The Killing Ground of Hougoumont with Prof. Tony Pollard - Lockdown Lectures

In our newest Lockdown Lecture, Waterloo Uncovered's Archaeological Director Tony Pollard explains how the area just beyond the wall of the formal garden of a Belgian Chateau became known as the 'Killing Ground', the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the Battle of Waterloo.
Thumbnail art by Chris Collingwood.
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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[@WilliamJohnwon1522]

The Duke of Wellington aka Arthur Wellesley, was deep down a good natured fellow, for after each battle he was in, he was always upset at the carnage. He was never known to have lost a battle, which was the main reason he was popular with the soldiers under him. He was very glad that Waterloo was his last military battle.

[@alice_evermore]

In the mid-1990's the farm field between Hougoumont and the Lion Monument was a huge, circular fenced paddock with about a dozen horses. It was great to see the horses out in the open running and enjoying the vast space. Afterwards and till today that area is used for plating crops.

[@couthon]

This is excellent information! Thank you! I visited Hougoumont back in 1992. It wasn’t really open to the public (I don’t think), but I followed a special tour group inside the grounds. It appeared to still be a working farm, with farm machinery... and somebody was living in the gardener’s house.

[@couthon]

Alexander Challis So you were there in 1958! Very cool!

[@stephenbrown9998]

Brilliant thank you prof

[@MrTuftynut]

Very interesting Tony. I guess the final excavated position of each of the musket & pistol shot is not of course from the location of the individual firer, but where it ended it's flight, either into an Allied or French body, or missing so flying into the trees in the great wood, or into the garden, etc. When I was last at Waterloo I could see Musket shot holes in those three remaining trees by the South Gate, and I think two of them since died after 1815. The great wood trees were big and mature, but were literally riddled with shot by all accounts, due to the intense nature of the fighting for the chateau. Most were chopped down after Waterloo, as they had died or were dying. I have studied the Waterloo Campaign since I was 8 years old, and always wondered why the French didn't bring up horse artillery to smash the South Gate down, or make huge access holes in the Garden walls. It was a desperate busness all day there, and over at La Haye Sainte too. Keep up the great work, it's fascinating !

[@evanpenny348]

Good point, but I suspect it is as Tony says, Napoleon did not want to take Hougoumont, because this would end the fighting over it. He wanted fighting to get sufficiently desperate that it would tempt Wellington to reinforcing the garrison there, thus weakening other parts of the English line. If so this is a shockingly callous waste of human lives, using his men as bait, relying on serious fighting going on for as long as possible, regardless of the losses in human lives. What I don't understand is what motivates this sort of despotic madness.

[@angloedu5499]

Arrogance and hubris and over losing men. After the Russian campaign Napoleon’s staff noticed a different General. An older much more callous personality than the one from the Battles at Jena and Austerlitz. Napoleon’s days were numbered and so were his once genius tactics. After the mutiny of General Bernadotte and his marriage to his once fiancé Madame Claure, Napoleon Bonaparte wasn’t able to apply his offensive maneuvers. I’m sure the Allies knew they could never beat Napoleon in a head to head battlefield and so reverted to run off as soon as his army marched forward. Likewise, Wellington used his experience from the Portuguese and Spanish wars during the Peninsula Wars to realize Napoleon was a full on offensive tactician. Wellington thus devised defense where he would keep the higher ground. At the Batte of Waterloo, Wellington had previously visited the site by chance and noticed the reverse sloop which no longer exists on this field. They moved mounds of dirt to construct the Lion Monument after Napoleon’s defeat and exile. The Duke of Wellington discovered the site after going through there on his way to France to meet up with the coalition and witness the abdication of Bonaparte to Elba the first time. He wrote about Waterloo Belgium in his diary, according to historians of the era. Of note, Wellington mentioned how deceptive this terrain was and how for some reason he came upon it exactly 18 months before his second and final Battle with the French Emperor. The slope would negate French canons or muskets accuracy and kill rate. Then the farms off to the side would entice a offensive tactician to use them as a diversion to move the main force off the field. It noticeably worked well for Wellington on that June day.

