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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. errata to I pelure, t>n A • n 32X t 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 a a ^ \i n>ii^;))(U\ty.'-j}ii}y/ ii c^ ^ J^ ^ f .# * ^^ ■%« ;^^, ,, f ■,:-.-._ ^C ^V:^^^*?^^ »»f / ■> ^ >x N\\ \ % ^* ^ -* N_N \ « \, *\ ■■■■ s-\ v^ S\-v"^^\ ■ r iHi >vS\.^Vaiciwitt^atj) >^ ////// f///f//r ^/^f J^^.^V^> ^ ^/. HISI'OBICAL EECOKBS y. 0' r / / // //_^y/ r/'/z/z/r/// y J ) HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE BRITISH ARMY. GENERAL ORDERS. HORSE-GUARDS, ' ' \st January, 1886. 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 Regiment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall con- tain 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, Pi!.c:es, and other JNlilitary 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. Tlie 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. IV 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, A djutant- Generd, ... , " ■ .'/ PREFACE. ■ . S.S The 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 who have preceded him in their honourable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the present publication. The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, an- nounced 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 Officers and Troops acting under • \ VI PREFACE. ' i 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 Con- tinental 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 Regi- ment shall in future keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad. From the materials thus collected, the country will henceforth derive information as to the difficulties and privations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In Greixt Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, been undisturbed by the presence of tear, 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. Vll country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist and the trader, its hajjpy inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor, — on their suflferings, — and on the sacrifice of valuable life, l>y which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved. The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties ; and their character has been established in Con- tinental warfare l)y 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 maintained their advantages against superior numbers. In the official Reports made by the respective Com- manders, 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 j 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 M'ho have viii PREFACE. served, or are serving, in the Army, an Esprit de Corps — an attachment to every thing belonging to their Regiment ; to such persons a narrative of the services of their own Corps caniiot 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 mo- ments 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, — >i 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 distin- guished 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 Regi- ment, 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. ;s services, HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, OR, THE QUEEN'S OWN REGIMENT \ ' OF LIGHT DRAGOONS: CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT IN 1685, A*') OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES so 18 42. ILLUSTRATED WITH A PLATE Ot^ THE UNIFORM. LONDON: JOHN W. PARKER, WEST STRAND. M.nCCC.XMII. HAHmfON AND CO., rRINTRIta ST. MARTIN ■ tANK. i THE FOURTH, OB, THE QUEEN'S OWN REGIMENT OF LIGHT DRAGOONS, BEAR! ON ITS GUIDONS AND APPOINTMENTS THE WORDS t» >» »» *• TALAVERA, " SALAMANCA, " TOULOUSE," " AFFGHANISTAN, " ALBUHERA, " VITTORIA," " PENINSULA,** " 6HUZNEE ;" TO COMMEMORATE ITS SERVICES IN PORTUGAL, SPAIN, AND THE SOUTH OF FRANCE, UNXER FIELD MARSHAL THR DUKE OF WBLLINOTOH, FROM 1809 TO 1814 ; AND IN THE DOORANEE EMTIRR, IN 1839. = :;-:-fl:,- CONTENTS. Year " , ' *. ^ Page 1 685 The Duke of Monmouth's rebellion, and the Ca- - valry corps raised on that occasion . . d Formation of the Regiment . . . .10 Styled the Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Dragoons . . . . • .11 Reviewed by King James II. . . . . — 1686 Establishment — Names of Officers . . .12 Reviewed by King James II 13 1688 The Revolution 1689 Proceeds to Scotland ..... Blockade of Edinburgh Castle Action near the banks of the Spey . — — — Forfar Returns to England 1692 Embarks for Flanders — — Battle of Steenkirk 1693 ■ Landen 1695 Skirmish at Rouselaer Covering the Siege of Namur 1697 Returns to England 1700 Embarks for Ireland ... 1702 Returns to England 1 706 Detachment proceeds to the Peninsula 1 707 Battle of Almanza 1708 Returns to England . ■ ■ Expedition to the French Coast 1713 Embarks for Ireland . 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 16 27 30 VI CONTENTS. ' ( *f Ye»r Page 1715 Rebellion in Scotland — Proceeds to Stirling . 30 Battle of Dumblain 31 1716 Marches to England 33 1721 Proceeds to Scotland 34 1 722 Returns to England — Reviewed by King George I 1728 Reviewed by King George II. 1 742 Embarks for Flanders 35 1 743 Battle of Dettingen 36 1 745 Surprise at Melle 38 Returns to England 39 1747 Embarks for Holland — Battle of Val 40 1 748 Returns to England 43 1 750 Proceeds to Scotland 1751 Description of the Clothing, Standards, &c. . — 1 752 Returns to England 45 1 755 A Light Troop added to the Regiment . . — 1 758 Proceeds to Scotland 46 1 760 Returns to England — Light Troop takes the duty 1 763 Light Troop reduced 1 764 Stationed in Scotland 1765 Returns to England 1767 Reviewed by King George III. . 1770 Stationed in Scotland 1771 Returns to England . 1773 Reviewed by King George III. 1776 Proceeds to Scotland 1777 Returns to England 1 780 Suppressing Riots in London 1 785 Stationed in Scotland 49 1786 Returns to England 1 788 Styled The Queen's Own Regiment of Dragoons escort 47 48 I i CONTENTS, VU Year Page 1791 Proceeds to Scotland 50 1795 Returns to England — 1°"3] Stationed near the Southern Coast to repel the J 805 J threatened French Invasion . . . 52 1807 Reviewed by the Duke of York . . . .53 1809 Proceeds to Portugal ..... 54 Battle of Talavera 55 1810 Battle of Busaco — Lines of Torres Vedras . 59 Distinguished conduct of detachments of the Regi>l 60 ment | 61 1811 Covering the Siege of Badajoz . .63 Action near Los Santos .... — ■ Battle of Albuhera — Action of Usagre 66 1812 Covering the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo . . 68 Badajoz ... — Action near Llerena 69 Battle of Salamanca 71 Covering the siege of Burgos . . .76 1813 Battle of Vittoria 78 the Pyrenees 79 1814 Tarbes . . . . . . — . Toulouse 80 Returns to England 81 -— Reviewed by the Duke of York . . . .82 Embarks for Ireland ..... — 1818 Constituted a corps of Light Dragoons, and clothed in blue ... • • . 83 1819 Returns to England — 1821 Reviewed by King George IV. . . . 84 Embarks for the East Indies .... — 1822 Arrives at Bombay — Proceeds to the provinfe of Guzerat — Stationed at Kaira . . .85 X 1 1, VIU CONTENTS. Year 1825 Proceeds to the province of Cutch . 1826 Returns to Kaira 1827 Arrires at the cavalry station of Kirkee Detachment to Koolapore . , 1832 Supplied with scarlet clothing . 1836 Facings changed to ^reen . 1 838 Detachment to Affghanistan . 1839 Marches to Candahar Capture of Ghuznee — — Advances to Cabool . Returns to British India 1841 Embarks for England . 1842 Resumes wearing i^ue clothing The Conclusion .... Page 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 96 97 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 1685 The Honorable John Berkeley . 1688 Thomas Maxwell — — The Honorable John Berkeley 1693 Algernon Earl of Essex .... 1710 Sir Richard Temple . . . . 1713 William Evans .... 1735 Sir Robert Rich, Baronet 1768 The Honorable Henry Seymour Conway 1770 Benjamin Carpenter .... 1788 John Lord Howard, K.B. . 1797 Sir Robert Sloper, K.B. 1802 Guy Lord Dorchester, K.B. 1808 Francis Hngonin 1836 Lord R. E. H. Somerset, G.C.B. 1842 Sir James Charles Dalbiac, K.C.H. 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 109 110 114 // '/ ^y'li- ,V5 v,!;^*?.;:)- HISTORICAL RECORD m :{ : :'' THE FOURTH. \ i 0% THE QUEEN'S OWN REGIMENT o» LIGHT DRAGOONS. '\ Four months of tranquillity at home, and 1685 peace with foreign nations, followed the accession of King James H. to the throne; but in June, 1685, James, Duke of Monmouth, appeared as a competitor for the sovereignty, and raised an army in Devonshire, to support his pretensions to the crown. The king procured a grant from par- liament, and augmented the number of his forces; and the overthrow of the rebel army at Sedge- moor, with the capture and execution of the Duke of Monmouth, followed in rapid succession. Among the forces raised on this occasion were upwards of seventy troops of horse, and eleven of dragoons; fifty-seven troops of horse constituted fi li ( ! I' ! 10 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1686 nine regiments of cuirassiers, whicli, with one in- dependent troop of light horse, were retained in the berviee; five troops of dragoons were added to the royals, and six were constituted a regiment, under Colonel Richard Hamilton, and sent to Ireland; the remaining troops were disbanded. Previous to this period, the cavalry of the English army had consisted of heavy-armed cui- rassiers on powerful horses, with a small portion of dragoons, on lighter horses, for advance and rear-guards, out-post duty, and detached services. The value of this arme was becoming more appre- ciated; and the king, being desirous of adding to the number of dragoons in his service, issued, on the 27th of July, commissions to the following gentlemen to raise troops for another regiment of dragoons, viz.: — Honorable John Berkeley, to rendezvous at Wincanton; Thomas Maxwell, at Shaftesbury; Sir James Phillips, at Shepton Mallet; Sir Hugh Middleton, at Glastonbury; Oliver St. George, at Frome; Robert Withe, at Warminster; Hugh Wyndham, at Ilchester; and John Baptist Baron de Mole, at Bradford. These eight troops were composed principally of men who had joined the king's standard during Monmouth's rebellion; they were constituted a regiment, of which the Honorable John Berke- ley was appointed colonel, and Thomas Maxwell lieutenant-colonel, by commissions dated the 1 7th THE quern's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 11 of July, 1685. This corps obtained the distin- 1685 guished title of the " Princess Anne of Den- mark's Regiment of Dragoons," in honour of his Majesty's youngest daughter, afterwards Queen Anne, who was married to the Prince George of Denmark ; having been continued in the service of the crown to the present time, it now bears the title of the "Fourth, or the Queen's Own Regiment of Light Dragoons," and the transactions in which it has been engaged form the subject of the following pages. Before its establishment was completed, the regiment was ordered to be reduced to six troops; the Baron de Mole's troop was dis- banded; and Captain St. George's troop was in- corporated, with four troops from the royals and a newly-raised troop, into a regiment, commanded by the Duke of Somerset, which is now the thirds or King's own, light dragoons. The Princess Anne's Dragoons were called from their country quarters to the metropolis in October; and, having been inspected by the king, complimented on their appearance, and encou- raged to persevere in their attachment and fidelity to the crown, with promises of reward for good conduct, they were sent into Lancashire, and quartered at Manchester, Preston, Warrington, and Liverpool. AVhile stationed in the north, the establish- i68d B 2 i 12 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, » 1666 ment was fixed by a warrant under the sign manual, dated 1st January, 1686, of which the following is an extract: — • ;^ ^ ^ The Princess Anne's Regiment of Draooons. Field and Staff Officers. Per diem. -Thf Colonel, as Colonel, xii«.. an I lij Jorsps, iij*. . 15 'Lt.-Co\one\,aslteut.-col.,'*"i,t')ii ;j „ ij». .090 Major, who has no troop , . .10 Chaplaine . . . . 6 8 Chirurgion, iv< , ptkI j ^orse to carry his chest, ij*. .060 Adjutant, iv»., and j horse, j». . . .050 Quarter Master and Marshal in one person, iv«., and j horse, j*. . . . . 5 Gunsmith, iv«., and his servant, j». .050 The Colonel's Troop. The Colonel, as Captain, viii*., and iij horses, iij*, Lieutenant iv«. ij „ Cornet iii*. ij „ Quarter Master for himself and horse 2 Serjeants, each xviii. t Traine Hens fTastion John Btrtler Cnarles .^ CM^ 168G Robert Withe Sir II. Middleton Hugh Wyndhani (Capt.-lieut ) Matthew Below John Winnell Giles Spicer A. llarinvtou Edmund Mortimer Adjutant, Thomas Knox, — Chirurfjion, Chaplain, Samuel I :att. un Oftiyer. Great attention was paid to t4*€ trntlf' ng of the men and 1 orses, and, in the summ f 1686, when Berkeley's troopers appeared ji ' c imp on Ilounslovv heath, their discipline \va- idmired by the king, A\ho complimented the "NCESS Anne on the condition of her corps of dn lons. Their appearance was also commende< it the 1687 rendezvous of the army, on Hounslow he "h, in June, 1687; and again in the summer of 1688, 1688 when King James had the mortification of dis- covering that his soldiers, whose warlike appnttr- ance and discipline were so generally admired, had as much aversion to Popery as his other sub- jects, and dismissed the regiments from the camp. Soon afterwards, wo lie His Majesty and his popish counsellors were devising the subversion of the established religion, they learnt with dis- may that the Prince of Orange was coming to If i ll I !l;i I i / 14 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1688 England, with an army, to support the Protestant interest. The Princess Anne's dragoons were ordered from tlieir quarters at Brentwood, and other towns, in Essex, to London, where they arrived in the beginning of November; and when the Dutch fleet had passed Dover, they proceeded, under the connnand of JMajor-General Sir John Fenwick, to Marlborough. When Viscount Cornbury, and a number of other officers, joined the Prince of Orange, with part of the blues, St. Alban's horse, and the royal dragoons, the Prin- cess Anne's dragoons were suddenly ordered from Marlborough to Salisbury. Colonel Berkeley, having taken part with the cause of liberty and the Protestant religion, was succeeded in the colonelcy, by the lieut.