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His Majesty has been pleased to command, that, with a view of doing the fullest justice to Regi* ments, as well as to Individuals who have distin- guished themselves by their Bravery 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- General ; 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 which it has been from time to time employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations, in which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any Achievement it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies, &c., it may have captured from the Enemy. The Names of the Officers and the number of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the Place and Date of the Action. 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 signalized themselves in Action. And, -— 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, Commanding'in-Chief. John Macdonald, Adjutant-General. PREFACE. ^ Tub character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon 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 display 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 vho have preceded him in their honourable career, are among tie motives that have given rise to the present publication. The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced in the * London Gazette,' from whence they are transferred into the public prints : the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the Commanders, and the PREFACE. Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery, and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's Approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes. It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining, particularly 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 pleased to command, that every Regiment shall in future keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad. From the materials thus collected, the country will hence- forth derive information as to the difficulties and privations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, maniifactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, been undisturbed by the presence of war, which few other countries have escaped, comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active service, and of the casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or no interval of repose. In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the PREFACE. II country 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 sufferings, — and on the sacrifice of valu-> able life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved. . The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endur^ ance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying diffi- culties ; and their character has been established in Continental warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they have effected debarkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the gallantry and steadiness with which they have main- tained 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 their services, and of acts of individual bravery, can only be fully given in the Annals of the various Regiments. These Records are now preparing for publication, under His Majesty's special authority, by Mr. Richard Cannon, Principal Clerk of the Adjutant-General's Office ; and while the perusal of them cannot fail to be useful and interesting to military men of every rank, it is considered that they will also afford entertainment and information to the general reader, particularly to those who may have served 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 Army, an Esprit du Corps— slu attach- / PREFACE. ment to every thing belonging to their Regiment ; to such persons a 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 interest with a brave and civilized people. Great Britain has produced 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 arrayed against them, they have fought the battles of their Country with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in war, — victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen,— our brothers— our fellow-citizens in arms, — a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us, will certainly prove acceptable to the public. Biographical memoirs of the Colonels and other distinguished Officers, will be introduced in the Records of their respective Regiments, and the Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testifying the value and importance of its services, will be faithfully set forth. As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each Regiment will be printed in a distinct number, so that when the whole shall be completed, the Parts may be bound up in numerical succession. 4_ INTRODUCTION. The ancient Armies of England were compused of Horse and Foot ; but the feudal troops esta- blished by William the Conqueror in 1086, con- sisted almost entirely of Horse. Under the feudal system every holder of land amounting to what was termed a " knight't iee," was required to provide a charger, a coat of mail, a helmet, a shield, and a lance, and to serve the Crown a period of forty days in each year at his own expense ; and the great landholders had to pro- vide armed men in proportion to the extent of their estates ; consequently the ranks of the feudal Cavalry were completed with men of property, and the vassals and tenants of the great barons, who led their dependents to the field in person. In the succeeding reigns the Cavalry of the Army was composed of Knights (or men at arms) and Hobiliers, (or horsemen of inferior degree) ; and the Infantry of spear and battle-axe men, cross-bowmen, and archers. The Knights wore armour on every part of the body, and their weapons were a lance, a sword, and a small dagger. The Hobiliers were accoutred and ai'med A Vlll INTRODUCTION. for the light and less important services of war, and were not considered qualified for a charge in line. Mounted Archers* were also introduced, and the English nation eventually became pre- eminent in the use of the bow. About the time of Queen Mary the appellation of * Men at Arms* was changed to that of * Spears and Launces.^ The introduction of fire-arms ul- timately occasioned the lance to fall into disuse, and the title of the Horsemen of the first degree was changed to ' Cuirassiers.* The Cuirassiers were armed cap d pi^^ and their weapons were a sword with a straight narrow blade and sharp point, and a pair of large pistols, called petrenels ; and the Hobiliers carried carbines. The Infantry carried pikes, matchlocks, and swords. The introduction of fire-arms occasioned the for- mation of regiments, armed and equipped as infantry, but mounted on small horses for the sake of expedition of movement, and these were styled ' Dragoons ;* a small portion of the military force of the kingdom, however, consisted of this description of troops. The formation of the present Army commenced after the Restorution in 1660, with the establish- ment of regular corps of Horse and Foot ; the Horsemen were cuirassiers, but only wore armour * In the I4th year of the reign of Edward IV. a small force was established in Ireland by Parliament, consisting of WO Archers un hurseback, 4U Horsemen, and 40 Pages. INTRODUCTION. IX war. on the head and body ; and the Foot were pike- men and musqueteers. The arms which each description of force carried, are described in the following extract from the ' Regulations of King Charles II.,' dated 5th May, 1663 :-- " Each Horseman to have for his defensive " armes, back, breast, and pot ; and for his oflFen- " sive armes, a sword, and a case of pistolls, the " barrels whereof are not to be und'. foorteen " inches in length ; and each Trooper of Our " Guards to have a carbine, besides the aforesaid " armes. And the Foote to have each souldier a " sword, and each pikeman a pike of 16 foote " long and not und'. ; and each musqueteer a " musquet, with a collar of bandaliers, the barrels ** of which musquet to be about foor foote long, " and to conteine a bullet, foott ien of which shall " weigh a pound weight*." The ranks of the Troops of Horse were at this period composed of men of some property — gene- rally the sons of substantial yeomen : the young men received as recruits provided their own horses, and they were placed on a rate of pay sufficient to give them a respectable station in society. On the breaking out of the war with Holland, in the spring of 1672, a Regiment of Dragoons was raised t ; the Dragoons were placed on a lower • Military Papers, State Paper Office. t This lle((iment was diHbanded i Tier the Peace in 1674. A ^ X INTRODUCTION. rate of pay than the Hoi-se ; and the Regiment was armed similar to the Infantry, excepting that a limited number of the men carried halberds instead of pikes, and the others muskets and bayonets; and a few men in each Troop had pistols ; as appears by a warrant dated the 2nd of April, 1672, of which the following is an extract : — " Charles R. " Our will and pleasure is, that a Regi- ment of Dragoones which we have established and ordered to be raised, in twelve Troopes of fourscore in each besides officers, who are to be under the command of Our most deare and most intirely beloved Cousin, Prince Rupert, shall be armed out of Our stoares remaining within Our office of the Ordinance, as followeth ; that is to say, three corporulls, two Serjeants, the gentlemen at amies, and twelve souldiers of each of the said twelve Troopes, are to have and carry each of them one halbard, and one case of pistolls with holsters ; and the rest of the souldiers of the several Troopes aforesaid, are to have and to carry each of them one match- locke musquet, with a collar of bandaliers, and also to have and to carry one bayonet*, or great knife. That each lieutenant have and carrv (( (( (( (( (( <( (( (( « * This appears to be the flrst intrpduction of bayonets into the English Army. INTRODUCTION. XI 1 i " one partizan ; and that two drums be delivered " out for each Troope of the said Regiment*." Several regiments of Horse and Dragoons were raised in the first year of the reign of King James II. ; and the horsemen carried a short car- bine f in addition to the sword and pair of pistols : and in a regulation dated the 21st of February, 1687, the arms of the Dragoons at that period are commanded to be as follows : — "The Dragoons to have snaphanse musquets, " strapt, with bright barrels of three foote eight " inches long, cartouch-boxes, bayonetts, granado •' pouches, bucketts, and hammer-hatchetts." After several years* experience, little advantage was found to accrue from having Cavalry Regi- ments formed almost exclusively for engaging the enemy on foot ; and, the Horse having laid aside their armour, the arms and equipment of Horse and Dragoons were so nearly assimilated, that there remained little distinction besides the name and rate of pay. The introduction of improve- ments into the mounting, arming, and equipment of Dragoons rendered them competent to the performance of every description of service re- quired of Cavalry ; and, while the long musket * State Paper Office. t The first issue of carbines to the regular Horse appears to have laiteu place iu 1678 ; the Life Guards, however, carried carbines from their formation in l6(iU. — Vide the ' Historical Record of the Life Guards.' Hi XII INTRODUCTION. and bayonet were retained, to enable them to act as Infantry, if necessary, they were found to be equally efficient, and of equal value to the nation, as Cavalry, with the Regiments of Horse. In the several augmentations made to the regular Army after the early part of the reign of Queen Anne, no new Regiments of Horse were raised for permanent service ; and in 1746 King George II. reduced three of the old Regi- ments of Horse to the quality and pay of Dra- goons ; at the same time. His Majesty gave them the title of First, Second, and Third Regiments of Dragoon Guards: and in 1788 the same alte- ration was made in the remaining four Regi- ments of Horse, which then became the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Regiments of Dra- goon Guards. At present there are only three Regiments which are styled Horse in the British Army, namely, the two Regiments of Life Guards, and the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, to whom cuirasses have recently been restored. The other Cavalry Regiments consist of Dragoon Guards, Heavy and Light Dragoons, Hussars, and Lancers ; and although the long musket and bayonet have been laid aside by the whole of the Cavalry, and the Regiments are armed and equipped on the principle of the old Horse (excepting the cuirass), they continue to be styled Dragoons. The old Regiments of Horse formed a highly INTRODUCTION. Xlll respectable and efficient portion of the Army, and it is found, on perusing the histories of the various campaigns in which they have been en- gaged, that they have, on all occasions, maintained a high character for steadiness and discipline, as well as for bravery in action. Tliey were formerly mounted on horses of superior weight and phy- sical power, and few troops could withstand a well-directed charge of the celebrated British Horse. The records of these corps embrace a period of 150 years, — a period eventful in history, and abounding in instances of heroism displayed by the British troops when danger has threatened the nation, — a period in which these Regiments have numbered in their ranks men of loyalty, valour, and good conduct, worthy of imitation. Since the Regiments of Horse were formed into Dragoon Guards, additional improvements have been introduced into the constitution of the several corps; and the superior description of horses now bred in the United Kingdom enables the commanding officers to remount their regi- ments with such excellent horses, that, whilst sufficient weight has been retained for a powerful charge in line, a lightness has been acquired which renders them available for every description of service incident to modern warfare. The orderly conduct of these Regiments in quarters has gained the confidence and esteem of the respectable inhabitants of the various )>arts of lav INTRODUCTION. the United Kingdom in which they have heen stationed ; their promptitude and alucrity in at- tending to the reqi'isitions of the magistrates in periods of excitement, and tlie temper, patience, and forbearance which they have evinced when subjected to great provocation, insult, and violence from the misguided populace, prove the value of these troops to the Crown, and to the Govern- ment of the country, and justify the reliance which is reposed on them. *JL HISTORICAL RECORD Off THE FIRST, ON KING'S REGIMENT or DRAGOON GUARDS: eoNrAiNiwa an AeootiNT or THE FORMATION OP THE REGIMENT IN THE YEAR 1685, AND 01* ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES TO 1836. ILLU8TRATKU WITH PLATES. IX)NDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, 14, CHAHINO OROHS. 1837. i (i CONTENTS. / Anna Introduction 16S6 Monmouth's Rebellion '— ' The Regiment raised, and styled The Queen* s Re^ment of Horse — — Reviewed by King James II. 16S6 First Establishment •— - Uniform, Arms, State-clothing, and Standards — Reviewed by James II. — Names of Officers . 1687 Camp at Hounslow — ^The King's progress 1688 The Revolution. — Cuirasses delivered into store 1689 March to Scotland — Skirmish near Forfar — — Embarks for Ireland . 1690 Affair at Dundalk— Battle of the Boyne — — Siege of Limerick .... — — Relief of Birr 1691 Action near Streamstown —— Do. at Wyand's Town .... ■ Do. in the woods of Clanoult — — Battle of Aghrim ..... — — Action at Charleville 1692 Returns to England — Proceeds to Flanders . 1693 Battle of Landen .... 1695 Siege of Namur — Skirmish near Boneffe 1697 Action in the woods of Eughien ' Returns to England .... 1702 Proceeds to the Continent . 1703 Skirmish near Haneff .... 1704 Battle of Schellenberg — — Battle of Blenheim ..... b 2 Page vii 1 2 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 25 27 28 29 30 31 33 1 t ' ( iv CONTENTS. 1 1 Auno Pag- 1705 French Lines forced at Helixem, &c. 36 1 Skirmish at Wickstadt .... 37 i| 1*706 Battle of Ramilies — ' ! 1707 Curiasses re-issued 40 1 1 1708 Battle of Oudenarde . . . 41 1709 Battle of Malplaquet .... 43 1710 Lines forced at Pont-a-Vendin 44 1 1711 Do. at Arleux .... 45 1714 Returns to England — Cuirasses delivered into store 46 ! ■ Title changed to King^s Regiment of Horse . — 1 1715 Rebellion of the Earl of Mar 47 1 1720 Prices of Commissions .... 48 1 1742 Proceeds to Flanders &1 ! 1743 Battle of Dettingen .... 52 1745 Battle of Fotttenoy 65 1746 Returns to England .... 57 Change of Establishment and Title to JP^rst, 1 or King's Regiment of Dragoon Guards — 1752 Marches to Scotland 61 1754 Returns to England .... — 1755 A Light Troop added . . . ... 1758 Expedition to the coast of France 62 j Embarks for Germany .... 65 1759 Action near Bergen 66 1 Battle of Minden -^— Action at Wetter , ... 67 1760 Action near Corbach . 68 Battle of Warbourg .... 70 1761 Battle of Kirch-Denkem . 72 Skirmishes at Dringenbui^, Immenhausen, Eimbeck, &c 73 1 Skirmish at Footwohle .... 74 1 1762 Battle of Groebenstien .... ! 1763 Returns to England — Light Troop reduced 77 1 1764 Alteration in the Uniform — Remount with 1 Long-tailed Horses .... 78 1 * 1766 Marches to Scotland — Trumpeters introduced — 1 1767 Returns to England .... 79 1770 Proceeds to Scotland 1 1 1 \ i I!. CONTENTS. Page 36 37 40 41 43 44 45 46 47 48 &] 52 55 57 61 62 65 66 67 68 70 72 73 74 77 78 79 Anno 1771 Returns to England .... 1779 Light Troop transferred to 19th Light Dragoons 1787 Marches to Scotland .... 1788 Returns to England .... 1791 Riots at Birmingham .... 1793 Embarks for Flanders 1794 Actions at Prfimont, and at Villers-en-Couche Battle of Cateau ..... • Battle of Toumay .... 1795 Returns to England .... 1796 Veterinary Surgeon appointed — Chaplain dis- continued ..... 1799 To be mounted on Nag-tailed Horses . 1808 Proceeds to Scotland — Soldier's hair cut short 1810 Embarks for Ireland .... 1812 Alteration in the Uniform — Troop Quarter-mas- ters abolished 1813 Alteration in the Uniform 1814 Embarks for England 1815 Proceeds to Flanders Battle of Waterloo Advance to Paris — Reviews, &c. 1816 Returns to England . 1818 Riots in Yorkshire, Lancashire, &c. . Proceeds to Scotland . 1819 Embarks for Ireland— Alterations in the Uniform 1822 Returns to England .... 1826 Riots in Yorkshire and Lancashire 1827 Marches to Scotland .... 1828 Returns to England 1829 Riots at Macclesfield, Rochdale, and Manchester Embarks for Ireland 1830 Harassing duties in that Country 1832 Returns to England 1834 Reviewed by the King— Exchange of a Water- loo horse ... ... 