REMINISCENCES OF THE "IRON DUKE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9082, 16 June 1888, Page 3 (Supplement)

REMINISCENCES OF THE "IRON DUKE."

TKMri/E Bar contains half-a-dozen pages of jottings concerning the Duke of Wellington, made in his commonplace books by tho Rev. J. Mitford, of Bonhall. " The Duke of Wellington," wrote Mr. Mitford, "is naturally of great gaiety of mind, is remark able for simplicity, laughs loud and long, like tho whooping of the whooping-cough repeated, and listens always to others." Tho Duko rejected congratulations on hi* return to Brussels from Waterloo, and said, " It was a dreadful business— thirty thousand men destroyed, and a damned near thing." Later in life, lie exclaimed in the hearing of Mr. Mitford, " Waterloo ! Two such armies so well trained, so well officered. It. was a battle of giants ! The way in which some of our ensigns and lieutenants— boys fresh from school—brave danger, exceeds belief,." " I never saw Buonaparte," observed the Duke, "though he was once during the battle of Waterloo within a quarter of a mile of me. Bounaparte was as clever a man as ever was, but he wanted sense on many occasions." Here are further extracts :—" Moscow was bu.-nt by the irregularity of Napoleon's own soldiers." "For many years in the Peninsula I undressed seldom ; in the first four years never. 1 slept five or six hours—sometimes two or three. In India ib is not the custom to undress ; I never did." "In Spain I never marched the soldiers more than twenty-five miles n day ; in India I once marched the troops seventy-two miles in a day." "Do Lancy was killed nc my side ; a ball struck his horse's back, knocked him over, and lie rebounded after his fall. I was very sorry ; but there is no tinio for sorrow in a battle."