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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 6 6 c*- r ( \ •C c y/. mS tr one JOi mE C OB!0 il ^ f"o////j/vs///o' //w ) ( c W' ■ / y ) Cry/ 9 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE BRITISH ARMY. PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL. THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS; Or, QUEEN'S BAYS. LONOON: Plillti'll hy Wll.MAM CrOWKS Illlll SoNlJ, 14, (,'tiaring CJioss. GENERAL ORDERS. HORSE-GUARDS, \st January, 1836. His Majesty has been pleased to command, that, with a view of doing the fullest justice to Regi- ments, as well as to Individuals who have distin- guished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regi- ment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant- General ; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars, viz., The Period and Circumstances of the Ori- ginal Formation of the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other MiVitary 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 ihe Enemy. The Names of the Officers and the number of Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, Killed or Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the Place and Date of the Action. a 2 GENERAL ORDERS. The Names of those Officers, who, in con- sideration of their Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour. The Names of all such Officers, Non-Com- missioned Officers and Privates as may have specially signalized themselves in Action. And, The Badsfes and Devices which the Resfiment may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted. By Command of the Right Honourable GENERAL LORD HILL, Commanding-in- Chief. John Macdonald, Adjutant-General. PREFACE. 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, announced in the ' London Gazette,' from whence they are transferred into the public prints : the achievements of our armies are thus made known at the time of their occurrence, and receive the tribute of praise and admiration to which they are entitled. On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have been in the habit of conferring on the Commanders, and the PUKl'ACE. Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery, and these testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's Approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most highly prizes. It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their services and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been experienced in obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments, an authentic account of their origin and subsequent services. This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His Majesty having been pleased to command, that every Regiment shall in future keep a full and ample record of its services at home and abroad. From the materials thus collected, the country will hence- forth derive information as to the difficulties and privations which chequer the career of those who embrace the military profession. In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, been undisturbed by the presence of war, which few other countries have escaped, comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active service, and of the casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or no interval of repose. In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the PIlFFACi:, country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agri- culturist and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor, — on their sufferings, — and on the sacrifice of valu- able life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved. The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endur- ance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying diffi- culties ; and their character has been established in Continental warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they have effected debarkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the gallantry and steadiness with which they have main- tained their advantages against superior numbers. In the official Reports made by the respective Commanders, ample justice has generally been done to the gallant exertions of the Corps employed ; but the details of their services, and of acts of individual bravery, can only be fully given in the Annals of the various Regiments. These Records are now preparing for publication, under His Majesty's special authority, by Mr. Richard Cannon, Principal Clerk of the Adjutant-General's Office ; and while the perusal of them cannot fail to be useful and interesting to military men of every rank, it is considered that they will also afford entertainment and information to the general reader, particularly to those who may have served in the Army, or who have relatives in the Service. There exists in the breasts of most of those who have served, or are serving, in the Army, an Esprit du Corps— an attach- PliEFACK. ment to every thing belonging to their Regiment ; to such persons a narrative of the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions of the great, — the valiant, — the loyal, have always been of paramount interest with a brave and civilized people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes who, in moments of danger and terror, have stood, " firm as the rocks of theit native shore;" and when half the World has been arrayed against them, they have fought the battles of their Country with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in war, — victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen, — our brothers — our fellow-citizens in arms, — a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us, will certainly prove acceptable to the public. Biographical memoirs of the Colonels and other distinguished Officers, will be introduced in the Records of their respective Regiments, and the Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testifying the value and importance of its services, will be faithfully set forth. As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each Regiment will be printed in a distinct number, so that when the whole shall be completed, the I'arls may be bound n[) in nunuM-ical succession. INTRODUCTION, The ancient Annies of England were composed of Horse and Foot ; but the feudal troops esta- blished by William the Conqueror in 1086, con- sisted almost entirely of Horse. Under the feudal system, every holder of Lmd amounting to what was termed a '* knight's fee," was required to provide a charger, a coat of mail, a helmet, a shield, and a lance, and to serve the Crown a period of forty days in each year at his own expense ; and the great landholders had to pro- vide armed men in proportion to the extent vf their estates ; consequently the ranks of the feudal Cavalry were completed with men of property and the vassals and tenants of the great barons, who led their dependents to the field in person. In the succeeding reigns the Cavalry of the Army was composed of Knights (or men at arms) and Hobiliers, (or horsemen of inferior degree) ; and the Infantry of spear and battle-axe men, cross-bowmen, and archers. The Knights wore armour on every part of the body, and their weapons were a lance, a sword, and a small dagger. The Hobiliers were accoutred and armed I 11 INTRODUCTION. for the light and less important services of war, and were not considered qualified for a charge in line. Mounted Archers* were also introduced, and the English nation eventually became pre- eminent in the use of the bow. About the time of Queen Mary the appellation of " Men at Armti' was changed to that of " S'pears and Launces.'"' The introduction of fire-arms ulti- mately occasioned the lance to fall into disuse, and the title of the Horsemen of the first degree was changed to " Ctiirassien,.'' The Cuirassiers were armed cap a pie, and their weapons were a sword with a straight narrow blade and sharp point, and a pair of large pistols, called petrenels ; and the Hobiliers carried carbines. The Infantry carried pikes, matchlocks, and swords. The introduction of fire-arms occasioned the fornui- tion of regiments armed and equipped as infantry, but mounted on small horses for the sake of expedition of movement, and tliese were styled *' DrafTouna ;" a small portion of the military force of the kingdom, however, consisted of this description of troops. The formation of the ])resent Army commenced * In the 14lh yi>ur of the reign of Edward IV. u small force was established in Ireland by I'arliami'nt, consisting of 1:^0 ArcluMson horseback, 40 Horsemen, and 40 Pages. r INTRODUCTION. HI Is r the Restoration in 1660, with the establish- ment of regular corps of Horse and Foot; the Horsemen were cuirassiers, but only wore armour on the head and body ; and the Foot were pike- men and musqueteers. The arms which each description of force carried, are described in the following extract from the •' Regulations of King Charles H.," dated 5th May, 1663:— " Each Horseman to have for his defensive " armes, back, breast, and pot ; and for his offen- " sive armes, a sword, and a case of pistolls, the " barrels whereof are not to be und'. foorteen ** inches in length; and each Trooper of Our '* Guards to have a carbine, besides the aforesaid " armes. And the Foote to have each souldier a *' sword, and each pikeman a pike of 16 foote " long and not und'. ; and each musqueteer a " musquet, with a collar of bandahers, the barrels " of which musquet to be about foor foote long, " and to conteine a bullet, foorteen of which shall " weigh a pound weight *." The ranks of the Troops of Horse were at this period composed of men of some property — gene- rally the sons of substantial yeomen : the young nu;n received as recruits provifhid their own horses, Military Papi is, State Paper Oflice. b2 (! , I IV INTRODUCTION. and they were placed on a rate of pay sufficient to give them a respectable station in society. On the breaking out of the war Avith Holland, in the spring of 1672, a Regiment of Dragoons was raised*; the Dragoons were placed on a lower rate of pay than the Horse; and the Regiment was armed similar to the Infantry, excepting that a limited number of the men carried halberds instead of pikes, and the others muskets and bay- onets ; and a few men in each Troop had pistols ; as appears by a warrant dated the 2nd of April, 1672, of which the following is an extract : — " Charles R. " Our will and pleasure is, that a Regi- " ment of Dragoones which we have established *' and ordered to be raised, in twelve Troopes of " fourscore in each beside officers, who are to be " under the command of Our most deare and most " intirely beloved Cousin Prince Rupert, shall " be armed out of Our stoares remaining within " Our office of the Ordinance, as followeth ; that '• is to say, three corporalls, two Serjeants, the " gentlemen at amies, and twelve souldiers of " each of the said twelve Troopes, are to have and " carry each of them one halbard, and one case * ' riiis Rt'<;icneiit was disbanded after the Peace in l()74. i INTRODUCTION. V •' of pistolls with holsters; and the rest of the " soukliers of the several Troopes aforesaid, are " to have and to carry each of them one nuitch- " locke niusquet, with a collar of bandaliers, and " also to have and to carry one bayonet *, or great " knife. That each lieutenant have and carry " one partizan ; and that two drums be delivered '* out for each Troope of the said Regiment f." Several regiments of Horse and Dragoons were raised in the first year of the reign of King James II. ; and the horsemen carried a short car- bine ^ in addition to the sword and pair of pistols ; and in a Regulation d;ited the 21st of February, 1087, the arms of the Dragoons at that period are commanded to be as follows : — " The Dragoons to have snaphanse musquets, '* strapt, with bright barrels of three foote eight " inches long, cartouch-boxes, bayonetts, granado " pouches, bucketts, and hannner-hatchetts." After several years' ex])erience, little advantage was found to accrue from having Cavalry Regi- ments formed almost exclusively for engaging the * This appears to be the first ujtroduction of bayonets into the Kiiglish Army. f State Paper Odice. I The first issue of carbines to the re{>ular Horse appear; to have taken place in 1678; the Life (luanls, however, carried carbines from their formation in 16(50. — Vide the ' Historical Record uf the Life Guards.' ■I M VI INTRODTTCTION. enemy on foot ; and, the Horse having laid aside their armour^ the arms and equipment of Horse and Dragoons were so nearly assimilated, that there remained little distinction hesides the name and rate of pay. The introduction of improve- ments into the mounting, arming, and equipment of Dragoons rendered them competent to the performance of every description of service re- quired of Cavalry ; and, while