1835 Riots at Wolverhampton, &c. . Pa«» 79 80 82 84 85 86 88 89 91 92 93 94 95 96 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 !f » IV VI CONTENTS. SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. Anno 1685 Sir John LaiiieT; Kuight . 1692 Honourable Henry Lumley 1717 Richard Viscount Irwin . 1721 Richard Viscount Cobham 1733 Henry Earl of Pembroke 1743 Sir Philip Honey wood, K.B. 1752 Humphrey Bland 1763 John Mostyn 1779 Sir George Howard, K.B. ■ 1796 Sir William Aupustub ?itt, K 1810 Francis Lord Hea«^M'i(;id . 1813 Sir David Dundas, K.C.B. 1820 Francis Edward Gwyn 1821 William Cartwright 1827 Sir Henry Fane, G.C.B. . B. Page • • HI 113 • • 114 • • 115 116 • t 117 * • 118 • • 121 —^ Succession of Lieutenant-Colonels LIST OF PLATES. The Uniform in 1687 to face page 10. 1743 „ 52. 1815 „ 98. 1836 „ 110. »» 122 I4i^ i » / HISTORICAL RECORDS OH TIIR BRITISH ARMY. PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION UNDER THE DIRECTION ( iB ADJUTANT-GENERAL. FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. a i i LONDON : I'riiili'il liy Wii.MAM Ci.owKH mill Sons, 14, (/Imrliii; Cross. li'; 5 HISTORICAL RECORD OP THB FIRST, OR KING'S REGIMENT ov DRAGOON GUARDS. On the accession of King James II. to the 1685 throne on the 6th February, 1685, the regular army in England consisted of three troops of Life Guards, a regiment of Horse Guards, a regiment of Dragoons, two regiments of Foot Guards, and five regiments of Infantry of the Line, which, with the garrisons in regular pay, amounted to about 8,000 men. Few months only elapsed before the army was called upon to protect the King from the designs of disaffected subjects, who were excited to rebellion by James, Duke of Monmouth, na- tural son of King Charles II. In the preceding reign this nobleman had espoused the Protestant interest with great \i armth, — had, on several occa- sions, distinguished himself as a commander, — and had become a favourite with a great portion of the people ; but in consequence of the jealousy of the Duke of York, and of being implicated in the Rye-House Plot, he had been obliged to retire to the Continent. The Duke of Monmouth sailed from Holland in the beginning of June, with three ships laden with arms and anununition, and on the 1 1th of that month landed with a small body of followers » HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1685 at Lyme, in Dorsetshire, where he set up his stand- ard, and invited the country people to join him. Parliament, which was then sitting, immediately granted 400,000/. for putting down the Rebellion, and passed a bill of attainder against the Invader. The King took active measures for opposing Monmouth's designs : the militia w^ere summoned to arms ; the regular regiments were collected from various parts of the kingdom, and directed to proceed to the West of England, in order to resist the Invader and his adherents ; and orders were issued for the augmentation of the regular army. Troops of Horse and Dragoons, and com- panies of Infantry, were raised in almost every part of the kingdom, which were subsequently formed into regiments, and the numbers of the regular army were thus increased to 15,000 men.* * The regiments of cavalry raised in 1685 were commanded by the following distinguished officers, viz. : — Horse. The 2nd, or Queen's, by Sir John Lanier, now 1st Dragoon Guards. The 3rd, by Henry, Earl of Peterborough, „ 2nd „ The 4th, by the Earl of Plymouth, „ 3rd „ The 5th. by Major-General Werden, disbanded in 1690. The fith, by the Earl of Arran, now 4th Dragoon Guards. The 7th, by the Earl of Shrewsbury, now 5th „ The 8th, or Princess Anne's, by the Earl of Scarsdale, disbanded in 1692. The 9th, or Queen Dowager's, by Lord Lumley, now 6th Dragoon Guards. The 10th, by Lord Dover, disbanded in 1686. Drxooons. The 2nd, or Queen's, by the Duke of Somerset, now 3rd Light Dragoons. The .Ird, or Princess Anne's, by tiio Hon. John Berkley (after- wards Viscount Fitzliardingc), now 4th Light Dragoons. A Regiment of Dragoons was raised by Colonel Richard Hamilton, and proceedeu to Ireland in the Autumn of 1685: it formed part of the army under Lord TyrconncU, which adhered to King James at the revohition in 1688. After the treaty of Limerick, in 1601, it proceeded to France, and was many years in the service of Louis XIV. and his succesgors. I 1 1' THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. d The first regiment raised on this occasion 1685 (which is the subject of this memoir) was styled The Queen's Regiment of Horse ; the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (Blues), commanded by the Earl of Oxford, being at that time called The King' if Regiment of Harae. The Colonelcy of this Regiment was conferred upon Sir John Lanier, by Commission, dated Gth June, 1685. Its establishment was fixed at nine troops; each troop to consist of a Cap- tain, a Lieutenant, a Cornet, and a Quarter- Master, with three Corporals, two Trumpet- ers, and sixty Private Troopers.* The first troop was raised by Sir John Lanier, Knight ; the second by Major William Legge (brother to the Earl of Dartmouth) ; the third by Captain Henry Lumley (brother to Richard, first Earl of Scarborough) ; the fourth by Lord George Hamil- ton ; the fifth by Captain John Staples (formerly of the Life Guards) ; the sixth by Captain Lewis * ' James R. • Wherkas we have ordered one regiment of horse under the ' command of Sir John Lanier, Knight, to he forthwith raised for ' Our service, consisting of nine troops, each troop to consist of one ' Quarter-Master, three score Soldiers, three Corporals, and two Trumpeters ; Our will and pleasure is, that as the respective Captains of the said troops shall produce unto you, twenty, or more soldiers, with good and able horses fit for Our service, you muster them into Our pay and entertainment, as also the said Corporals and Trumpeters. And so, from thenceforward, from time to time, us many more Soldiers, with good horses, as shall be produced unto you to bu musturud, you are accordingly to pass and allow them upon the musters until their numbers shall be fully com- ' pletcd. • Given at Our Court at Windsor, this 13th day of June, 1683. * By His Majesty's Command, ' William Blathwavtk.' To Our Trusty and Well-beloved • Hi'iiiy Hdwiird, Ks(|uire, Our ' Conimissary-Cjoncral of Musters.' h2 HISTORICAL RECORD OF I I ! II V, llipf 1685 Billingsly (formerly of the Horse Grenadier Guards) ; the seventh by Captain Charles Nedby (formerly Captain of a troop of Tangier Horse, and afterwards of the Royal Dragoons) ; the eighth by Captain George Hastings ; and the ninth by Captain James Fortrey. The greatest success appears to have attended the recruiting of the regiment, for by the official records of the War-Office it appears, that in a few days after the warrants for its formation were issued, the different troops were regularly organized, and occupied quarters in the vicinity of the Metropolis. In the meantime, the Duke of Monmouth had been joined by a number of country people, to whom he distributed arms, and having embodied them into regiments, he marched to Taunton, where he was proclaimed King. To oppose the progress of the Rebels, King James commanded the following corps to assemble in the West of England : — viz., two squadrons of Life Guards and a squadron of Horse Grenadier Guards, commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Vil- liers; the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, under Sir Francis Compton ; the Royal Dra- goons, under Lord Cornbury ; First Foot Guards, commanded by the Duke of Grafton ; the Cold- stream Foot Guards, by Lieutenant-Colonel Sack- ville; the 1st Foot, Dumbartons, commanded by Lieutenant-Colon jI Douglas; 2nd, Queen Dow- ager's, by Colonel Kirke ; 4th, Queen Consort's, by Lieutenant-Colonel Churchill. These corps, with sixteen Field-pieces, were placed under the command of Lieutenant- General the Earl of Fe- mi' THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. versham, with Brigadier-General Lord Churchill 1685 (afterwards Duke of Marlborough), second in command. At the same time, orders were given for the return of the six British regiments (three English and three Scots), which were at that period in the service of the States-General of Holland. After several skirmishes with the Rebels, in which the Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards signalized themselves in a particular manner, the Royal Army was encamped at Sedgemoor, where it was suddenly attacked by the whole of the Rebel force on the night of the 5th of July. A desperate conflict ensued, which ended in the defeat and entire dispersion of the Rebels with the loss of 1500 men. The Duke of Monmouth fled from the field and endeavoured to escape to the Continent, but was taken a few days after- wards in the dress of a Peasant. In the meantime, orders had been given for the march of several of the newly-raised corps to join the army ; and the first service performed by the Queens Regiment of Horse, appears to have been the escorting of the Duke of Monmouth and other prisoners taken after the battle of Sedgemoor, from Winchester to London, in which duty a troop of the Royal Horse Guards, and a troop of the Royal Dragoons, were directed to assist. The regiment was again quartered in the vici- nity of London, and on the 16th of July a reduction of ten men per troop was made in the establishment. On the 20th, it furnished an escort for the Princess Anne (afterwards Queen Anne) to Sevenoaks, and a Guard to attend Her w t»' 6 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1685 Royal Highness during her stay there. A few- days afterwards the establishment was reduced to forty men per ti-oop ; and seven troops of the regi- ment marched into quarters near Hounslow. ' King James II., having little confidence in the Militia*, which, having seldom been as- sembled for training and exercise, had fallen into a state of inefficiency, resolved to continue the greater part of the newly-raised forces in his service. His Majesty ordered a number of the regiments to encamp at Hounslow, where the most experienced of his officers were employed in bring- ing them into a state of discipline and efficiency. On the 22nd of August, His Majesty reviewed the seven troops of this regiment stationed near Hounslow, on the heath ; and on the 25th, the whole marched to quarters at Winchester, Ilches- ter, and Blandford. 1686 On the first of January, 1686, a warrant was issued for the establishment of the different corps, from which the following is an extract : — * James R. * Our will and pleasure is, that this esta- ' blishment of our Guards, Garrisons, and Land- • Forces, within our Kingdom of England, Do- * The King, in his Speech to Parliament, speaking of the Re- bellion, observed, — ' When I reflect what an inconsiderable number ' of men began it, and how long they carried it on without opposition, * I hope everybody will be convinced that the Militia, upon which * so much dependence has been placed, is not sufficient for such • measures; and that there is nothing but a good force of well- ' disciplined troops in constant pay, that can defend us from such ' as, either abroad or at home, are disposed to disturb us. In t'uth, • my concern for the peace and quiet of my subjects, as well as the ' safety of the government, has made me think it necessary to * increase the regular army to the proportion I have done.' > 1 i ♦t^ THE FIRRT DRAOOON GUARDS. * minion of Wales, and town of Berwick-upon- 1686 * Tweed, and the Islands thereunto belonging, and * of all other Officers and Charges therein ex- * pressed, do commence the 1st day of January, * 1685-6, in the first year of Our reign.'* THE QUEEN CONMOttTS REGIMENT OF HORSE. Field and H'tAi'V-Ovvtciitiit, Per Diem. Per Annum. The Colonel, ai Coluntl 12 219 Lieuteaant-Culonul, lu Umt^duhnet 8 146 The Major {who hm no Iron/)), for him- 1 self, hor«eH, and tturvunti • . . / 1 365 Adjutant .,..,•«.. 5 91 5 Chaplaine 6 8 121 13 4 Chirurgeon iv" par diMm, and j horse tol carry his cheitt, ij* \m day f 6 109 10 A Kettle-Drummer to the Colonel'ii troop TiiK Cor,owKi.'ii Tkoop. 3 54 15 3 8 1107 3 4 The Colonel, a$ Captain, %' per day, and \ ij horsoi, each at iJ* per day . ) 14 255 10 Lievtenant vi", and ij horitet each at ij" 10 182 10 Cornett v', and ij hurnei* each at ij' . . 9 164 5 Quarter-Maiter lv», and j horae at ij» . . 6 109 10 Three CorporalR, each at iij* per day 9 164 5 Two Trumpetew, each at ij" vill'' . . 5 4 97 6 8 Forty Private Soldlerx, each at ij" vi"* . EioHTTRooi'i MONK, of th(t ««mo num-l bers, and at the name rates of pay as [ the Colonel'i* troop ' Total for thig regiment .... 5 1825 7 13 4 2798 6 8 61 6 8 22386 13 4 72 8 26292 3 4 I * The corps contalneil in the above warrant are three troops of Life Guard*, ton ruKimontt* of Horse, three of Dragoons, two of i i t, y HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1686 The uniform of the Queen's Regiment of Horse was scarlet, faced and lined with yellow. The men wore jacked leather boots, buff gauntlets, and shoulder belts; their defensive armour was cui- rasses, and iron head-pieces called pots ; their weapons were a sword^ and a pair of pistols, the barrels of which were fourteen inches long ; and a carbine two feet seven inches in the barrel was subsequently added. The Kettle-Drummer and Trumpeters were furnished with splendid State clothing ; and each troop in the regiment was supplied with a richly embroidered yellow-satin standard.* The King appears to have depended entirely upon his Army as the basis of his authority, and the means by which he should effect the purposes he had in view ; he, therefore, devoted much of his attention to place it in an efficient state. Two Brigadier-Generals (Sir John I^anier and Sir John Fenwick) were employed in visiting the quarters and inspecting the different regiments. In May an encampment was formed on Houn- slow Heath ; the King frequently saw the troops exercise, and His Majesty had a Tent and Chapel erected on the Heath for his own use. On the 30th of May the Queen's Horse marched into quarters at Egham, Staines, and Colnbrook ; and on the 24th of June it joined the camp Foot Guards, and fourteen regiments of Foot, with sixteen inde. pendent companies. * The Trumpeters' clothing cost 36/. Ms. 2d. per suit ; and the standards 40/. 6«. 8d. each. The whole amounted to 1058/. I2s. 5d. — War-Office Records. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 9 cm Hounslow Heath. '" the 30th of June His 1686 Majesty reviewed the regiment, with other corps, in all about 12,000 men*, commanded by Lieu- tenant-General the Earl of Feversham. On the 5th of August, the Queen's Horse inarched from camp for quarters at Canterbury and Maidstone ; at the same time, one troop pro- ceeded to Tunbridge to attend the Princess Anne during her stay at that place. In December, we find the following Officers holding commissions in the regiment : — 13hioadier-General Sir John Lanier, Knt Colonel. William Legge Lieut.-Colonel. Hill William Board Major. Gkoroe Cholmondeley George Hastings Henry Lumley John Staples ^ . . Captains. Lewis Billingsly Arthur Lord Somerset James Fortrey, Samuel English 8iM Leo. Stedholme John Hardy James Boucher George Nears ) . . Lieutenants. Henry Moore William Laws Sir Richard Bassett Edward St. Loo * There were present at this review, three troops of Life Guards, a squadron of Horse Grenadier Guards, nine regiments of Horse, three of Dragoons, four battalions of Foot Guards, and nine regi- nionta of Foot. *^:i I ■if ■||;i ■'iri i^f l|ii i: I. ill 10 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1686 George Cockain Thomas Crowther Edward Yarborough Francis Boyle Thomas Beaumont William Downing Robert Killigrevv Thomas Milward Thomas Floyd Thomas Moore . . . Thomas Freckleton . Alexander Hubin Cornets. Chaplaine. Adjutant. Chirurgeon. 1687 In June, iG87, the regiment was again encamped on Hounslow Heath, from whence it marched (4th August) to Oakingham and Read- ing, and subsequently occupied extensive can- tonments, in order to attend His Majesty in his progress through a great part of his dominions : it I'lbo furnished a guard to attend the Queen during her residence at Bath. 1688 The proceedings of James H. had ah'eady ex- cited the disgust of his subjects. The King, sur- rounded by Papists, led by a Jesuitical faction, and protected by an Army, which was considered the best appointed, the best paid, and the best dis- ciplined in Europe*, vvas endeavouring to make his Government absolute, and to subvert the esta- blished religion of the country. The large en- campments at Hounslow were calculated to over- awe his subjects by the display of military power. But so great was the aversion of the nation to Popery, that a number of Noblemen and Gentle- men solicited the Prince of Orange to assist them ^ Lingard's History of England. :^' f*1 ""r^OJ.il. %■ ri-sp-Tjyf ^s^#*«-^ 4' ^*1^»^ ",*'r ^«N^ ■^nu^. ->A Mt.ititf ■"' y i ' E E >: "S "lil O K S E .16fe,7o THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 11 in opposing the arbitrary measures of the King ; 1688 and a Dutch armament was accordingly prepared for a descent upon England. The King, alarmed at these proceedings, augmented the strength of his army, and ten men were added to the establishment of each troop of the Queen's Regiment of Horse*. During the summer of 1688, an encampment was formed on Hounslow Heath, and towards the end of the year the Army was ordered to assemble near the Metropolis ; the Queen's Re- giment of Horse was quartered at Colnbrook, Chertsey, and Byfleet. On the receipt of in- forniation that a Dutch Fleet had passed Dover, the Duke of Berwick was sent to Ports- mouth with a battalion of Foot Guards, and two hundred Horse Grenadier Guards ; and Sir John Lanier, with two regiments of horse, and one of foot, marched for Ipswich, to endeavour to preserve Landguard Fo j^. After the Prince of Orange had landed ai Torbay, the regiment marched by Newbury and Marlborough to War- minster, which was the most advanced post of the King's army. Before commencing this march, the men of the regiment were ordered to leave their defensive armour with the civil authorities of the towns at which they were quartered, and an Officer of the Ordnance Department was sent to take charge of it and convey it to the Tower [j;. The King gave orders for his army to assemble at Salisbury, intending to command them in per- * Harleian MS. 7436. t- Life of James II., by Dr. Clark. $ War Office Records. C 2 ;^r ( i:'l I' -Ml ! Ill mii 1-2 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1688 son ; but alarmed by tbe daily desertions which took place, His Majesty returned in haste to the Metropolis, and orders were given for the troops to retire and take up a position beyond the Thames. Sir John Lanier appears to have been particu- larly active in covering this retreat ; and he con- tinued with his regiment, faithful to the cause of King James, until that Monarch forsook the Throne, at which period the regiment occupied the most advanced post of the Royal Army ; and it formed part of a cavalcade which attended the Princess Anne (afterwards Queen Anne), in her public entry into Oxford, on the 15th of Decem- ber. Her Koyal Highness having fled from Court, was proceeding to her husband. Prince George of Denmark, who had joined the Prince of Orange; and within a few miles of Oxford, the Princess was met by Sir John Lanier with his regiment of horse. The van of the procession consisted of five hundred horse, with the Earl of Northampton at their head ; immediately in front of Her Royal Highness marched the Bishop of London in a purple cloak, martial habit, pistols before him, and a drawn sword in his hand ; rid- ing at the head of a troop of Gentlemen, who had the following inscription on their Standard, — * Noliimm Leges Anglice Mutari.' In the rear of the procession marched a body of the County Militia. The regiment was afterwards ordered by the Prince of Orange to nuirci» to Cambridge ; and !sul)fs»», whu hud rucunlly been rreututl Viscouiil Diiiukc, by King JuineH. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 15 joined the forces under General Mackay. In the 1C89 middle of August, tiie Queen's Horse and Berke- ley's Dragoons made a spirited attack upon a party of rebels near Forfar, and compelled them to retire towards Athol.* Soon afterwards the Clans, harassed on every side by the King's troops, dispersed to their homes ; and the greater part of the forces in Scotland were ordered to proceed to Ireland ; in which country King James (assisted by the French Monarch with men, money, and a fleet) had landed, and was, at this period^ at the head of a considerable army. The Queen's Regiment of Horse left Scotland in the beginning of October, and landed at Bel- ., fast on the I3th of that month. In February 1090 following it fo. med part of a reconnoitring j)ai'ty, conmianded by Sir John Lanier, sent from Newry to Dundalk, which latter place was in possession of the enemy. After burning the west part «»f the town, taking the garrison of Bedloe's Castle pri- soners, and capturing about fifteen hundred head of cattle, the party returned to Newry. King William arrived in Ireland in June, 1690, and on the march of the army towards the Boyne, the advance-guard was connnanded by Sir John Lanier. The regiment was engaged at the Battle of the Boi/7ie, fought on the first of July, 1690, when the army of King William forded the river under the enemy's fire, drove them from their lines, and gained a signal victory over the French and Irish forces connnanded by King London OaKette. 16 HISTORICAL RECORD OF I 1690 James in person. After the engagement the re- giment bivouacked near Duleck ; and on the fol- lowing day marched with the remainder of the army in pursuit of the enemy. Drogheda sur- rendered on the 2nd of July, and our victorious troops then advanced upon Dublin. On the ?th of July the regiment was reviewed at Finglass by King William, and afterwards marched towards Limerick, in front of which city the Irish had formed a strong camp. On the morning of the 3rd of August, a detachment from the regiment, with some other troops, about eleven hundred men, advanced within cannon shot of the town, and drove three regiments of the enemy's cavalry, and two of infantry, from their entrenchments. Six days afterwards, the army compelled the Irish to retire under the guns of the fortifications, and, in the evening, the place was formally summoned. His Majesty having ascertained that a strong- party of the enemy's cavalry, under Major-General Sarsfield *, had crossed the Shannon, ordered Sir John Lanier, with the Queen's Regiment of Horse, to proceed to Cullen, to meet the heavy artillery, then on the march to join the army. But the re- giment was too late to save the guns from destruc- tion. Major-General Sarsfield surprised the train, which was attended only by a small guard, col- lected the guns, annnunition, and carriages, into a heap, set fire to them, and then retreated. Sir * Major-General Patrick Sarsfield was formerly a Lieutenant- Colonel in the 4th troop of Life Guards ; and after the above affair he was created Earl of Lucan, by Kin^ James. He was killed at the battle of Landun, on I'Jth July, 10'J3. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 17 John Lanier was within three miles of Cullen 1690 when the train was blown up. He then gal- loped across the country to Kilcullen Bridge to cut off the enemy's retreat, but the Irish effected their escape by retiring by way of Athlone. Notwithstanding this loss, the King determined to continue the siege. A breach having been ef- fected, an attempt was made to carry the place by storm ; but the Irish made so vigorous a re- sistance, that they succeeded in repulsing the as- sailants. On the 30th of August the siege was raised, and the King returned to England. In September, the Queen's Horse formed part of a detachment under Major-Gen. Kirke, sent against five thousand of the enemy, who had marched to Birr and laid siege to the castle ; but on the ad- vance of the English the Irish retired. During the winter detachments of the regiment were fre- quently engaged in skirmishes with bands of armed Catholic peasantry, called Rapparees. In the month of February, 1691, the enemy 1691 having assembled a considerable force at Bally- more, General De Ginkell and Sir John Lanier, advanced from Streamstown with a body of ca- valry and infantry, and the Queen's Regiment of Horse formed a part of this force. When the King's troops arrived at a pass four miles from Streamstown, they found it secured by a palisadoed work, and the Irish drawn up on the other side, above two thousand strong. On the advance of the English foot, the enemy fled with precipita- tion, and were pursued towards the Moat of Gre- nogue, to a hill where their main body was drawn D ' 1 !, „ i| 18 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1691 up, from whence they subsequently retreated into the town, at the entrance of which they had thrown up a trench ; but not thinking it defensible, they hastily quitted the place. The English ad- vance-guard, of Avhich a detachment of the Queen's Horse formed a part, dashed forward, and overtook the enemy's foot before they got out of the town, slew a great number, and dispersed the remainder into the #oods and bogs. The same party then pur- sued the enemy's horse along the causeway towards Athlone, with such speed, that many of the Irish were obliged to quit both horses and boots, and take refuge amongst the woods and bogs there- abouts. The detachment then returned to its quarters ; but parties of the regiment were after- wards frequently sent out to scour the country, and drive the Rapparees from the vicinity of the English cantonments. In the beginning of May a troop of the Queen's Horse, with a detachment of the Queen Dowager's Foot, defeated a party of the enemy near TVyands Town : towards the end of the same month the regiment was encamped, with other forces, at Mul- lingar, and on the 6th of June advanced to Bally- more, which place was besieged, and surrendered on the 8th. On the 16th the army invested Ath- lone, and the Queen's Horse was actively employed during the siege. On the 30th, the place was taken by storm ; the assailants charging through the rapid stream of the Shannon breast high, forced their way through every obstacle, dislodged the enemy from the outworks in gallant style, and in less than half an hour were masters of the town. On the 4th of July, twenty of the Queen's THE FIRST OKAGOON GUARDS. 19 Horse, with ten mounted Grenadiers of the Queen 1691 Dowager's regiment of Foot, were sent to recon- noitre the enemy's camp at Ballinasloe, and when in the woods of Clamult, they encountered four hundred of the Irish Horse. Tlie English defended a bridge, and fought with great bravery until half their numbers were killed, and then retreated. General St. Huth, a French Officer of high military reputation, who was now in command of the Irish army, took up a strong position near Aghr'im in the county of Galway ; his right on the hill of Kilcontmodon, and his left stretching towards Kilconnel Abbey. On his left was a small rivulet with little hills and bogs on each side, near to which was a bog one mile across ; and at its extremity stood the Castle of Aghrim. Here St. Ruth resolved to await the advance of the English. On the 10th of July, the English army crossed the Shannon, encamped near Ballinasloe on the following day, and on the 12th crossed the river Suck, and marched against the enemy. In the line of battle, the Queen's Regiment of Horse was iStationed near the right, but it was afterwards moved to the left, where it performed good service.* The advance-guard of the Irish was soon forced to retire. An attack was then made upon the enemy's right against the pass of Urachree, which was vigorously defended. The enemy having weakened his centre to support his flanks, the English foot passed the bog and attacked the I % * St4)ry'H Iliktory of tho Wurs in Ireland. D 2 20 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1 I !i 1691 enemy's centre. In the meantime the British horse advanced along the pass by the Castle of Aghrim, and having scrambled over a place where only two could advance abreast, charged the enemy with great vigour. The Irish were giving way on every side, when their commander, St. Ruth, placed himself at the head of the reserve, and advanced, in order to retrieve, if possible, the fortune of the day ; but while descending Kiicom- modon Hill, he was killed by a cannon-ball. This disaster at once terminated the contest: his French guards immediately retired with his body, and the remainder of his army fled in con- fusion, pursued by the victorious English for ♦ several miles. In this engagement the Queen's Regiment of Horse had twenty-three men killed and five wounded. Its loss in horses was eleven killed and twenty-four wounded. The remains of the Irish army took refuge in Limerick, where they determined to make a stand, in the hope of being reinforced from France. After reducing Galway, and securing Portumna, Banaghan, and other passes of the Shannon, the vic- torious English marched to Limerick and formally invested the town : at the same time the Queen's Horse were sent to Charleville on a separate ser- vice, where they had an encounter with the enemy. The siege of Limerick was terminated on the 25th of September, by the celebrated treaty which granted indemnity to the Roman Catholics ; and the power of King James was thus finally extin- guished in Ireland. The Queen's Regiment of Horse went into quarters until the end of the year; THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 21 i I when orders were received for its return to Eng- IGOI land, and the last division of the regiment landed a great number of standards, colours, and kettle- 1704 drums, were taken, and a victory the most com- plete was thus gained on the banks of the dis- tant Danube, where British troops never before triumphed*. The victorious confederates followed up their advantage. Bavaria was subdued. Several for- tified cities were taken, and the German empire was delivered from the danger which threatened.it. After being engaged in all the important services performed by the main army during this splendid campaign, the Queen's Regiment of Horse re- turned to Holland for winter-quarters, having marched a distance of about one thousand miles in less than five months f. * Loss sustained by the French anny at the battle of Blenheim, 13th August, 1704 (N.S.) :— Killed 14,000 Officers and Men. Drowned in the Danube . 4,000 „ Taken Prisoners ... 40 General Officers. w ... 1,030 Officers of less note. M ... 11,079 Soldiers. Total . . . 30,149 Loss sustained by the troops in the pay of Great Britain and Holland : — Killed 190 Officers. ,• 3,102 Soldiers. Wounded 464 Officers. H 4,927 Soldiers. Total . . . 8,683 Tlie enemy's army consisted of 84 battalions, 150 squadrons. The confederate army of 66 battalions, 181 squadrons. Tlie enemy had 90 pieces of cannon, of which 50 were taken. The confederates had but 52 pieces of cannon. War Office Letter Book. t In Millnar's Journal the army is said to have marched 1176 miles in this one campaign. F 2 i ;. 1 J 36 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ill 1705 In the spring of 1705 the regiment marched up the Moselle. In the month of May the army assembled near Treves, and crossed the Moselle and the Saar in the beginning of June. The Duke of Marlborough was desirous of carrying on the war in this direction, and the German princes had agreed to co-operate with his Grace ; but the troops of the empire were detained so long in their winter-quarters, that all his designs were frus- trated ; and as the enemy was making great pro- gress in the Netherlands, his Grace resolved to march back to the Maese. Although this long and tedious march occasioned considerable dimi- nution in the strength of the confederates from fatigue, privation, and desertion in the continental corps; yet the eflfect produced by the arrival of the army in the Netherlands fully compensated for the disadvantage. The French immediately ceased to act on the oflfensive; they raised the siege of Liege, and retired into their fortified lines. After giving the troops a short respite to re- fresh themselves, the Duke of Marlborough re- solved to attack the French lines. He advanced accordingly; and on the morning of the 18th July, surprised the enemy's posts at Neer-Hespen and Helixem, forced their fortified entrenchments with distinguished bravery, and gained a complete victory ; towards which the brilliant charges made by the Queen's Regiment of Horse, and other Eng- lish cavalry, greatly contributed. This regiment was one of the first corps which passed the lines ; it charged and defeated several squadrons of the enemy's cavalry, and afterwards cut a battalion of infantry to pieces. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 37 The French retreated and took post along the 1705 Dyle, from Ische to Rosslaer. The Duke of Marlborough was desirous of crossing the river and attacking the enemy, but was restramed by the timidity of the Dutch, who frustrated all the designs of His Grace throughout the campaign. After the Dutch Generals had twice refused to engage the enemy, the Allies commenced level- ling the French lines. On the 30th September a picquet of thirty men of the Queen's Regiment of Horse, with as many Hussars, under Lieutenant Alexander, posted at Tf^ickstadt for the security of a foraging party, attacked with great bravery a detachment of the enemy, killed thirty men, and made forty prisoners. Sandvliet was after- wards invested and taken ; the army then went into cantonments for the winter, and the Queen's Regi- ment of Horse marched to Breda ; where it was joined by a remount from England. In the following spring the British troops on 1706 the Continent assembled from their winter-quar- ters, and on the 20th of May, 1706, were joined by the Dutch forces at Bilsen. Early in the morning of the 23rd of May (Whit-Sunday), the army marched towards Ramilies. About eight o'clock the advance guard of British Horse met a detachment of the enemy traversing the plain of St. Andr6; and soon afterwards the united French, Spanish, and Bavarian armies, commanded by the Elector of Bavaria and Mar- shal Villeroy, were discovered in position on Mont St. Andr6 ; their right posted at the tomb of Ot- tomond ; their left at the village of Autreglise, Mi ■tii 'i^i '.1 ■M'- Jl ■1^ 1 \'i: 88 HISTORICAL RECORD OF In - 1706 which, together with the villages of Offuz and RamiUes, were occupied with a strong force ; and five battalions lined the hedges near the village of Franquinay. The Duke of Marlborough im- mediately made dispositions for attacking the enemy ; the Queen's Regiment of Horse was posted on the heights of Fouiz, on the right of the Allied Army, and it gained additional laurels in the action which followed. The village of Ramilies being the enemy's principal post, and in the centre of the position, was attacked by twelve battalions of infantry with the greatest bravery. The enemy defended this post with resolution, and resisted the formidable attacks of the confederates, until their troops posted in advance of the right flank had been driven from their ground ; when, observing the whole line of -the confederate army advancing, and the Dutch and Danish horse moving to the rear of the village, the French endeavoured to retreat, but were inter- cepted and attacked by the Dutch and Danish horse, their ranks were immediately broken, and the greater part of the men either sabred or taken prisoners. After this disaster the remainder of the enemy's infantry retreated in good order, covered by the horse of the left wing, and formed between the villages of Autreglise and Geest-a- Gerompont; where they were attacked by the English and Dutch infantry ; the British horse charging at the same time with such invincible courage, that the enemy's battalions were soon overthrown, dispersed, and pursued with immense slaughter. The Queen's Regiment of Horse, THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 39 d d having descended from the heights of Foulz, 1706 dashed forward along the plain with its usual boldness, and overthrew all that opposed it. The enemy's horse rallied on the plain ; but being closely pressed, fled in three directions. The fu- gitives were, however, soon overtaken by the Queen's Regiment of Horse and other English cavalry sent in pursuit : the French Regiment du Roi, after a severe loss, surrendered : seven squa- drons of Spanish and Bavarian guards were cut to pieces, and great part of the cannon which was marching in froat of them was taken ; the Elector of Bavaria and Marshal Villeroy narrowly escaped. The pursuit was not discontinued until two o'clock on the following mornmg, by which time the greater part of the enemy's I)a;^gage, fifty pieces of cannon, eighty strrtdards and c^ lours, with several pairs of kettle -drrsms, had been captured; and about six hundred officers and four thousand men made prisoners. The broken remains of the French and Bava- rian armies retreated to Louvain, which city they afterwards abandoned, together with Lierre, Ghent, Damme, and Bruges. The magistrates of these towns, with those of Brussels, Malines, and Alost, took advantage of the opportunity, renounced their allegiance »o -he Duke of Anjou, and declared in favour of King Charles III. (brother of the Em- peror of Austria), who was at this period recog- nised as sovereign of Spain by the greater part of Europe. In the meantime the garrisons of Oude- narde, Antwerp, and Ostend, on being summoned, surrendered to the victorious Confederates. Thus, • ■ ■ .of I '■\ i i I ii f ;' I 5; 40 HISTORICAL RECORD OF J 706 in the short period of fourteen days (between the 23rd of May and 6th of June), one of the most gallant and best appointed armies which France ever brought into the field was nearly annihi- lated : the whole of Spanish Brabant, the Mar- quisate of the empire, with its capital, the famous city of Antwerp ; the lordship and city of Ma- lines, with the best part of Spanish Flanders, were all recovered from the possession of the enemy. The confederate troops next invested Bender- mondf Menin, and Aeth, all which places were taken before the army went into winter-quarters- 1707 In the spring of 1707 the regiment was again furnished with cuirasses. Although the enemy's ranks had been considerably recruited and reinforced during the preceding winter, yet throughout the campaign of 1707, the French commanders avoided coming to an engagement. The confederates took the field early in May, and after chasing the enemy from their camp, and forcing them to take shelter behind their for- tified lines, the Allies retired into winter-quarters. 