Jean-Baptiste Decoster (guide) facts for kids

Jean-Baptiste Decoster was drawn in 1815 by John James Masquerier.

Jean-Baptiste Decoster (born 1760, died 1826) was a farmer. He became an unexpected guide for Napoleon Bonaparte during the famous Battle of Waterloo. After the battle, he even became a tour guide for visitors to the battlefield.

Decoster's Early Life

Jean-Baptiste Decoster was born on October 13, 1760. His parents were Willem de Koster and Anna-Maria de Smet. He was born in a village called Korbeek-Lo, close to Leuven in Flemish Brabant.

His last name was spelled in different ways back then. Some common spellings were De Coster, De Koster, or Dekoster. In some French papers, it was even written as Lacoste.

Decoster's Role in the Battle of Waterloo

By 1815, Decoster lived near Plancenoit in Walloon Brabant. On June 18, 1815, the day of the Battle of Waterloo, something surprising happened to him. After going to church, he visited his brother's house in Plancenoit.

Becoming Napoleon's Guide

French army officers found him there. They took him to meet Napoleon. Napoleon quickly realized that Decoster knew the local area very well. Because of this, Napoleon made Decoster his personal guide during the battle.

Decoster did not want to be a guide for Napoleon. He was forced to do it. However, his memories of that day are very important. They help us understand where Napoleon was during the battle.

Napoleon's Movements During the Battle

Decoster's house around 1900.

Decoster's house was located south of La Belle Alliance. It was also north of the farm called Rossomme.

According to Decoster, Napoleon spent the first part of the battle near Rossomme. Around 5:00 PM, Napoleon moved to a small hill near Decoster's house. He stayed there until about 7:00 PM.

Later, Napoleon moved closer to the front lines. He went to a valley north of La Belle Alliance. Decoster was still with him. Napoleon stayed there during the attack by his special soldiers, the French Imperial Guard.

Decoster's Flight with Napoleon

"Flight of Buonaparte from the field of Waterloo accompanied by his guide", an engraving by George Cruikshank.

After the Imperial Guard's attack failed, Napoleon's army began to retreat. Decoster said he went with Napoleon as far as Genappe during his escape.

Decoster as a Battlefield Tour Guide

In the months after the battle, many tourists came to see the Waterloo battlefield. They wanted to hear stories about what happened. Decoster was often sought out by these visitors.

A New Career Opportunity

At first, Decoster did not realize he could charge money for his stories. The famous writer Walter Scott met Decoster. Scott took down Decoster's account of the battle. He also suggested that tourists would pay Decoster to guide them around the battlefield. They would also pay to hear his memories of that historic day.

Decoster continued to work as a guide for twelve years. This job was very profitable for him. It is said that when he died in 1826 or 1827, his family inherited a large sum of money, about 300,000 francs.