-eolonel, Thomas Maxwell. The King joined the army to command his forces in person, but ascertaining that his Protes- tant officers and soldiers would not fight in the cause of Papacy, he returned to London, and afterwards fled to France, and the Prince of Orange ordered the Princess Anne's dragoons to occupy quarters at Burford, in Oxfordshire; the Honorable John Berkeley was restored to the colonelcy; and Major Francis llawley was appointed lieut.-coloiiel. Soon atterwanls the title of " l*RiN(i:8s' Annk's Rkgiwent" was dis- THE QUEENS OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 15 i continued, and tlie corps was distinguished by the 1688 name of its colonel. The accession of William and ^^ary was fol- jggg lowed by commotions which speedily brought the regiment into active service. The chivalrous Viscount Dundee refused to acknowledge the new government, and aroused the Scottish clans to arms, while the Duke of Gordon held the castle of Edinburgh in the interest of King James. Berkeley's dragoons were selected to proceed to the north, and arrived, together with Colchester's cuirassiers (now third dragoon guards), and the royal Scots dragoons (now Scots greys), in April, 1689, at Edinburgh, where the regiment remained a short time, forming part of the force employed in blockading the castle, while Major-General IVfackay proceeded with a detachment of the army in quest of Dundee. A thousand of the Macdonalds, under the laird of Keppoch, having joined the rebel commander, Major-Genera) Mackay called to his aid six hundred foot of the Scots brigade in the Dutch service, under Colonel Ramsay ; who was intimi- dated by the Athol men, and returned to Perth. The colonel was ordered to make a second at- tempt, and a troop of Berkeley's dragoons, with a hundred of Hastings (now thirteenth), and two hundred of Leven's (now twenty-fifth) foot, were added to his detachment. Tmmediatelv after- 16 histori(;al record of the fourth, 1689 wards the remainder of the regiment was ordered forward by another route, to join Major-General Mackay, who had left Inverness and was retreat- ing before the superior numbers of the clans; but on being joined by Berkeley's troopers and Lesley's musketeers (now fifteenth foot) on the 5th of June, he faced about to meet his pursuers, and the highlanders fled in turn. Viscount Dundee halted on the domain of the laird of Grant, and occupying the woods and dif- ficult passes, commenced plundering the country. On approaching the banks of the Spey^ thirty dragoons accompanied the laird of Grant towards his mansion, and, encountering a party of the clans, were sharply engaged in a skirmish. Major- General Mackay sent two troops of Berkeley's dragoons, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Hawley, and a party of Scots troopers, under Colonel Livingstone, across the Spey, who engaged, near a rocky hill, five hundred Macleans who had newly joined the rebel army. After a few shots the higiilanders gave way, when the dragoons dis- mounted, and chased their opponents among the hills, where some sharp fighting took place, which ended in the flight of the highlanders. One hun- dred of the clans lay dead on the scene of conflict; a captain of Berkeley's regiment and six dragoons were killed ; the conduct of the dragoons on this occasion was commended in the London Gazette- THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 17 Colonel Ramsay afterwards joined with his iggg detachment, and the rebels took refuge in the wilds of Lochaber. Berkeley's dragoons accompanied Major- General Mackay to Inverness, where they reposed a fortnight ; they afterwards marched a few stages southward, and were placed in quarters while the major-general proceeded to Edinburgh. During the period they were refreshing their horses in comfortable cantonments, Major-General Mackay was defeated (27th July) at Killicrankie, and they were suddenly ordered to join the wreck of the royal army, which was soon enabled to resume offensive operations. After several movements a detachment of Lanier's horse (now first dragoon guards) and Berkeley's dragoons, sent out to reconnoitre, en- countered a body of rebels near Forfar ^ whom they charged and drove to the mountains M'itli the loss of several men killed and others taken prisoners. Sir John Lanier advanced with his own regiment and Berkeley's dragoons to the entrance of the highlands, when a thousand of the clans, who had assembled at that point, made a precipitate retreat to the mountain fastnesses. The clans, being harassed by the king's troops, separated, and several chiefs took the benefit of the indemnity and gave security for their conduct. The presence of yo numerous a body of troops 18 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THK FOURTH, 1S89 being no longer required in Scotland, several corps proceeded to Ireland; but this regiment returned to England in September, and was quar- tered at Newark, Grantbam, and Stamford. 1690 In the following year Colonel Berkeley suc- ceeded, on the decease of his brother, to the dig- nity of Viscount Fitzharding, and the regiment was designated " Fitzharding's Dragoons." 1691 After passing two years in England, the regiment was ordered to jsroceed to the theatre of war in Belgium, where the forces of France were opposed by the confederates under the British monarch. 1692 It embarked in the beginning of 1692, and had the honour of serving the campaign of that year under the eye of its sovereign. The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant- (.'olonel Hawley; it took part in the operations of the army, and on the morning of the 3rd of August advanced to attack the enemy's position at Stee?ikirk. Having traversed the difficult grounds between the two armies, Fitzharding's dragoons arrived at the head of a defile, where a small plain opened in their front, and were commanded to take post on the right skirts of a wood, where the remainder of the cavalry of the right wing, and four infantry regiments, were also stationed. The action had been continued some time when Fitzharding's and Eppinger's (foreign) dragoons, being unable to advance on horseback, THE QUEEN S OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 19 in consequence of hedges and broken ground, 1692 were ordered to dismount and act as infantry. The two regiments were joined by a squadron of horse grenadier guards, led by the Honorable George (afterwards Earl) Cholmondeley, and, ad- vancing to the attack with signal gallantry, drove a body of the enemy from its ground, and cap- tured a standard from the Dauphin's dragoons, which was carried to the rear by one of Eppin- ger's men. The blaze of musketry was continued from behind the hedges without intermission, and the soldiers were engaged muzzle to muzzle. Fitzharding's dragoons fought manfully, and, screwing their daggers into the muzzles of their muskets, charged with great resolution. Lieu- tenant-Colonel Hawley fell mortally wounded ; Major Fox assumed the command, but was soon disabled by a musket shot, and Captain Jackson and a number of private soldiers were also killed. The main body of the infantry being too far in the rear to afford timely aid to the leading corps, King William commanded a retreat. The regi- ment mounted, and the army withdrew from the field of battle, covered by the grenadiers. The regiment passed the winter in West 693 Flanders, and on joining the army at Parck camp, in May, 1G93, it was formed in brigade with the foreign regiments of Hesse Marowitz and Eppin- ger. Several movenicntis and skirmishes Avcre f:'l H,"! / 20 HISTORICAL RECORD OB' THE FOURTH, 1693 followed by the battle of Landen, on the 19th of July, 1693, when the regiment fought under the eye of its sovereign, and lost several men and horses. Being unable to withstand the superior numbers of the enemy, His Majesty retreated, with the loss of his artillery, and many officers and men. Fitzharding's troopers were with the column which accompanied the King to Boutecheur, and proceeded on the following day to Terbank, near Lou vain. In August Viscount Fitzharding was suc- ceeded in the command by the Earl of Essex, and the regiment was distinguished by the title of " Essex's Dragoons." When the army went into winter quarters, the regiment proceeded into barracks at Ghent, from whence several parties were detached to England to procure recruits. 1694 Essex's regiment was reviewed by His Ma- jesty, on the 10th of July, 1694; but the cavalry corps did not take their post in line until the King took possession of Mont St. Andre*, where a magnificent army, composed of the troops of several nations, was assembled under the British monarch, and Essex's dragoons were formed in brigade with the regiments of Eppinger (foreign), Wynne (fifth), and Cunningham (seventh) dragoons, under * Nont St Andre is a celebrated military position in South Brabant, and is near the pround wlieni the fan;ous battle of Kaniilies was fought on the 23rd of May, 170H. THE QUEEN S OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 21 the orders of Brigadier-General Wynne. The 1694 campaign was passed in long and toilsome marches, manoeuvring, and a few slight skir- mishes ; and the regiment was stationed, during the succeeding winter, in cantonments among the Belgic peasantry, in the villages between Ghent and Sas- van-Ghent. ■ / In May, 1695, Essex's dragoons joined the i695 camp at Arseele, and were formed in brigade with the regiments of Wynne, Cunningham, and Dofp; they were reviewed by the King on the 31st of May, and " made a very gallant show, the " horses being in very good order, and the men '* very well clothed and armed*." They were subsequently encamped at Beccelaer, near Ypres ; and His Majesty, having notice of the enemy's design to attack the bread-waggons coming from Bruges, detached the Earl of Essex, with five hundred dragoons, to meet the waggons at Rou- selaer, and the Earl of Portland, with four squa- drons, to intercept the French detachment. The dragoons dismounted, and attacked their oppo- nents with spirit and resolution; the French attemjjted to form a barricade with waggons and carts, but were soon over[)Owcred ; many were killed, a captain and thirty men were taken pri- soners, and the remainder escaped. The British dragoons had Lieutenant Webb and several men D'Auvorgnc. it i 22 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1695 killed ; Brigadier-General Wynne died of his wounds; Captains Collings and Holgate were wounded and recovered. . . . > When His Britannick Majesty undertook the siege of the important fortress of Namur, Essex's troopers formed part of the covering army under the Prince of Vaudemont, and were employed in several movements to prevent the raising of the siege. In August, they were encamped at Wa- terloo, subsequently nearer Namur, and in a few weeks after the surrender of the citadel, returned to their former cantonments among the Flemish peasantry. 1696 During the campaign of 1696, Essex's dra- goons served with the army of Flanders, under the Prince of Vaudemont, and were employed in defensive operations for the preservation of Ghent, Bruges, and the maritime towns of Flanders : they passed the winter in the villages behind the Bruges canal. 1697 ^^^ regiment served the campaign of 1697 with the army of Brabant, commanded by King William in person, and was brigaded with Lloyd's (third), Ross's (fifth), and Miremont's dragoons. The regiment was employed in Brabant until hos- tilities were terminated by the treaty of Ryswick, when the British monarch saw his exertions for the good of Europe, and for the safety of the Pro- testant religion, followed by a treaty of peace. THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 23 Essex's dragoons marched to Flanders; during 1697 the winter they embarked for England, and having landed at Harwich in the beginning of January, 1698, proceeded into quarters in York- i698 shire, where their numbers were reduced to the peace establishment. On the further reduction of the army in 1699, 1699 the Earl of Essex's regiment was ordered to proceed to Ireland, where it arrived in the sum- 1700 mer of 1700, and remained nearly two years. The violation of the stipulations of treaties by 1702 the ambitious Louis XIV., and the elevation of a French prince, Philip, duke of Anjou, to the throne of Spain, rekindled the flame of war in Europe; when the first royal dragoons, second royal Scots, (greys) and the fifth royal Irish dragoons, having been selected to proceed on foreign service, the Earl of Essex's troopers were ordered to return to England, where they arrived on the 16th of March, 1702. The establishment was again augmented, and the numbers fixed at six troops of three officers, one quarter-master, two Serjeants, three corporals, two drummers, two hautboys, and fifty-four troopers each. The war commenced in the Netherlands, but 1703 it soon took a wider range, and extended to ^^^^ 1 703 Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain; and in 1706, a detachment of the regiment was selected 1706 to form part of an expedition, commanded by 24 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, m 1706 the Earl of Kivers, designed to make a descent in Guienne, and a number of French refugees were to accompany the troops for the purpose of penetrating into the Cevennes. If a revolt of the people should make it practicable for the troops to establish themselves in Guienne, the army was to be augmented, and the war carried on there; but the design was frustrated by con- trary winds, and the Earl of Rivers was directed to proceed to the Peninsula. His Lordship «;• arrived at Lisbon in October, and the troops were landed; but the British and Portuguese army having, during the preceding campaign, advanced to Madrid, and afterwards proceeded to Valencia and Catalonia, the Earl of Rivers re-embarked his 1707 detachment in January, 1707, and sailed to Alicant. After a long and toilsome march across the country, Essex's dragoons, commanded by Lieut.- Colonel Charles Dormer, joined the allied army under the orders of the Marquis las Minas and the Earl of Galway, and on the morning of the 25th of April they advanced to attack the French and Spaniards under the Duke of Berwick, at Almanza. They were brigaded with Guiscard's (French Protestants) and Carpenter's (now third) dragoons; the three corps brought five hundred and twenty men into the field. On diverging into the plain of Almanza, where THE queen's own LIGH uAGOO^ 12d the enemy appeared in order of l)attl<', tb" Fourth 1707 dragoons formed on the left of the first line, with the infantry regiments of Southwell and Wade (sixth and thirty-third) on their right. The enemy having a great superiority of numbers, a brigade of Portuguese horse was afterwards moved from the second line to the left of the English dragoons, to increase the front. At three o'clock the British cavalry advanced to attack the French and Spanish horsemen, and Lieut.