1708 The Queen's Regiment of Horse was stationed at Ghent until the middle of May, 1708, when having been joined by a remount of upwards of one hundred men and horses, it marched to Brussels ; and when the army took the field, it was posted on the right of the first line. The Dutch government being very unpopular in the Catholic [jrovinces of the Netherlands, the French found means to seduce some of the chief inhabitants from their allegiance, and obtained [Kissession of Ghent and Bruges by treachery ; THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 41 but the valour of the confederate forces counter- 1708 vailed this advantage. On the 11th of July the army commanded by the Duke of Marlborough crossed the Scheldt near Oudenarde* in the face of the enemy's troops, commanded by the Duke of Burgundy and Marshal Vendome, and attacked them with the greatest gallantry. For several hours the conflict raged with dr^^adful fury : the French contested the ground with great bravery, but were at length overpowered; their broken battalions Hed in confusion ; their shattered squa- drons were routed ; and, but for the extreme dark- ness of the night, their army would have suffered entire annihilation. The Queen's Regiment of Horse was present at this engagement, and at break of day on the following morning, formed part of a detachment of forty squadrons under Lieutenant- Generals Lumley and Bulau, sent in pursuit of the French. These squadrons overtook and attacked the enemy's rear-guard, rnd conti- nued the pursuit to within two miles of Ghent. The Confederates subsequently forced the for- tified lines between Ypres and Warneton, and the French formed an entrenched camp between Ghent and Bruges. The Duke of Marlborough having been joined by a German force under Prince Eugene of Savoy, invested Lisle ; and the operations against this important place were covered by the whole * The Electorate Prince of Hanover, afterwards Cteor^o II., was at this engagement as a volunteer, and disphiyed great valour, re- peatedly charging the enemy at the head of the Hanoverian cavalry ; he had his horse killed under him, and Colonel Lanchky was shot by his side. Ii I I ■ m 42 HISTORICAL RECORD OP ii 1708 anny. The French monarch commanded his ge- nerals to use every means to raise the siege ; and they were most indefatigable in their exertions ; at one time they menaced the Confederates with an attack of their whole army ; afterwards endea- voured to surprise the convoys and to cut oflf the supplies of necessaries and warlike stores; and they destroyed all the forage and provision in the neighbourhood of Lisle, with the view of reducing the Confederates to want; but all their projects were defeated by the consummate skill and perse- verance of the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene. Lisle was taken, together with Ghent and Bruges, and the army then retired into win- ter-quarters. The Queen's Horse was with the covering army before Lisle, was occasionally em- ployed in escorting convoys of provision and am- munition during the siege, and was also engaged in forcing the passage of the Scheldt on the 27th of November. 1709 The ('• irters of the preceding campaigns in- duced Le»v'i XIV. to propose terms for a general peace; but this did not prevent the confederate troops from taking the field. The Queen's Regi- ment of Horse marched from Ghent on the 17th of June, 1709 ; the whole army assembled near Menin on the 21 st, and two days afterwards en- camped on the plain of Lisle. The French army occupied a fortified camp between Douay and Lys. After reconnoitring this position the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene resolved not to attack the enemy in so strong a post, but to continue their operations against the fortified towns. The confederate troops, accordingly, THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 43 I ', marched towards Tournay, and the Queen's Re- 1709 giment of Horse formed a part of the force which invested the town ; while the greater part of the army encamped at Villemeau and St. Amand. The siege was carried on with great persevera ice; the town was surrendered on the 30th of July, but the castle held out until the 3rd of September, when everything being ready for a general assault, the garrison capitulated. Having completed this important conquest, the Confederates next resolved to besiege the city of MonSy and the whole army was put in motion. As the vast and magnificent columns moved over one of the fruitful and undulating plains of Hain- ault, the advance-guard met a corps of French Hussars ; the advance of the enemy in force, was ascertained ; the magnificent army of the Allies deployed, and the Queen's Regiment of Horse took its station on the right of the first line. The French army, commanded by Marshals Villars and Boufflers, took up a defensive position near Mal- plaquet, and commenced forming entrenchments. The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene resolved to attack the enemy in his fortified camp. About eight o'clock in the morning of the 31st of August (O.S.), the confederHt(» Irocps com- menced their first attack upon the strong posts of the enemy, and an action, most fierce, determined, and sanguinary, was long maintained ivith dou])t- ful success; at length the enemy's ri'iht was dis- lodged and his centre forced. This advantage was followed up by renewed attacks ; the I'atal volleys of the confederate infantry were succeeded by u most determined charge. The enemy's left gave u2 :[«:-. 44 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1709 way. The Queen's Horse and other EngHsh ca- valry rushing with overwhelming fury upon the broken columns, threw part of the French army into disorder, and a most fearful slaughter fol- lowed. The pursuit was continued as far as the village of Quievrain ; and sixteen pieces of can- non, twenty colours, snd twenty-six standards, with a number of prisoners were captured. In this action the regiment had Lieutenant Stonnont and ten men killed. This victory was succeeded by the siege of Monst which was taken in October, and the army then went into quarters for the winter. 1710 Although negociations for a general peace were again commenced, the confederate troops opened the campaign of 1710 with vigour, took the Castle of Mortngne^ penetrated the enemy's lines at Pont-d-f^endin, and invested Donay. The French assembled a numerous army with intent to raise the siege; but after menacing the front of the Confederates' position several times, the enemy re- treated without venturing an engagement. On the 12th of June the Duke of Marlborough reviewed the Queen's Regiment of Horse bef-^re Douay. On the 27th the garrison capitulated. And on the l.'jth of July the Confederates com- menced the siege of Bethune, which place surren- dered on the 29th of August. During the time these sieges were in progress, there was much skirmishing, and some hard fighting between de- tached parties, in which the Queen's Regiment of Horse hud a considerable share. The French, fearful of huzarding a general engageiiii'nt, carried on H desultory warfare against convoys, detached THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 45 posts, picquets, and foraging parties, which proved 17 10 extremely harassing to both armies. The Confe- derates concluded the campaign by taking Aire and St. Venant. The regiment was with the covering army during the sieges, and afterwards retired into winter-quarters. Early in the spring of 1711, the English army 1711 assembled from its winter-quarters; and on the 29th of May the Duke of Marlborough reviewed the Queen's Regiment of Horse in the camp near Warde. The enemy having sent a strong detach- ment towards Germany, Prince Eugene marched, with the troops under his command, to oppose them, which considerably weakened the Confe- derate army in ti;: Low Countries. However, the Duke of Marlborough, though far inferior to the enemy in point of numbers, by skilful ma- noeuvring, forced the boasted impregnable French lines at Arleuoc, with trifling losr and invested Bouchain, which surrendered on the 13th of Sep- tember. This regiment was one of the first corps which passed the French lines, it was also with the covering army during the siege ; and so multifa- rious were the services performed, and so great were the obstacles to be overcome, that every corps was fully employed. After repairing the fortifi- cations, the troops once more separated into win- ter-quarters ; and before the ensuing ipring the Duke of Marlborough was removed from the com- mand of the British army. The British troops were assembled from their 1712 dis|)ersed cantonmentH about the middle of April, 1712, Tae Duke of Or:n* .:(!, having been ap- |K>inted to the coiumand of iirr iMajesty's forces on i; :. f u !■:!. 46 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1 1712 the Continent, arrived at the Hague on the 25th of April ; but as plenipotentiaries were actively engaged in arranejing a treaty of peace at Utrecht, his Grace had orders poI to attack the French. A suspension of Ijovtilities bet-veen the English and French was afterwards pvibi; bed ; the British troops inarched to tue -liethe) nuds, and after en- camping ci shoi r period at Drongen, were distri- bu? xl into cantonments at Bruges and Ghent. 1713 I'he Queen's Kegimeist of lorse was quar- tered at Glient until the treaty of Utrecht was concluded; and it cc. Jnued on the Continent 1714 until the spring ol 1714, when it embarked for England, landed at the Red House, Battersea, in the beginning of April, and marched into quarters at Northampton, Daventry, and Wellingborough ; and the armour which the regiment had worn during the last six campaigns, was subsequently returned into store. After the ratification of the peace, the strength of the army was decreased, and the establishment of the regiment was fixed at thirty men per troop, m?iking a total of three hundred and thirty- seven officers and soldiers. On the accession of King George I., there being no Queen consort on the throne, his Ma- jesty was graciously pleased, in consideration of the brilliant career of the regiment in the recent campaigns on the Continent, to honour it with the distinguished title if The Kino's Own Regi- ment OF HoR'^E ; and the colour of the facings was changed r:r yellow to 6lue. 1715 On the bu >i' ag out of the rebellion in favour of the Prater '^tr, in 1715, ai: augmentation often THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 47 men per troop wag made to the establishment; 1715 the regiment was stationed in dispersed canton- ments in the western counties, to overawe the dis- affected in those parts ; and on the receipt of in- formation that the rebels intended to seize on Bristol, two squadrons of the regiment marched to that city. The rising at Bristol and its vicinity was to have been headed by Sir William Wynd- ham, the late Secretary at War, who had caused a great quantity of arms and ammunition to be laid up in that city for the purpose of being distributed to the insurgents ; but this being discovered, an order was given for his being arrested, and the arms were seized by the King's troops. The remainder of the regiment proceeded to Hertford ; and after the surrender of the rebels at Preston furnished detachments to escort the prisoners to London. Jaeobite principles had become very prevalent at this period, and thousands were ready in every part of England to take arms for the Pretender ; but the fidelity of the army saved the nation from anarchy and from papal domination. The suppression of this rebellion having happily 1716 been effected, the establishment of the regiment was reduced to twenty-five men per troop. In May, 1716, the regiment was reviewed near Barnet by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales ; and the following year it furnished de- 1717 tachments to act as assistant keepers in protecting the royal parks and forests against the depreda- tions of a band of desperate characters called Blacks, who are stated to have carried off upwards of two thousand lnjad of deer during the preceding two years. 48 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1717 On the resignation of General Lumley, Richard Viscount Irwin was appointed Colonel of the regiment by commission, dated the 13th of Decem- ber, 1717. 1719 In 1719 the King of Spain fitted out a fleet and embarked troops, with a view of making a descent upon England in favour of the Pretender, and The King's Own Regiment of Horse was one of the first corps ordered to the western coast to repel the invader ; but the fleet, like the Armada in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, was dispersed and disabled by a storm, and the ostentatious vaunts of Spain perished in the deep. !" 720 The practice of purchasing commissions in the ^••my had existed since the Restoration, in 1660; ' ut no ucale of prices had been established previous to the accession of George I., who commanded the subject to be submitted to the consideration of a board of general officers; and in February, 1720, a regulation was issued, fixing the amount of pur- chase money to be paid for commissions in every regiment. The following prices were established for The King*« Own Regiment of Horse.* Colonel and Captain Lieutenant-Colonel and Captain Major and Captain Captain Captain-Lieutenant Lieutenant Comet Adjutant 1721 ()„ the 10th of April, 1721, the colonelcy of * In the junior reKimonts of horse the price of the rommission of Colonel arid f'aptain was fixed at 7500/. ; but the other coni'iis- Hions in tham '■■ ys were the same as in this regiment. £9000 4000 3300 2500 1500 1200 1000 200 THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS, 49 the regiment, vacant by the decease of Viscount 1721 Ifwin, was conferred upon Richard Viscount Cobham from the First Royal Dragoons. At this period the regiment regularly furnished, 1722 in turn with the other regiments of horse, detach- ments to assist the Life Guards in the duties of the court and metropolis, and m performing the travelling escort duty for the royal family. In the summer of 1722 it was encamped on Houns- low Heath, where it was reviewed by his Majesty on the 5th of July; and in September, 1723, it 1723 was reviewed on Hampton Court Green by the Earl of Cadogan, who was then performing the duties of General Commanding-in-Chief. His Majesty King George I. died at Osna- 1727 burgh on the 11th of June, 1727; and on the 11 th of October following, a detachment of The King's Own Regiment of Horse was on duty in London, on the occasion of the coronation of Kin?: George li. In April, 1728, the regiment 1728 fum^ihed a relay of escortb t^ attend his Majesty froiii London to Newmark t; and, in 1729, a 1729 detachment of the regiment was in constant at- tendance on His Royal Highness the Princf of Wales at Richii;ond Palace. His Majesty reviewed the Life Guards and 1730 Horse Grenadier Guards in Hyde Park on the 20th of May, 1730 ; on which occasion The King's Own Regiment had the honour of furnishing the guard at Whitehall ; aiso an escort of one cap- tain, one lieutenant, one trumpeter, and twenty- four troopers, for His Majesty ; with an escort of one lieutenant, one trumpeter, and twelve H ir ' »:{: im r^^. 50 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1730 troopers, for the Queen; an escort of a quai'ter- niaster and eight men for the Prince of Wales ; and an escort of eight rank and file for Prince William. On the 24th of June his JMajesty reviewed His Own Keginient of Horse, and the Princess of Wales's Own Royal Regiment of Horse (First and Second Dragoon Guards), on Datchet Com- Ji*0i\ when the splendid appearance and high state of dis«^iphne and efficiency of these distinguished regiments excited general admiration, and they received the approbation and thanks of their Sove- reign. 1731 In 1731 the regiment was stationed at Canter- 1732 bury; in 1732 it again performed the travelling 1 733 escort duty ; and the following year Henry Earl of Pembroke was appointed its colonel ; his com- mission bearing date the 22nd June, 1733. 