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O' ^ ^ f/ J // / // // / y / / // --^v / ////// ^ /// r . /. y ///'/A\ // i.//',\V7') \\\v /■//(' I '/r'/:'. ) Y § HISTORICAL RECORDS BRITISH ARMY. PRKPARF.n (Oil PUBLICATION UNDKR THE DIRECTION OF THB AUJUTANT-GENhilAL. THE FIRST, OH THE ROYAL HIXJIMENT OF DRAGOONS. a I.nNDON I'lmti'il hy Wii.i.iAM Cldwv^ iiiid Sons 14, ('hariot; Crosn. "#■ '4 CiENEHAL ORDERS. HORSE GUARDS, \st January, 1836. Hi.s Majesty has been pleased to cctinmand. that, with a view of doiiiji' the fullest justice to Regi- ments, as well as to Individuals who have distin- guished themselves by their IJravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regi- ment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant- Cieneral ; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars ; viz., The Period and Circumstances of the Ori- ginal Formation of the Regiment ; The Stations at wliich it has been from time to time employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations, in vvhich if, has been engaged, particularly specifying ; ;iy Achit;vement it may have performed, and the (^oloiu's, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from the Enc'iny. The Names of the Officers and the number of iMon-Conmiissioned Officers and Privates, Killed or Wuunch'd by the iMiemy, specifying the Place and Dale ol ilic Artion. a 2 GENERAL ORDERS. The Names of those Officers, who, in con sideration of their Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour. The Names of all such Officers, Non-Com- missioned Officers and Privates as may have specially ;'naliz( And, signalized themselves in Action ''4 J i The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted. By Command of the Right Honourable GENERAL LORD HILL, Cunnndud'mg-in-Chii'J'. U John Maciionald, .hriidattt-i.icnerul. li in con ritorious xve been /larks of ^ ^ PKEFACK. 3n-Coni- specially egiment Causes or any C/mf. )()\ ALI), enerul. t Ywv character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend u[)oii the zeal and ardour, by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted. Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this desirable object, than a full disj)lay of the noble deeds with which the Military History of our country abounds. To hold forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded him in their honourable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the |)resent publication. The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the ' London Gazette,' from whence they are transferred n)to the [)ublic prints : the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the tune of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and admiration to which they are entitled. c testimoniids, coniiimed by the high honour of their Sovereij^n's Approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes. It has not, however, until late years, been the |)ractice (which appears to have long prevailed ni some of the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services and achievements. Hence some diilicidty has been experienced in obtaining, [)articularly from the old Regiments, an authentic account of their origin and subsequent services. This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty having been [)leased to command, that every Regiment shall in future keep a full and ample record ot its services at home and abroad. From the materials thus collected, the country will hence- forth derive information as to the diflicukies and [)rivations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In (iieat Bntam, where so large a numl)er of persons are devoted to thi- aciue concerns of agriculture, nianuluctures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a [)eriod, been undisturbed by the y;/'c.s( //re of icar, which few other countries lia\e escaped. coiupaiatKi'lv little is known of the vicissitinlcs of active ser\ice. and of the casualties of climate, to which, e\en during peace, the British Troops are exposed m e\erv part of I he globe, with little or no interval of repose. In then- liiiiM|iiil tii)P\ mtut ot lln- hle.i.siiig^ which the \ PHI' l'A( K iieasioiis of ', and tlietic Sovereijjn's )l()it'r most :ticc (vvhicli !!^ontineutiil (Is oi" their y has been Rcyimenls, services, ice of His y Heglment services at will heiice- privations he military number ot igricultiire, suits have, ICC of iciir, tiM'ly little uul of the the British ith little or wIulIi the coimfry derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agri- culturist and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor, — on their suflerings, — and on the sacrifice of valu- able life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved. The conduct of the Hritish Troops, their valour, and endur- ance, have shone consi)icuously under great and trying diffi- culties ; and their character has been established in Continental warl'ar(! by Ihe irresistible sfurit with which they have effected del)arkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and i)y the gallantry and steadiness with which they have main tallied their advantages against superior numbers. In the official Reports made by the respective Commanders, ample justice has generally been done to the gallant exertions of the Corps employed ; but the details of then- services, and of acts of indnidual bravery, can only be fully given in the Annals of the various Regiments. These Records are now preparing for publication, under II is Majesty's special authority, by Mr, Richard Cannon, RriiM ipal Clerk of the Ailjutant-General's Office ; and wliile the perusal of them cannot faU to be useful and interesting to mililary men ot every rank, it is considered that they will also afford entertainment and information to the general reader, particvdarly to those who may ha\(> scr\e(l in the Army, or who have relatives in the Service, There exists in the breasts of most of those who have served, or are serving, in the .Vrmy, an Esprif dc CV/z^.v— an allach- PKKFAfi:. mcMit to every thing l)elon>iiii^ to tlieii Regiment ; to such l-ersons n narrative of the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions of the great, —the valiant, — the loyal, have always been of paramount iiuerest with a brave and civilised people, (ireat Hritain has {)rodiiced a race of heroes who. in moments of danger and terror, have stood. " firm as the rocks of their native shore;" and when half the; World has been arrJiyed against them, they have fought the batlies of their Country with unshaUen fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in war. — victories so complete and suijjrising, gained by our countrymen, — our brothers — our fellow-citizens in arms, — a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deel!iii(l were composed (>r Horse and Foot ; but the feudal troojjs esta- Idished l>y William the Conqueror in 1080, con- sisted almost entirely of Horse. Under the feudal system, every holder of land amountini^ to what was tenned a " knii^ht's fee," was required to provide a eharj^'er, a coat of mail, a hehnet, a shield, and a lance, and to serve the ('ro\vn a period of forty \\or(i, and a small daiiii'er. The Hiddiiers weie .iccouticd ai:d armed V" (j It INTROmiCTIor lor tho liglit and lo.'^s importiiiii sorviros of war, and wore not considered qualified lor a cliarre- eniinent in thv' use of the how. Ahout the time ol' Queen Mary the apjudlation of" M<'H (if Ai'nin'' was changed to that of" Sprars and L(uniceif.'' The introduction of fire-arms ulti- mately occasioned the lance t(» fall into disuse, and the title of the Horsemen of the first degree was changed to " Cuir(i,s,s'u>r,s.'^ The Cuirassiers were armed ('(tp-n-p'u', and their weapons were a sword with a straight narrow blade and sjiarp point, and a pair of large ]>ist«d.-!, called jictrenels; and the IKthiliers carried carbines. The Infantry carried pikes, matchlocks, and swords. Tin; introduction of lire-arms (tccasioned the forma- tion (d' regiments armed .ind r(|uipped as infantrv, hut niountijd on small horses for the sake of expedition of movement, and these \\('re slyh'd '' iJi'ii^ao/i.s ;" ii small portion (d' the military force of th«! kingdom. Imwi'vci-. consisted of this descripti(tii of troops. The formation of the pitent Army eommenced * III IIk' I till yt'iir (iC tin- it'i;rii nC Ivlwaid \\ a siiwill lorrt' was t'slal)lisln'(l in liolainl l»y I'm liiiiii'iii, t .>iisi>,liiifi ol' I'iU Ari'liers (til hoisi-ljaik, In lloisoini'ii, and l(> j'am-s. INTRODUCTION. Ill Th ;ii't(U- the Rt'stonitioii in IGOO, with tlie cstublish- ineiit of rete long, " and lo conteine a buUet, foorteen of which shall ■' weigh a pound weiglit *." 'I'he riinks ot the Troops of Horse were ut this jK'riod composed of men of some proj)erty — geiie- laily the .s(»ii> (sf substantial yeomen : the vounir men received as HM-ruits provided llu'lr own horses, ♦ MililaiN Piipiis, SUid' I'sipiM Odico. b 2 \y INTROnUCTION. ;iii(l llicy were jtliiced uii a rate ot pay sullicient 1<) i;'iv(' tliiMii a resjK'ctahle station in s()('i(>ty. On the hreakiiii;' out of tlic war with HoUand, in the sprinj^- of \{)7'2, a Koi-imont ol Drai-'oons was raisod*; the Dragoons wtTc phicod on ■■. lower rate of j)ay than tlie II(»rse; and the Keninient was armed siniihir to tiie Infantry, exee])ting that a limited numher of the men earried halherds instead ol" pikes, and the others nniskets and hay- onets ; and a t'cw men in each Trooj* had pistols; as apjtears hy a warrant dated the *2nd of April, H>7"2, of wldeh the followinu' i>* !'•' extract : — " Chaiu.ks 1{. " Our \\iil and pleasure is, that a Itcgi- •■ nient of Dranoones which we have estahlished " and or(h're(l to he raised, in twelve Troopes of " loursciu'e in eac!i Iteside olficers, \\ ho are to he " under the eonnnand of Onr most deare and most " intirely hehtved ("oiisin Prince l{up(>rt, shall " he armed out ol" Our stoares remaiinnn' witiiin " Our olhcc of the Ordmance, as fnlloweth ; that '* is to say, tin-ee corporalls, two serjcants, the " gentlemen at amies, and tweht- souldiers of " eatdi of the ^aid twelve Troopes, .ire io ha\e and " carry each (d' them one halhard, and one case 1 i ' 'I'liis Uiviiiiii'iil v\;t> (li!.|)nii(U«l iiilti ilir I'lMH' III Kii 1. i i % j 1 INTRODUCTION. V 1 " ol' pint oils with liolsters; and the rest of the " soMlt\le(| Il(„\s4 in the British i\rmv, INTKOnUCTION, VU namely, tlie two Hcgiiueiits ot" Lift; Guanl^, and the Royal Regiment ot" Horse Guards, to whom cuirasses luivt; recently heen restored. The other Cavalry R(!<4iments consist of Dragoon Guards, I leavy and Lii^lit Dragoons, Hussars, and Lancers ; and although the loTig musket and hayonet liave been laid aside by the whole of the Cavalry, and the Regiments are armed and e([ui|>})ed on the principle of the old Horse (titude and alacrity in at- tending to the reciuisitions of the magistrates in periods of excitement, and the temper, patience, and forbearance \vhicli they have evinced when subjected to great [.rovocation, insult, and violence from the nnsguided populace, prov*' the value of these troops to the Crown, and to tiie Government of the country, and justily the ndiance which is rcjtosed on them. 4 HISTORIC A L KECORl) THE FIRST, I THE ROYAL REGIMENT I) R A G N S : CONTAININU AN ACCOUNT OF TTS FORMATION IN THE UKKIN OK KING CHARLES THE SECOND, \M) UK ns HUBSKQUENT SERVICES TO I8.i9, ILIAJSTRATED IVlTli I'LIIES. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY LONGMAN, ORME, AND CO., r\TKRNOSTEU-ROW ; AND BY MESSRS. CLOWES AND SONS. 14, CiiAiiiNii ( TCP BK HA I) r)K All. HOnK9KI.I.I!BS. 1R40. I.IIMIDN : I'iIIiI.mI In Wll.l.IAM I't.uWKK ANIi 'I d ili THE FIRST 'J' H 10 R O Y A L K E G I M E N T DRAGOONS HEARS ON ITS (iUIDONS. REGIMKNTAL IIADGE, AN " EAGLE," Willi THE FOLLOWING HONOKAKY I NSCKIPTIONS- " PENINSULA'- " WATERLOO." ■■■J!*^ ii>ii li i; ( OXTENTS. IM\ \ troop i)t' IIoKsK riiiscd for service at Tanoikk, and ciiniijped as Crii v-sikrk . . 1 Proceeds to Africa . . .3 1663 N'kirmishcs with the Moors . 4 1664 Oapfures a splendid NJoorisli - nidard . . — 1664\ lo j- Skirmishes uitli tlif Mo. is . . . 5 167'»j 1680 Three additional trnops ot iurst' raised and si ut to Tangier . . . — A trenin'al enga2,enuiU with ih« Mi I's . 1 16-^3 Tlic Tangier Horse eonsliMitf' rlic lioYAi, IIegi- MKNT or DlUGOONS . . . 8 1684 EstablishmeiU . . . 9 Returns to England, and vq< I as dragoons . 11 Description of the standard:- ines of olHcers 12 Royal warraui respecting the ra •< of tiie regiment 13 1685 Battle of Sedgemoiir ... 15 1688 The Revolution . . . . 18 1689 Pniceeds to Scntlai)' . .21 F'loharks for Irelam; . . . 22 1()90 Si.^'C of Charlemont ... 23 Bi. tie of ilic Boyiic . . . 24 Embarks for England — Returns i> inland . — Skinnishcs with the Rap])arees . . .25 1691 Act Ills with the Irish . . 26 Sieu- of Limerick . . . .27 1692 Em! -irks for England ... 29 1694 Proe-eds to the Netherlands . . . — Skin ashes near the Mehaine . . 30 1695 Covv_ ')g the siege of Nainnr . . .31 1697 Uetui IS to Kngland . .32 1702 Proceeds to Holland . . . ,33 Covering the sieges of Vi-nlou, Rnremonde, Sic- veii>wai'rt, and Liege . . .34 w y VI CONTENTS A nil. I Vane 1703 Covoniig tliL' sicttc of Bitiui . .34 Skiriiiisli with ii French jiiqiui . . — Covering the sieges of Hiiy nncl Limhurg . . 35 I'rocceds from lloUanil to I'orHiunl — 1704 Services on th(> frontiers of Spain . 36 1705 Captnrc of Valencia de Alcanliua and Alhuqucrciuc 37 Barcelona . . . .38 Relief of St. Mattlico ... 40 1700 Services in Catalonia and Valencia , . — (hiring the siege of Barcelona by the French 43 Advances to Madrnl . . .44 Returns to Valencia ... 43 1707 Services after the l)attle of Alnian/.a . . 46 1709 Cai)tiirc of Balaguer anil .Ager . 47 1710 Battle of Almanara . . . .48 Skirmish at Penalvn . . .49 Batik' of Saragossa . . . . -- .\dvanccs to Madrid — Disaster at Bnhuega . 51 1712 Returns to Kngland .... .^.3 171.') Rebellion of the Farl of Mar - Allaii at I'reston 54 1719 I'rocecds to Scotland— Returns to Kngland . 5'i Uetaehment to Spain — Capture of Vign, &c. . — 17-0 Prices of ronunissions .... 57 173.') I'rocceds to Scotland . . 59 1737 Returns to England . . — 1712 Embarks for Flanders . . . (iO 1713 Battle of Dcttinuen . . . . fil 17-15 Foutenoy .... 63 Fwnbarks for Fnglaud . (54 1751 Dcacriptiou of the clothing and uiiidons . 65 n.'i.'j .\ light troop adil.'i! .... 67 l"").*^ K.\pcdition to St. Maliies and Clicrliourg 68 I7(i() FiUibarks for (iennanv . . Battle of Warboum . . fjy Ciiuipcn . . .70 I7()l Kiiih Denkern 72 -- Sknuiishes at F.inibeck ami Foorwohle . . 17()2 Battle of (iiothciistien . , 7,'j n'''3 Uelurns In F.nglimd . .74 - Tlie Iiglil troop dl^bi^hd(•d . 75 l'nii'eed> lo Scuiland . . , . — • m i! 4 M 35 36 37 38 40 ch 43 44 45 4G 47 48 49 51 r)3 54 5'; 57 51) ()() i\l (hi (14 (55 (\1 ()8 (t<) 70 72 73 74 75 CONTENTS. AiJiiii 17(54 Returns to Kiij^laud . 170(5 Dnminiers replaced by trumpeters 17(51) Proceeds to Scotland 1770 Returns to EnL,dand 1773 Proceeds to Scotland 1775 Returns to England 1781 Proceeds to Scotland 1784 Returns to England 1790 Proceeds to Scotland 1791 Returns to England 1 793 Embarks for the Ni'thcrlands Action at the Camp de Cjcsar 1794 Premont . Vdlera en Coucht' . • Battle of Catcau Tournay Retreats to Germany Returns to England Proceeds to Scotland Embarks for Ireland Portugal Skirmishes at Erexadas and Alverca . l?atlle of Husaco Skinnishes at Pondial and Quinta de Torre Pecoloi), Pondial, Rcdinha, Nova, Vol d'Aroncc, SernadiUa, and Alvi Rattle of Sabugal Skirmish near Fort Conception - Battle of Eiientes d'Onor Skirmish near liaOm del Puereo . dining the retreat to Nave d'Aver at Aldea de Ponte 1812 Covering the sieges of Civuiad Rodrigo ftnd SkirmishcH at liU-ra, Magiiilla, &c. Advances to Madrid — Retreats to I'ortugal — Skirmish ut Argiiilla !sl,» Battle of Vittoria . Blockade y . ni5 Ritliard Lord Colihani . 1721 Sir Charles Hothuni, Hart. . 172.3 lluniphny (Jore I 739 Charles l)uke of Marlborough 1740 Henry Hawley . 1759 Honourable Henry Seymour C<37 Sir Hussev Vivuin, liiirl. 117 122 123 124 1 26 127 128 129 130 131 133 f m Lisr (II PL.vrEs. The ieuin\i'nial uiiidnnc , — with liie Eaulc and Coliiur of the |05th Fiemh lnf.iiiir\ Ht ifuhtn!, rapiincd at Waterlim ; to fiilluw the tiMt jHiur The caittuic of a .Muoriwh Siumhud .il 'rnnifUM in 1664, Id lace patre 4. The umf.Hin uf |s30 i.i fact I l(i '«i,'» 109 no 111 112 ii;} 115 IP 117 122 123 124 126 127 128 129 130 131 133 ^ m [ 1 i H l-i I *^*%i iiJ IjikIi' iiti.l ( (.1.111 ..f'hn lii.iil, ||.;...m.'i,t III I'l.ii.'li liil.iMli\,i.,,|,ti,r.'.l 111 Wrilnlm. \<\ l)i,. |"irHl, ,.r li.'\.ll l'r:i,"."li>, IMli .liiiii., |x,.i. .;■« m a rlA '4 in STOI? ICAL n FA OH 1) m T TI E 1^ 1 R S T, r H I-: n o v a i, r r: r. i m f, n t D U A G C) () N S. l ..^■ Till", iiiiiircliy, (Icviistaticii, and liloodishod wliicli \C){\] had |in'vail('d in l>ritain diirinij; the rel)cllioii and tynuiiiical iisuij)a1i(m of Cioinwtdl, liaviuy; Ixmmi mu'ccimNmI l)y llic rcsloratioii ol monarchy, — the (h's|)oti(' sway of sectarians and rcpuhlicaus pnt \\n hy the cstahlishnicnl of a rci;'uhir iiO\('rn- nuMil on conslilulional princii)lcs, — and llic army oi'lhe commonwi'altli dishanik'cl, Kini;- Charles II. siirortcd his attention to domestic concerns, jind eni;aii;ed in a matrimonial alUance witli I)(tnna Catlierina. Infanta of Port\ijial ; and tliis event li'ave rise t(» the lormation \hicli was the niudens oj' the cctrps now heariiii;' the distinii,iiished tilh' of Tin.; Ho^AL Hr.l.lMINT OF DHAiiOONs. Hy the marriage treaty the ancient and once niau,'nifi<'cnt city of TANf.ii.H, in Africa, and the i^hind of IJondiay in the lOast Indi«'s, were ce(h'd l>y thi' kini^ of Portiiijal to tlie Uritish crown ; and. II r r ■ :i IIISTORII Al. l.'l.tOlU) ot l('i()l with a >uiH equal lo throe JiundnMl tliousiiiid |»o\m(ls, ('oii>titiite(l the Infanta's (Unvry. As tho possession (»( the important fortress of T.VNCiiKH, w itli it'^ harhoiir and local advantages, apjieared to ojkmi a new field lor comniereial pursuits, and was expected to he folloued hy the ae(juisition of extensive possessions in that part of tile world, four regiments of foot a!id a troop of horse were appointed to garrison that fortress, and the Kahl of rKTKKH()H()i'(i!i Was constituted captain general, <'liief governor, and \ice admiral of tiiat part of hi> Majesty's dominions. Thr("e ol the regiments of i"o(»t, <'onnnanded hy Sir Roherl HarhM , and ('(doncds Fitzu'erald and O'Faroll. \vt»rt' willwlrjiwii iVom iho uarrison of Dunkirk, and Wi'vo composed of men ^\ ho had fought in th(^ royal cause during the ci\il war, and afterwards in the \elhcrland>. 'i'he other regi- ment of fo'jt, (now the seciuid, or (r^uecn's royal,) and the troop of 11 dusk (now I\o\ al DuAiiooxs) were raised in Knglantl hy the Karl of l*eterho- rough in the autunn) (d' hit) I, and were inusterelds, Southwark, in Octoher.* The troop ol' lIowsK consisted of thn-c ollicers, »»ne (juailer-master, four corporals, one trumpeter, and one hundred private men; the ranks were completed with veterans (d' tiu' civil war, who were ;irmed with cuirasses, ir(»n head-pieces called potts, long swords, and a pair of large pistols, to which a sh(»rt caihine was afterwards added : they * HiM. IIiiil. No I. '.!)•.. —M.-rciirnis I'liMicus. Kiiiirdom's liiU'lhiiincir.— \Viir-OfIicf lli'corils— History ol Tangii'ir&c 7 ■I III' I'Hi: FlUST, OU IlOV.VL DKAGOONS. ■S ^4' ■!# f:':^- were mounted on loiig'-tiiilt'd liorses oi' superior \V(M4>lit and jtoncr. ^vore l»ii;li boots reacliin<;- to the middle of the tliiii'li. iiiid scarlet vests: the officers nore hiits (h'coraled witli a profusion of leathers; and hotli officers and men ornamented their horses' heads and tails with lari>e hunches of rihands. Tlu' officers of this troop were, — TiiK F/AiH, OF PETiiRnoKoiKiiH, Captain and Colonel. Honi UT liKbXH, Cai)tani-Lieutenant. Ja^iks 1M()1m>a(jnt, < ornet. The a])pearance and e(juipment ol the (tffieors and men were connnended in the rj)hemeral j)ub- lications of that j>eriod. They eniharhed in the middle of J)ec«Mnher, and in a letter to the Earl of Peterhorouii'h. datrd the '21 si of December, the Kin^ ohserved : ' I desire you to lett those honest ■ men knowe ^\•ho aic alouin \\\\\\ yo'i- v' they ' shall allwayes he in my particular care and ' protection as persons y' vits were jn'rlornied by the i^alhint English troopers, amuni;' the rocks, in the woods, and on tin; phuns oi' this part ol" AlVica, where l' ey iVe- (jnentlv snrprised lurkinii" parties of ]M<-H)rs, and cajttured catth- and other lutity The Alricans were, however, expert horsemen, and roni;'ht with lance, swoid, and short I'nsiis. IOC)! Jii Fcarlet standard, sta- tioned on an (Mninence near the <'ity, or«lered the troop of IIoHSK io sally and brini^ in the standard. Tiie connnand was instantly obeyed ; the brave troo])ers, led by ('aj»tain Witiiaim, issned from the city, traversed the interveninj;- space with .'*iii,nal intrepidity, routed the Moorish baid, and captnied the stanchird, \\i\\i which they re- tiirni'd in trinnij>h to the iortress, and erected it on the toj» ol one ol the touci's, to the surjtrise and chagrin of liu' Moorish (diicds, who, being posted at a di>tance with the main body of their ai'my, witne'<>ed this brilliant exploit. On the l^^th ol Marcdi the lMigli>h horsemen had a shai'p enconntcr with some of the enemy's best cavalry ; and on the •JTth, the Earl of 'I'cviot led them against a horde of .Moorish lancers and loot who wcic con«'i'idcd in ainbnsji, and the bar- barians were rontcd and pnrsiicd among the woods ,!'• liiJ': riir; fiust, ok i!(tVAi, n!i.\(i()()Ns. ;iiiIit<'r. Tho, Englisli Iiurseiiu'ii, lioni'vtM-, suli"i'r<;(l severely on tli(.' 4tli ol' May in the same year, when tlie governor, having been deceived by a false re})ort, advanced too Tar into the conntry, and was snr- prised by a nnnierous band (d' IMoors in ambush. A rearlnl shiughter toHowed, and the E.VHL oi' Ti;vi()T was munbered among the slain. FriHjni'jit encounters took jdace in the subse- (jueiit years bet^\•eell detacdied parties ot" British and Moors, and in this desultory warfare tlie rhigiish liorsenieu jireserved their high (diaracter. Hostihties were occasionally terminated, and re- newed after short intervals (d' ])eace ; and during the i)eri()d of seventeen years the garrison resisted, with lirniness and success, every attempt of the Moors agjiinst tin' city. In H)7U a uumerous army of iAIoors appeared b(d"ore Tangier, and destroyed two forts situate at a distance from the town. They afterwards \\ith- dr(!W, but re-ap]M'ared in the spring of 1()80, with augmented nundters, anert Moorish lancers, on lii;ht and swift horses, hovered round the fortri^ss and confined the Christians witliin narrow limils. King (diaries II. sent a battalion id foot guards and sixteen conipani('> (.f Dumbar- ton's (miw first royal) regiment, to reiidorce the tiurrison, and issueil commissions foi- raisin<'" a reyinicnt of Sj)anish cavalrv . in(Vl IH65 IGGC) 107'J 1G80 III ml 6 IIISTOHICAI, HKCOKl) OF '1 1680 TIi»' !iix troops of lMii;lis!i lidrse were riiised by Miijor-(ie!U'nil the Eaki-of (^ssoky, Licuteuant- C'oloiicl Siu ,I()ii\ Lamei?,* Captains H()15I':rt Pi LTi-AKY, .loHN ( o\ ,| (hiAHLKS Nkdhy, and Thomas Langston ::j; tlie three last-named offi- eers having been captains in the Duke of Mon- mouth's regiment of hoise, wliieh was disbanded <»nly a few months before, their trooj)S were speedily comjth'ted with discijdined men who liad served in tliat regiuuMit ; and the demand for eavalrv at Tangier beini"- uriient, thrv were fur- nish'^d witii horses and e(juipinent from the life gt!ii)t of the same month, and (»n the following day the Knglish c(nras>icrs had a sharp skirndsh with the IMoorish lancers, and had eiiiht men killed ami " Sii .Fuhn LaniiT w Msal'tii wauls coloiu'l of tlic (^ueeifs Ikiisi', now first (Irasjion iriianls JolinCoy was afferwan' colonel ot the sevintli lioise, now iifili c'.ragdon (juaids. ;t: TlioiiKis I,;in::sl.iti was eelLljiattHl fur •akiiii,' llio I'lincoss ,\mu' of Dinmaik's i (i^inuMit of lioisc over to (lie I'nnci' of Oiaiim- at the Revolution in Idss ; ho ^^as appointed colonel oi' that ret:iineiit on the list of Deceiiihei', KiSH, and ilieil in Ireland Ml M,"?!