the long musket and bayonet were retained, to enable them to act as Infantry, if necessary, they were found to be equally efficient, and of equal value to the nation, as Cavalry, with the Regiments of Horse. In the several augmentations made to the regular Army after the early part of the reign of Queen Anne, no new Regiments of Horse were raised for permanent service ; and in 1746 King George II. reduced three of the old Regiments of Horse to the quality and pay of Dragoons ; at the same time. His Majesty gave them the title of First, Second, and Third Regiments of Dragoon Guards: and in 1788 the same alteration Avas made in the remaining four Regiments of Horse, which then became the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Regiments of Dragoon Guards. At present there are only three Regiments A\'hi('h are styled Horse in the British Army, INTRODUCTION. Ml namely, the two Regiments of Life Guards, and the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, to whoni cuirasses have recently been restored. The other Cavalry Regiments consist of Dragoon Guards, Heavy and Light Dragoons, Hussars, and Lancers ; and although the long musket and bayonet have been laid aside by the whole of the Cavalry, and the Regiments are armed and equipped on the principle of the old Horse (excepting the cuirass), they continue to be styled Dragoons. The old Regiments of Horse formed a highly respectable and efficient portion of the Army, and it is found, on perusing the histories of the various campaigns in which they have been en- gaged, that they have, on all occasions, maintained a high character for steadiness and discipline, as well as for bravery in action. They were formerly mounted on horses of superior weight and phy- sical power, and few troops could withstand a well-directed charge of the celebrated Britisli Horse. The records of these corps embrace a period of 150 years — a period eventful in history, and abounding in instances of heroism displayed by the British troops when danger has threatened the nation, — a period in which these Regiments have numbered in their ranks men of loyalty, valour, and good conduct, worthy of imitation. Vlll INTRODUCTION. I ! Since the Regiments of Horse were formed into Dragoon Guards, additional improvements have been introduced into the constitution of the several corps ; and the superior description of horses now bred in the United Kingdom enables the commanding officer to remount their regi- ments with such excellent horses, that, whilst sufficient weight has been retained for a powerful charge in line, a liglitness has been acquired which renders them avaihible for every description of service incident to modern warfare. The orderly conduct of these Regiments in quarters has gained the confidence and esteem of the respectable inhabitants of the various parts of the United Kingdom in which they have been stationed ; their promptitude and ^alacrity in at- tending to the requisitions of the magistrates in periods of excitement, and the temper, patience, and forbearance which they have evinced when subjected to great provocation, insult, and violence from the misguided populace, prove the value of these troops to the Crown, and to the Government of the country, and justify the reliance which is reposed on them. t I HISTORICAL RECORD OK THE SECOND. OK QUEEN'S REGIMENT OK DRAGOON GUARDS: /'( QUEEN'S BAYS) CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OK THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT IN 1685, AND OK ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES TO 1837. ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES. LONDON : PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS 14, CHARING CUOSS. 1837. !i. i > '■ CONTENTS. Aniiii 1685 Monmouth's Rebellion . . . . The Regiment raised .... Equipped as a Corps of Cuirassiers, and obtains rank as Third Ri'giment of Horse Performs King's Duty .... 1686 First Establishment . . . . . Encamps on Hounslow Heath — Reviewed by King James II. Attends the King at Salisbury List of the Officers .... Encamps on Hounslow Heath The Revolution ..... Cuirasses delivered into Store Marches to the North .... Embarks for Ireland Encounters with the Rapparees Siege of Charlemont Battle of the Boyne .... -- — Siege of Limerick .... • Artillery Escort attacked near CuUen Sieges of Cork and Kinsale 1691 Skirmish near Capperquin ■ Macroom Siege of Athlone ..... Battle of Aghrim .... ■ Siege of Limerick .... 1692 Returns to England — Marches to London 1693 Attends the King to Harwich 1694 Reviewed by Khig WiUiam III. . — — Embaiks for Flanders of II uy ..... I'Ui! 1681 1688 1669 1690 Siege 3 4 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 n 18 19 1) 2 w i.^ '", noH IV CONTICMS, Anno 1095 Siege ol Nanuir 1096 Reviewed by King William III. 1697 Skirmish near Promelles Returns to England 1698 Embarks for Ireland 1703 Embarks for Portugal dismounted 1704 Mounted on Portuguese Horses 1705 Siege of Valencia de Alcantara Albuquerque • Skirmish near the Chevora Siege of Badajos Skirmish near the Chevora B roc as Siege of Alcantara — Ciudad Rodrigo Advances to Madrid Retreats to Valencia Battle of Almanza Siege of Balaguer, and Ca])ture of Agcr Skirmish near Bulaguer Battle of Almanara Saragossa Advances to Madrid Retreats towards Catalonia Surprised at Brihuega — Surrenders Exchanged- -Returns to England Proceeds to Ireland Returns to England Rebellion of the Earl of Mar Affair at Preston Obtains the title of The Princess of Wales Own Royal, Regiment of Horse Performs King's Duty Reviewed by the Prince of W ' s Attends Khig George I. to Li'ird'jc Encamps on Salisbury Pla .--)'■. vie ved by the King Title changed to The Queen's Oicn Roya Refjiment of Horse Pel invms the travelling Escort duty — Rcviewe( l)y King George II. 1707 1709 1710 1711 1712 1715 1716 1720 1722 1727 2t) 21 22 23 26 28 29 31 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 47 ^f ' l! Put!.' 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 ^m 29 31 1 HGl 32 ^HH 33 35 ■ rm 36 37 I '^''" 38 39 ' ''" 40 ^ 1765 '' B n^ 44 : 45 1 ii 46 47 CONTIiNTS. A II III) 1730 Perfornit he travcUintt Escort duty Reviewed by Kint^ George II. 1737 Performs the travelling Escort duty 1740 Ditto ditto and Encamps in Windsor Forest .... 1742 Ditto ditto 1745 Rebellion in favour of the Pretender Skirmish on Cliftua Moor . Siege of Carlisle ..... 1 746 The Establishment changed to Dratioons, and the title to Srco/id, or Queen's Rc(}irnvnt of Dragoon Oiiards 175 i Marches to Scotland . . . . 1755 A Light Troop added 1758 Returns to England .... 1 760 Embarks for Germany Skirmish near Corbach .... Battle of Warbourg .... Battle of Kireh-Denkern Skirmishes at Cajjelnhagen, Einibeck, and Poor wohle ..... Battle of Groebenstien .... Siege of Cassel .... Returns to England .... The Light Trooj) disbanded . Alteration in the Uniform — Remounted with Long-tailed horses Reviewed by King George III. Escorts the Queen of Denmark to Harwich Drummers replaced by Trumpeters Mounted on Bay-Horst's Proceeds to Scotland Returns to England — Riots in Liincashirc Reviewed by King Gei)rge III. 1774 Proceeds to Scotland .... 1775 Returns to England 1776 Reviewed by King George III. 1778 Encamps on Salisbury Plain 1179 Men transferred to 19th Light Dragoons Encamps on Salisbury Plain 1"m2 Proceeds to Scotland .... 47 48 i» 52 56 51 58 60 61 62 6;^ 04 64 65 66 I VI CONTENTS. A II IK > 1783 Returns to Eiighiiid 1784 The Facings changed from Buft" to Black 1786 Reviewed by King George III. . 1789 Proceeds to Scotland 1790 Returns to England 1 793 Augmented to Nine Troops Two Squadrons embark for Flanders Sieges of Valenciennes and Dunkirk Skirmish at Lezennes 1794 Action near the village of Vaux Siege of Landrt'cies — Action near Cateau Battle of Tournay .... — — Retreats through Holland to Germany 1 795 Embarks for England 1796 Reviewed by King George III. . 1798 Muskets exchanged for Carbines, &c. Encamps near Windsor 1799 Reviewed by the King — Encamj)s near Windsor Augmented to ten Troops — To be momited on Nag-tai!ed Horses . . . . 1802 Reduced to eight Troops — Proceeds to Scotland 1803 Embarks for Ireland — Riots at Dublin 1804 Encamps on the Curragh of Kildare 1805 Ditto ditto Embarks for England 1806 Augmented to ten Troops J 808 The Men's hair ordered to be cut short 1809 Expedition to Flushing 1810 Riots in London ..... 1811 Reviewed by the Prince of Wales Alteration in the Uniform 1812 Riots in Yorkshire, Luncat>hire, &c. 1814 Attends the Embarkation of Louis XVIII. ut Dover ...... Reviewed in Hyde Park by the Prince Regent, the Emperor of Russia, Kingoi Prussia, &c. Proceeds to Scotland — Reduced to eighlTroops 1815 Augmented to ten Troops --Marches to Eng- land Six Trt/ops embiirk for Flanders Marclics to Paris — Reviewed by the iOmperor of Aufltria, Emperor of Uus^ia, King of Prussia, &(-. .... t'af;.. 66 67 68 69 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 }<() { i: CONTENTS. Vll (57 68 69 71 73 75 76 77 78 7!) Aniiu 1816 Forms part ofthe Army of Occupation in France Reduced to Eight Troops 1818 Embarks for England Embarks for Ireland 1821 Embarks for England — Reduced to six Troops 1825 Reviewed by the Duke of York, &c. 1827 Proceeds to Ireland .... 1830 Returns to England 1832 Proceeds to Scotland .... 1833 Returns to England 1835 Embarks for Ireland .... 1837 The Conclusion .... Page 80 81 82 83 84 85 m frnrnn— •li.; Vlll CONTENTS. SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. Anno 1685 Henry Earl of Peterborough, K.G. 1688 Honourable Edward Villiers 1694 Richard Leveson 1699 Daniel Harvey ... ni2 John Bland 1715 Thomas Pitt 1726 John Duke of Argyle, K.T.,K.G. . 1733 William Evans 1740 John Duke of Montague, K.G.,KB. 1749 Sir John Ligonier, K.B. 1753 Honourable William Herbert 1757 Lord George Sackville 1759 Honourable John Waldegravc 1773 George Marquis Townshend 1807 Sir Charles Gregan Craufurd, G.C.B. 1821 William Loftus 1831 Sir James Hay, K.C.H. 1837 Sir Thomas Gage Montresor, K.C.H. Pngp 87 89 90 91 93 95 96 97 98 99 100 III. in '^ .''I! ,iii LIST OF PLATES. The Uniform of 1687 to face page 7. 1760 „ 59. 17'I4 „ 70. 1837 „ 85. # HISTORICAL RECORD 89 90 91 93 95 96 97 98 99 100 J Of THE SECOND, OR QUEEN'S, REGIMENT ov DRAGOON GUARDS. In the month of June, 1685, the tranquillity oflG85 England was suddenly disturbed by the arrival of James, Duke of Monmouth, with a band of armed followers to assert his pretensions to the throne. His jippearance on the western coast produced an electric sensation throughout the kingdom, and the public mind was instantly agitated by various emotions. In the tumult and confusion which followed, the nation evinced its loyalty ; the Par- liament granted the necessary supply, and the nobility, as well as the yeomanry and many of the hardy peasantry, flocking to the King's standard, a numerous army was soon embodied. During the commotion occasioned by this event a Troop of Horse was raised by Sir Michael Wentworth at Wakefield and Pontefract ; another by Sir John Talbot in the vicinity of Hounslow ; a third by John Lloyd, Esq., at Edgeware and its vicinity; and a fourth l)y Lord Aylesbury, in the neigh- bourhood of the metropolis : these four troops were incorporated into a regiment, of which Henry, .second Earl of PETERnoRouoH, was apjjointed ('olonel, by commission dated the 20th of Jime, 1085. These troops were quickly rom- u I'll |; 2 HISTORICAL RECORD OF lG85pletecl to their establishment of 3 corporals, 2 trumpeters, and 60 men each, and in the beginning of July the three troops raised in the south of England marched to join the army; but on the 6th of that month, the rebels were defeated at Sedgemoor, and the capture of the Duke of Mon- mouth followed in a short time ; when one troop of this regiment was ordered to Devizes to take charge of the artillery, and two others to Win- chester to mount guard over the prisoners cap- tured after the engagement. At the same time, the other troop was directed to patrole the roads in small parties, and examine all travellers, that none of the persons concerned in the rebellion might escape detection. Although the kingdom was soon restored to tranquillity, King James II. resolved to retain the Earl of Peterborough's, and many others of the newly-raised regiments, in his service ; and the Colonels were called upon to make a report on the condition of their respective corps.