1 734 The regiment coxitinued to occuyvy quarters ge- nerally in the south of England, :nd to furnish the usual detachments to attend on tne court. It was also frequently called upon to assist the civil authorities in suppressing commotions of the po- pulac«;, produced by the exertions of the partisans 1712 of the Pretender, until 1742, when it was again called upon to quit this routine of duties, to engage in the more active and enterprising ser- vices of the field. The succes^sion of the Archduchess Maria The- resa, as Queen of Hungaria and Bohemia, was opposed by the Elector of Bavaria, who claimed those countries as the descendant of Ferdinand I. ; and he was supported by Louis XIV., on iron- m THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 51 (lition of having additional territory ci'ded to 1 742 France. Thirty thousand French troops marched into Germany to assist the Elector, and another Frencli army assembled on the Rhine. King George II., with a view of preserving the balance of power in Europe, resolved to support the house of Austria. His Majesty commanded an army of sixteen thousand men, under the Earl of Stair, to proceed to the Netherlands, to co-ope- rate with the Austrian generals; and The King's Own Regiment of Horse, having been augmented to five hundred and thirty-five officers and men, was one of the first corps embarked for this ser- vice. After experiencing severe weather at sea, the regiment disembarked at Ostend the 30th of August, 1742, and marched to Ghent, where it was reviewed by the Earl of Stair on the 30th of October. In April, 1743, General Sir Philip Honey- 1743 wood was appointed colonel of the regiment, vice the Earl of Pembroke retired. In the beginning of May, 1743, the regiment marched from Brussels for the Rhine, and on the 4th of June was encamped with the remainder of the British and Hanoverian forces at Hochst on the Maine, where they were joined by a body of Aus- trians under Marshals Aremberg and Nieuberg. Louis XIV., in order to prevent a junction between the English army and the Austrians, under Prince Charles of Lorraine, sent Marshal Noailles, with sixty thousand men, against the Earl of Stair, and another army, under Marshal h2 ■' ? « ;i !jj 52 HISTO'MCAL RECORD OF ' / 1 743 Coigny, to oppose Prince Charles. The Earl of Stair advanced to Aschaflfenburg, where his Ma- jesty King George the Second, and his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, joined the army. The French having possessed themselves of some of the principal posts on the Maine, and intercepted the communication with Frankfort, by which the supplies of provision and forage for the army were obstructed, the King resolved to proceed to Hanau, where his Majesty was in- formed that a reinforcement of Hanoverian and Hessian troops had arrived. Accordingly at day- break on the 26th of June (N.S.), the troops commenced their march ; but before the advance- guard reached Dettingen, a French force was dis- covered in front, drawn up in a strong position to oppose the progress of the Allies. The King commanded the army to be formed in two lines to attack the enemy; and while the infantry were marching into position. The King's Own Regi- ment of Horse, with the Life Guards, and some other cavalry, covered the formation, and were from eight in the morning until mid-day exposed to the tire of the enemy's batteries. The French, abandoning their position, ad- vanced boldly to attack the British left. The Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, and The King's Own Regiment of Horse, led by General Honey wood, advanced to charge the enemy with great gallantry ; but being met by superior num- bers of the French Household troops, armed cap- a-pie, and led by the princes of the blood, the rf,/ Ki^ nrs iiii);i;;i;K; 17 •l^:^. ^(.'P;^^'!'!'!' .\i.;'..'a.! i.'iAi; ..'.S u ■ i *U ! 1 //:..,.. -Jiv; >_; U I M w K S w , ,' i 1 THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 53 attack was repulsed, and our squadrons retired in 1 743 some disorder. The French horse, following up this advantage with great eagerness, advanced within range of the fire of the British infantry, when our battalions poured their fatal volleys on the Hanks of the enemy, and several squadrons were destroyed. In the meantime the engage- ment became general along the whole line. The contest was severe, and the King was seen riding from rank to rank, encouraging the sol- diers, and by his presence inspiring them with fresh ardour, until the roar of cannon, volleys of musketry, and shouts of the combatants, rendered his Majesty's voice inaudible. In the middle of the action. The King's Own Regitiient of Horse was moved to the left of the line to drive back a portion of the enemy's cavalry which was endea- vouring to turn that flank, which service it per- formed with great gallantry. The steady fire of the British infantry having thinned the ranks of the enemy, the English and Austrian cavalry passed through the intervals of the foot, and charged with great impetuosity ; but in the first onset some squadrons were repulsed ; these, however, ral!ied immediately, and, undaunted by the repulse, again rushed forward on the ranks of the enemy; the attack succeeded, the mailed warriors of France were overthrown, and our victorious horsemen pursued the fugitive squadrons to the banks of the Maine, across which they fled with such precipi- tation that numbers perished in the river. The loss of the regiment in tins engagement was, — killed, Captain Merideu, Lieutenant Dra- I' n 54 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1743 per, and Cornet Aldcroft, with eight private men, and twenty horses : — wounded. Major Carr, Cap- tains Suurin and Smith, and Lieutenant Wallis, with two quarter-masters, twenty-eight troopers, and twenty-four horses. After the battle our troops bivouacked on the ground, surrounded by the dying and the dead, and remained all night without food, and exposed to a heavy rain. On the following day the Allies continued their march to Hanau, where they re- mained until the beginning of August. At length the army again advanced, crossed the Rhine on the 27th of August, and on the 30th encamped at Worms, from whence it marched to Spire, and were joined at this place by twenty thousand Dutch auxiliaries from the Netherlands. But no operation of importance was performed during the remainder of the campaign. In October the army marched back to Mentz, and the several corps were distributed into winter-quarters. 1744 Louis XIV. having maai preparations for a descent upon England in favour of the Pretender, the attention of the British court was turned towards the preservation of the kingdom. The army was, however, not withdrawn from Flanders, but the generals acted with great caution. In May, 1744, the British troops assembled near Brussels, and afterwards encamped behind the Scheldt. The French occupied a fortified camp behind the Lys, and, on the advance of the Confederate forces, kept close within their entrenchments. The Confederates defiled past Tournay, and encamped near Li(• :.l'i THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 57 The Confederates afterwards encamped at Les- 1745 sines, from whence they retired to Grammont, and subsequently took post near Brussels ; while the French, by their superior numbers, were enabled to obtain possession of many important cities in the Austrian Netherlands. In the meantime, Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, had landed in Scotland, and, at the head of the insurgent Highland clans, had de- feated a body of newly raised troops at Gladsmuir, and penetrated into England. Upon this emer- gency The King's Own Regiment ol Horse, and the greater part of the other English troops on the Continent, were ordered home. The regiment arrived in England on the Ist of 1746 March, 1746, and formed part of the army assem- bled to oppose the threatened descent of the Frencli on the southern coasts of the kingdom. The rebellion being terminated by the defeat of the insurgents at Culloden, the kingdom was again restored to tranquillity ; and King George II. \\a8 induced to disband two troops of his Life Guards, and to order His Own, and two other regiments of horse, to be placed upon the pay and establishmeni; of Dragoons, with the title of Dra- goon Guards, by which a saving of £70,000 per year was effected. In December, the regiment was accordingly marched into the following quarters :— namely, one troop *o Dunstable, one to St. Alban , two to W«-c and Hoddesdon, i^^o to Hertford, one to Barnet, one to Hitching, and the remaining troop to Hanjpstead, where they were respectively formed ' |P 58 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1746 into troops of Dragoons ; and their pay and allow- ances as such commenced the 25th of December, 1746. As the men were placed on a lower rate of pay than formerly, every man had the option of his discharge with a gr ' '♦'' of three pounds, and fourteen days' pay to -.. >• ..i. home. A gratuity of three pounds was . ,„ paid to the men who continued to serve in the regiment.* A slight alteration was at the same time made in the uni- form; — the officers were distinguished by gold lace and embroidery on their regimentals, and a crimson silk sash worn over the left shoulder ; — the quarter-mastei s by gold lace, and silk sashes round their waists ; — and the Serjeants by narrow lace on the lapels, sleeves, and pockets, and a worsted sash round the waist. The following is a copy of his Majesty's Warrant, establishing the new title and rank of these regiments : — George R. 1747 Whereas, We have thought fit to order Our Own Regiment of Horse, commanded by Our trusty and well-beloved General Sir Philip Ho- neywood ; The Queens Royal Regiment of Horse, commanded by Our right trusty and right entirely beloved Cousin and Counsellor, Lieutenant-Ge- neral John Duke of Montague ; and Our Regiment of Horse, commanded by Our right trusty and well-beloved Counsellor, Field Marshal George Wade, to be respectively formed into regiments of Dragoons, and their establishment and pay, as * War Otilce Records. i^hI&» THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 59 Dragoons, to eommence the 25th of December, 1747 1746. And, Whereas, it is become necessary, by the said Regiments being formed into Dragoons, that their former titles as Regiments of Horse should be altered; We are hereby graciously plea^-ed to declare Our Royal Will and Pleasure, that Our Regiment of Dragoons, now under the com- mand of General 8ir Philip Honeywood, shall bear the title of Our Fir«t Regiment of Dragoon Guards ; Our Regiment of Dragoons, now com- manded by the Duke of Montague, the title of Our Second Regiment of Dragoon Guards ; and Our Regiment of Dragoons, now commanded by Field Marshal Wade, the title of Our Third Regiment of Dragoon Guards ^ and have rank and precedency of all other Regiments of Dragoons in our service. Nevertheless, Our further Will and Plea- sure is, that the said three Regiments of Dragoon Guards shall roll and do duty in Our army, or upon detachments, with Our other forces, as Dra- goons, in the same manner as if the word Guards was not inserted in their respective titles. Whereof, the Colonels above mentioned, and the Colonels of Our said Regiments for the time being, and all others whom it may or shall con- cern, are to take notice and govern themselves accordingly. Given at Our Court at St. James's, this 9th day of Jjtnuary, 1746-7, in the twentieth year of Our reign. By IIi8 Majesty's Command, H. FOX. I 2 ' "-; 1 ■1^ ■ i- 60 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1747 The following is a copy of the first establish- ment of this Regiment as a corps of Dragoon Guards: — Staff Officers. Per Diem. 1 Per Annum. The Colonel, as Colonel, 15i., allowance for Servants, As. 6d. £0 19 6 £355 17 6 Lieutenant- Colonel, as Luuienant- Colonel . 9 164 5 Major, as Major 5 91 5 Chaplain 6 8 121 13 4 Adjutant 5 91 5 Surgeon . . . 6 109 10 ne first Troup, Captain 8»., three Horses 3s., in lieu of Ser vants 4*. 6d. 15 6 292 17 G Lieutenant 4s., two Horses 2s,, Servants 3« 9 164 '■> I) Cornet 3*., two Horses 2s., Servants 3s. 8 146 ' Quarter'MaBter, for Himself and Horse, Ax. Servants Is. 6d. 5 6 100 / 6 3 Serjeants, each at 2s. 9d. 8 3 150 11 3 3 Corporals, each at 2s. 3d. 6 9 123 3 9 2 Drummers, each at 2t. 3d, 4 6 82 2 6 1 Hautbois 2 36 10 59 Dragoons, at 1». 9d. each, for Man ant Horse 5 3 3 1,884 6 3 Allowance to Widows 2 36 10 For Clothing lost by Deserters 2 6 45 12 6 For Recruiting Expenses 2 4 42 11 For Agency 1 2 21 5 10 Eight Troops horb, of the same Numbers 68 6 24,929 10 ♦Total 79 7 11 28,979 9 1 The regiment, having been formed on its new establishment, was disposed in cantonments in 1748 Herefordshire; and in the autumn of 1748, it was employed on coast duty in Norfolk ; in the following summer its quarters were extended to * The sums borne on the establishment in the preceding year, for the same numbers, amounted to 98/. 3s. 8d. per day, and 36,019/. Ss. Ad. |)er annum. The davinf; eifucteu by the change of establishment was 7,039/. 18«. 9d. per annum. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 61 mverdl parts of Essex. After the peace of Aix- 1749 lo'ChapeUe, a reduction of one serjeant, one cor- poral, ard twenty-three men per troop, was made in the establishment. The services of the regiment in time of peace 1750 have occi*8ionally been chequered with duties arising out of the ebullition of spirit in the Bri- tish public. An occasion of this description oc- cnrrfd m the month of July, 1750, when three troops of the regiment obtained great credit for the temper, patience, and forbearance which they displayed when suppressing some disturbances amor g the populace at Birmingham. In 1751 the 1751 officers and men were directed to wear aiguillettes on the left shoulder ; the officers' and Serjeants' to be of gold cord — the men's of worsted. After the decease of Sir Philip Honeywood, 1752 K.B., in July, 1752, Lieutenant-General Hum- phrey Bland, of the Third Dragoons, was ap- pointed Colonel of the First, or King's Regiment of Dragoon Guards. Ip the autumn of the same year the regiment proc^-cded to Scotland; from whence it returned in Sephmoer, 1754, and was stationed at York, 1754 Jjeeds, and Wakefield ; and in the spring of the succeeding year, it occupied quarters in the south of England. A he French having, by acts of aggression in 1755 the British settlements in North America and the West Indies, manifested a disposition to disturb the amicable relations existing between the two crowi.s, King George II. augmented the strength of the t'^gular army, and one serjeant, one cor- poral, and fifteen men, were added to the establish- ;| J 'I Ml !. . II' '/gfy \^^ 02 HISTORICAL RECOUiJ OF ? ki ;:!' «f 1755 ment of each troop of this regiment : at the sar^.e time a Light Troop, consisting of one captain, one lieutenant, h*- cornet, one quarter-master, two Serjeants, three corporals, two drummers, and sixty private men, was added to the regiment. A Light Troop was also added to each of the other regiments of Dragoon Guards and Dragoons on the British establishment. 1756 In 1756 war was declared against France,' and the French monarch, in return, made preparations for a descent upoi?. Britain. To oppose this threatened invasion, several extensive encamp- ments were formed, and a body of Hanoverian and Hessian troops arrived from Germany. The First Regiment of Dragoon Guards was stationed 1757 near the southern coast; and in March, 1757, the regiment was ordered to march into quarters in the vicinity of London. 1758 The French monarch having been intimidated from executing his projected enterprise by the formidable preparations in England, the augmen- tation made in the military establishments of Bri- tain enabled the King to assume the offensive, and the reduction of the maritime power of France being deemed of primary importance, an expedi- tion was prepared for an attack on the harbour of St. Maloes ; and the light troop of the First Dra- goon Guards, and of eight other regiments,* were ordered for this service. These light troops having been encamped some time near Peters- * The light troops of the following regiments were employed in this expedition : — 1st and 3rd Dragoon Guards, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 10th, and llth Regiments of Dragoons, with nine battalions of infantry. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 63 field, and brigaded together under the command 1758 of Colonel Eliott, of the Horse Grenadier Guards, the whole embarked, and proceeded on the enter- prise on the 1st of June, 1758, under the orders of Charles, Duke of Marlborough. On the evening of the 5th of the same month, the troops landed in Canralle Bay, in the province of Brittany, and in the eninf^ of the following day the light tro'^f-^ mo ard towards St. Maloes. On the 7t^« tlift m}) "amped at Parame : on the sam iagi?l the lid Light Dragoons proceeded to the harbour of t!>t. Maloes, set fire to the naval stores, magazines, and shipping ; the work of destruction was continued throughout the night, and upwards of one hundred vessels were burnt, together with the magazines and stores. The light troops of Dra- goon Guards and Dragoons afterwards advanced to the town of Dol, and distinguished themselves in several skirmishes with detached parties of the enemy. The object of the expedition having been accomplished (so far as was found practi- cable), the troops re-embarked, and preparations were made for a descent at Granville, on the coast of Normandy, and afterwards at Cherbourg ; but, in consequence of severe weather, this service was deferred, and the troops returned to England, where they arrived on the 1st of July, and were again encamped near Portsmouth. Preparations were, however, immediately commenced for a second expedition ; and after several experiments had been made, with the view of facilitating the debarkation of troops in boisterous weather, the brigade of Light Dragoon Guards and Dragoons |l I .1 ( !'3 '1 - IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A 4^ 1.0 I.I Jf Ki 122 liA llllii i^ U4 4 6" » Photographic Sciences Corporation IIWMT wiuTir (71* MAIN STRUT NY. 14SM «7a-4S03 ^^<^ ^ ^ ^ 64 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1758 was again embarked, and on the 6th of August a landing was effected in the Bay des Marees, in the face of an adverse force drawn up to oppose the debarkation of the British troops. Cherbourg was taken on the following day ; and the fortifications, which had been recently improved at an immense expense, were destroyed, together with the vessels in the harbour. After remaining on the French coast ten days, the troops re-embarked, taking ivith them the brass cannon and mortars captured at Cherbourg as trophies of their success. The expedition then sailed to the Bay of St. Lunar, on the coast of Brittany, where the troops were again debarked, and penetrated into the French territory without meeting with much opposition. On the second day our forces arrived at the village of Matignon, and the out-guards had several skir- mishes with the enemy» No advantage, how- ever, resulted from this enterprise ; and before the whole of the British were re-embarked the enemy had assembled a large body of troops, and they attacked our rear-guard with such vigour that the grenadiers of the army, with the First Regiment of Foot Guards, sustained considerable loss. The expedition afterwards returned to Eng- land, and the light troops were quartered in vil- lages near the coast. In the meantime Hanover was overrun by the armies of the enemy, and in order to rescue the Electorate from the power of France, a British force was sent to Germany, under the command of the Duke of Marlborough, to co-operate with the Hano- verian, Hessian, and Brunswick troops in British THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 65 pay. While the light troop of the First Dragoon 1758 Guards was engaged in the descent on the French coast» the remainder of the regiment was under orders for Germany ; and having been reviewed by his Majesty in Hyde Park, in brigade with the Royal Horse Guards and ] 0th Dragoons, on the 10th of July, embarked in the same month, and arrived at Embden on the 1st of August, together with the following corps, namely, the Royal Horse Guards, 3rd Dragoon Guards, 6th and 10th Dra- goons, and 12th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, and 37th Re- giments of Foot.