Signature on a free frank (Viscount, Sir Stapleton Cotton, 1773-1865, Field Marshal, Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies) by COMBERMERE

addressed to "Mr Ponsonby, Carver & Gilder, Piccadilly, London", and dated, 4¾" x 2¾", Nantwich, 18th November Lord Combermere was 2nd in command at Salamanca, leading the famous charge of Le Marchant's and Anson's Heavy Brigades, but was wounded and sent home. His return passage took 28 days and so he was 3 days late for the battle of Vitoria. In 1815 Wellington was annoyed that command of the Cavalry in Belgium was given to Lord Uxbridge by the Prince Regent, who thought that Combermere had gossiped years before at Brighton about Mrs. Fitzherbert. Thus Combermere missed Waterloo, but on the very next day Wellington wrote, 'We must have Lord Combermere if he will come', and he commanded the whole Allied Cavalry in France 1815-1816. He was Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, 1822-1825 and in India 1825-1830.