-Colonel Dormer, of Essex's dragoons, was directed to charge a French battery in his front, with his own and Carpenter's squadrons. Having passed some low ground at a swift pace, the dra- goons began to ascend the eminence on which the guns were placed, and giving a loud shout, dashed sword in hand upon their adversaries. The artillery were instantly withdrawn, and as the dra- goons pursued with earnestness, they were charged by a force of more than three times their own numbers, when a fierce sword-fight ensued, in which the English troopers were overpowered* and a dreadful massacre followed. Lieut.-Colonel Dormer, Cornet Owen, and many men of the regiment, fell mortally wounded; the remainder withdrew, fighting, and the pursuing French troopers were checked by the fire of Southwell's and Wade's musketeers: the shattered British squadrons renewed the charge, and drove back C ii 383 111' ,*. 26 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1707 the enemy. The action extended along the front and became general; the British and Dutch infantry forced the enemy's centre: but the Por- tuguese cavalry on the right fled in a panic, and the infantry on that flank, being thus abandoned, were broken and nearly annihilated. The right being overpowered, the enemy bent all his force against the centre and left, and a dreadful slaughter ensued, which ended in the defeat of the allied army with very severe loss. The Earl of Galway made good his retreat with a few horsemen; and the infantry of the centre, after retiring to the woody hills of Caudete, were forced to surrender prisoners of war. The few officers and private troopers who escaped from the field of battle, retired behind the mountains to the strong town of Alcira, on the river Xucar, where the wreck of the allied army was assembled. Essex's dragoons were subsequently in position behind the Ebro, from whence they retired to Tarragona, and afterwards removed to Las Borgues. Their numbers being considerably reduced, and their horses exhausted, they were sent into village cantonments. 1708 During the winter, the men and horses fit for duty were transferred to the royal dragoons and other cavalry corps in Spain, and the officers returned to England, where they arrived in May, 1708. At the same time the establishment was THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 27 augmented to sixty private men per troop. Pre- 17O8 vious to their arrival, the remainder of the regi- ment had marched northwards, to oppose the menaced invasion of Scotland by a French force, which had in view the placing of the Pretender on the British throne. When the French fleet had been chased from the Scottish shores by the British navy, Essex's dragoons halted in Yorkshire; they afterwards returned to the south, and recruiting parties were sent out to complete the augmentation as speedily as possible. During the summer the regiment proceeded to the Isle of Wight, and was held in readiness to embark with an expedition designed to co-operate with the forces mder General de Tilly, in an incursion into Picurdy; and, when De Tilly was recalled, an attempt on the French coast opposite England was resolved upon. Essex's and Car- penter's (third) dragoons, with the foot regiments of Livesay (twelfth), Farrington (twenty-ninth), Hamilton (thirty-fourth). Dormer, Johnson, Moor, Caulfield, Townshend, and Wynne, were reviewed by Major-General Erie, previous to embarking, and the cavalry transports being wind-bound in the Downs, the dragoons marched to Dover. The fleet put to sea, and after menacing the French coast at several points, proceeded towards Dover; the dragoons, having embarked, joined c 2 28 HISTORICAL RECORD OP THE FOURTH, I Hi 1; 1708 the expedition on the 9th of August. The coast of France off La Hogue was menaced with a descent, and also the vicinity of Cherburg, and considerable alarm was occasioned ; but no land- ing took place. The fleet returned to Spithead ; the dragoons landed at Portsmouth in the b'^gin- ning of September, and the infantry regiments proceeded to Ostend, and were of great service to the army, commanded by the Duke of Marl- borough, in the forwarding of supplies for carry- ing on the siege of the important fortress of Lisle. lyiO The decease of the Earl of Essex having taken place in January, 1710, Queen Anne directed the command of the regiment to be conferred on Colonel Hill, brother to Mrs. Masham, a female in the Queen's establishment, who had recently experienced much kindness from Her Majesty, and was a rival in royal favour with the Duchess of Marlborough. Mrs. Masham was accused of an improper interference in public affairs, and the Duke of Marlborough resolved to resign the command of the army rather than submit to the interference of one of the Qucc'^/s female attendants in the disposal of commissions. He first represented the prejudice it would be to the service to promote so young an officer before others of longer service, of higher rank, and equally distinguished merit ; and find- THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 29 iiig Her Majesty inflexible, he withdrew from 1710 the court. Great excitement followed. "Go- " dolphin and the whig Lords continued to im- " portune the Queen ; and Mr. Secretary Boyle " had the courage to declare, that if tlie Duke of " Marlborough retired, her crown was at stake. " Even many, who secretly caballed with Harley, " ventured to suggest the danger of compelling " the general to retire at so critical a juncture. " At the same time the agitation of the public " mind increasing, and hints being thrown out in " the house of commons, that not only some *• motion would be brought against the favorite, •* but that an attempt would be made to suspend " the supplies, the obstinacy of the Queen was " shaken*." Her Majesty summoned Lord Go- dolphin to her presence, and declared her deter- mination not to insist on the disposal of the regiment to Colonel Hill ; and the Duke of Marlborough returned to court. The colonelcy of the regiment remained vacant several weeks, and was conferred in April on a gallant and meri- torious officer who had signalized himself in the Netherlands, Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Temple, afterwards Viscount Cobham. In the beginning of 1711, the regiment, bear- 1711 ing the designation of "Temple's Dragoons," m Iv,; i m m \ t ^' j f A\ i 82 HISTORICAL RECORD OP THE FOURTH, ih' 1715 river Allan. The victorious troopers baited upon the brink of the stream, and while awaiting orders, they bad the mortification to learn that the left wing of their own army was defeated by the rebels. Thus each commander had a wing victo- rious and a wing defeated, and they both claimed the victory ; but the result of the action was in favour of the royalists, who captured several standards, colours, and pieces of artillery, and prevented the march of the rebels southward. The greys and Evans' dragoons were highly commended for their valour and good conduct by the Duke of Argyle, who was a spectator of their gallantry. The dauntless manner in which they charged the superior numbers of their opponents, was also lauded in the accounts of the battle published at the time. In the London Gazette it was stated, that "Portmore's and Evans' dra- " goons drove the rebels before them with great '* slaughter for two miles." The two regiments withdrew from the banks of the river Allan to the ground on which they had formed in the morning, and afterwards re- turned to the camp at Stirling. The conduct of the colonel of the regiment, Lieutenant-General Evans, was api>lauded; he was on the right of the army with his regiment, had his horse killed under him, and received a sabre wound on the head. Lioutenant-Colonel THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 33 Hawley was shot in the shoulder ; Captain Far- 1715 rier had his thigh-bone broken; and the regiment had also one cornet and four private dragoons killed. The Pretender afterwards arrived in Scotland, 1716 but the hopes, which his presence had inspired, were soon allayed. The Duke of Argyle having received reinforcements from England, advanced, on the 29th of January, 1716, for Perth; and Evans' troopers were engaged in toilsome marches over snow and ice. The Pretender, and the leaders in the rebellion, fled to the continent, and the clans being thus forsaken, separated to their homes. The rebellion being suppressed, the regiment was stationed for a short time at Montrose; when the men and horses were refreshed, it returned to England, and occupied quarters in Berkshire. In July it was reviewed near Farn- ham by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, afterwards King George II., who expressed his approbation of its appearance and discipline. During the following winter Evans* dragoons j^jy marched to the north of England, and were sta- tioned in various parts of Durham, Yorkshire, and Lancashire, until April, 1718, when they pro- j^ig ceeded into quarters in Cumberland. In 1719 1719 Ihey marched southward, and a detachment was employed on coast duty in Kent. E tii'Al m (I, h 't'i 3 ■I If !l l( 34 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1720 The year 1720 was passed by Evans's dra- 1721 goons at York; in 1721 they proceeded to Scot- land ; but returned to England in the following spring, and were encamped during the summer of 1722 1722 on Salisbury plain, where they were re- viewed by King George I. and the Prince of Wales on the 30th of August, and afterwards furnished a detachment to escort His Majesty towards Portsmouth. 1723 In the summer of 1723, the regiment was encamped near Wells, in Somersetshire, and it continued on home service during the remainder of the reign of King George I. 1727 After the accession of King George IT., the regiment was stationed in the south of England, 1728 and was reviewed in brigade with Churchill's (tenth) dragoons, on Hounslow heath, on the 4th of May, 1728, by His Majesty. The two regi- ments are reported to have made "a very fine " appearance," and to have received the expression of the King's approbation. 1733 In August, 1733, Lieutenant-General Evans was removed to the Queen's regiment cJ horse, now second dragoon guards. The colonelcy re- 1735 mained vacant until the 13th of May, 1735, when it was conferred on Sir Robert Rich, Baronet, from the first trooj) of horse grenadier guards. 1737 The regiment remained in Great Britain : in 1737 its establishniont Mas six troops, of forty-nine THE QUEEN S OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 35 private men each. Hostilities having commenced 1737 with Spain, in 1739, an augmentation of one 1739 Serjeant and ten men was made to each trocp. During the summer of 1740, the regiment 1740 was encamped in Windsor forest, under Lieute- nant-General Honeywood. The decease of the Emperor, Charles VI., took place this year, and the opposition made to the succession of his daughter, Maria Theresa, to the kingdoms of Hungaria and Bohemia, re- kindled the flame of war on the continent. In the summer of 1742, the regiment pro- 1742 ceeded to Flanders, with the army commanded by Field Marshal the Earl of Stair, to support the interests of the house of Austria against the aggressions of France and Bavaria. In January, 1743, Sir Robert Rich's dra-1743 goons advanced with the army for Germany, and were encamped a short time at Hoclist, and afterwards near Aschaffenberg, where King George II. and His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland joined the army. Leaving Aschaffenberg on the morning of the 2Gth of June, 1743, (O. S.) the army crossed the Maine, and moved along the plain between the river and the mountains towards Ilanau, to effect a junction witli a body of Hanoverians and Hes- sians. The French, commanded by Marshal Noaillo8, crossed the river and took post near "i ■m :p ;i''r m ill 36 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, I I 'A 1743 Dettingen, and this movement brought on an engagement, in which this regiment had the honour to take part. The French occupied a most advantageous position between the river and the mountains; but being eager for the attack, the princes and noblemen at the head of the household troops quitted their strong ground to charge their adversaries. The British infantry evinced signal gallantry, and the cavalry engaged the French cuirassiers with equal intrepidity, and proved triumphant. A complete victory was gained, and the enemy was driven across the Maine w ith great loss. " Thus ended a day in " which the bravery of our troops cannot be too " much commended. Our infantry gained ground " from the beginning, until they were masters of " the field. Our cavalry sustained for eight or " nine hours, a most severe cannonade, and then " attacked the French household troops, who, to " do them justice, supported the ancient reputa- " tion of their corps with great bravery*." Sir Robert Rich's dragoons lost one serjeant, three men, and thirty-nine horses, killed ; and one Serjeant, five men, and eight horses wounded. The officers and men passed the night after the battle in bivouac near the scene of conflict, and on the following day continued their march to ITanau. * Lop/ion Gazette. THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 37 n The regiment subsequently crossed the Rhine, 1743 and was engaged in operations in West Germany; but returned to Flanders in the autumn, and passed the winter among the Belgians. After quitting its winter quarters, in the 1744 spring of 1744, the regiment joined the main army, and was engaged in operations in Brabant and Flanders. No general engagement occurred, and after penetrating the French territory as far as Lisle, and laying the country under con- tribution, the troops returned to their former station. In the spring of 1745 the French monarch 1745 appeared in the Netherlands, with an immense force, and besieged Tournay; and when the Duke of Cumberland advanced to attack the besieging army, Sir Robert Rich's dragoons were left in quarters in Brabant. After the disastrous battle of Fontenoy the allies retreated to Aeth, and sub- sequently encamped on the plains of Lessines, where Sir Robert Rich's troopers and several other corps joined the army. After taking part in several movements, the regiment was detached to Alost, under Lieut.- General Baron de Molck, and on the 8th of July, it was selected to proceed to Ghent to reinforce the garrison of that fortress. The troops ap- pointed for this service were Sir Robert Rich's dragoons, one hundred Hanoverian hussars, five Wn n la .'.. HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1745 squadrons of Austrian and Hanoverian dragoons, and three battalions of British foot. As this detachment was advancing along the causeway near the priory of Melle^ (Pas du Mesle,) on the 9th of July, it was suddenly assailed by a volley from two batteries near the priory, and the next moment from ten to fifteen thousand BVench, who had lain concealed among the trees, &c., sprang forward and surrounded the detachment. Sir Robert Rich's dragoons, and the first bat- talion of the royals, being in front with the Baron de Molck, raised a loud shout and rushed forward upon their adversaries. The brave dragoons "fought like furies*." The Scots foot evinced equal valour and resolution, and, after a sharp struggle, in which many officers and soldiers were killed, wounded, and made prisoners, the wreck of the two regiments forced their way through the enemy and continued their route to Ghent. The remainder of the detachment, commanded by Brigadier-General Bligh, faced about ; the oflficers and men throwing themselves into the wood, attacked their adversaries with signal gallantry, and forcing their passage through the crowds of opponents, effected their retreat to Dendermond. In the account of this action published at tlie time, it was stated, that " our troops behaved with • Account of the action at Mclle piiblislicd at the time. THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 39 incredible bravery, and have acquired immortal 1745 honour." This regiment suffered severely; no record of the number killed and wounded has been found, but it is stated that only thirty-nine troopers escaped unhurt. According to the War Office records, the regiment lost two hundred and fifty-five horses on this occasion. An immense French force approached Ghent, the Baron de Molck retreated to Sas-van-Glient, and when this regiment rejoined the army, it only formed one very small squadron. In the autumn of this year another rebellion broke out in Scotland, and Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, appeared at the head of the highland clans. Several corps returned to Eng- land: Rich's dragoons quitted Flanders during the winter, and landing at Purfleet on the 4th of December, marched to Ingatestone and Chelms- ford, and subsequently to Barnet, from whence the dismounted men proceeded to the Tower. At the same time every possible endeavour was made to recruit its diminished numbers. Sir Robert Rich's dragoons returned to 1746 Ingatestone, Chelmsford, &c., in January, 1746, and were quartered at these places during the remainder of the year. Meanwhile the war had been continued on the continent, and such suc- cess had attended the recruiting of this regiment, that in February, 1747, it once more embarked at Gravesend for foreign service. f 5. ■(- \ If 40 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, it 1747 Having joined the army commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, Sir Robert Rich's dragoons were employed in opera- tions near the frontiers of Holland, for the pre- servation of Maestricht, Bergen-op-zoom, &c. The French commander. Marshal Saxe, having great superiority of numbers, advanced with the view of besieging the important fortress of Maes- tricht; and the allied army manoeuvred to cover this celebrated city, which had often been a theatre for the display of British valour*. On the morning of the 1st of July, as the allied army was about to advance through one of the valleys in the province of Liege, two French columns were discovered ascending some heights which commanded the line of march. The dra- goons galloped forward, but before they could gain the hills, the enemy was in position on tho summit. The cavalry formed line on the plain at the foot of the heights ; the infantry in order of battle occupied the villages in the valley; the day was passed in skirmishing and cannonading, and during the night the soldiers remained under arms. At ten o'clock on the following morning, the French artillery opened a tremendous fire, and * See the Records of the Third, Fifth, and Siath Regiments of Foot. THE QUEEN S OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 41 several battalions attacked the village of Val. 1747 After a protracted struggle this post was carried, but was speedily re-captured: the enemy sending fresh troops, the village was lost and won several times, and at length the French army gained con- siderable advantage. During the early part of the action. Sir Robert Rich's troopers were formed in column, and were spectators of the contest ; but as the tide of suc- cess began to flow in favour of the enemy, they were ordered forward. The gallant Sir John Ligonier placed himself at the head of the British dragoons, and led them to the charge. The first line of opponents was instantly broken; the brave troopers galloped forward, and a second line was speedily overthrown. The British horse- men, mixing fiercely with the French cavalry, used their broad swords with terrible execution, but, pursuing too far, they received the fire of a bat- talion of French infantry posted in some low grounds behind a hedge. The undaunted dra- goons instantly attacked and routed the infantry ; but, being charged by a new line of combatants, they were forced to retreat, and their commander. Sir lohn Ligonier, was taken prisoner; they, how<'ver, brought off several standards which they had captured from the French cavalry. The French having, by their superior numbers, succeeded in forcing the line, the Duke of Cum- i 13 ml/uss ti;eir foraging parties: the FouiiTH dragoons were employed on piquet and on out-post duty, and in patrolling between the two armies. 1811 For three months the hostile legions con- fronted each other, and some desultory fighting occurred. During the fourth month. Marshal Massena having consumed the resources of the country, and lost a considerable number of men by disease, was obliged to withdraw. At day-light on the morning of the 6th of March, 1811, the enemy's empty camps at Santarem were discovered, and Lord Wellington moved forward in pursuit. The Queen's Own followed the enemy eight days ; a sharp skirmish orciirr'jd at Pombal, some brisk fighting took place at Redinha, and on the 14th of March tlie enemy's rear-guard was driven from a stror^ position at Casal Nova; after wh'/'h the Fou^VH agoons formed pirt of *he force wiiich "r*.!i ii •. ichcd, under the orders of Marshal Bercs- THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 63 ford, from the main army, to confront the French 1811 forces in Spanish Estremadura. The British and Portuguese, under Marshal Beresford, passed the Tagus at Tanois, and pro- ceeded by Pont de Lor, Oralo, and Portalegre, on Campo Mayor, froni whence the enemy were driven with some loss. Olivenza was besieged and captured. Operations were commenced against the strong fortress of Badajoz ; and the Fourth dragoons, having crossed the Guadiana, were employed in several movements connected with covering the siege. On the 16th of April they moved from the camp at Santa Marta, and arriving near Los Santos, encountered a brigade of French cavalry. The third dragoon guards, the Fourth dragoons, and thirteenth light dragoons, advanced against the enemy, who was charged, defeated, and pursued above six miles ; and above two hundred French dragoons were taken prisoners. Marshal Soult having concentrated his forces, advanced to relieve Badajoz, and the allies took up a position at Albuhera, where a general engage- ment was fought, in which the regiment had an opportunity of greatly distinguishing itself. A little before nine o'clock on the morning of the 16th of May, a French division, preceded by ten guns, and accompanied by a strong body of cavalry, issued from the woods in one heavy column of attack, and, advancing towards the 64 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1811 bridge of Albuhera, attempted to force a passage. Two squadrons of the Fourth dragoons, under the command of Captain Dalbiac, with two squa- drons of the thirteenth, the whole under Lieute- nant-Colonel Muter, drove back the French cavalry which had crossed the bridge, and, although exposed to a severe cannonade, succeeded in keeping the enemy's dragoons in check in that quarter during the whole of the day. While the two squadrons under Captain Dal- biac were at the bridge, the other two, commanded by Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Leighton, were posted near the right of the position. The enemy developed his main attack against the right of the allied army, and a change of position was neces- sary : the Spanish general, Biake, delayed to put his troops in motion until the enemy's columns appeared on his right, when he commenced the evolution; but before this was completed, the French opened a tremendous cannonade, accom- panied vith a heavy fire of musquetry, and their cavalry menacing to charge, the Spaniards were thrown into disorder, and they fell back. A brigade of British infantry rushed up Ihe hill ; a heavy rain prevented objects from being distinctly seen ; and tlie English regiments were charged in the rear by four regiments of the enemy's Polish lancers and hussars. Tlie two squadrons of the FoURTJi were among the British cavilry which THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 65 dashed upon the liancers with signal gallantry, and 1811 their charge was executed with such spirit and effect, that the infantry had time to retire and re-form their ranks ; many officers and men, who had fallen into the enemy's hands, also obtained their liberty, and the fusilier brigade had an oppor- tunity of gaining a most important part of the position, which led to the overthrow of the enemy. The two squadrons were afterwards employed in covering the right of Major-General Cole's divi- sion, and were exposed to the fire of the French artillery. After four hours of serious fighting, the enemy was driven back, and the allied army stood tri- umphant on the field of battle. "The trophies " of the French were five hundred unwounded " prisoners, a howitzer, and several stand of " colours. The Brit',',1} Imd nothing of thai kind " to boast of, but the tiorrid piles of caicases " within their lines told, with dreadful eloquence. «* wdo were the conquerors*." The loss of the Qulsn's Own was four rank and file and jwenty horses killed: Captain Holmes, Lieutenant E. Wildman, Adjutant Chantry, one serjeant, and eighteen men wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Leighton was reAvarded with a medal, and the regiment was honoured with the privilege of * Napier. 66 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1811 bearing the word "Albuheba" inscribed on its guidons and appointments. On the following morning the hostile armies confronted each other, but on the 18th Marshal Soult withdrew towards Llerena, and the cavalry of the allied army followed the French line of retreat. The relies advanced to Usagre, a town built upon a hill, and covered towards Los Santos by a river with steep and rug^^ed l»anks, having on that side only one outlet by the bridge. Marshal Soult sent General Latour Maubourg with the French cavalry to scour the country beyond Usagre; and upon his approach with superior numbers, the British horsemen retired across the river, and the third dragoon guards and Fourth dragoons took post behind a rising ground beyond the bridge. The fourth, l ontieth, and twenty- sixth French dragoons dashed through the town, crossed the bridge, and formed on the flank of the third dragoon guards, and in front oi the Fourth dragoons, themselves presenting two fronts. The opportunity was immediately seized ; the two British regiments raised a loud shout, and rushed sword in hand upon their adversaries. The French were instantly broken, and they fled towards the bridge, which was choked with the remainder of their cavalry advancing to their support. The fugitives, being closely pursued by the third dra- THE QUEEN*S OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 67 goon guards and Fourth dragoons, turned to the 1811 right and left, and endeavoured to save themselves among some gardens situated on the banks of the river, and many of them jumped off their horses and endeavoured to escape on foot. The British troopers pursued with eagerness, sabred many men and took one hundred prisoners. The siege of Badajoz was recommenced, and the Queen's Own dragoons formed part of the covering force upon that occasion. An immense French army advancing to relieve the garrison, the allies withdrew across the Guadarama, covered by the Fourth dragoons, and went into position on the Caya, where the French generals did not venture to attack them. In July the service troops of the regiment were reduced from eight to six, and the super- numerary officers and men were ordered to join the depot troops in England. In August the regiment was removed from the Alentejo, and employed in September in services connected with the blockade of Ciudad Rodrigo. Marshal Marmont having advanced with sixty thousand men, and above a hundred pieces of artillery, to relieve the blockaded for- tress, attacked the troops at El Bodon, and the Fourth dragoons were brought into position, and took part in the movements connected with the retreat from Guinaldo, and the fighting at Aldea 68 FiaroKTCAL record of the fourth, 1811 de Ponte. After the enemy had withdrawn, the regiment went into cantonments. Napoleon recalled from Spain seventeen thou- sand imperial guards for the Russian war; the Polish battalions and several detachments were drafted; the invalids were sent to France, and the French army in Spain was diminished in numbers sixty thousand men. The execution of the imperial decree for these changes, and other circumstances, occasioned Civdad Rodrigo to be left exposed to the allies, and Lord Wellington suddenly recalled his troops from their winter quarters to besiege this important fortress. The Queen's Own dragoons advanced and took their turn in the out-post duty. Ciudad Rodrigo was 1812 taken by storm on the 19th of January, 1812, and Lord Wellington was advanced to the dignity of Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo in Spain ; — Marquis of Torres Vedras in Portugal; — and Earl of Wellington in Great Britain. In February the Fourth dragoons were formed in brigade with the fifth dragoon guards, and third dragoons, under Major-General Le Mar- chant, and proceeded to the Alentejo. In March the brigade, having crossed the Guadiana, formed part of the van of the covering army in the advance to the foot of the chain of mountains called the Sierra Morena, and took the out-post duty during the siege of Badajoz, which fortress THE queen's own LIGHT DRA GOOFS. 