*; the !■ L'lnient WHS ilisbaiided in Ki'J.'. > Vide the Hisloiical Record nt the i.ifc (iiuirds. ?'' THK IIUST, oli l«»V l>|{.\(i« ss. by iiit- :ht 111(1 Oll- (led ere liui lor i'm- lili' part )(>|».S l""s m Iweiity wounded. Au ;itt. k was i <♦!(' on the l6!-^0 enemy's lines on the •24th oJ Septenihei , when the •governor, 8iR Palmes Faiwbukne, was nioi-tally wounded On the 27th of Septenilier, the i>-arrison, aniountintjj to about 4000 men, issued Irom the fortress and attacked the JMoorish army of about 15,000 men in its intrenched camj» with sii^nal ij^allantry. 8o eag-cM- were tlie troopers to engage their adversaries tliat a dispute occurred between the English and Spanish horse, eacli claiming the honour of charging first: tlie subject was referred to the lieut<'uant-governor, Colonel Sackville, who gjive the Spanianls the precedence on this occa- sion, because they fought as auxiliaries. The Moors, having a great superiority of numbers, stood their grouiul resolutely for some time ; and the thunder of cannon, the roll of musketry, the clash of arms, the loud shouts of the British, the cries t)f the iVfricans, produced an awful scene of carnage aiul confusion. The English horse stood in column of troops until the first intrench- menl v\as carried, and a sjtace levelled for the rivalry to j)ass, when they filed through the aper- ture and rushed at speed ujuin the dark masses of barliarians, w ho were broken, trampled down, and pursued with a ' the Moors by European renei;ades, havini;- ren- dered it necessary to employ a much stroiiiicr i;arrison at 'I'ani^ier than formerly, thesul)ject was I'lSo brought before parliament ; but the (piestion of a popish succcsso)- to the throne was agitating the jx'ople. and no i^rant was Noted. The hini^, beiui^' unwillini;' to bear the expense ol the fortilieations and troops without pecuniary aid from parliament, resohcd lo (!<'s1roy the works and mole, and to v\ itlidraw the garrison. At this period the attention ol' King- Charles 11. \vas directed to the improvement (»t his army ; and, resolving to retain the' Tangier IIoijsk in his sei'- vice, he commissioned Colonel John ('hiiuhim. (alteiwanls the iireat I)rKl>;()F M AKLlJoKoi (iH) to raise a 1roo|> oi dragoons ai St. Albans and its vicinity: and N'iscoi'NT ( Oijmuhv (.-on of the * Niinativf 'A' Mio urcil liiiiiiucnicnt ;it Tiuiuin' Hi'Miuu, by .fdiiu !lns>; I.muIdh (J.i/etUh, fccu, Sec. uiiirnr ■; m m rilK MUST, OK' WOYAI, DKAGOONS. 1) lOiiil of ("larriidoii) to raise aiiotlu'r troop ol dra- U')H'.l ii-oons at Ilrrtioid ; aiul His iMajosly t'oiistitutt'd tlit'sc Iwo troops, with the lour trcops ol Taiiyior horse, a roi^iauMit, to A\hii.'h he i;ave the distin- guished tith' of Tin: King's Own Royal KE(ii- MKNT OK l)i?A(i()ONs : the \\-or(ls " King's Own " Mei'e, howevei', diseoiitinued soon al'ter\vary the title of IJaron Churchill of Aynioulh ; and the lieuteuant-cidoiKdcy on \'is- loi NT CoUNiuUY, hy comiuission dated the lOth ol' XoNcmher, 10^3. The estah'ishnicul was fixed fy a \\arrant hear- IGs4 inij,' (hite the 1st of January, lOS 1, from which the folhnviui;- is an extract : — " CiiAUi.i.s K. " CuAin,! THE Second, hy the (irace of (lod, " Kini;()f iMiii;land, Scotland, France, and Ire- " land. Defender of the Faith, &c. " On; WILL AND I'LEAsuiJE IS, that this esta- " hlishiuent of our (ruards, ^'arrisons, and land " forces within o\ir Kinii,(loni of Kn^'land, J)o- " niinii»u of \\'ales, and Town of ]»er\\'ick u]>on " Tueed, and the Islands laereunlo hcdon^ino-, " and ot all other ollicers and charu'es therein " expressed, do cununence (Ui the I si day of Janu- •• ary. 1(W'^- I. m the Thirty-Fifth year of our ■' Keiiiii."" ,.,•.»' It ,'■ ' hi ',.■ 'it' •1*'' ;'l m m Mil m '■'- One 'if Ihi' n^Miin'uts of diiii,MHiu, raisul in \i\7H was styitd /'/.■ It':if,.' ,',', i^iii:. ,:i I.I Diu'j.' ■•hi . I'iil il •■,^a.■5 ili'ji' -inkd aMur (ho iM'ac" I'l Niiiu'LTiit'ii, IS f'i 1 , 10 HISTOHICM, KKCOHI) Ol' l()^l : I 1 , it HIS MAJESTY'S l)\VN ROYAL REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS. Pit Uioin. C'oUiiiul. (1* Co/une/. \\\\ and iij burses iij' Lieiiteiiant-rolouc'l, n,v Lteiit.-Coi'jiii:/. vij", anil ij hoist's ij^ Major, as Major v\ and j luirsu j^ .... Cliai'lainc t hiriUi^uon iv", and j lioisi' to carry liis chest, ij" Adjntaiit iv\ aud fur his horse j^ .... (Quarter-Master and M.irslial in luie |)'rsiin iv, his luirse j' (iunsnuth tv% and hiH servant >'* TllK Coi.dnki.'s TuO'U'. 'i'lie ( nliHiel. in i'liiiliiuie. viir. .mil iij lioises lij^ Lieiiti'iianl ii', and ij liiirses ip ('.(iriiett iij". anil ij )ii'|mm ij~ .... (Quarter-Master, lor himself and liorse Two Serjeant-, eueh j" vi''. and iy for liuries Three Corjiorals each j~, and iij" for horses Two I (rninniers eich j\ and ij" for horses Two Ilan1l,o\s each i", and ij' for hor.>es . , Fifty Sjhliers euvdi i" vi' for inuil ai^l liorsi; Five Troojis mure at the same rale . . . . , I'he .Major to h.iu: no Trooji, 1ml iiisle.id thereof \ the IM\ of .1 Captain \i', in lien of seivants iir ) Total Toi»i I'm .Anni m , III. 117 Ibi. Ul. (I t» tl :» 30 l> M 15 "J (i 1) I) 5 ,1. 17 11 li ;') 4 It ■1 4 li> II U II II II I) II II II II II (I (I II 8 TEli; riliST, OH HOYAL OH AtJOONS. 11 U I m Tlic lour troops at Tangier arrived in England l(')8l in Fehruary, i()H4 ; * and, liaving returned their aiinour into store, the whole M'ere e(|uij»])ed us dragoons with long muskets and bayonets. f The unilorni of tln^ regiment was scarlet lined Avitli blue. 'I'he men wore hats bound with silver lace, and ornamented with bhie ribands, having a metal headjdece lastened inside the crown : also high boots: their horse furniture was made oi' scarlet cloth trinnned with blue, with the King's ciplu-r cndjroidered in yellow characters on the housings and holster-caps. The drunnners and hautboys were chtthed in splendid liveries, which (according to the ^^'ar-C)liice Records) cost ujt- wardsol" !()/. |)er suit ; and each troop was fur- ^n rrr * CHAllI.ES R ' Oi'ii WILL ANi> I'l.K.vM'KE I.-?, tliiit Hs sooii as Ihf trOO[) ol' ' Ol M RoYAi, Uh, v\heit'i)l'C!i:iili's Nedl)y, ' Ks(i., is ( 'ii|!liiin, sluiU arnve tVoni our ijanison a! THti<;ier, you ' causo IIk' Mimt' loilhwitli to niaii-li 1o tlie to\Mi v( W'nw, in ()iir ' county of Ik'itfor t.whori' till') me tnifmaiu until fuvtlitiordi'is. ' Ami the olli vis of tlu' said troop aie to taku uaiv that tliii sol- 'du'is diilj- j)iiy tlu'ii intcnileil (luaitcis, ' Ciivi'ii at «)\ir Court at Wloidiall tliis 1st day of February, ' l(i»:i-4. ■ Hy His Miijes'ys commatul, ' Wll I.I \M Hl.AI IIW AVIK." A similar nuior "as jjivfii fur Captaui 'I'hoiuas I.angston s ti(i,i|i to <|u. liter at llodilt'sdon, r;i|iiain .loliii t'oy^ at llamp- stcad, aiui linitain .VK'xaiKUr Mackcii/if's (I lii' troop raised iii Ifiiil) .it Watford and Husln'v — llnr-Ojh'rr lici'u/dw t 'I'iii- tollo'.viii};; arms and ajipiuntini nts were issued from the Tower ot l^ondoii lor tlu' eiiiupnunt of tiie leniuient, vi/. — 318 Muskets and liayonets IJ Mallu'ids IJ I'arti/ans I 'J Drums :1H Car oiudi boxes rtiid belts lis Waist lielts and liayoiiet fiOi;s .l.'is Saddles iiiid In idles .l.'is Sets ot liolstertttps and liousiinns. - //»»r/. n list Iii 1 •) iiisTouuAK i{i;((»ii»> oi- U i |(')S1 nisl\o(l w illi aeriiusoM standard or ! Tin. ( 'oLoMii.s Tkoop, — the Kind's cijthcr and crown. Tin: LiEi TKNANT-C'()L().\i;j,"s'rix'()()p, — tlie rays (»l the sun, proper, crowni'd, issuinii out of a (doud, jtropcr : a badi;'*' used liy tlic IJIai'k l^riiu'c. Tm; FiHST Tnot)!', — the lop of a beacon crowned, or, with llanies ul" tire, j)r()j»er : a hadiic ot I lenry V. TnK Si:c()M> Thoop, — tw(t ostrich leatliers cniwned, ardent : a hadi;e ol' llem-y \'I. I'm: 'rmivD rKoop, — a rose; and jtonieijraiiate impah'd, leaves and stalk vert : a hadi;-e of Heiu'y Tin: Fonrrn Tijooi*. — apluvnix in tlanies, pro- per, a hadi;'!' ol" Qiiceii Kliy.aheth's.* The loliowiiiii' ollicers were at tliis |»eriod ii(dd- inu' connnissions ]n the re<;unent ;- Tuooi"^. Caimmns. I.IJ. IK.WNT- ( 'dhnkts. ('oli)Murs . [>oiil CiuiM'liill Thus. Hiissi v Win. Iliisscy Lk'iii.-Cij! '* Vise. Coinlniiy L'.i:uli's W.nii Purcy Koclu- l»tTnHii) . Ak'X. Mii'-kfiizii' H. \\ ymlliiuiil' .I'liiit'dlc J ml MA Itli Cluis. NiHil)y .Jo!'.!) Wiilimiis (ie. rjri' Ciiftoid •loliii Coy ('li.iilcs I,a i{uL' Win. St.imtur.l Thus. l/ini,'stoti K. Laiijsloii ;(: Thus. Puvmr'I Uni;li Sirlurlaiul . . . .Major Tlurnus < 'iiiwluy Ailjutaiit II. 'iiiy Hawker . . . (^iiiirior-Mastcr & Mu'^lial TlKolwlil rlinicliill . . rliai.Iam I'lM'^mu' Vi\M-l . . . ( li iui:;iMiii Tin: l^»^ \i. lh: * NiitlniM nnMiU's <'(iin|ilfif LiM, Militaij : I.onilini, IfiM. i llu','li \\ Miill am was .iltri\Naiil> culum I vi| \\\y srvt'iitli linrsf, niiw sixtli (Iraji'U)!! >.MiariN I Krain.-i> l/iimsli.M was attiiwaids I'dldiifl ul tliv ti'tli liu.si', ni'W iDiii'li iliayo'ii iniaiiN. i TIIK I'lH^T, Ol! I<<*^AI, DWAdDONs. insi ii ''■^■;t i tors in the lioroiii^li of Soutlnvark. On tlio 1st (A' OftolxT it wiis n'vicu'cil, with sovoral other ("orps, l)\ Kiiii;' Charles 1 1., acconipaiiied l>y the Queen, the Duke of York, and many (Hi^tiniiuislied ]UM'son- aj'es, on Putney Ileatli; and on tlie l-Slli of that month marched into quarters at Newliury, Ahiiii;- d(»n, and IIuni;eriord. Shortly aiterwards the •ollowiuy' order was issued ndative to the ret;i~ mini ■ inenl : — (iiAin.Ks K. • I iiAin.Ks li. ' For the j)i'eventiny; of all (lis|>ute> that mii;hl ' i'fise eoneernini;' the rank ol" Onu HoVAi. l»i;(;i- ' MKNT OF l)l{A(J()()Ns, or of any other retiiment ' of Draii'oons that shall l»e emj)loyed in Our ser- ' \ iee, Wv have tlion<;ht lit herehy to deeiare Our ' |>leasiMe, ' 'IMiat i)i i{ HovAL Hi:fJii\iENT of I)i?A(joo\s. " and all other rei;lments (d' Draii'oons whiidi may ' lie e:n|doyed in Our service, shall have nreee- ' deMc\ hoth as lIoKsi; ami Foor, as widl in yarri- ' son as in the titdd, and in all eouncds of \\iir and ' (tther military occasions; and the Colonels and ' Olliccrs of the said rei;imen1s of Dratjoons shall ' command as olliccrs ol Iloiseand Foot, accordini;' ' to llie nature of ihr place where the\ shall he: 'thai islosax, that in the I'^ield the said rcii'l- * nients shall take place as r<'Ljiments ol florse, ' and the olliccrs shall connnand and do ('uty as ' olliccrs ol Ilorsi'. according; to the dates of their .1 ?>■ ill! i 14 nisTouK \r, h'i:<()in) ok r , K'xSl ' <"oininissi(>ns ; and thai in y ilis iMajestys (^onnnand, ' SUNOKiU AM).' ir.s,") The dccca.-e ol" Kinii; (Jharles II. tooh j)lace on tiie ()tii of Fehruary, 1(J85 ; and on the eveniui;- of the same day, his successor (.James II.) com- iiunnled the HovAi. Dhacjoons t(» march inio quarters in ihe immeiliate vicinity of tiie metro- polis. Previous to the coronation tlu'V were fur- nished with ne\v standards, and the drunnn«'rs and liaulhovs M'ith new li\eries.* 'Ciu! ceremonial of their Mujeslies' coronal ion was conducted with e.\traorilinary maiiiiifi* i'!i''e : l»ut the ai;itated state of the I'nitcd Kinifdom i;ave early indication of a|i|»roachini; contests; and, towards the end atched to ("arli>le, and placed under the com- mand of the m'overnor. Sir ("hristopher .M nsiiriive, for the |Mirpo>c of assi>tinii' in the seizure of *di- ' v«'rs outlawed and seditious persons, who, lor the , avoidinyof .lu^tice, ha\e lied from Scotland into ' the couiity o| ( innlteriand and parts adjacent. "I 'i'liese troops arrived at ( 'arlish; on the lOth of May. and s«'veral person- w ere apprehended. In hi, Will nWu; K.ci.nN. Ibiil. li! i'l THK liHST, OK l«OVAL UKACiOONS. 15 I 111! middle of that month an insurrection, headed k'si: by the Eaul or Ahgyle, broke out in Scothmd ; iind in June, James ]3uke of Monmouth raised theslauihird of rebellion in the west of England and j)roclaimed himself king. The establishment (d" tin; lloYAL DraCiOONS was immediat(dy aug- mented to sixty men per troop : an independent troop of dragoons, raisr'd by Colonel Strotiikr in iOS^, was incor|K)rated in the regiment: and five troops of dragoons were raised in the vicinity of l^oiidon by HiciiAHD Leveson, John Williams, KnwAHi) Lea, Francis Kussel, anrigiidier-(Ten(.'ral Ijord ("hurchill against the relels in the west ; and on the 19th of .lime two other troops march- ed for the same destination under ihe orders of Iiieu1enant-(feneral the l<>!irl of Feversham, who was appointed to the chiei Connnand of the King's army. The royal forces having been united, the four troops ol' dragoons were placed under the or- ass, and to gain int«'lh- gence in the event (d the rebids niarcliing w«'st- ward, advanced w ilh the roval arm\ !<• ^^'e^lo^ in UISToKh'AI, l>M:(()Un OF ili II rt Ids.') (al)out tlin'c iiiiN'.s rnnii ]Ji-iarty ol life innards to j)atr(de in llic dirtH'tion of Bristol, and jtostcd a |>i(|nt't of fifty of the l^)Y.'»i Dhagoons with a, s(jiiad!-on of tlic hint's sn|)j>ortt'f I\I onmontu th in firehed out of J^ridu'ewater with the \ iew of siu*- triMn gtl le royal army ; hut llic pujnet m advanee ga\t' tin- alarm, and afttr exelianging a few shots with the rehels, retreated to the eanqi, and iormed (»n the right of the infantry ; at the same time the remainder (d" the l\()^AI, DiruaioNs, heint»rder : hut their in- fantry stood hrm and foiinht with gi-eal resolution. Day at jt-ngth in'gan tt» Itreak ; iind the King's liMil athaufin^ to iho ehir^f, whilst the 1^)^.\I, J)ir\«i(H(Ns and other cavalry attaidvcd the llanks of the rchtds and put them in di>iii-der, tlieii" whole line then ga\i' way and lied in confusion, and were I THK FIRST, Ol{ HOVAI. l>HA(i()()NS. piirsiu'd across the inoor iiiid adjoiniiii;' coni-lieMs •^'^^ Avith i;roat slaii^'litiM-. Two troop.s ot" the Royal J)|{A(iO()XS eoiitiiiued the pursuit as far as Jiridi^e- water, wliere th(!y were onh^red to halt l)y the Karl of Fevershani. In th(! nu'an time Cai)tain Russel's troop of tlie KoYAL nrshot ; the Royal Dragoons were sultse- (piently disj)erse(l in small jiarlies into the adjoin- ing- counties to seize suspected persons ; the Scots rei;inients returned 1o Ilounslow, and, after en- camjtiui;' a short time on the heath, re-embarked for Holland. One troop of the Royal Dragoons was ordered to ^^"inchester to escort the JJuUe of IMonmoutli and otiier j>risoners to London ; on its arrival tiiis troop was ipuirtered in the Rorou^h of Southwark, ai id it \>'as un der arms when the Duke was l»e- lieaded on 'l\)\\»'r Hill on the iOth of July. Two other troops were ordered to Salisbury to mount i^MUird over the prisoners there, and were subse- cpiently directed to attend Judge tieffvies during the trial and execution of the captured rebels; in which jtainlul service the troopers were sjiectators of luMuerous acts of barbarity jierpetratcd by the remorsch'ss Judge, who sacrificed ihe liv<'s of upwards of two hundred |)ersons in these "bloody assizes," as historians have denominated them. m 1* IS urSTOUU Al, HKCOIM) Oi . V I 1085 Alter \ho sui»pression of this iTucllioii the esta- hlislmuMit oltlie IJoyal Kkgimknt of Dragoons U'as reduced 1o eii;ht troops, of forty private men per trooj) ; and the superiuiinerary troops were enil)odied into a regiment of (h'agoons, wliieli was eonunanihid hy the Duke of Somerset, and is now the third light dragoons. On the 1st of A\igust Lord ChiuThill was ap- pointed colonel of the third troop uf life guards, and the coloutdey of the Uovai, Dhagoons was conferred on Lieutenant-('olonel \'iscount 'ornhury The U W(i troops Oi the regunent havmg returned from ('arlisle, the wlude were stationed in London in Octoher, and sid)se(pii'ntly marched into (luarters m Devonshu'i di IGSG Kinn- .1 uues II. beuiii K o'uan Catl lolic adoj)ted measiu'cs »'alcuhited to rlVect the suhver- sion (d" the Protestant chm-cii ; and, with the view of overawing his suhjects, he douhh-d tlie numhers of the regidar army, and had large hodies of trtiops encami»ed, from time to time, on Ilounslow Heath, where he freijuently att(MideiF,NT or ])iS nohlemen and gentlemen, resolving to j)reserve the nation from papal ilomination, solicited the Prince of Orange to come to England with a Dutch lorce to assist tliem in ojtposing the jtroceedings of the King, and the Prince [»rovided an armament for ir)87 that puri lose The c(»lonel cd" the 1{ovai, Dkagoons appear . f! ThK FIHST, DiJ HOYAL DRAGOONS. 19 to liiivo Ix'en a zealous Protest;' ut, and to have I6>^8 entered Avarnily into the measures taken to resist the proeeedino's of the Papists wl lo surrou nded the eourt. In Novend)er, 1088, when the Prinee of Orange had landed, Viscount Coknrury, havinji," niarehed witii his ren'inient to Salishury,* where tlie King's army was (U'dered to assend)le, and where the hlues and eighth horse had al- ready arrived, resolvtKi, in eonnexiou with J^ieut.- Colotxd Langston, of the eighth horse, and seve- ral oiVieers of the hlues, to endeavour to take these three regiments <»ver to tht* Prinee, in the foUowiiig manner : — On the night of the llth of Novend)er, diree- tions Avere given for tlie adjutants and cjuarter- masters to await the arrival of tlie post, as orders lo mareh wen; expeeted. At twelve o'cloek the post arrived, when Colonel Langston opened the hag before the olheers, and the orders, apparently iVom the Secretary-at-A\^ir, were produeed, and earried to Viscount ('oridjuiy, who gave direetions for tl le regnn«Mits to pro( eed, at live o'eloek, to- wards the enemv. 'J'he regiments were aeeord- ni<2iv on tl le mareu he! ore (I ay light on th I2th ; continuing their progress throughout that day and the following night (excepting ji few 1 h len and horses short halts to refresii the n on the afternoon of the 13th, they arrived tit Axminster, within six miles of the Prince of Oranges (juarters, where they were joined by the ll]arl of i\hinii(h)n. Sir Walter ('lerues, and ahout * \V;ic OfliL'c Ri'(!(>i(!s. •'• Mtmoiics do ni'iwick. ■si-'ii l|i' 4-a rJO IllsTOHU.Vl, lU'.coKI) ol {•1 1- 1()88 tliirtv oilier i^iMillciiicn, who pn'tcnded to be volun- teers. It Ava!> MOW ass<'rtpri/,ed ol" their a])proach by Jjord (^'ornbury, sent a large body ol" eavalry to meet them. The greater ]>art ol" the men, liowever, resolved not to join the Prince of Orange, and, when they observed ^vhat \\'as taking place, they gallojK'd back. Major UoHKirr Cliffoko, of th«' HoYAL J)H.\(jiOONS, mandied back that regi- ment, \\ ith the exception of a iew othcers and about fifty dragoons, who accomjtanied V^iscount ('ornltury. The blues also returnt'd, excepting about twenty-seven, lint tlie J)uke of St. Al- ban's regiment (eiglith horse) having nuistered at a distance, the uumi, ignorant of the transaction, i"ollowed C'Olonel Langston to Ibtuiton, where they ^vere received as friends by the Dutch gene- ral.* IMany of the men, however, returned to the King's service; aiid the Duke of Berwick, having: cer, and his Majesty rewarded the loy- alty of Major Cliilnrd |ty promoting liim to the eoloiielcy of the Hovai. Di{A(i()»»NS. The King, however, soon discovered that the defection auiong * I.iiigard's History oT Eni,'lancl. rm: fjhst, oh royal i)i?.\(iooNs. 21 the officers was genenil, and that the soldiers, al- \c tliough they were nductaut to desert his service, were not disj)Osed to lii;iit in the cause of Papacy. The suj)erior ollicers of the army, with the noltility and gentry, continued to flock to the Prince's standard, and Kiui;' James, alarmed for his per- sonal safety, returned in haste to London; at the 88 am ti the Royal Di ^hed int( lGOONs n i^arrison at Portsmouth. The Prince ot liranue advanced to the capital without exjteriencing se- rious o})position ; Kini;- James fled to France ; and the Prince, haviui;' assunidl the reins of i:;o- vernment, restored Viscount Cornhiu'y to the colonelcy of the Hoy'al Dragoons^ and ordered them t() occupy <|uarters at Farnham and Alton.* After the flight of the King to France, the 1()H<) crown was conferred on AA'^illiam and JMary, Prince and Princess of Orange. Their JMajesties' accession, however, met with opposition ; and Vis- count Di'NDEE having induced several of the Hiirhland clans to take arms in favour of Kin<; James, the Royal Dragoons were innnediately ordered to the north. ( At the same time, the Earl of Clarendon refusing to act with the new government, his son. Viscount Cornhury, ^^•as superseded in the connnand of the reginu'ut by the lieutenant -<'o!onel, Anthony Hayford, whose conmiission as colonel was dated the 1st of July, l()89. On the 27th of July, six battalions of infantry * Lomlon Gazftte ; War OfKce Keconls ; Life ol' Kinu' James n, &c. •■ War Officr Route 15. ok. ill ')■> lIlsroUK Al. HKlOlil) Ol' •}'• I' UiSU -111(1 two ncwly-ruiscd tr(U)j>s ot" Scots horse, coiii- iiiuiided by Lieut. -(iencral IMiickay, were (U'lcjiltMl at KillicnDilxie by the liit;lilan(lcrs and a lew Irish, under \'iseouut J)niulee and Urii^adier-Cie- ueral Camion. Iminediatelv alter 1 lie action, the HoY.VL Dhagoons were directed to march to the assistance ot Jiient.- General Mackay, and they ar- rived at Perth in tlu; early j»art of Auii'ust. Tiie object of tlie Coiiiniuiider-in-Cliiet" beiiii;' the pre- vention of the descent ol' tlie niountaineers into the lowlands, the regiment was jiosted a siiort time at Forfar, under the cominand ol" i\Iajor-(ieneral JSir John Lanier, and subse(juently ]»roceeded by forced marches to Aberdeen. The Highlanders eventu- ally retired over the mountains by paths inacces- sible to cavalry, and separated to tlu'ir homes. In the mean time, the lord-lieutenant of Ireland (Earl Tyrconnel) had retained the ij;reater part of that kingdom in the interest (»f King .Tamc^:. King William sent an armv to that countrv under the veteran Duke Scliomberg ; and, immediately afti-*- the dispersion of the rebel Highlanders, the H^^ vl Dragoons were ordered to |»rocec(l to Irelaud. They embarked for tliis service in the early jiart of October, landed at Carlingford on tJK' 9tli of that month,* and were ordered to take post ut Armagh and Clownish, i'roni whence they wen; removed to the isle of JMairhee. l()<»ri Several sk!niii>lies occurred during the winter; and in tlu' sjuiiig of l()'.)l)tlie Uoyai, IM{A(iooN.s V re before C/KO'/ciiiouf, w liieii jdace was block- ^1 f.^ndiiii (iazcHc. i i ^■h THK FIHST, OR HOYAL DHAfiOONS. 