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A Week at Waterloo
One woman's true story of war, love, and loss.
Magdalene De Lancey fought to save her husband's life on the edge of the battlefield at Waterloo. American-born William was one of the first professional officers in the British army and the Duke of Wellington's chief-of-staff.
Magdalene's heartrending account of her struggle to nurse her husband was written as a letter to her brother and has a striking immediacy. Any woman who has ever waited for a husband at war or nursed the man she loves will empathize with Magdalene's fears, hopes, and sorrow.
Magdalene De Lancey fought to save her husband's life on the edge of the battlefield at Waterloo. American-born William was one of the first professional officers in the British army and the Duke of Wellington's chief-of-staff.
Magdalene's heartrending account of her struggle to nurse her husband was written as a letter to her brother and has a striking immediacy. Any woman who has ever waited for a husband at war or nursed the man she loves will empathize with Magdalene's fears, hopes, and sorrow.
62 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
About the author
Magdalene de Lancey
6 books1 followerMagdalene Lady De Lancey (nee Hall) (22 March 1793 – 12 July 1822) wrote A Week in Waterloo, her account of the days surrounding the Battle of Waterloo, during which her husband Colonel Sir William Howe De Lancey died of his wounds.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 24, 2024
3.5
Dim is the rumour of a common fight,
When host meets host, and many names are sunk;
But of a single combat Fame speaks clear.
— From Sohrab and Rustum by Matthew Arnold
When forming his staff for the imminent war with France, the Duke of Wellington insisted on having Sir William De Lancey appointed as his Quartermaster-General.
As regards the hero of the narrative, the Duke of Wellington once said that he "was an excellent officer, and would have risen to great distinction had he lived.
De Lancy had married Magdalene Hall six weeks before heading to fight alongside the Duke of Wellington in the battle which would later be known as the battle of Waterloo.
I watched at the window till he was out of sight, and then I continued musing on my happy fate; I thought over all that had passed, and how grateful I felt! I had no wish but that this might continue; I saw my husband loved and respected by everyone, my life gliding on, like a gay dream, in his care.
Magdalene Lady De Lancey, not being able to be separated from her beloved husband, accompanied him on his one way trip but was advised to stay in Antwerp rather than Bruxelles during the bloody battle.
On the second day of the battle Sir William was struck by a spent cannon-ball. At first it was supposed that he had been killed, but later he was discovered alive but in bad shape.
As soon as his wife was informed of his fate, she returned to Waterloo and tended to him day and night, until he succumbed to his injuries nine days after the battle.
This book is Magdalene Lady De Lancey’s account of the affair.
I went down and remained some time beside the body. There was such perfect peace and placid calm sweetness in his countenance, that I envied him not a little. He was released: I was left to suffer. I then thought I should not suffer long. As I bent over him I felt as if violent grief would disturb his tranquil rest.
These moments that I passed by his lifeless body were awful, and instructive. Their impression will influence my whole life.
Dim is the rumour of a common fight,
When host meets host, and many names are sunk;
But of a single combat Fame speaks clear.
— From Sohrab and Rustum by Matthew Arnold
When forming his staff for the imminent war with France, the Duke of Wellington insisted on having Sir William De Lancey appointed as his Quartermaster-General.
As regards the hero of the narrative, the Duke of Wellington once said that he "was an excellent officer, and would have risen to great distinction had he lived.
De Lancy had married Magdalene Hall six weeks before heading to fight alongside the Duke of Wellington in the battle which would later be known as the battle of Waterloo.
I watched at the window till he was out of sight, and then I continued musing on my happy fate; I thought over all that had passed, and how grateful I felt! I had no wish but that this might continue; I saw my husband loved and respected by everyone, my life gliding on, like a gay dream, in his care.
Magdalene Lady De Lancey, not being able to be separated from her beloved husband, accompanied him on his one way trip but was advised to stay in Antwerp rather than Bruxelles during the bloody battle.