* On the 5th of August the British troops com- menced their march to join the Hanoverian, Hes- sian, and Brunswick forces, commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, and on the 17th of tnat month they encamped at Coesveldt, where they were joined by a detachment of the Prince's army. On the 20th f his Serene Highnetss reviewed the British division, and expressed great satisfaction at the excellent appearance of the several corps after the march. The First Dragoon Guards do not, however, appear to have been engaged in any action of importance during this campaign ; and when the army went into winter-quarters, seven squadrons of British cavalry were cantoned in the bishopric of Paderborn, and nine in the bishopric of Osnaburg. ■•(1)' V^ li ' f fi . I 5,1 I * The 51st Foot had arrived some time previously, and was in garrison at Embden. t On the 31st of August the Soots Oreys joined the army, hav- ing been detained at sea by contrary winds. m 4i 66 HISTORICAL RECORD OP 1759 Early in the spring of 1759, the anny assem- bled from its winter-quarters, and the First Dra- goon Guards were formed in brigade with the Blues and Inniskilling Dragoons. The Allies, leaving about twelve thousand men to guard the Electorate, advanced by ways heretofore deemed impracticable for an army, and gained consi- derable advantage in several actions with the enemy in the country of Hesse. Alarmed at this spirited commencement of the campaign, a French army, under the Duke de Broglio, took up a position near Bergen, where it was at- tacked by the Allies on the 1 3th of April. The assault was made with great ardour; but the enemy having a strong post, entrenched at every assailable point, was enabled to resist the attack, and to maintain his ground. The action con- tinued throughout the day, and in the evening Prince Ferdinand retired. After this failure the Allies were obliged to retire before the superior numbers of the enemy. After taking .' ien, the main body of the French army, ^^. imanded by Marshal Contades and the Duke de Broglio, took up a strong posi- tion near that place. Prince Ferdinand, by a skilful mancBuvre, succeeded in drawing the French from their post, and on the Ist of August a general action was fought near Minden. About five o'clock in the morning the French army was formed in order of battle on the plain. About an hour afterwards the allied army took up its ground, and attacked the enemy's centre. The brunt of the battle was almost wholly sustained by THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 67 the British infantry;* and they repulsed the 1759 several attacks with the most distinguished gal- lantry, and with astonishing success. At length some trepidation was observed in the enemy's ranks, and their troops began to give way, when orders were given for the English cavalry to charge ; but owing to some misunderstanding be- tween Prince Ferdinand and Lord George Sack- ville,*!* a short delay occurred, the critical moment passed away, and the English cavalry lost a favourable opportunity of signalizing itself. The victorious army encamped on the field of battle during the night : on the following morning Min- den was summoned, and it surrendered before mid-day. After this success the Allies pressed upon the rear of the French army ; and on the 28th of August the brigade, of which the First Dragoon Guards formed a part, had a sharp action with Colonel Fischer's corps of about two thousand men, at fVetter ; our troops attacked sword in hand, killed sixty of the enemy, wounded a great number, and took four hundred prisoners, with many horses, and the camp equipage of the corps. The pursuit of the French army was continued about the distance of two hundred miles, and our troops displayed the greatest energy, ascending precipices, passing morasses, overcoming innu- * The 12th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 37th, and Slst Regiments. i Lord George Sackville was subsequently tried by a General Court Marshal for disobeying the orders of the Commander-in- Chief, and dismissed the Service. k2 if ^ .i ; i .; \ h. ■ !■■" 1 i Mi . i i : :: 'nf>. r. ! 68 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ! I 1759 merable difficulties, and still pressing upon and attacking the rear of the enemy, until several French corps were nearly annihilated, and such numbers of prisoners were taken that the Court of Versailles was thrown into confusion. In No- vember the First Dragoon Guards went into can- tonments in villages near the river Lahn; but a desultory warfare was continued throughout the winter. 1760 On the 4th of January, 1760, the army was again in motion, and on the 7th of that month Keith's Highlanders* distinguished themselves in an action in the village of Eyesbach, near Dil- lenburg. On the 19th the British troops went into quarters at Osnaburg, where they remained until the 5th of May, when they commenced their march, and on the 20th of that month encamped near Fritzlar, where several additional corps joined from England, f The army was again put in mo- tion on the 24th of June, and several skirmishes occurred between the advanced-guards and pic- quets ; but the enemy outnumbered the Allies to so great an extent, that the latter were obliged to act generally upon the defensive. On the 10th of July, the enemy having advanced 1j the heights of Corltachf the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, who had been despatched with a de- * This corps joined the army in November, 1 759. t The following corps joined the army in Germany this year :— 2nd Dragoon Guards, Carabineers (now 6th Dragoon Guards), 4th Horso (now 7th Dragoon Guards), 1st, 7th, 11th, and 15th Dra- goons, and 5th, 8th, I ith, 24th, 33rd, and 50th Regiments of Foot, with the 8bth, or Highland Volunteers. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. m tachment of the main army to occupy that post, ima- 1760 gining it was only the enemy's advanced-guard, re- solved to attack them, and, if possible, gain posses- sion of that post ; but when the engagement had commenced, he found an army ready formed to op- pose him, and reinforcements constantly arriving. It was now too late to recede. The action grew more furious every moment, and the French fought with great bravery. At length the Prince ordered a retreat. The enemy attacked the rear of the Allies with great vigour, threw several foreign corps into confusion, and followed up this advantage with a large body of cavalry and a nu- merous artillery. The condition of the detachment was become desperate, and its entire destruction appeared inevitable, when the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, as a last resource, put himself at the head of a squadron of the First Dragoon Guards, and led that regiment, with the 3rd Dra- goon Guards, against the legions that were pouring down upon his rear. These squadrons dashed forward with that intrepidity which characterizes the charge of British cavalry ; the troops of the enemy were thrown into disorder, and numbers fell beneath the conquering sabres of the English l^ragoon Guards. This repulse damped the ardour t)f the foe, and the allied infantry, rescued from impending destruction by the distinguished bravery of the First and 3rd Dragoon Guards, was enabled to make tm undisturbed retreat. One squadron of the First Dragoon Guards, commanded by Major Sandys Mill, is reported to have distinguished it- self on this occasion in a most particular manner. Pi :\ •i';! i i! ivl ) ■I n I ! 1 <<: 70 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1760 The First Dragoon Guards lost in this action forty-seven men and fifty-eight horses; with Lieu- tenant Jacob, seven men, and two horses wounded. This defeat did not, however, intimidate the Allies. On the 16th of July a detachment from the main army surprised and defeated a division of the enemy near Emsdorff, On the 31st of the same month the Allies attacked the reserve of the French army, amount- ing to thirty-five thousand men, commanded by the Chevalier de Muy, in a strong position near Warhfmrgt and gained a complete victory, to- wards which the gallantry of the English cavalry materially contributed. At the commencement of the engagement the brigade of Dragoon Guards, with seven other British regiments,* forming the cavalry of the right wing, were about five miles from the scene of action ; but advancing at great speed tliey soon arrived at the field. The Marquis of Granby led forward the brigade of Dragoon Guards, at the same time Lieutenant-General Mostyn placed himself at the head of the brigade of Horse, and these troops rushed upon the ranks of the enemy with such bravery, that their vvhole force was thrown into disorder, the most dreadful slaughter followed, and many of the fugitives were * The cavalry of the right wing, under the Marquis of Granby and Lieutenant-General Mostyn, consisted of the following corps : — Royal Horse Guards, 3rd and 4th Horse, in one brigade, com- manded by Major-General Honeywood ; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Dragoon Guards, under Major-General Webb; 2nd and 11th Dragoons, commanded by Major-General Eliott ; and the 6th and 10th Dra- goons, under the Earl of Pembroke. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 71 drowned in attempting to escape across the Dymel. 1760 The Dragoon Guards were despatched in pursuit of the enemy ; and after passing through War- bourg, our troops crossed the Dymel, and halted at night on the heights before Wilda, four miles in advance of the main army. On the following day the Prince published a general order, from which the following is an extract: — ** His Serene Highness again renews his com- " pliments of thanks to the generals, officers, regi- *• ments, and corps who were engaged, and who, *' by their valour and excellent conduct, gained so " complete a victory over the enemy : and orders " his thanks to be publicly given to Lord Granby, ** under whose orders all the British cavalry per- ** formed prodigies of valour. " The loss of The King's Regiment of Dragoon Guards in this action was seven men and seven- teen horses; with Cornet Earl, twenty-eight men, and four horses wounded. On the morning of the 3rd of August the regi- ment returned from its advanced post on the heights of Wilda to Warbourg, where the main army was concentra: iri ; it was afterwards sta- tioned at Borcholz ; and from the 14th to the 29th of September occupied an advanced post at Geiss- mar. During the remainder of the campaign much hard fighting occurred between detached parties of both armies ; and at the end of the year the English troops were cantoned in the bishopric of Paderborn, where they suflFered much from a scarcity of provision and forage ; and hundreds of n\ 72 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1760 our gallant veterans, after fighting the battles of their country with heroic bravery, were, at the end of a long and toilsome campaign, hurried to an untimely grave by diseases produced by a want of food. 1761 In the month of February, 1761, the Allies left their cantonments, and, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, penetrated the winter- quarters of the French army, where they seized on several magazines of provision and forage, and afterwards returned to their former quarters. During the spring, remounts arrived from England to replace the losses of the preceding year. After several harassing marches and countermarches, the allied army was encamped in front of Hamm, its right behind Werl, and its left upon the river Lippe, where it was attacked in the middle of July by the combined armies of Marshals Soubise and the Duke de Broglio. The enemy first attacked the post occupied by the troops under the Marquis of Granby at Kirch-Denkemy on the morning of the 15th of July ; but after a long and sanguinary conflict the French were repulsed, and in the evening they were driven back into the woods, where the fire of the skirmishers was kept up throughout the succeeding night. At three o'clock on the following morning, the enemy drove in our skirmishers and renewed the attack with great impetuosity, extending their opera- tions over a much larger space than on the pre- ceding day ; and the brigade of Dragoon Guards was posted, with several other corps, under Lieu- tenant-General Conway, on the heights between TUB FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 7i the villages of Illingen and Hohenover. The 1761 action wa» maintained with great obstinacy for several hours ; but, eventually, the enemy, unable to overcome the inflexible perseverance of the allied infantry, gave way ; the allies pressed for- ward; the French were thrown into confusion, and made a precipitate retreat ; but omng to the nature of the ground our cavalry could not take advantage of the disorder which prevailed in the enemy's ranks, otherwise a more decisive victory would have been gained. On the •24th of August the brigade of Dragoon Guards, with a number of other corps, under Prince Ferdinand, proceeded towards the Dymel, forced all the enemy's posts in that quarter, cap- tured three hundred prisoners, at Dringenburg, and on the 26th encamped within six leagues of Cassel, where they remained four days ; then re- passed the Dymel and retired to Buhne and Cor- beke. This regiment passed the Dymel a second time at Liebenau on the 17th of September, and having been joined by several other corps, drove the enemy from a strong post near Immen- hautten. On the 22nd of that month the troops fired a feu-de-joie on account of its being the coro- nation day of their Majesties King George III. and Queen Charlotte. The regiment was again in motion in the beginning of October, and after various unimportant movements, the brigade of Dragoon Guards, with several other corps, was engaged with the enemy's advance posts at JSim- beck in the early part of November ; then marched in the night through a heavy snow to Foor^ I i •M J f 74 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 17Ci Moohle^ and commenced erecting their tents ; but just as the encampment was formed, an alarm was given by the outposts of the advance of the enemy in great force. Our troops, notwithstand- ing the fatigue they had undergone, instantly formed, advanced, attacked the French with spirit, and drove them back with considerable loss. Prince Ferdinand was a spectator of the gallantry of bur men, and expressed great admiration of their conduct. On the 9th of November the brigade had another sharp skirmish with the enemy near Foorwohle. This irregular warfare by detached parties, in which our troops sustained great loss in men and horses from fatigue, privation, and constant exposure to inclement weather, was con- tinued until the beginning of December, when the regiment went into winter- quarters in East Friesland. ; 1 762 At the commencement of the campaign of 1 762, both armies occupied nearly the same ground as in the preceding years. The First Dragoon Guards left their winter-quarters in East Friesland, and on the 18th of June joined the allied army en- camped at Brackel. In this year the First and 3rd Dragoon Guards were formed in brigade under the command of Major- General Henry Earl of Pembroke, and while encamped at Brackel were posted in the rear of the centre of the army. From Brakel the Allies advanced to Bor- eholz, and afterwards to Buhne. The French army, under Marshals D'Etr^es and Soubise, en- camped near Groebenstien, where Prince Ferdi- THE FIRST DRAGOON 0UAUD8. 75 nand resolved to engage them ; and on the morn- 1762 ing of the 24th of June the Allies advanced in several columns, with the view of attacking the enemy in front, flank, and rear at the same time. The First and 3rd Dragoon Guards passed the Dymel at Liebenau about four in the morning, foiming part of the centre column of the army, under his Serene Highness, which advanced to Langenberg, seized on the debouches near that place, and afterwards marched against the enemy's centre ; at the same time another division, under General Sporken, marched against the enemy's right : and a third, under the Marquis of Granby, advanced to attack their left wing These move- ments were conducted with mcU secrecy, that the enemy was surprised in his camp, and was in- stantly thrown into confusion. Marshals D'Etr^es and Soubise, finding themselves attacked in front and flank, abandoned their equipages at Groeben- stien, and endeavoured to gain the heights of Wil- helmstbal ; at the same time several French regi- ments threw themselves into the woods, where they were surrounded, and the greater part either killed or taken prisoners. The main body of the French army, however, made good its retreat, and encamped that night behind the entrenchments before Cassel. In this action the First and 3rd Dragoon Guards, after supporting the attack on the enemy's centre, were engaged in surrounding the French troops in the woods of TVilhelmuthalt and after the pursuit encamped that night between Holtzhauseu and L 2 -I'- 76 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1762 Weimar. A few days afterwards the First Dra- goon Guards marched to Hoff, where the 2nd Dragoon Guards, with the brigade of Foot Guards, were also posted; and on the 15th of July the main body of the allied army arrived in the vicinity of that place. The French having several strong detachments beyond the Eder, on the lothof July the Ist Dra- goon Guards, British Grenadiers, and the brigade of Highlanders, under the Man|uis of Granby, forded that river, and reconnoitred the position of a division of the enemy near Feltzberg; but re- passed the Eder the same afternoon, and encamped near its banks ; and on the following day pro- ceeded to Gundersberg. On the 22nd of July the regiment, with several other corps under the Mar- lf>a8ed tc confer the * The 26th regiment of Light Dragoons waa formed of draftt from other regiments for service in the West Indies. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 89 Colonelcy of the First Dragoon Guards on General 1796 Sir William AugustusPitt, from the 10th Dragoons. In this year a veterinary surgeon was added to the establishment of the regiment, and the com- mission oi regimental chaf^ain was alxJished. At the same time an alteration was made in the uniform ; the length of the men's coats was con- siderably reduced, and the lace on the n h cocked hats was discontinued. As the nation was still at war with France, /97 means were adopted to keep the several corps in constant readiness for active service. In t^ summer of 1797, the First Dragoon Guards wt » encamped near Weymouth ; and in the following year at Swinley, near Windsor. At the same 1798 time the muskets and large pistols heretofore Used were returned into store, and the men wer« supplied with carbines and a single pistol of a smaller size. • ' - - -n" ,-* , In July, 1799, an order was received for there- 17 ** gimenttobe mounted on nag-tailed" black horses. In the same year an augmentation of one troop was made to the regimental establishment, and an order was received for eight troops to be held in readiness for foreign service ; but this order was subsequently countermanded. On the Ist of March, 1800, another troop was 1800 * The regiment was originally mounted on long-tailed horses ; towards the end of the seventeenth centur the fashion of the short dock was introduced, and all the cavalry corps were mountod on short-tailed horses; but in 1764 an order was issued for remount- ing the regiment with Imig-tailed horses, which was continued until 1799. N 90 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1800 added to the establishment of the regiment. In June ten troops encamped in Windsor forest ; and the remainder of the regiment was stationed at Croydon, from whence it subsequently marched to Northampton and Leicester. 1801 In the spring of 1801 a further augmentation, of ten men per troop was made to the establish- ment. In June the regiment marched to Bir- mingham and Nottingham i in September to Guildford ; in October to Northampton ; and sub- sequently returned to Birmingham. 1802 After the conclusion of a definitive treaty of peace with the French republic in 1802, a reduc- tion was made in the strength of the regular army, and the establishment of the King's Regiment of Dragoon Guards was diminished to ten troops. The total strength of the regiment was thirty-five officers, ten quarter-masters, and six hundred and forty-four non-commissioned officers and privates. In July the regiment marched from Birmingham to Bristol. 1803 The peace concluded by the treaty of Amiens (which may be considered merely a suspension of hostilities) was of short duration. The treachery of General Napoleon Buonaparte, then first consul of France, soon became evident. The French go- vernment continued its armies upon a war esta- blishment ; and a system of evasion, perfidy, and aggression, marked its conduct, until the recom- mencement of hostilities in 1803, when Buonaparte had the effrontery to make preparations for tlie in- vasion of England. This aroused ilw energies of the British nation ; and the inherent zeal, patriotism. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 91 and spirit of the people instantly burst forth. The 1803 regular troops and militia were augmented ; a vo- lunteer force was immediately organized, and an army of five hundred thousand men was soon in readiness to repel the invader. But Buonaparte had not sufficient temerity to attempt to land his forces on the shores of the United Kingdom. The strength of the First Dragoon Guards was, on this emergency, augmented twenty-one men per troop ; and subsequently an addition of two troops was made to its establishntent. The efficiency of the regiment was also increased by the addition of three captains, which released the field-officers from the charge of troops. In 1804 the regiment was quartered at Arun- 1804 del, from whence it marched, on the 7th of Oc- tober, 1805, to Brighton ; and was reviewed in 1805 1807, near that place, togetlier with the 3rd Dra- 1807 goons, by his Royal Highness the Duke of York, who expressed his unqualified approbation of the appearance and discipline of the two regiments. On the 18th of June, 1808, the regiment com- 1808 menced its march for York, from whence it pro- ceeded in May following to Berwick, and, subse- 1809 quently to Dunbar. At the same time the men's hair, which had been worn long, tied in a queue, and powdered, was ordered to be cut short. On the 31st of July, 1809, the regiment was reviewed by Lieutenant-General Lord Viscount Cathcart, on Belhaven Sands ; and in the following month it marched to Piershill Barracks l^Minburgh, and its vicinity. N 2 m HISTORICAL RECORD OF ISaO After the death of Sir William Augustus Pitt, Francis Lord Heathfield was appointed to the colonelcy of the regiment by commission, dated 14th January, 1810. The colonels of the two regiments of Life Guards being employed on the staff, the colonel of the First Dragoon Guards per- formed the court-duty of gold-stick in waiting, an honour heretofore limited to the colonels of the Life Guards, but since extended to the colonel of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards. The regiment having been again reviev/ed by Lord Cathcart on the 14th of May, 1810, im- mediately afterwards embarked for Ireland ; and on the 10th of June its head-quarters were esta- . blished at Lisburne. On the 28th of the same month it marched to Dundalk ; and in December, 1811 1811, to Dublin. 1812 In 1812 an alteration was made in the uniform of the regiment; cocked-hats were replaced by helmets with long black horse-hair on the crest ; at the same time cloth pantaloons and short boots were adopted; also narrow sword-belts to pass round the waist, and horse appointments of brown leather. An alteration was also made in the es- tablishment; the twelve troop quarter-masters were replaced by a regimental quarter- master and twelve troop serjeant-majors ; and a schoolmaster- serjeant was added to the regiment. The total establishment was, at this period, forty-six com- missioned officers, and one thousand and thirty- seven attested soldiers. In September the regi- ment marched from Dublin to Clonmel. THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 93 On the 27th of January, 1813, Lieutenant-Ge- 1813 nei al Sir David Dundas was appointed to the colonelcy, of the regiment, vacant by the decease of General Lord Heathfield. - The vicinity of the quarters of the regiment was at this period distui'bed by robbers, and the mail from Clonmel to Limerick had been plun- dered on two successive nights, when the postmaster applied for a mounted escort. On the 27th of April two men of the regiment were sent on that duty (viz. Joseph Englefield and Abraham Cook), who secured two highwaymen, part of a desperate and well-armed gang, which had long infested the neighbourhood, for which service the dragoons re- ceived the thanks of the magistrates and a reward of ten pounds each. On the 28th of May a corporal and seventeen private men were selected from the regiment, and embarked at Cork, for the purpose of forming, with detachments from other regiments, a corps of police to be attached to the British army then serving in the Peninsula ; these men were selected as in every respect trustworthy, sober, intelligent, and of approved conduct and character, and an increase of pay was allowed them while employed on this service. The corps to which they were attached was culled the Cavalry Staff Corps, and WHS commanded by Colonel Sir George Scovell, K.C.B. I,/ In December a further alteration was made in the uniform ; the narrow lace across the breast of the coat was discontinued, and gauntlets were re- placed by short leather gloves. 94 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1814 In 1814 the entire subjugation of that mon- strous power which had sprung out of the French revolution, was eflfected by the armies of Great Britain and the other nations of Europe. Napo- leon Buonaparte was forced from the elevated station he had gained at the head of the French nation, and sent into exile to the island of Elba. The Bourbon dynasty was restored, and the return of peace was followed by an almost universal ju- bilee throughout Europe. The strength of the British army was reduced, and the establishment of the First Dragoon Guards was diminished to ten troops; the total strength of the regiment, in- cluding all ranks, was seven hundred and twenty- six. In the winter of 1814 the regiment returned to England ; and at the commencement of the fol- lowing year it occupied quarters at Coventry, Warwick, Leicester, and Northampton. 1815 Scarcely had the public rejoicings at the return of peace subsided, when the din of hostile prepa- ration was again heard in every quarter. Buona- parte had left the isle of Elba, and made his ap- pearance on the shores of France. The armies of Louis XVIII. proved faithless to their sovereign, and joined the invader, who advanced in triumph to the capital, and re-ascended the throne he had so recently abdicated. The royal family of France took refuge in the Netherlands. The nations of Europe declared war against the usurper. A Bri- tish army was assembled in the Netherlands, and eight troops of the King's Dragoon Guards were ordered to prepare to take the field. The esta- l)lishment of the regiment was again increased to THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 95 twelve troops, and its total numbers to eleven hun- 1815 dred and forty -eight officers and men. In the middle of April four squadrons of the regiment, consisting of twenty-seven officers, five hundred and five non-commissioned officers and men, and five hundred and thirty-seven horses, under the command of lieutenant- Colonel Fuller, embarked for foreign service, and landed at Ostend on the 24th of that month ; from whence they marched to Ghistelles, and subsequently to Ghent, where the King of France had taken his residence, who expressed his admiration of the appearance of the regiment. On the 6th of May the Earl of Uxbridge reviewed the four squadrons of the King's Dragoon Guards; and on the 24th the heavy cavalry was inspected by the Prince of Orange. The regiment was now united in brigade with the two regiments of Life Guards and the Royal Horse Guards, which was numbered the First Bri- tish Cavalry Brigade, and was placed under the command of Major-General Lord Edward So- merset; the cavalry was commanded by Lieute- nant-General the Earl of Uxbridge, and the whole by Field-Marsha] the Duke of Wellington. The 1st Dragoon Guards were moved into quarters in the rear of Ninove ; and on the 29th of May were reviewed, with the other corps of British cavalry and the horse artillery, by the Duke of Wellington, who was accompanied by Prince Blucher (the commander of the Prussian army), and several foreign princes and nobles. Buonaparte having by a rapid advance with the > 96 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1815 French army suddenly attacked the outposts of the Allies, the Duke of Wellington gave imme- diate orders for the concentration of the troops under his command, at a farm-house called Q^atre Bras, situate on the high road from Charleroi to Brussels. The King's Dragoon Guards received orders to march at three o'clock in the morning of the 16th of June, and proceeding by way of Braihe- le-Compte and Nivelles, reached Quatre Bras about eight in the evening. The French had made a vigorous attack on this post during the day, but had been repulsed with loss, and the British retained possession of their ground. The first cavalry, brigade moved to the left and bivouacked in a corn-field. On the 17th of June the army retired to take up a position in the rear of Genappe. The first cavalry brigade formed part of the force which covered the retreat, and the left half squadron of the King's Dragoon Guards was engaged in a sharp skirmish with the advance-guard of the enemy. The allied army, having been formed in position on some rising ground in front of the village of pf^aterloo, was attacked on the 18th of June by the French army, commanded by Buonaparte in person. Lord Edward Somerset's brigade was posted on the right of the main road from Brussels to Charleroi, and was formed in column of regi- ments ; but about mid-day it deployed. The main attack of the French army was made with great fury, and was resisted with equal spirit and deter- THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 97 mination. Supported by a tremendous cannonade, 1815 the hostile columns rushed forward, and the con- flict soon became general along the whole front. Our first line was somewhat shaken, and an im- mense body of French cuirassiers was advancing to force the centre of the position, when the first cavalry brigade was led forward by its commander, and made one of the most spirited charges in line ever witnessed. The advance of the enemy's boasted invincible cuirassiers was made with the most daring intrepidity, and their appearance was particularly imposing ; but by the gallant charge of the British Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards, and King's Dragoon Guards, those mailed war- riors of France were overthrown and pursued with dreadful carnage to the rear of their own lines. After returning from the pursuit, the brigade resumed its former post, and was exposed to a most destructive cannonade, but was soon after- wards again called upon to advance against a close column of the enemy's cavalry, consisting of light horse in the centre, and cuirassiers in front and on both flanks. , The brigade attacked this column with great spirit, and after a sharp contest the French were forced to retire with considerable loss. The brigade next advanced against a body of French infantry, which was also driven from its ground with immense loss. At length the dis- order into which a number of the enemy's columns had been thrown, and the co-operation of the Prussians, whose advanced-guard had arrived in the field, induced the Duke of Wellington to make a general attack with the whole of his R 98 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1815 forces. The infantry discharged a last volley, and the army made a simultaneous charge upon the disordered ranks of the enemy, whose whole force was routed, and a most dreadful slaughter fol- lowed. In this last attack the First Cavalry Bri- gade overthrew all that opposed its advance. The enemy's troops soon hecame a confused mass of cuirassiers, lancers, carahiniers, a melee of all arms, and the panic-struck fugitives fell in heaps beneath the sabres of their conquerors, who cap- tured nearly the whole of the cannon, ammu- nition waggons, and materiel of the French army. The 1st Cavalry Brigade particularly signalized itself in this engagement. During the action the Duke of Wellington came to the head of the brigade, and thanked the squadrons for their dis- tinguished gallantry. In his despatch his Grace was pleased to state, — *' Lord Edward Somerset's " brigade, consisting of the Life Guards, Royal ** Horse Guards, and First Dragoon Guards, ^^A^ " distinguished themselves .'"* , , . ., The loss of the regiment in this action was, — killed, Lieutenant-Colonel Fuller, Brevet-Major Graham, Brevet-Major Bringhurst, Captain Bat- tersby. Lieutenant Brooke, Cornet the Honourable H. B. Bernard, and Adjutant Shelver, with two serjeant-majors, eleven Serjeants, one hundred and nine rank and file, and two hundred and sixty- nine horses : — wounded, Captains Turner, Naylor, and Sweney ; Lieutenant Irvine, two serjeant- majors, four Serjeants, a trumpeter, and one hun- dred and twenty-three rank and file. On the following day the army moved forward %m. v-Jijc. r^\ '^ 'A 'jM ii * " ,«^* '•■*' "*'""^" KilNCS ll>lliA0O<(')N (L'.iTAEll))J$ lIMijio THE FIRST DRAGO>N GUAR i. 99 in pursuit of the e&emy, and continued its r t« I815 until it arrived at the vicinity of the metropo of France, which surrendered to the Allies iter a short resistance, and the campaign concluded with the restoration of Louis XVIII. to the throne of his kingdom. The First Dragoon Guards marched with the army during its advance, passed through Paris on the 7th of July, and went into quarters at NaUf terre, from whence it marched on the 1 8th of the same month to Ruelle. On the 24th of July the allied army was reviewed by the Duke of Wel- lington in presence of tlie sovereigns of Russia, Austria, Prussia, and France. The restoration of peace was followed by the return of the British troops to England, except a small army of occupation, which was stationed on the frontiers of France, and the First Dragoon Guards were appointed to this service. The loss at Waterloo was replaced by remounts from Eng- land, and one hundred and forty-nine horses were received by drafts from other regiments. At the same time a reduction of one troop was made at the dep6t in England. In January, 1816, the regiment marched from isig the vicinity of Paris to extensive cantonments in the Department de Pas de Calais. In March, thirty-*seven men were transferred to the mounted sta£f corps. In the same month another troop was reduced at the depot in England ; a change of quarters took place in the eight troops in France, and preparations were made for their return to England. One hundred and thirty- • V - ^- . ',: :- ■ r o2 100 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1816 seven horses were transferred to regiments that were to remain on the Continent; at the same time the depot received one hundred and eighteen horses from the 3d Dragoons at Coventry. Previous to embarking for England the regi- ment was reviewed by Lieutenant-General Lord Combermere, who passed the highest encomiums on its gallantry in the field, and the propriety of its conduct in quarters. To commemorate the distinguished services of the regiment on the 18th of June, 1815, it was permitted to bear the word " Waterloo " on its standards and accoutrements; and every officer and man present in that engagement received a silver medal, with the privilege of reckoning two years' service towards increase of pay and pension. On the 7th of May the regiment disembarked at Dover, from whence it marched to the vicinity of Hounslow ; and on the 18th of that month it was reviewed on Hounslow Heath by his Royal High- ness the Duke of York. On the 20th of May two squadrons proceeded to Colchester in consequence of some disturbance at that place, and the re- mainder joined the depot at Northampton on the 24th of the same month. The regiment after- wards marched into the manufacturing districts of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where some riots had taken place among the weavers. In October the establishment was reduced to three hundred and forty-five mounted, and two hundred and ninetv dismounted men. 1817 In March, 1817, some disturbances occurred at THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS. 101 Manchester, and the First Dragoon Guards received 1817 the thanks of his Majesty's government for the services it rendered on that occasion. In the summer of 181B the regiment marched 1818 into Scotland, and occupied quarters at Hamilton, Ayr, Dumfries, Stirling, Kilmarnock, and Glas- gow. In the same year a reduction of one hun- dred and thirty-four men was made in the esta- blishment. In 1819 the regiment proceeded to Ireland, and 1819 was quartered at Dundalk, Belterbet, Monaghan, and Enniskillen. An alteration was afterwards made in the uniform ; long coats with cross-bar lace were restored, and the colour of the overalls was changed from blue-grey to dark-grey. On the 19th of February, 1820, the colonelcy 1820 of the regiment, vacant by the decease of Sir David Dundas, was given to General Francis E. Gwyn. In August the regiment marched into the Con- naught district, and oct ;)ied Gort, Loughrea, Portumna, Athlone, Roscommon, Dunmore, Bal- linrobe, and Sligo. After the death of General Gwyn, the co- 1821 lonelcy of the regiment was given to General William Cartwright by commission, dated the 25th of January, 1821. In August a reduction of two troops was made in the establishment. The total strength — thirty-four officers, three hun- dred and thirty-seven non-commissioned officers and privates mounted, and one hundred and eight dismounted men. In May, 1822, the regiment marched to Dublin; 1822 on the 22nd of July it embarked for England, 102 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1822 landed at Liverpool on the 24th, and afterwards occupied quarters at Manchester, Sheffield, and Nottingham. 