Faq#13: What was the name of Napoleon's horse? What was the name of Napoleon's horse? By J.F. Lozier Since so many of the paintings of Napoleon show him riding a horse, it has become a common trivia question to ask "What was the name of Napoleon's horse?". However, it is not an easy one to answer, for Napoleon owned and used over 150 horses during the course of his life. The most famous ones were: Wagram, a gray Arab Napoleon rode from 1809 onwards, it was brought along during the Elba exile. Roitelet, an English-Limousin chestnut given to Napoleon by Prince Eugene de Beauharnais, it carried Napoleon back from Russia and was ridden at Lutzen and Arcis-sur-Aube. Intendant, a pure white Norman nicknamed "Coco" by the Imperial Guard. He was mainly used for parades and reviews because of his calm, steady, and graceful nature during such ceremonies. Vizir, one of the Emperor's favorites, this gray Arab was a gift from the Sultan of Turkey in 1805 and 10 years later Napoleon brought it with him to Saint-Helena.

It now resides — stuffed — in the Musée de l'Armée in Paris. Marengo, a gray Arab captured after Waterloo. His skeleton is kept at the National Army Museum in London. Tauris, this gray was a gift from Alexander (Tsar of Russia) was ridden by Napoleon at Vitepsk, Smolensk, Borodino, during his entrance in Moscow, and during the retreat from Russia. After being brought to Elba, it was ridden from Golf-Juan to Paris during the Hundred Days. Cyrus, one of the horses Napoleon rode at Austerlitz. Styrie, ridden by Bonaparte across the Great Saint-Bernard, and at Marengo. Désirée, ridden at Waterloo.

The names of some of his other horses include: Aboukir, Familier, Cheikh, Triomphant, Austerlitz, Calvados, Cid, Cordoue, Sagonte, Sélim, Bouffon, Conquérant, Extrême, Folâtre, Gracieux, Timide, Sahara, Major, Belle, Distingué, Gisors, Lowska, Favori, Harbet, Néron, Tamerlan, Hippogriffe, Kurde, Labrador, Sara, Épicurien, Embelli, Gessner, Bréant, Wuzbourg, Montevideo, Artaxercés, Aly, Coceyre, Sultan, Russe, Estime, Arabella, Babylonien, Euphrate, Hahim, Harbet, Helavert, Héricle, Lydienne, Lyre, Naïade, Nankin, Naturaliste, Naufragé, Nausicaa, Navigateur, Navire, Ninon, Emin, Gonsalvo. © Copyright 1995-2015, The Napoleon Series, All Rights Reserved.

Everyone remembers the name of Wellington''s horse: Copenhagen. Similarly, Napoleon''s horse was called Marengo. But what was the name of the horse of other commander at Waterloo, Bleucher? | Notes and Queries | guardian.co.uk Everyone remembers the name of Wellington's horse: Copenhagen. Similarly, Napoleon's horse was called Marengo. But what was the name of the horse of other commander at Waterloo, Bleucher? Benjamin Craig, Altrincham UK Marshal Blucher Actually lost his horse (and as a consequence nearly his life) at the battle of Ligny three days before Waterloo. The horse died under him During one of the Marshalls impetuous cavalry charges, where he led from the front. The horse was killed under him. Trapped beneath the beasts body , Blucher had to "play dead" for nearly four hours as french lancers came through time and time again, looking for survivors. As a consequence marshall Bluchers horse on the great day was probably an anonymous replacement Napoleons Deputy Marshall Ney was even more daredevil than the aging Prussian, Losing at least Four horses under him in one Day at Waterloo.

Ben, London UK In actual fact, Napoleon, suffering ill health, spent most of the Waterloo campaign in a traveling coach. On the occasions he did ride he rode not the more famous Marengo, which he rode in other campaigns, but a mare named Desire. Blucher is reputed to have been drunk out of his skull for most of the campaign, and even he probably didn't know which horse he was riding, but on the fateful day - 18th June - he would have been riding a second choice horse in any case, as the steed he had been riding two days previously had been shot and fallen upon him at the Battle of Ligny. On this occasion he had narrowly evaded capture by the French, and had he not, history could have taken a very different turn, as his deputy Gniesenau favoured a defensive move away from Waterloo, and was in the process of organising this when Bleucher returned from the battlefield to overrule him and march to Wellington's aid. David Wilson, Dorking UK Marengo: Napoleon’s Favourite Horse | Horse Canada Marengo: Napoleon’s Favourite Horse | 9 comments Romantic painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David in 1805.

Who hasn’t heard of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), also known as Napoleon I, who was born in Corsica and quickly made a name for himself during the French Revolution from 1789-1799? He rose through the ranks, gained political power in 1799 and crowned himself Emperor in 1804. He had great plans for himself, and as a shrewd and cunning strategist and military planner he expanded his empire. However, he got greedy and his plans to invade and overtake Russia in 1812 were a disaster and he was exiled and went to the Island of Elba in 1814. A year later he gained power again in the Hundred Days campaign but lost all at the Battle of Waterloo and was sent to exile on St. Helena where he died at the age of 51. Now that his brief life history is done with, let’s look at the more interesting parts of Napoleon’s life: his favourite horse, Marengo. Napoleon was part of a large family of minor nobility but they were not wealthy and he did not grown up learning to ride up on the Island of Corsica.

He might had hopped on a donkey a few times but learning the fine art of equestrian skills was not part of his early childhood. He did, however, see horses being used in parades and as part of regal spectacles and this firmly entrenched the noble horse as a sign of a status symbol in his mind. Napoleon was not an impressive child as he had a big head, puny body and skinny legs. Throw in a persistent hacking cough and he was the brunt of more than a few jokes as a youngster, but was energetic and tough. Years later when Napoleon was in the École Royale Militaire in Paris, he did take some riding lessons but as he took his final exams a year early, the three years required to turn a cadet into a real ‘cavalier’ meant that he never did complete the sessions. His unsophisticated rough and tough riding techniques never improved and stayed with him all his life. Napoleon was not a wealthy man and his pay from his military service was used for meagre rent, to buy pens and paper for his essays, letters, political pamphlets, and to help his mother and four brothers and three sisters at home in Corsica.