69 was captured by storm on the night of the 6th of 1812 April. The French army advancing to the relief of the besieged city, retired. Major-General Le Marchant's and Major- General Anson's brigades of cavalry, having been sent, under Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton, in pursuit of the enemy, succeeded in coming up with his rear-guard, and were engaged in a gallant affair at Llerena, on the 11th of April, when the superiority of the British cavalry was well established. On this occasion, after a forced march of twenty miles, the fifth dragoon guards, and the light brigade, supported by the third and Fourth dragoons, charged and routed a large body of French cavalry, in sight, and within gunshot, of the enemy's rear-guard of ten thou- sand men. In the cavalry orders issued on this occasion, by Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton, it was stated, " The order which was pre- " served by the troops in pursuing the enemy, " and the quickness with which they formed after " every attack, do infinite credit to the command- " ing oflicers, and afford a convincing proof of the " good discipline of the several regiments. The " lieutenant-general was very much satisfied with " the conduct of the third and Fourth dragoons, " in supporting the fifth dragoon guards and " Major-General Anson's brigade." The regiment subsequently accompanied the 70 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1812 forces under the Earl of Wellington to Portugal : the enemy having retired from Castello Branco, It returned a short distance, and was stationed at Flora de Rosa; but again advanced in the begin- ning of June, and was employed in the operations by which the French were driven from Salamanca; this was followed by the siege of the forts at that place. Marshal Marmont advancing to relieve the forts, the allied army took position on the heights of St. Christoval ; the infantry, heavy cavalry, and the guns crowning the summit of the heights, the Fourth dragoons being stationed near the village of Villares. About five o'clock on the evening of the 20th of June, the French cavalry ap- proached; the English light dragoons made a forward movement; the French opened six guns, and the British retired to their former ground near Monte Rubio and Villares. The Fourth dragoons had two horses killed, one serjeant, one private, and one horse wounded. The capture of the forts was followed by a retrograde movement of the French army to Tordesillas, and the allies followed their oppo- nents. Marshal Marmont being reinforced, and expecting the co-operation of additional troops, crossed the Douro, on the ICthof July, and made head against the allies with signal audacity. After a series of manoeuvres, retreats, and skir- # *■, THE QUEEN 9 OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 71 mishes, which continued for a period of five days, 1812 during which the two armies were constantly in sight, and often within gun shot of each other, the Earl of Wellington placed his army, on the evening of the 21st of July, a cheval on the river Tormes, about three miles above Salamanca. The Fourth dragoons crossed the river at the ford of Santa Marta, and bivouacked at night on the south bank opposite the town; the brigade being formed in contiguous columns of squadrons. About ten . o'clock at night a dreadful thunder- storm occurred; the rain descended in torrents, broad sheets of lightning illuminated the sky; the terrified horses of several regiments broke loose, and galloping wildly about in the dark, trampled upon and disabled a number of men ; but the Fourth dragoons had linked their horses well together, and not one of them broke from the ranks, although the whole were violently agitated. On the following morning the hostile armies confronted each other, and Major-Geueral Lo Marchant's brigade, of which the Queen's Own dragoons constituted a part, moved from its bivouac ground, and formed line in the centre of the British position to check the French cavalry. The brigade subsequently took ground to its right, and passing the village of Ara])iles formed in support of the fourth and fif'ili divisions. :1i 72 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1812 As the French general manoeuvred to gain the road to Ciudad Rodrigo, the Earl of Wellington watched his opponents' movements from the summit of a rock, and detecting an injudicious evolution, he ordered his divisions forward, and the battle com- menced. A favourable opportunity for a charge of the heavy cavalry occurring, the fifth dragoon guards, and third and Fourth dragoons, com- manded by Major-General Le Marchant, advanced against a body of French infantry posted at the entrance of a wood : the soil being light, and the wind high, the dragoons were soon enveloped in a thick cloud of dust. The following very spirited account of their charge is given by Colonel Napier, in bis admirable History of the Peninsular War. " While Pakenham, bearing onward with a " conquering violence, was closing on their flank, " and the fifth di visit n advancing with a storm of " fire on their front, the interval between the two " attacks was suddenly filled with a whirling cloud " of dust, which moving swiftly forward carried " within its womb the trampling sound of a cliarg- " ing multitude. As it passed the left of the "third division, Le Marchant's heavy horsemen, "flanked by Anson's light cavalry, broke forth " from it at full speed, and the next instant Uvelve "hundred French infantry, though formeu in " several lines, were trampled down witii a terrible THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 73 )lV0 in blc " clamour and disturbance. Bewildered and 1812 "blinded, they cast away their arras and ran ** through the openings of the British squadrons "stooping and demanding quarter, while the " dragoons, big men and on big horses, rode " onward smiting with their long glittering swords " in uncontrollable power, and the third division " followed at speed, shouting as the French " masses fell in succession before this dreadful " charge. "Nor were these valiant swordsmen yet "exhausted. Their own general, Le Marcliant, " rnd many officers had fallen, but Cotton and all " his staff were at their head, and with ranks con- " fused, and blended together in one mass, still "galloping forward they sustained from a fresh " column an irregular stream of fire which emptied " a hundred saddles ; yet with fine courage, and " downright force, the survivors broke through " this. *he third and strongest body of men that '* had encountered them." Lieutenant Norcliffe, Serjeant Cattle*, and about thirty men of the Fourth dragoons, having passed through the wood and gained the lead, were distinguished for the dauntless manner in which they plunged * Serjeant Cattle's moot gallant conduct attracted tho attention, not only of his own officers, biit also of Lieut. - General Sir Stapleton Cotton, cornnanding th«» cavalry, and of Colonel Elle} , tho deputy adjutaut-general. I 74 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1812 into the enemy's column, and trampled and cut down their opponents ; the lieutenant was severeiy wounded in the head*. Serjeant-Major Cham- bers was also conspicuous for the gallantry with which he rushed upon the ranks of the enemy This column of infantry having been disposed of, the commanding officer of the Fourth, Lieut.- Colonel Lord Edward Somerset, led the right squadron against a French battery, with signal intrepidity, and captured five guns. " The French " left was entirely broken, more than tvvo thousand " prisoners were taken, the French light horsemen •' abandoned that part of the field, and Thomiere's " division no longer existed as a military !)ody. " Anson's cavalry, which had passed quite over " the hill, and had suffered little in the charge, " was now joined by D'Urban's troopers, and took " the place of Le Marchant's exhausted men ; the " heavy German dragoons followed in reserve, and " vritL the third and fifth divisions ond the guns " formed one formidable line two miles in advance " of where Pakenham first attacked, and that im- " petuous officer with unmitigated strength still "pressed forward ispreading terror and disorder " on the enem'''i? left." Such wore the sjjlendid result'* achieved by * Lioutenant NorcHffo lay h\ nding <>n the field during the niglit, but was found at day-'i ik in *he moming by some of his own men. THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 75 about eight hundred British sabres. The prowess I812 and daring impetuosity of the fifth dragoon guards, and the thini and Fourth dragoons, seconded by the light brigade, contributed materially to the de- cisive overthrow of the French army, with the loss of eleven guns and two eagles. The conduct of the three regiments was commended in the public despatch, and in general orders. Lieut.-Colonel Lord Edward Somerset of the Queen's Own dra- goons, was rewarded with a gold medal, and the royal authority was afterwards given for the regi- ment to bear on its guidons and appointments the word "Salamanca." Its loss was one serj<\ant and seven rank and file killed ; Lieutenant Nor- cliffe, two serjoants, and eighteen rank and file wounded ; sixty-fc-ir horses killed and wounded. The wreck of the French army made a pre- cipitate retreat, and the allies followed by as raj>id marches as circumstances would admit: after a short halt at Valladolid, the army advanced towards the cap'ial of Spain. On the 12th of August the Earl of Wellington entered Madrid at the head of the British and German brig&des of heavy cavalry, tl j command of the former brigade having devolved, on the death of Majoi-General Le Marchant, at Sala- manca, on Colonel tho Honorable William Pon- sonby. The regiment halted a week in the capital of Spain, and subsequently proceeded to F 2 lii ^ n !■: 7Q HISTORICAL RECORD OF TI^E FOURTH, 1812 St. Ildefonso, where it was cantoned a few days. It subsequently marched to Valladolid, and ad- vanced with the army to the vicinity of Burgos ; the French there made a stand, and the fifth dragoon guar - f. * third and Fourth dragoons, were ordere the front ; but the enemy with- drew before the army could form for the attack. During the siege of the castle of Burgos^ the Fourth dragoons formed part of the covering anny ; and the concentration of the enemy's forces having rendered a retrograde movement necessary, the troops underwent much fatigue and privation, during the retreat to the vicinity of Ciudad Modrigo; the Fourth dragoons subsequently occupied cantonments on the banks of the Mondego, near Coimbra. 1813 Crossing the Mondego, in April, 1813, the regiment proceeded to the north of Portugal, where it remained a short time. Meanwhile preparations were made for opening the campaign, and the augmented numbers of the British, with the improved organization and discipline of the Spanish and Portuguese armies, afforded sufficient grounds for anticipating- the most brilliant success. Napoleon's fatal expedition to Russia, in which he exhausted a most powerful army; the exer- tions of the continental states ; and the operations of the 'allies in the Peninsula, threatened that gigantic power which had sprung out of the French THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 17 revolution with destruction; and the throne of 1813 Napoleon, the disturber of Europe, was already shaken. The Queen's Own dragoons were brigaded with the same regiments as in the preceding year, commanded by Major-General the Honorable William Ponsonby. They proceeded during the month of May, with the forces under Lieut.- General Sir Thomas Graham, through the pro- vince of Tras-os-Montes, and, traversing a moun- tainous region deemed nearly impracticable for an army, gained the banks of the Esla; while the Marquis of Wellington advanced by the direct road on Salamanca; and Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill moved on the same point from Estremadura. The French position on the Douro was thus turned, and they retreated, closely fol- lowed by the allies. The Fourth dragoons were directed, with the remainder of the brigade, on Valencia, and passing through that town, advanced on Burgos. Arriving on the 12th of June at the heights of Estepar, they espied the French rear- guard, which was driven in confusion on Burgos, where several divisions of the enemy's forces were concentrated. During the following night the French blew up the castle of Burgos, and retiring behind the Ebro, prepared to defend the passage of that river ; but the allied army moved to its left, passed the stream near its source, and turned I i; 78 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1813 the flank of the position. The Fourth dragoons passed the Ebro at Puentd de Arenas, then tra- versed a mountainous region by rugged and narrow passes and defiles, while the French fell back on Vittoria, where they formed a front of battle to oppose the further advance of the allied army. The British commander concentrated his forces on the river Bayas, and advanced on the morning of the 21st of June to attack the Fre;-3h army, commanded by Joseph Bonaparte ;iid Marshal Jourdan. The Fourth dragoons supported the infantry during a sharp engagement of several hours. Owing to the nature of thu ground, the cavalry were unable to charge until the close of the engagement, when they dashed forward and completed the rout and discomfiture of the enemy. The gallant bearing of the regiment on this occa- sion was rewarded with the honour of displaying the word " Vittoria" on its guidons and appoint- ments ; and its commanding officer, Colonel Lord Edward Somerset, received an additional honorary distinction. After pursuing the wreck of the French army, in the direction of Pampeluna, the regiment was employed in endeavouring to intercept a French division under General Clausel, which was sta- tioned at Logrono at the time the battle of Vit- toria was fought. This division having C8caj)ed -53V THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 79 to France by the pass of Jaca, the Fourth dra- 1813 goons halted at Tafalla eleven days, when, forage becoming scarce, they moved to Laraga. Mean- while the allied infantry had penetrated the Pyre- nean mountains ; but towards the end of July they were forced back by the French under Marshal Soult, and the Queen's Own dragoons were called to the foot of the mountains near