WATERLOO 1815 ‘CAPTAIN A. C. CRAUFURD, VOLUNTEER 12TH LIGHT DRAGOONS’ Alexander Charles Craufurd was born on 30 June 1794, son of Sir James Gregan-Craufurd, 2nd Baronet, and Maria Theresa Gage and Nephew of General Robert ‘Black Bob’ Craufurd. Along with his older brother Thomas, he entered the Army as an Ensign in the 3rd Foot Guards, by purchase, on 28 May 1811, aged 17 years. His Father purchased for him a Lieutenancy in the 10th Hussars on 9 December 1813 and with this regiment he served in the latter phases of the peninsular War, being present at the battle of Toulouse. He further purchased a Captaincy in the 2nd Ceylon Regiment on 9 June 1814. He was placed on Half Pay in 1815 in consequence of being attached to the 12th Light Dragoons by the Duke of Wellington, with the permission of the Commander-in-Chief, and, in the capacity of Volunteer served at Waterloo with that regiment.

As a Volunteer of the 12th, at Waterloo Captain Craufurd would most likely have been on the Staff of the Regiment. An excellent description of how the 12th would have formed in battle can be found in ‘The Waterloo Companion’ by Mark Adkin, pg227-30, where the 12th are the example Regiment.

During the battle the 12th Light Dragoons were attached to Vandeleur's light cavalry brigade. Along with the 16th Light Dragoons, the 12th were told to charge down the slope, but no further, to support the withdrawal of the Union Brigade. During this brilliant charge, the 12th, who were initially fired on by Pack’s Brigade! crashed into the French 46th Regiment causing them to break. Captain Barton of the 12th would write:

‘This attack was successful and threw the enemy into disorder, who retreated in the greatest confusion followed by the regiment till we were stopped by their standing columns of reserves on the opposite side of the ravine. During the whole of this time an indiscriminate fire was kept up by the French Artillery on the Regiment as well as on their own retreating battalions. We were in considerable confusion, being mixed up with the enemies broken infantry, suffering at the same time from heavy cannonade..’

Like the Union Brigade (and unlike the rest of Vandeleur’s Brigade), the 12th had charged too far and suffered very severely, in particular during the withdrawal when they were became engaged with French 3rd and 4th Lancers, losing one almost a third of their strength in ten minutes. Total casualties to the Regiment were 111 killed and wounded or 29% of the total or 7th highest (out of 20) of British and KGL Cavalry Regiments involved in the battle. However it is interesting to note that casualty returns for the 12th did not include men missing, which are included in all the other totals except for the Scots Greys.

After the battle and while looking for his Colonel (Ponsonby who was severely wounded), Captain Craufurd came across the body of his brother Thomas, who now a Captain in the 3rd Foot Guards, had been killed at Hougamont. He afterwards found his Colonel, who’s life he helped save. Exchanging to Full Pay as Captain in the 12th Light Dragoons in October 1820, Craufurd was promoted to Major in the Army in October 1821. This latter promotion was evidently the result of his representations to the King, in August of that year, when he pointed out that ‘the Duke of Wellington and Colonel Ponsonby, with whose regiment (the same in which I now command a troop) I served as a Volunteer at the battle of Waterloo, both desired me to refer to them on any occasion where their testimony could be of use to me.’ He purchased a Majority in the Cape Corps of Cavalry in August 1824, and removed to the 8th Royal Irish Hussars in June 1825. Craufurd finally purchased a Lieutenant-Colonelcy in the 94th Foot on 10 June 1826, but was placed on Half Pay the following day from ill-health. He married, 23 July 1818, Lady Barbara Coventry, daughter of the 7th Earl of Coventry. Lieutenant-Colonel Craufurd, who since the death of his Brother Thomas, was now Heir to the Baronetcy, died on 12 March 1838, aged 43, without issue.

Condition very fine, fitted with steel clip and ring suspension Ex Seaforth Collection. With full statement of services and various Commander-in-Chief’s memorandums and other research.