Sergeant Greenlees of the Scots Greys (1815)
- Doug Robertson
- Mar 31, 2022
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 27, 2022
Agnes Greenlees married John Darroch and became the matriarch of 15 children and 72 grandchildren. I promised to research and tell stories about her and her family. We will start with her father. A big "thank you" to Frank Darroch, who wrote:
Her father was William Greenlees who, family tradition says, was a sergeant in the Scots Greys during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born about 1780 and not married until December 10th, 1822, so he would be in his prime about the time of the famous charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo. [1]
The Royal Scots Greys (aka Second Dragoons) was a cavalry regiment of the British army formed in 1707 and disbanded in 1971, when it was merged with two other regiments. As Frank mentions, William would have been about 35 years old at the time of the Battle of Waterloo. In that fight, the Greys became renowned for a daring charge in which they captured the Napoleonic ensign, a beautifully carved eagle. They were treated as heroes.
Like William, most enlistees were single men. We can infer more about him by looking at the profile of a typical non-commissioned officer of the time:
Most recruits were young men from the lowest social classes who could not find a livelihood on the civilian labour market. The non-commissioned officers were promoted soldiers sharing the social background of the rank and file. Literacy was a basic requirement for promotion to non-commissioned rank; [2]
So, Sergeant Greenlees was likely literate and had earned the respect of his officers. Another article specifies that in Scotland "...a number of men enlisted due to the collapse of the weaving trade...." [3] That is consistent with the economic turmoil around Paisley where William grew up. He likely came from humble beginnings, which aligns with the economic standing of his home Parish of Kilmacolm. Perhaps he felt compelled to enlist due to the economy and lack of occupational options.
The Scots Greys was a heavy cavalry regiment. The men were tall, and their horses were large and heavily armoured. The regiment was divided into troops, and each troop into squads of privates. Each squad was led by a corporal and a sergeant as non-commissioned officers (NCOs). These NCOs were "the backbone" of the army, for they were responsible for training and disciplining the enlisted men. In battle, the NCOs were highly visible and key to achieving the military objectives.
Since 1795, the Greys had been on home duty in Scotland, England, and Ireland. The men were excited to be called to Waterloo, for the Greys had not been in combat for twenty years and "...felt aggrieved at being kept away from the action and were glad to have their turn in the final Hundred Days." [4] They were sent across the strait to Belgium to face Napolean and his army. We do not know for sure if William fought at Waterloo. Assuming he did, however, I have written the following vignette.
It was June 18, 1815, just outside of the tiny village of Waterloo, Belgium. The Scots Greys cavalry regiment had arrived the previous night. They had no place to set up camp, so they slept on the open plain. That would have been okay were it not for the pouring rain. When the buglers sounded reveille, it roused the men from a short and fitful sleep. This morning they were muddy, cold, wet, and hungry. They awoke next to another squad led by Sergeant Greenlees' friend and mentor, Sergeant Ewart.
Charles Ewart had been with the Greys for twenty-six of his forty-six years. He was known for his horsemanship and unusual strength. Perhaps his greatest skill was swordsmanship, so he trained the men in fencing. He had boundless energy and a kindly disposition, so the men liked him, even though he demanded much. William patterned his own leadership style after Sergeant Ewart's. Today would be no exception: he would watch Sergeant Ewart closely.
The Greys' commander, Colonel Hamilton, was making his way through the ranks to buoy the spirits of the men. Hamilton inspired people by his very presence. His life was an amazing rags-to-riches story. [4a] Born a poor Glaswegian boy, his early life was filled with hardship yet he applied himself and rose to great heights. He was no stranger to adversity and learned to respond with generosity and kindness. Colonel Hamilton came up to Greenlees and Ewart. "Good morning, Sergeants."
"Good morning, Sir!" they responded in unison.
Colonel Hamilton looked across at Bonaparte's line, hearing music waft down the slope. "It looks like 'the Little Corporal' is up to his pre-battle blustering again."
Napoleon had his military band play pre-battle music to brandish the military prowess of his 72,000 troops and bolster their morale. These tactics made the inexperienced men nervous.