A horse wasn’t part of his life so he often walked long distances to get to where his regiment was stationed, often 20 miles or more. Realistic painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps by Paul Delaroche in 1885. As Napoleon gained military might and main, he, of course, had to have horses for the battlefield. He preferred lightly boned Arabs or Barbs over the more popular Thoroughbreds used by most other military leaders. Because the nimble Arabs were smaller, Napoleon could mount them without help and the ones he chose to ride had been trained to perfection. Once he was in the saddle his poor horsemanship was glaringly obvious: he grabbed the reins and bunched them in one hand, his toes pointed south, he slouched over and moved so much in the saddle that he wore holes in his breeches. However, while his posture and position might had elicited giggles from onlookers he was absolutely fearless galloping his horses over any terrain, getting back on after numerous falls and riding 40 to 50 miles a day if needed. He also preferred stallions. Napoleon realized that a well mounted cavalry was essential to his army and his success.

The Duke of Wellington of England in contrast did not favour the cavalry divisions and though the bravery of his mounted men has never been in question, Napoleon’s cavalry were well trained by comparison and their prowess was what made his army a conquering war machine. We can also credit Napoleon with re-opening many of the stud farms that had been closed during the revolution, for creating 30 stallion centres, three riding schools and for encouraging the sport of racing as he hoped that bloodlines would improve as breeders competed to create faster horses. He can also be given credit for his enlightened attitude towards some age old customs such as docking tails. He would not allow horses with docked tails to be bought for himself or for the cavalry as he realized that horses get irritated and annoyed when they cannot swish flies away with short tails. Napoleon himself kept a stable of 80 horses that he used for his personal use along with carriage horses but over his lifetime records show that he probably owned and used over 150 horses.

A favourite trivia question is: “What was the name of Napoleon’s horse?” While he had countless horses, the famous painting of Napoleon on his rearing white charger is a horse named Marengo, a horse as famous in death as in life. Marengo, 1793–1831, was Napoleon’ favourite war horse and was imported from Egypt as a six year old in 1799 after the Battle of Aboukir. It is believed that he was bred at the well-known El Naseri Stud. He would prove to be reliable and incredibly tough despite being just 14.1 h.h. and would often take part in 80 mile gallops in around five hours’ time. He was wounded eight times before being captured in 1815 during the Battle of Waterloo. William Henry Francis Petre, 11th Baron brought him back to England and the horse was considered a real prize. He was then sold to Lieutenant-Colonel Angerstein of the Grenadier Guards. He stood at stud at the age of 27 but was not successful as a stallion and didn’t sire any notable racehorses or even winners.

He died at 38 years of age, an incredibly long life considering what he had lived through. Marengo’s skeleton. During his life in England he was a star attraction: he went into exhibitions in Pall Mall and was shown with Napoleon’s saddle, bridle and boots. His battle scars along with the bullet that stayed in his tail were mentioned along with the Imperial crown and letter N that were branded on his hind quarters. The artist James Ward created a powerful painting of Marengo with nostrils flared looking out to sea mourning his master and he later sold thousands of these as lithographs. Marengo was also featured on a set of four prints featuring himself, The Duke of Wellington’s horse Copenhagen, George III’s Adonis, and a Cossack charger. Today, a small part of Marengo sees the light of day each day. After the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London, the Captain sits down to lunch. In front of him is a horse’s hoof covered with a polished silver lid and when not in use on the table, this snuff box sits on the sideboard nearby.

On the lid is the inscription that reads: “Hoof of Marengo, Barb charger of Napoleon, ridden by him at Marengo, Austerlitz, Jena, Wagram, in the campaign of Russia and lastly at Waterloo.” This hoof was presented on April 8, 1840 by J.W. Angerstein Captain Grenadier Guards and Lieutenant-Colonel to his brother officers of the Household Brigade. Marengo’s other two hooves are on display with his preserved skeleton at the Waterloo Gallery at the National Army Museum in Chelsea; his fourth hoof and skin were misplaced. "Marengo", Napoleon's Horse - Waterloo 200 Waterloo 200 “Marengo”, Napoleon’s Horse “Marengo”, Napoleon’s Horse This is the skeleton of Napoleon Bonaparte’s favourite steed, “Marengo”. An Arab stallion with a light grey coat, “Marengo” was a gentle animal, short for a warhorse at 14 hands high (1.4 metres tall at the shoulder). After over 15 years of faithful service, he carried Napoleon for the last time at the Battle of Waterloo.

“Marengo” was purchased in Egypt in 1799, when the horse was 6 years old and Napoleon Bonaparte was commanding the French Army. The horse traveled to France later that year, where Napoleon seized power in Paris and declared himself “First Consul”. One year later, the horse carried his new master into battle against the Austrians near the Italian village of Marengo. Victory allowed the French to conquer northern Italy, and a jubilant Napoleon renamed his charger “Marengo”. “Marengo” served on many more military campaigns. The brave horse was wounded eight times without ever throwing his master from the saddle. Napoleon’s horses were trained to be fearless, obedient, and to remain calm on a chaotic battlefield. French riding masters would fire guns close to the horses’ heads, suddenly wave banners or swords, and drive dogs to run through their legs. Only horses that could be trusted not to bolt or rear up were allowed to carry the French Emperor. After the French defeat at Waterloo in 1815, “Marengo” was sold to a British officer. The horse was put on display in London and viewed by the public, who were fascinated by everything to do with Waterloo.

Marengo died in 1831 at the impressive age of 38 years old. He outlived Napoleon, who had died in exile a decade before. Originating Museum: National Army Museum Accession Number: NAM. 1963-09-89-1 h2g2 - What Was the Name of Napoleon's Horse? - Edited Entry To The Galaxy Earth Edition What Was the Name of Napoleon's Horse? Content from the guide to life, the universe and everything What Was the Name of Napoleon's Horse? Created 1 Conversation Imagine a pub quiz night. You've bluffed your way through football trivia , obscure poets , and managed to guess the dress size of Queen Victoria's chief chambermaid. Only one question to go, and sweet victory is yours. As your last remaining opponent is booed out for not knowing the atomic weight of plutonium , the man with the microphone turns to you and asks 'What was the name of Napoleon's soldier ?' 1 Unless you're already drunk enough to make stealing traffic cones seem like a fun and original thing to do, your first response will probably be 'Huh?

Which one?' The common trivia question 'What was the name of Napoleon's horse?' is equally silly. Over the course of his lifetime, Napoleon Bonaparte would have owned and used far more horses than pairs of trousers . Horses in the Napoleonic Era At the turn of the 19th Century, horses were the only practical way of travelling long distances overland quickly and with reasonable comfort - the first steam-powered locomotive was built in 1804, but the railroad did not reach continental Europe until 1835. Different types and breeds of horse were required for different purposes - you would not haul coal in a Mini Cooper , race a VW Bus , or go overland in a Ferrari . Napoleon would have owned fast, spirited horses for hunting, trotting 2 horses for pulling carriages, strong, tireless horses for travel, elegant, high-gaited horses for parades, and, of course, horses trained for war . Horses cannot be ridden until they are fully grown at around three to five years of age, and their average lifespan is only 20 - 25 years.

Besides the vast numbers needed to mount troops and carry supplies, each campaign would have required several mounts for Napoleon's personal use. Horses were killed in battle, starved, froze, succumbed to injuries or disease, were poisoned 3 by bad water or were simply killed and eaten by hungry soldiers. Highly-bred steeds were also exchanged by rulers as tokens of esteem or captured as prizes of war . Napoleon and His Horses For his personal use, the Emperor favoured grey 4 Arabians or Barbs, quick, agile Arab desert horses fiery enough to be impressive, but small enough that he could mount them unaided. This was not because of his size - contrary to rumours about his short stature, Napoleon was about 168 cm tall, a very acceptable average height for a Frenchman of the time. He simply wasn't a terribly good equestrian. His saddle horses were generally chosen for their reliability and sweet, gentle dispositions rather than their exteriors and put through extensive training before the Emperor would consent to ride them. His officers thought they were too small and skinny and 'would have been ashamed to ride them' - they preferred larger Thoroughbreds .

Napoleon never owned a horse as a child, and probably only had one year of formal equestrian training during his brief stay at the École Royale Militaire in Paris. He was never a very elegant rider by European standards , preferring the style he had acquired riding donkeys during his childhood in Corsica - slouching, back bent, heels drawn up 5 and reins bunched in one hand, sliding back and forth so much that he wore holes in his breeches. According to Napoleon's personal valet, Constant, 'The Emperor mounted a horse without grace... and I believe that he would not have always been very sturdy on the horse if we had not taken so much care to give him only horses perfectly trained.' Nevertheless, he could easily cover 20 - 30km in one day, rode for pleasure as well as travel, and was undaunted by his numerous falls and accidents. The Emperor recognised the importance of horses for warfare and built up an impressive French cavalry. He re-opened the aristocratic studs that had been closed during the Revolution, even going so far as to encourage racing in the hopes that it would improve bloodlines as breeders competed to own the fastest animals.

It is no wonder, then, that Napoleon Bonaparte kept a stable of about 80 6 personal saddle horses besides the carriage horses and his personal stud, and owned and used over 150 horses in his lifetime. The names of several dozen mounts 7 have been recorded by diligent record-keepers, but we have more information on a mere handful. Le Vizir This grey Arabian stallion was presented to Napoleon Bonaparte by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire as a token of friendship, and is known to have been one of his favourites. He accompanied his master to St Helena in 1815. After Napoleon's death on 5 May, 1821, Vizir was brought first to England and then to France , where he died in 1829. He was stuffed and mounted, and is currently on display at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris , along with the unknown dog that kept Napoleon company on Elba 8 . Marengo Another grey Arabian stallion, Marengo , is widely accepted to have been Napoleon's favourite and most-used mount, ridden during nearly all his campaigns.

He has been identified in various paintings, although Napoleon's taste in horses means that it is hard to tell them apart. Also, many paintings are not historically accurate, created after the fact to glorify the Emperor. For example, Napoleon probably crossed the Alps on a mule , rather than a horse. Curiously enough, the meticulous stable records Napoleon kept show no evidence of a horse named 'Marengo', nor is he mentioned in any primary sources. The most likely answer to this puzzle is Napoleon's habit of bestowing nicknames on those around him - after all, Josephine's given name was Rose . Many of his horses are known to have been renamed - for example, Napoleon's tall, pure-white Norman parade horse, Intendant, was affectionately nicknamed 'Coco' by the Imperial Guard, and Mon Cousin was rechristened Austerlitz while Cirus and Ingenu both became Wagram to commemorate famous victories . Conversely, Moscou was known as Tcherkes after the disastrous Russian campaign. It is assumed that the stallion Ali was called 'Marengo' after the Battle of Marengo on 14 June, 1800, in which he carried his master to victory.