On the second day of the battle Sir William was struck by a spent cannon-ball. At first it was supposed that he had been killed, but later he was discovered alive but in bad shape.
As soon as his wife was informed of his fate, she returned to Waterloo and tended to him day and night, until he succumbed to his injuries nine days after the battle.
This book is Magdalene Lady De Lancey’s account of the affair.
I went down and remained some time beside the body. There was such perfect peace and placid calm sweetness in his countenance, that I envied him not a little. He was released: I was left to suffer. I then thought I should not suffer long. As I bent over him I felt as if violent grief would disturb his tranquil rest.
These moments that I passed by his lifeless body were awful, and instructive. Their impression will influence my whole life.
April 18, 2020
Heel aangrijpend verhaal over hoe William de Lancey dodelijk gewond werd bij Waterloo, en hoe zijn vrouw zo spoedig mogelijk tot bij hem kwam en hem verpleegde tot zijn dood.
Dit verhaal heeft me echt geraakt (ik heb het eigenlijk een paar jaar terug gelezen, maar nu pas toegevoegd bij goodreads). Toen we een paar maanden later een uitstap maakten naar Waterloo, zijn we zelfs (op mijn verzoek) eerst langs het kerkhof in Evere geweest, waar William de Lancey begraven is. Hij ligt in een tombe samen met andere officieren die toen gesneuveld zijn. Elke soldaat heeft uiteraard zijn eigen plekje en gedenkplaat. Dit bezoek was echt emotioneel voor mij, na het boek gelezen te hebben.
Dit verhaal heeft me echt geraakt (ik heb het eigenlijk een paar jaar terug gelezen, maar nu pas toegevoegd bij goodreads). Toen we een paar maanden later een uitstap maakten naar Waterloo, zijn we zelfs (op mijn verzoek) eerst langs het kerkhof in Evere geweest, waar William de Lancey begraven is. Hij ligt in een tombe samen met andere officieren die toen gesneuveld zijn. Elke soldaat heeft uiteraard zijn eigen plekje en gedenkplaat. Dit bezoek was echt emotioneel voor mij, na het boek gelezen te hebben.
June 15, 2015
A true story of romance and tragedy told in straightforward manner. In sharp contrast with the antics of other nobility in Brussels, the De Lanceys are a splendid couple whose love and devotion is put to the ultimate test. Magdalene's emotions, heartache, and lessons are clearly felt by the reader and it is a primary source account that will not be quickly forgotten. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an excellent primary source account for real people involved at the Battle of Waterloo...or an unforgettable historical story.
April 13, 2025
First hand account of finding and nursing her husband at Waterloo
April 25, 2021
Magdalene de Lancey's husband was mortally wounded in the Battle of Waterloo, and this book covers the time period just before the battle and the cluster of days afterward, in which De Lancey nurses her dying husband until his end. The author is good at describing the emotional torture of not knowing whether her husband is dead or alive, and then not knowing if he will recover. Her husband was bled with leeches several times according to the primitive medical knowledge of the day, and this may have helped finish him off.
Magdalene de Lancey was the sister of Basil Hall, a noted writer of early American travel, and it was through Hall that she met her future husband. A Week at Waterloo was also written at Hall's request. Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens both read De Lancey's narrative and were impressed by it. De Lancey eventually remarried, but unfortunately died of the complications of childbirth at the age of 29.
Available at Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31517
Magdalene de Lancey was the sister of Basil Hall, a noted writer of early American travel, and it was through Hall that she met her future husband. A Week at Waterloo was also written at Hall's request. Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens both read De Lancey's narrative and were impressed by it. De Lancey eventually remarried, but unfortunately died of the complications of childbirth at the age of 29.
Available at Project Gutenberg:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31517
August 7, 2011
Touching story of Lady Madalene DeLancey and Colonel Sir William Howe De Lancey. Married for only two months, she nurses him in his last days. She tells of her feelings and anxieties for her husband and visits him after he receives a fatal bullet wound in Waterloo.
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June 24, 2015Free download available at Project Gutenberg.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews