‘The Death of the Duke of Brunswick, June 15th [sic] 1815’. (print)

‘The Death of the Duke of Brunswick, June 15th [sic] 1815’. Aquatint drawn by Manskirch, engraved by M Dubourg, published and sold June 1st 1817. From ‘Historic, Military and Naval anecdotes, of personal valour, bravery and particular incidents which occurred to the armies of Great Britain, 1803-15, and her allies, in the last long-contested war terminating with the Battle of Waterloo’, published by Edward Orme, 1819. In 1809 Prince Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick, raised a corps of soldiers to fight the French, who then occupied his country. They were called ‘Black Brunswickers’ because they wore black uniforms in mourning for their lost homeland. Frederick William eventually fled to England where his force of around 2,300 soldiers entered British service. Renamed the Brunswick Oels Jäger and Brunswick Oels Hussar Regiments, during the Peninsular War (1808-1814) they fought at Fuentes de Onoro, Salamanca, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, the Nive, and Orthez. Frederick William, the ‘Black Duke’ of Brunswick, was killed at the Battle of Quatre Bras on the 16 June 1815 but his Brunswickers continued to serve, gaining distinction for their actions at Waterloo, two days later.