Napoleon also used him at Austerlitz, Jena-Auerstedt, Wagram, and Waterloo, and he was wounded eight times in the course of his career as a war-horse . Ali was born at the famous stud of El Naseri in 1793 and exported to France - or, perhaps, captured during the Egyptian campaign - in 1799. The stallion was tiny, standing at only 14.1 hands 9 , but fast, allegedly able to complete 130 km journeys in five hours. He survived the retreat from Moscow in 1812 and was finally captured after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. He was brought back to the UK and put on display at Pall Mall, then used for stud. He died of old age in 1831, and was preserved as a trophy. The hide with the 'N' brand was lost, but his skeleton is on display at the National Army Museum in Chelsea, sans one hoof, which was presented to the Grenadier Guards for use as a snuff box in the officers' mess.

Herodot The famous stud at Ivenack, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Germany , was founded by Graf Burchard Hartwig von Plessen in 1785. He imported a thoroughbred stallion, Morwick Ball, and a mare, Herodias, from England. Their dapple-grey colt Herodot never raced, but sired many champions. During the occupation of Mecklenburg, Napoleon sent out a squadron especially to capture Herodot. He was hidden in a hollow tree, one of Ivenack's famous Thousand-Year Oaks 10 and the French troops were forced to retreat without their prize. Unfortunately, they led his mares right past the tree, and the stallion whinnied for them, giving himself away. Herodot continued his career in France, where he was incorporated into Napoleon's private stud and used as a saddle horse by the Empress Josephine. At the Congress of Vienna , where European diplomats met to discuss the terms of the peace after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht Fürst Blücher 11 von Wahlstatt made it a special condition that Herodot be returned to Germany.

This honour was only shared by four other horses - all four are made of stone and are part of the Quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate, which was captured by Napoleon in 1806 and returned to Berlin in 1815. The horse was ridden back from Marseille to Mecklenburg, where he was allowed to recover from his adventures and once again put out to stud, his experience with French mares obviously not having spoiled his taste for German ones. He died at the age of 35 and was buried beneath the oak that had once hidden him. A bust of Herodot can still be seen on the gable of the main stable at Ivenack. The Unsung Heroes While Marengo is no doubt the most widely acclaimed of Napoleon's horses, perhaps the ones who made the biggest contribution to his greatness are the ones known only by number rather that name: like the steeds of Kellerman's 12 cavalry brigade, who turned humiliation into Napoleon's finest hour by an amazing charge at the Battle of Marengo, the catalogue of horses who were killed underneath Napoleon in battle, or the Emperor's famous Polish lancers who drove fear into the hearts of the enemy.

He knew himself the decisive difference a well-used horse could make. Speaking of the uprising of 1792 which led to the downfall of the king, Napoleon remarked that 'If Louis XVI had only appeared on horseback 13 , he would have conquered!' On some occasions, it could even be said that the horses decided the timing of ceasefires - in several battles the fighting had to stop as the lines of dead horses built a barricade between combatants. At Waterloo, one officer counted 240 of his 300 horses killed, with an approximate equine mortality rate of 10,000 animals during the one-day battle, while Murat 14 estimated that 15,000 horses had died from heat and exhaustion alone during one short march in June 1812. Yet despite the high mortality rate, Napoleon's Empire in many ways came to greatness on the back of thousands of horses. They may even have played an important role in his downfall, as a contributing factor to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo is said to have been haemorrhoids .

The Emperor and afflicted officers who shared his poor diet and lack of hygienic facilities could not remain on their horses for long, making it more difficult to survey the battlefield. Which Napoleon? Of course, the question 'What was the name of Napoleon's horse?' is further complicated by the fact that there was more than one Napoleon, and the others had horses of their own. Napoleon III 15 , for example, is not only famous for being both the last monarch and the first president of the French Republic , but also owned a horse named Prince Imperial who holds the record for the longest mane, with a forelock measuring 215cm and a mane measuring 300cm. In 1869, Prince Imperial was bought by Jacob Howser, an American livestock dealer, for the princely sum of $3,000 16 .

He was taken on tour in the United States and displayed as an attraction at fairs and horse shows under the hyperbolic title 'The Greatest Living Curiosity of This or Any Other Age.' When the horse died in 1888, Howser had the cadaver stuffed and continued to tour with it, storing it in his family's living room in the off-season. His family continued this tradition until his great-grandson asked his children to burn it after his death. Instead, the horse was sold, mounted on wheels, and used in parades. It is currently on display at the Heritage Hall in Marion, Ohio . So What Do I Answer? If you're ever asked the name of Napoleon's horse, the questioner is most likely thinking of Marengo, even though 'Marengo', strictly speaking, may never have existed. Your best bet is to memorise this entry, just in case, and reproduce it word-for-word if the matter ever comes up. They'll probably give you a prize just to get you to stop talking 17 . 1 No, not his 'little soldier' - we have no way of knowing what he called that. Possibly 'The Josephinator'.

2 Horses are rarely driven at the canter, except by accident. 3 Horses are easily poisoned, because they cannot vomit. 4 To an equestrian, there are very few truly 'white' horses. Grey horses are born dark and 'grey out' as they age, have dark skin under their coats except where they have white markings, and often have dark hairs mixed in with the white to various degrees. They can range in colour from pure white to very dark grey or brown. True white horses are born white, usually with blue eyes, and their skin is pink. 5 As in the famous painting 'Napoleon Crossing The Alps' by Jacques-Louis David. 6 Though this seems like a lot, his predecessor, Louis XVI, is said to have kept 1,800 horses just for himself!