Pampeluna, to support the infantry; after the repulse of the enemy, the regiment went into cantonments, and remained in that part of Spain as a reserve to the blockade of Pampeluna. Having passed the winter among the Spanish 1814 peasantry, and obtained an accession of numbers by remounts from England, the Fourth dragoons advanced, in the spring of 1814, through the lofty Pyrenees; halted two days at St. Jean de Luz, and afterwards moved by Bidart upon the A dour, crossed that river on a bridge of boats, and followed the route of the French, who were retreating before the allied army. Thus, after five years' hard service in the Peninsula, in which the Fourth dragoons had the lionour of having taken a distinguished part in driving the French out of Portugal and Spain, they traversed the interior of France in triumph ; the legions of Napoleon retreating before them. They were engaged in the movements by which the French were driven from Tarbes on the 19th ii 80 HISTORICAL RiiCORD OF THB FOURTH, 1814 of March, and were directed to turn the enemy's righi flank at Rabastens. Following the retreat- ing army, they crossed the Garonne, at St. Roques, by a pontoon bridge, on the 31st of March ; and, having been withdrawn in consequence of the bad state of the roads in this direction, they passed the river a second time at Grenade, on the 4th of April, and advanced to Grissales, having a strong piquet of the brigade on the road to Montauban.' These movements were followed by the battle of Touhtise, on Easter Sunday, the 10th of April. The brigade, consisting of the fifth dragoon guards, and third and Fourth dragoons, supported the Spanish infantry, and by its fiim countenance, enabled them, after having been thrown into some confusion, to re-form their ranks. The brigade also saved the Portuguese guns from being cap- tured by the enemy ; and subsequently supported Lieutenant-General Clinton's division. At length the enemy was driven from his works into the town. The Queen's Own dragoons had two men and five horses killed. Cornet Burrows, Assistant-Surgeon Hilson, six men, and thirty-one horses wounded. The commanding officer. Major Ilugonin, son of the Colonel of the regiment, received a gold medal ; and the royal permission was afterwards given for the regiment to bear the word "Toulouse" inscribed on its guidons and appointments. THE QUEEN S OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 81 These splendid achievements, in which the 1814 Queen's Own dragoons had the honour to take part, with the operations of the forces of Russia, Austria, Prussia, &c., overthrew the power of the imperious and tyrannical Napoleon Bonaparte, who was forced from the throne of ^ j^ce, and e Bourbon dynasty was restore I i'le war thus terminated, the Fourth dragoons went cantonments among the French peasantry for at about a month : and on the 1st of June com- menced their march through France to Boulogne, which long journey was completed in the middle of July. On the 19th Major-General the Ho- norable William Ponsonby expressed in orders " the high sense he entertained of the uniformly " excellent conduct of the brigade, both in quar- " ters and in the field ;" and observed to the three regiments, " It is a circumstance as gratifying " to him, as it is creditable to themselves, that, " during the whole period of their service, they " have in no one instance, collectively or indivi- " dually, incurred animadversion in general orders, " and that no individual of the brigade has been " brought to ?i general court-martial. With equal " truth the major-general can assert, that upon •* every occasion which has presented itself of " acting against the enemy, either regimentally or ** in brigade, they have nobly sustained the supe- '• riority of the British cavalry, and fully justified ^, A^ w \r 1^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V. 1^.% ^ % 1.0 I.I |J0 ^^ Sf Lfi 12.0 u Z5 2.2 11.25 i 1.4 I |Jj6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN tTRIIT VinUTn.N.V. 14SM (71*)I73-4S09 O^ 82 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1814 «< the high opinion repeatedly expressed of them by " his Grace the Duke of Wellington. The three " regiments will ever have to- congratulate them- *' selves on its having fallen to their lot to be in " the brigade employed on the 22nd of July, ** 1812 (battle of Salamanca), in that glorious and ** effectual charge which contributed in so eminent " a degree to decide the fate of the day, and to " secure the signal and complete defeat of the " French army." The Fourth dragoons embarked at Boulogne on the 19th and 20th of July, for England, and landed on the 20th and 21st. In August they were reviewed by his Royal Highness the Duke of York, the commander-in-chief, on Hounslow heath, upon which occasion every horse was brought effective into the field. The regiment afterwards proceeded to Litch- field, where a reduction of two troops was made in the establishment. After halting at Litchfield a week, it marched to Liverpool, where it em- barked for Ireland, and landing at Dublin, was stationed in that city five months. 1815 Leaving Dublin in February, 1815, the head- quarters proceeded to Carlow, with detachments at Athy, New Ross, Fethard, Clonmel, Limerick, &CC., and while occupying these stations, the royal authority was received for the regiment to bear the word "Peninsula" inscribed on its guidons THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 83 and appointments, " in commemoration of its ser- 1815 " vices in Portugal, Spain, and France, under the " command of Field-Marshal the Duke of Wel- « lington." On the return of Bonaparte to France, Europe was again involved in war, and the establishment of the regiment was augmented. The head- quarters were removed to Clonmel in September: and in November to the new cavalry-barracks at Cahir ; at the same time detachments of the regi- ment were extended over the south of Ireland, and occupied twenty-six different stations. In these quarters the Queen's Own dragoons 1316 remained, with some partial changes in the out- 1817 stations, until 1818, when three troops and the 1818 head-quarters proceeded to Cork, three to Limer- ick, one to Fermoy, and one to Bandon. The regiment had in the mean time been placed on a peace establishment. ^ * Orders were received in the autumn of this year for the regiment to be clothed and equipped as a corps of light cavalry, and its title to be changed to the " Fourth, or Queen's Own Regi- ** ment of Light Dragoons." The alteration of the clothing took place, and the change of title >vas made on the 25th of December following. The new uniform was blue, with yellow facings, and silver lace. The regiment embarked at Waterford in June, 1819 84 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1819 1819, for England, landed at Bideford, and, occu- pying Exeter, Plymouth, and Taunton, was em- ployed on coast duty. 1820 In the spring of 1820 the regiment marched to Birmingham and Coventry; from whence it was removed in May to Croydon and Lom isham, where it was stationed during the trial of Queen ' Caroline, and afterwards marched to Canterbury. 1821 In July, 1821, the Fourth light dragoons marched to Greenwich and Blackheath, on the occasion of the coronation of His Majesty King George IV. On the 24th of that month, they ' were reviewed in brigade with the Scots greys and ninth lancers, on Wormwood Scrubs, by his Royal Highness the Commander-in-chief, and afterwards occupied Romford barracks, where arrangements were made for their proceeding to the East Indies. On the removal of the remains of the late Queen Caroline from Hammersmith, for embark- ation for Germany, the regiment furnished the escorts for the procession from Romford to Har- wich, where a detachment of two hundred men formed a guard of honor over the royal body until it was embarked for Germany. The arrangements for proceeding to India having been completed, on the 31st of December eight troops, consisting of five hundred and forty- two non-commissioned officers and men^ com- THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 85 manded by Colonel DalbiaC*^, marched from 1821 Romford barracks, and embarked on board the Honorable East India Company's ships " Dunira" and "Duke of York;" and the depdt troop pro- ceeded to Maidstone. The regiment arrived at Bombay in the middle 1822 of May, 1822, was immediately transhipped on board of small vessels, and, proceeding to the Gulph ofCambay, landed at Tankaria Bunder, and reached its destination at Kaira, in Guzerat, in the beginning of June, with the loss of only one man, who died on the passage. On arriving at Kaira, Colonel Dalbiac assumed the command of the northern districts of Guzerat, and that of the regiment devolved on Major Sale. '■■- - - " ^•-■- ---"' •' " .■■-^'■^-r The regiment remained at Kaira until October, 1825 1825, when three squadrons, commanded by Major Sale, marched towards Cutcli, and encamped in the neighbourhood of Bhooj, the capital ; forming part of the field force under Colonel Napier, and afterwards under Lieutenant-Colonel Scott. On 1826 the breaking up of the field force, the regiment returned to Kaira, where it arrived on the 1st of April, 1826. Towards the end of this year, the regiment having suffered most alarming losses I * Now Lieutenant-Oeneral Sir Charles Dalbiao, K.C.H., colonel of tbe regiment. i 86 HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE FOURTH, 1826 from the effects of the climate in Guzerat, the sick and convalescents, then amounting to two hundred and ninety-seven in number, were embarked in boats at Cambay, and proceeded to Bombay. The remainder of the regiment, amounting to no more than one hundred and twenty-five non-commis- sioned officers and men, marched from Kaira towards Poonah, in the Deccan; proceeding by Surat and the inner coast road to Callian and Panwell, where they arrived on the Ist of Feb- 1827ruary, 1827, and halted seven days. At this station one hundred and ninety-seven recovered men joined from the hospitals at Bombay and Colabah. *. On the 9th of February, the regiment ascended the Bhore Ghaut, and encamped on the 14th near Kirkee, while the barracks erecting near that village were completing*. * The following return shows the loss of the regiment from fever, cholera, and other diseases, from the date of its arrival in India in May, 1822, to the 16th of April, 1827. Non commlasioned Officers and Soldien. 52 61 77 101 195 14 Anno. , 1822 3 1823 »> 1824 6 1825 3 1826 »» 1827 to 16ih April „ Total 12 500 [Names ' / THE queen's own LIGHT DRAGOONS. 87 On the 21st of June the regiment took pos- 1827 session of the new barracks at Kirkee; from whence two squadrons were detached in Septem- ber against the re&actory Rajah of Koolapore, in the Mahratta country, who had levied war on some of the neighbouring chiefs, in direct opposi- tion to the goTemment. A detachment from the forces of the Madras and Bombay presiden- cies, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Welsh, appeared before the fort of Koolapore early in November; the rajah, being intimidated, tendered his submission, and subscribed to the conditions required of him. Aifairs being thus satisfactorily arranged, the Bombay troops retraced their steps, under the command of Lieutenant- Colonel Wilson, of the Queen's Own light dragoons, to Poonah, the capital of the Deccan, where they arrived in December, and the two squadrons of the Fourth arrived at the head- quarters at Kirkee on the 1st of January, 1828. 1828 The cholera broke out among the men, when the Names of Officers. ,!■ 1822. 1824. 1825. • Capt. Jarmy. Gapt. Sale. Lieut. Lindsay. „ Barlow. Surgeon O'Donnel. Surgeon Todd. Lieut. Anderson. Capt. Burrows. Lieut. Murray. „ Bulkeley. Qr.-Mr. Allan. -, - . y ■-r:^, i.?;. l: . > ., . " This very creditable state of things entitles " Lieutenant-Colonel Fendall, in particular, who "has for a great many years commanded the "regiment, as well as the officers, non-commis- " sioned officers, and privates, to the fullest ex- " pression of the commander in chief's thanks, " nor should mention be omitted of Brevet Lieu- " tenant-Colonel Daly, who has occasionally com- "manded, and whose zeal, activity and ability. THE queen's own LIGHT DBAGOONS. 95 «( u ti *' justly warrant the laudatory specification of liis 184! name. " Tlie commander in chief will now take leave of the Fourth light dragoons, with the sincer- est wishes that every prosperity and happincgj " may attend them, and his excellency feels assured, " that whenever their country may again require " their services in the field, their ambition will be " to rival the glory of their predecessors, to gain " fresh renown, and, if possible, to gain brighter ** laurels than those which the regiment has ** already earned by its services in this country, ** and its conduct and gallantry in former years **in the great battles during the Peninsular « war*." ^1 ir : * Abstract of the loss of officers and men during the time the regiment was in India. Year. Offioem. Men. Year. OiBowt. M«n. 1822 3 52 1832 15 1823 61 1833 1 16 1824 6 77 1834 3 9 1825 3 101 1835 2 10 1826 195 1836 ai 1827 44 ia37 1 23 1828 44 1838 1 20 1829 22 1839 2 67 1830 1 28 1840 1 25 1831 16 1841 4 30 Total. 20 28 866 96 HISTORICAL KFCORD OF THE FOURTH, 1842 The first divisic n embarked in the "Repulse" on the 6th November, and after touching at the Gape and at St. Helena, disembarked at Gravesend on the 28th March, 1842. The second division embarked on board the "Mary" on the 7th November, and after touching at the Cape, dis- embarked on the 12th March, 1842. Two non- commissioned officers, and ten privates, died during the passage. The regiment on arrival in England was stationed at Canterbury. Immediately on the return of the regiment to England, an order M'as received for its reduction to the home establishment of 835 men, and 271 horses; and on the 15th April, it received from the ninth lancers, which were about to embark for India, 258 horses of a very excellent description, and in the highest possible order. : ; Queen Victoria having been graciously pleased to direct, that Her Majesty's Light Dragoons should again be clothed in blue, the regiment resumed blue clothing on 1st April, 1842. On the 24th June Lieut. -Colonel Fendall, after having served in the regiment nearly thirty- four years, and commanded it ten years, retired from the army by the sale of his commission, and was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel Francis D. Daly. Upon the decease of General Lord Edward Somerset on the 1st of September, 1842, Her THE QUEEN*S OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. 