Napoleonic geekery

[winterbadger]

So, I was looking for different reenacting groups in Europe, and I came across this picture.

Yes, for those of you sufficiently endowed with Napoleonic geekitude to be awed, that is a Dutch-Belgian Napoleonic reenacting unit standing in the yard of the Chateau of Hougomont!

In fact, here is a photo of French infantry *storming* Hougomont.

For those not possessed of Napoleonic geekitude, I'll explain that at the battle of Waterloo, the final and one of the most crucial (though not the largest) battle of the wars of the French First Empire, the Chateau of Hougomont was held by a British and Netherlands force against day-long assaults by French infantry many times more numerous than they. The defense of Hougomont is one of the storied exploits of military history, and to be part of reenacting it ON THE ORIGINAL SPOT is cool beyond my means of expressing it.

More photos from the very neat website of these brave Netherlands lads include this one of them advancing in skirmish order into a town, this one of them forming square in the face of galloping French Guard cavalry, this one of a cavalry melee in the snow of Austerlitz, and this one of the lads relaxing with some British riflemen.

Comments

[brithistorian.livejournal.com]

Too cool! You do realize, of course, that if you do this you're going to be in time for all sorts of 200th anniversary reenactments over the next decade - you couldn't pick a better time to be a Napoleonics geek!

[winterbadger]

Ineed! I wonder if they're going to do Eylau next year. Slogging through the snow of an East Prussian February... *shiver*

[wolfette]

emailed the link to the photo to my Napoleonic obsessed hubby :-)

[winterbadger]

A Napoleonicist, eh?

*looks at Napoleonica-filled bookshelves*

*looks at boxes of brightly painted Napoleonic minis (and large quantity still unpainted)*

*looks at shelf of Napoleonic boardgames*

*smiles*

[pisica.livejournal.com]

Hey! You want realism, right?!