THE KOYAL AKTILLEKY INSTITUTION. 
421 
The brigade of General Hay in particular distinguished itself.— Annals of 
'Peninsula Campaign . 
The following extract from a paper in the U.S. Magazine for 1841, 
shews that shrapnel were used in America in 1814, with some effect:— 
“ The ranges for cannon in Canada are short, from the frequent occurrences 
of patches of wood in the clearings, so that a long shot cannot be obtained; 
a range of 800 yards is as much as can be got in general; and as the roads 
are very bad, wheel carriages are of little service, from the difficulty of getting 
them across the country in the spring and fall. I am rather partial to light 
6-prs., though they are a little out of fashion at Woolwich, but they are 
nice sharp little fellows, and can be got anywhere, and if a spherical bursts 
among a party of men they will never think of enquiring whether it contains 
twenty-seven or thirty-six balls inside. * * The Americans are pretty 
considerable bad artillerists, and used to complain sadly of our f tarnation 
spiritual split shot/ as they called our spherical case, Artillero Viego,” 
Waterloo . The allies numbered about 72,000, with 186 guns. The 
Trench 80,000, with 252 guns. Had Napoleon brought up his howitzers 
and burned Hougomont early in the day, or could he have held La Haye 
Sainte, the result of the battle might have been different indeed. 
The loss of the Trench in the battle and pursuit was about 40,000. The 
British and Hanoverians about 10,686. 
Tew of us know how well the shrapnel was applied in this battle. Let 
the following letters instruct us, if not too proud to take a lesson from old 
fashioned things. “ The Duke ordered your shells to be fired.” 
Perhaps the most interesting letter, to us, of the series, is this one from the 
late General Sir George Wood, who commanded the artillery at Waterloo, 
dated from the village, and written, immediately after the action, to Shrapnel. 
After describing the attack on Hougomont and repulse, and the subsequent 
attack by infantry and cavalry in the centre, and their holding La Haye 
Sainte, the point d’appui of the British centre, he says ,—“ Then the Duke 
ordered your (shrapnel) shells to be fired in and about the farm house, and 
thus succeeded in dislodging them from this formidable position, to which 
if Buonaparte had once been able to bring up his artillery, the Duke must 
have lost the battle; that had it not been for these shells, it is very doubtful 
whether any effort of the British could have recovered the farm house, and 
hence on this simple circumstance hinges entirely the turn of the battle,” &c. 
“ L’artillerie Anglaise faisait dans nos rangs un ravage affreux, et nous y 
gtions tellement exposes, que les projectiles traversaient facilement toutes 
nos lignes et tombaient frequemment an milieu de nos equipages, arretes sur 
la route et les environs. * * Notre artillerie repondaient avec 
beaucoup d'energie et de vivacite; mais il est probable qu'elle avait 
beaucoup moins de prise sur Tennemi, dont les masses ne pouvaient etre 
ajustees que par approximation, parcequelles etaient presque entierOment 
masquees par les dispositions du terrain.” Then describing the final attack 
of the Guard, he says, “ La garde charge a diverses reprises, mais ses 
efforts sont constamment repousses ; foudroyes par une artillerie epouvant- 
able, et qui semble se multiplier, ces invincibles grenadiers voient leurs 
rangs s’eclaircir sous la mitraille, &c.”— Relation, par un temoin oculaire .— 
Troisieme edition. 