23 jided l)y tin? Ivini>''s Ibrces. Charlnnonf was de- jj'iulcd hy a giirrisoii of 500 men, comniaiuled liy Sir Tojii!;iie 0"Uei;un, a luiinorist, who returia^d tlu' rollo\viiig laconic answer to the suninions to surrender: — "Tell tlie General, from Teague ()' Regan, that he's an old knave ; and, by St. Patrick, he shall not have the town at all." He, Iiowever, surrendered on the 14th of May, and a detachment of the Royal Dragoons escorted the garrison towards Arma OK \(\\)() The Frciu'h and Irisli, rominaiKlod by Kin*,' James, tooU jxtst on tlu' banks of llic Jiof/nr, to III (lisj>uto the j)assai;i' of thai river. Kiii^' ^^'illia inarched to the opjxtsite bank on tlie 30th ol" Jniie, and, on the luornini;' ol' the 1st of July, the army tonh^d the river and (h'ove the enemy from his j»o>ition with i^reat shini;hter. The Royal Dha- •int: Gooxs and other Jiritish troops eiii;at!;e(l in ton the jiassayt' of the lioipic are reported to have " acquitted themselves well." Kin*;' James tied from the lield anrc»iian t lOG pri\ate troopers into the lield. On the 'ilst (d' .Inly Major-Cieneral Kirke pr(>- ceeded witli the HoYAi, DiJAfiooNS and Queen J)owai>er"s and ( olontd ('ambron's regiments of foot to Wateriord, and summoned the j)lace, and on the "ioth the i^overnor »'aj»itnlated. At the moment wlien success attended tin; o|u'- rations of the army in Ircdand, the Kiijjlish and Dutch llrets, commanded by Lord Torriniiton and Admiral Kxcrtseii, were defeated by the I'^rench fleet under the Count de Tourville, and the enemy afterwards menaced tlie descent of a formidable orce on the Hrit isii coas t. Kinu" \\'iHiain com- manded a troop of life guards, with Count Sciiomberi;'s horse (now seventh dray;oon guards), the IJoVAi. DnViiooNs, and Tridawny's and Hastings" (fourth and thirteentli) f«)ot t(» be immediatelv embarked lor Kiiirlaiid. 'The Km^ \i, hi; \«aio\> lauded at Hiuddake, in . t f ; THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 9 •^a Cliesliiiv, in the early part of August. The alarm KV.IO of invasion, however, soon suhsided ; and they wereordered to return to Ireland, in which country they again landed on tlie •JOih of Octol)er, and jn-oceeded into extended ciintonnients in the county of Cork, Many thousands of the Roman Catholic peasantry of Ireland were, at this period, in arms in behalf of King James : they were called rap- piircos, and being formed into hands they made iV('(juent incursions into the cautonnu-nts of the Knglish regiments. Several men of the Royal DuAfiOONS \V(»re nnirilered in their (piarters hy these rappayccs ; and detachments of the regiment were fieouentlv sent out 1o scour the country and chase these bauds of marauders from the English cuntonnuMits. Towards the end of December a detachment of the lioYAL J)nAr.o()NS proceeded, with sonn; other trooj)s, on an expedition commanded by Major- (ieneral 'I'atiea, and on the 1st of Jamiary, lODl, lO'.ll attacked an Irish fort near Svriuic/nird, which nas taken in two hours, although the enemy had em- jdoyed live hundred men during two months to buiin , i- i -I r-k •2() mSTOHlCAL HECOKl) OF i(V.)l jHMieti-ated tluil ]>iii-t ol" tlic t'ountry iVoin ulience the eiUMiiy rcrcucd their Mi|»i>lies, (leleated tlie Irish troops, and cajitured several (h'oves oi' eatth\ At leuijjth (leneral 8l. Kutli, who eoininanded the Frenoli and Irish forces, (h-taehed two thousand liorse and foot to eover lliis part of the eountry. IMajor Culliford, hi>ut'ver, eontinued to make inroa ' Hoyal Dra- goons, however, attacked tlu' in with t;reat hraverv, and havinj;' sahrcd liltccn, the remainder ded in disorder, lrparily of nmnhrrs, the HoYAi, Dha- (iooNs l»(d(lly conlVttuted their opponents, and made a gallant resistance, hut were eventually o\er- [)o\vered ; and forty men havin<^ lallen, Major Cul- liford made miod his retreat witii the remainder. In retiring, the ilragoons, — chafed in spirit and liurniui; with revetiire, — otteii turn*'*! riMuid upon their pursuer^; and at length Captain Honer and ♦ wentv men iinldh lacrd ahoiii and killed ahnul k Till: FIHST, (»U WOYAL I)HA(i(K)NS. •^< '^ twtMity ol' tlic Irish liorseineii, whose eagerness in I GUI ilie ehuso liad caused tliein to advance in front of their main body. In the nieantime the eleven dragoons and twenty-four of the militia, with the captured cattle and stores, arrived at Dfu/naui^/t, wliere they were attacked l)y a detachment of the enemy, hut defended themselves with success until relieved by a body of trooj)s under Colonels ! fastings and Oglehy. At the time the Uoyal Dragoons were making these dix'crsions, the main army, commaixh'd by Lieutenant-(ieneral De (iinkell, gained a deci- sive victory over the French and Irish at Aghrim ; and on the 1st of August th" regiment joined the arin\ at IJanagher-bridg*-. The eneiry collected the remains of their defeated reginu'DtsatZ/im^'m-/*; and towards the I'lul of ^Vugust Lieutenant-(ie- neral De (Jinktdl i»esieged that city, commenc- ing his work on the right Itank of the Shannon ; the Irish army lay encamped at the same time on the opposite side (d'the river. A pontoon bridge having bi'en prepared, several r( uimcnts wei'c ordered to cross the river at di '\ break of tlie lOth of September. The KoYAl, Dle- neral ("liliord, who commaiwbxl four regiments o! King .James's dragoons, being taken by sur- prise, made litth* ojtposition : some infantry, hou - ever, attempted to make a stand; but a sipia- dron of lb;- RoVAl, Dhacjoons dashed forward ' CiiIdiuI l'litr, where a curious spectacle j»resented ilsell"; — many oi'the Irish were running about in their shirts, some wer(! pulling down tents, others driving away cat- tle, many were making their esi'ape into the toun, and others hurrying towards the mountains ; a regiment of dragoons, whose horses were two miles distanc*' nt grass, dispersed in ciuifusion : !it the same time a party ol" horse lun-kled on their arms and nuide a show oi' lighting ; but they lied on the advance ol the Knu'lish, who look |>osses- si(ui of the camp, where they found a (puintity (d' beef, brandy, and corn, with the saddles and appointments of three himdred dragoons. The iio^Ai, I)i{.\(i()()\s were conmicnded by Lieut. - (ienend I)e (liidudl lor their gallant conduct, and they returned to the other side of the river on the same day.* On the 'i'ind (»f September the regiment, uitli several other corps, crossed the Shannon into the county of (,'lare ; when the advance-guard, whicdi consisted of eighteen men of the liov \i, DirvriooNs, was attacked by a squadron of the Irish cavalry: this small jtarty sustained the fnst onset with admirable fu'iimess, but were lorccd to retire; part S'oiy.-I.onilnii (iii;.ctU>, kv. Sic, THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 29 m (tf tlu' rcijjiiiient, however, soon advanced to their 1(591 assistance, wlien the enemy was defeated and •hased unuer th e ranire o r ti leu' l)att eries. and tlu'ee small ])ieces ot" brasts ordnance were cap- tured. Orders were then given lor the infantry to attack the works which covered Thouniond hridg«;. These works were carried after a sharp struggle ; wiien the tnx>ps which had defended them eudeavoin-ed to enter the town ; hut tI':C (lraA\l)ridgc had been raised, and they \vere left to the mercy of tin; English, who slaughtered such mnnhers, that the dead bodies lay in heaj)s on the bridge higher than the paraj>et walls. Five co- lours wer«' taken on ibis occasion, and so many men slain, drowned, and taken ]»risoners, that the enemy surrendered tht^ place in a few days afterwards. The con«[\iest of Ireland having been efieeted, IG<)2 th«' HovAL l)UA(i(K)NS returned to Engl.ind, where they arrived in Jamiary, 1092, and mandied into dispersed cantonments in Leicestershire ; and during a part of the summer a detachment was stationed in garrison at Portsmouth. The regi- ment was subse((ueiitly stationed, on revenue dulv, in the maritime town.-i on the southern coast of tli«» kingdom; and in the autumn of h)93 it had the 1(393 honour of furnishing a relay of escoi-ts to atteml King William from Margate to London, when I lis Maiesty returned fn>m Holland. The war with Fm icc, which was connnenced in lli\)l I (1^9, had been continued with varied success; and in the sjuing of l(')9l the I{o"\.M, I)r\(jooxs were ordered t(» ju'oceed on foreign service, 'i'liey left Kngland in .May ; Joined the army encani|u'd near W f p.t 1 .1 •30 mSTOKKAI, UKCOKl) OF 1691 Tirleniont in Soutli Braliiinl, on the 21st of Juno, and were reviewed hv Kiiii>' \\'^iHiani on the follow- inijj day. On arrivini^ at this rami) they were ordered to take post in front of the village of Cani- tieh, and this (juarter heini;' nineh ex]>osed to attacks from the enemy, they were reinforced I y two reijiments im Dnieh infantry. The army marelied from Tirlemont on tiic l-Sth of .Inly, and eneaiujted at Mont St. Andre and llamiiies, nliere the regiment was formed in brigade Avith the royal Scots and Fairfax's (now second and third) dra- ifoons, under the conunand of liria'adier-General INIatth d ti lews, and this l)riga(le \\as encamped on tne th \oi\ of the liiK T le r rencli army encamped near Iluy, with their hd't upon the Mehaine. On tlie ITthof .Inly a foraging party of the allies crossed th le river, and, meeting with several rrench s(pia- r)Ns were stationed at ^^''acken — a post situate at the junction of the Alainhd and the Scheldt : and in October they marched into can- lonments in tlie villages hetween ( Ihent and Sans- \an-(ihent.* ' n'Aiivi'tiriU's Hist(ii\ of the I 'anipaif.'ns in Fliiulcis. THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 31 In the spring of 1695 the Royal Dragoons 1695 niarehod to Dixnnide, forming piirt of a division of the Jirniy commanded by Major-General Ellen- herg, and were brigaikid with Lloyd's (now third) dragoons and a regiment of Danish cavah-y. On llie 7tii of June the Duke of ^^'^irtenll^eri>• took fonnnand of this division, and attacked the French forts jit Kenoquc as a di\'ersion to conceal King A\'^illiain's design upon the strong and ahnost impregnahh? fortress of Namur, which he com- manded to he invested shortly afterwards. Tiie Royal Dragoons joined the covering army to- wards the end of June ; h\\{ were detached to Rriiges in July : they were suhsecpiently recalled from thenc(> and joined the camj> between (icnappe and ^VJller]oo, from wlience they proceeded to thc^ vicinity of Naniur, to protect the trooj^s employed in tlie siege from a threatened attack of the French army. After the surrender of the important for- tress of Ntimnr, the n^giment marched into can- tonments behind (ih.ent. The French menaced an attack ujton the quar- l^-^''> ters of the allied army in Flanders in the spring of ItVJO, when the Royal Dragoons were suddenly called from their cantonments to encanij) on the haidvs of the canal between Ghent and Rruges, where they were reviewed by King \\'illiain on ti»» 29th of May. They served the campaign of this year with the army of Flanders, connnanded by the Prince ofA'^aiulemont, and \vere brigaded with the royal Scots and royal Irish (second and fdtli) dragoons, connnanded by Rrigadier-( n'ueral iMat- thews. The object of this arniy was the protec- I'" Mi t ■f ( Elf Ir ; jl . ( ■. i: * , 32 nisTi)Hi('\i, inaoini of 1696 tion of GluMit, Briii^^es, and tlif iiuiritinie towns of FlandiMs : no gonoral action occnrrcd ; ])ut a parly of the KoYAL DUAGOONS, with a (h'tachnicnt of Lani^ston's liorst; (no\\' fourth (h'agoon guards), surprised one t)f the French out-guards on the night of the '20th of Septendier and took tliirty ])risoners. Tliis a]»j)ears 1o Ite the only action in Avhich the regiment took jtart (hu'ing the campaign of this year; and on the Gth aign of 1097 the regiment served under Kiiii; \A'illiam in the armv oj' ]{ra- bant, and was hrigaded w illi the royal Scots and Kj»pinger's dragoons. On the 2^^th of May Brigadier-General Mat- tiiews died ; and on the -"^Oth llis Majesty conferred the cohuielcy (»f the Koval ])iy I'll- itly 'P- lic )in ill he lit, men, was reduced to six tro()j)s of two hundred and 1098 ninety-lour officers and men. I)iirin«^ the two succeeding years the Royal 1699 J)ha«oons oc('Uj)ied (juarters in Lancashire and Leicestersliire. In June, 1700, they assemliled on 1700 Hounshm' Heath and were reviewed by King^^'^il- liain III., who was pleased to exjiress his royal apjn-obation of their a])pearance and discipline. I^eaving the south of England in July, tliey jn'o- ceeded into quarters in Yorkshire and Cumberland, with one troop stationed in garrison at Carlisle and ant»tlier at Hull. In 1701 the Royal Dragoons were stationed ITOl in ^'orkshire, with three troops in garrison at Hull ; at this period the ainl)itious Louis XIV. of France violated the treaties he had entered into, and procured the accession of his grandson, I'hilip, Duke of Anjou, to the throne of Sj)ain. ^Vnv ^vas resolved upon, and the establishment of the regiment was augmentt'd to eight trooj)s amounting to five hundred and thirty-two officers and men ; and it embarked for Holland in the beginning of March, 1 70'2. liefore the trans- 1702 ports sailed, the death y a (lar!n<( advance the Jiritisli m inder disconcertr'd the designs of his op com- ponents. who retired without venturinii' an en<;ape : and a trcMly of w .1 1 J i? n •) V: .. \' i< ' I- u t :W) HISTOHIC AI, HECOHl) OF 170:5 jiHiaiico liiivin;;' IxH'ii ronrludcd witli llic Kiiicj ot lN)i'lUi;;il, the IxoYAi- Dn.Viiooxs nerc selected to iu'e(>ni|)!iiiy the Areliduke to liishoii, and to take j)iiit ill the attempt to jdaee him on the throne of ISpain hy loree of arms. 'J'he I'ortuii'iiese monarch haviiiii' eniraijed to |)rovi(h' horses lur the lCnt;lish cavidry, the HoYAL 1)|{ \(iOONs transferred their horses to the Uritish res;'iments in Ilolhmd. and endiarked, dismounted, in Octoher ; hut were so loni; (h'tained hy contrary winds and severe weather, that they did not arrive irOJ at llie c;']>itid of Portnoal hefore Marcli, 1701, when they hmch-d with the remaimh'r of the IJritish and J)utch forces coniman(h'd hy J)iiKE S( noMiMiiUi. In consecjuence of tlie horses pnxhiced hy the l*ortUi;iiese authorities heinti" of so inferior a de- scrij»tion that tijc Kn^lisli olVicers rejected the t>,reater |>art of them, only twenty men per trcmp of tlic HovAi- Dkagoons were mounted ; the dis- mounted nu'n proceech'd to Al>rantes to await the arrival of horses, and the mounted men advanced to the frontiers of PortUi;al, and encamped on a pleasant plain near Kst remos. Tard mess aiK inahility were, however, manifested hy the Portu- iL;uese authorities to such an extent, that the J)rKK or lii.HWH'K, havini;' arrixcd from France with eighteen hattaliotis of infantry and nineteen scjua- drons of cavalry, and taken the command of the French ajid Spanish forces, attacked the frontiers of Portiijj;al lu'loic the allies were prepared to take the lield. The court of Lisbon was alarmed, the ])rovinces were in <'oiisternation ; the DiJKK 1; ;. t'H M THK FIRST, OK WOVAl, HHArJOONS. ;:I7 S("HOMi?KH(; solicited to be recalled, and the 1704 Eahl of Galway was sent with reiiiforeeiiieiits to Portuj^al, and ap|)ointed to the eomnumd of the JJiitisli t'orees in that country. One hundred and twenty uien of the Royal Dragoons lonned part of a body of cavalry, which crossed the frontiers and made a successful incur- sion into the Spanish territory. Extraordinary measures were adoj)ted to proc ure horses, and at the close of the sunnnei' the re^inuMit had upwards of three hundred mounted men in the fiehl. In tlh' autun ii the army was enabled to act on the oiiensivi' 'Uid the Royal Dh'VfiooNS were iimoui;' tlie forces which fienetrated Spiiin; but on arri\int;- it iie Adcinity oi Ciudad Rodrii^o, the enemy was lound so advantageously posted (ui the oj»j)osite side of the Ai;iieda, that the Portuguese generals would not venture the passap; of the ri\'er ; and, after reconnoitriui;' the hostile army se\eral tinu'S, the allii's returned to Portugal, and the Royal J)RA(iooNS went into viliap- cantonments in the Alentejo.* During- the wiuter and the spring' of 1705 the 1705 regiment procured an additional supply ol horses, aud when it again took the held it was much better mounted than in the preceding yeiir. It lOllKU 1 tl le army m uril aiK 1, ad vancinu" uito Spanish Estremadurii, h>rmed pari of the force which invested Valmv'ni tic .llcaiildra, M'hich fortress was cajttured in the early part ol' May. * London CTiizetlos : Present State of luirnpe ; Mcnioires de Reivviek : Ainials ol' Queen Anne; and Otiicliil Records in the Wcu Office. iiti i If if ; J ■ ' i 3^ iiisToini Ai, i{i;(<»iu) (»K % I ; ! ; '(I ) f 1, .'■^ :*' I;' 1705 Alln(ii>(t'niHf\\w> siil)st'(|U(>ntly l»esi(>n(;(l uiid taken: iuid tlio capture ol" Jiadajoz was eoiitenn>lato(l, but that undertaUiiii;' was ahaiidoued until the sum- mer's heat was ahaleil. In the uu'au time au e.\|»fditii»u had been litted out in England, and a hind foirt;, eomuiau(U'd l)y liieut.-Cu'ueral tlie Karl of I'eterhorough, euj- liarked lor the jmrpose of rurtlierini;- the de^ii>-iis of the house ot" Austria. The fleet arrived at Lisbon in June, and, Kiiij;' Charles rest)lviu«i; to accompany the ('\|M'dition, the Koval and Cun- nini^ham's (now eighth) dragoons, and lour regi- ments ol looi, were embarked to streni:;then the land force. 'i'he fleet j»ut to sea, and. alter several consultations anioni;' the i;'entMal and naval ollicers, an atta(d< on Jhtrrr/niid was res(dved ujtoJi. Tile fleet arri\'ed before that fortress on the 22i\(\ «d" August (X..*^.), and on the 'ilth tiie ixovAl, DwAd'OONS landed neai' a river called I>iis>o/, on the cast side of the «'ity, and encam|>e(l about a mile from the ualls, in a jdace widl lortified by nature, where the army u as joined b\ numvof the country people, who were formed into bands, and acted as a ii;uerilla force: " they were" (as Jiishoj> IJui'iiet (ibs«'rves) " i^ood at plmideriui;', but could ■' not submit to rciiular discipline, nor \\'ere they " w illnii; to expose themselves to dangerous ser- " vices." The siei',t ol lifii'cr/otHi was considered a ro- mantic enter|)rise, and it excited a lively interest ill e\ery nation in Christendom. The nai'rison eipialled in stifii^th the besic;;in<; army within about two tiiou>,iiid nini, ,ind, accordinu' to the n THE FlUST, OH ROYAL IMlAfiOONS. 30 ordinary rules and cliaiices of war, success ap- [705 peared inij>ossil)le. The sie<;e was, however, coniinenced, and on the 1 1th ol" September an attack w."s made on tlie strong fortress of Mont- Jiiic/i, situate on an eminence overlookiui;- the town, on which occasion a detachment of the Royal Dragoons was posted i>etween this de- tached i'ortress and the city to ])revent a sally (ti" the Spanish cavalry. The «;arrison of Fort Montjuich held out three days, and then surren- dered. Duriiii^' the remainder of the siei;e tla* l{oYAL J)rA(;oons were almost <'onstantly on duty, the Itesieufiuii' army not hiiviuii" a sulhcient number of nuMi to form two rebels of the ordi- nary i;uards in the trenches and on the batteries: the siege was, however, persisted in, and the governor capitidated on the *.)th of October. ^Fhe garrison was prcjiaring to nuirch out on the 1 1th, \\hen nundx'rs of the guerillas and arnu'd pea- santry, having entered by the lu'cach in hoj>es of obtaining pbmder, united with tlu' iidiabitants of the town, and attacked the houses of tin' I'rench and other jx'rsons known to be in the interest of the Duke of Anjou ; they also threatened to nuis- sacre the governor and garrison : but the Karl of Peterborough marched into the town at the head of a trocp ortlie lioY.M. DRA(a)ONsand a detachment of grenadiers, and restored order and trunquillity. On this occasiiui his lordshijt narrowly escaped falling a sacrifice to his humanity. A Spaniard having bred at the Duke of Popoli, the ball passed through till' Karl of Pfterl»(U'ougirs periw ig. 'I'he valour and peiseverun«'e of tin- Hiitish and Dutch ■ II Iw 40 IIISTOUUAI, I{K(()l!l) OF '*' r 1705 having uchievt'd tlic i'oiKjiu'st ol" liiirceloiia, at Avliioh (as Dr. Fiviiid ohsi'ivcs) " all Europe " wuiidort'd," nearly every town in Catalonia de- clared t(»r Kin^• Charles IJI., and the Royal Dhauoons were placed in i;arrison at Tortosa, excepting a detaclnneut which renniined at Bar- celona. Shortly aiterwards \'alencia aniards, connnanded by a stout- hearted Welshman, named Jonks, who made a resolute defence. The Karl of Pelerhorough ad- vanced with two hundred of the Koyai. DnAciooNs and a thousand JJritish foot to relieve the jdace. 'I'his force was not more than one-fifth ol' the nundiers of the besieging army : hut, hy night marches among the woods and mountains, and hy circulating I'alse reports, the JJritish sui'cceded in surprising their opjM»iients ; and the Spanisli com- mander, not knowiug the nundiers of his enemy, and heinu' deceived hy spies, made a |>recij»itate retreat, and his rear-guard was jtursued hy the Royal Duaooons over the mountains to Alho- cazar. The TreiKdi ant! Spanisli army continued to retire, and was pursued hy the Karl of Peter- liorough with ii force s<» nuich inferior in iiuni- hers, ihct the record of these events a|»pears al- most incredihie, jind exhihitj the native valour, • " Notwitlislandiii^ Kin^ iJharlcs Ims rccciviil no roinforci'- TMK FIHST, OR IJOYAL l)I?.\(il()()NS. H III >V ;t' 1- le ht i.y ill te o- sjtirit of «'iit(M'])ris<% inid toniority of tlio J^i-itish 17(0 coniiniiiHlt'r, witli the pusillaiiiinity hikI ci'cdulity of the Sjiiuiianls, in ji stroiiij light. Four troops of thelioYAL Dragoons formed part of that small l)0(l\' of men uitli wliieh the Eail of Peteiboro'.iu'Ii jiursned a nume rous ariiiy. The services in wiiicli they were enj4a<;ed partook of the nature of a giu!- rilla warfare, iind jiut to a severe test the disei- pline, bravery, and intelligence of the men. JJeing divided into small parlies, and united witli bands of armed peasantry, they were eoiitinually jier- lorming night marches among the Avoods and nuMintaiiis, and, hovering about the rear and flanks of tlie S|>anisli army, keejiing it in a state of alarm, which services were performed in concert itl M III! spies iiid althou"h, under these cir cum- stances, it imut ha\e been dilUciilt to prt;serve subordination and discipline, yet the lloYAi, D\i\- (iOONS performed these duties to the siitisfaction o f th CO mm;iuder-iii-chief. On one occasion llie Spaniards employed by my lord P UjiIjo- roiigh informed the ( 'onde de las Torre> of a coiisiderabie force that was upon his left, some- what before bun, and certiiinly designei\)iit;li, liiivi' lu'cii soactivo. that llu'ir i)ii)i;r('ss looks Hltt'uctlur idniantic, tiiul will liiinllv be lie- lii'veil l)y postcrit y. Tlu'V' havi' nnf only main'iiinid their con- ([iics' ol' till' wh'ie iinneipalily of Caialoiiii I, hnt thoy iiave UuiiiihI the kiiimloin ol' N'lilencia. ami earned their arms us far as A leant ; ill tne same time tliev hhieUaile ,1 !{« tl 1011,: II the Irtu plHces weie above four luiiiuiel iinles oie from the other."- /'/vwv;/ Sfnf^ of l\iir'i/i(>, .lanmirv, irini. l-i HISTOHICAL KF.COKI) OF H; .J ^ r- 1 700 " \^il»'in'ia, ami tliul tlicn; were Ki]i>-lisli troops " among lliem. This the Spaiiisli i^ciit'ral ihiiik- " i'lo- inijtossil'k', (ine ol" tlic sj)i('s ort'crod to give " any two or three ollicers he ph'ased to appoint " the sulisfaetioii ol" seeing what ho ailinned. " Upon this two othcers, in the country habit, " went ak)ng with him to a phice where, pre- " tending to aliglit and retresli themselves, they " were seized hy ten Knglish dragoons that \\ere ** posted then' on jnnjtose, and had marched in " the mountains all night with the spies. The " Spaniards heing thus surprised and seized, the " spy j)reten(led the guard was drunk, and tlie '' ollicers, seeing a coujtle ol' dragoons lying appa- " I'eiitly in that condition, slijtped into tlie stable " and tocik ihree ol" the horses, and so returned to " tin' Conde de las Torres. This was enough to " conlirm the intelligence and gain credit to the " spy, as T^alcnc'm. The enemy In-ought forward a numerous army to besiege th* important jdace ; l)ul the Britisli commander issued Irom the city with his gallant horsemen, and surprised and captured the Spanish battering-train ; he also pe iKitrated, by a night march, to the rear of their army, and attacked and deh^ated their reinforce- ments ; an'^ Sy these and other achievements of ji similar character, which exhibit the valour and exccdlent I'onduct of the tro(>p> under his orders, h<' frustrated tiu» designs of the enemy. These brilliiint succes.