without the need for amputation. Later in life, he changed his surname to Straton, after inheriting. He left about £70,000 (about £6.2 million in today’s money) to Edinburgh University.