[@angloedu5499]

Napoleon was hoping Wellington would move men from the main line to reinforce La Saint Haye and the farm at Huegomont and by three that afternoon Wellington did exactly that, but unbeknownst to Napoleon or his staff, Wellington had his Scottish Highlanders laying behind a reverse sloop calmly resting for the ensuing French assault. Napoleon was truly tricked by the Anglo Irish Wellington. By the time Napoleon and his staff realized their blunder, Marshall Néy led a full cavalry charge of some of his best soldiers without infantry support! One blunder after another by seasoned Generals! Then the ultimate blunder of splitting his army to follow General Von Blucher’s Prussian Army. Not a good day.

[@Jackdaw5]

When he said 'mounds of dead Frenchmen' I couldn't help but think of the Duke of Wellington (Stephen Fry) using that phrase in the last episode of Blackadder the Third...

[@eddier798]

Very interesting. Loving your research and results. Well done 👏🏻

[@DapperChappy1010]

This is a really informative series of lectures. Thank you very much Professor Pollard.

[@gingeristhebest21]

Very PROUD of my country's military history

[@forrestgreene1139]

Don't get too proud, we kicked your ass twice.

[@johnpotter4750]

I like Old Basing house much older with it's own story, and close to myself and the other Alton Battle, agreed nothing like the same amount death. Fingers crossed we'll all be there next year.

[@emilioalcazar4170]

Fascinating detailed forensic analysis of the battle..

[@teapeaster]

Thank you, these lectures are great.

[@lawrencejames8011]

Thank you, lucid and fascinating.

[@alice_evermore]

Great series of videos! Thanks!

[@db129]

Thanks, a really interesting discussion.

[@TWOM27]

Just outstanding Tony and team.

[@tombrydson781]

Having been to many of Tony’s talks at Glasgow university he is always excellent in his. Subject

[@michaelholgate8849]

Thank you - super presentation.

[@iceicebabys]

Very interesting video. Thanks!

[@dougieadams3819]

Well done WU, it’s forever changing

[@goddam9925]

Top stuff enjoyed that !

[@markblackman6148]

Great detail!

[@daytonahandful]

Really good. Would have like to have seen the archaeology superimposed onto the old map at the end

[@barrykent9877]

I'd like to see old map corrected - it's not possible: part of the trees are much older now, but still there. Rests of old walls and buildings are there too. I guess, problem is, who cares? Politicians? Archaeologists have few days to find anything. Hougoumont is a good story for movies, but really interesting thing is below the ridge. Cannon balls and musket ball would help to answer most important question - where exactly French Guard battalions were when Prussian arrived. We know that last attack on the ridge was a artillery and musket fire massacre, so places where thousands of cannonballs and allied musket balls lay could show the mysterious guard move. I bet no one is interested however. It could change romantic story.

[@davidlunn1608]

Magnificent survey

[@e-4airman124]

thank you

[@jeffsmith2022]

Well done...

[@donstone7103]

Very interesting and presented so well, Tony. Thanks so much. Don in Oklahoma (have visited Waterloo about 4 times over the past 23 years)

[@IanP1963]

Only 4 Don lol ?

[@donstone7103]

@@IanP1963 Well, I'm a rookie for sure at Napoleonic battle sites! Been to Leipzig, Jena-Auerstedt, Austerlitz for the 200th Anniversary reenactment, and of course Quatre Bras & Ligny (and to Blenheim (another era, tho'). I do appreciate all of this, though. Curious George, I suppose...

[@AngloHuscarl]

Love it!

[@kengirling823]

Very good.

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

According to legend, Henry Wyndham's niece, discovered sitting in a draught, replied that no Wyndham had closed a door since Hougoumont.

[@wimvdb2670]

Thank you for this interesting lecture! I must visit Waterloo again ASAP! I live in Belgium, but it's been a while since I visited.

[@maddoxmaurice9410]

i dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know a way to log back into an instagram account? I somehow forgot the login password. I would appreciate any assistance you can give me.

[@randywatson4735]

@Maddox Maurice instablaster =)

[@maddoxmaurice9410]

@Randy Watson i really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and I'm in the hacking process atm. Seems to take quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@ant4812]

8:37 It might be helpful to know the actual sizes. The British land service musket had a bore of .75in. The French 1777 / an.IX musket's bore was .69in. Musket balls need to be a little undersized in order to load easily. The projectiles were both of lead, the British .71in; the French .65in. in diameter.