Sergeant Greenlees turned toward his men and said, "Don't worry lads, they don't brandish the swords as well as their trumpets." He encouraged his men to overcome their anxiety by thinking of family and friends at home. William thought of his own family, too. Although he had no wife or girlfriend, he had long ago determined that if he were ever to marry and have daughters, he would name them after his two sisters: Jean and Agnes.
Just before noon, a roll of drums and an additional burst of music came from the French lines. The roar of cannons introduced a wave of 14,000 infantry on the attack. Wellington counter-attacked with his own infantry, the Gordon Highlanders. They marched into battle, determined to prevail. After fierce fighting, the British line started to buckle and the Gordons were in retreat. The Greys, held in reserve for this moment, mounted their horses and waited for their signal to charge.
Colonel Hamilton waved his sword above his head and yelled, “Now, Scots Greys! Now!”
The buglers sounded the charge. Sergeant Greenlees, along with the rest of the regiment, followed Colonel Hamilton into battle. After such a dramatic start, their initial efforts seemed anti-climactic. The terrain had been recently plowed and was so uneven and muddy from the rain the horses could only walk at first. They eventually got up to a canter and the men shouted their motto, “Scotland forever!”
As the Greys rode into the fray, they met the Gordons retreating on foot. Seeing these fine horses, the Gordons felt a resurgence of courage. Many ran alongside the cavalry back into the battle. Soon, Sergeant Greenlees could see the French infantry straight ahead. They looked shocked to see the cavalry suddenly upon them and had no time to form into squares, the typical defense against a cavalry charge. Within minutes the Greys had cut through thousands of soldiers, and routing them into disarray.
Sergeant Greenlees looked to his right and saw Sergeant Ewart, making his way toward the French standard: the Imperial Eagle. It was a grand prize to be had, for capturing Napolean's ensign would boost the troops' morale. Ewart fought three French soldiers who defiantly guarded the Eagle. His superior swordsmanship paid off. Within a minute, he singlehandedly killed all three and was now making off with the ensign! The Brits let out a Hurrah! and visibly took courage from the symbolic victory.
Sergeant Greenlees could feel his horse tiring. It was time to retreat and regroup, but the exact opposite happened. Even though their horses were exhausted, the Greys were renewed by Sergeant Ewart capturing the Eagle. Fueled by another rush of adrenaline, they went deeper into enemy territory. Some urged their steeds forward to even charge the cannons! At this time, Colonel Hamilton lost his left arm and, as improbable as it seems, held the reins in his teeth so he could continue to wield his sword.
"This is madness," Greenlees thought. "We are in too deep!"
The cavalry had succeeded in scattering the French gunners, but their horses were spent. Napolean pounced on the opportunity and ordered two brigades of fresh cuirassiers to attack. They charged in, the sun brightly shining off their steel breastplates. If that was not enough, he sent in a lancer regiment as well. They were fresh and eager to show their commander the damage they could inflict. Greenlees turned his stallion around to make his way back but the enemy was everywhere.
The situation was desperate, for the Greys were now surrounded by French regiments. Lancers charged with their nine-foot, steel-pointed lances. Cuirassiers rode in, firing pistols, their swords ready to finish the job. On the ground, the French infantry used bayonets to pierce and slice the horses and riders. Swords clashed and men yelled. Horses reared, whinnied, and even gnashed and bit. Men who were knocked off their horses rolled away from the crushing hooves and tried to fend off lances with their hands. Horses' and men's bodies were strewn across the field.
Greenlees managed to make his way back to the British line on his thoroughly exhausted steed. A few men ran up to welcome him back. After some relieved greetings, one of them said, "You'd best wrap that leg before you lose more blood."
William looked down at his leg. He hadn't noticed the bayonet gash in his calf. It was deep and his boot was soaked with blood.