1823 Shortly after the midsummer of 1823, the regi- ment proceeded to Scotland, and was stationed at Piershill Barracks Edinburgh, and Perth; but 1824 returned to England in the following year, and was quartered at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Carlisle, and 1825 Leeds ; from whence it marched, in 1825, to the vicinity of London, and was reviewed on Houns- low Heath, on the 28th of June, by his Royal Highness the Duke of York, who was pleased to express his approbation of its appearance and dis- cipline. The corps reviewed by his Royal High- ness on this occasion were : — CuiRAssiBR Brio ADti;— 1st Life Guards; Royal Horse Guards; 2nd Life Guards. Heavy Brioadr— Ist Draf^oon Guards; 2nd Dragoons (Scots Greys) ; 2nd Dragoon Guards. Light Brigade— 7th Hussars ; 12th Lancers. Royal Artillery— 8 Guns. The whole commanded by Lieutenant- General Lord Edward Somerset. In July the regiment marched to Canterbury, 1826 Deal, and Shorncliif. In February, 1826, two troops were removed to Norwich ; and in March the remainder of the regiment proceeded to Leeds, Blackburn, and Burnley. The regiment was after- wards actively engaged in suppressing riots and preserving property from destruction in the manu- facturing districts in Yorkshire and Lancashire, particularly at Manchester and its vicinity ; and 8C irgent were the requisitions of the magistrates, in some instances, that tiie troops occasionally THE FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS 103 marched between fifty and gixty miles in one 1826 day. The regiment again proceeded into Scotland, 1827 and in the opring of 1827 the several troops were stationed at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Perth. On ine 24th of February Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Fane was appointed Colonel of the First Dragoon Guards, in the room of General Cart- wright, deceased. In April, 1828, the regiment left Scotland, and 1828 marched to York, Newcantle-upon-Tyne, Carlisle, and Beverley. In October it was stationed at Manchester. In April and May, 1829, detachments of the 1829 regiment were employed in aid of the civil power in the preservation of {)roperty at Macclesfield, Rochdale, and Manchester ; the excellent conduct of the troops at the hitter place produced a letter of thanks from the civil authorities of the town. The regiment afterwards proceeded to Ireland, and was stationed at Longford, Athlone, and Gort. During the summer of 18'30, detachments of 1830 the regiment were repeatedly employed in aid of the civil power at Limerick, Ennis, Clonmel, Waterford, Cashel, and other phices. Such a state of excitement prevailed in Ireland, that the troops were ahnost constantly on the march ; and these harassing and painful services were even more frequent in the following ycNir. On the 1st of 1831 January, 1831, an H riods, the Colonelcy of the Ut troop of Horse Grenadier Guards, the 6th Regiment of Horse, and the lOtb Dra- goons; and died in September, 1749. . i SUCCESSION Ol' WJLONKLM. 115 • .;; V , ; ;■ Henry Eabi. 01' Prmhroke, ., Appoinfed 22m/ of June, 1733. ' " Henry Lord Herbert was appointed to the command of the 1st troop oF Life Guards on the 20th of Sep- tember, 1721. He succeeded to the title of Earl of Pem- broke in 1733, and in the same year he was removed to the Colonelcy of the King'» Own Regiment of Horse, \yhich he resigned in 1743, and died in 1751. Sir Philip HoNEVWOon, K.B. Appointed \8th of April, 1743. Sir Philip Honeywood entered the army in the reign of King William HI.; he subsequently served her Majesty Queen Anne, and became an efficient and enterprising officer under the celebrated Captain*General John Duke of Marlborough. Having attained the rank of Lieute- nant-Colonel in the 33rd Foot, on the 27th of May, 1709, he was promoted to the Colonelcy of the 92nd Regiment, which was disbanded in 1712. Inl715he was commis- sioned to raise, form, and discipline a regiment of Dra- goons (now the 11th Light Dragoons), which he executed with ability, and was afterwards instrumental in the sup- pression of the r&bellion of the Earl of Mar. On the 29th of May, 1732, he was removed to the command of the 3rd Dragoons, which he retained until promoted to the King's Own Regiment of Horse. In 1742 a British force was sent to the Continent, under General Honey wood, who held ttie chief command of thi troo])s until the arrival of the Earl of Stair. At the battle of D<'ttingen one division of the army was commanded by 8ir Philip Hoiieywood, and he led the Royal Horse Guards and the King's Horse to the charge with great gallantry. He served in the sub- sequent campaigns on the Continent with distinction, and with the approbation ol' his Sovereign, by whom he was advanced to the dignity of a Knight of the Honourable ii2 1!6 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. Order of the Bath. He died in 1752, and was interred with military honours at Portsmouth, of which place he was Governor at the time of his decease. Humphrey Bland, Appointed 8th of July, 1752. This officer entered the army in the reign of Queen Anne, and had the honour to serve under the Duke of Marlborough as a Lieutenant and Captain of Horse. In 1715, when a number of new corps were raised. King George I. appointed Humphrey Bland to the Lieute- nant-Colonelcy of the 11th Dragoons; and he was in- strumental with his regiment in suppressing the rebellion which broke out in /jotland towards the end of that year. He was afterwards appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the King's Regiment of Horse, and having distin- guished himself as an efficient and loyal officer, ^-^ a period when Jacobite principles were prevalent in ' c nation, he was promoted to the Colonelcy of the S '. Regiment, from which he was removed to the 13th Dra- goons; and in April, 1743, to the 3rd Dragoons, at the head of which corps he served in the subsequent campaigns in Flanders, and displayed great gallantry at the battles of Dettingen and Fontenoy. He was after- wards employed against the rebels in Scotland. In 1752 he was promoted to the Colonelcy of the 1st Dragoon Guards; and he retained the command of this regiment until his decease in 1763. ' John Mostyn, Appointed \3th of May, 1763. John Mostyn rose to the rank of Captain in the 31st Foot; and in 1742 he was appointed Captain- Lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards. He served with his regiment on the Continent, was wounded at the battle of Fon- tenoy, and in December, 1747, he was appointed Aide- SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 117 de-camp to the King. In January, 1751, Colonel Mos- tyn was promoted to the command of the 7th Foot. He was removed to the command of the 13th Dragoons in July, 1754; in 1758 he was removed to the 5th Dra- goons ; and two years afterwards to the 7th Dragoons. During the seven years' war he held a considerable com- mand under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, and distin- guished himself at the head of the British cavalry, in almost every general action, and in many skirmishes, in Germany, in the years 1759-60-61 and 62; and on his return to England at the conclusion of the war, he was promoted to the colonelcy of the King's Dragoon Guards. He died in March, 1779. Sir George Howard, K.B. Appointed 2lst of April, 1779. LiEUT.-CoLONEL HowARD having acquired a reputation as a brave and efficient officer, was appointed Oolonel of the 3rd regiment of Foot, on the 21st of August, 1749. He served with distinction in Germany during the seven years' war, and at the conclusion of the peace in 1763, he was promoted to the Colonelcy of the 7th Dragoons, and advanced to the dignity of a Knight of the Bath. He was afterwards removed to the King's Dragoon Guards; was promoted to the rank of Field-Marshal; and died on the 16th of July, 1796. Sir William Augustus Pijtt, K.B. Appointed ISthofJuly, 1796. This officer was appointed to his first commission, as Cornet in the 10th Dragoons, on the 1st of February, 1744: he acquired a knowledge of the duties of his profession in the seven years' war in Germany ; distin- guished himself in several actions, and was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Campen. On the 24th of October, 1 770, he was promoted from the Lieu- tenant-Colonelcy of the 10th Dragoons to the Colonelcy of the rith Dragoons. In October, 1775, he was re- 118 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. move(' to the 3rd Irish Horse, now the 6th Dragoon Guaras, and on the 2nd of November, 1780, to the lOth Dragoons. In July, 1796, General Pitt was pro- moted to the Colonelcy of the King's Dragoon Guards. He was * eated a Knight of the most Honourable Order of the Bath in 1792, and was appointed to the govern- ment of Portsmouth in 1794: he died in January, 1810. r Francis, Lord Heathfield, Appointed I4th of January, 1810. Francis Augustus Lord Heathfield (son of the cele- brated General Eliott, who so highly distinguished him- self in the defence of Gibraltar, in 1782) became profi- cient in the duties of his profession under the tuition of his father, and rose gradually to the rank of Lieutenant- Colonel in the Inniskilling Dragoons. On the 25th of March, 1795, he was appointed Colonel of the 29th Light Dragoons. On the 23rd of March, 1797, he was removed to the Colonelcy of the 20th Dragoons ; in 1810 he ob- tained the command of the King's Dragoon Guards; and died in 1813. Sir David Dundas, K.C.B. Appointed 27th of January, 1813. This officer commenced his military education at the age of thirteen, in the academy at Woolwich, and afterwards became eminent for his knowledge of the principles of military tactics. At the age of fifteen he assisted in a survey of Scotland ; and in 1 756 obtained a commis- sion in the 56th Regiment. In 1758 he proceeded with the expedition to the coast of France as an Assistant- Quarter-M or-General ; and in the following year obtained the command of a troop in a newly-raised regi- ment of Light Dragoons (Eliott's Light Horse), now the 15th, or King's Hussars. He served with his regi- ment in Germany in 1760 and 1761 ; in the following summer he accouipaniod an expedition to Cuba as Aide- de-camp to (loiieral ElioH, and was actively employixl in SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 110 the " reduction of the Havarinah. After the peace he resumed his post in his regiment, in which he rose to the rank of Major ; and, urged by an ardent desire to acquire a perfect knowledge of every branch of his profession, he obtained permission to proceed to the Continent to ob- serve the practice of the French and Austrian armies. In 1775 he procured the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the 12th Light Dragoons, joined the regiment in Ireland shortly afterwards, and in 1778 obtained the appoint- ment of Quarter-Master-General in that country. In 1782 he was removed to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the 2nd Irish Horse, now the 5th Dragoon Guards. In 1785 he again proceeded to the Continent, attended the exercises of the Prussian troops during three summers, and after his return he presented his Majesty with a de- tailed account of their evolutions. Colonel Dundas was now become a proficient tactician, and in 1788 he produced a highly useful work on the prin- ciples of military movements, which became the basis of our army regulations for field exercises. His abilities obtained for him the favour and attention of King George III., who appointed him Adjutant-General in Ireland, for the purpose of introducing his system of tactics into the army of that country. In 1790 Colonel Dundas was pro- moted to the rank of Major-General. In 1791 he ob- tained the Colonelcy of the 22nd Foot ; and in the same year was placed on the Irish Staff; but he resigned that appointment in 1793 to engage in services of actual war- fare. After the commencement of hostilities with the French Republic, Major-General Dundas was employed on a military mission to the island of Jersey, and was afterwards sent to the Continent to confer with the Duke of York respecting the siege of Dunkirk. From Flanders he proceeded to Toulon, which had recently been taken by a British armament ; and his services there, although he was ultimately obliged to evacuate the place, called forth the approbation of his sovereign and of the British nation. Alter abandoning Toulon he made n descent on 120 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. the island of Cc^ica ; but shortly afterwards received di- rections to proceed to Flanders^ wiiere he arrived in the spring of 1794, and commanded a brigade of cavalry at the battle of Tournay on the 22nd of May, 1794. Major- General Dundas was actively employed in the retreat through Holland ; and the corps under his immediate command gained considerable advantage over the enemy in two successive actions near Gelder-Malsen ; he highly distinguished himself also in an attack upon the French post at Thuyl, in December of the same year. He con- tinued with the British troops on the Continent during the summer of 1795, and in December was appointed Colonel of the 7th Dragoons. After his return to Eng- land he was appointed Quarter-Master-General to the army ; and he composed the celebrated regulations for the field exercises and movements for the cavalry, which were approved by his Royal Highness the Duke of York, and by King George III., and ordered to be exclusively adopted throughout the cavalry. During the unfortunate rebellion in Ireland, in 1798, he was actively employed in that country, and was empowered to give protection to such of the insurgents as would lay down their arms and return to their allegiance. In 1799 Lieutenant-General Dundas commanded a division of the allied army under the Duke of York, in the expedition to Holland ; he distinguished himself in several actions with the enemy, and was highly com- mended by his Royal Highness in his public despatches. In 1801 Lieutenant-General Dundas was appointed Colonel of the 2nd, or Royal North British, Dragoons, and was made Governor of Fort George. In 1802 he was promoted to the rank of General ; and in the follow- ing year, when the French were preparing to invade England, he was placed in command of the troops in the southern district, which comprised the counties of Kent and Sussex. In 1804 he was appointed Governor of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, and created a Knight of the Bath. On the ISth of March, 1809, his Majesty was I 5| J SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 121 pleased to confer on this distinguished veteran the ap- pointment of Commander-in-Chief of the army, on the resignation of Field-Marshal his Royal Highness the Duke of York, which appointment he held until the 25th of May, 1811, when his Royal Highness was re-appointed. He was also appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Rifle Bri- gade on the 3 1st df August, 1809. He was appointed to the Colonelcy of the King's Dragoon Guards on the 27th of January, 1813, and died in 1820, after a distin- guished service of upwards of sixty years. Francis Edward Gwyn, ylppointed \9th of February, 1820. This officer entered the army in 1760, as Comet of the 17th Light Dragoons, and rose gradually to the rank of Major in the 16th Dragoons. He served three cam- paigns in America; and in 1779 obtained the Lieute- nant-Colonelcy of the 20th Dragoons. The appointment of Aide-de-Camp to the King was conferred on Lieute- nant-Colonel Gwyn, in 1787; and in 1794 he obtained the Colonelcy of the 22nd Light Dragoons, the com- mand of which corps he retained until it was ordered to be disbanded, in 1820, when he was removed to the King's Dragoon Guards ; he was also Governor of Sheer- ness, and a member of the Consolidate Board of General Officers; and died in January, 1821. William Cartw right. Appointed Ibth of January, 1821. After a progressive service in all the subordinate com- missions, this officer attained the rank of Lieutenant- General ; and in 1807 he was appointed Colonel of the 3rd Dragoons. In 1821 he was removed to the Co- lonelcy of the King's Dragoon Guards, and died in 1827. Sitt Henry Fane, G.C.B. Appointed 24^/t «/ February, 1827. K Vf '^■: S 1 I SUC^SSION OF LIEUTENANT.COLONELS OF THE ; . FIRST, OR KING'S DRAGOON GUARDS. - WlLUAH LbQOK . Date of AppoiDtment. Date of Removal, Jcc. 6 June, 1685 Removed in 1688. Hon. Henry Lumlbt 31 Dec, 1688 Promoted to the Colonelcy of the Regiment 10th August, 1692. 10 Aug., 1692 Retired in consequence of Wounds received at the Battle of Schel* lemberg in 1704. 1 Jan., 1705 Retired in 1715. WlLLIAK PaLUER Thomas Crowthbr Richard Panton . Humphrey Blanu John Brown . Martin Madan Timothy Carr William Thomson Robert Slopbr A. L. Collins Richard Vvse W. A. ViLLBTTES John Elliott Henry Fans . W> Fuller • 10 July, 1715 Retired in 1722. 5 Aug., 1722 Promoted to the Colonelcy of the 36ih Foot, 27th June, 1737. 27 June, 1737 Promoted to the Colonelcy of the 9th Dragoons, 10th May, 1742. 10 May, 1742 Retired in 1746. 24 Aug., 1746 Died in 1757. 13 July, 1757 Resigned in 1759. 13 Feb., 1759 P-omoted to the Colonelcy of the i4th Light Dragoons in April, 1778. 2 April, 1778 Retired in 1784. 28 May, 1784 Promoted to the Colonelcy of the 29th Light Dragoons in 1797. 23 Mar., 1797 Promoted to the Colonelcy of a Regiment of Foot in 1799. 3 May, 1799 Removed in 1804. . 25 Dec, 1804 Promoted to the Colonelcy of the 4th Dragoon Guards in 1814. . 22 Aug., 1805 Killed at the Battle of Waterloo, 18th June, 1815. Sir GttOROB Tbesdalb 7 Sep., 1815 Londou : Printed by William Clowss and Sons, 14, Chatiug Cross. t. :V! ti