^es alarmed the courts of France and Sp.iin, and a powerful attem|»t to re- gain the possession of tlte towns which had ac- knowledged King diaries was determined upon. 'I'lie Sj)iiniirds \\ere desirous of commencing uith \'ahMicia, but they were overruled by orders from France; aiid, tiie English deet liaving left /iar- (c/o/oi ill tue autumn, tlie siege (d' that phice was undertaken by a hmd I'orce conmianded by King Piii.ip in person, and the French 'eel mder the ( ount Toul ouse Tile V^arl of INterltoroiigh h.. tened fr< lencia w ith the itovvi. DirujooNs jind a se "ct iiumher <»l UitM Innn llie ntlier corps, and on . I> .irrn.il at l.x' \ieinit\ nj ii.ircelonii l>. louiid iIn ■ ■(' '''^ ' ^'^V '• h : •11 lllSTOWKAL l!i;c(tHl) OF I: ■f 170 ) lonii Hives t(Ml 1 )\ ii immeroiis iirmv :iii(l ii H(Tt. He iiuincdiately took tu tlir Jiiouiitaiiis witli Iiis hardv 'raiiooiis and ,t!)()ut two tlumsaiid loot, and, l)t'l.;c joined by nuinhers of the armed peasantry, lie was constantly hoverinii; near the hesieii'iiiii; army with his detaehinents, interrupt iiii;- the V eni\ s eomnmnications, cuttini;- oil' their sup- })lles, and attackintif their oiitii'uards ; and on one *t('(i;sii)n lie succeeded in thrctwinii' a nund>er of mm into the town. At Ji n^lh the 15ritisli tieet arrived with reinforcements ; the French a(hniral withdrew with j)rccipitation. and, IJarcelon.i heint;' thus r»dievcd, tiie enemy raised the siei;-e on tlie h2lli of May, fTOti, and retreated tow.irds Hous- silion, iea\iny,- behind his artillery, annmmition, stores, and si(dv ami ^vol^»ded men. Mjuadron of the Ko^vi, I)i{A(i()()NS and sonu' other cavalry ere ordered to pursue the retiriuLi,' army, and. w beiui;- joined by hundreds of ai'med j>easantry, thev attacked the enemv s rc,ir-i;uard se\t'i"al tnne and took a nund>er of prisoner: 'i\ le Sjtaniards killed t!verv man who lell into their hands ; but the prisoners taken by the Knglish and I)ut(di nu't with i^oo i tnMtment, Afler the llight of the em.'niy from before l?ar- •'•lomi, the I{v tie. M iiMiuis (las Minas and the l^a'l ofCialwaj, w !iieh beiiii;- supe- lior in iiuml'crs tt) the French and Spanish forces on t!ie fionii.isui i[*ortu:;al, arrived at the capital from IMadrid. The Royal Dragoons marched from Valencia in Jn\\, together with IVarce's dragoons, a regiment of Castilian foot, and a regiment of (iermans, and on the 8th of August joined the army of Portugal at Guada- laxara, from whence they martdied to Chinchon, a town of Toledo, eighteen miles from Madrid, where they remained about a mouth. The allied army, being unable to make liead against the supirior nundiers oi' the enemy, retired, and having crossed the Tagus at Fuente Duennas, contimied their march through the tine champaign country of Lii iNJaiudia, and took up their winter • puirters in N'^ah'iicia. extending' their cantdinnents from Hecjueuii to D(>uia. In the sjuing «»f 1707 th(> Uoval DHA(iOONS 1707 were ordered to take the fudd, and after a long and dilhcult maieh theyJoiutMl the army in the beginning of April ; but no expectation of a general engagement being entertained, and laud carriage being dilhcult to procure, they were detached on the 9th of A|)ril as far as Denia, for their clothing, and to reficsh their horses a short time in village cant(»nmeiits, \\'hile the\ lay at CoHera.a tou u situate at the mouth of the river X>icar, in the province (»f N'alencia, the battle of Almanza A\as 11 4t) mSTOHU'AL KKCOHD OF 1707 foui^lit on tlie 25tli ol' April, when tl'e allied army, I'onHnaiuled by the Marcjiiis das Minas and llie Kari (»r Galway, was nearly annihilated by the French and Spaniards under the Duke of Ker- Avieh. Soon after this disaster tiie KovAL DnAfiOONS joined the wreek of tiie allied army, which had heen eollected hy the Earl o\' (ialway, and were emjdoyed for three months in marches and coun- termarches, ohserviniij tlie motions of the opposing* army and endeavouring to ])reserve the rich and extensive jirovince ol" Catalonia from the power of the enemy. They afterwards firmed j>art of tlie force assendded for tiie relief of Lerida, hut the undertaking was fouixl to he impracticable. The enemy gahiod possession of Arragonand Valencia, i)ut were prevented aci n( '■illlV 'il l'Ulii|V lilf ';■(!«. V^J& IHK FIRST, OH IJOYAL nFiAG(H)\S, lie lie ad M-e 111- versiiig the inountiiin districts of Catalonia in 17(*^ small parties, were the only duties they were called upon to perlorni. They were encamped a short Time in a valley near Monhlanco, subse- (juently on a fertile ]dain near Cervera, and they j)assed another winter in cantonments in Catalonia. The early part of the campaign of 1709 was 170',) also passed in defensive movements: the Hoyal Dragoons were encamped with the army on the hanks of the Seg're, and having forded that river in August, the town of Bulag'in't\ situate at the foot of a hill on the banks of that stream and in a district of un.'ommon fertility, was captured ; also Ager, a place twtdve miles from 15alaguer. After j)lacing garrisons in tln^se towns the army repassed the river, and the regiments went into cantonments. Tlie campaign of ITIO was dislinguislied by '710 nion ijii])ort!Uit events, the two claimants to the throne of Spain headiiig their armies in person. The enemy was fir:-! in the liel 1, and co.innenced operations with the siege ol iv:l,i:ruer, i)ut retir(>d on the approach of the u "lied annj . Tiie Hovai, Dragoons were subse(piently encami)t(! on ihe banks of ilie Segre ; ,ind w lien King Cliarlcs joined the army, they \\ere detached to nu^ct his ?.[ajesty and to escort him lo the camj). After some manceuvring, L\eutenant-(iencial Stamioi'e (afterwards Kari, Stan lion:), who commanded the British tittups in Spain, being at the head oi" the leadini;' coluuin of the allied army on the marcii towards Alfaras, discovered, on the evening id' the -iTtli of .FiiU , a i»odv 's permission to attaek tlieni with tht; eavalry, of nliieh the Uoval DuAfiOONS had the honour 1o form part. The sun was deeliiiiui'- from the horizon, and the shades of evening were gathering over the valleys (d' Catalonia, when the IJritish eommander led f( orward his wai like 1 lorsenu n. liefore hin aj>j)eared twenty -two s(jnadrons of (yastilian cavalry, the j)ride and ilower of the Spanish army, with King Philip's lift; guards on the right; a second line of the same nund)ers was seen in the rear, and nine battalions of infantry supported the cavalry. iV^-ainst this force the t»allant Stax- iioi'K advanced at the liead of Harvey's liorse (now second dragoon guards) ; his front line con- siste; 'iients in all the j)omj) of w ar, and a nobh; spectacle ^ resented itstdf. The foaming sijuadrons (lashed upon each other, but the contest was of short duration. The enemy's left soon gave way, — the Sp.ini>-h life gmirds were routed with the loss (d' a >tandard and a ]>air of kettle drums, — their second line tied in confusion, — the infantry were seized with a j)anie , and Stanhope's troojuM's chased the fugitives from the ti(dd with great slaughtei-, following them among the roidvs and d(dls until the darkness rendered it imjiossibh; to distinguish friends from foes. The result of \\\\'< c.ivalry action disconcerted tlu' plans of the enemy ; King IMiilip called in his detii(duuents and it tired ; jind the allied army THE FII.'ST, OR HUYAL DllAfiOONS. 49 nioved forward in pursuit. After following the 17 [Q retiring iirnij' many days, sometimes crossing val- leys, and at other times traversing wild hut heau- tiful regions among rocks and mountains, and ohtaining possession of numerous towns in Ar- r.igon, the Roval Dragoons overtook the enemy's rear-guard in the pass of Pcnah'a, on the 15th of August, when a sharp skirmish ensued, and Lieut.-('olonel Colbi.ug, who commanded the regiment, was wounded and taken prisoner. Continuing the pursuit during the four succeed- ing days, the Koyal Dragoons passed the Ehro with the leaduig column under Major-General Carj)enter, and on the evening of the 19tli of August the French and Spanish forces were dis- covered in order of l>attle on the ri<>'ht of Sara- fro.s.sa, a city pleasantly situated on the river El)ro, in a very plentiful country, ahounding with every necessary for the support and convenience! of life, and once the delight of Julius (.'f.csar, who erected a splendid pjdace there. Preparations were made to attack the enemy on tlu; following- day; the liovAL Dragoons ionned })art of the cavalry of the left wing, commanded hy Lieut. - General Stanhope, and were oj)})osed to the enemy's right on the hrow of a steep hill. Early on the morning of the 20th of August a heavy cannonade conunenced ; and as the moun- tains re-echoed the sound, and the smoke, tinged with th(^. rays of the sun, rose in curling clouds and fornu'd a glhtering dome over the opposing armies. King ('harles and his suite galloped along the line, and his JMujesty's presence infused a E ™ '■■ 1' 1? ' 1- j :i! 1 1 X iut^- r I ! 50 HISTORIC Al, inCOTUl OF 1710 iilo^ving- ardour into tlic troops, Ahoiit niiddiiy Li(Mit.-(i('n(M-,'il Stanhope led tJic lioYAL Dha- GOONS and other IJritish h<>rs«Mnen on the left a^'ainst tlieir advei'saries, and a sharp cavalry action ensued, in which the French troopers (he- ini; sn])erior in numhers) had the advantai;'e ; l)Ut Stanhope's second line of cavah'V repulsed the enemy. The ]?rilish drai^'oons rallied, and return- ino- to the charge, a sanijninary sword -fii;ht took jdace at the Inot of the hill ; l)ut si\ squadrons of Porlnii'uese dragoons on the extreme left tied liefore the troops advaiicini>- against ihem, without waitini^ to he attached, 'I'ln; hattle extended alon^ tlie front to tl)e hanks of the Ehro, and the Imperial, Dutch, and Palatini^ troops vied witli the Hritish in feats of gallantry. The Koyals, Pepper's (now eighth) and Stanliope's dra^-oons, continuing" the fight, gained some advantage ; Harvey's horse signaliz«Ml themselves ; and four English hatlalions, commanded hy Major-Cireneral Wadk, heing mixed with the cavalry of the left wing, hehaved with remarkalde intrejtidity and heroism. The British infantry, throwing oil" their knapsacks, sprang up the acclivity and attacked their o])ponents sword in hand : iinally, the; enemy was driven from tiie field with ])rodigious slaughter, and the loss of six thousand i)risouers, twenty-tAVo pieces of cannon, seventy-two standards and colours, the annnunitiou, baggage, and jdate of King Philip ; and the city of Sara^ro.s,s-(i was cap- tured, with its military stores of annnunitiou, pro- vision and clothing. The Koval Dragoons passed the night in the ficdds near the town, and were ^h THE FIKST, "!< UOVAi, 1>UA(J()()NS. 51 tli;inke(l hy King Oliarles for their distiiit^uislied 1710 {•iilliiiilry. After this victory the army once more advanced to Ma(h-id, and Kini; Cliark^s made his ]»id;lic entry into the caj)ital on the *28th of Sej>temhcr ; but the army of l*ortu\as given, and the Hiitish troops, having sj»ent all their amnnuiition, delended them- sej\es a short time with stones and (tther missiles ; hut were eventually I'orced to surrender prisoners of w ar.* Tlie ollicers and men eace wereconnnenced, 1712 and in the sinnmer of ITl'i the olVicers and men of the UovAi. Dragoons •piitted Sj»ain and re- turned to England. They u'ere moimted on Spanish horses ; hut heiure they (juitled Catalonia their horses were sold, and the men returned home dismounted. After their arrival in Eni;li'nd the Royal Dragoons were stationed in disjtersed haiide(l. 1714 On the decease of Queen Anne on the 1st of August, 171 I, the HoVAI, DRAfiOONS left \'ork- shire, and mandied into ipjarters in tin* villages near London ; hut alter the arrival of Kiny' (Jectrn'e 1. Iron" Hanover they returned to \'orksliire, and a r«'- diictioii of fiftv men was made in the estiildishmem* * MHr'.b; ii Orilti Hiioks aiul Ksfablislinu'iit Uouks in (he War- OiHce. 64 HISTOHICAI. HKCORD OF I 1 Ill Jiiiiuary, 1T15, two troops of the Royal Dragoons, with thnM' troops of tlie Scots tjreys, and a iKnyly-raistnl trooj) of (h'ai;c)ons, wer«i incor- jKUiited into a roglincnt — the present seventh hussars.'* Tlie establishment was thus reduced to six troo])s ; and on the 1 3tli of June in the same year the (•oh)n('icy uas conferred on RunAiM) Loin> ('OnuAM, who was advanced to the dij^nity of A'^iscount tln-ee years afterwards. At this period Jacohite principh's were very prevalent in the United Kin<;(U»m ; aiK. u\ Septem- her, 1715, th(? Earl of Mar raised the suindard e]lion in Scotland, and excited the clans to take arms in favour of the Rrelentier. 'I'iie RovAL DwAriooNs were innnedialely ordered to the North; and in the early j>art of Octolter tliey arrived at l'Miid»uri;h, from whence they marched innnediat(dy afterwards, and, Iteini^- plactul under the coinniand (A' Lieutenant-Cieiieral Carjienter, \\t'nl in pursuit of a hody of rehels. After se\«M-al manhes and couuteiinandies Lieu- tenanl-(i»'neral ("arpenter arrived at Jedhurn'h on the oOlh of Octtdier: thret! days afterwards he siscertained that a division of the re))el arnu' had marched in the directi(Mi of Carlisle, and he in- stanil) went in pursuit of thent. The rebels, Iim»v ever, eluded hi> vigilance, and arrived without ojip»)>iti()M at l*i'«'.sfu/i, in Lancashire. iMajor- (leneial \\'il|s, who i'onimanded in C'hesiiire, a^- sendded Mveial rci'i; uts, and marched tov/ards • Ti.i' Mvi'iitli Hiid I'iulitli ri'iimiL'iils i)f diHKOoiis wirt' ilis- tianil'il al1ir tin !'■ .:ci' ol Uln rhl ; ' A tin- .si'v»'iCh whs rcsfnriil, Is siHtnl mIh vf. uikI 1Ih» n^li'lt ei u ftw munths iinviwaids THE FIRST, OR R(3YAL DRAGOONS. OO f. -l ■ I Pn^ston. In the mean time Lieuteiiant-CTenerul C'iirpeiiter, with the Royal, Molesworth's, and Chui-chiil's (ira<;oons,* -were marching with all possible expedition from Scotland; and tlicy ar- rived before l*reston about mid-(hiy on Sunday, the I3tli of November, when they found the town sur- rounded by the trooj)s under iMajor-General Wills : some sharp figiitin;;' had pre\'iousIy taken j)lace, but on the arrival of the forces from Scotland, the rebels surrendered at discretion. On the same day another division of the rebel army was defeated at Sherid'-moor, near l)und)laii! ; and in the early j)art of ITIC) the Pretender and insurgent chiefs made their escape to France, and the conmion people retired to tludr liomes. After the suj»j)ressio!i of this rebellion, the Royal Dragoons were stationed in Leicestershire and Nottini;hanishire, from A\henc«' they mai'ched, in February, 1717, to Newcastle upon Tyne, and \\ t're phiced under the connnand of Major-General ^\'ills. Tins march was occasioned by the prepai'a- tions made by Charles Xll., King ol" Sweden, lor an expedition to l^higland to placf the PrclendiT on the throne ; but the measures tahen bv the Rritisli i',n\"r>.y., ,it defeated the project. The journals «d this period speak highly <»f the condi- tion (if the liritisii arnty, particularly the tttra/ft/, whi< li lliey represent as the tn;sf in tlir witrhl.] in the sprin.' of I7ls the IJo^al Dragoons marched inl(» (piarters in Yorkshire and Lanca- shire ; and, the King of Sweden lia\ ing been c«»m- 1715 1716 1717 I71B T.vi) iic'wiy riiisi'il corps, i\f1»;i\Viinls disbamltul. r AmiiiK ol (Jt'Oitfi' 1., &c. 5(> HISTORICAL RnCORD OK 171'.) 1718 pcllcd to r('lin(|uish his projected expi'dition, tlie estalilislmieiit was reduced to two hundred and seven oltieers and men. The peace of Kurope was disturbed in 1719 l)y PhiHp V. ot Sj»ain, wlio was desirous of recover- ing- the places ceain for a (U'scent on the I?riti>ii coast ; l»ut the Heet was dispersed and disabh'd l»y a storm : two ships, liowever, reaclied the coast of Scoihind, and l>etween three and four hundred S|>aniards hmded, and were joined by a number of IIiij;hlan(h-rs. AMien in- formation of this event readied London, orders were issued for tlie Royai. Dwaooons to pr K'eed wilh all possilde expedition to Scotland, where they arrived in May. iMajor-Cieneral \\'iu:htman advanced with a body of foot and three troops (if the Scots ^r«'j>, and attacked tlie Spaniards and lligh- Ii;n(hM-s (»n the lOtli of June at the pass of Glen- sli'ill, and forc«Mi them to retire with considerable loss. On the followiiiii day the Hii^hlanders dis- jtersed, and the Spaniards surrench-red themselves pris(»ners o{ war. The RovAi Dwacjoons re- turned to Kngl .'id in July, and were quartered in ^'<»rkshir«' ; and a dcia<'liment was ordert'd to em- bar! at Portsmouth and accompany the e.\p«'('i!ioH comii.,iinled by their ccdonel. Viscount Coijham, i"tendrd to m>il<<' an attack on ('orunna. The r? THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS, r:7 Hie lid rer- it; the )ne V (It'sii^ii on that phice was, lunvover, ahandoned ; 1710 but the troops ell'octed a hmdiiii!,' on the coast of S md took ^' hero til )hti *(l posses- sion of several pieces of brass ordnance, with a iiiaj;'azine of muskets and other arms. Rondcmlclla and Pitnt-a-Vfdra were also taken, and additional captures of military stores effected. The Spa- nisii court made overtures for a treaty of peace; and in November the expedition returned to Eng- land. In February, !7*20, Plis Majesty issued a regu- 17«2(> hition, tixing the am-uint of purchase-money to be paid for regimental ♦•oinmissions, and the following prices were estal>lishtMl for the KoVAL l{E(iIMl,NT OF DuAGOONS (.'bhaiii having Iteen re- nun'ed t«» the >ccon was styled Captain- t.u'iitcnant. •2t')00 ISOO 1000 800 ()00 58 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1722 Diirinijj the summer of 1722 the Royal Dra- goons were eiicaiin>e(l »ieiir Durhjim ; iiiid on tlie 1723 12th ol" Jamiiiry, 1723, tlie eokmeley, havini>; be- >^ome vacant by tlie decease of Sir Cliarles Ho- ham, \\as conlerred on Briii'adier-General HuM- piun.Y CrORE, I'rom the tenth drai;<)ons. 1721 '^1^*^ rci^iment occupied extensive (juarters in Ndttini^hamshire and Derbyshire in 1724 ; in the 172.") l'olK>\vini>' year it rnriushed detachments to assist lilt' revenue olliceis in their (bities on the coast; 1720 and in October, 172G, it Avas stationed in Sussex and I^]ssex. Kuiiland haviiiii; as, of live hunarkation was, lu'wcvcr. recjuired. 1727 i'lu' (h'cease (d Kini;" (ieor^'<^ I. took jdaceon the 1 Itb oi'.lunc, 1727; and a fendays ju'evious to the coronation of Ins successor, (Jeorj^e II., the Royal J)i<\(i(H»NS marched into <|uarters near ]i(»ndon, ami weir reviewed in briijade ^\ith Honeywood's {An\\ tdeventh) (lj'at;ui.»ns by his Majesty <»u iloun- "^luu lleatii, (111 the 17 th of October. They siih- seijiieiitly proceeded int(t Jicicestershire and Der" 1728 l'\>liire ; and in the lienimiiiij.'' oi' the succeediny: \ear tne otablishmenl was again reduced to six tro(»pv 17:Ut 111 the ^piiii'^ of I7.'^()the re^^iment marclu'd iiil«» cantoiimc.ls in Worcestershire and (ilou CCS- J) II s t 17 U 1. rsliire ; m I7U ilnas Rationed in Kent, with A- lic e- ()- THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAfiOOMS. 59 (It'tiiclniKMits on coast duty ; and in the month of INIiircIi in the follo\\ini>- year proceeded into So- mersetshire, from Nvlience it detached, in the s|)ri!i|^ of 1733, several ]>arties to the maritin)e towns and villai;'^s on the Sulfolk coast, where frcfjiient rencounters tt»ok jdace hetween the mili- tary and sniuii'shn's. The S' veral (h'tachments were collected in May, 1734, and the six troops assemhled at Taunton, where they uere reviewed l»y their colonel, IMa- j(n--General (u»re. One troop was afterwards d(!tached into Sussex ; and in Aui;ust another troop proceeded to JJalh, and furnished a daily guard for the Princess Amelia di; iuii" her Royal lliyhiiess's residence at that city. In August, 173,"), the live trcxtjts in Somersetshire marched to the north, and were placed under the orders of liieul.~(ieneral Wade, connnan(hu"-in-chief in Scotland. TJiey, however, returned to England in i\i)ril, 173/, and were f the foHouing year the six. troojts wt're stationed in Essex and Kent, with d taclmr'nts on coast duty. In Jul;,, I (3l>, the lioYAL Dragoons were ordered to call in their l^th of that nauitli. On the l>t oi' Si'plcudier his Majesty conferred the 1731 1732 1733 1734 1735 1737 173S 1731) ,■.1:,!,; rt F i I lU ^>3K|- GO HISTOUKAL KKl'OKD OF i^^■ ,.f 1739 ooloiu'lcy on Chakles, second Duke of Maue- HOHoiTGH, from the 38tli rei>iiu( if of loot. Tin' Sj)iuiiiir(ls ha\iiii;- I'ejHMtc Uy violated tlie existiiii;- treaties in rej'ard to tiu; •H)inineree of Kni^laiid M'itl) Anieriea, liis JNIajesty ' to deju'ive the house of Austria of its hereditary v;- solved to su|tj»(»it the Austrians; and in the sum- 171-J mcr (d" 174*2 his INIajesty s( nt Fitdd Marshal tlu* Earl of Stair with sixteen thousand men to Flan- ders. The HoYAL DKA(iooNs were s«dected u^v t.'iis service, and. havin«; heen reviewed hy iija Maiestv on Ilounslow Heath, they emharked in August, and after their arrival in Flanders were stationed in the cuvalry harracks at (ihem. p., ■ f; il.' ^i'-df^f THE FIR«iT, OR ROYAL DHAfiOONS. 61 Leaving (ilient in Felnnuiry, 1743, the Royal 1713 Dragoons n)arelie(l for Germany ; and in June th«!y were encamped, with the other forces, near Ascluitt'enbiirg, on the river Maine, where tliey were joined l)y King (ieorge II. and tlie Duke of" Cumberland. On the '26tli of June the army marched for Hanau, a town of Hesse-Cassel, and the Royal Dragoons formed part of the ad- vance-column. When on the march the French were discovered in position near JJpftingen : his Majesty comman(hMl the army to form opposite the enemy, and the Royal Dragoons \vere posted near the right of the hne. The French advanced from their jwsition and attacked the left of the allied army ; the contest soon became general, and the English cavalry en- gaged the French cuirassiers with varied success. The JMousQUETAiRES NoiRs, a clioice corjts of French cavalry, se|)arated themselves from their line, and, passing between two colunms of in- fantry, rushed headlong towai'ds the Dritish ca- valry. The Royal l)RA(ii.)ONS, undaunted by this audacity, met the French horsemen with a cool, detern»ined bearing, and. encountering them in mid-onset, overt'irew the ])resum]>- tuous squadrons, cut them down with a flreadful slaughter, and captured a standard. The Royal Dragoons were aft«!rwards engaged with the enemy's household troops ; they were again victt)- rious, and, though wilhout armour, fought and triumphed over their steel-cl.id opjioneiits, and received the thanks ol' his Majesly for tlicir gal- lant conduct. Kvcntiiidiv the Ficncli army \va,s ■{| f if: "it" 1' ^ mm v:,'f 62 HIST(^"I( AI, inr '!!]