* At the same time two trooj)s were added to the establish- ment ; — the first was raised by the Earl of Peter- borough, and the second by Sir John Egerton ; * ' Whitehall, \Sth July, 1685. * My Lord, ' His Majesty commands mo to signify his pleasure that * you forthwith return an account, in wliat condition the regi- ' laent under your command is at present. How armed, and ' cloathed, and in what readiness for His Majestys service. • I am, &c., 'William Blathwayte. • To Henry, Earl of Peterhorough, ' Colonel of one of His Majesty's ' Regiments of Horse.' IVar-Officc Records. THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 3 M and the number of private men in each troop was 168') reduced to forty. The regiment being completed to its numbers, was clothed, armed, and equipped as a Corps of Cuirassiers. The men were clothed in scarlet, lined with the same colour; they wore hats bound with silver lace and ornamented with ribands ; and large boots which came up to the middle of the thigh. Their cuirasses were pistol- proof, and they were provided with iron head- pieces called pots. Their weapons were a pair of pistols, a carbine, and a sword. And the ranks being completed with the sons of substantial yeomen, these warlike cavaliers were held in high estimation in the kingdom. The regiment thus formed has been continued in the service to the present time ; at its formation it ranked as Third Horse,* and it is now dis- tinguished by the title of The Second, or Queen's, Regiment of Dragoon (Juards. When the men were fully equipped, the regi- ment marched into quarters at Batt'^rsea, Mile- End, Bow, and Stratford ; it occasionally assisted the Life Guards in furnishing travelling escorts for the Royal Family, — also sent detachments to Portsmouth in charge of specie for the pay- ment of the Navy and the workmen in the docks ; and in the autumn it proceeded into quarters in Oxfordshire, where the first inspection of th<» corps was made by l^rigjidier-General Sir John Lanier. f The strength of the regiment, with * The roKiinoiits were not refjuliirly nunihoiod at the time, but were (listinjfuished by tlie name ol" the (Ji)lonel. ■I' Wui-Ollicu Records. n 2 4 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1686 the rates of pay of each rank, and a few other particulars may be seen in the following extract from a warrant under the sign manual, dated 1st January, 1685-6, and preserved in the War- Office ; and a duplicate is preserved amongst the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum. THE EARL OF PETERBOROUGH'S REGIMENT OF HORSE. Field and Staff-Okhcers. Per Diem. Per Annum. The Col'juel, na Colonel £. s, 12 d. £. 219 s. d. Lieutenant-Colonel, as Lieut.-Colonel 8 146 The Major (who has no troop), for him- \ self, horses, and servants ... J I 365 Adjutant 5 91 5 Chaplaine 6 8 121 13 4 Chirurgeon iv' per day, and j horse to) carry his chest, ij' per day ) 6 109 10 A Kettle-Drummer to the Colonel's troop The Colonel's Tuoop. 3 54 15 3 8 1107 3 4 The Colonel, as Captaine, x' per day, and \ ij horses, each ij* per day . . f 14 255 10 Lievt* int vi*, per day and ij horses each ij' 10 182 10 Cornett v', and ij horses each ij 9 164 5 Quarter-Master iv», and j horse ij» . . 6 109 10 Three Corporalls, each at iij' per day 9 164 5 Two Trumpeters, each at ij* viii** per day 5 4 97 6 8 Forty Private Soldiers, at ij' vi'' pir day Five Tkoops more, of the same num-1 bei's, and at the same rates of pay as \ the Colonel's troop ' Total fou this Regiment . . 5 1825 , 7 38 13 4 2798 6 8 f) 8 13,991 13 4 49 8 17,897 3 4 THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 4 4 I) 8 After leaving Oxfordshire in February, 1686, 1686 the regiment was stationed in London, and quar- tered in the vicinity of Holborn and Piccadilly ; from whence it proceeded in the following month to Oxford, Abingdon, and Woodstock. In June it was removed to the vicinity of Hounslow ; on the 22nd of that month it joined the camp on Hounslow Heath, and taking its post on the left of the first brigade of horse, commanded by Bri- gadier-General Sir John Lanier, formed part of the magnificent army which occasioned so much alarm in the kingdom.* The King is stated to have spent much of his time at Hounslow, en- deavouring to bring his fine and gallant army hito a high state of discipline. His Majesty had a marquee and a temporary chapel erected on the Heath, in rear of the left regiment of horse ; and the General Officers had their tents in rear of the King's. The troops were exercised in mock sieges, battles, and all the operations of a cam- paign ; and the splendid spectacles exhibited on the Heath were occasionally witnessed by the Queen, the Princess Anne, and the Ladies of the Court. On the 30th of June, twelve thousand men, with a numerous artillery, performed their various evolutions in presence of the King and Queen, and an immense crowd of spectators ; and their Majesties afterwards dined on the Heath. In July a detachment of the Earl of Peter- borough's Regiment of Horse marched to Liver- * A list of the troops encamped on the Heath, with several curious particulars respecting thera, may be seen in the Antiqua- rian Repertory. ! , 4\ f 1 'WT^ i:;t:!i r ii! [;■■■■ 1/ 6 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1686 pool to convey the monies collected by the offi- cers of excise at that port, from thence to Lon- don. On the 6th of August the regiment left the camp, and returned to its former quarters at Oxford and Woodstock. And on the 16th of that month a squadron marched to Salisbury, to form a guard for the King, when his Majesty visited that city. The following officers were at this period hold- ing commissions in the regiment : — Henry, Earl OF Peterborough . Colonel. Sir John Talbot Lieut.-Colonel. John Chitham Major. John Lloyd Henry O'Conner Sir Michael Wentworth > ' • ^apta"'s. Henry Lawson William Barlow William Scott Ferdinand Kelly Gilbert Talbot Walters Mildmay John Chitham Samuel Yatches Thomas Lloyd Francis Lennard Oratio Walpool Francis Norris William Bell Michael Poulton Chaplain. William Pogston ...••. Adjutant. Lieutenants. Cornets. Thoroughgood Meatys Chirurgeon. 1687 The regiment was again encamped on Houn- slow Heath, in June, 1687; where it continued "I 1 1 ;he offi- to Lon- ent left Tters at 16th of jury, to Majesty )d hold- ■Colonel. ns. \ .11 laiits. n. iin. nt. geon. Houii- ntiiiued :i..- i I. a i i;; M ''"■.'f "I \ '■■ .] Third Morse, IfiS". Constituted Second Dragoon Gimrds, 174(i. '!i ' ; 1 1 I; 1 ; ' i '!■;•■ • ^ THE SECOND DRAGOON OUARD> until the 3rd of August, and afterwards pro- 1G87 ceeded to its former quarters at Oxford and its vicinity. The King being a zealous Roman Catholic, and purposing to make his army subservient to his desijjns aijainst the constitution and established religion of the country, discovered, with manifest chagrin, that a deep-rooted hatred to Popery was cherished in the breasts of most of the officers and soldiers : His Majesty, therefore, resolved to remodel the different regiments, by dismissing from his service men of Protestant principles, and replacing them with Papists. This proceeding met with much opposition ; but the Earl of Peterborough having become recon- ciled to the Church of Rome, a considerable num- ber of changes took place in his reghnent of horse. The Ijieutenant-Colonel, Sir John Talbot, having been promoted to the Colonelcy of the 9th Horse, now 6th Dragoon Guards, Major Chitham was appointed Lieutenant- Colonel, and Captain O'Conner Major. Sir Michael Wentworth was replaced by James Earl of Castlehaven ; Lieu- tenant Scott, by Edmund Riley ; Cornet Yatches, by George Carpenter ; Cornet Lennard, by John Wiltshire; and Cornet Norris, by Count Ercole Antonia Gavemberti. Notwithstanding the changes which took place, the greater part of the regiment appears to have been composed of men of steady principles, and firmly attached to the constitution and established religion of their country. In the middle of July, 1688, the several troops 1688 of the Third Horse marched out of quarters, k M I I IP I 'V, u. If 8 HISTORICAL RECORD OF '1 I ^-^ , W n 'i- n ii. ■:, : ;i- •1 ' 1688 and were again encamped on Hounslovv Heath ;* from whence they proceeded (8th August) to Nortliampton and Wellingborough, and on the 25th of October, to Colchester ; which was the head-quarters of a division of the army commanded by Major-General Sir John Lanier. Three years had scarcely elapsed since the for- mation of the regiment, before it was subjected to a severe test, by its loyalty to its Sovereign and its fidelity to the best interests of the country becom- ing opposed to each other ; and on this trying occasion we find its honour preserved untarnished. The Prince of Orange, in compliance with an in- vitation from many of the English nobility, was preparing a powerful armament for a descent upon England in support of the Protestant Reli- gion, and King James, uncertain where the Prince would land, had his forces kept in constant readi- ness to march at a moment's notice ; at the same * The following curious document received by the Colonel while the Regiment was in quarters, refers to an event which produced much excitement in the Kingdom ; the infant alluded to being afterwards known as the Pretender. ' Whitehall lOih June, 1688. ' My Lord, * It having pleased Almighty God, about ten of the clock ' this morning, to bless His Majesty and His Royal Consort the • Queen with the birth of a son, and His Majesty's kingdoms and • dominions with a Prince, His Majesty has commanded me to ' signify the same to you, that upon notice give of it by you to the ' several troops of the regiment under your command, they may ' join in the public thanksgiving to be observed in these parts on ' the 1st of July next, and give such other demonstrations of their •joy, for so great a blessing, as you shall judge fit on this ' occasion. • I am, &c., William Blathwayte. ' To the Earl of Peterborough, 'Colonel of one of His Ma- ' jesty's Regiments of Horse." War-Office Letter Book. THE SECOND l)KA(U)ON GUARDS. 9 time the establishiiK^nt of the Third Horse was 108S HUi>ineiited to 50 men per troop. In tlie beginning of November the regiment with a number of other corps in which the King phiced tiie greatest conh- dcuce, were stationed in London.* But when information was received tliat the Prince had hmded at Torbay, this regiment was ordered to march to the west. Before leaving London, the men deposited their defensive Armour in the; Tower ; the King, however, gave the officers per- mission to continue to wear their Cuiraancii if they chose to do so.f Tlie regiment left London on the 8th of November, for Marlborough, and suIj- sequently proceeded to Salisbury ; where it was reviewed on the 21st of that month by the King. The fidelity of the army to the national cause was now manifest : the defection of several corps and of many of the principal officers of the King's army ; the retreat of the troops towards the mr opolis ; the flight of the King to France ; and the accession of William and IMary to the throne, are important iit [a -11 * James R. Our will an have to proceed a considerable distance, Avhen they were fre(|uently waylaid by the Kapparees. These were firmed Roman Catholic peasantry : they knew all the l)ye- paths, tracts, bogs, and woods, and, liaving ascer- tained the direction in which the English parties liaf'aiiia/,iiinni.Mil vi' Monmouth ; and liiid liucn a Lioutcnanl ot'thr 14 HISTORICAL RECORD OF •'1 1090 offered some resistance ; but they were soon over- powered and sabred on the spot, together with several sutlers and country-people who were bar- barously murdered by the Irish while taking pro- vision to the camp. The enemy having collected the amnmnition-waggons and guns into a heap, set fire to them, and made a precipitate retreat. Brigadier-Generals Sir John Lanier and Villiers were despatched with detachments of liorse from the camp, to intercept the retreat of General Sars- field, but he escaped by way of Athlone. The sieii;e of Limerick was raised on the 30th of August. Shortly afterwards, the Earl of Mjirl- l)orough arrived from England with 5,000 men, and reduced Cork ; at the same time Jh-i<>'adier- General Villiers, Avith his own regiment of horse and some other forces, invested Kimah, which surrendered on the 15tli of October. The reffi- ment afterwards went into quarters, and during the winter and following spring, detached parties had frequent conflicts Avith the bands of armed Roman Catholic peasantry. IGOl Li the early part of March, IGOl, a detachment of the regiment commanded by Captain Car- penter* was sent out to scour the country and drive in the enemy's marauding ])arties, which service he performed with spirit and success, Lift" GvKirtls in England. When Kin|jf James went to Ireland, he yave Sarsfleld a re};inient, and made him Urifjadier. Tlie allair ol'tlio convoy eliUed him so much, that he thoiifrht himscU' tlie jireiitest General in the world. James afterwards created him Earl ot'L\ican. The Kinij of France made liim a Major-General. Ho served with the Ereiich army in ^'landers, and was killed at the battle of I.anden. — Mrinnirs nf the Dnhc nf limrirk. * Afterwards Lord Carpenter, who was ('olonel of the Jrd Dru^^oons nearly thirty years. r- U I V'\ 1 M i I P Si THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 15 and several prisoners were captured. A few IGO) days afterwards, a party of the regiment displayed a degree of valour seldom equalled in the annals of war. The particulars of this affair are as follows : A remount of fine horses for the regiment had recently arrived from England, and was at Ctij)- perqimi, in the county of Waterford, where two troops were stationed; and on the 15tli of March, when nearly all the men were out foraging, it was ascertained that a hundred men of the enemy were advancing to carry off the horses. Lieu- tenant Sjdcer, Cornet Collins, and twelve troo])ers — all daring spirits — instantly mounted their horses, and advanced to meet the enemy, whom they encountered about a mile from the vilhige ; and this ])arty of only fourteen rushed sword in hand upon the hundred Irish, whom they routed and chased into a wood. At this nioment eigh- teen more men of the regiment came galloping to the scene of conflict. Part of the detachment then dismounted, and dashing into the wood, shot or sabred forty of the enemy, and made a Caj)tain and seven soldiers prisoners : — ' Which' (says the London Gazette, from whence this account is taken) ' was done without the loss of one man on our side.' Another party of 80 men of the n^giment with 140 Draufoons and IMilitia foot, marched out of quarters on the evening of the 19th of Aj)ril, com- manded by JMajor Kirk, and passing secretly across the coimtry for several miles, surprised a ])arty of the enemy at daybreak at Mavruoni, m the county of Cork, and after a chase of several hours amongst the bogs and woods, killed twenty ' :i li:i» i ii M ! 