7 Aboukir, Ali (or Aly), Arabella, Artaxercés, Austerlitz, Babylonien, Belle, Bijou, Bonaparte, Bouffon, Bréant, Calvados, Cheikh, Cid, Coceyre, Coco, Conquérant, Cordoue, Cuchillero, Cyrus, Désirée, Distingué, Embelli, Emir, Épicurien, Estime, Euphrate, Extrême, Familier, Favori, Folâtre, Gessner, Gisors, Gonsalvo, Gracieux, Hahim, Harbet, Helavert, Héricle, Hippogriffe, Ingenu, Intendant, Jaffa, Kurde, Labrador, Lowska, Lydienne, Lyre, Major, Marie, Mon Cousin, Montevideo, Moscou, Naïade, Nankin, Naturaliste, Naufragé, Nausicaa, Navigateur, Navire, Néron, Ninon, Numid, Roitelet I, Roitelet II, Russe, Sagonte, Sahara, Sara, Sélim, Styrie, Sultan

, Tamerlan, Taurus, Tcherkes, Timide, Triomphant, Wagram, Wuzbourg, and Zina.

8 Together with the grey Arab Wagram and the grey Russian Tauris, who was a gift from Tsar Alexander I, but nevertheless carried Napoleon into Moscow and back out of Russia, as well as during the Hundred Days. 9 143 cm, measured at the shoulder. 10 These oaks are among the oldest in Europe and are estimated to be 800 - 1,200 years old today. According to legend, the grove was formed when seven nuns, who were unhappy in their convent, made a pact with the devil to allow them to escape. They failed to fulfil his stipulation that they must not turn around until they reached the town, and when they looked behind them, instantly turned into oaks. 11 A name to scare the horses for sure! 12 François Étienne de Kellermann was one of Napoleon's most successful cavalry officers and the son of the notable old soldier François Christophe de Kellermann. 13 Instead of appearing 'on horseback' as a strong figure, the King went running to the Legislative Assembly for assistance. Whereupon the Assembly placed him under arrest and abolished his monarchy.

14 Napoleon Bonaparte's brother-in-law, Joachim-Napoléon Murat, King of Naples and Sicily from 1808 - 1815. Napoleon's principle of 'Fraternité' meant that he liked to put relatives in charge of conquered countries. His brother, Louis Bonaparte, for example, was made king of the Netherlands, ending a short-lived Republic. 15 Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. 16 About $45,000, €28,500 or £22,850 in April 2008. 17 Not to mention a special prize for speaking with footnotes! Napoleon Series Reviews: Marengo: The Myth of Napoleon's Horse Marengo: The Myth of Napoleon's Horse Hamilton, Jill. Marengo: The Myth of Napoleon's Horse. London: Fourth Estate, 2000. 246 pages. ISBN#1841153516. £14.99. Hardcover. Literally thousands of biographies of Napoleon have been written.

It is said that Napoleon is among the top three subjects for biographies (the others being Lincoln and Lenin). Jill Hamilton has written a brief biography of Napoleon that gives special emphasis to the story of Napoleon's horses, especially the Emperor's most famous steed. The book is really Hamilton's search for the historical reality behind the myth of a horse named Marengo. In his childhood on Corsica Napoleon never owned a horse and, unschooled in formal equestrian skills (he probably had only a little more than a year of formal training while in military school), he first learned a casual, practical style of riding on this rocky island where a mule or donkey was as practical as a horse. Used to using a primitive bridle without an iron bit, Napoleon held his reins loose, controlling the animal by shifts in his body weight. He sat slouched forward on his horse; his toes lower than his heels in the stirrups. Napoleon had a poor "seat," he slid forward and back and from side to side as he rode, wearing holes in his breeches. In spite of this, he was an indefatigable rider- slapdash and reckless. He rode for pleasure as well as necessity.

He took many spills from horses, which were covered up (Napoleon was knocked unconscious and nearly killed when he fell from an unfamiliar horse, hitting a tree, the week prior to the Brumaire coup). The first named horse Napoleon is recorded as riding was Bijou, on which he entered Milan in triumph on 15 May 1796. Napoleon, who had a preference for little Arabs over the more popular Thoroughbreds, reconstructed the national studs of France that had been closed during the Revolution as symbols of aristocracy. When Napoleon began his conquests he expropriated the studs from the conquered nations, establishing stallion depots and rebuilding France's horse breeding stock. Napoleon kept a stable of about 80 personal saddle horses, as well as matched teams of carriage horses (Louis XVI, by comparison, kept close to 1,800). Many of Napoleon's own horses were of similar appearance -Arabs with white or light gray coats- making identification of a specific horse today difficult.

Baron Fain wrote: "The horses which the Emperor usually rode were Arabians; of small size, greyish-white coat, good-tempered, gentle gallopers, and easy amblers." Napoleon had had from ten to eighteen horses killed under him in battle during his career. The Emperor's horses were thoroughly trained by Napoleon's riding master. Guns were fired close to their heads, swords unsheathed and bayonets crossed before them, drums, trumpets and other instruments played suddenly, flags waved, dogs and other animals driven between their legs, all to teach his mounts to be steady in any situation and accustom them to the unexpected. Las Cases, who accompanied Napoleon into exile on St. Helena, commented that, "The emperor was ill-served in saddle-horses but he had eight or ten of them which were acceptable to him: he only wanted to use these.

His main officers would have been ashamed to ride them; they were little, skinny and without exterior, but sweet, gentle and reliable; nearly all were entire [not gelded] and not trimmed [without their tails docked -Napoleon opposed docking a horse's tail, a practice common in the British Army]." Constant, Napoleon's valet, wrote that, "The Emperor mounted a horse without grace... and I believe that he would not have always been very sturdy on the horse if we had not taken so much care to give him only horses perfectly trained." On the other hand, Ernst Otto Odeleben, more critical of Napoleon's lack of equestrian skills said: "Napoleon rode like a butcher...whilst galloping, his body rolled backwards and forwards and sideways, according to the speed of his horse." As for the horse named Marengo, legend has it that it was captured during the Egyptian campaign, that Napoleon rode it on all his famous campaigns from the second Italian campaign, through the retreat from Moscow, to the final battle at Waterloo. The horse reputedly was captured after that climatic battle and taken to Britain, where it was put on exhibition and even today its skeleton is on display in the National Army Museum.

