During the Battle of Waterloo, Sergeant Samuel Goddard of the British 14th Regiment was out with an advanced party of skirmishers. When the French cuirassiers charged and were driven off, one poor wounded Frenchman was thrown from his horse, and one of his comrades rode back to help him.
A light infantryman of the 14th, named Whitney, who had shot one cuirassier, having reloaded, was about to fire at the mounted Frenchman, who was rescuing his comrade. Goddard interfered, saying, "No, Whitney, don't fire; let him off, he is a noble fellow."
滑鐵盧戰役期間，英國第十四軍團中士撒母耳．戈達德和一隊前哨兵一起出動。法軍的甲冑騎兵向前衝殺，卻遭擊退，其中一人不幸受傷，墮於馬下，他一名同袍回馬前去相救。
第十四軍團有一個輕步兵叫惠特尼。他開槍擊倒了一個甲冑騎兵，給槍再裝上子彈，準備射殺正在救助受傷同袍的那個騎兵。戈達德上前勸阻說：「惠特尼，不要開槍，讓他走吧。這漢子很有義氣。」
*Skirmish多指一場戰役之中小規模的衝突，但其他零星的打鬥，也可以叫skirmish，例如a skirmish between the football fans是「球迷之間的小衝突」。對立者的小爭執，也可以叫skirmish，例如the Opposition's skirmishes with the government是「反對派和政府的零星爭執」。