[@IanP1963]

My eyes are glazing over already - no Ant please no actual sizes thanks !!!!

[@3vimages471]

Lots of balls.

[@Aminuts2009]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/roHPon9-mNWbr9k How big are your balls?

[@pmcgee003]

Interesting that the difference = .04" = 40 thou is about the thickness of (at least modern) paper.

[@nigelcarren]

Brilliant, I wasn't expecting to hear my best friend's name Chris Collingwood mentioned here. If only I could show the world how Chris has researched, laboured and lost sleep over the finest details before immortalising them in his art. Some of which will never even be noticed by those who aren't insufferable armour-bores like myself. When I am making or restoring armour I always run it past Chris first... he has the best eye in the business, and unlike me who has memorised all the pictures in all of the books, Chris has also memorised the words, and unlike a lot of 'Historians' I have worked for, Chris is a gentleman of the highest order. You really should try and involve him on your channel... this is his pet-subject. I am happy to TRY and persuade him should you wish. Keep up the great work, and best wishes from me and all the mice in the workshop. PS: If Chris knew I was typing this he would strike me with down with his Sabre!

[@joncooper3297]

Really Good Tony.... Thats a pretty tall wall... how did the defenders create the fire steps and is it possible that it was the construction of those steps that meant there were lengths of the wall heavily manned which funneled the attackers to relatively safe areas.

[@KB4QAA]

Excellent point. I imagine the areas where balls are sparse are the best defended portions.

[@iainsmith6643]

I noticed that in the corner by the gate there appears to be a concentration of allied musket shot as well. Have you plans to look 100 metres plus from the wall to see if you can find more allied shot. French, shoot miss hit the wall Allied, shoot miss no wall to hit.

[@ABWEndon]

Tony, at around 12 minutes with the detailed survey of musketballs, am I right in thinking that the lack of Allied musketballs is an indication that they were hitting their mark, i.e. becoming embedded in the French soldiers, whose bodies would have been cleared away after the battle? I can understand that the sheer volume of French musketballs that impacted against the wall would have remained in place because they failed to hit their mark. Is that a correct assumption? If not then why are there fewer Allied musketballs?

[@tronalpha9137]

Hello phil. I am a viewer of time team. Regarding waterloo, Wellington had a regment of mix troops of irish and some others. I discovered a relition who was in the 95 rifle reg and supported wellington. have you found any relics of the 95 regiment ?. Gerard. Queensland Australia

[@tronalpha9137]

@Alexander Challis Thank you. have correted the spelling mistake. I use my phone so hane a small keyboard. Gerard.

[@wellingtonsboots4074]

Thanks for this very interesting. Not sure about touristification. Obviously it is such an important site and people will want to see the wall, but it does take a bit from it when you know it is not THE wall.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

Also present with the Coldstream Guards were the Nassau 2Nd Light Regiment .

[@jameshunter7980]

Wondering how the Brits held them off with slow-loading rifles as the French rushed the wall in numbers. Is it likely there were comrades behind them, reloading and handing back to the best shots on the wall?

[@barrykent9877]

First thing is human psychology. No one want to met cold steel, especially from above. They had to march through all that fire and then try to help each other to make it to the wall - defenceless. So, they stayed put and return fire.

[@Greg-jn8cc]

Only the rifle companies carried rifles in the British army of the day and they were mainly used as skirmishes ahead of the main body of troops to worry the advancing enemy. The bulk of the army carried muskets and it was the British armies ability of it's common soldier to load and fire a musket faster than any other army that won many a battle. 5 rounds a minute was not uncommon. The Baker rifle normally employed a patch that was wrapped around the ball to bite into the rifling and impart the spin into the projectile. This gave it much greater accuracy of a considerable distance. However, if called upon to rapid fire the rifle the patch would not be used and the butt of the rifle would be bumped on the ground to assist in the loading. This was known as tap loading. The speed at which the rifle could be loaded was therefore sped up although losing accuracy in the process.

