WATERLOO: ORIGINAL ACCOUNTS
The Captain W Siborne Collection and related materials from the British Library, London

"William Siborne (1797-1849) was the great historian of the Waterloo campaign and the appearance of his collection of survivor's accounts, and other material, in microform is a welcome development for students of that battle, and, more generally, for those interested in military history."
Professor Jeremy Black, University of Exeter.

This project offers scholars the opportunity to reassess vital, first-hand evidence gathered by Siborne and others concerning the Battle of Waterloo.  It includes:

• Handwritten questionairres and original interviews with over 700 British, French, Prussian and other allied combatants who were present at the battle.
• The Waterloo Despatch - the autograph draft composed by Wellington.
• Original accounts of the battle relayed to Peel and Lord Aberdeen.
• Correspondence of General Sir Hudson Lowe, Quarter Master General of the British Army in Netherlands, with many letters from Wellington and copies of his orders to Generals in 1815.
• Plans of the battle drawn by combatants.
• The great Map of Waterloo from the King’s Maps Collection.

We may disagree with some of the conclusions that Siborne reached about the battle, but access to this primary material will enable scholars to understand the role of the Prussians, the experiences of ordinary soldiers, and the mistakes made by Napoleon and his generals.