Battle of the Buttons at Waterloo

In the summer of 2019 we excavated at several sites from the Battle of Waterloo including Mont-Saint-Jean, Frischermont and Hougoumont with a group of archaeologists, veterans and serving military personnel. In the latest in our series of short films, Professor Tony Pollard gives us the run down of last summer's activities, including searching for the lost remains of Frischermont Chateau and discovering a plethora of buttons at Hougoumont.
Waterloo Uncovered is a registered UK charity that combines a world‐class archaeology project on the battlefield of Waterloo with veteran care and recovery. Working in partnership with some of Europe’s top universities, and through the unique perspective of a team comprised of archaeologists, veterans, and serving soldiers, Waterloo Uncovered aims to understand war and its impact on people - and to educate the public about it.
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[@lizryan6289]

Great video and even greater comments below.

[@markhughes7927]

For any one interested - there are photos extant of French ‘old campaigners’ who took part in this battle....

[@wellingtonsboots4074]

Thank you for this. Ever since I was a kid Waterloo has fascinated me.

[@johannebaker9730]

So much history from one huge site. Wouldn't it be wonderful to also dig Bosworth so thoroughly.

[@lukedelport8231]

Or the somme

[@WolfingtonStanley]

Are they going to excavate the sand pit where the rifles were placed?

[@canoli72]

Finding a button must mean that a coat was there. The coat was there because a man as there. What caused the button to be lost off the coat? That’s the story that will fill the gaps.

[@51WCDodge]

Invent something that could make artifacts talk! Though the downside is you'd loose the fizz of imagination when you find something. In the mean time, keep imagininging. Who made the coat? Did the wearer survive and get a bollocking for damage to his uniform ? Did he take the reamins of the coat back to civillian life ? You know forget the invention, takes all the fun out of it. :-)

[@gazzaboo8461]

Any number of reasons.. They can come off the jacket when Its wearer got hot and took it off. He was wounded and it was removed. He was dead and stripped. It was thrown at a Frenchman. It was so proud to be British it joined the fight of its own accord. It came from a supply of spare replacement buttons and got dropped. 🤷‍♂️

[@Rusty_Gold85]

I could imagine just the movement of using his Musket and sleeves could of ripped one off . The whole site has many from all sides found in the dirt

[@auntieruthwarrick2191]

Need more but thanks for the tease

[@emilioalcazar4170]

Really awesome..history alive!!

[@michaelholgate8849]

Thank you another useful little video.

[@shadowraith1]

Archaeology can be a fantastic tool for learning. Thanks for sharing. :) :)

[@e-4airman124]

thank you

[@alexanderperry1844]

Most of the "Scots Guards" at Waterloo were draftees from the Surrey Militia, and fought in that uniform. Have any Surrey Militia buttons/insignia been found?

[@alexanderperry1844]

@Alexander Challis That is interesting because I understood that most of the reinforcements to the Peninsular Army were from militia units (16,000 in one year, to an army of about 64,000 effectives; Wellington recognised the quality of these men). It also suggests the precedent of regiments drawing on the Surrey Militia. People may not be aware that much of Wellington's veteran army was shipped to fight the Americans, and amongst other things burnt the Whitehouse (after eating the President's lunch). They had to whitewash the building to hide the soot stains ....

[@alexanderperry1844]

@Alexander Challis Many thanks for those references. The History of the Surrey Militia confirms my understanding.

[@silverMancunian8601]

Fascinating thank you 👍

[@scottphillips7108]

Scots Guard!

[@alonsocushing2398]

I just wish I had been smart enough to have been an archaeologist. I'm 74 now so too late.

[@alonsocushing2398]

@Shattered Dreams Thank you but I'm not very active anymore.

[@mweston25]

Alonso Cushing I’m in a wheelchair I have been at the last two excavation we also had a Chelsea pensioner in his 70s, don’t diss count it.

[@dduckman1423]

I do notice how the British historical survey dodges around Le Haye Sainte and the Prussian attack on the French right flank. It was a British victory I hear them say. Most of Wellingtons's troops were not Brits.

[@michaelholgate8849]

Perhaps you are not aware that Le Haye Sainte farm is still a private Farm/dwelling and the current owners do not normally allow any visitors. Perhaps they have not given permission for any archeology to take place on their property. Frischermont mentioned in this video is on the French right flank. If you have watched some of the other videos you will have learnt that this (British) project also includes people from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Perhaps the British can gain some credit for initiating this project as well as other initiatives to protect the battle site. Any person who has done the smallest reading on the battle/campaign understands it was an Allied victory.

[@dduckman1423]

Wellingtons's troops are often criticized as being sub standard, but when you realize how quickly they formed the squares when the French cavalry attacked they were actually very efficient. Wellington's master plan was to hold the French until Blucher [ sorry do not know how to do umlaut] arrived, he was successful only just. Yes the farm is probably off limits, but I just notice a subtle quietness when other important parts of the battle are discussed. In other words it was not just the British musketry that turned the massed French infantry advance.

[@mariantaylor7465]

Without being nitpicky l would point out that all of Napoleon ‘s victories were not wholly French as many of his troops were mustered from defeated countries and although,as Wellington said, the arrival of the Prussians in the last hours of the battle gave the final victory to the allies those allies with a larger component of British soldiers had held the field of Quatre Bras the most part of the 18th of June.-had they not done so the Prussians would have been too late. The farm of le Haye Sainte is not being excavated-hopefully at some future date permission will be given to do this

[@Dezzasheep]

Must be our British white privilege kicking in again 🙄

[@dduckman1423]

@@Dezzasheep No no , there was very little white privilege at that grand blood bath.