97 Majesty Queen Victoria was most graciously 1842 pleased to confer the Colonelcy of the Queen's Own light dragoons upon Lieut.-General Sir Charles Dalbiac, K.C.H., from the third regiment of dragoon guards ; his commission as Colonel of the Fourth or Queen's Own Light Dragoons, bearing date 24th September, 1842. i In October the regiment was removed from Canterbury to Brighton, where it is stationed at the conclusion of this Record of its Services, on the 31st December, 1842. The Queen's Own Regiment of Light Dra- goons has performed one hundred and fifty-seven years of meritorious service, throughout the whole of which period it has preserved a high reputation. Few circumstances are more remarkable or praise- worthy in the history of the Fourth Regiment of Light Dragoons, than the extraordinary celerity with which upon several occasions it has recruited its ranks, and recovered its efficiency for service in the field. The formation of the regiment com- menced in July, 1685, and in October of the same year it was reviewed by the King and compli- mented on its appearance. The severe losses it sustained at Almanza, in 1707, were so speedily replaced, that the regiment, which did not land in England until May, 1708, was again embarked for service in an efficient state in the course of the same year. The serious loss, which it sustained 98 THE FOURTH LIGHT DRAGOONS. 1842 l>y the surprise at the pass of Melle, in Jul/, 1746, was followed by such active measures for recruit- ing and remounting the regiment, that it em- barked for Holland in February, 1747, in a high state of discipline and efficiency. Its brilliant career under Field Marshal the Duke of Wel- lington, in the Peninsular war, and particularly its gallant conduct at the battle of Salamanca, reflect the highest credit on the corps; its subsequent services in India for a period of twenty years, to which the Governor-General bore the most honourable testimony, added to its previously acquired fame; and the uniform good conduct of the regiment on all services on which it has been employed, as detailed in the foregoing pages, has occasioned it to stand deservedly high in the esti- mation of its Sovereign, and of the Country. _ 1843. \ oJ t • HkiUpUA.^'N 5, h It I- ;s it it t Y f 1 B iMilvtM. jmUmftmJUbvU i-'oinBTH.QiTiEjBrrs ij)rrr.MGfflT ]ii)mAr4>oifs. torn CAHHOHt ttlinANT mcoNU 'VW^. ';*a :■; \ ■ n *. Thi fror fath Chi Fall royi Cha also sen Cha draj cole mei tere com j. \% Life ; ■ \,l. =i SUCCESSION OF COLONELS ov THE FOURTH, OR THE QUEEN'S OWN LIGHT DRAGOONS. The Honorable John Berkeley. Appointed 17 th July, 1685. The Honorable John Berkeley was a descendant from the Barons Berkeley, of Berkeley Castle, and his father. Sir Charles Berkeley, with his elder brother, Charles, afterwards Viscount Fitzhardinge and Earl of Falmouth, were conspicuous for their devotion to the royal cause during the troubles in the reigns of King Charles L and Charles II*. John Berkeley was also distinguished for devotion to his sovereign; he served a short time in the life guards in the reign of Charles IL, and in July, 1685, he raised a troop of dragoons for the service of James II., and was appointed colonel of the Princess Anne's, now Fourth, regi- ment of dragoons. Adhering to the Protestant in- terest, at the Revolution in 1688, he was deprived of his commission, but was restored by the Prince of Orange * Vide page 254, wcond edition, Hiitorieal Record o/ the Life Guardt. 100 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. on the 31st of December of the same year. On the decease of his brother, in 1690, he succeeded to the dignity of Viscount Fitzhardinge. Having re- ceived an appointment at court, he retired from the army in 1693. He was many years treasurer of the chamber, also one of the tellers of the exchequer, which he held until his decease on the 19th of De- cember, 1712. \ Thomas Maxwell. Appointed 28th November, 1688. This officer served on the continent, in the Dutch war in the reign of Charles II., and in the summer 1685 he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Princess Anne*s, now Fourth, dragoons. He was so far devoted to the interest of King James II., that he was entrusted with the colonelcy of the regiment on the removal of Colonel Berkeley in November, 1688. Refusing to take the oath required, he was removed by the Prince of Orange, and was not afterwards employed in a military capacity under the British crown. The Honorable John Berkeley, afterwards Viscount Fitzhardinge. Re-appointed Slst December, 1688. Algernon, Earl of Essex. Appointed \st September, 1693. The Earl op Essex was gentleman of the bed- chamber to King William III., and attending his Majesty in the campaigns in Flanders, served at the battle of Landen in 1693, where he evinced great SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 101 personal bravery, and was rewarded with the colonelcy of the Fourth dragoons in September following. In the reign of Queen Anne his lordship was constable of the Tower of London. In 1 706, he was appointed second in command of the expedition designed to make a descent on the French coast, under the Earl of Rivers, on a plan suggested by the Marquis of Guis- card J when contrary winds had occasioned the failure of this enterprise, he proceeded with the troops to Spain, and having united them to the army under the Earl of Galway, afterwards returned to England. He died on the 10th of January, 1710. Sir Richard Temple. Appointed 24th April, I71O. Sir Richard Temple served under King William in the Netherlands ; and, on the breaking out of the war of the Spanish succession, he was promoted to the colonelcy of a newly-raised regiment of foot, which was disbanded at the peace of Utrecht. He served under the great Duke of Marlborough, and was conspicuous for a noble bearing, and a contempt of danger, which he exhibited in a signal manner at the sieges of Yenloo and Ruremonde, at the battle of Oudenarde, and at the siege of the important fortress of Lisle. In January, 1709, he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and his conduct at the siege of Tournay, the sanguinary battle of Malplaquet, and siege of Mons, was rewarded, in the following year, with the rank of lieutenant- general and the colonelcy of the Fourth dragoons. In 1711 he had the honour of taking part in the forcing of the French lines at Arleux, and in the capture of the strong fortress of Bouchain. After the change in the 102 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. r ministry, and the adoption of a new system of policy by the court, the well-known attachment of this officer to the Protestant succession occasioned him to be removed from his regiment; but on the accession of King George I., he was elevated to the peerage by the title of Baron -of CoBHAM, and in 1715 he was appointed colonel of the royal dragoons. In 1717> he was appointed governor of Windsor Castle j in 1718 he was advanced to the dignity of Viscount Cobham; and in 1719 he commanded an expedition against the coast of Spain, and after capturing Vigo, Rondendella, and Pont-a-Vedra, returned to England with a quantity of stores, which had been prepared for the use of the Pre- tender. In 1721 he was removed to the King's horse, now first dragoon guards. He was also one of the privy council, and governor of the island of Jersey; but resigned his appointments in 17>33. On the change of the ministry, in 1742, he was promoted to the rank of field-marshal, and in December of the same year King George II. conferred upon him the colonelcy of the first troop of horse grenadier guards. In 1 744 he was removed to the sixth horse, now the fifth dragoon guards, and in 1745, to the tenth dragoons, the colonelcy of which corps he retained until his decease in 1749. William Evans. Appointed \1tk October ^ 1713. William Evans served in the wars of King William III., and at the commencement of hostilities in the reign of Queen Anne he was commissioned to raise a regiment of foot, with which he proceeded to the Netherlands in 1704, and served under the celebrated John, Duke of Marlborough. He sig- SUCCESSION OP COLONELS. 103 nalized himself on numerous occasions during the campaigns from 1705 to 1712; was appointed briga- dier-general in 1707} and major-general in 171O; and commanded a brigade of infantry three years, with credit to himself and advantage to the service. At the peace of Utrecht his regiment was disbanded, and he was appointed colonel of the Fourth dragoons. He served in Scotland under the Duke of Argyle in 1715 and 17I6; and charging at the head of the cavalry at the battle of Dunblain, had his horse killed under him, and was severely wounded in the head by an high- lander. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of lieut.-general, and eventually to that of general, and was removed to the third horse, now second dragoon guards, in 1733. He held also the appointments of governor of Chelsea hospital, and surveyor of the melt- ings and clerk of the irons in the mint. His decease occurred on the 29th of January, 1 740. Sir Robert Rich, Baronet. Appointed l^th May, 1735. Sir Robert Rich descended from John Le Rich, who flourished in Hampshire about the time of Edward II. He entered the army in 170O, and gave such signal proofs of his courage and skill in the wars in the reign of Queen Anne, that, on the 24th of October, 1709, he was advanced to the command of a regiment of foot. At the peace of Utrecht his regiment was dis- banded, and he remained for some time unemployed ; but being distinguished for his loyalty and steady attachment to tlie Protestant succession, he was com- missioned to raise in the summer of 1715 a regiment of 104 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. dragoons^ which was instrumental in suppressing the rebellion which broke out that year; but in 1718 it was disbanded. The services ot Sir Robert Rich were, however, not forgotten; he was appoiutcfl one of the grooms of the bedchamber to the Prince of Wales (afterwards George II.); and on the 19tli of November, 1722, King George I. appointed him colonel of tlie thirteenth dragoons ; from which he was removed, in Set ternltcr, 1725, to the eighth dragoons; and on the lat of t/ uiuary, 1731, to the seventh horse, now sixth drts^oon guards. He was again removed in 1733 to thf, first troop of horse grenadier guards ; and in 1735 to the Fourth dragoons. He was a member of par- liament, and governor of Chelsea hospital. He died in 1768. . "'<« The Honorable Henry Seymour Conway. Appointed ^rd February^ 1768. The Honorable Henry Seymour Conway, second son of Lord Conway, and brother of Francis, Earl of Hertford, was appointed lieutenant in the first foot guards in 1737} captain and lieutenant-colonel in 1741, and in 1746 he was appointed aide-de-camp to the Duke of Cumberland, and promoted to the colonelcy of the fifty-ninth (now forty-eighth) foot. He was re- moved to the thirty-fourth foot in 1 749, to the thir- teenth dragoons in 1751, and to the fourth horse in 1754. In 1756 he was promoted to the rank of major- general, and in 1759 to that of lieutenant-general: he was removed to the royal dragoons in the same year. He commanded a division of the allied army in Ger- many, under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, in 1761; SUCCESSION OP COLONELS. lii^i and the British forces in Germany were placed under his orders during the absence of the Marquis of Granby. He was also one of the grooms of the bedchamber to his Majesty, and a member of parliament ; and having voted against ministers on the great question of mili- . tary warrants, in 1764, he resigned his court appoint- ment military commands; but in 1768 he was appointed ilonel of the Fourth dragoons. In 1770 he was remo ed to the royal regiment of horse guards; in 177'^ he w- promoted to the rank of general; in 1782 he vas appointed oommander-in-chief of the army; an in 1793, he was promoted to the rank of field-marsl. I V died in 1795; at which period he was eldest general >fB< , and first field-marshal in the army. ■ BXJAMiN Carpenter. , . iinred 2Ath October^ 1770. Benjamin Carpenter, son of Colonel Carpenter, who was killed ihe head of the third foot guards at the battle of F< tenoy, in 1 745, was many years an ofiicer of the set >d troop, now second regiment, of life guards, in which )rps he rose to the rank of lieut.- colonel, and in Ncrrember, 1760, he was promoted to the rank of colonel, nnd appointed aide-de-camp to the King. He was promuted to the rank of major-general in 1762 ; and obtained the colonelcy of the twelfth dragoons in 1764, from which he was removed to the Fourth dragoons in 1770. He was a great favourite with King George III., who appointed him principal equerry in the royal establishment, and clerk marshal of the mews; and promoted him to the rank of lieut.- generalin 1772, and to that of general in 1783. In the seventy-fifth year of his age he became so depressed A 106 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. in spirits, that his medical attendant directed his ser- vants to watch his motions narrowly; but he eluded their vigilance, and proceeding to Hyde Park, about five o'clock on the morning of the 8th of March, 1 788, drowned himself in the Serpentine river. *•) John Lord Howard de Walden, K.B. Appointed 9th March, \*J^S. . John-Griffin Griffin served many years in the third foot guards, in which corps he rose to the rank of major ; he was also colonel in the army, and aide-de- camp to King George II., and in 1759 he was appointed colonel of the fiftieth foot; in 1760 he was removed to the thirty-third. He served during the seven years' war, in the capacity of brigadier-general, and afterwards as major-general; and in 1761 he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general, and created a knight of the most honorable order of the Bath. In 1766 he was removed to the first troop of hor^e grenadier guards; and in 1778 he was promoted to the rank of general. In 1784 His Majesty confirmed to General Griffin the vacant barony of Lord Howard de Walden; and in 1788, when the horse grenadier guards were ordered to be incorporated in the new regiments of life guards. His Majesty appointed his Lordship to the colonelcy of the Fourth dragoons. Lord Howard was promoted to the rank of field-marshal in 1796. He died in 1797* Sir Robert Sloper, K.B., Appointed \st June^ 1797. This officer served many years in the tenth dra- goons, in which corps he rose to the rank of major in SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 107 December, 1755 ; and in 1759 he was promoted to the lieut.