Military General Service 8 clasps, Waterloo, 42nd Foot Regimental Medal, 3 times wounded by lancers at Quatres Bras and again at Toulouse. At Quatres Bras the Brunswick Hussars broke and mingled with the French Lancers fell back on the 42nd who were moving up in line. With great discipline the 42nd formed square, Lancers without and within. Despite losing three commanding officers in quick succession and almost half their strength the 42nd held firm

M.G.S. 8 clasps,  Busaco, Fuentes D’Onor, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive Orthes, Toulouse (R. Chisholm, 42nd Foot), Waterloo (Roderick Chisholm, 42nd or R.H. Reg. Infantry, 42nd Foot Regimental Record (R. Chisholm) with suspension bar engraved ‘Vittoria, & Pamplona’ and a further ribbon bar additionally engraved ‘Badajoz’ & ‘Rodrigo’

With  copy discharge papers,

‘Wounded by lancers in the back, upper part of the shoulder and in the right groin, at the battle of Waterloo in 1815 – and at Toulouse in 1814.’

‘The Brunswick Hussars flew past the 42nd, which was deployed in line. To many Highlanders the cavalry was just a black-clad blur of falling hooves and tall shakoes. As the mass of riders thundered past the Black Watch, the terrible truth dawned: many of the horsemen were not Brunswickers, but French lancers from General Honore Pire’s 2nd Cavalry Division, men of the 5th and 6th Chevaux-Legers-Lanciers.

Sensing an opportunity, the French lancers broke off their pursuit of the hapless Brunswickers and swung around to hit the Black Watch while it was still in line. The 42nd began to form squares, but the lancers hit the regiment before the two flank companies could close the four-rank defensive box. For several breathless moments all was chaos, with numbers of lancers penetrating the embryonic square. Lances thrust into red-jacketed bodies, but the Highlanders responded with bullets and bayonets. Horses reared and plunged and muskets flared with flame and acrid powder smoke.

Colonel Sir Robert Macara, commander of the 42nd, was killed when a lance thrust punctured his chin and drove into his brain. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Dick assumed command, but his tenure was brief. Within a few minutes he was wounded in the hip and arm and forced to relinquish command to Brevet Major George Davidson. Davidson, in turn, was mortally wounded at the end of the day.

The Black Watch was severely mauled but managed to close the square and repel the French cavalry attack with well-aimed volleys that emptied many saddles. The Scots made short work of the lancers who still remained in their square, but by then the regiment had suffered severely, with the 42nd losing about half its effective fighting strength at Quatre Bras. The Black Watch had begun the day with a little over 600 officers and men; by nightfall, there were 338 survivors. The French lancers, aided by muskets and cannons had proven to be formidable foes.’

Discharged in 1828 after 23 years service including 2  for a ‘Waterloo Man’  in consequence of a ‘badly united right collar bone got by a fall downstairs at Paisley barracks in 1827.’

Roderick Chisholm, b. 1786, Edinburgh,  enl. 1807, 1841 Census, states residing 49 Kirkgate, Leith, Midlothian , a tin smith and army pensioner, died 1851.

Some contact and edge wear to the Waterloo.

Glendining 1934, Christies 1989.

A superb 42nd group