Which British cavalry commander lost part of a leg at Waterloo?

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Which British cavalry commander lost part of a leg at Waterloo? The Earl of Uxbridge lost his right leg.

The Earl of Uxbridge was Henry Paget, a senior British cavalry commander serving under the Duke of Wellington. At Waterloo on 18 June 1815, he directed major cavalry operations, including the powerful charge that disrupted Count d'Erlon's advancing French infantry corps. Later in the battle, one of the final cannon shots struck his right leg.

The wound shattered the limb and surgeons amputated it above the knee at a house in the village of Waterloo. The operation helped create one of the battle's most enduring legends, including the reported exchange in which Uxbridge told Wellington that he had lost his leg. The exact wording is probably retrospective, but the amputation itself is well documented.

Uxbridge continued to command during much of the battle despite the injury. He was later created 1st Marquess of Anglesey. His amputated leg was buried locally and became a tourist attraction, an extraordinary example of how Waterloo's battlefield memory developed almost immediately after the fighting.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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