However, Hamilton has found that no horse with the name Marengo appears in the registers of Napoleon's stables or in any primary source. Historian Dr. Jean-François Lemaire has stated, "The French archives are silent about Marengo." It is possible that Marengo was a nickname of another horse. Napoleon had a penchant for giving nicknames (Josephine's, his wife, real given name was Rose). A number of his horses had nicknames, Mon Cousin was nicknamed Wagram, Intendant was given Coco, Cirus was bestowed with Austerlitz, Cordoue was also known as Cuchillero, Bonaparte was called Numide, Moscou nicknamed Tcherkes, Ingenu also was Wagram and Marie was called Zina. Napoleon's coach, which had been captured after Waterloo, was placed on display at Bullock's Museum in Piccadilly. Though it has often been said that Marengo was also put on display at the same time, this is not the case. Marengo first appeared on display in 1823 or 1824 in the Waterloo Rooms in Pall Mall. Later Marengo was put out to stud.

After the horse's death in 1831, its skeleton was sent to London Hospital to be articulated. Its hide, with its distinctive "N" brand, was lost. The skeleton went on display at the RUSI museum. One of its hooves was incorporated into the Guards' Officer's Mess at Buckingham Palace, another hoof had been lost. Another stuffed Napoleon horse, Vizir, also wound up in Britain. It had been on display at Manchester's Natural History Museum, in 1868 the museum presented it to Napoleon III. In the end, Marengo remains something of a mystery. Hamilton concludes the horse may actually be Ali (or Aly), a horse Napoleon did ride throughout his career and which could be considered a "favorite." Hamilton has produced a slight work, lacking footnotes, internal references or other scholarly trappings. As a biography of Napoleon it is cursory but readable. I would have wished for more information on the operation of Napoleon's stables, on the rebuilding of the French stud farms and on the use of horses in Napoleon's armies. There are a limited number of black and white illustrations. Hamilton has done research in French and British archives to produce her book.

Hamilton has also written a book on Josephine's floral artist Redoute. The brave war horses of Waterloo: A stuffed steed, the skull of Wellington's bravest soldier and Napoleon's breakfast plate extraordinary objects from the battle | Daily Mail Online The brave war horses of Waterloo: A stuffed steed, the skull of Wellington's bravest soldier and Napoleon's breakfast plate extraordinary objects from the battle comments Just weeks after the Duke of Wellington beat the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, there was a thriving trade in anything connected with the battle. Travel agents were organising tours of the battlefield in Belgium, and swords, musket balls and other relics were eagerly snapped up for the proliferation of small Waterloo museums that sprung up around Britain. So it was that the momentous victory that broke French dominance in Europe and established Britain as a world power was celebrated with a profusion of mementos. Here, in the second part of our fantastic series, we dip again into Waterloo In 100 Objects, a fascinating new book by Gareth Glover, for more of the bizarre off-cuts of history that bring this world-changing battle scintillatingly back to life.

A fascinating new book explores the battle of Waterloo in one hundred objects HOW THE WELLINGTON BOOT BECAME A FASHION TREND The Duke of Wellington was always impeccably dressed. Never one to allow himself to look dishevelled despite the dirt and dust of a military campaign, he had a special compartment behind his saddle for what he saw as an essential ingredient in a battle – a change of clothes. His sartorial elegance was admired and copied on the streets of 19th-century Britain. He was a setter of trends, a leader of fashion, literally down to the boots he wore. Not content with being a war-winning general, a renowned diplomat and a prime minister (as he was from 1828 to 1830), he also inspired the Wellington boot – to this day the chic footwear of country toffs.

The duke in his knee-high Hessians (left), painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence in 1814-15, and (right) the shorter, plain boots he made popular Most army officers – Wellington among them – and many civilians in high society wore knee-high leather boots called Hessians, with a ‘V’ cut into the top, decorated with metal braid and a matching tassel. In battle their length gave some protection against a sabre, and polished up they looked very dashing when worn around town, if a little clunking. Not long after Waterloo, the duke went to see his boot-maker, George Hoby, in London’s fashionable St James’s Street. The Hessians were all right when worn with knee-length breeches but hopeless with the long trousers that were coming into fashion, he complained. The trousers wouldn’t go over the boot, and if tucked into the boot, looked a mess. He wanted a shorter, calf-length boot with a tighter fit so you could wear them inside your trouser leg if you wanted. Oh, and no tassels or trimmings, thank you. Hoby came up with the goods – a two-piece construction in polished black calfskin with a leather sole.

The duke loved them, wore them wherever he went and started a trend. The Wellington boot spread through London society, eventually inspiring the modern, more humble ‘Welly’. This pair, made for the duke some time between 1837 and 1842, are not in the book but can be seen at the Museum of London. A GRISLY KEEPSAKE FOR A GRIEVING WATERLOO WIDOW Captain George Holmes of the 27th Foot was standing in a square of redcoats on the Waterloo battlefield when they found themselves being raked by enemy fire. In just a few hours, his battalion of 750 men took two-thirds casualties, of which he was one. He was shot by a French musket, and the ball was later extracted from his body, along with one of his vertebrae, both seen here. They were sent to his widow as a macabre keepsake with this special case for the musket ball and are still in the family’s possession.

The musket ball that killed George Holmes, its case and one of his vertebrae Muskets were the main weapon used on the Waterloo battlefield and during the nine hours of fighting an estimated 3.5 million musket balls were fired. They were made of malleable lead which was easily moulded into round balls. They varied in size from the larger Prussian balls (19.5mm diameter), through the British (18mm) to the small French balls (17.2mm). The vast majority of British soldiers fired them from a Brown Bess musket, so-called because of the colour of its walnut stock. They were most effective when fired from 50 yards in a mass volley from a line or a square at approaching troops. Balls were loaded through the muzzle and rammed into place with a ramrod – well-trained soldiers could get off three or four shots a minute. Fired at close range, they could penetrate wood or even the iron breastplates that some French cavalry wore. But at greater distance they were literally flattened on striking a solid surface and failed to penetrate. But even balls that had run out of power could leave serious bruising.

