The Maps of Waterloo
During the campaign of 1815, writes Michael Glover, Wellington was handicapped by a shortage of military maps.
Discussing the Waterloo campaign with Lord Lynedoch (better known as Sir Thomas Graham) in July 1816, the Duke of Wellington said that in 1814 he had selected a position in front of Hal as being the best place to halt the French should they invade Belgium by way of Mons. He then ‘had an exact survey of it made by Colonel Carmichael Smyth [Commanding Royal Engineers] and that afterwards he had ordered him to extend it to the left so as to embrace all the country in front of the forest of Soignies, by which means he had got an accurate plan of the position at Waterloo, and by which plan he had directed Delancey lacting Quartermaster General] to place the troops on June 17th’.
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