In his own words: "One made a thrust at my groin, I parried him off and cut him down through the head. A lancer came at me - I threw the lance off by my right side and cut him through the chin and upwards through the teeth. Next, a foot soldier fired at me and then charged me with his bayonet, which I also had the good luck to parry, and then I cut him down through the head".
Thus he made his way to the Eagle which he grasped firmly and carried off, and earned himself a name forever as "the greatest and most illustrious Grey in history".
This action would have undoubtedly merited the Victoria Cross (Britain's highest decoration) had it been in existence in 1815. The Victoria Cross medal was instituted after the Crimean War and the actual medals are made of Bronze melted down from captured Russian Cannons from the Crimea.
Scotland for Ever! - the famous depiction of the Scots Greys at full charge in line during the charge of the Union Brigade at Waterloo 1815 by Elizabeth, Lady Butler (1846-1933)
These were big men on big grey horses. The minimum height for a heavy cavalryman was 70". They carried heavy straight sabres and pistols.