> OF 1743 overthrown, anrl (lriv«.'n IVoiu llio field wilh j^reiit loss. Ill this action the RoYAi. DwAftooxs hud six men and thirty-l'onr horst's kilh'd and wounded. The Standahd of the Moi squktaihks Noiijs ] 74 1 M lie was taken hy a serjeant of the rij^ht scjnin It was o[' white satin, einhroie, and his standard bnckled to hii<: * The KoYAL Dragoons jtassed the nis^ht near the field oi' hattle, exposed to a heavy storm of rain, and on the fidlowini;- day nnirched wilh the army to Hanan, and eucami»ed on the banks (d" the river Kinzii;-, wheir tlu'v remained unlil the <'arly part of Aui;'ust, when they advanced, and, having' crossed the Khins' above Mentz, wer(^ eni- plojed in operations in West Germany. Nothing- of importance, however, trans})ired ; and in Octo- ber they connnenced their march for Mentz, where they re]»assed the Hhine, and, proceeding through the dnchy of X'assan, the |)rinci|»alily of Liege, and province of lirabant, entered Flanders, and, arriving at Ghent on the llStli of \ovend»er, again occnpied part of the cavalry barrack at that place. The campaign (d" I? I 1 passed without any ge- neral engagement. The army p«'net rated the French territory ; but the services of the lloYAL * London (ia/.i'ltf THE FIHST, OH HOYAI- DHAGOONS. r : DuAfiOONS wen' liniited to piquots, out-gi...i(i,-;, 1714 and protecting i'onii^ini;' ))aities IVom the uttai'ks of the Frencli garrisons; and in October tliey returned to their former station at (Jhent. In April, 1745, the Koval DuagooiNs marclied 1745 from their winter quarters, and encanjped near IJrussels. The en' : • assembled a ii'imorous army, and invest(v' ' "< . ; r/^, the chief town of a district in the ^ ros . e of Iluinault; and I'le Duke of Cumberland, though infcrioi- to the French in nundjers by above thirty thousanil men, resolved to attack them. His Hoy;d Highness accordingly advanced ; and on the 10th ol" M;iy (N.S.) a s(|mulron of the Koyal Dhagooxs was engaged, with other forces, in driving in tlie enemy's out-gimrds and piijuets. Tiie French army was discovered in order of battle on a gentle ascent protected by batteries, and rising gradually from the plain near Fonfcho//. At daybreak on the morninu- of the 11th of .May the allies moved forward, but, having many detiles to pass, the attack did not connnence until near ten o'clock. The Uritisli infantry advanced against the enemy, and tiiroughout the day they disjdayed the greatest vah)ur and intrepidity ; but the Dutch dnl not evince equal resolution, and their failure occa- sioned the most unfortunate results. It was near the conclusion of the action before; the IIoyal Dragoons were called upon to charge, \\hen they advanced through a hoUow way abounding with dirticulties, and were eN]»osed to the destruc- tive tire of two batteries: they charged by alter- nate S(puidrons with all the spirit and re^()lution li >■', i I j IMAGE EVALUATiON TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1^ 1^ 2.2 2.0 1-25 j 1.4 |||.6 •» 6" ► Photographic Sciences Corporation ¥!l ^^^^ ,v ^^ \ \ lV ■iV'. '^f 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WIBSTIR,NY. 14510 (716) aza^sos o %" ., w f/j ?^. ' fv 64 HISTORICAI- RECORD OF 1/45 which cliiiracterizes tlie attack of British cavalry. But the Duke of Cuniberhtnd, perceiving that, from the failure of the Dutch and other causes, it was impossible to retrieve the fortune of the (lay, ordered a retreat, and the army marched I'rom the lield of battle, and encamped near Aeth. The loss of the regiment in this engagement was fifteen men and sixty-nine horses killed ; with Lieutenant-Colonel Naizon, Cornets Hartwell, Desmeret, and Creighton, thirty-one men, and forty-seven horses wounded. The allied army afterwards encamped on the plain of the Dender, near Lessines ; and subse- quently near Brussels. In the mean time Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, arrived in Scotland with a shi|> laden witli arms, and, being joined by several of the Highland clans, took the oj)j)ortunity of the King's aiiny being abroad to make a desjxMate ettort to gain the throne. Several regiments were inunciliatch ordered to Eniiland : and in Novem- her the UovAi, J)|{AGOons marched to William- stadt, in North JJrabant, and embarked ; but the shipping was delayi'd for some time by contrary winds, and several horses were lost from the trans- ports being stranch'd. After tiieir arrival in England the UoYAi- Dra- goons formed part of the army asjsemlth'd near the metropolis to rrpcl the thrt'atened desc»'nt of a Frenidi lorcc on the southern coast of the kingdom. Tlu' rebellion having been sujipressed by the vic- tory at ("ulloden. tlu' KovAL Di- pels ; lined with blue ; slit sleeves turned uj) w ith blue ; the button-holes worked with uarro\\' yellow lace; the Inittons of yellow metal, set on two and two ; a long slash pocket in each skirt ; and a yellow- worsted aiguillette on the right shoulder. ^^^\ISTC•oATS and IJin. KCHKS — blue. Hats — bound with gold lace, and ornamented with a yidlow metal loop, and a l)lack cockade. Hoots — of jacked leather. Cloaks — of scarlet cloth, with a blu«' collar, and lined with blue shalloon ; the biiitoiis set on two and two u)»ou yellow frogs or loops, with a blue stripe down the centre. HoHSK Fi'HNrrruF, — of scarlet <'|i.tli ; the Ind- ster-caps and housings having a border of royal F 46 I/40 1747 1748 1749 1750 1751 u 1 tm* W\ ' . -I 1^4 06 HISTORICAL liECOlU) OF 1751 lact', Avitli a blue stripe down tlie centre ; the crest of England within the garter, embroidered on each corner of the housing ; and on the holster- ca]>s, the King's cij)her and crown, with i.D under- neath. Officers — distinguished by gold lace ; their coats and waistcoats bound with gold embroidery ; the button-holes Avorked with gold ; and a crimson silk sash worn across the left shoulder. Quarter -Masters — to wear a crimson sash round the waist. Serjeants — to have narrow gold lace on the cuifs, pockets, and shoulder-straps ; gold shoulder- knots or aiguillettes, and yellow and blue worsted sashes tied round the waist. Drumjiers and Hautboys — clothed in scarlet coats lined with blue, and ornamented with royal lace with a blue stripe down the centre; their waistcoats and l»reeches of blue cloth. (lUii)ONS. — Tiie first or King's guidon to be of crimson silk, em1)roidered and fringed with gohl and silver; in the centre the rose and thistle joined and crown over them, with the motto Ijita ct mtm Droit underneath : the white Iiorse in a compartment in the first and fourth corners, and I.I) in gold characters on a blue gr(>viud in a com- partnuMit in th<' second and third corners. The second and tiiird guidons to be of Idue silk, in the centre the crest of Kugland within the garter on a crimson ground : the white horsi' on a scarlet ground in the first and fourth eomiiartmcnts, and i.nwitliin a wn-atii of roses and thistles upon a scarN't ground in the second and tliird carations for a descent on the British foast, and the Royal Dragoons were stationed in the maritime towns in the southern counties : during the summer of 1757 they W(;re encamped near Salisbury. The liritisli military establishiu'vit having been consi(leral>ly augmented, His Majesty was pre- pared to act olfensively against France ; and in" 1758 the light troop of the Royal Dhagoons formed ])art of an expedition connnanded by Charles, Duke of Marlborough, which landed on the coast of lirittany and destroyed the I'^iench shijiping and magazines at St. Mtdtn'n, This troop was afterwards (Migaged in a second expedi- I -.V2 1753 1754 1755 1 7::(S 7:..s Wiir Ottico EstHl'lislimont llouk. I I 1' 68 IIISTOHICAI, lU'.COlU) OF m "If 1758 tion to the coast of Fiance, ('oinmaiidcd by (icne- ral Bligh, when a landing was effected in the l»ay des Marees, and Cherbourg was taken : it was also engaged in the second descent on the coast of Brittany. 1759 On the 5th of April, 1759, the colonelcy, having become vacant by the decease of (ieueral Mawley, was conferred on Hknry Skymour Conway, from the fourth Irish horse, now seventh dragoon guards. In the same year the establishment of each of the six heavy troo])S was augmented to sixty private men, and the light troop to eighty- nine; making a total of five hundred and forty-four 1760 officers and men ; and in the following year the light troop was further augmented to four officers, one (piarter-master, four serjeants, four corporals, two drunnners, and one hundred and eighteen pri- vate men. In the mean time a British army had j)roceeded to Germany, and was serving in conjunction ^\'ith the Hanoverian, Hessian, and Brunswick troops, connnanded by Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Bruns- wick ; and in the spring of 1760 the Royal Dra- goons, connnanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Jamks Johnston,* embarked for foreign service, and, having landed at Bremen, in Lower Saxony, on the IGth and 17th of April, jomed the army en- * Lieutenant-Oi)lonel Johnston rose to the rank of general : he was, at diffennt jieriods, colonel of the ninth drasrouns, (irst horse (now fourth draijaon jrnards), and sixth drajjoons : he was also srovernor of Quebec. He died 13ili D('oemt)er, 17!l7, and was interred in Westmins'er Al)bey. He wrote a Journal of the Campaign of \7M\ wliieli has been foiwarded to the compiler of this record t)y his tnandsoii. Major Frederick Johnston, unat- tached. TIIK FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 69 ("iimpt'd iM'iir Fritzlar, in the principiility of Lower I7(i0 llcsst', on the ^L^t of that month. On the 2"2n(l tliey were reviewed by the Duke of Brunswick, who was pleased to express liis approbation of their appearance. After much manoeuvring- and skirmishing, thirty tlionsand French troops, connnanded by the Cheva- lier deJMny, crossed the Dymel to cut offthe commu- nication of tlie allied anny with ^A'^estphalia. The Hoy AL Dragoons, with several other corps, were immediately sent forward to Liebenau, under the command of the Hereditary Prince of ]5runswick, \o secure the bridge across the Dymel ; and Jjeing followed by the main body, the Prince advanced to the vicinity of ff^tirhourg, and reconnoitred the French forces in position near tbat place, whon) he resolved to attack on the following day. At daybreak on the morning of the 31st of July tlie HoYAL Dragoons, connnanded by Lieutenatit- ( 'oh>nel Jamks Johnston, left their camp on the iieight'^ of Corbeke, and making a (h'tour thr<»ugh several villages gained the left Hank oi'llie Freiich anny. Several other corj»s having arrived at the same point, the attack was immediately com- mencerise him in the niglit ; but it was found ne- cessary to dislodge a corps which occupied tlie convent of Cttnipcn, and this occasioned some firing, which alarmed the French i'amj*, and tlie * Journal of Liuntenant-Colonel Johnston, Royal Dragoons. MS. THE FIHST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 71 troops were immediately formed in order of 1700 battle. The action commenced before daybreak, and a succession of attacks, repulses, and chari^es were kept up until nine at night, in which the Royal Dragoons took an active part, and they are re- j)orted to have " behaved extremely well." Two pieces of cannon and a })air of colours were cap- tured ; but at length the Prince perceived that it was hnpossible to drive the enemy out of a wood of which he had possessed himself, and, the allied infantry having expended all their ammunition, his Highness ordered a retreat. The Royal Dragoons had eight men and ten horses killed ; Lieut. -Colone; Johnstou, two men, and four horses, woiuided; Caj>tain Wilson, Lieu- tenant Goldsworthy, (Jornet Dufte, and twenty- five men, taken prisoners. The regiment repassed the Rhine on the 1 8th of October, and was can- toned in the principality of Hesse, where the offi- cers received orders to wear mourning for his late Majesty King George IL In February, 1761, the regiment was engaged 1701 in an incursion into the French cantonments, and took part in several skirmishes with the enemy. In the spring a remount joined from England. After mucli manceuvring, the allied army took post in Prussian AW'stphalia, on the rivers Asse and Li])pe, and the Royal Dragoons were en- «-amped on the heights between Illingen and Ho- henover.* On the 15th of July the enemy at- * Journal Dl'the Campaigns in Germany, tiy an Officer present with the Army. I. i 72 IIISTOKICAL UECOUU OF I i< :!■ fiv iZGl tacked the troops under the Miir(|uis of Grunhy at Kirch Detikerii, when the Royal Dragoons niarehed aerot^s the Asse by thi; bridge at Hans Hohenover, and advanced to suj>j)ort the corps attacked. Alter a sharp action the enemy was I'epidsed witli h)ss. The fire of the skirmishers was, iiowcvcr, kej»t iij» tiiroughout the night, and on the following morning the enemy renewed the engagement with great fury- J)uring this day the KovAL Dh A GOONS were j>osted near Velling- hanseii, and, wIkmi the enemy's columns of attack were repulsed, advanced to charge, |jut were pre- vented by the hedges and marshy hollows which iniersected the country. They were suhseijuently employed in military operations on the Dymel, and fdterwards marched into the electorate of Hanover, and were engaged in a skirmish near Kiinbeck in the early part of November. On the same night they marched througii a heavy snow to Foorwuhh', where they encountered and drove back some French cavalrv. On the 9th of No- \eml)er they had another skirmish at Fooru^ohle, and subse(piently marched into (puirters in East Frieslund. 1702 The Royal Dragoons left their winter RAG0ONS passed tlie J)yinel at Lie- Iteuau about lour in tlie nioriiini;-, and advanced ai;Hinst the enemy's canip. Tlie nianceuvre was conducted with such address, that the army was in j>resence of the French before they liad the U'ast appreliension of an attack, and, being in- stantly assaulted in front, dank, and rear, they retired in confusion, leaving all tbeir e(iuij)age hehiiid them. The Koyal Dragoons bad ad- vanced against the eneniy's front, and they were subse(|uently employed in surrounding a division of the Frencli army comman(h'd liy (leneral Stainville in the \voods of IVilhehndlial, where several corps were made prisoners. The pursuit was continued, and the French took refuge under the cannon of (Jassel ; the Royal Dragoons then retired a few iniles, and encamped near Holtz- hausen. During the remainder of the campaign the Royal Dragoons were emph)yed in operations on the Fulde, the Eder, and the Lahn, which were attencU'd with such signal success, that a considerable portion of territory was wrested from the power of the enemy, and the allies took Cassel. These successes were followed by a treaty of peace, and th(> Royal Dragoons proceeded into (Quarters in the bishopric of Munster. At the close of the military operations of the year, when the army marched into winter probation of its a|)pearance and high state of discipline.* iXfter 1768 the review it marched to the north of England ; and in 1769 was stationed in Scothmd ; but re- 1769 turned to England in the following year, and, after 1770 occupying various quarters in the southern and 1771 western counties, was again reviewed by his Ma- 1772 jesty on the 17th of May, 1773, on FinchleyCoin- 1773 ill * On the 19th of December, I7(i8, a royal warrant was issued for remilating the clothing, horse-fiirniture, and standards of tlie res^iments o! cavalry, which contained similar directions to the warrant of the 1st of July, 1751. See paije (jj. i m^ r^ 76 mSTimiCAL RECORD OK 17715 "'<^"J ; '^'K !ic('(inlin|4, to the joiiniiils ol'thut periiMl, its cxct'lleiit coiiditioii and rorrect iiiiin(jeuvriii^ prociin'd the approbation of the Kin<^, and exeited the a(hniration ol' tlie princes*, nol)UMneu, general oiHcers, and other sj>eetittors. Dnrinu' the snninier the lioYAL Dragoons again proeeech^d to tlie nortii, and, after occupying (juarters for a short period in Yorkshi'e, inarclied to Scotland, where they were stationed during the 1771 sunnni'r of 1771; but returned tt> England in the 177') succeeding year; and on the 21th of May, 1777, ' ^' \vere reyiewed in liriu'i ule ^yl thtl idi le second (U'airoon n< ^^' guards, on \\'inddedon Connniui, by the Ki acc(Mni)anied by seyeral of the young princes, and attended by a retinue of noblemen and ii'eneral olVicers. I77N ilostihties haying connnenced between (ireat liritain aiul the <'olonies in \orth America, an augmentation was mach' in the strength of the regular army ; and in 1778 six serjeauts, six cor- porals, and one hundred and twenty-six priyate men were added to the Hoval Dragoons. J)ur- ing the sunnuer they wer»' encamped, with several other corps, on C'oxheath, near INIaidstone, where they were reviewed l»y the Kin-f. '"•' In 177'.) the men ol" the l{oYAi. l)RA(iooNS, e(piippe, A(l)ut,iiit (iiniTiil's Otiicf. THK I IWST, OR HOYAI. nUAGOONS. 77 riiji; K)N.s ,'ing hod the the i i7, oou le Aiiu'ricaii wiir, in and ui the terniination of tl 1783, the estahlishiueut was reduced to two liun- dred and thirty-one olhi'd-.s and soidieri IvOYALS, fifteenth, Iwentietli, and twenty-first I77U (h-agoons wen' eneanijK'd on Lex(U'n Ilealh, near Colchester. During tlie great riots in Lon(h»n in 1780 the 1780 lioYAL J^RA(iO()NS Were ordered to march tiiither. In the following year they jtrocee(h'd to Scotland ; I7SI 1 7S3 The n'ginient left Scotland in 178 I, and occn- 17^4 pied various <|uarlers in the western and ncjrthern counties of England six years. On the breaking 17^9 out of tin' revohitionary proceedv'.gs in France, the estahlislnnent ^^■as aiignienteu nine men per troop, and in tlie spring of I7'.)() the six trooj>s 17<.)() procci'ded to Scotland ; they, liowe\er, returned to England in the following year, and were em- ployed in suppressing riots at nirnnnghain. A further augmentation was made to the esta- blishment in 171)"i, and again in the spring of 171)3, when four troops were ordered to be held in constant readin»'ss for foreign service. The enormities connnitted by the I'^-ench repub- licans occasioned another war; Holland was iit- tacked ; a body \('rthrowu with iMimen>e sbiutihter ; llie runl THE FIKST, Oi, »YAL DRAGOONS. r9 b boi'iinio t)vnercu{)ns crowds, were scattered over the plains, and the fugitives fell beneath the sahres of the Jiritish dragoons, 'who captmrd the French com- mander, Lieut.- General Chapuy, and thirty-five pieces of cannon. The Duke of York, in his account of this action, observes, "The behaviour OF THE British cavalry has been beyond ALL praise." The Royal Dragoons were among the corps which were declared in general orders to have "acquired immortal honour." Their loss on this occasion was six men and twelve horses killed ; with Lieutenant Froom, two seijeants, eleven men, and fourteen horses wounded. After the captnre of Landrfcies the Royal Dragoons marched to the vicinity of Touniat/, ^vhere they were again engaged with tlie enemy on the 10th of May ; and the Duke of York t»h- served in his public despatch, that the troops had " well supported the reputation acquired (ui the 2Gth of last month." The loss (d' the Royals was only two horses killed, and one man and tlu'ee horses woun(K'd. Tile Royals were in reserve when the attack was made on the French positions on the ITtli of May. Tin' army afterwards n'suiut'd its jutst be- fore Toin'na//, wln're it \\as attacked ontlie'iid of May l>y (leneral IMclieiirn willi an inunense I'oi-ee. 'I'he Rritish hea\y cavalry had, it appears, bi-conie a terror to the «'nemy, for J{r<)\\ n, in his Journal, ol)serves ('i'id May), " A <'ohimn of tnv or six " thousand men made its appearance towards our 80 lIISTOinCAI, HKCOIM) OF 1791' lelt, on \vliicli account the hritiadc ol" tjiiards and " tlic J3ritisli heavy cavalry remained ready ioj- '• action on their camp i^/ound ; but the French, " ohservini; our advantai>'eous situation, and dreiid- " ing the tJiouiflit of ineel'ni^ the lintiali Cdra/rj/ " a f<('co)ul t'liite o)i rivations and inclement weather, which occasioned the death (d" many men aiK 1 1 lorses. 'r le \Mii1er was jiarticular •ly severe, V* >% the Dutch people were favourable t(» the Fremdi, and the IJritisii troojts, in tiieir retreat through Holland during a hai'd frost and storms of snow and sleet, were treated as enemies by the inha- bitants; at leutith the trn.ips arrived in the du(diy * and lor MK'h, eitfl- alry opcr Mil tlu» THK FIRST, OK HOYAl, PRAfiOONS. «l 1)1 Bremen, where tliey liiul repose and kind treat- ment. The Royal Dragoons were not engagcil in any furtlier hostihties on the continent. During- the summer of 1795 they were ei camped on one oF the |)hiins of ^^^est|^halia, m t in the winter embarked for Engljind. Meanwhile, that part of the regiment wliich was on home servic«; was again employed on King's duty at Weymouth,, during ills Majesty's stay at tiiat jdace, and afterwards procee(k'd to Dorchester, where the four tro<)j)s returning from the continent arrived in January, 1796. In Julv of the same year the regiment encamped on IJar- hani Downs, near A\'eymouth, and in Septendier marched into quarters at Canterlniry. In October, 1797, tiie regiment marched for Birmingham and Coventry; in July, 1798, for Exeter and Taunton ; and in the following sum- mer proceeded to Hadij>ole barracks, A\'eynu)uth; but mjirched from thence, in November of the same year, for Salisbury, '^.N'arminster, &c. In August, orders were n'ceived for tiie regi- ment to be mounted on nag-tailed black horses;* and the horse's tails were consecpiently cut. 1794 1795 1 70C) 1707 179K 1799 * GENERAL ORDERS. " Thk heavy cavaliy, witli tlic exception of tlie two lejjinients of liU' ciiaids and royal refi;inu'nl of luirsu guards, arc to he moiintt'd on nasr-tailod horses. "The first, or King's regiment of dragoon gnards ; thf first, or royal regiment of dragoons : tlie tlmd. or King's own regi- iiT'nt of dragoons, are to ho monnted on hhvk nag-tailed horsis. " The second, or Qneen's regiment of ilraironn guards, arc to (• \ : ,t,, ; i I !■ ' H2 HFSTOKUAI, l fieers were jdaced on half-pay. In July, lsO'2, four ti()oj)s were ordered to Trowijridge to aid the civil power in the sup- pression of riots. In Octoher following the regi- ment j)r(K'ecded to Exeter and Taunton, with de- tached troops on coast duty in Cornwall; and in April, 1803, it was removed 1o Dcurhester, I80:i Kadipole, and \A'^areham barracks, from whence it marched in July following to Aruuswich and ^^'^oodbridge ; from whence it proceeded, in No vember following, to C.'indalk, with detiiclied troojis a i : 11 IF* bi lilSTOHUAL HKCOHI) OF t . 1807 at JJelturl)et, Lisburn, ]M(>iiiiii;liaU; Eiiniskillen, 1808 Sligo, and Londonderry. In Junc^ 1808, it pro- ceeded to Dublin, with (U^taelied troops at Carlow and Atliy. In the mean time important events had trans- pired in the Peninsuhi. Napoleon Duonaparte (whom the French had elevated to the throne) hiid obtained possession of the kini;(loms of Por- tnt;al and Spain l>y treachery ; had placed his brother Josei)h on the throne of Spain, and su]>- ported these usurpations by an inniiense French army. The Sj)aniards and Fortuguest;, being impatient of the bondage into which they were brought, made energetic struggles for liberty, and, a JJritish force proceeding to their aid, Portugal was di'livered from the power of Buonaparte. Lieut. -(Jeneral Sir John JMoore advanced from Lisbon into Spain to aid the patriots; and the Royal DraciIoons were directed to proceed on foreign service to reinforce the army in the Pe- ninsula ; but. on arriving at Cork for embarka- tion, uows of the result of Sir John JMoore's expedition occasioned the order to [h) counter manded. ISO*.) The reginient remained at Cork l>arracks until April, iN(X), when it proceeded into extensive can- tonments (head-(piarters at Clomuell), from whence it uas withdrawn in August Ibllowing, and eight troojis, of eighty rank and file and eighty horses per trooj), embarked at Cork for Portugal. The tratis- |>orts sailed on the 'iiid (d" Scpteniber, and on tiu^ hitli and j.