-colonelcy of the first dragoon guards, which corps he commanded in Germany in the seven years' war, and acquired the reputation of a good cavalry officer. The high state of discipline and efficiency in which he pre- served his regiment on home service, procured him the approbation of King George III.: he was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1772; to that of major-general in I777j and to the colonelcy of the fourteenth dragoons in 177B. He was advanced to the rank of lieut.-genend in 1782; to that of general in 1796, and was removed to the Fourth dragoons in 1797: he was also governor of Duncannon fort. He died in August, 1802. Guy Lord Dorchester, K.B. Appointed 14th August ^ 1802. Guy Carleton entered the army at an early age, and served many years in the first foot guards, in which corps he was promoted to captain and lieut.- colonel in 1757; and he served in Germany, as aide- de-camp to His Royal Highness the Duke of Cum- berland, in the same year. In 1758 he obtained the lieut.-colonelcy of the seventy-second foot ; he was also promoted to the rank of colonel, and appointed quarter- master-general in America, where he served under the celebrated Major-general Wolfe, and was wounded at the battle of Quebec on the 13th of September, 1759. He also served under General Sir Jefirey Amherst, who accomplished the capture of Canada in September, 1 760. In 1 761 he commanded a brigade under General Hodgson, at the capture of Belle-Isle, where he was wounded; and in 1762 he gained great honour, at the head of the grenadiers and light infantry, at tlie reduc- II 2 108 SUCCESSION OP COLONEt.8. tion of the Havannah, where he was wounded in re- pulsing a sortie of the Spaniards on the 22nd of July. He was promoted to the rank of hrigadier-general in America in 1762; at the peace in 1763 his regiment was disbanded. Canada having been ceded to Great Britain by the treaty of 1763, he was rewarded with the appointment of lieut.-govemor of Quebec, and in 1772 he was appointed colonel of the forty-seventh foot, and promoted to the rank of major-general. While he was residing in Lower Canada, in the charge of that important province, the American war broke out, in 1775) and the United States sent a body of troops, under Colonel Montgomery, to invade Canada; when Major-general Carleton, having very few troops to oppose to the enemy, was forced to evacuate Mon- treal, and retire to Quebec. The American Congress sent a division under Colonel Arnold, to surprise Que- bec; but this enterprise failed through the activity and vigilance of Major-general Carleton, who defended that fortress against the united American forces, and repulsed an assault made on the works, during a snow storm, in the depth of winter, on which occasion Colonel Mont- gomery was killed. The siege was afterwards turned into a blockade; but on the arrival of succours from England, in May, 1776, the Americans made a precipi- tate retreat. Major-general Carleton, having a suffi- cient force to enable him to take the field, soon drove the enemy out of Canada. He was nominated a Knight of the Bath, in reward for his distinguished services, and in the following year he was promoted to the rank of general in America. On the appointment of Lieut.- general Burgoyne, to command an expedition from Canada, against the United States, General Carleton SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 109 resigned the governmenfc of Canada, and returned to England. He continued to possess the confidence of his sovereign, who appointed him commander-in-chief in America in 1781, and he retained that appointment during the remainder of the American war. In 1786 he was advanced to the peerage with the title of Lord Dorchester; in 1790 he was appointed colonel of the fifteenth light dragoons; and was promoted to the rank of general in 1793. His Lordship was also go- vernor of Charlemont. On the decease of General Sir Robert Sloper, K.B., in 1802, King George III. nomi- nated Lord Dorchester to the colonelcy of the Queen's Own regiment of light dragoons, which he retained until his decease, in November, 1808. Francis Hioonin, Appointed 9th November, 1808. Francis Hugonin entered the Fourth dragoons as cornet in 1768; was appointed lieutenant in the same corps in I77lj captain in 1775, major in 1787» and lieutenant-colonel on the 24th of February, 1794. His exemplary attention to all the duties of commanding officer, and the state of discipline and efficiency in which he preserved the regiment, pro- cured him the special approbation of King George III., and of His Royal Highness the Duke of York. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1797> and to that of major-general in 1803; he served several years on the staff of the southern district. In 1808 His Majesty rewarded him with the colonelcy of the Queen's Own light dragoons; in 1810 he was pro- moted to the rank of lieut.-general, and to that of general in 1821. He died in 183G. , H 3 r ■ 110 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset, G.C.B ^ Appointed Blst Marchy 1836. Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset, fourth son of Henry fifth Duke of Beaufort, having adopted the profession of arms, was appointed to a cornetcy in the tenth regiment of light dragoons, (of which His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, after- wards King George IV., was then commandant,) on the 4th of February, 1793, at the commencement of the struggle between Great Britain and the revolutionists of France, which terminated in the year 1815 in the triumph of the British arms. The progress of that eventful contest afforded his Lordship frequent oppor- tunities for the display of professional ability and soundness of patriotic feeling. In December, 1793, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and to that of captain in August, 1794, during which period his regiment was employed on the royal escort duty. In 1798 he held the appointment of aide-de-camp to Lieutenant-general Rooke, who then commanded the Severn District, and was stationed at Bristol. In 1799 he relinquished the comparative ease of home service, for the more arduous duties of the field. In his capacity of aide-de-camp to His Royal Highness the Duke of York, in the expedition to Holland, Lord Edward Somerset's exertions afforded additional evi- dence of his zeal and activity, particularly in the action at Bergen-op-Zoom on the 19th of September, at £gmont-op-Zee on the 2nd of October, and in the subsequent operations of the army then employed in the United Provinces. Returning to England, after SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. Ill v. in Iter the close of this campaign, he obtained his majority in the twelfth light dragoons, and he was serving with that regiment in Portugal, when he was removed to the twenty-eighth light dragoons in November, 1800. On the 25th of December, 1800, he succeeded to the lieut.-colonelcy of the fifth foot, from which he was transferred, on the 25 th September, 1801, to the Fourth dragoons, which regiment he commanded for many years with credit to himself, and advantage to the service. Lord Edward Somerset accompanied the eight troops of the Queen's Own dragoons, consisting of seven hundred men, which embarked for Portugal in 1809. His active services in the field during the Peninsular war added to his well-deserved reputation, and led to the acquisition of various honorary dis- tinctions. In July, 1810, he acquired the rank of colonel, and was appointed one of the aides-de-camp to the King. His distinguished services at Usagre on the 25th May, 1811, for which he was thanked in Major- General the Honorable William Lumley's despatch, and his intrepidity at the brilliant charge of the heavy cavalry at Salamanca, where he captured several pieces of cannon, are blended with the military annals of the Peninsula. He continued in the command of the Fourth dragoons in Spain, until his promotion to the rank of major-general, in June, 1813, when he was placed at the head of the hussar brigade, which he commanded with distinction upon various occasions in the Pyrenees J and in numerous actions and skirmishes in the south of France, particularly at the battle of Orthes, until the overthrow of Napoleon, and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty. 113 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. In the spring of 1815, when Napoleon violated the treaty of the preceding year, and regained temporary possession of the throne of France, Lord Edward Somerset was placed on the staff of the army in Flanders, and was appointed to the command of the first brigade of cavalry, which consisted of the two regiments of life guards, the blues, and the King's dragoon guards. The achieven^ents of this brigade at Waterloo are too well known to require any comment beyond the testimony borne to its bravery in the Duke of Wellington's public despatches. Suffice it to say, that Lord Edward's heroism at the charge on the French cuirassiers, his courage during the hard-contested sword-fight which ensued, and his calm yet determined conduct during the three days' arduous struggle, — excited the admiration of all who had the opportunity of witnessing the glories of that eventful period. His lordship's services were continued on the staff of the army of occupation in France until its return to Eng- land in 1818. On the 15th of January, 1818, Lord Edvtard So- merset was appointed to the colonelcy of the twenty- first light dragoons, from which he was removed to the seventeenth lancers on the 9th of September, 1822 : after the occupation of France by the allied armies had terminated in 1818, he was appointed by His Majesty to the staff of Great Britain as inspecting general of cavalry, which appointment he held until his promo- tion to the rank of lieutenant-general in May, 1825. In November, 1829, he was transferred to the royal dragoons, and in 1836 to his old regiment, the Fourth light dragoons. He succeeded to the rank of general on the 23rd November, 1841. SUCCESSION OF OOLONBLS. lis During the years 1829 and 1830 his Lordship V.eld the appointment of Lieutenant-general of the Ordnance, and for a short time in 1835 that of Surveyor-general of the same department. Lord Edward Somerset wore a cross and clasp, commemorative of his bravery as commanding officer of the Fourth light dragoons at Talavera and Salamanca, and of his services as major-general at Vittoria, Orthes, and Toulouse; and a medal for the battle of Waterloo. His Lordship was created a Knight Commander of the Bath in 1815, and in October, 1834, he was advanced to the first class of that Order. His foreign decorations embraced the Knighthood of Maria Theresa of Austria ; of the Tower and Sword of Por- tugal; and of St. Wladimir of Russia. His Lordship represented the county of Gloucester in Parliament for a period of nearly twenty-eight years, having previously been member for the town of Mon- mouth. ' His decease occurred on the 1st of September, 1842. The many estimable qualities of this lamented nobleman will be long held in affectionate remembrance by his companions in arms, and by his numerous sur- viving relatives and friends. Strict in the performance of his public duties, and exemplary in the exercise of private virtue, he has bequeathed to his posterity an unsullied name, and the reputation of a distinguished and talented officer, and an honourable man. 114 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. Sir James Charles Dalbiac^ K.C.B. Appointed 24th September, 1842. Sir Charles Dalbiac has to bless the tyranny of Louis XIV. that made him an Englishman. He is descended from an ancient family in France, which in former times held high distinction and considerable possessions in that coimtry. But in nothing was the family so distinguished as by its devoted and uncom- promising adherence to the Protestant faith during cen- turies of persecution, till driven, for conscience sake, to abandon all the considerations of fortune, and kindred, and country. In the massacre of St. Bartholomew (24th August, 1572) four out of seven brothers of the name, who were then residing in Paris, fell under the knife of the assassin; the other three escaped and fled into Languedoc, where they and their descendants were suflFered to remain in comparative security till the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 1685, when some of the descendants of those branches of the family, amongst whom the grandfather of Sir Charles (then a boy) was one, took refuge in England. And it is a circumstance extremely worthy of remark, that among the numerous French Protestants of distinction who sought protection in Great Britain, at that period of invet'^rate persecution, there was scarcely one whom God did not prosper. Sir Charles Dalbiac never served in any other corps as a regimental officer than in the Fourth dragoons. He entered the regiment as cornet 4th July, 1793; was promoted to lieutenant 24th February, 1 794 ; to cap- tain, 11th October, 1798; to major, 15th October, 1801; to lieutenant-colonel, 25 th April, 1808; to SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 115 colonel, 4th -Tur.e, 1814. He served as second lieute- nant-colonel of the regiment in the Peninsula under the Duke of Wellington from 1809 to 1813, and was engaged in the battles of Talavera and Salamanca, and in the cavalry affairs at Campo Mayor, Los Santos, and Llerena. On 31st December, 1821, he embarked with his regiment for Bombay, where he was appointed to the command of the northern districts of Guzerat, and inspecting officer of the horse artillery and cavalry of the Bombay army. He was promoted to major-general 27th May, 1825, and returned to England. In August, 1828, he was appointed to the staff of Ireland, and to the command in Dublin; removed in August, 1830, and appointed inspecting-general of cavalry in Great Britain, which he held till promoted to lieutenant-general, 28th June, 1838; he was then appointed president of the Acting Committee of the Consolidated Board of General Officers. On the 1st January, 1839, he was appointed colonel of the third regiment of dragoon -guards ; and upon the death of General Lord Edward Somerset, in September, 1842, Her Majesty Queen Victoria was most graciously pleased to transfer him from the third dragoon-guards to the colonelcy of the Fourth, or Queen's Own regiment of light dragoons, in which corps he had discharged the duties of regimental officer during thirty-two years, for nearly one-half of which period he had held the personal command. 1843. )/ :„,Aj.t? 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