16 HISTORICAL RKCORD OF 1 1 ■■ H t 'l:^. k' it '' i ■If. ., J. (! " m 1091 of the Irish, took five prisoners, and captured several horses and oxen.* This year the English troops in Ireland were commanded by General de Ginkell, the French and Irish by General St. Ruth ; and both armies took the field in May. In June the Third Horse, or Villiers's regiment, was employed in the siege of Athhmey which was taken by storm on the SOtli of that month ; and the regiment had its Lieutenant- Colonel, James Kirk killed by a cannon ball.'!" On the l'2th of July the army att.icked the enemy in their position near Jlghrim. In the line of battle the regiment was posted on tlu; left of the first brigade of horse, which was commanded by its Colonel.:}: The enemy oc- cupied a particularly strong position ; and the attack was rendered difhcult by bogs, hills, and other obstacles extending along the front. These difficulties were, however, overcome by the dis- tinguished bravery and perseverance of the Eng- lish horse, which even excited the admiration of St. Ruth, while at the same time it produced the overthrow of his troops. In this action the regiment had another opportunity of distinguish- ing itself: and the noble charge it made against the Irish infantry, which it overthrew and cut to pieces, contributed materially to the success of the day. About eight in the evening the enemy's reserve was led forward by St. Ruth in jjerson, when that comnumder was killed by a cannon * London Gazette, No. 'iCiOS, and Story's History, t Story's History ol' tlio War in Ireland, and London Gazette. J This Brinado consisted of the rej^inients of Oxford, Lanj^ston, Ruvigny, and Villiers, — Story. THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 17 ball ; — the Irish then threw down their arms 1G9I and fled — closely followed hy the victorious Eng- lish horsemen until the darkness of the night jmt an end to the pursuit. The loss of the Third Horse in this engage- ment was one Captain, two Lieutenants, and one Cornet, with twenty-six troopers killed : — and one Captain, one Lieutenant, and twenty-two men wounded; also 41 horses killed and wounded. The remains of the Irish army took refuge in Limerick, where they resolved to make a final stand, in hope of receiving succours from France ; but the place being closely invested, and no assistance arriving, the siege was terminated on the 25th of September by the celebrated treaty, which granted indemnity to the Roman Catholics, and extinguished the power of James in Ireland. After taking jiart in the siege of Limerick, the regiment marched into quarters, where it remained during the winter. In the following spring, it was ordered to re- Hi^i turn to England, and having landed at Barnstaple on the 8th of April, 1692, marched from thence to Salisbury, and in June to Devizes, Chippen- ham, and Shaftesbury. The Revolution had, in some degree, deranged the state of society in Eng- land. Many men who had been suddenly called from their mechanical and rural employments to appear in arms, did not, when dismissed the service, resume their former occupations with the same cheerful industry as heretofore, but at- tempted to supply their wants by depredation : — hence robberies on the highway became so fre- quMit as to occasion extraordinary measures for D M'* m\ SJii- 1 I .M II sen K ! 18 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ■1 II ■i.ci 1G92 their suppression, and, there being no orgunizetl police in the country, the regiments of horse were directed to patrole the highways. For this service tlie Third Horse were ordered into quarters in the immediate vicinity of London, and directed to patrole the great eastern and western roads from the metropolis ; and their attention was particu- larly directed to the neighbourhood of Hounslow Heath, and Blackheath* — two noted resorts for highwaymen at this period. 1693 From these services they were, however, re- lieved in the following year by a regiment of Dutch Horse then in England ; and having fur- nished a relay of escorts to attend the King to Harwich, where His JMajesty embarked for Holland, f they received an order to hold them- selves in readiness to proceed on foreign service. This order was, however, countermanded in conse- quence of Louis XIV. having assembled an army near the coast of France for the purpose of making a descent upon England to replace King James on the Throne, and the services of the regiment were expected to be required in England. But the victory gained by the Fleet off La Hogue, dis- pelled the alarm of foreign invasion: and the Third Horse passed the winter in quarters at Birmingham, Coventry, and Northampton. 1G94 While in these quarters the Colonel of the regi- ment died, and on the 19th of January, 1694, His JMajesty conferred the vacant commission on Bri- * Murchiiifj Orders, War-Office. ■I- The ntrc'nfi;Ui of the Kind's travelliii!; escorl was, at this period, an Officer and 27 men -War-Office Recortis. r\\ THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 19 J gadier-General Richard Leveson from the Third 1G94 Dragoons. In the middle of JMarch the Third Horse and Thii-d Dragoons proceeded into quarters near the metropolis, and on the 26th of that month His Majesty reviewed these two distinguished regiments in Hyde Park, and expressed his high approbation of their ap})earance and discipline. The services of the Third Horse were now directed to be transferred to the seat of war ; and, having embarked in transports on the river Thames on the 28th of IMarch, the regiment landed at Williamstadt, in North Brabant, in the early part of the following month. After several marches it was encamped with the army at Mont St. Andre (near the ground where the celebrated battle of Ramilies was fought in 1706). Here a magnificent army, composed of the troops of several nations, commanded by King William in person, was spread over a wide tract of ground, displaying in its extended encampment all the pomp and splendour of war. The Third Horse were formed in brigade with the regiments of Wood, Wyndham, and Galway,* commanded by Brigadier-General Leveson. During the sum- mer they were employed in manoeuvring and skirmishing on the rich plains of the Netherlands, which were, however, for the most part, unculti- vated, owing to that unfortunate country having so long been the seat of war. In the autunm the Third Horse formed part of the covering army in ' 'I. ■ ■i ' [' i, "i ii Hi * Wood's, now 3rd Drag »on Guards. Wyndluira's, now 6th Dragoon Guards. Gal way's, formerly Ruvigny's, a regiment of French Pro- testants in the English servic?, — afterwards disbanded D 20 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ] I G94 (luring the siege of Huy, and after the capture of tliat town, they marched into convenient quarters in Ghent, where they passed the winter. 1695 From these quarters thirty men per troop were suddenly called out in the early part of April 1695, on account of some new works the enemy were making to cover the frontiers of their recently con- quered Flemish territory; hut after a recon- noissance, the men returned to their quarters. In May the regiment was again in the field, and towards the end of that month it was encamped with the army at Arseel, where it was formed in hrigade with the same regiments as in the pre- ceding year. King William, by skilful manoeuvring, drew the enemy to the Flanders side of their line of entrenchments, and afterwards invested Namur. The Third Horse was one of the first corps which appeared before the town ; but when the siege was formed, the regiment, with several other corps, w s detached to the plains between Charleroi and Mons; and subsequently took part in several manoeuvres which had for their object the protection of the besieging force from the attacks of the enemy. In the beginning of August it was encamped at the village of Water- loo, and subsequently in the immediate vicinity of Namur, where two powerful armies, of about 100,000 men each, manoeuvred and skirmished with the view — one to prevent, and the other to secure, the capture of this stupendous fortress : — the British and their allies were, however, tri- umphant; the place was taken, and the Third Ilor.se returned to their former (juarters at Ghent. i: m THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 21 : During the campaign of 1696, the regiment 16O6 served with the army of Fhmders, commanded by the Prince of Vaudemont ; and Avas engaged in defensive operations for the preservation of Ghent, Bruges, and the maritime towns of Flanders, which were menaced by the enemy; while the main army, commanded by King William, was engaged in operations in Brabant. When His Majesty passed through Flanders, he reviewed the regiment near Ghent, and, according to the journals of that period, its complete and warlike appearance elicited the King's approbation. It passed the greatest part of the summer encamped on the banks of the canal between Ghent and Bruges ; the enemy was encamped on the oppo- site side of the canal ; — occasional skirmishes took place, but no general engagement occurred ; and on the 4th of October the regiment marched into the same quarters which it occupied the two preceding winters. It was ordered to serve the succeeding cam- 1097 paign with the Brabant army : and leaving Ghent in the early part of JNIay, 1697, directed its march to the Scheldt, which river it passed at Dendermond on the 14th of that month, and on the 16th was encamped at St. Quintin Linneck. The army was again employed in manoeuvring; and on the 8th of June, a squadron of the regi- ment sent out from the camp at Promelles to cover a foraging party, encountered 60 of the enemy's carabiniers and 40 dragoons, when a sharp light ensued, in which the British horsemen proved victorious: — 20 Frenchmen fell in the combat, Hi ■I III ii ii! ;;ti i I Il i 22 HISTORICAL RECORD OF lii^i 1697 and a Captain, two Lieutenants, and 40 men were made prisoners.* The Third Horse were subsequently en- camped with the army before Brussels, from whence they were detached to Wavre. At length hostilities were terminated by the treaty of Kys- wick ; and on the restoration of peace the regi- ment was ordered to return to Enghmd ; where it arrived towards the end of November, and was ordered to occupy quarters in Yorkshire. 1G98 It had, however, only been in England about two months when it was ordered to embark at Liverpool for Ireland, and arriving in that country in the early part of March, 1698, it was employed in the duties at Dublin. 1G99 In the following year the death of its Colonel, Lieutenant-General Leveson, occurred, and he was succeeded by Daniel Harvey, from the Lieu- tenant-Colonelcy of the second troop (now Second Regiment) of Life-Guards, by commission dated the 25th of March, 1699. 1701 The regiment remained in Ireland until the ambitious policy of Louis XIV. of France had re- kindled the flame of war in Europe, by placing his grandson Philip, Duke of Anjou, on the throne of Spain, in violation of previous treaties. The 1702 war commenced in 1702, and in the following 1703 year Queen Anne resolved to support the preten- sions of Archduke Charles of Austria, to the Spanish Crown ; when a British ^orce was pre- pared to accompany the Archdi e to Portugal, * London Gazette, &c. i ■'! .'I'll THE SECOND JRAGOON GUARDS. 