^tli of that nionlh the reuiment landed :it Lisbon, and occu|»ied the barracks at J5(d«'m. TllK IMUST, on ROYAL DHAUOONS. ho Tile British iiniiy iu Portugal, comiuanded by 18J0 Lord AVellington, was occii])ying quarters on the Mondego. The Royal Dragoons niarclied a few stages up the country in January, 1810, and Avere stationed at Santareni and Torres Novas, in the province of Estreniadura ; froni whence they marched, in February, to Niza and Ali)halo, in the Alentejo. The enemy having an immense superiority of numbers, the British connnander was reduced to tlie necessity of acting on tlie (K'l'ensi\'e, and his ultimate object was the pro;ection of Lisnon. He, however, resolved to maintain a frontier |to- sition as long as ])ossible ; and, C-iudad Ko(h-igo being menaced in the end of April, the Royal Dragoons were ordered to advance to Behnonte, in the province of Beira, wliere they arrived on the 5th of May. The French army, conunamh-d by Marshal Massena, Prince of Fsling, proved so numerous, that all hope of preserving Ciudad Rodrigo was aljandoned. The Royal Dra- goons left Belmonte on the 9th of June, and pro- ceeded to Villa Velha, from whence tliey marched, on the 1st of July, to Ville de Touro, and to- wards the end of the same month to Alverca ; the enemy having taken Ciudad Rodrigo and besieged Almeida, llie advanced posts of llu; British army were rem(»ved to Frt xmbtK. The French took Abueida on tbc -iTth of Au- gust, and on the following day attacked a sa l)ao. The enemy continued to jiress upon the rear ol" the British army, and a party ol the Royal Dha- (iuoNS had another encounter with the French on the '21st of Sejttemher, and had one man wounded, and another wounded and taken prisoner. Lord Welliiiii'ton havin<^ resolved to make a stand on the heii^'hts of Uksuco, the army retired to that position, covi.'red hy the Royals and four- teenth light dragoons. During the severe contest in the mountains on the 27tli of September, the Royals were ibrmed in reserve behind the posi- tion ; and when the army retired to the ctdebrated * -iHtli AiiL'. " A |i ijiiff ot this itfiimt'iil (Uoyals) iiiado a " i>((li'a/it - lii/i\ ht'sjotrh. Tlil^ FIHST, OR ROYAL l)RA(i()()NS. 8? lines of Torres P'edrun, the Royals once more 1810 occupied the post of honour in the rear of the line of miirch. The French pressing upon the retirinn; iirniy near Ponibal on the 5th of October, their audacity was punished by a pi([uet of the Royals commanded by Lieutenant Garden, who charged the enemy and drove them back with loss; but, having advanced too far in pursuit, the lieutenant and one man, who were both wounded, were taken prisoners : tlie pi({uet, howevei', captured and brought off a Frencli cavah'y officer. The enemy's leading corps, ])eing suj)ported by im- mense cohunns, continued to hover round the rear of the allied army ; and the temerity of their ca- valry was again chastised on the 9th of ()ctol)er, near Quhita de Torre, by a s<{ua(lron t»f the RoY'AL Dragoons, which made ;i gallant charge, driving the French horsenien back with loss, and forcing them to take shelter hehind a corps of in- fantry. This corps was to(> strong to be attacked l)y the squadron, and th(» Roy'Als, having received a vohey, retired uith the loss of six hor'^es killed, and on(! serjcant-major and two men wounded, with four men \\oun(led and tak(m ]>risoners. On the foUowinii" da\' the allied iirmv was in position in the fortified lines, where it o])posed to th(' advance of the enemy a barrier so formidable that Marshal Massena, alter several reconnoisances, declined to attack it, and retired during the night of the I4th of Novendiei. On the I5tli the Royal Dragoons wen; despatclicd after the enemy, and a j>i([uet of tlie regiment took a Ser- jeant and live French dragoons prisoners. M il' s 88 HISTORICAL UECOHD OF m i y 1810 Tlie Frencli army took j>ost on the heights of Sautarein ; and the Royal Dragoons were sta- tioned at Cazul Dieni, Qiiinta, St. Cliristol, and Porto de INIugeni, from whence they sent out detaolnnents on picjuet and outpost duty. IS 1 1 The French Marshal, having consumed his re- sources and wasted< tlie numbers and physical power of his army, retired from Santarem on the niglit of tiic .Jth of March, 1811. The Royals were again despatched in pursuit, and in the series of brilliant exploits which followed they took a distinguished part They had a skirmish witii the enemy near Pecoluo on the 7th of March, when they took three prisoners, and had one man and one horse bounded. They had another encounter with the French on the 8th of March, and had two men and one horse wounded. They again came in contact with the enemy on the lltli of March, near Puinhul, and took two serje;aits and seventy- six men prisoners. Resuming the pursuit on the foHowing day the allies discovered in their front a Ijody of French cavalry, infantry, and artillery, posted on a high table land near Redinha, Lord \A'^ellini;ton or- (b.> -ed the troops to form in line, and the Royal Ekagoons were directed to support the attack of the infantry. Three shots from the Jiritish centre was the signal to advance, and suddenly a most, splendid spectacle of war was exhibited. 'J'-.c woods seemed alive with troops, and in a few moments thirty thousand men, forming three lines ol IkiHIc, were stretched across the j»lain, bending in a l;c iHj' curve, and moving majestically on- TIIK FIHST, OU WOYAL l)HA(i()()NS. 89 s of fStil- and out wards, while the horsemen and ^nins, ;siniiii,'iiii; 1811 forward simultaneously from the centre and left winj^, charged under a general i»lley from the French battalions : the latter were instantly hidden by the smoke, and when that had cleared away, no enemy was to be seen, the French having made a precipitate retreat to Condeixa. Tl:^ iiiiiii:^'. again moved forward in pursuit, and 01! the 1 1th of March the Roval Dwagoons sup- poite.! .1. successful attack of the infantry on a French force posted hi the mountains at Canal Nora : they also supported the attack on the French position at Foz (fAronce on the loth ; and on the 1 8th they encountered a i>arty of the enemy near Scrnadilla, when they took a serjeant and twelve men prisoners, and captured twelve mules : the Royals had only one man wounded on this occasion. They continued hovering neiir the French army ; and on the 26th of March a patrole of the Royals, commanded by Lieutenant Foster, with a patrole of the sixteenth light dragoons, attacked a detachment of French cavalry near Alverca with distinguished gallantry, sabred se- veral dragoons, and took an oflicer and thirty-seven men prisoners.* The Royals had another affair with a party of the enemy on the J8th of JMarch, when they cap- * " I have iL'ceiveci a report of a gallant actum oT une of our " patroles yesterday evening, un' the aetion at Sabugitl ; and, on the retreat of the French, they were detached in jtnrsuit, and captured several mules laden witli l>ai;i;aii;e near Aljayatc.s. On the 7th of A|»ril the Royals were sent to the relief ol a corps of I*ortuuese were rescued from impeudiui;' diiiii;'er. Tlu; enemy, however, ♦•outlived to effect their escape, with the loss of about three liundi'cd men killed, woundei' ; when two scjmulrons ol l*^!! the KoYALs, eonnniUKhMl l)y Lieuteniint-Colonel (Ilifton, iiiiulo ii galhml and successful charge on the enemy's cavalry, to(dv a serjeant and twenty- three men, and released a j)arty oi" the loot guards who had heen made prisoners by the French. A j>arty of the enemy's cavalry made a gallant charge, and ca)»tured two gnus Ixdonging to ('ay»taiii JiuH's troop of hors(; artillery ; when a scpiadron of the HoYAi.s dashed i'orward, routed the enemy, and retook the guns, which they brought back to the liritisli liiu?, with several French jtrisoners. Fi- nally, the Fn-nch were repulsed at every jtoint of attack, and forced to ndincpiish iheir design ol' ii'lieving Alnn'hhi. The iiovAi, l)HA(i()ONs had four men and nineteen horses killed ; also two Ser- jeants, thirty-four nu-n, and twenty-four horses woumhid ; and thry subsecpu'utly occupied their former «juartrrs al N'^illa de ('oirva. Al)out midnight on the 1 0th of May the Frcn<'h garrison in ^I/iiirhlu blew up the \vorks, then rushed in one column oul ol' (he loun, forced their passage through the blockading troops, and direcl- ed their march on Villa de ('eirva ; hut lindiiig it occupied by the l\(>YAi.s they changed the direction of their march and mo\ed on IJarba del Puerco. A parly of the llovAi, DnAtiooNs having been sud- denly calh'd out in ihe night, overtook the r<'arofthe French<'(dunm, which they attacked, an iissi'ii)l)k''l lit (riilK'ttos, luul ro- tit:(ti'il t'iKin llu'ii!.'t! ii;jiei iil)l) to niy ilii'i'i'tioiis. Aiul imtwilh- staiulini; all llu' flt'oits ol (Jt'inial Montbniii (who foiniiiiiiulrd the Fitiir.li immiIi) ) to oiitfktiik the Hiitisli, ])ressiiijj lliem at tlic- ^anll• tunc in I'ront wi'li ciu'lit piei-t'-i ol iMimon, llifir ii'lrrdt to iWiri' (/'.IriT imrils Ihr hiafn'sf rtiimni'iiiliitinn. " Majoi (it'iuTal Slaili' spcakMii \\\nv\\ |)iaisool'M(//o/' Unrvillf, of till' llii/:/ Dru^rintiis, iitid ol (',i/)liiin l'inri\. ol' tlu' same li'mn.ent, who hiid opportiimtu's ol ili'»1inu;iiishiiii; lliemsi Ivi-s. ' Lii'iitfiiitnt Uninnil Sir Ihint S/inirrr's Ihspulrh. TIIK FIRST, OH HOYAL l)HA(i()ONS. 9:-5 1 to VAI, flu- and rout and the retreat was effected with little loss. For their distiiitfuished oonduet on this occasitdi tin; Royals were |tul)liely thanked hy Lieiitenant- (ieneral Sir lirent Spencer, who connnanded, in the absence of Lord ^^^'llin^■toll in Kstreniadnra. 'I'hey lost on this occasion a trooi»-serjeant-niajor, three men, and six liovses killed; an«l mne men wonnded. The Uo^•ALS snhsequently l>ivonacked near Sal)ni>al, from whence tlu'y ])roceeded to Ai'ron- clies, and were encamped at the contlux of thf (Jaya and Aigrette: towards tlie end ol" Jnly they marched to Idanha ii Nova, on tlie frontiers of l*ortiigal ; ami in Angnst to Villa de Tonra and Iteni'a. M(!an\\ hile Lord A\'ellini't(>n returned from Kstremadnra, and afterwards blockaded C'iu- dad Rodrig'o. Marshal Marmont advanced ; when his lordship raised the blockade, and took up a defensive j)osition, and the 1{oyal ])RArjo()\s were posted on tin; "2*2nd of September on the I'pper Aza\a. A series of attaidvs and maiittNures lollowed, and on the 25tli the l{()^ Ai-s were in the position of I'^iente (Jninaldo : iVom whenc«' they were ordered to retire on the lollou in:;' day ; and on the 27tli \vere posted near All'ayatc,», with a picpiet at ^tldi'n tlf l*niiif\ which was attackeut in a state of defence, the KoVALS marched to St. Jao de Pres(jnere. The siege ol" Badn/'ox — the caj»ital ol" Sj»anish Estremadnra, situate on a heiiutil'ul jdain on the banks (d' the (iuadiana, was next determined upon: the army was accordingly put in motion for the south, and the Royal ])HA(iooNs, nroceediny; by way of Abrantes into Spanish fiStremadura, \M're placed under the connnand of Lientenant-Cieneral Sir I'homas Graham ; and, having crossed the (iua- diana on the lOth of March, advanced upon \'alverde and Santa Martha, and thence towards Llerena, — an old town of Estremadura, which once belonged to the knights of St. J(dm. On the I9t!i of iMarcIi the Royals were at Villa Franca; but on the advance of Marshal Soull, with a consider able force, they n^tired. litif/t/j'ttz was taken on the Gth of April, and Lord \\'ellington afterwai'ds proceedi'd to tlie north ; but the HoYAL J)HA(iOONs remain<'(l in Kstn'madur.i, lorming part of the force left in the ^outh undrr the command »d' liieutenant- (ieneral Sir Howl.iiid Hill. On the 2j\\\ of May a sipiadroii (d'the l-{ovALS, connnandcfl by Alajor Don villi:, proceeded on out-post duty 1o fj'ri'ii. On the "iTth. at night, THE FFUST, OR HOY A I, DRAGOONS. 95 ' III ll)«M- lied and t»()j»S l.y till' VLS ^e ol' lura, ' the iniiy 1)1(1 y or iicod Sir (illil- tlie coiiiiniiiidint^ officer ascertainod that a Frencli hrinadc had advanced witliiii a short distance ol" his |)ost : he thereluic retired to a wood about a mile heliind the vilhige, and havinii; placid a small j>ii|uet on an «'minence, with a su]>i><)rt at the lord ol'u rivulet in Iroiit ottlie wood, the sijuadron hivouaeked for ISI2 III ti le night. In the mean time a hri^ade of Frencli cavalry, commanded by i^rigadier-Cieneral L'Alle- mand, advanced to Llcrn, and surroundi'd the vil- lage at midnight, ex])ectiiig to surprise the squadron in its (juarters ; but on discovering that it had marelu'd, he advanced towards the wood, and, at- tacking the pi(piet, wounded and took prisoners 011(5 s(»rjeaiit and five men. JMeauwhile the support, commenced a brisk lire, and gallantly defended the passage of tlie ford, and the scpuidron, not ha\ing dra\\n bit, immediately mounted and ioriued ; when the French, being foiled in their object, retired : the S(iua(lron followed, and continued skirmishing with the enemy until they had j)asse(l hlern, and then resumed its former j)ost. On the 1 1th of June the seventeenth and twenty- ninth regiments of French dragoons, commanded by Hrigadier-deneral L'Allemand, again proceed- ed to the vicinity (d' Lhn'u, when iMajor-[' M((^>/f//fi the Ihitish regiments had another opportunity tf.Itme the Royals marched for Alhuhera: they were suhserpuMitly encamjH'd near Llerena, from whence they marched to Los Santos. JNIeunwhile the forces under Jjord A\'«dlington had fi ■' " No'hiiij; could exceed i1>p irallii.ilry disijl^yod liy flu' officers " and nn'ti nn this occasum. Sir (irnnbj Calcral't, and Lieiite- " nant-Coloiul Clil'ton, d mmatidiiiir llu' two icj;iiiiunts, |)ar1icMi- " larly distinguished tlii'niselves, as woU as all the oMii-iis " present. " i heir paiticularly to iei)ort the cuiidiict of Brigade Major " Hadclytte. of tlie Royal Dianoo s, to wlioni 1 f'l el (lavtieiilarly " indebted lor his assisliniee on this oeeasion." — Mnjor-d'n/i'ral .SV(j(/c'v I)f-sjiii/r/i. THE FIRST, OH HOYAL DKAGOONS. 97 i' ■y niucli lioiiM conru- iind that s lost 11(1 six Huses four ^oHel•s. were defeated the French at Salamanra ; and on thf is 12 news of this success Lieutenant-General Sir Row- land Hill advanced. The Royals were in niotiou on the 30th of July, and proceeded to Vilhi Franca, and subserviently to Fiiente del JNIaestre. The main army having inarched to Madrid, Sir Rowland Hill advanced to act in concert with Lord Wellington. The Royals advanced on the l27tli of August, and on the Gth of September were at Villa Nova; left that place on the l-^th of September; crossed the pontoon bridge at Aliiiarcz on the 19th, and arrived at Talavera, in the valley of the Tagus, on the "28tli ; from whence they proceeded to Tombleque, in New ('astiie. Lord Wellington having left Madrid and besieged the castle of Burgos, Lieutenant-General Sir Ro\vlaiid Hill took up a position on the Tagus, and the Royals marched by Aranjuez, — a beautiful j)a- lace of the kings of Spain, — to Morata. The enemy, however, concentrated his forces, and ad- vanced, with an immense superiority of nuiiii ers, to relieve Burgos, when Lord Wellington raised the siege and retiied, and Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill made a corresponding inovement. The Royals commenced retiring on the '27th of October by IMadrid and the pass of the (Jiiada- rama inoantains, and arrived, on the I'itli of No- vember, at Salamanca ; from whence they j)roceed- ed on the 15th to Arguilla,\i\\A on the ITtlihad an encounter with the enemy, when four men and (»iie horse were wounded. Leaving Argiiilla on llii* 28th of November they j>roc«'ede(l lo Zeln-ira, and towards the end (»f December to iVlcantara. II !;■■■ 'i .I-.-; ii' m 9S HISTORK AL HECORI) OF lNl3 The lioYAL Dragoons passed the winter and spriiii;' of 1818 in Spanish Estreniadiira, from whence ihey advanced, in tiie middle of JMay, to turn the enemy's position on the northern bank of the Douro ; and, arriving at SaUunanca on the 26th of that month, they fonU'd the river Tornies above the town, and encountered a body of French in- fiuitrv and a iew cavah-y un(U'r General Viilatte, who was retirinij fr(>m Salamanca in the direction of Alba de Tonnes, when the right squadron, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, charged the enemy with signal gallantry, sabred a number of men, and took one hundred and forty-three ])rison- ers, with four tundjrils. In this action the Royals had tive horses killed, and ten men and three horses wounded ; Major Purvis's charger was also killed under him. After this action the Royals bivouacked near La Orbado until the 3rd of .Fune, when they ad- vanced, with the army, on Valladolid. The ene- my wilhdrew his troops IVom Madrid, and retired on JJurgos ; and on the aj)j)roach of the allied army blew up the castle and fell back towards the Ebro, and sidjse(piently to Vittorhi, wliere he j)repared to give battle. The allied army foUowed in pur- suit ; and in this long and toilsome march the Royals were subjected to nmch fatigue and j)i i- vation, — frequently ujarching from daybreak in the morning until dusk in the evening, through a romantic and tliilicult tract of country, and climb- ing mountains and passing defiles and rugged jirecij»ices heretofore deemed inij»racticable. The horse>, from practice, ascended and descended the THK FIRST, OH H attack of the infantry on the heights in fioni of f^'tttoria. The face of the ground was so rugged that the operations of the caviilry were impeded, and for some time the services ol" the RoYAT.s were limited to supporting the columns of attack : towards the evening they, however, ad- vanced to charge, but the enemy fled in confusion, leaving behind them cannon, amnmnition, baggage, and the military chest of tlie army. The Royals moved forward in pursuit, and bivouacked about three miles beyond Vittoria : their loss was only one man and two horses killed, and one horse wounded. On this occasion the regiment was conmit nded by Major Purvis, Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton being in connnand of the brigade. The Royals advanced in pursuit of the enemy on the following morning, and on the 2nd of July they were at Suista and other villages near Pfun- pchtna, which jdace was l)lockadcd by the allied army. They left that quarter, however, on the I8th of July, for Sanguesa, a town of Navarre, on the river Arragon, twenty-five miles from Paiii- pehina. Towards the end of that mohth the French army advanced to relieve Painj)/>/i{Na, when the Royals wer<' iuunediately ordered to return to the vicinity of that |>lace, and they were formed in column at the footed" the mountains dni-- ing the i>attle of the Pi/rt'uvrs They remained H 2 I ' 100 HISTORICAL RECORD OF i' '1^ it ! 11 1813 witli the blockading force near Pampehma until the lOtli of August, when, forage becoming scarce, they again ])rocee(le(l to the plains of the Arragon, where they remained, together with General INIi- na's division of Spaniards, as a corps of reserve and sup])ort to the blockade, until after the sur- render of that fortress. They were subsequently stationed at Villa Franca during the winter. 1814 In the mean time the main army had entered France. On the 3rd of February, 1814, the Royal Dragoons marched to Tauste : from whence they proceeded, in the l)eginuing of March, through the Pyrenean mountains, and entered France on the 9th of that month. For a sliort period they were stationed near Batjonnc, which place was blockaded by the allied army ; but they subsequently advanced up the country, and on the 10th of April were at the battle of Tonfouse, .v!ien they were emjtloyed in covering the light brigade of guns, and in driving the pi(|uets of the enemy under the walls of the city, which was immediately besieged. Tlie French, having retired, the Royals were ordered forward to Villa Franche, and after- wards to Ciardouch. These brilliant successes of the Rritish troops were followed by the abdication of Buonaparte, and the restoration of peace. The Royal Dragoons returned to Mlla Franche on the '2.3nl of April, where they re- mained about a month, and then moved to INIont- guiscard(! ; and on the ^nd of June conunenced their march through France to Calais, where they arrived on the ITth of July. 'I'hev endtarked on the following day, landed iit Dover on the 19th, THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 101 mtil lice, o-on, Mi- ierve sur- jntly and marclied from thence to Bristol, where they 1814 arrived on the lltli of August ; and sliortly after- wards the estHl>lishment was reduced from ten to eight troops. In Noveniher the quarters were removed from Bristol to Exeter ; and the brilliant services of the regiment were rewarded with j)er- mission to hear the word " Peninsula," as an honorary distinction, on the standards and appoint- ments. The prospect of a lasting peace soon vanished, 1815 and unexpected events brought ihe Koyal Dra- goons again into the field of conflict. The return of Buonaparte to France, the flight of Louis XVIII. from Paris, and the a[)pearance of a Bri- tish army near the frontiers of France, followed in ra|)i(l succession. An express arrived at the ({uarlers of the KoYALS on the morning of the 24th of Aj»ril, 1815, \vith orders to march on the following morning for Canteibury, and afterwards to Dover and Uamsgate, and to cnd>ark for the Netherlands. An augmentation of two troops was at the same time ordered ; a hundred lutrses wen; received at Canterbury by transfer from the fifth dragoon guards ; and about tht' middle of May the Royals were in Jielgium, in ,t uo tiini'." — Major Ruifr/i/i/h's Journal. THE FIRST, OR K(n AI, DRAGOONS. 103 rse. on lalii- ents, tafi'fi rious ling U\ at . * 3ke(l my advantjii;e when it was my turn to skirmish. 1M|, The enemy had two sqtiadrons ol" Chasseurs oppoi >ed to me, an* 1 n!