article_snippet: This is an amazing eye-witness account of how Duke of Wellington Wellington came within inches of death on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo.
article_snippet: The account written by Colonel Charles Best of the days leading up to the Battle of Waterloo is expected to fetch £4,000 when The account written by Colonel Charles Best of the days leading up to the Battle of Waterloo goes under the hammer at Bonhams, London .
article_snippet: The account written by Colonel Charles Best of the days leading up to the Battle of Waterloo also described witnessing Napoleon on horseback riding through the ranks to rouse his men who responded with cries of 'Vive l'Empereur'.
article_snippet: The senior officer went on to write of how the French Emperor 'luckily lost The senior officer head' during the Battle of Waterloo, helping the Anglo-Allied army to victory.
article_snippet: Colonel Charles Best came across the blood-soaked body of Major General Sir William Ponsonby, one of the most senior officers killed at Waterloo after Colonel Charles Best was overtaken and speared by French lancers.
article_snippet: Despite the popular image of Waterloo as a heroic endeavour, it was also the scene of brutal slaughter as thousands of troops were killed, with the French bearing the brunt of the losses.
article_snippet: this is a fascinating vignette of Wellington at Waterloo.'
article_snippet: Col Best commanded the Fourth Hanoverian Brigade at Waterloo.
article_snippet: Col Best account starts at the Battle of Quatre Bras that was a prelude to Waterloo and took place two days before the main event.
article_snippet: Bonaparte passt (sic) their ranks, and was received with loud cries of 'Vive l'Empereur'.
article_snippet: Describing the bloody aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo, he wrote: 'The British Dragoons had the humanity to ride about and make an end of the suffering animals by shooting the suffering animals. '
highlights_snippet: Colonel Charles Best wrote the account ahead of Battle of Waterloo .
  
highlights_snippet: Told how Duke of Wellington was almost killed by a cannon ball .
  
highlights_snippet: Also describes seeing Napoleon on horseback rousing Napoleon men for battle .
  