Perhaps the most valuable items stored within an archive are the first hand accounts of experiences endured. We are fortunate at Bodmin Keep to have many such accounts, primarily from the First World War when letter and diary writing seems to be at a zenith but also from other periods.
Quatre Bras may not be a well-known battle, but it was nevertheless a vital action that took place on 16 June 1815, just forty-eight hours before the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. Wellington famously exclaimed before Quatre Bras that ‘Napoleon has humbugged me, by God; he has gained twenty-four hours’ march on me.’ The action at Quatre-Bras regained that time and enabled the Battle of Waterloo to run its course. This article however, is not about tactics or strategy, but to highlight a superb document held within the archive at Cornwall’s Army Museum that is shown in its entirety and positively reeks of the encounter at Quatre Bras.
The 32nd at Quatre Bras
The following is the copy of a letter from Lieut. Edward Stephens of the Grenadier Company to his mother, written only 3 days after the battle. The original letter and Lt Stephens’ Waterloo medal were presented to the Regimental Museum by General Sir Richard N. Gale, G. C. B., K. B.E., D.S.O., MC.
Lieut. Stephens recovered from his wounds, but left the Army between 1817 and 1820.
Copy of D501 transcribed 4 November 2025
Antwerp 19th June 1815
My dear Mother,
I had finished the letter which encloses this on the 13th and was waiting for a Mail to be made up to send it off when we received a sudden order to March – do not be the least alarmed if you see my name in the return of Killed and Wounded as thank God I am doing very well and not in the least kind of danger, – on the night of the 15th about 12 o’clock the Bugler sounded to turn out the whole without any previous notice (indeed we had heard reports during the day of the French advancing and Blucher’s outposts being driven in but scarcely gave any credence to it) about 4 o’clock in the morning of the 16th the whole of our division was collected in one of the Grand Squares of the Town and marched off the Division having been previously given to Sir Thos. Picton who had arrived the day before, we moved off right in front and marched about 10 miles on the road towards Charleroi and halted about an hour and a half, we heard here the French were within 3 leagues of us, but did not believe it, however we moved on I suppose nearly 10 miles further, for the last 4 or 5 miles we heard a distant cannonade at length came in sight of the enemy who were at that time engaged on our left with the Prussians. We had scarcely arrived on our ground before his Grace the Duke of Wellington discovered the enemy meant to attack him, he immediately ordered Genl. Picton to form the division which we were obliged to do in double quick time, the French were coming on so rapidly, and in immense strong columns, we throughout [sic] skirmishers, but they carried everything before them by their numbers – Sir Thos. Picton immediately ordered us to charge (which were very happy to hear as we had been under a very galling fire and not able to return it in consequence of the skirmishers being in front and our men were falling in every direction) but we no sooner set up the usual shout and moved on that the cowardly rascals ran in every direction, our poor fellows were so fagged (not having any sleep the night before, and marching that day 20 miles under a broiling hot Sun) that we were not able to get up to them and we were wading up to our middle in corn, however we peppered them pretty well as they were getting through the gaps in the hedges, we again formed upon our colours and the French after retiring to their position which was a very formidable one in a thick wood – formed and came on a second time, during this time I had received a Grape Shot which tore the wing completely off my left shoulder and did me no further harm than bruising me. I received another slight contusion in my left thigh and was congratulating myself on my narrow escapes when a third Ball (Musket) passed directly through my left Arm between the Elbow and the wrist. I was then obliged to leave the field, and do not know how the Regiment got on afterwards, but we have suffered very considerably, except Salamanca I never witnessed so galling a fire, we have upwards of 20 officers killed and wounded, Capn Whitty was killed, Boyce and Cassan died of their wounds, and Lts Barr and Quil are mortally wounded, Major Calvert joined us the morning of the action. I got to Brussels on the 17th. and here on yesterday Evening. The Ball has passed directly through the arm without breaking a bone and the wound is doing very well. Of the four officers in the Grenadiers one is Killed (C. Boyce) and two wounded, Robinson and myself. Butterworth escaped, you will of course see L. Wellington’s despatch.
Best love to all from your
Affectionate Son
E. Stephens
‘Windy’ Gale: a distinguished donor
The story of this remarkable document does not end there, as how we received this document is almost as captivating. According to our records, Stephens’ letter, along with his prized Waterloo Medal, was donated to Cornwall’s Army Museum by General Sir Richard Nelson ‘Windy’ Gale in the 1950s.
Born in 1896, Gale served with distinction in the First World War receiving the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry during the German spring offensive of 1918.
During the Second World War Gale was the commander of the 6th Airborne Division, who amongst other achievements, were the first Allied troops to land in France as part of Operation Overlord in June 1944. Gale’s connection to the museum stems from his interwar service with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. Though his link to the regiment is clear, how he acquired these artifacts remains a mystery.