Waterloo

THE FRENCH MONUMENT

"There is no French tomb. For France the whole field is a grave" said Victor Hugo in "Les Miserables". Although proposals and subscriptions were abundant, yet no monument was built until 1900 when Messrs. Houssaye, Gustave Larroumet and the Count of Mauroy purchased some ground and presented it to the military society "La Sabretache", to enable them to erect a monument on honour of the French soldiers who died for their country in 1815.

"The Wounded Eagle" by sculptor Gérôme was inaugurated on the 18th of June 1904, on the place where the combatants of the last square fell so gloriously, commanded by Cambronne.

This monument, which is of a very simple composition, represents a wounded eagle in bronze, holding in its claws a torn flag which it continues to defend.

On the granite pedestal is the following inscription: where the combatants of the last square fell so glothe [possibly, go the] last combatants of the Grand Army.