23 and the Third Horse was selected for this service. 1703 The King of Portugal had undertaken to provide horses of a superior description for the British cavah'y, the regiment, therefore, transferred its horses to other corps, and embarked from Ireland in September, 17()-3 ; but the fleet not being ready for sea, the regiment landed on the Isle of Wight, and went into quarters for a few weeks. In No- vember it was again em])arked, but was so long detained by contrary winds and other causes, that the transports did not arrive at Lisbon until the early part of March, 1704 ; and when the troops 1704 were landed,* the Portuguese authorities produced horses for the English cavalry of so inferior a de- scription that the officers rejected the greater part of them, and at the end of March only twenty men per troop of the Third Horse were mounted. f This inconvenience appears to have been occa- sioned by the negligence of the Portuguese Government in not providing horses until after the French Am])iissador had, with great industry T'V ?1 ■! ] I i f'\ * List oi British troops sent to Portugal in 1 704 : — The Duke of Schomberg, Commander-in-Chief. M*)or- General Harvey, commanding the Cavah-y. Major-General Lord Portraore) Commanding Infantry Major-General Wyndhara / Brigades. Begiments. Horse— Major-General Harvey's, now 2nd Dragoon Guards. Dragoons — The Royal Regiment Foot— Queen Dowager's ,, Stewart's „ Stanhope's „ • Barrymore's „ Blood's „ Duncanson's " Mo^untjoyy-^^^^i'^^"^^- disbanded. Also 4000 Dutch. War in Spaifi t ' Present State of Europe' 1st Royal Dragoons. 2nd Foot. 9th „ nth ., 13th „ 17th „ 33rd „ -Embarkations. I' 'I I 24 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ■: ,: I 'i' It i ! 1704 and perseverance, purchased the greater part of the horses fit for cavahy service, and forwarded them to Spain. The dismounted men of the Third Horse Avere marched to Abrantes in the beginning of April to await the arrival of horses ; at the same time the mounted men* proceeded to the Alentejo, and encamped in one of the pleasant plains on the banks of the Tarra, near Estremos. But a mis- understanding between the Duke of Schomberg and the Portuguese Generals retarded the neces- sary preparations for opening the campaign so far, that the Duke of Berwick (who was then in the service of France) invaded Portugal with a French and Spanish force before the allies were prepared to commence operations, and the services of the Third Horse in the early part of the campaign were limited to defensive operations and a successful incursion into the Spanish territory. During the summer the Earl of Galway arrived in Portugal to take the command of the British troops, and the Portuguese being alarmed at the Duke of Berwick's success, some extraordinary measures appear to have been adopted to procure horses for the British cavalry, f at the same time * • A hundred and twenty of Harvey's, and Rhoo's (Duteh) • Horse marched towards the frontiers, and were followed on the • 17th of April hy the like number of the Dragoons.' Present State of Enrnpe. t • Major-General Harvey having received orders to take by ' force all the horses that he should have occasion for to remount • his regiraent, upon paying a reasonable price for the same, has ' been so diligent therein, that he has nrocured a sufllcient nuni- ' her, and has marched for the army. I'lie Dragoons of My Lord ' Kaby are likewise on their march, so that no iroops remain at • Abruntes. but the remains of the regiments of Stewart and ' Stanhope.' ' Presetit State of Europe' THE SECOND DRAGOON OUAllDS. 23 some additional corps arrived from England, and 1704 the army took the field for offensive operations. The Third Horse were now fit for active service, and tolerahly well mounted ; — they advanced up the country with the view of invading Castile ; but having crossed the frontiers of Portugal and arrived at the banks of the Agueda, near Ciudad Rodrigo, the enemy {ippeared on the opposite side of the river in such force that, after some manoeuvring, the design was laid aside, when the regiment marched back to Portugal, and went into village cantonments. Having passed the winter in the Alentejo, the 1703 reghnent assembled from its quarters in the middle of April, 1705, and on the 24th of that month joined the army at Estremos ; from whence it advanced into Spanish Estrcniadura, and formed part of the force which invested Valencia de Alcantara, which was taken by storm on the &th of May. The regiment was subse(|uently em- ployed in covering the siege of Albuquerque, and after the surrender of that phice on the 2'2n(l of May, it was encamped with the anny on the left of the river C/ievora. On the 2Tth of May fifty of the enemy's caviliy attacked an Eughsh foraging party and captured several mules, when thirty-nine men of the regiment gallo]>ed out of the camp, attacked and routed the French horsemen, n^took the mules, and made one prisoner.* Having crossed the (luadiana in the autunm, the regiment was engiiged in the siege of Badajtts^ in which the Karl of (Jalway lost his hand from " Aimulsur (^iioi'n Anno. 1 1 J :' !) ^\ ■'' "f ■:■ ■ ■■ i ■■' i 1 ■Pi 'Ml •It k. m ■p- 26 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ■III I 1705 a cannon sliot, and the army not being of suffi- cient numbers to invest the place, the enemy suc- ceeded on the 14th of October in throwing- in a relief. On the same day the Third Horse, having crossed tlie Guadiana, were led forward by Lieutenjint-General Wyndham to attack some Spanish squadrons posted near the Chevora, and by a spirited charge the enemy was routed and chased across the river. The siege was after- wards raised, when the regiment returned to Portugal, and went into cantonments in villages alono- the frontiers. l/OG 111 February 170G several detachments made successful incursions into the Spanish territory. After some manoeuvring, the regiment crossed the 8elor, and on the 7th of A])ril advanced Avith the army to liroeas, to attack the enemy's forces at that place, commanded by the Duke of licruick ; but as the advance-guard, winding rou.iu the mountains, entered the jdain in front of the town, the enemy rcitired along the woody defiles between that place aiul Carcares. Sonu; skirmishing occurred ; — the Portugues(i scjuadrons in adviince were repulsed ; l)ut the Third ll(>rse, with some Dutch dragoons and liiera cavalry, emerging at the moment from a thick j>urt of the wood, charged the enemy with signal giiUantry, and captured eighty prisoners, amongst whom were Major-General Don ])iego Moiiroy, and tlu^ Conde rocee(ling through the fine champaign country of La Mancha, afterwards ])assed the Xucar and went into cantonments in Valencia — extenrisoners : but no record appears to have been preserved of the number of privfite men killed and wounded. The regiment was employed during the re- mainder of the year in defensive operations, and ))y skilful manoeuvring and indefatigable industry, the |)rincipality of Catalonia was preserved from the power of the enemy : and the canq)aign proved less disastrous uj)on the whole than might liave been exj)ected after the unfortunate defeat at Almanza. 1708 ])uriiig the winter every nutans were used to replace the losses, and in the spring of 1708, when the army took tlie field, the excellent ron(liti<>n of the regiment excited much admiration. * It was * ' Tho Rojrimcnt of Ilorso ol' Gononil Harvoy iscortaiiily ono * of till' (iut'st it-yiiTieiits ihat vwv was seen, and tho worst liorso tlicy * liavo is worth iii'ty pistoles. The (jounl doNoyoHcs, ((JoiDuuiiidor- * ill Chief ill Caluluniu) who some few days before his death THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 31 encamped a short time in a valley near Monblanco, 1 708 and afterwards on the fertile plain near Cervera, 30 miles from Tarragona ; at the same time the enemy was encamped at Agramont and Ponze. The war in Spain was not conducted with vigour; the allies remained on the delensive ; and the services of the Third Horse appear to have been limited to a few skirmishes amongst the mountain defiles of Catalonia : in the autumn they pro- ceeded into village cantonments. When the season for military operations again 1700 arrived in the spring of 1709, the army was too weak for any importjint undertaking. During the sunnner the regiment was encamped on the banks of the Segre ; and, having forded the river on the 20th of August, it advanced through a fertile country to Bahfi^uer, and formed part of the army which besieged and took that town, and also Atrer, a place twelve miles from Balaguer. While engaged in these operations, King Philip placed himself at the head of the French and Spanish forces, and advanced to attack the allies ; but his menaciuir manoeuvres ended in some slight skirmishing; and after placing garrisons iu the captured towns, the army rei>asst'd the river, and the Third Horse went into (piarters. The cam|)aign of 1710 was distinguished by 1710 greater sictivity. The two claimants to the throne of Si)ain took * reviowed that regiment, wus so well pleased with it, that he * returned thanks to Colonel Gorinii, who commands it, and to tho ' rest of the oillcers, and told them, that in his letter to the Duke ' of MarlhurouKh, he would take a partioulav notice of the good * condition wherein lie had Ibundit.' ' Pimr/ii. !Slul<; of luirnfif,' vol, \ix. p. 2'2J. 1 'f • ii I : 'I ^f !: i ' t( t;i m ■i 32 li ' !! I. ( 't HISTORICAL RECORD OF '710 t]je f^g](i jij person : King Charles placing himself at the head of the English, Dutch, Germans, and Portuguese ; and King Philip at the head of the French and Spaniards. The allies took the field in May, 1710 ; and encamped near Balaguer. .On the 10th of June, King Charles reviewed the British troops, and expressed his admiration of their high condition, and martial appearance. The excellent condition of the Third Regiment of Horse appears to have attracted general admi- ration : Carlton, in hiri Memoirs, speaks of it in terms of commendation, and calls it " the com- pletest of any regiment in the world." The enemy having considerable advantage in point of numbers, the allies covered the approach to their camp with entrenchments, and batteries. On the 12th of June King Philip advanced with his whole army in order of battle ; but after recon- noitring the position of the allies, he retired, and encamped at Belcayre. On the following day he again advanced in order of battle, and came within half cannon-shot of the allies, but after the loss of about 300 men from the fire of the batteries, he airain retreated: Avhen Lieutenant-General !Stan- hope, who commanded the British troops in Spain, placed himself at the head of this regiment, and attacking the enemy's right wing in its retiring movement with great courage, threw several squad- rons into disorder. On the following day the enemy encamped between I'^vas and JJarbens ; at the same time the allies passed the Segre, and encamped at Portella ; but returned to their for- mer station a few days afterwards. On the 'iOlh of July information was n^ceived that the enenjy THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 33 had marched to Lerida; when the allies imme- 1710 diately proceeded in the direction of Alfaras, and Lieutenant-General Stanhope was sent forward with four regiments of cavalry to secure the pass through the heights in front of that place. On the 27th of July the English advance-guard discovered nineteen of the enemy's squadrons, and some infantry on the march. Lieutenant-General Stanhope immediately took possession of the rising ground in his front, and awaited the arrival of the army : at the same time the enemy formed in order of battle, on an elevated site near Almanara. After the main body had arrived, Lieutenant- General Stanhope obtained permission of King Charles to attack the enemy, and advancing with ten squadrons, of which the Third Horse formed a part, he ascended the tirst rising ground, when he saw facing him a line of twenty-two squadrons, flanked on the right by a church which was occu- pied by a body of infantry ; and behind them, a second line of twenty squadrons, with nine batta- lions in the centre. The British General thenhalted until he was joined by six additional squadrons, when, placing himself at the head of the right squad- ron of the Third Horse he led the whole forward to attack the enemy, whose first line advanced at the same time to meet him. It was a noble spectacle of war, and calculated to arouse a martial spirit even in the phlegmatic Spaniards. The ground was clear. The rays of the evening sun glanced upon the hostile squadrons as they advanced with eagerness for the combat, and shed a fiery lustre upon the polished arms and floating standards, as these martial ranks rushed upon each other w ith li , :■;[!' w u M iM m i :;l: 34 HISTOKICAL RECORD OF I 1 I! I'll !