Charles Ewart

Who was Charles Ewart?

Ensign Charles Ewart was a Scottish soldier of the Royal North British Dragoons, famous for capturing the regimental eagle of the 45e Régiment de Ligne at the Battle of Waterloo.

He was born near Kilmarnock in 1769, and enlisted in the cavalry at the age of twenty. He fought in a number of actions in the French Revolutionary Wars, was briefly taken prisoner, and emerged from the conflict as a Sergeant in the regiment. Over the next two decades he became a well-respected and competent soldier, serving as fencing-master of the regiment; a heavily built man, reported as 6'4" tall and "of Herculean strength" he was an expert swordsman and accomplished rider.