Height of eagle: 10.5cm (4.1in)
Silver. Model of the Napoleonic Imperial Eagle Captured by the 87th Foot (Royal Irish Fusiliers) at the Battle of Barrosa in 1811. Numbered 27 to the reverse of socle. Maker’s mark of J.R. Gaunt & Son. 19.7oz. Mounted on a velvet covered base. Hallmarked Birmingham 1973.
On 5 March 1811 the French 8th Regiment d’Infanterie de Ligne lost its eagle to Wellington’s Peninsula Army when a force under Sir Thomas Graham joined battle at Barrosa with Marshal Victor’s forces besieging Cadiz. During the fight the French 8th Regiment was caught in line formation during a counter-attack by 2/87th Foot, sparking a desperate bayonet encounter. Lieutenant Edward Keogh of the 87th struck down the French Eagle-Bearer Gillemain, and helped by Sergeant Patrick Masterson seized the Eagle, but it was recovered. Amidst the melee a savage hand-to-hand fight for the Eagle ensued during which two French officers, two French sergeant majors and three French private soldiers were killed successively in defence of their standard and an eighth, Lieutenant Gazan was severely wounded, finally leaving the prize in hands of Masterson, the only unhurt British combatant in the small group assailing the standard. Raising the trophy aloft, Masterman was heard to exclaim, "By Jaysus, boys, I have the Cuckoo!"
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Near mythical status was attributed to capture of a French imperial eagle as the embodiment of the Emperor Napoleon and the regiment that carried it on campaign. By the command of the Prince Regent the capture of an eagle by British troops was invariably marked with a formal presentation ceremony in London with H.R.H. at the centre of proceedings. Before the Duke of Wellington died in 1852, he asked that all his battle trophies be carried at his funeral. As the eagle captured by the 87th Regiment of Foot was not available, it was decided to make a replica. The mould was made by Garrard's and was designed from a sketch of the original drawn by an officer of the 87th at the time of Barrosa.