I was of two minds as I wrote this vignette. I had incorporated numerous first-hand accounts and military historians' accounts of what happened that day. [6a] My purpose is not to add yet another rendering of the battle, but to view it through William's eyes. I downplayed the more graphic elements. For example, in taking the French ensign, Sergeant Ewart wrote:
It was in the first charge I took the eagle from the enemy: he and I had a hard contest for it; he made a thrust at my groin, I parried it off and cut him down through the head. After this a lancer came at me; I threw the lance off by my right side, and cut him through the chin and upward through the teeth. Next, a foot-soldier fired at me and charged me with his bayonet, which I also had the good luck to parry, and then I cut him down through the head; thus ended the contest. [6b]
Sergeant Ewart emerged uninjured and became a national hero. He was more fortunate than most. In fact, his capturing the standard led to an unintended tragic consequence. A war historian wrote the following:
Carried away by their initial success the brigade continued on across the valley and seized two French batteries, but their momentum began to peter out as they crossed the bottom of the valley basin, which was slippery with deep mud. Some horses sank to their knees as they crossed the edge of a ploughed field, but the cavalry struggled on until they were right into the French gunners hacking them down left and right….
[They had] advanced too far and by this time their horses were completely exhausted. A high price would be exacted for their recklessness.” [8]
There was indeed a high price, including Colonel Hamilton and 200 others. As mentioned in the vignette, his left arm was cut off, so he put the reins in his teeth and wielded his sword with his right hand. What I did not mention is that a French lancer severed his remaining arm. Knowing he was about to die, he charged headlong into the battery and was killed moments later by a bullet. They found his armless body in the mud three days later. Of the 396 Greys who went into battle, 201 were casualties (104 killed, 97 wounded).
I do not intend to glorify bloodshed by giving it a voice. Yet if we ignore the atrocities of war, we deny its lessons. If you have an interest in reading more about Waterloo, there is much to be found--and you'll see why the Scots Greys are considered heroes for the part they played as well as their heavy losses. They rode with two other cavalry regiments (merged to form the Union Brigade) who fared no better--over half their men were killed or injured. These were a fraction of the estimated 65,000 casualties on both sides, all within a few hours.
There are lessons for us today, for Waterloo was not just a military battle. It was a battle of concepts. Britain and its allies were defending against Napoleon’s efforts to subjugate more of Europe. This alliance was the forerunner to today's NATO and the United Nations. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has many parallels. Like Napolean, Putin is determined to restore the prestige of his nation's past glories, annex foreign territories, and use positional power to amass riches for himself and select friends. [9]
This post was inspired by Frank Darroch's words that William "would be in his prime about the time of the famous charge." I am intrigued that Frank did not explicitly state that William participated in the charge. Following Frank's example, I, too, am reluctant to assume he fought at Waterloo. Regardless of whether William saw action, the battle had an impact on him, his family, and the entire Western world for generations to come.
But why did Frank leave that shred of doubt as to whether or not William was actually there? I will explore that question in the next post, as we explore Sergeant Greenlees' life as a civilian.
References:
[1] Frank Darroch, A Darroch Family in Scotland and in Canada (Harriston, Ontario, 1974), 62.
[2] "Social background of officers and other ranks in the British Army, 1750–1815"
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_background_of_officers_and_other_ranks_in_the_British_Army,_1750%E2%80%931815), retrieved March 22, 2022.
[3] British Army During the Napoleonic Wars,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_during_the_Napoleonic_Wars#Cavalry, retrieved March 22, 2022.
March 27, 2022.
[4a] Owen Davis, Soldier’s Story: James Hamilton, Rags to Riches,
(https://ageofrevolution.org/themes/soldiers/soldiers-story-james-hamilton-rags-to-riches/), retrieved April 2, 2022.
[5] Photo of French cuirassier: Myrabella / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under the Creative
CommonsAttribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, no changes made, March 30, 2022.
[6a] Owen Davis, Soldier’s Story: Charles Ewart, the “Most Illustrious Grey”
illustrious-grey/), retrieved March 29, 2022.
[6b] The most readable story I’ve found about the Greys at Waterloo is a four-part series at
[7] Photo of Ansdell's oil painting, credit to Eric Gaba, licensed under the Creative Commons,
Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, no changes made, retrieved March 26, 2022.
[8] James Durney, William Ponsonby at the Battle of Waterloo, www.jamesdurney.com/william-
ponsonby-at-the-battle-of-waterloo/ (accessed August 12, 2015).
[9] "7 Reasons Why The Battle of Waterloo is Still Important" (https://time.com/3924075/battle- of-waterloo-importance), retrieved March 9, 2022.
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