> they could not over[)Ower *' us by their lire, they huzzaed and en(h;avoured " to excite each other on witli ' Vive TKnijiereur ! ' " and once actually chari^cd towards my skirmish- " ers, but they sto]>ped short, not daring to couk; '• to daggers \vith us." Towards th«.' evening the Royals arrived at the position in front oi" fl^'ater- lou, where they halted, and again passed the night in the open helds, witliout ]>rovisions, without drink, and exposed to continued riiin. On the morning of the l^tli of June tin; army was formed in order of battle. " We' (the Roy- als) " found ourselves," states the Major, in his journal, " in our j)lace in close column l^ehind the " second line of infantry, fetlock deej) in nuul ; no " baiiiraire for the officers, and neither lu-ovision " nor water for the men (though some stray cattle " had been killed and eaten, and a ^mail su]»|»ly of " spirits had, a short time before, been found on " the road), so tliat we might be said to go rW/y/ *• into action, for every man was wet to the skin." Notwithstanding these disadvantages the Royals proved " true Britons." At ten o'clock the French army A\as seen form- ing on the oj»))osite heights, from whence a cloud of skirmishers rushed forwards : the Hre of the artillery gradually opened, and al)out noon the co- lumns of attack came sweeping through the valley in all the jiomp and majesty of war. A succession of atta(d OF u te 'li. 1' i; li ISIT) moment nlicn their services should be reqiiireil. At length, twenty tliousjind French inluntry (Count d'Erlon's corps) suddenly appeared on the opposite lieii^lits, and rusliing lorward, sucli was the c«derity of their course, that, scarcely seeming to traverse the intermediate space, tiiey ([uickly ascended the position, — dispersed a lielgic brigade \vitli wliich they first came in contact, — forced the ai'tiljery-men, posted in the rear of the double hedge and narrow road, to abandon their guns, — broke througli parts of the IJritish supporting inlaiilry, — and several thousand of I'rench foot having jiassed La Ilaye Sainte, had actually cro\\ii('tl the ailit'd ]>osition, when Lieutenant- (iencral the Earl of Uxbridge came gallojdng to that part of the ficdd. A few wonls issued from his lips: sju'cdily the UovALS, the Scots Greys, and InnisUillcn dragoons were seen ad- vancing in line; ihe noble bearing ol' these dis- tinguislK'd liorsenuMi was characteristic of the innate valour of the ollicers and men, and the spec- tacle was singularly imposing. The three regi- ments halted a lew moments to permit the broken battalions to pass through the intervals of scpui- dn»ns, and then rushed forward, \\\\\i terrific violence, upon the enemy's infantry. 'I'hc ell'ect ^\as magical : the heads of the French columns were instantly broken and fiuced back, — a general flight commenced ; the firing ceased, and tin; smoke havintr cleared awa\ , those fonnidabh' masses, ;• moment before so meiuM'ing and <'onsjd- cuous, had almost disajjpean-d, <»r left only tin? lra«'es ol ;i dis|'ersed rabble fiyinL!; over the plain. 'It ^1 THE FIRST, OH HOYAL DUAOOONS. 105 rtnl. "try the was aiii. Some, despairing to escape, abaii'loned their arms, 1815 and threw thi'niseives on the ground, and tiie Royals, Greys, and InniskiUen dragoons were seen tramj»ling down and sabring the Frepch in- fantry with uncontrollahle j)ower. Crowds of French soldiers apjteared at diU'erent j»oints, sur- rendering as prisoners : many, however, defended themselves to the lust ; and others again, rising up, after being ridden over or passed by thi; ibagoons, were observed liring on their rear, the slope of the position being left lit«M'ally covered with dead. During the heat «>f this contlict, Captain Ai.EX- ANDKH Klnnmdy Ci-AKK,* conuuauding the centre s((uadron of the Hoyal J)HA(io<)NS, having led his men about two huiKhcd yards l)eyond the second hedge on the British h'ft, perceived in the nudst of a ciowd of infantry the Ea(ji,k of the French lOOth reginu'iit, with wiiich the bearer was endeavouring to escape to the rear. Against this body of nuui, ('aptain Clark instantly led his sipuidron at full sjiccd, and plunging into the midst of the crowd, (»\crtook and slew the Frciudi otlicer who carried the Facji.K; and several men of the {{oval l)UA(io()NS coming u|) at the mo- ment, the Ka(jlk wHsca|>ture(l, and Captain Clark, giving it to Curporal Stiles,^ directed him to carry it to the rear. I ♦ Now (".iloiu'l A K. riaik Kfi.nnly. CU. niul K.H., lipti- toimnt-coloncl ol'llu' scviiitli ilni|;o<>n iiiiiirds. + Kriiiu'is Still's WHS n-wiiidi'il willi an t'lisisjncy in tlie sixth Wi'st liidm rcuniicnt on tin- I Ith of April, MKi. ami was placed on liiilf -pay on tlic JHtli of DiwmluT. 1817: lie died in London on tlif 'Jtli "of January, Is.'m. I " I was in coniniand of tiir ivntiv squadron of tlic Kovai •' Dka(u)i)N!1 in tlu!< cliar^e. Whili' IblldWinj; up tlu' attack. I 106 niSTORU'AL HKCOHl) OF t U' '{.• 1815 Another Eagle was captured by the dreys ; and the three regiments, animated by thJKS ti(h^ arent in tlie movements of this insuhited and unsupported briii;a(le, fell upon it with a lar^^e body of lancers and some cuirassiers. The three regiments being l)rolven and dispersed in the pursuit, were forced back, and they sustained consideraljle loss. Their gal- lant leader, IMajor-lienerai Sir William Pon- soNUY was killed,* and llu- connnand of the " perceived, a little to my left, in the midst of a body of inrantry, "nil EmrIi' '.iiid ( 'oloiii, which the bearer was makina: ott' with " towards tlu' rear. 1 immediately t:ave the order, ' Riij;iit shoulders " forward,' to my ^iqnadroii, at the same time leudlnji direct upon " the Eiiiile, and ealiini: out to the men with me to ' Si'cure the " cidours.' The instant I got within reach of the ofiicer who " carried the Kai^le, 1 ran my sword into his riijht side, and he ' -itaL'iiered i.nd lell, hut did not reach tlie irround on accnimt " of the (uessure of ins ciimpanions. A^ the (iffieer was in the " net of fallinjr, I called out, a second time, to some men close he- " hind me, ' Secure the colour ; it helonus to me !' The standard " coverir, (.'oriioral Stiles, and several other men, rushed up, and " tlie E;i{;le lell across my horse's head, atjainst that of (-'orporal " Stiles, who came up on my left. As it was falling I caught " I he fringe nl tiie ttaj,' witii my left hand, but could not at the "first pull up the Kaiile: at the second attempt, however, I " succeeded, Heiiii: in the midst of French troops, I attempted '■ to sei)arate the Eaijjle from the stall, to put it into the hicast " of my coatti'; hut it was tno firmlv tixt'd. Coriioral Stdes " saiil, ' I'lay, Sir, do ni>l l)ieak it ! to which I rejilieil ' \ cry well ; " carry it idf to tlie rear as last as you cm,' which lie did. Tiioiii:!) " vvoiindcd, 1 prelencd remaining in the iield m the command of " my sijuadron, which I d il until near seven o'clock in the "evening:, when 1 was ohlitrrd to withdraw; haviiiir had two " llor^es killed under me, and haviiis; received two wounds, which " confi?ied nic to my (|uaiti is at Urussels nearly two months." — Ciij'tiiiii ('/iir/{'s Siirriiliri al Ihi- < 'd/ tiiii- n/' t/ii- hliiuli'. *Tliis respected and lamented nllieii ( Majoi-CJeiu ml Sir WiHiMin P.insnijliy), lu'hned by all who serviil with or uii(!er hini, met bis death in a maiinei whuh cin'i' ml upon it an inlerestmL'cliHracler. When THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 107 ys; (>r ley iiid the nee nts fell »iiie veil iiek, brii^iule devolved on Colonel Muter* of the Innii?- 181- killen dragoons. In this attack the Royals took an iniinense number of ])risoners : their conduct excited great admiration, and has been cunnnended by liistorians. The following is an extract from one of the nu- merous accounts of the battle of Waterloo : — " The " JMarquis of Anglesey, galloj)ed up to the second " brigade (1st, 2n(l, and 0th dragoons), and the " three regiments, wheeling into line, presented a " beautiful front of about (me thousand men. '* The noble JMarquis ordered a charge, which was " most galhintly executed. They took the enemy " in Hank and a most tremendous tight commenced. " Every man fought with unparalleled heroism, " for every man had his own individual task to " perform. The I{()YAls, fired with a noble " emulation, ruslied into a column of four thousand " men, where they «'ap1iwed the Kagle ol" the " lOS'.h regiment and bore it off in trium|)li. The " greater j»art of this column then threw down When the order was jriven for Httackins; the enemy, he led the three retriments fdrwHrd with llial imhle ardour for wliicli lieliiul lioeiKhs- tinuiiislii'd in the eiinipiuunsin the I'en insula. Unvini;eut tliroiii^h the lirst colimin, he proceeded where the Hoyai.s were so iiotly eiiiiam'd, and I'oimd hinisell'outHrtiiked liy ii riuinient of Polish hiiH'crs in a n< wly-phmirlied litld, tlie f;n)iind of which was so sott that his horse l)e(rtnie hiown, and was unal)le to pioeeed. He was attended hy only one aide-de-camp. At this instant the lancers were ai)proacliintj liini iit hill speed. His own death, he knew, was iiicvitahle. hut supposing; liis aide-de-caiii|) iniuht escape, he drew iorth the picture of Ins lady and his watch, and was in the act of deliveriuf,' them .0 his attendant to he conve\ed to his family, when the enemy came up and they were hoth sjieaied upon the spot. • Now Lieiitenaiit-Ceneral Sir Joseph Siraton, K.C.II. and C.R., coliinel of the ei^dith royd Irish hussars, who was antlio- rised Id take and use the surname of Strat'H, instead of Muter, on the .'Kfh of Septemher, IHlfi. ■i t 108 HISTORICAL RECORD OF II (t li '? 1815 " their arms, and were immediately conducted to " the rear. Tlie (ireys also captured an Eaj;le- " Thus the threat attack of the enemy on tlie lel't " uas finally overthrown, and two thousand men *' made prisoners." After returniuiT from the cliari;e, the Royals resumed their post in position, and were exposed to a heavy cannonade. In the afternoon the hrigade was moved to its ri<:ht ; and. Colonel Muter hav- ing been wounded, Lieut. -Colonel Clifton of the Royals took the comnumd of the three regiments; A\ hen the eonnnand of the Royals devolved on JJrevet Lieut.-Colonel Dorviile. The enemy made several attacks on various jioiiits, but was uniformly re|>uUed. At length the Duke of Wellington assumed the offensive. The Royals again ad- vanced, and the allied army made a sinmltaneous rush upon the enemy, who was overthrown, cut down, and pursued with dreadful slaughter from the fiehl of battle. Thus ended a day glorious to the Jiritish arms beyond precedent. The dis- tinguished services of the liKAVY Cavalry did ju)t fail to excite iulmiration : — by their powerful attacks they more than once restored the battle; and they were especially noticed Ity the Duke of \Wdlington in his dcspaich. The Royal Dragoons had Captain \\'indsor, Jjicutcuant Foster, C'ornets Magniac and Sykes, Adjutant Slu'plcy, six Serjeants, eighty-six men, and one lumdretl and sixty-one horses killed : Jirevi't Major Raddylfe', Cajitain Clark, Lieu- * Major RudelyH'o was wotiiuUul in the Hist clmrjro, and taken from t'e field He was an excellent swordsman, and had tHII^llt I THE FIRST, OR ROYAL nRAOOONS. 109 to ;le. lelt neii tenants Gunning, Keily, Traiford, Wyndowe, 1^1") Onunaney, Hlois, and Goodenougli, with six Ser- jeants, eighty-two men, and tliirty-five horses, wounded ; also two men wounded and taken pri- soners. On the foUowing morning the aUied army advanced, directing its march upon Paris, which city Avas surrendered in the early pari of July. The Royals accompanied the army, and on the 7th of July marched into quarters at Nanterre, a village situate ahout seven miles troin the French taught many of his men liis peculiar method of e:iviiia; point, and lie was afterwards miicli delighted on heinfj informed that the troopers, by adhering to his instructions, had heen siijnally successl'id in their attacks. The decease of this pallant and excellent officer, clever man, and {jood scholar, took place on the 241 h of February, 1827 : the Ibllowing is an extract from a periodical work respecting him: — " Died on the 24th of February, " 827, in Connauaht-square, Lieu- " tenant Colonel RadclyflFe, Major of Hriirade to the Cavalry in " Great Britain, aa:ed 53. — Thi"; distinguished officer served m all " the campaigns of the late revolutionary war, commencing with " the Duke of York's, in Flanders, in 1 79.'J, and ending with the '* sanguinary baUle of Waterloo. There he received a severe " wound from a miiskel-ball, which lodged in his knee, the constant " pain and irritation of whicli (as it could not be extracted) has " thus prematurely destroyed his valuable life. His Lieut. -Co- " lonelc> took its date from that s:lorious day. He was present " at the I attles of Salamanca, V'ittoria, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor, *' the blockade of Fampeluna, and the attack of Bayonnc, besides " numerous engagements of minor note, lie aasMajurof ihigade " during the campaigns m Spiiin to the battle of Toulouse in April. " 1814; after which he was appointed Assistant- Adjutant General " to the Cav.dry, and accompanied it as s.ieh lluouirh France to " England. So entirely was his mind devoted to his profession, that " almost the last words he spoke (only two hours before his " deatli), in answer to a (piestion from his pliysieians as to how " he felt, were, ' 1 am retreating, retreating, retreatinu ; I cannot " advance." He was a nio.st scientific and dexterous swonKnuui, " a skillul officer, and able tac'ician. Witness a smull work " which he jirinted on those subjects. He was a sincere and "ardent friend, a conscientious (,'hristian, and a brave and good " man. He lived highly and universally respected, and died " sincerely lamented " 110 IIISTOHICAL RF.CORD OF ISIG oiipital. The Bourbon dyimsty was restored to the throne, and the canipaij^n terminated. The KoYALS left Nanterre on the SOtli of July, and proceeded to Rouen, and in October to INIonte- villiers; from whence they marched, in Decem- ber, to the vicinity of the coast ; und in the early part of January, 1816, embarked at Calais. The regiment landed at Dover and Ramsi;,ate on the 15tli of that month, and j)roceeding from thence to Ipswich barracks, arrived there on the 23rd ; and, on the "25th, the establishment was reduced from ten to eight troops. For their distinguished gallantry on the 18th of June, 1815, permission was granted for the Royal Dragoons to bear the word " Waterloo" and an " Eagle" on their standards and appointments : every officer and man present at that engagement received a silver medal to be worn on the left breast, and the subaltern officers and soldiers liad the j)rivi- lege of reckoning two years' service for that day, to- wards increase of pay and ptaision. The following officers of the Royal Dragoons received medals and marks of royal favour for their services during the war : — LlEUTENANT-CoLONRL. Colonel Arthur Ben.i amin Clifton. Medal and one clasp for Fuenti's d'Onor, ami Vittoria. Companion of tlio order of the Bath. Medal for Waterloo. The second class of the Russian order of St. Anne. The fourth class of thc> order of Wilhelm of Ilollaiul. M \.ious. LlKTTKNANT-rOLONKI, PlIlMI' DORVILLK. Companion of the order of the Hatli. Waterloo Medal. CmAKLKS I'l'RVlN. Medal for Vittoria. i: s! TIIK FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. Ill to MEDALS FOR WATERLOO. 1816 Captains. Major Cliarles E. RadclyfFe Alexandar Kennedy Clark Paul Phipps Lieutenants. Henry Robert Carden Siirismund Tiaff'ord George Gunninij Townshend Richard Keily Samuel VVindowe Lieutenants. Cornthwaile Omraaney Charles Blois Stephen Goodenough Cornets. C. B. Stephenson Honourable John M-issey Qiiaiter-Master W. Waddell Surgeon George Steed Veterinary-Surgeon W. Ryding Towards the end of August, 1817, the Royal 1817 Dragoons nuurhed lor Scotland, and were sta- tioned at Hamilton, Ayr, Duniiries, Stirling, and Glasgow. In June, 181S, tliey embarked at Port- ISIS patriclv for Ireland, and, having landed at ])onag- hadee, proceeded to Baliinrobe, Sligo, Longford, Rosconnnon, and Dunmore. In Novend)er a re- duction of eight Serjeants, ninety-six men, and fifty-six horses, was made in the establishment. In June, 1819, the regiment proceeded to Dub- ISl'.) lin, where it remained on garrison duty until August of the following year, Avhen it endjarked 1820 for England ; and, after landing at Liverpool, marched to Manchester, Oldham, Asliton, and Altringham. On the 19th of March, 1821, the Rovals com- 18-21 inenced their march for Radipide barracks, from whence a number of parties were detached on revenue duty ; and, for the seizure of smuggled goods made whilst on this duty, the regiment re- ceived uj)wards of £200. In Sej)tember the _. ^^•-^t;j^;-__^^^^-2:ti'.f.'fM' 112 IllSTORlCAl- llFCOUn OF ■'if, H ■■r , '■■- ■f. ■ ( t Ill' If m 1821 estiiblishinent was reduced to six troops, of three officers, three Serjeants, one trumpeter, one farrier, fifty rank and file, and forty-two horses eaeli. 1822 The regiment marched, on the 13th of June, 182*2, from the west and soutli-west districts, to Hichmond and other villages near the metropolis, and was reviewed on ^Vorlnwood Scrubbs l>y His Royal Highness the Duke of York on the 6th of July. Two days after the review it marched for Canterbury, detaching troops and parties on the revenue duty. 1823 Having called in the detachments, the regiment marched from Canterl»ury, on 1st of July, l!S23, for the cavalry barracks near the Regent's Park, London, and on their arrival took the Kinti's duty — the life guards and royal horse guards having marched into ((uarters near Hounslow, prejjara- tory to a review, which took place on the 15th of July, when the Royals furnished a "uard of honour for His Royal High;. ess the Duke of York, and a scjuadron to assist in keejung the ground. They were rtdieved from the King's duty on tlu' following day, and marched for York barracks, where they arrived on the 29th of July. 182 I From York the Royals nuirclied, on the 2 1th of May, lhi24, for Scotland, and occujded Piersliill barracks, Edinburgh, and Pertli, — with deta<'h- ments at Cupar, Angus, and Forfar; and were employed, during tlic calamitous fire in Parliament Scpiare, Edinburgh, in Novend)er, (m three suc- cessive days, i:i preserving «Mistrat!'s, and town council of Edini)ur proceedv'd to Hamilton, and (ilasgow, and in the f idkming month end)arked for Irelaiu iftcr land- ittcr land ing at Donaghadee, it marched to Dundalk and fjel- turhet, from whence several strong escorts were de- tached for the safe-conduct of specie, — ^the c irrency of the two kiiiL>(loms having heen assimilated. On the 30th of ^[arch, 18-26, the Royals marclied for Duldiii, where they remained until April, 1827, and then inarched for Newhridge ; and in Octoher following proceeded to (.'ork, Fer- moy, and J5andon. The whole assemhled at (york in March, 182S, and j)roceeded from thence to JJiiUincollig. The reijiment commenced its march for Duldin on the '28th of April, 1820, cmharked for England in the early part of May, and, after disemharking at Liverjiool, proceeded into quarters in the town of Manchester, — the harracks at that place having l)een pulled down for the purpose ress the satisfaction he experien'^ed in being presented with so honourable a testimonial of their behaviour. 1831 The regiment remained at Norwich and I})s- wich during the whole of the year Ia31. In the 1832 spring of 1832 it marched to Canterbury*; in * A Kuird of honour, consisting of one major (Major Marten), two captains, two subiilterns, four serjeants, and one hundred rank and file, witli the royal s:andard, was ordered, l)y tiie kiuij'.s special command, from (Janterbiu-y to Windsor Castle, for the nrpose of escortinp; their majesties on the occasion of the present- pnri ition of a new standard to the royal hor-e guards (hlues) by Kinj; William IV. on the 13th of Aufrust, \n:i>. IH; THE FIHST, OR IJOYAL DRAGOONS. 115 1833 to Dorchester ; and in 1S34 to Brighton. During the following Avinter it proceeded to Bris- tol, from whence it cmhurked, in January, 183-3, for Ireland ; and, after landing at DuMin, was stationed at Newbridge for sixteen months. On the removal of Lieutenant-General Lord Edward Somerset to the fourth di'agoons in IMarch, 1830, the colonelcy of the Uoyals was conferred on Major-General Sir Frederick Cavendish Pon- sonl.y,"K.C.B., (;.l;.M.G., and K.C.IT., from the <'ighty-sixth foot. During the sunnner of 1836 the regiment pro- ceeded to Dublin ; and, while stationed at that place, its colonel, Sir Frederick Cavendish Pon- sonl>y, died ; and was succeeded, on the 20lh oi' January, 1>^37, by Lieutenant-CTcneral the Right Honourable Sir Ilussey Vivian, K.(M». and G.C.H. The regiment left Dublin in the autumn of 1«37, and was stationed during the following year at Cork; from whence it (Mubarked, in May, 1839, for Liverj)Ool ; and, after landing at that port, was removed to ShelHeld, where it has remained until the conclusion of this memoir. In taking a retrospective view of the services of the KoYAL Regiment of Dragoons, its conduct cannot fail to excite admiration. The details given in the preceding pages atford numerous instances of determined bravery, steady discipline, and con- stant efficiency. These qualities were eminently displayed when charging the Moorish legions on the confines ol' Africa, and l)eaiing away in triumph the Mahomedaii coh)urs in 1004 and Ki^iO ; — when routing the insurg«Mit bands at Sed^-cmoor in l()85 ; — forcing the passage of the Hoyne in 1090; I •> IS.'33 18.34 1S;55 IS.% is;^7 1S38 1839 IIG TllK IIHST, ()1{ HOVAL nUAGOONS. m. \lf m 1S39 — oil (lotaclied services in Ireland in 1091 ; and op- posini^'the troops of Louis XIV. in theXetlierlaiids from MYJl to l()l)7. Nor were they less conspicu- ouslv evinced when servini>- on the iVontiers of Holland under the o-reat Duke of Marlhorouiidi in 1702 and 1703 ; — skirmishing in the mountains of Catah)nia and in the valleys of Valencia, under tlie Earl of Peterhorongh, in 1705 and 1706 ; — and chari^'ing the Spanish forces at Ahnanara, and at S(irago.s,sht- ing the French cuirassiers at the battle oi^ Drffiii- gf'tt in 1743, where they captnred the standard of the initNfifjiicfa'n'f'.s iioir.s ; they again dis|»layed signal valour at ff^drhimr^ in 17()0; and under the Duke of Vork in Flutulcrs in 179 1. In nume- rous tights with the legions of Najxdeon in the Pcuhi.stthi, from 1810 to 1814, they acquired new lionours : they were also engaged at the glorious battle of /I'^afci'/oo on the 18th of June, 1815, where they cai>tnred one of the two French Eagles taken on tlnit day. On all occasions the Royal Dragoons have evinced a dauntless b«'aring, united with >tea(ly valour, and unshaken lirmness, the characteristics of a British corps. These (jualities, as well as the temper, patience, and forbearance which have dis- tinguished their conduct, when emjdoyed in aiding tile civil jiower on duties at home, have rendered the regiment a valuable ac(piisition to the crown, and have atlonled the strongest prt)ol"s of its useful- ness to the cuiintry. tuls |CU- of I) in IS of Jtlit' at 'M' SUCCESSION OF COLOXELS THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS. John Lord Churchill. Appointed Vj//i November, 1()83. A'l' its loniiation tlie Hoval Rkgimknt of DKAtiOONs had the honour of being coniniiintlt'd by one of the most distinguished oifieers Great Britain has produced, — a general who ac(|uire(l ceh'])rity in the field nnd in the cabinet, — who never foui'lil a battle be did not win, nor besiege a town which he did not capture John Chukckill was born on the'24th of June, 10.50. At sixteen years of age be was page of lionour to the Duke of York, who procured him an ensign's commission in the first foot guards; tind b- aiu itterwards resigned tlie jjleiisures of the court .> acquire a practical know- ledge ol' his ])rofe-sion m I angier, in Africa, where he servi'd as a volunteer ajjainst the Moors, and gave jire- sage of those bright jnaliiies i'or which he afterwards became distiii >er\ices on occasions ofditlicnlty or danger; and he evinced signal gallaiiHy i'l l')73. at the siege of Maestricht,* where he was wciunded. Ii8 SUCCESSION ()!