LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
MAJOR PERCY'S MISSION AFTER WATERLOO.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Unfortunately I missed my Spectator of December 23rd, but to-day my attention was called to it by the letter of Mr. Bullock Hall, who refers to Major Percy's mission after Waterloo, a most interesting story, but related many years after the event, which naturally accounts for the inaccuracies which appear. There were, as Mr. Bullock says, two Pon- sonbys at Waterloo,—Major-General Sir William Ponsonby, who was killed when leading the Union Brigade, and Colonel the Hon. Frederick Ponsonby (my father), who was desperately wounded in seven places, but ultimately recovered, though he never had the use of his right hand. Major Percy could not *lave .known any of the details of the wounds as stated, for he
was sent home without loss of time, and these were unknown for some days afterwards. But as the whole story was told to Miss Percy some years later, it is probable these circum- stances were confused. I have no papers to refer to here, but may add that my father commanded the 12th Light Dragoons ; that the story of his wounds, &c., were sent to the Earl of Bessborough some time after the battle ; and that the soldier who watched him all night was an English soldier of the 40th Regiment. Bat though one or two men have come forward claiming to be he, I have never found the man, the claimants being obvious impostors.
Miss Percy says that Major Percy, on arriving in London, went direct to the Duke of York and Lord Castlereagh. This is a mistake ; Major Percy went straight to Earl Bathurst, who was Secretary for the Colonies, which in those days included War. He was my grandfather, and I have often heard when young how be waited for some hours for the news and then went out for ten minutes, and so missed Major Percy, who, I think I was told, went on to the Prime Minister. I never heard the story of the Prince Regent, but, of course, that may be a fact.
Miss Percy says that when the Major reached Dover, "a rumour, not only of a battle, but of a victory had preceded him ; how that had arrived was never known." I have often heard of this rumour, and have been told, I do not know with what truth, that the Rothschilds, then rising into fame, knowing the importance of obtaining information of the ap- proaching battle, had laid on horses in Belgium and England together with a ship, which enabled them to obtain for them- selves the outlines of the event some hours before Major Percy arrived.—I am, Sir, &c., HENRY F. PoNSONEY, General.
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