Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/05/29
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On May 26, 2006, at 9:45 PM, Greg wrote:
> After 5 long years of searching my first edition copy of Scott
> Bowden's masterful Armies at Waterloo arrived at the house today. This
> was 36 hours after it was sent from the UK via (Royal) Air Mail.
>
> Wonder how it's going to end?
About ten minutes walk from our house in Wales was the memorial
tower
to the Marquis of Anglesey. In case you don?t remember your British
historical trivia, the Marquis of Anglesey was the Duke of Wellington?s
second in command at the battle of Waterloo. He and Wellington didn?t
get along too well but he was an effective officer at the time when
Britain?s military fortunes were not too favorable. At the battle of
Waterloo a cannon ball blew off the Marquis? leg. He is reputed to have
looked down and said, ?Blimey! Me leg?s gone.? The Duke replied, ?So it
is.? With that expression of consideration and concern, the battle
continued.
When the Marquis returned to his home in Anglesey, the grateful
Welsh
built a tower in his honor right near the Menai Strait. It is about
half as high as the Washington Monument but seems taller. Anglesey?s
tower is much thinner and perched on the peak of a small hill. The
apparent height is a clever optical illusion. There is a winding
stairwell inside that lets you gasp your way up to the top. From the
balustrade at the peak you have a wonderful view of the island of
Anglesey, the Snowdonia Mountains, Menai Bridge and all the surrounding
countryside.
Larry Z