• COLONELS. > It m to:' He subsequently served with the French army on the lihiiie, — attnieted tlie parlieular attention and regard of tlie celebrated Marshal Turenne, — and in 1674 he was appointed colonel of one of the English regiments in the service of the French monarch, in succession to the Earl of Peterboroub»'l- lion was reward*',! with tlh' colonelcy of the third troop of life guards, anil the rank of major-general. No ties of interest, or charms of royal favour, could, however, in- duce him to abandon the best interests of his tiativc country ; and M the Hevolution in l(»'^8 he joined the standard of the Prince of Oranjfe, for wliicii lie was removed from the life guards by King .lames. On the nccession of King William HI. he was restored to the command of the third troop of lite iruards, — uiiiiointed ri' H ri SUCCESSION Ol' COl.ONKLS. IIU \ the ird of e was ill the Earl ranee of a colotit'l of tlio royal fusilccrs, — sworn a moniber of tlio privy council, — tuado lord ol'tlic bedchamber to his Ma- jesty,— crcateil I'iAUi. Ol' MAiiLiiOl{()i'(;H, and appointed to the command of the British troops sent to the Nether- lands, to be employed in the war with France. During the campaign of l()H9 lie served under Prince Waldeck, and gave proof ol' his personal bravery, and ability to command, at the battle of \Valcomt. in Jinie, IG'JO, lie was appointed eonnnander-in-chief, and proceeding, in the autunni of that year, with a body of troops to Ireland, eajjtured Cork and Kiiisale. In KVJl he commandeil the British infantry imder King William in the Nether- lands. In the following y(>ar he was confined in the Tower of London on a charge of high treason, but was subsequently released without being brought to trial, and restored to royal favour. On the breakinwaerl, and Lit'ge with surpri-ing rapidily ; extended and secuieil the Dutch frontiers; and vviis re\\arded with the 'hanks of j)arlia- meiil, tin .ipprobiitiou of his sovereign, aiul the dignity of Di'KK OF MAUl.lumoiM;!!. Ill tlu! ciniipaign of 17 army from the ocean to (he Danube ; forced the heights of Schellenherg on the 2n(l July, 1701, and compelled the enemy to take shelter behind the lines of Augsburg. New armies and new generals appeared, and their overt lirow, at the decisive battle ofBlenheim on the loth of August, added new histre to the reputation of the British commander: there tlie heaps of slain gave dnad- I'ul proofs of British valo\n', and wliole legions of prisoners of their mercy. This victory displayed the distinguishing character of M.\KL«OROtTtiH. and produced important results : Bavaria was s\d)dued ; Hatisbon, Augsburg, IMm, Meninglien, — all were recovered. From the Da- nube he marched to the Rhine and the Moselle ; Laiidau, Treves, and Traerbach were taken ; and the British com- mander, — courted and honcjured by sovereign princes, — apphmded V)y nations, became the pride of armies, and was rcwaided with the diiinitv of a i'uiNcr, of tiik llo- MAN IvMi'iiu. \N liile l\is judgmtMit swayed the councils of the states of Christendom, lie led their armies {o battle and victorv. I i I'O.') he experienceil disai)])oinfiuent from th u* ])rinces lie nad delivered m the preceding year; but, suddenlv changing the scene ol' his operations, he led \u< army from tlie Moselle to the Maese ; Liege was relieve! 1; n uv retaken ami tlie joas ted imi)r I'l'iiaDle l)h l''rench lines fined In the spring uf \70(\ another catnpaigu opened, when the discipline he iiad introduced, and the conlidence he had inspired, again ])rov('(l invin- cible, lie met, attacked, and tiinmpiied over the I'rencli, Spani.irds. and Bavarians, at K'amilies, on the '2'hd of IV. M; of I This decisive action was followi d bv the surrender lOuvaiii. |{ rus^els, .Mai nies. Liege, (ilieiil, Oudenarde Anfwerj). Damme, lirugt-H. ainl( *ourtra\ ; .ind by the caj)- I'lre of ()>tenil, .MiMiiii. Deiidirmond. ami Aelh, — places which had resisted the greatest geiu-rals for months— for y.nirs ; provinces, disputid for aees, 'vere tie' contpiests of a suimner. So great was hi* rrpntalion, that, ihrongli- out the eanipai>;n of I "(>", the eneni\ avoided a gt'lieral J SUCCKSSION OK COI.OM'.I.S. 121 ukI of >nd Ithe It ho ad- liors pnrrjifjori. nt : but in the follouiii"- siimm(>r a 2;\ll;int Froucli at my, led by the princes of the hlood, was over- come at Oii(h'iKirde ; and, altlio\i pierced ; tlie fortifications were trampleil down; and the enemy tied. After this vic'ory Mons was taken. In the succeeding year Douav, " '''une, Aire, St. Venant, shared the same fate; and »i ni)aign of 1711 was distinfjuished by splendid su.-ioss. A new series of lines were pass.'d. and liouchain captured. NOlhino; availed against a geiuM'al uhose sagacity foresaw everything, whose vigilance at- tended to everything, whose constancy no labour could subdue, wlios(> courage no danger coidd dismay, and whose intuitive glance always caught the decisive moment and insured \ictory; while the discipline he maintained, and the conildeiice he inspired, were e(piivalent to an .uniy. The ImvihIi monarch > .idoptidu of a policy fasourable to the I'Veiich iiitercsl, wa>^ follnwed by llie removal of the great M AM.lionoi Gil from all his nllicc^ dependent on the Ihitish crown. He retired to the ( '(intiiiciit, where he remained until the accessiim of King ( ieorge I., when he 122 SUCCIiSSION OF COLONELS. was roplaced in lii^ former ])ost^. in which he continued until his decease in 1/22. Ed' vrd Viscount Cornijithy. Appointed l.s7 August, 1685. Edward Hyde Viscount Cormjury, son of the second Earl of Chirendon, was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the KoY Ai. Dragoons when that corps was first embodied ; and having distinguished liimself at the battle of Sedge- moor, he succeeded Lord Churchill n the colonelcy of the regiment. The eireuuistances of his removal are stated at ])age 19 in the ' Historical Record of the Koyal Diagoons.' HoRKRT Clifford. Appointed 2Alh November, lOSS. Major Rohf.rt Cliiford of the Royal Dragoons was lirmly devoted to the Roman Catholic interest, ami in November, 1GH8, by his exertions he recovered the regi- ment for the service of King James, as stated at j)age 1*.) in the Historical Record of the corps. At the revohitit)n lie adliered to King .Fames, and he commanded a corjjs of drac^oons in IreUuul, until the siege of Limerick in \^S\)\, when he was imprisoned by the Irish on a charge of favouring the jjassagt- of the Shannon by the English; and would have been condennied to death, if the town had not surrendered soon afterwards. Edward Viscount Cormjury. Jie-aj)/)oiiited 3l.\f Deeemlur, 1088. IjORD Cormuuy was restored to the colonelcv "f the |{(»\Ai, I^RA»;()()Ns by \\\>^ Prince of Orange; but was removed from hi'- command a few months aftiTwards. He was governor of New ^'ork, in the reign of Qui-en Amii' ; and in October, ITOU, succeeded to the title of Eahi. ()i ( 'i.arindon. His decease occurred on the :}|si of March. 172:?. SUCCKSSION 01' COLONELS. 123 lietl [oncl ]■ the lied ; MS*"" fy 0^" are loyal Anthony Hayford. Appointed \st July, IG89. 'I'ms Officer served in the life guards as a private gentle- man, and afterwards in the Duke of Monmouth's regiment of horse in the reign of Cliarles II. In 1684 he was appointed lieutenant in the liorse grenadier guards. In 1687 he was lieutenant-colonel of the Hoyal Dragoons. He joined the Prince of Orange in November, 1088; and sueceecUng LordCornbury in the colonelcy of the regiment in 1689, served in Scotland and Ireland. ROWARD MaTTIIFAVS. Apjjoiiitcd ill June, 1690. This Officer served as a volunteer at Tangier, in Africa; also in Ireland in 1690 and the 'ollowing year, and distinguished himself on several occasions. He also eonmianded a briijade of dragoons under King William in Flanders, in 1091, 1695, and 1696; and died on the 28th of May, 1697. Thomas Lord Rahv. Appointed 30M Afay, 1()97. Thomas VVfntwouth, son of Sir William Wentworth, baronet, was a])|;ointed cornet of the fourth horse, now third dra croon "uaids. on the 31st of December, 1688; a)i(i in the fullowiiic summer starved with his ri'ainieni against the rebel lligiilauilers in Scotland, In 1692 he servi'd in Flanders, and was in the advance-guard at the battle of Steenkirk on the 3rd of August in that year, where he liigMy distinguished himself, and the squadron he was with, being ex])OM'd to a heavv cannonade, only brought oil lif.y men alive out of one hundreil and liffy. Mis gallantry on this occiision was es]iecially reported to his sovereign, and he was appointed aide-de-camp to Hi.s Majesty : in which cai)acity he served at the battle ofliandeii. on the I9th of July. 1693. wiien his conduct ol)tainedlhe approbation of King \N illiam 111., who pro- moted him (o the eonunission of cornet and major in the lir^'t troop, now firnt regimtul. of life guards. I J J SUfCl'.SSION Ol COI.ONKLS. Major Wentworth sim-vihI with tlic lifo guards in the «;ul)SPquont rampaigns in tlie Netluen Anne, Lord Rahv served with his reiriment on the Continent, and in .lamiary, 1703. he was ])romoted to the rank of hrigadier- general. In the s]ning of the same year he was ap- pointed envoy extraordinary to the King of Prussia, and subsequently ambassador extraonlinary at the snme cuurt ; ;uid on the first of .Jamiary, 1705, was advanced to the rank of miijor-geiieral. His lordship served i n the army mider the ]3uke of Marlborough, during the brilliant ciuiii);iign of 170(); and, on the 1st of.laiuiary fion ol •eorire 1., 1 le was remove! 1 i mm I!'- )Ul)llC > iii[ilo\ inents. The Earl of Strafford died on the I'mIi of \ oveniDer, 1739. Rich Aid) Loin) Cuiiii \m. /lf/f)oiiit((l \'-\tli Jiniv. 171"). Mi: l\l( IIAKM 1 I .Mil. I. -CI \\.\\ \uiilei ,lll<> Will lam III SUCC'KSSIO Ol' COl.ONKLS. 125 tlie Notlu'rlaiuls ; and. on the breiikinjj out of the war of the Spanisii tsuccessiuii, he was promoted to the coloiiel'v of a iiewlv-raised rejiiineut ot'foot, which was (hshaiided at tlie peace of Utrecht. He served under the great Duke of Malborough, and was conspicuous for a noble bearing, a greatness of soul, and a contempt of chmger, whu li he exhibited in a signal manner al the siecrt's of Venl 00 a I id i{ ureinonde. al the battk' of Oudi'iiardi .UK at the siege of the im])orUint fortress of lisle. In January, 1709, he was promoted to the rank of major- general, and his eoiubict at tlie siege of Toiu'iiay, ihe sanguinary battle of Mal])la(|uet, and siege of Mons, was rewarded, in the following year, with the rank of lieu- tenant-general and the colonelcy of the fo u'lh dragoons. ile served uiuh-r the Duke of Marlborough in 1711, and had the honour of takino part in the fdrein-r of the French lines at Arleux, and tlu' capture of the strong fortress of Bouehaiii. After the change in the ministiv, and the adoption of a new syst( ni of po'iry by theconrt. the well-known attachment of this otlice;- to the Pro- test.inl succession, occasioned him to be removed from his rcijinient ; but on the accession of Kinsj Geoiiie I. he was elevated to the p(>erage by the title of Hakon ok (oBHAM, and in 1715 he was a])pointed colonel ol' the IxOYAi, Dkagoo.ns. In 1717 he was appointed governor of VVindsor Castle; in 171S he was advanced to the dignity of ViscotNT ('(ihiiam ; and in 17-1 he was re- moved to th(< Kind's horse, now first dragoon guards. He was also one of the privy council, and governor ol' the island t)f Jersey ; but resigned hi^ a])pointments in 173:i. On the change oi' tin* ministry in 1712 lit; was ])ronioted to the rank of field-marshal, and in December of the same year King (Jeorge II. conferred upon Inm the colonelcy of the first troop of horse grenadier guards. In 1711 he was removed to the sixth horse, and in I" 15 lo the tenth dragoons, the colonelcy of which c(»r]),i he retained until liis dcccaM- in 171''. 126 SUCCKSSION OF COLONELS. I i f Sir Cmaulks Hotham, Baronet. Appointed 10 th April, 1721. Charles IIotham, eldest son of the Rev. Charles Hotham, Rector of Wigan, succeeded to the dignity of baronet on ihe decease of his uncle in 1691. He served with distinction in the wars of King WiUiani HI., and also under the great Duke of Marlborough in the reign of Queen Anne; and in 1705 he obtained the colonelcy of a regiment of foot, with which he proceeded to Spain in 1706, and was in garrison at Alicant when the un- fortunate battle of Almanza was foujjht. Sir Charles served with reputation during the remainder of the war ; but his regiment, having suftered severely in the defence of several fortified towns, was disbanded in Catalonia in 1708. He was appointed brigadier-general in 1710; and shortly after the accession of King George I., he was commissioned to raise a regiment of foot^ which, after the supj)ression of the rcWUion of the Earl of Mar, was sent to Ireland, and disbanded in the following year, when Sir Charles w.'s appointed colonel of a newly- raised regiment of dragoons, which was, however, dis- banded in November, 1718. On the 7th of J»dy, 1719, the colonelcy of the thirty- sixth regiment of foot was conferred on Sir Charles Hotham ; he was removed to the eighth foot in December 1720; and in April following to the I^oyal Dragoons. His decease occurred on the 8th of January, 1723. Humphrey Gore. ylppoiulcd \'2th Jdiuiari/, 172.?. This Officer entered the army as ensign in 1689, and saw much service in the campaigns of King Will::'-.ii on the Continent. On the 1st of Feljruary. 1707, he was appointed colonel of a newly-raised regiment oi' foot, with whicii he proceeded to Spain in 1709, and was ap- SUCCESSION OF COLONKLS. 1-27 pointed brigadior-orencral on the 1st of January follow- ing, lie was at the battlos of Almanara and Saraojossa in 1710, and was taken prisoner by the French in the unfortunate affair at the village of Brihuega in December of the same year.* At the peace of Utrecht his regiment of foot was disbanded ; but proving a loyal and faithful adherent to the Protestu'it succession, at a time when Jacobite principles had become prevalent in the kingdom, he was commissioned by King George I., in July, 1715, to raise a regiment of dragoons — the present tenth royal hussars. He was removed to the Royal Dragoons, in 1723; appointed luajor-general on the Gfh of March, 1727; lieutenant-general on the 29th of October, 1735; and he died on the 18th of August, 1739. ne Charles Duke of Marlborough, K,G. ylppointed X.st September, 1739. Charles Spencer, fourth ?'arl of Sunderland, succeeded to the title of Duke of Marlborough in 1/33; and five years afterwards he was appointed colonel of the thirty-eighth regiment of foot. In 1739 he was removed to the Royal Dragoons, in the following year to the second troops of life guards, and in 17 12 to the second resiment of foot aiuirds ; and he co.nraanded the brigade of foot guards at the battle of Dettingen. In 1755 ho was appointed master-general of the ordnance ; and in 1758 commanded the expedition against France, when the enemy's nuigazines and shi])ping at St. Maloes were destroyed. He was subsequently ap])ointed to command the forces sent to Germany ; and died on the Continent in October, 1758. Henry Hawley. Appointed \2th May, 1740. TiHs Officer served the crown in four successive reigns. ♦ Villi' jtiis^'o 51 ill llic ' Histnririil Hrcmil uftlii' Kojiil I)r:i)_'ooiiR. i-is SUCCESSION Ol' COLONKI.S, in and holda conimission in tht» arniv vliirinof a poriod ofsix- ty-fivi.' years. His lirst a])]K)iiitiiioiit was dated the 10th of Jauiiarv, 1()94 ; andliavin^if sionalizcd liimsolf in the wars of'Qncvn Anni% ho obtained tlie lauk of colonel by brevt'l (hit ed the IGth of ()ctol)er, \7\'2. lie was wound- ed at tlie battle of Diiniblaiii in 171."). On the I'JtIi of March. 1717. lie was promoted from the lientenani- coloneley of the fonrfh drapfoons to the colonelcy of the thirty-third regiment o*" foot ; and on tlie 7th of July, 1730, he was removed to the colonelcy of the thiiteenth dragoons. In 1735 he was promoted to the rank of bri»adier-ir(Mieral ; in 173U to that of maior-sjeneral ; and in the following year obtained the colonelcy of the RoYAr, Draooons. In 171'2 Maior-General Ilawley proceinled with the army to I'tanders, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant -ifeneral in tlie followino- sT)ring, and serveil at the battles of Dettingen and lAiutenoy. In 1746 he commanded against the rebel Highlanders in Scotland, and the troops under his orders had a sharp encomitei- with the enemy near l'\dkirk, and sustained coiisltlerable loss. He was alterwards on the stall' of the .'.liny in Ireland; was many years governor of I'orts- moutii ; and died on the '21th of March, 17")^. Tin; HoNouKAHM' TTi'.Mn Skymoi'r Conww. AppitiiittuI btli Ajiiil, \7'A). TlW, HoNOURAHLK lll.NHY Sl'.YMOUti CoNWAY, second sou of l.(,r(l Conway, and brother of Francis Marl of Hertford, was appointtnl lieutenant in the lirst foot ijuards in 1737, captain and lieiitenaat-colonel in 1711, and in 1710 he was ajipointed aide-de-camj) to the Duke of Cumberland, and promoted to the colonelcy ol' the lifly- 'now fortv-ei<; (' thirty-fourth fi;ot in 171*.l, to the thuleeiith dragoons in 1751, and to the fourth horse in 1754. In 175() he was ])romoted to the rank of major-general, and in 175'.) to that of lieutenant-gener.d : he was removed to the .SVCCESSION Ol COLONliL.'?. I-J'.t lix- nth HoYAi. Dhac.oons in ihc same ymir. Ho coniniandod a division of tlio allied army in Germany, under the Duke of Brunswick, in 17G1 ; and the British forces in Germany were placed under his orders during tlie absence of ihe Maroiiis of Graubv. He was also one of the crpooms ol (he bedchamber to his Majesty. tViid a member of parlia ment; and havinij voted ai^)ainst ministers on the (jjcal question of military warrants, in \7('A, he resigned his court appointment and military conunands : but in 170*^ he was appointed coionel of the fom'th dragoons. In 1770 he succeeded the Marquis of Graubv inthe colonelcy of the I'oyal r«>ginient of hor;.;' jriianls ; in 1772 he was promoted to tlio rank of general ; and in 17!S'2 he was ap- [)ointcil connuander-in-chief of the arniy . in 17'*)? h( was promoted to the rank of field-marshal. He died in 179,5 ; at which period lu' was i-ldest general ollicn- auil 'irst field marslial in the iuin\ . lll.NKV IVMtl. Ol i^MlUtOKl Appointed \)th May, 1764. Hknuy Hiau'.F.RT, tenth Earl of Pembroke, entered the irmy in 1752 ; in 1'7.5-i he obtained a ca])taincy in the lirst dragoon guards ; in I75f? he was appointed cajit.-iiii and lieutenant-colonel in the first toot guards; and on the Nth of May, 1758. lie was appointed aide-de-camp to King (jieoige H. with the rank of colonel. In the; fol lowing year he was ap[(ointed lieuteuant-colonel of the fifteenth ligiit dragoons, and proceeding to (Germany, hi" served with (^lisliaction under the .Mar(piis of Granby during the remainder of the seven years' war. The rank of major-general was conie'red on his lordship in 17^)1, and in 17()4 King Georgia HI. gave him th<; colonelcy of th'' Hdyai, Draooons. On the 30th of April. 1770- lie obtained the rank of lieutenant-general, and was pro- moted to that of general in November, I7'^2. The Earl uf Pcinbtokf UO'^ .iiitlu.ir of an I'xri'ihni uorK ow horse- 130 SUCCESSION 01 CDI.ONF.LS. inanship; was many years governor of Portsmouth ; and died on the 2Gth of January, 1794 Philip Goldsworthy Aj)pointed 2Hth January, 1794. This Officer was many years in the Royai. Dragoons. with which corps lie served in Germany during 1 he- Seven years' war. On tlie \H\h of April, 1779, he was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the regiment , obtained the rank of major-general on the 20tli of De- cember, 1793; and in the following month succeeded the Karl of Pembroke in the colonelcy. On the 2Gth of .Fune, 1799, he was ])romoted to the rank of lieutenant- general. He died in 1801. ■ i Tiio.MAs Garth. Appoiutcil 7th January, 1801. Thomas Garth was appointed cornet in the Koyal Dragoons on the 12th of April, 1702, and he served the campaign of that year with his regiment in Germany. He was appointed lieutenant in the same corps in 17G5, captain in 1775; and in 1779 exchanged to the twen- tieth light dragoons, witli which corps he proceeded to the West indies, where lie served many years. In 1792 he was appointed major in the second dragoon guards ; and, in 1794, lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Dragoons. He served under the Duke of York in Inlanders; and was rewarded with the colonelcy of the Sussex fencibles, from wliioh he was removed to the twenty-seooml light dragoons. He was promoted to the rank of major- general in 1798; and in INOI he obtained the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons. The rank of lieutenant-gene- ral was conferred on him in 1S05, and that of general in 1814. He died in |H29. i SlU'CliSSION OF COLONliLS. 131 1(1 11 10 las It , >e- i'd iti. lit I.OIU) HOHIORT KnWAKD lIlCNKY SoMKKSl'T. Appointed 'IZrd November, 1829. Lord 11, l*h)vvAUD H. Someuskt (third sou of Ilcnry fifth Duke of Beaufort) was appointed in 1/03 comet ill the tenth draufoons, with whicli corps he s(>rvcd six years. In 17'.H) he was appointed major in the twelfth light dragoons; in 1800 ho was removed to the twenty- eightli light dragoons; and in 1801 he was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the fourth, or Queen's own dragoons, which regiment he commanded at the battles of Talavera and Salamanca, where he particularly poinlcd 'Slst March, 1H3G. {[()>. l^'ui'DKRicK ('avi;m)isii Ponsonuy, second son d? I'rederick third earl of Hesborough, was ajipointed cor- net in th(> tenth dragoons in I8l)0, uud rose in !'^03 tct the rank of captain in the same corps, from which he ex changed to the sixtieth retjinient in 180(v In 1807 he was appointed major in the twenty-tliird light dragoons, at the bead of which corps lie distinguislifd himself at the l-atllf of Talavera in I'^O'.*; and in 1 Sjd \va> proiuotei! 13-2 sUC'CK'-SlON OF COI.OM'E.s. to the lieutenant -colonelcy of the regiment. In 1811 he served under lieatenant-e^enertil Graham at Cadiz; and at the battl(> of Harossa, in jNIareh of that year, he attacked, with a squadron of German drajjoons, tlie Preach cavalry eoverintj llie retreat, overtlu'ew them, look two guns, and even attempted, though vainly, to sabre Housseau's battalions. On the 1 1th of June, ISl 1, he was appointeil lieutenant-colonel of the twelfth ligh dragoons ; at the head of which corps he served under Lord Wellington, aiul distinguished himself, in April, 1812, at Llerena, in one of the most brilliant cavalry actions din'ing (he war. At the battle of Salamanca he charged the French infantry, broke his sword in the fight, and his horse received several bayonet wounds. H»> repeatedly i'\!nced great judgment, penetration, and resolution in out-post duty, and was wouniled in the retreat from IJiu-gos. on llie 13th of October, 1812. At the battle of Vitioria he again distinguished himself : his services a( Toliisa. St. Sebastian, and Nive were also conspicuous , ■ \\u\. on the king's l)irth-day iu l^^l 1, Ik' was prduieted to the rank of coloii>'l in the arm v. He ctiiunn>nded the twelfth li;^hi drayooiiN ai llie battle ef Waterloo, wluMf he led his reginniii to tin; ehargf witli Mgtial intrepidity — received ^abic cuts on both arms, - was hroughf to the ground Ity a blow on 'ho heail, — pierced through the back bv alanccr. — plundered l)y alirailleur, — ridden ovrr by two squadrons of cavalry, — atid |)lundtri' services \v<*rt' nwarded with the follow nig marks of royal faxour: — Knight companion of tin order of the lialh. — Knight ijrand cross of theord'r ol St. Michael and St. George, — Knight commander ol'tln II ino\erian (t'uelpl lie order, —a cross — a WiUerl »io nied.d, -Kuiglit ol the Tower and Sword of Portugal, — ,ind Knight ot .Maria 'l'herei^H7 I .>Np(iN I'liiitiMl hy W. Ci .iwiix uiiil S(iN'4,niil(i' »lri(l, Htniiifi)ri|.»triil