| 1-4 ii m III. ' } ,ii \ III! I? 1 7 10 deadly fury. The enemy's best troops had come forward ; the alhes were of equal bravery ; and the tremendous shock of the first onset was imme- diately succeeded by the clash of swords in tierce and deadly combat. Never did British troops display greater valour, and the enemy's left soon gave way before the superior prowess of their antagonists ; but the centre and right, where King Philip's Life Guards were posted, made a gallant resistance ; yet such was the astonishing resolution and bravery of the British horsemen, that the whole of the enemy's first line was routed in a fewminutes. The pursuing squadrons giving them no respite, dashed forward, and attacked the enemy's second line with a fury and power which nothing could withstand. The whole of the enemy's cavalry was soon overthrown, and with their infantry, fled in disorder ; while the darkness of the night augmented their terror and confusion, as the victorious troopers pouring down upon the rear, sabred the panic-struck fugitives amongst the defiles and rugged chasms in the mountains. The loss of the enemy in this engagement was very great : that of the allies comparatively trifling. It was altogether an affair of cavalry ; for the enemy was routed before the infantry could reach the scene of action. The English lost in this engagement Brigadier-General Earl Rocli- fort, Brigadier-General Count Nassau, Colonel Travers, Captain La Porte, Cornet Garson, Cornel Webb, one Quartermaster, and 73 men, killed ; and Lieutenant-General Stanhope, Lieu- tenant-General Carpenter, Lieutenant-Colonel Bland, (Captain Ravenel, Captain Willis, Captain THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 35 Moor, Captain Naizon, Lieutenant Mills, Lieu- 1710 tenant Patterson, Lieutenant Jobber, Lieutenant Heron, Lieutenant Wood, Cornet Wildgoose, Cornet Du Case, one Quartermaster, and 113 men, wounded.* King Charles expressed, in the strongest terms, his sense of the great bravery displayed by the British cavalry in this action. After returning from the pursuit, the troops en- camped on the ground in front of Almanara ; the army afterwards marched towards the Cinca, and took several strong places in Arragon. King Philip called in his detachments and retired. Both armies passed the Ebro on the 19th of August; and on the following day the allies attacked the French and Spaniards in their position in front of Saragoasa. The enemy was posted in an oblique line, with the Ebro on their left, and a steep hill on their right. The attack commenced about mid-day, and was made upon the whole front of the enemy's position, with great gallantry and resolution. For a short time the palm of victory was severely contested. The two * The Envoy of Savoy, who was present at this engagement, made the following observations in his account of the action : ' It 'is certain they (the English cavalry) fought with great valour. ' The number of killed and wounded, in proportion to the troops ' engaired, shew how well ^he victory was at first disputed. Lieu- ' tenant-General Stanhope i.mght at the head of one of Harvey's « squadrons, and had a personal encounter with one of the enemy's • ofKccrs, supposed to be General Amenzega, who was found ' amongst the slain. The enemy threw away their arms, tents, ' and a great quantity of ammunition. Luckily for them there ' never was a darker night, which hindered our gaining such a • victory as would have finished the war in Spain, As to prisoners, ' the fury with which we charged, and the little daylight we had, ' would not allow us to take many. We have taken the kettle- 1; r li i 1710 Sovereigns of Spain were in the field ; their pre- sence animated the soldiers to deeds of heroism, and the Third Horse had another opportunity of distinguishing themselves. For a short time they were spectators of the combat, while the roar of cannon and of musketry echoed in the mountains, and responded to the impetuous turmoil and clash of arms in the plain, the smoke of battle enshroud- ing the hostile legions, and waving in gloomy volumes over the scene of conflict ; and when the regiment was called upon to advance, the shock of its charging squadrons broke the enemy's half disordered ranks in pieces. Although the enemy had the advantage of numbers and position, the valour and fortitude of the allies overcame all difficulties, and after a deadly contest of two hours, gained a complete victory. The Walloon troops in the service of King Philip were the first that gave way ; eventually their whole army was over- thrown, while the victors, following in hot pursuit, strewed the line of retreat with slain ; and cap- tured 2*2 pieces of cannon, 72 standards and colours, a great quantity of amnmnition, baggage, and the plate of King Philip ; whose army of 40 battalions and 60 squadrons was destroyed, ex- cepting about 8000 men that escaped. Such was the bravery of the British, and their allies, in this action, that a complete victory was gained with the loss of not more than 2000 men. The allies now marched in triumph direct upon the capital, which was again entered on the 21st of September by a detachment of British trooj)s, who took possession of the principal posts in the city. ■ A separate body of Portugueze, and some Eng- I THE SECOND DKA(iO()N GUaKDS. :37 lisli foot were at this period manoeuvring on 1710 the frontiers of Portugal, and the junction of these troops with the main army at Madrid, was of the . utmost importance, to enable the allies to enlarge the sphere of their operations. The success of the war, and the destiny of Spain, appeared to be suspended on the speedy arrival of these troops ; but after the most pressing instances had been made, and every facility given for this union of the two armies, the Portuguese generals retreated, without any apparent cause, and sent their troops into winter quarters. In the mean time the enemy collected the bro- ken remains of his army, and uuited them with the forces in Estremadura ; at the same tin »e troops were ordered from all parts of France to proceed by forced marches to Spain, vtuii in the beginning of November, King Philip was again at the head of an army superior in numbers to that of the allies, and had, in addition to his regular troops, numerous bands of mountaineers and armed peasantry already in the field. King Charles, therefore, consulted his own safety, and retired with a strong escort to Barcelona ; and the main army having marched from Madrid, was closely pressed by the 'j-Mny in its retiring movements ; at the same time the country people not only withheld supplies of provision and forage, but also availed themselves of every opportunity to attack the allies, and plunder their baggage. Thus exposed and harassed on every side, after the fatigues of a long campaign, — in a country hostile to their cause, — in inclement weather, without tents, — and exhausted by privations, the condition !' li . '■} ■t ■! il i : 't ii -!si i i< 1:1 rj 38 IIISTOIUCAL RECORD OF II * I 1 I y i I i I. of the troops may easily be conceived. The Third Horse, with a squadron of the Royal Dragoons, Pepper's Dragoons, Stanhope's Dra- goons, a battalion of Foot Guards, and seven battalions of Infantry of the line, forming the rear column on the left under Lieutenant-General Stanhope, retreated along the Taj una, and on the 6th of December arrived ;it Bnhuega, a village of about a thousand houses, situate on the side of a mountain near the river. The Avhole halted on the 7th ; but in the evening orders were expected for resuming the retreat, and the troops quartered in tiie little romantic village of Brihiiega, were directed to hold themselves in readiness to march at an hour's notice ; at the same time no appre- hension of danger a}>pejirs to have been entertained. 13ut at the moment when the troops stationed in this rural seclusion were exj)ecting orders to march, 2000 of tlie enemy's horse and a body of foot suddenly a})peared on the top of the hill which overlooks the town. The Duke of Vendosme, who commanded tiie French and Spaniards under King Philip, had advanced by forced marches, and he was enabled by the information he re- ceived from tlie ])easantry, (whose hostility to the Jiritish |)reveute(l the latter from receiving true intelligence) to surprise and surround these regi- ments with a force more than ten times their number. Their retreat Ix'ing thus cut off, the Knglish prepared for a vigorous defence ; but unfortunately they hawe(l tluMn his «'onmiission as Jjieutenant-General and director of the war; — assured them he was provided with money suffi- cient to levy men, and to pay the troops regularly, THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 41 when raised ; — declared that the Pretender would 1715 arrive with an armament and military stores, as soon as a port was ready to receive him ; — and expressed his determination to summon his vassals, and hazard his life at their head. Many persons of distinction were thus induced to unite with the Earl of Mar; and in September they assembled a body of men and erected the Pre- tender's standard. At the same time the dis- affected in England had so openly declared their intention of taking arms when an opportunity offered, that it was considered of greater import- ance to disperse the army through the whole kingdom, than to consolidate the troops and crush at once the rebel force in Scotland. The different corps were therefore placed in extensive canton- ments ; and this regiment was quartered at Stafford, Wolverhampton, and other places; from whence it subsequently "larched into Cheshire and Lancashire.* The Earl of Mar was soon at the head of ten thousand men; and encouraged by tlie little resist- ance he met Avitli, he sent ]5rigadier-(ieneral Mackintosh for\»'ard with a small band, Avho took Leitli, and ravage ' If ; I J- J 5 militia force and the posse comitatus, amounting; to near 10,000 men in one body, were assembled to oppose him at Penrith ; and a similar force of the same strength again at Kendal; yet they refused to face a division of the rebels not above one-fourth t; .ir own number. To oppose this daring advance Major-G",neral Wills, who commanded in Cheshire, was directed to assemble the few regular troops under his orders and fight the rebels. The corps assembled for this service was the Third Regiment of Horse and 26th Regiment of Foot, with the newly-raised Dragoon regiments of Stanhope, Wynne, Iloneywood, Munden, and Dormer, amounting to about 2,000 men. But the rebels, who had advanced to Preston, having been joined by 1200 men in Lancashire, had such advantage in numbers, that they imagined the King's troops would not venture to attack them ; hovv't^ver, when they received advice of JMajor-General Wills' advance;, they threw up entrenchments, — erecttMl barricades, — and planted cannon at the avenues of the town. At break of day, on the 12th of Novend)er, Major-Ger.v.ral Wills and his little anuy were in full march for Pn'ston, and in the afternoon they arrived in front of the town. Preparations were immediately made for the assault. J*art of each regiment of Dragoons was dismounted, and a simultaneous attack was made on both sides of the town. The advance of the Third Ilorsc; was niach' on the main road leading from Preston to INIanchester. The onset ua^galianlly made, 'i'he fury (»f the THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 43 nssailaiits for a short time carried all before them, 1715 — the first barricades were forced and the troops charged into the town. But the rebels were posted in great numbers in the houses, and their fire obliged the King's troops to retreat ; when a new mode of proceeding was resolved upon. The troops having effected a lodgment at the mjiin entrances, the houses were set on fire at both ends of the town ; and the soldiers, ad- vancing with the flames, fired their fatal volleys on the rebels as they retired before the devour- ing element It was a dreadful scene, and dis- ])laye{l in awful reality the horror • -^f intestine war. Night coming on, the work ot destruction was partly stayed ; but it was renewed on the following morning. The valour of the King's troo})s, and the stern and determined resolution with Avhich they continued the assault, alarmed the rebels, — they l)eat a j)arley, and a cessation of hostilities until the next day was agreed upon. During the night every means were uf^ed to prevent the escajje of those men who had tiius proved themselves determined enemies to their country ; and the I'hird Ilorst; appear to have "liven si^Mal proof of their hostility to the rebels, auvi of their loyalty and attachment to the l*r<>tt'stanl succession. The regiment was jHJsted near the f>r(ls of the river, and during the night many of tlie I'lu'ls, dreading the jMinishnuMit which awaitrd their crimes, pre- ci|>itats(l themselves on the ranks, and en- deavoured to «'ut tiieir passage through, and escaj)e; but they fell beneath the sabres oi the ! ! i i I i IS a "^ M 44 iriSTORICAL RECORD OF It.::' 1^. E M '2 J ■• i H 1715 loyal troopers: and that stream, which diffuses fertility and facilitates commerce, — the wealth of Britain, — was dyed with the blood of its sons. Come additional forces under Mjijor-GeiK'ral Carpenter hiMung arrived to join in the atta«'k, the rel»ols surrendered at daybr*'ak on die 14th of November, i\nd weiti mmU'. prisonL-rs, when their numbers were foujjd to re reduced from about 5000. to 1480, of Vkiiom 118 were persons of distinction ; many of the prisoner!