Waterloo 1815 (Thomas Morris, 2nd Battn. 73rd Regnt. Foot) naming re-engraved in contemporary large capitals, with replacement silver ball mount and straight bar suspension, some edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine £400-500

Private Thomas Morris was born at St. George’s, Middlesex, on 15 August 1795. A Gunmaker by occupation, he joined the Loyal Volunteers of St. George, Middlesex on 11 May 1812. He enlisted into the 2nd Battalion 73rd Foot at Colchester on 29 May 1813. In the Waterloo Campaign he served with No.6 (Grenadier) Company and was slightly wounded in the left cheek and right arm in the battle. Promoted to Corporal on 17 October 1815, he was transferred to the 1st Battalion on 4 May 1817. Remaining with the Depot Company in Britain, he was discharged on 20 November 1818. Although discharged without a pension, he was later granted 6d/day from 27 March 1860.

He was the author of Recollections of Military Service in 1813-14-15. This, a minor classic, was first published in 1845 and later appeared in a number of successively expanded editions. He writes of the occasion he was wounded:

‘Our situation now was truly awful; our men were falling by the dozens every fire. About this time, also, a large shell fell just in front of us, and while the fuse was burning out, we were wondering how many of us it would destroy. When it burst, about seventeen men were either killed or wounded by it; the portion which came to my share, was a piece of rough cast-iron, about the size of a horse bean, which took up its lodging in my left cheek; the blood ran copiously down inside my clothes, and made me rather uncomfortable.’

Sold with a 1967 edition of his Recollections of Military Service, edited by John Selby.