Order of battle of the Waterloo Campaign those not present in the Order of Battle and the casualties on the previous two days. With so much of the Dutch Belgian contingent not present at the battle, only 579 officers and 8,677 men (9,256 in total) were fielded by II Corps. With only three regiments not present at the battle the Cavalry Corps was the most complete at Waterloo fielding 16,133 (933 officers and 13,897 men) after taking into account the small losses at Quarte-Bras and during the retreat on 17 June 1815. The reserves, 34,394 men and 56 guns, came under the direct command of Wellington during
Battle of Waterloo the English are bad troops, and this affair is nothing more than eating breakfast". Napoleon's seemingly dismissive remark may have been strategic, given his maxim "in war, morale is everything". He had acted similarly in the past, and on the morning of the battle of Waterloo may have been responding to the pessimism and objections of his chief of staff and senior generals. Later on, being told by his brother, Jerome, of some gossip overheard by a waiter between British officers at lunch at the 'King of Spain' inn in Genappe that the Prussians were to march over from Wavre,