- were afterwards exjcuted and otliers transported.* The conduct of the Third Horse on this v-i ca- tion }»rocured them the approbation of their Sov'^reii-n, and the title of The Princess of Wai >' Own Royal Regiment of PIorse. After the termination of this unnatural war- fare the reij-iment remained at Preston for several 1716 months. In October, 171G, it man hedto Wind- sor, Ei^ham, Staines, and Colnbrook, and assisted the Life Guards in furnishing the tra- * Return of killed and wounded of the Kin;oon Guards 9, ^^ vn'if's Di-A^'dons ., Otli Lancirs (1 1;") ;i ','1 1') Iloiieywdoirs „ Utli Li>;iit DiiiLrooiis ^ > • 5 1? jidinileu's „ IMh Dragodiis . . • 1 12 Dormer's „ l^lth .... . 1 'i; 1 1 Stuuhoiie's, ufter-viirds (llHtiandeJ :i Preston's Foot, nov, '";i!i .Veyiai iit . , Total . . . ;{ -; .i'- 18 <> •l.i 1.1 Ml •11 ■' THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 4.; veiling escorts for the Royal Faimly. In the l/IG following month it was reviewed in Hyde Park by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who was guardian of the kingdom in the absence of His Majesty at Hanover. Its establishment at this period was 28 officers, 6 quartermasters, 12 corporals, 6 trumpeters, and 240 private men.* In May, 1717, it was relieved from the travelling 1717 escort duty and marched into quarters in the maritime towns on the coast of Kent; from whence it proceeded in April, 1718, to Bedfordshire, with 1718 detached troops "n Cornwall ; where a reduction of 90 men was made in the establishment. During the following year it occupied quarters 1710 in Warwickshire. In May, 1720, it marched 1720 into quarters in Bedfordshire and Buckingham- shire ; and in the autumn it furnished a relay of escorts to attend His Majesty on his return from the Continent. The regiment remained in the south of England 172 1 durnig the summer of 1721. In May, 1722, it |7-22 was encamped near Andover, and afterwards on Salisbury Plain, where two regiments of Horse, two of Dragoons, and seven of Infantryf were "! !l 'I 81^ * War-OflRco Establishment Book. + List of i'egimonts reviewed by King George I. on Salisbury Plain on the 30th of August, 1722. H >RSK. Foot. Princess of. Wales's, now 2nd Wills' . . . now 3rd Foot. Dragoon Guards. Cadogan's ,. 4th „ Wade's, now 3rd ditto. Pocock's „ 8th .. Montague's ., nth „ Dkaooons. Stanwix's ., iJth „ Evans', now 4th Dragoons. Clayton's .. nth ., Gore's „ lOtii „ Grove's „ 19th „ "\\ ."M^ 46 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 'if. During the summer of 1723, the regiment I": 1722 assembled ; and these corps were reviewed on the Phiin by His Majesty on the 30th of August. After the review, the Princess of Wales's Horse escorted the King to Winchester, and on the fol- lowing day to Portsmouth, where His Majesty reviewed the shipping in the harbour, and also the regiments in garrison. In October the regi- ment struck its tents and marched into quarters at Newbury and its vicinity. 1723 occupied quarters at Northampton, Daventry, and Stony Stratford; it passed the winter at Colnbrook, Uxbridge, and Chertsey. 1721 In the spriuf > ^'^2A, it marched to Warwick 1725 and Coventry : h'iu I nee it proceeded in 1725 into Devonshire, ')nu during the winter of 1726, it was stationed in extensive quarters in North- anipto isliire, &c. 1720 On tlie 26th of Aujrust, 1726, John, Duke of A'-gyjp, was appointed to the Colonelcy of the regiment, in succession to the Earl of London- derry. 1727 O/i the accession of I'ling George II. to the Throne, in ,hine, 1727, the Princess of AVales became Queen, and the title of the regiment was clumged to 'i'liK Queen's Own Royal Regi- ment oi' f lonsE. 'J'jie regiment was immediately ordered to march into quarters in the vicinity of London : on the; 2()th of July, it fiirnislied the guards for the l^oyal Family; and ojj the following day, a squa- dron of 10 rank and tile, an n (Juard of Honor to the Kin,. t»v * Detail of Guards furnished on this occasion. Captains. I.ifU- Cornt'ts. (Jiiarter- niastcrs. The Kin},''s Guard 1 , at Whitehall . f ' The Queen's Guard ., The PrinceSsc-*' \ Guard at Ken- t ,, Kington . . j Total tiMiaiits. 1 1 2 1 1 3 I Tnim- Corporals [x'tors. Sir l'n\ atea. I ,>0 18 16 1 04 IVar-Offict Route Book. ■*■ I.o^ylji; Gazette, /v,c. li I '^ >, 48 HISTORICAL RECORD OF i'lgj J I: 1731 Family by Wade's Horse, now Srd Dragoon Guards ; they passed the summer in quarters along the coast of Kent and Sussex, and the winter 1732 at Nottingham and Derby. In 1732 they occu- pied various ^ carters in Bedfordshire and North- 1733amptonsiiire; and in August, 1733, the Colonel- cy Tvas conferred on Lieutenant-General William Kvans, from the 4th Dragoons, in succession to the Duke of Argyle, wlio y.'i? removed to the Royal Horse Guards. 1734 The Queen's Horse passed tlie summer of 1734, and the succeeding winter, in very extensive quar- ters in the counties of Hants, Salop, and Chester ; 1735 from whence they proceeded, ir April, 1735, to Newcastle, Ashburn, and Burton ; and in June of the same year, they removed to Coventry, Warwick, and Stratford-upon-Avon, where they 1736 passed the winter. In March, 1736, they were '•('moved to Northampton, Towcester, and Stony i 73/ Stratford ; and in January, 1737, they relieved the King's Horse from the travelling escort duty. They furnished the Guards of Honor for the Royal Family at th review of the Life Guards in June of the same year,* also the guard at Windsor Castle during the review of the Foot Guards in July; and in September, having been reheved from their attendance on the Court by Wade's * Strength of Es' >rt8 furnishod on this occasion. C'.|itain, Subalterns. Trumpeters. Corporals and Privates. 1 1 I 24 „ 1 I 16 1 „ 10 i» ij .f " War -Office Rcconh. For the Kinjr „ the Quef^u „ tliti Prince „ the Duke THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 49 Horse, they procee ' fl into quarters at Coventry 1737 and Warwick, where they passed the winter. During the years 1738 and 1739, they occupied 1738 various quarters in Essex, Kent, and Northanip- 173*) tonshire; and after the decease of Lieutenant- 1^40 General Evans, the Colonelcy was conferred on John, Duke of Montague, by commission dated the 6th of May, 1740. During the month of June, of the same year, they again took the escort duty, and were encamped for several Aveeks in Windsor Forest. In January, 1741, Wade's Horse took the 1741 escort duty, and the Queen's Own Horse marched into quarters in Essex and Kent ; from whence they returned to London in the beginning of May, 1742, and resumed their attendance on the 1742 Court; and in the autumn of 1743, they fur- jr^;^ nished a relay of escorts to attend the King and the Duke of Cumberland on their arrival from the Continent. The regiment remained in the south of Eng-]744 land until Charles-Edward, eldest son of the 1745 Pretender, arrived in Scotland, and commenced hostilities against the existing government with the Highland olans, when it was ordered to Not- tingham and Derby. The greater part of the King's army being in Flanders, tho government had only a few newly-raised corps to opjiose to the rebel Highlanders, who were men accustomed from their youth to hostile aggression and conflict amongst themselves, and were inured to danger, privation, and the use of arms. With these hardy mountaineers, the young Pretender advanced to H t *'.i ;if Ml t: > I:' I 50 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1 1745 Edinburgh; obtained possession of thit rity by treachery ; and defeated at Preston Pans, a small body of troops commanded by Major-General Sir John Cope. Elated with this transient suc- cess, the young adventurer resolved to penetrate into England : but formidable preparjitions had in the mean time been made to oppose his progress. Many of the British nobility displayed their loyalty by raising troops to supj)ort the throne, and the Colonel of the Queen's Horse, (the Duke of Montague) raised a regiment of cavalry, whicli was styled "JNIontague's Horse," or the " King's Carabiniers ;" and a regiment of foot, which Avas designated the " Ordnance Regi- ment." The Duke of Kingston also raised a regiment of Light Horse. The Duke of Ancaster, Duke of Bedford, Duke of Bolton, Marquis of Granby, Earl of Cholmondeley, Earl of Berkeley, Earl of Halifax, Lord Gower, Lord Falmouth, Lord Harcourt, Lord Edgecombe, and Lord Her- bert, levied each a regiment of F'oot. An associ- ated Regiment of the Law was also formed, composed of gentlemen of the gown, commanded by Lord Chief Justice Willes : and England Avas become a seminary of soldiers, Avhen the King declared his intention, if the rebellion Avas not speedily suppressed, of placing himself at the head of the army. In the mean time. Field Marshal Wade Avas directed to proceed to the north Avith a body of troops, to oppose the advance of the Highlanders, and the Queen's Regiment of Horse Avas one of the corps selected for this service. Field Marshal Wade assembled the troops at '.>■>; THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 51 .: I Doiicaster ; from Avhence the cavalry proceeded 1745 to York, and subsequently to Newcastle-upon- Tyne ; and they were folloAved by the infantry on the 21st October. The rebels, however, con- trived by great vigilance to avoid this force, and penetrate into the heart of England. Field Marshal Wade then marched by Durham, Dar- lington, and Richmond, in order to cover York- shire. On the 5th of December he was at Weatherby; but judging himself too much to the west he marched to F'errybridge, Avhere he arrived with the infantry on the 8th of December, and the cavalry under his orders reached Doncaster on the same day. Here he received information of the march of the Highlanders to Derby, and of their subsequent retreat, Avhen he resolved to march by Wakefield and Halifax into Lanca- shire, to intercept their return to Scotland ; but re- ceiving intelligence of their precipitate flight, he despatched Major- General Oglethorp with the Queen's Horse, and some other cavalry, in pursuit, and followed with the main body. The regiment left Doncaster on the 10th of December, and evinced its eagerness to distin- guish itself against the enemies of its country by performing a march of upwards of one hundred miles in three days in most inclement weather, and along roads choked with snow and ice,* by which it succeeded in taking several prisoners. On the 13th of December the regiment was at Preston, where it was joined by a detachment of the horse under the Duke of Cumberland. This '!■-■! History of the Rebellion in 1745, London Gazettes. &c. H 2 .^ >. ^^^.■'■^-. 52 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ■.^ , 1 1745 body of cavalry, pressing forward In the pursuit, overtook the rear of the rebels near Penrith ; wlien a skirmish ensued on Clifton Moor, and the Highlanders were defeated with considerable loss. The main body, however, effected its escape into Scotland ; leaving the Manchester regiment and about '200 Highlanders in garrison at Car- Hale. The Queen's Horse were amongst the fore- most in the pursuit, and they were before Carlhle during the siege, which was terminated by the surrender of the town on the 30th of December. After the capture of Carlisle, the regiment was ordered to return to York, where it remained up- wards of twelve months, during wliich time the decisive battk^ of Culloden destroyed the hopes of the Pretender and reduced tiie Jacobites to obedience. During the period the regiment was at York,* it was reduced from the pay and quality of Horse to that of Dragoons, wliich alteration took place on the 25th of December, 1746. The officers were continued without alteration; and the * This year (174fi) died Arthur Manloy, who appears to have served in this regiment a greater numhi'r of years than usu .lly Tails to the lot oi' one man. The following? is a copy ol' his epitaph, taken from a tonihstone at Coventry. * Hero lieth the body of Arthur Munley, late quartermaster in * the Quei>n's Royal Reninu'iit of Horse, who served the crown * ofdreat Hritain upwards of fifty-six years, from the l.'jth of ,fuly, ' HiH't, to the '2 Ith of August, 174i. He died Juno 7th, 1746, ' uf?ed 78. ' The Israelites in desert wandered hut two score ; • Rut I have wandered two score sixteen und more. • In dusty campaij^rs, restless days and nights. ' In bloody batthts oft-times did I fi^ht : • In Ireland, Flanders, France, and Spain: ' At last, here lies my poor mortal remains ' 1 served in the Foot ten years, and in the ubove Regiment of ' Horse upwards of forty-si.