[@jameshunter7980]

@@Greg-jn8cc So those British soldiers defending the wall could have had muskets. Either way, a charge across 30 yards from the cover of woods by a determined, enemy in numbers would bring them to the base of the wall quickly. If they held them off with highly drilled musket fire, fired down, and the bayonet and sword, that is some skill set. My original question was if it were possible that colleagues would be down behind the wall reloading muskets (whilst the shooters fire the loaded ones) and passing them up to speed up the rate of fire. Must have been a hellish struggle.

[@Greg-jn8cc]

@@jameshunter7980 Absolutely. The farm came close to being overrun and it was only the sheer bravery and desperation of the Guards that it was held. Wellington said that the battle was a close run thing.

[@philipprice171]

@@Greg-jn8cc The French did manage to get into the courtyard through the North gate and were fighting the Coldstream Guards before Lt Col James Macdonnell and a few officers rushed to help and managed to close the north gate trapping some of the French inside who were quickly dealt with. Wellington , when asked who he thought was the bravest man at Waterloo proposed MacDonnell. We can hardly imagine what hell it was for both sides. The English soldiers very much respected Napoleon and his troops for their nobility and bravery.

[@timarcher7933]

The musket ball archeology appears to show the use by defenders of the brick wall for defensive cover which ultimatly is an advantage.The shear amount of french sized musket balls missing there intended targets also tells a questionable tale of accruracy and volumn of fire.As you rightly point out concentrated on particular areas. What was the amount of ammuntion and powder carried by a French soldier? Which would also have an impact on the fighting.Also at the later point of scaling the wall and seeking to form up behind the wall. The postion of Hougoumont toward the centre lines of bought French and Allied lines would threatern any forward thrust with into flank firing. Did Wellington have any choice but to ocupiy and defend the postion with the French having to take it no matter what the cost. Dosent Napoleon have said something to this effect. In later years Stonewall Jackson,s gets his nick name by using such obsticels to partly obsurce his troops from direct fire. Must have been some hell hole for defender and assliant.Oh i am in no means read on this battle or tactics of the day.I dont spell well either. Interesting perpectives unearthed and bought to light.Thanks. In a later summery you state possiblity of a French canon being used. Would appear that such a weapon should have bought about a different out come. Sadly the shear amount of force in men that would be needed to overwhealm the postion seems catastrophic for the French.Has there been an under estimation in the force required ? Or reinforcements sent to defend at the correct time ?Possibly with bad French knowledge of the objective.

[@dylanmilne6683]

I'm sure the farm itself and the battlefield were scavenged over by souvenir hunters long before the days of metal detectors.

[@DavidJones-wp3jq]

Have you got any information about what was General Picton and his death in battle, where in Waterloo did he fall and the soldiers under his command?? Thanks.

[@marioguidotomasone1265]

Picton was with his men on the left of the Allied line, on the east. Hougoumont here was the extreme right (west) with a distance of 3.5 kms approx in between.

[@DavidJones-wp3jq]

@Alexander Challis Thanks m8, heard of a ancestor of mine thro the family that he was in or joined Pictons army.

[@DavidJones-wp3jq]

@@marioguidotomasone1265 thanks for that maybe you could do vid about the battlefield where he fell,if you have time of course.👍

[@marioguidotomasone1265]

@@DavidJones-wp3jq I'd love to but I live in Italy and it's a bit far from here to make a video. If you want to start having a look at the place you can start with google maps - you cna start with this address: 20 rue de la Coix, Waterloo, Belgium

[@overlandnsea]

Picton was killed a long way from Hougemont - well over the other side of the Waterloo field just down from the crossroads where the Inneskillen were decimated all day and to the north east directon of the farm of Le Haye Saint ... there is a monument to him there if I recall when I went there in 2015.

[@michelvanstraelen1600]

Bonjour, Pardon mais je ne parle pas Anglais. L'artierie Française en 1815 avait elle des boullets à fragmentation pour déclenché un incendie? Car des tirs de cette époque n'étaient que de la fonte. Super vidéo en tout cas et très bon travail de recherches!

[@reggiebuffat]

I think that I have heard that it did, but I am not certain.