They could also wind the victim, leading many to believe at first they were severely wounded. Balls that struck with full force tore through muscle and vital organs and often dragged dirty particles of clothing into the wound, which caused serious infection. If a ball struck bone it would flatten on impact and often shatter the bone, leaving little hope of the arm or leg recovering and thus requiring amputation. Balls often stayed lodged within the wound and many a soldier had one inside him as a permanent memento of battle. Over many years the ball could work its way to the surface and then be removed by cutting the skin. A GALLANT CHARGER, PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY Wexy, William of Orange’s horse, was one of 20,000 killed or severely maimed during the battle Napoleon was not a stylish horseman. In fact, he rode like the rough Corsican he had once been, his right hand gripping the reins and his left arm dangling down – more like a butcher than an emperor, as one observer unkindly put it. While galloping, his body rolled backwards, forwards and sideways and it was not unusual for him to be thrown.

Not surprisingly then, given his gaucheness in the saddle, he did not like large horses and preferred small Arab horses, which were gentle natured, sturdy and responsive to commands. At Waterloo he rode a grey Arab mare named Desiree and a stallion named Marengo, that was reputedly captured at Waterloo and put on show in London. When it died in 1832, its skeleton was preserved and is now on show at the National Army Museum at Chelsea. Its provenance, however, remains a little uncertain and the skeleton is probably a fake – just one of the many manufactured memorabilia of Napoleon. More likely to be authentic is a stuffed and mounted horse which now resides at the Army Museum in Paris and is thought to be Le Vizir, another of the emperor’s string of 52 horses. It too apparently turned up in England and became at some stage the property of the Natural History Society of Manchester, which returned it to France in 1868 as a present to Napoleon’s nephew, Napoleon III. Also stuffed and mounted for posterity was Wexy (shown here), the horse of Prince William of Orange, the 23-year-old heir to the throne of the Netherlands.

He was commander of the Dutch and Belgian forces that fought under Wellington at Waterloo. In the final stages of the battle, the prince was wounded by a musket ball and had dismounted to receive treatment when his horse was killed by enemy fire. Wexy was one of a staggering 20,000 horses killed or severely maimed in the battle. He’s usually kept in storage but can be seen from June to September at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Wellington’s horse, Copenhagen, fared better, though he was a feisty animal who on the night before the battle kicked out at the duke as he patted its rump to urge it into the stables. The flashing hooves just missed – which was fortunate, otherwise the British Army might have been without its leader. Wellington stuck by his favourite horse, which carried him the next day as he rode the battlefield. He was so fond of Copenhagen that when the horse died many years later, he had him buried with full military honours in a paddock at his stately home in Hampshire. A headstone was erected stating: ‘Here lies Copenhagen, the charger ridden by the Duke of Wellington the entire day at the battle of Waterloo.

God’s humbler instrument though meaner clay/Should share the glory of that glorious day.’ The grave of Copenhagen, the Duke of Wellington's horse, which he rode at the Battle of Waterloo THE EMPEROR’S SILVER BREAKFAST PLATTER AND A CUPPA FOR THE TROOPS Napoleon is said to have breakfasted off this silver plate at his headquarters in Le Caillou farmhouse on the morning of the battle (the plate will be on show at Goodwood House in Chichester from 3 August to 12 October). He was in a good mood at first but then snapped at his generals, who were apprehensive at going up against the Duke of Wellington, who they feared and respected. One wanted to delay the battle, another to manoeuvre around the field rather than go for an all-out attack. Napoleon at his dinner table in a 19th-century lithograph A furious Napoleon told them, ‘You think Wellington is a great general. I tell you he is a bad general, the English are bad troops and this affair will be no more difficult than eating one’s breakfast.’ But nine hours later he was the one choking on defeat.

For the long periods of time in between battles, when a soldier usually lives in camp peacefully, being as comfortable as possible was the aim – to have food, protection from the weather and clean clothing. A kettle like this French one now kept in Paris’s Army Museum, used for a brew-up or hot water to shave, was a godsend. But there were limits. What an ordinary infantryman possessed he also had to carry. Old soldiers refined their kit, removing absolutely everything that was unnecessary and keeping as much room as possible for the essentials in their packs. The plate Napoleon is believed to have eaten off and (left) a French camp kettle (right) For officers of all nations there was more scope. Often they were given an allowance for a pack horse which could carry more luxurious camp equipment, but the essential needs were still the same. Tents, shaving equipment, crockery, cutlery and cooking implements were therefore specially designed to be compact and to fit into special containers that could be carried in pack saddles. It was quite normal for officers to acquire a servant or two, either privately or supplied from within the regiment. The servant could draw rations, cook and clean for his master.

Some officers even had a cart, allowing them to take more equipment, including libraries, to while away the long, tedious hours when nothing was happening. However, such luxury on campaigns was often a cause of congestion on the roads following an army, severely hampering the free flow of supplies and reinforcements. It was therefore often necessary to order officers to leave their carts behind or threaten to have them burned if discovered. WATERLOO’S MOST HEART-TUGGING LOVE STORY One of the great romantic tragedies of the Battle of Waterloo is the story of Colonel Sir William De Lancey and his bride of three months, Magdalene. When he joined Wellington as deputy quartermaster general, she went with him and waited in Antwerp as the battle was fought. Magdalene and Sir William De Lancey, one of the most tragic love stories to emerge from the battle She later wrote an account of their time together, which was so moving it reduced Charles Dickens to tears Unfortunately, in the very first hours of fighting, De Lancey was struck a glancing blow by a cannonball which smashed eight ribs and punctured his lungs.

