Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Stewart, 71st Foot, who was slightly wounded at Fuentes D’Onor, at which battle he arranged a truce to carry off our wounded from the enemy’s lines

Military General Service 1793-1814, 1 clasp, Fuentes D’Onor (C. Stewart, Lieut. 71st Foot); Waterloo 1815 (Lieut. Charles Stewart, 71st Reg. Foot.) fitted with original steel clip and silver bar suspension, light edge bruising and contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine, the first better (2) £5,000-£7,000

Charles Stewart was born at Callert, Inverness, on 24 March 1788. He was appointed Ensign in the 71st Foot on 24 March 1808; Lieutenant on 29 December 1808; Captain on 27 July 1820; Major unattached on 20 May 1836; Lieutenant-Colonel on 9 November 1846; and was put on half-pay on 24 April 1838. He served in the Peninsula with the 71st from September 1810 to June 1813, including in the action at Sobral, battle of Fuentes D’Onor (slightly wounded), and actions at Arroyo de Molino and Almaraz. He served also the campaign of 1815, and was present at the battle of Waterloo.

He is mentioned in the following extract about Fuentes D’Onor on 4 May: ‘Soon as it was light the firing commenced and was kept up until about ten o’clock, when Lieutenant Stewart, of our regiment, was sent with a flag of truce for leave to carry off our wounded from the enemy’s lines, which was granted; and, at the same time, they carried off theirs from ours.’ (Journal of a Soldier of the Seventy-First refers).

Lieutenant Stewart served in the Netherlands and France from 15 April 1815 until 31 October 1818, including the battle of Waterloo, and afterwards with the Army of Occupation. He served in Canada as a Captain from June 1824 until June 1830. Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart died on 24 December 1851.