[@Hammocks_Rule]

Hello, Sorry, but I don't speak English. Did the French artisans in 1815 have fragmentation balls to start a fire? Because shots from that time were just cast iron. Great video anyway and very good research work!

[@DaraM73]

If only other battlefields were considered professionally, such as this, instead of the majority of “KZbinrs” who ruin archaeological sites for private gain for public renown.

[@PaulTomblin]

How many of those French musket balls were dropped by dead soldiers rather than fired?

[@jomon723]

I hate when rebuild things, I want to see just the original or what is left of it"

[@Afro408]

Well then, you'll just have to find a time machine. ;)

[@danrooc]

I understand, but that way marvelous places as Kyoto's Kinkaju ji would be just a pile of ashes. I guess it depends on how the rebuilding is done. Hugomont is not the best example, but I guess the owner at the time had to make the best of his property, regardless of any historical value 200 years in the future.

[@forrestgreene1139]

Re: the painting at 9:18, Did the French really wear their knapsacks and bedrolls into the fight?, Also, why wasn't the wall reduced through artillery fire?

[@KB4QAA]

FG: Did you pay attention to the location of the woods/forrest?

[@dustinp2932]

I think French soldiers did wear their knapsacks and bedrolls into battle. I'm not basing on any historical evidence, but if the French won and the British were fleeing at Waterloo they would definitely want to try and chase them down asap, they probably would not have the time to retrieve their knapsacks and bedrolls they left before the battle

[@vitoamos2815]

Where are u referencing from with your information... Please ! Journal or Books ?

[@vitoamos2815]

@Evilstorm11 okay ! i was just thinking of all the battles around Waterloo whether this area had already seen battle say 1814 ..

[@MasterChief-sl9ro]

You would have thought. That they used artillery to pepper that wall. Thus breaching a hole in it, before they sent mass troops to assault Hougoumont..As 12k troops got tied up on Napoleons left flank...Not sure if the trees obscured the Chateau. That made artillery useless.

[@senshibat8920]

sunday 18 Jun 1815 remembered

[@FlagstaffslowTV]

How many meters wide was that large cluster of french musket balls along the wall?

[@lordtazzman3140]

Is the battlefield protected by the Belgian government or some such thing? Do European countries have a system of historical parks with public property like in the U.S. or is land ownership different?

[@BaronSamedi1959]

Actually large parts of the Waterloo battlefield is owned by Wellington's family. The Government granted that land in perpetuity to Wellington as a token of gratitude.

[@lordtazzman3140]

@@BaronSamedi1959 wow. Interesting. Thank you.

[@drstuarteve]

It is a protected battlefield in terms of Walloon law, so we need to obtain special permission to dig and metal detect there (as well as individual landowner permission as well, depending on where we are digging). The work is undertaken in partnership with AWAP (the Walloonian archaeological service)

[@gazzaboo8461]

@ 11:27 I see a lot more French musket balls than allied ones, so I guess theirs bounced off the wall and ours went into the woods.. and the French. Both of which were removed from the area.

[@thetooner8203]

And they seem to have dug "the killing ground" much more than the area where the woods were.

[@gazzaboo8461]

@@thetooner8203 Yes, but then again, I assume when the trees were removed, they uprooted them, which would leave gaping holes which were then leveled using the surrounding earth. This would make it nearly Impossible to use most finds in the area to track locations. The ground would be well and truly 'churned'.

[@robnichols9331]

Splendis

[@Splodge542]

Surely you can't fire at the point you attack. You fire at the point you want to suppress so that your attack can succeed at another point. If I was a French officer I might order my men to suppress a section x of the wall so that Lieutenant ? could lead his men to assault y section.

[@Splodge542]

Battle tactics of Napoleon and his Enemies by Brent Nosworthy pg 251 has an interesting myth debunking about skirmishers. The best time for skirmishers to fire was just prior to the final moments of an attack. This was to avoid wasting ammunition and men and also for surprise. Once the skirmishers had commenced a controlled fire under the direction of their officers then an assault could go in. "Contrary to modern expectations, the skirmishers were not to be thrown upon the intended point, instead they were to, "as much as possible, be thrown on the point that is not the thickest of the fight" (pg 252).

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

So Hougoumont today is the Disney version ?