He lay, coughing up blood, in a peasant’s hovel in Waterloo village, where after several days his 22-year-old wife managed to get to him. She stayed by him for six days, until he died in her arms. She later wrote an account of their time together, which was so moving it reduced Charles Dickens to tears when he read it. Of their last moments she wrote, ‘He bade me kiss him. He called me his dear wife. He looked up at me and said, “Magdalene, my love.” I stooped down close to him and he gave a little gulp, as if something was in his throat. The doctor said, “Ah, poor De Lancey! He is gone.” I pressed my lips to his, and left the room.’ Her book, A Week At Waterloo In June 1815, was circulated among family and friends and not published until 1906, 84 years after her death in 1822. Her story is a reminder that women were closely involved at Waterloo. Some may even have taken part in the fighting, with reports of several women, dressed in French Army uniforms, found dead among the soldiers on the battlefield.

CAPTURED – NAPOLEON’S FIRST-CLASS CARRIAGE Napoleon travelled in style. Two of the emperor’s personal carriages were captured by Prussian cavalry in the traffic jam of vehicles fleeing after the battle – one, a landau, had two benches and the other, a dormeuse, was a home on wheels, and could be used as a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, dressing room, office and dining room. Napoleon's dormeuse, was a home on wheels, and could be used as a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, dressing room, office and dining room It had two sleeping compartments, a writing desk, silver service, gun rack, vanity set, spirit cabinet, camp bed and bulletproof doors. There was also a secret cupboard containing a huge haul of uncut diamonds and money – so escape was vital if they weren’t to fall into the hands of the Prussians. Unfortunately, coachman Jean Hornn’s plan ended in disaster. He drove the dormeuse across country to avoid a bottleneck at a bridge but got stuck in a muddy field. The Prussians brutally attacked Hornn and left him needing an arm amputation.

Major Eugen von Keller of the Prussian 15th Infantry Regiment claimed he had been forced to strike down the coachman because Napoleon was inside – a lie, as Napoleon had retreated on his horse. Von Keller later captured the landau too and gave it to the leader of the Prussian forces, Blücher, whose family donated it to France’s Malmaison Museum in 1975. He sold the dormeuse to a Mr Bullock, who put it on display in Piccadilly, where it was a huge tourist attraction. In 1842 it was bought by Madame Tussaud’s, where it was destroyed by fire in 1925. THE FIRST NEWS OF VICTORY DELIVERED IN LONDON After defeating Napoleon’s army just before nightfall on 18 June, Wellington slept for a while and rose early to write his report from his HQ in an inn opposite Waterloo church. Tradition dictated that the official message about a battle’s outcome was taken home by a favoured aide-de-camp who could expect promotion as a reward. The duke bestowed this honour on Major the Hon Henry Percy of the 14th Light Dragoons.

He was to deliver it to Earl Bathurst, the Secretary of State for War, in London, and then to the Prince Regent. Henry Percy’s jacket and the sachet he used to carry the despatch A painting of Percy’s journey to London to deliver the news Percy left Brussels around midday on 19 June. Sticking out of the windows of his carriage were two French eagles captured from regiments during the battle. Percy reached London at 10pm on 21 June and, having given Bathurst the despatch to read, his next job was to take it and the eagles to the Prince Regent, who was at a ball in St James’s Square. He arrived just as the dancing was beginning, crying ‘Victory! Victory!’ The ball ended in uproar, with guests hurrying off to pass on the news. Percy was promoted to lieutenant colonel for being the bearer of such news. Today his jacket and the handkerchief sachet he used to carry the despatch are at his family home, Northumberland’s Alnwick Castle.

THE SKULL OF A HERO LIONISED BY DICKENS The most famous fighting man in the British Army at the time of Waterloo was undoubtedly the pugnacious Corporal of Horse John Shaw of the 2nd Life Guards. The son of a Nottinghamshire farmer, his strength as a boxer was apparent even at school. Aged 18 he joined the Life Guards in London and, egged on by his officers, he soon became a prize fighter. In early 1815 he offered to fight any man in England. He beat one challenger and was due to face champion boxer Tom Cribb when he was called to serve at Waterloo. His supporters wanted to buy his release from the Army but he refused. The cast of Corporal John Shaw’s skull known as Wellington's favourite soldier A contemporary engraving of Shaw’s exploits at Waterloo Shaw, who was skilled with the sword as well as his fists, rode into battle in the first cavalry charge on 18 June. He supposedly cleaved the helmeted heads of French cuirassiers – elite cavalrymen – clean in two. Although wounded, he took part in several other charges but in one of these he was surrounded by the enemy and killed.

Precisely how he died is unclear. French sources, trying to belittle his reputation, said the coup de grâce was administered by a mere drummer boy. But others say he killed nine opponents before his sword broke, then tore off his helmet and used it to flail his opponents before he was shot by a cuirassier. Shaw was buried on the battlefield, but it would appear that his head was removed and returned to Britain. Novelist Sir Walter Scott, who was enthralled by the battle, arranged to have a plaster cast made of the skull. The whereabouts of the actual skull are no longer known but the cast (pictured) is in London’s Household Cavalry Museum. Another author, Charles Dickens, extolled Shaw in his novel Bleak House as ‘the model of the whole British Army’. ■ Human remains from Waterloo found their way to Hull and Doncaster – where they were ground up and used in agricultural fertiliser. A newspaper correspondent at the time declared that Yorkshire farmers should feel indebted to the dead for the success of their crops. Waterloo In 100 Objects by Gareth Glover is published by The History Press, £25.

To order a copy for £20 (p&p free for a limited time only) visit mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0808 272 0808.

Question: What was the name of Napoleon's horse at Waterloo?
Answer: Marengo