Meanwhile, on Twitter...

• 16:21 Just been watching Waterloo. They don't write war movies like this anymore. "My god, sir, I've lost my leg." "My god, sir, so you have." #
• 19:47 You know, coming down with a virus on deadline is not a fun experience. Doubles the awfulness. To cheer myself up I'm sneezing on someone. #
• 21:22 Wow, ITV, you've reached a new low. This has to go down as the worst piece of TV since that nude Keith Chegwin quiz. #

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Lord Uxbridge's leg

I made a comment about the film Waterloo yesterday, which contained the epic exchange between the Duke of Wellington and Henry Paget, Lord Uxbridge, Marquess of Anglesey during the battle:

"By god, sir, I've lost my leg."
"By god, sir, so you have."

What I didn't know, but what wal_lace was kind enough to inform me, was that was an actual reported exchange and not just dialogue for the movie.

What I also didn't know was the story of what happened to Lord Uxbridge's leg after that exchange.

Some background first: Lord Uxbridge was a cavalry commander at the Battle of Waterloo and personally led some of the most decisive charges of the heavy and light cavalry in the battle, personally having eight or nine horses shot from under him in the process. One of the last canon shots of the battle hit his right leg, reportedly triggering the above exchange with Wellington and necessitating its amputation above the knee.

After that point, Lord Uxbridge's leg starts to become a legend in its own right.

Uxbridge was taken to his headquarters in Waterloo, a house owned by the Paris family and the remains of his leg were removed by surgeons, without antiseptic or anaesthetics. Uxbridge's reaction was as stoical as the exchange with Wellington would suggest - apparently his only comment through the dreadful procedure was, "The knives appear somewhat blunt." Although he is also reported to have commented, "I have had a pretty long run. I have been a beau these forty-seven years, and it would not be fair to cut the young men out any longer."

According to the account of Sir Hussey Vivian recorded by Henry Curling in 1847:

“Just after the Surgeon had taken off the Marquis of Anglesey's leg, Sir Hussey Vivian came into the cottage where the operation was performed. "Ah, Vivian!" said the wounded noble, "I want you to do me a favour. Some of my friends here seem to think I might have kept that leg on. Just go and cast your eye upon it, and tell me what you think." "I went, accordingly", said Sir Hussey, "and, taking up the lacerated limb, carefully examined it, and so far as I could tell, it was completely spoiled for work. A rusty grape-shot had gone through and shattered the bones all to pieces. I therefore returned to the Marquis and told him he could set his mind quite at rest, as his leg, in my opinion, was better off than on."

Uxbridge was offered an annual pension of £1,200 in compensation for the loss of his leg, but refused it.

The story doesn't end there.

( Read more... )