[@nicholasburns729]

More the Yorvik version.

[@sandygunn385]

Yes, seemingly just a few short years after the battle the Dutch King had the mound built from the high ground where Wellington's men had sheltered from the French artillery. Wellington himself is quoted as saying on a visit "My God! They have ruined my battlefield"

[@ian_b]

The phrase "mounds of dead Frenchmen" warms my English heart ;)

[@thetooner8203]

I believe the British made the Empire out of the ire that came from being neighbours with France.

[@anthonyat2401]

Except, it wasn't called "Hougoumont". Surprising that this wasn't even mentioned.

[@lailyilfajumaroh12]

Like

[@iangallager4091]

Knowing nothing about the battle which I find interesting why did the French not simply draw up cannons in the woodland area rather than throw their men forward to an almost certain death?

[@iangallager4091]

Thanks for reply, Joakim

[@BaronSamedi1959]

Those cannons don't move themselves. They are pulled by teams of horses and moving those through the woodland and then through/over the hedge was probably not considered a good idea.

[@iangallager4091]

Thanks for your reply Karl. I understand now

[@drstuarteve]

@@iangallager4091 They did eventually use howitzers (which set the buildings on fire) - and also there is evidence of cannister and grape being fired at the walls (presumably to keep the defender's heads down)

[@iangallager4091]

Stuart Eve thanks for reply,Stuart. THat makes things even more clearer - and interesting

[@davidhailstone9138]

)

[@santagemma6212]

That was very stupid of napoleon sending his troops on the side of a wall filled with English sharpshooters. No wonder he lost the battle.

[@barrykent9877]

If you would like to read a bit more about Napoleon and his battles, you would understand that in fact wasn't so stupid. There was a good reason for it. Few in fact.

[@santagemma6212]

@@barrykent9877 I never said he was stupid, only that to be an apparent gross error. Well, tell me, what was the reason. He lost 12,000 men just there.

[@helenchappell6502]

Fun factoid: Bonaparte’s hemorrhoids were giving him so much misery and pain in the days leading up to and into the actual battle that he was sick and distracted by pain and the misery of sitting in a saddle that Blucher and Wellington could take dropped him face to face.

[@BaronSamedi1959]

That part of the battlefield was under control of Jerome Bonaparte. Napoleon probably had only a vague idea of the exact lay of the land at Hougomont. He send Jerome to that area to lure British and Allied forces away from the center of the line. Unfortunately, Jerome got a bit overzealous and committed too many troops in trying to break through at Hougomont. And that was exactly not what Napoleon planned.

[@davidmbeckmann]

One cannot watch this and not realize the French performance that day was not professional. Two mistakes among countless: 1) why were guns not brought up to demolish this wall 2) when Ney charged repeatedly, why did the French not spike or pull away the Allied guns? Terrible, amateurish performance.

[@davidmbeckmann]

@Beren c More likely, sir, he was old, with flaring hemorrhoids and gout. The French Army of 1805 would have taken the initiative tactically without higher orders. It was a combination of an old, ailing Emperor and a poorly trained newby Army.

[@davidmbeckmann]

Beren I think he had become incompetent. Agreed. His army was conscripts without experience and thrown together. Soldiers must work together for some time to be a good tactical unit. Agreed.

[@davidmbeckmann]

Beren c Well very many have died indeed, but I find that analysis applied mostly to losing generals... Wellington fought in Spain before facing Napoleon. He killed many, many men...did he not also have delusions of grandeur? It’s a semantic trap, sir, hard to claim delusions of grandeur when you win!

[@davidmbeckmann]

@Beren c That ain't a difference to the dead, mam.

[@BaronSamedi1959]

Quick reply: 1) The woodland masked the wall and getting the guns through the woods and the hedge to fire at the wall, wasn't possible. 2) It was a cavalry charge. When they came over the ridge they were faced with the British squares and essentially uselessly milled about, got shot at and retired. Control of the troops gets almost impossible in such circumstances. Telling them to stop, dismount, grab a hammer and spike (if ever they were carrying such with them) and spike the guns, was probably not in their mind. Also they were countercharged by the British cavalry , which doesn't really assist to calmy destroy the guns.