The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field

Catalog Note "The Child of Waterloo; or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field," by George W. M. Reynolds, is a historical adventure serial set on the evening of the Battle of Waterloo (1815). The narrative opens on the blood-soaked battlefield where thousands of soldiers lie dead and dying. A wounded young English officer regains consciousness amid the carnage and encounters Rafferty Brolickbones, an Irish enlisted man with heavy dialect, equally wounded but alive. The two survivors witness the arrival of a female camp follower—a predatory "harpy" who robs and murders the fallen, cutting rings from fingers and severing gold chains. When she discovers the English officer still living and attempts to kill him with her knife, Rafferty saves his life by firing a musket directly into her face. The narrative combines military historical elements with sensational gothic horror, emphasizing graphic violence and physical suffering.