Wellington's writing...

[Iain...]

Good morning everyone…

Please may I ask if someone can decipher the last word on the top line. 
“You must however ? keep your men in those parts to which the fire does not reach.”

The Duke of Wellington wrote that and his writing was considerably worse than that of my family doctor. 

Thank you…, Iain. 

[arthurk]

still, perhaps?

The first three letters look like 'sti-', but I'm less sure about the ending. We can't see from this, but are there any other examples in the document of words ending '-ll'?

[Viktoria]

I think the last letter is a p, “ step” - “stop” —-?
There is a dot,full stop?after the word but is this the whole width, is there more to the left of the left edge and is that the the edge of the paper or is there a fold?
Viktoria.

[arthurk]

I agree the last letter could be read as 'p', but the context seems to require an adverb, and I couldn't think of any others of that length beginning with 'st-'.

I don't think anything has been cut off at the sides as the rest of the text reads normally, without any missing words or letters.

Added:
The final letter isn't quite the same as the 'p' at the end of 'keep' (following word).

[JenB]

Here is a link to the entire letter, and the transcription gives the word 'still'
https://ageofrevolution.org/200-object/battle-instructions-written-by-duke/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20see%20that%20the%20fire,of%20the%20roof%20or%20floors.

[Iain...]

Here is a link to the entire letter, and the transcription gives the word 'still'
https://ageofrevolution.org/200-object/battle-instructions-written-by-duke/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20see%20that%20the%20fire,of%20the%20roof%20or%20floors.

Thank you everyone.  Silly me..., I know that site and I didn't think about checking it.  The letter is in the Wellington Museum at Waterloo.  I took a photo of it years ago, but scrapped the word as without it, the sentence 'still' made sence.   

Kind Regards..., Iain. 

[Bookbox]

I don't quite see how 'still' makes sense. I think it's written step and is probably meant to be steep, which seems feasible.

[arthurk]

I don't quite see how 'still' makes sense. I think it's written step and is probably meant to be steep, which seems feasible.

You may have a point, but as you say, it looks more like 'step' than 'steep'. Putting in a couple of commas would clarify - but where?

(a) You must, however, still keep your men in those parts to which the fire does not reach.

(b) You must, however steep, keep your men in those parts to which the fire does not reach.

Is the terrain there steep?

[Bookbox]

Yes, I take your point. arthurk. The placing of the commas is critical. Version (a) makes perfect sense as you have set it out.