\ yturs.' THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 53 corporals, trumpeters, and privates had the option 1746 of their discliarge with 14 days' pay and a gratuity of three pounds each, or to remain in the regiment, and receive the gratuity of three pounds. At the same time drummers and hauthoy-players were substituted for trumpeters; the carabines were returned into store, and muskets with bayonets were received. The flask-string was removed from the pouch-belt ; and the equipment was altered to correspond with other regiments of Dragoons. The officers were distinguished by gold- lace and em- broidery on their regimentals, and a crimson silk sash worn over the left shoulder ; the quartermas- ters by gold-lace and silk sashes round their waists ; and the serieants by narrow lace on the lapels, sleeves, and pockets, and a worsted sash round the waist. When the establishment of the regiment as a l^'l^ corps of Dragoons was finally arranged, his Majesty issued a Avarrant on the subject of its future rank and title (and also of the rank and title of two other regiments, which were altered to Dragoons at the same tinie), of which the fol- lowing is a copy : — ' (lEORGE R. * Whereas, We have thought fit to order OiiR * Own Regiment of II()HSE,c()nunan(led by Our * trusty and well-beloved (ieneral Sir Philip ' Iloneywood ; The Queen's Royal Regiment ' OF lIoHSE, conniianded by Our right trusty and ' right entirely beloved Cousin and Counselloi", ' Jjieuteiiant~(i(;neral John Duk'i of Montague ; * and Our Regiment of IIorse, commanded by ' Our riglil trusty and v*t 1 1 -beloved Counsellor, ' Field Marshal (ieorge Wade, to be respec- n ' 54 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1747 lively foiT:/td into regiments of Dragoons, and their establishment and pay, as Dragoons, to commence the 25th of December 1746. And, * Whereas, it is become necessary, by the said regiments being formed into Dragoons, that their former titles as regiments of Horse should be altered ; We are hereby graciously pleased to declare Our Royal Will and Pleasure, that Our regiment of Dragoons, now under the command of General Sir Philip Honeywood, shall bear the title of Our First Regiment of Dragoon Guards ; Our regiment of Dragoons, now commanded by the Duke of JMontague, the title of Our Second Regiment of DkAiJoon Guards; and Our regiment of Dnigoons, now connnanded by Field Marshal Wade, the title ef Our Third Regiment of Dragoon Guards, and have rank and precedency of all other regi- ments of Dragoons in our stu'vice. Nevertheless, ' Our further will and pleasure is, that the said three regiments of Dragoon Guards shall roll and do duty in Our army, or upon (h'tach- nients, ^vitll Our other forces, as Dragoons, in the same; manner as if the word Guards was not inserted in their respective titles, ' AVhereof, the Coh>nels al)()ve mentioned, and the Colonels of Our s;i,id regiments for the time beinii", aiid all others whom it may or shall con- cern, are to take noticv and govern themselves accordiui'lv. ' Given at Our Court at St. tiames's, tins 9th day of January, 1710-7, in the twentieth year of Our reign." Jiy His INIajesty's Command II. Fox. THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 55 From this period the cor!?a, which is the sub- 1747 ject of this memoir, has borne the title of The Second, or Queen's, Regiment of Dragoon Guards : the following is a copy of its first esta- blishment us a corps of Dragoon Guards. THE SECOND, OR QUEEN'S REGIMENT OF DRAGOON GUARDS. Staff Officers, The Colonel, ns Cohifl, 15s. ; for ser- Per Diem, Per Annum. £. s. d. £, s. fl. vants 4s. 6(/. ..... • • 19 (i 355 17 6 Lieut.-Colouel, «» Lieut. -Colonel • • 9 • < 104 5 • • Major, as Major ..... • • 5 • • 91 5 « • Chaplain ..... • • 6 8 121 13 4 Surgeon ...... • • • • 109 10 • • Adjutant • ■ ,') • • 91 5 • • TuK FiiisT Tiioop. CnptainSj. ; 3 horses 3s. ; for servants 4s. fit/. , , 15 f] 282 17 Lieutenant Js. ; 2 horses 2s. ; for servants 3s. • • 9 • • 164 5 • • Cornet 3,v. ; 2 horses 2s. ; for servants 3s. * • 8 • • 140 , , , , Quartermaster, for himself and horse 4s, ; for servants Is. Cul. .... .. 5 (i 100 7 3 Serjeants, each at 2s. 'J*/. . . ... 8 3 1.10 11 ;j 3 Corporals, each at 2s. 3(/. . . . ! . . (5 9 123 3 9 2 Drummers, each at 2s. 3(/. . . 4 (i H2 2 1 JIauthoy, at 2s. .... . . 2 . , 3(i 10 • • 59 Dragoons, at Is, 9* ^i 1747 The regiment left York in the early part of ] 747 for Derby and Nottingham ; it passed the 1748 following year at Bristol and other towns in 1 749 Somersetshire ; and in January, 1749, marched to Gloucester, Worcester, Tewksbury, and Per- shore ; where, after the conclusion of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, a reduction of six Serjeants, six corporals, and one hundred and thirty-eight me!>. ' " made in the establishment. After ilie decease of the Duke of Montague, the Colonelcy of the Queen's Dragoon (luards was conferred on Sir John Ligonier, K.B., from the 4th Irish Horse, no ' 7th Dragoon Guards, by commission dated the 24th of July, 1749. In the autumn of the same year, the regiment marched into quarters in the maritime towns on the coast of Sussex, to assist the officers of the 17r>0 revenue in the prevention of smuggling. Froui this duty it was relieved in the following ye?>". 17')! In 1751, it occupied quarters in Ktuit and Essex ; 1752 and in October, 1752, marched into Worcester- 1753 shire ; and while in these (]uarters, its Colonel, Sir John Ligcmier, was removed to the Royal Horse Guards, and the command of the regiment was conferred on the Honourable William Herbert, whose conunission was dated the 27tli of Janua>'y, 175.S. The regiment left AV Northamp- tcn. It wa> r«>moved ((► tlu; south of England in j 759 the following year; and, Lord Geergt; Sackville having be«'n tleprived of his connnission, for dis- obeying the ord<*rs of lu'rdinaiid, Duke (tf IJruns- wick, at the i>attle of IMindeu, the Cohuielcy \\:i\fi '•onfrrred <>ti she Honourable Jidin W'^aalegnive (afterwards Karl \\'^al(legrave). \vl;';se coinuiission Mi hi 58 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ;i 1759 as Colonel of this regiment, was dated the 10th of Septemher, 1759. 760 Early in the spring of 1760, the regiment was ordered to hold itself in readiness to proceed to Germany; and having embarked in transports on the river Thames, it sailed in the early r f May, and arrived in the AVeser, below Brt ^n the 17th of that montli. It was immeuiately landed, and after traversing an immense extent of country, arrived at the banks of tlie Eder, and joined the camp of the Britisl;, Hanoverian, and Hessian forces, commanded l;y Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, at Fritzlar, in the electoral*' of Mentz, on the 14th of June, and was united h\ brigade with the 1st and 3rd Dragoon Guai'ds, commanded by Brigadier-General AA\'bb. After some manoiuvring, the regiment was engaged in a skirmish with the enemy at Corhach, on the 10th of July. It subsequently took part in several operations, and was encamped on the 27tli of Julv at Kalle in Hesse Cassel : at the same time thirty-tive thousand French troops commanded by the Chevalier de Muy took j)ost beyond the Dyniel, on some heights near ll'^arhuur^, where the Allies resolved to attack him. Accordingly, about eleven o'clock on the nii>'ht of the 30th of July, the SPcond Dragoon (niurds advanced with the main army to Libenau, and, having crossed the Dymel, were fonned u]) a])out live on the fol- lowing morning on the heights of (vorbeke, from whence the cavalry advanced to a wood near the Baiony of Deseid)erg, and al)(>ut five miles from IVivrhour^ ; while one division of the army, under the hereihtary Prince of Brunswick, made a detour of as to I'tS f on of nd ,11(1 of itz, ith by vas ch, t in Tth ime (led the lere liof vitli ssed fol- rom the roiii ti i Second Dragoon Quarilii, 1V60. (.To luue |«go SB THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 59 to turn tlie enemy's Jert flank. This manoeuvre 1760 succeeding, the Second Dragoon Guards, and otlier re<.':inients beliindthe v/ood, advanced against the enemy' . front, and having traversed hve miles of rugged i;."ound in a short space of lime, they for"ied in prabence of tlie enemy, and charged with that spirit and resolution which has always distinguished the British ciivalry. The French squadrons were driven out of the field ; and the victorious Drjigoon Guard,- continuing their brilli- ant career, overthrew a corps of French infantry, and chased them - u'oss the Dymel.* The Second Dragoon Guardf' continued the pursuit to the heights of \\'^ilda, where they halted, and occu- pied this ground, \\ ith several other corps under the INIarquis of Granby, as an outpost for two days.f The loss of the regiment in this action was three non-connnissioned, and nine private men hilled ; with Captain Arnot, Lieutenant JMattack, Cornet Callcnder, one non-commissioned ofticer, and ten men wounded ; the loss in horses was ten killed, two wounded, ano eight missing. The regiment having retired from the heights of \\'^ilda, joined the main army encamped near Warbourg on the 3i'd of August ; and it passed * ' His serene hifrhness aL'aii icnows bis compliments of thanks " to the generals, oflicors, re^inu'nts, and corps, who were eny:allent conduct, jrained so complete ' a victory over the enemy: and orders his thanks to be publicly ' given to Lord Granby, under wliose orders cdl the British cavalry * perjhrnied jn'odii^ies ofvaloui.' General Orders by the Duke of Brunswick. t The Manjuis of Granby, in iiis dispatch, observes ' I should * do injustice to the (Tencralotlic'irs. a >d to every ojficvr and priinife * man nf the cavalry, if I did not beg your Lordsliip would assure * his Majesty, ihat nof/nnn' iniitd exceed their ixaltant hehavimir * on that ocean ion. ''—London Gusette. I ^2 , 1 60 HISTORICAL RECORD OF t- H.^l^ A ,% ■■■:i >i .;■■ 1760 several months in position on the banks of the Dymel, re aiuining in camp until December, when a deep snow having fallen, it proceeded ^' ito village cantonments in the Bishopric of Paderlnsi ii, where the men and horses suffered much from a scarcity of provision and forage. 1761 From these cantonments the regiment was sud- denly called upon in February, 1761, to advance into Hesse-Cassel : and marching through snow, and over ice, the troops penetrated the enemy's winter quarters ; — the French retreated in every direction, and the Allies captured several extensive magazines and fortified towns ; but returned to their former position in March, and tl)e regiment was again phiced in village cantonments, in a country which was once fruitful, but was now reduced to a desert by the ravages of hostile arnrip ■ : and the tender feelings of the Jiritish ofi'5<;ci'8 and soldiers, being awakened by the suf- icii;i|4S of the inhabitants, a subscription was made ibr their relief. * The regiment was subsequently employed in operations in different parts of M estphalia; and on the 14th of July, it was encamped on the heights of Wambeln, forming part of Lieutenant-General Conway's corps. On the 1 5tli, the enemy attacked the Marquis of Granby's corj»s at Kirch-Denkern ; when the brigade of Dragoon Guards was removed to the heights between Illingen and Hohenover. The enemy aa us repulsed and driven back ; but renewed the attack on the followini*; morninii:, when he was again defeated ; but owing to the nature of the groinxl, the cavalry could not act. * The Muniuih uf Granby's Order Book. THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS 61 The Second Dragoon Guards were afterwards 1761 employed in manoeuvring and skirmishing on the rugged phiins and marshy grounds of \\'^estphalia and Paderborn. Towards the end of August they were engaged in driving the French outposts from the vicinity of the Dymel. On the 5th of Novem- ber they were employed in driving a French corps from its position at CV luhagen. They after- wards marched to Ei "• '■' m the electorate of Hanover, where a sha '^h occurred. On the 6th and 7th of No\ y Avere at Went- zen. During the night oi il 7th they marched with several other corps, through a heavy snow to Foorwohle, and while erecting their tents, the enemy advanced in force to attack them ; when the British troopers mounted their horses, and drove back the French with great gallantry. The Second Dragoon Guards were encamped in the snow at Foorivohle until the morning of the 9th, when they had another skirmish with the enemy, and afterwards marched to the heights between Mackensen and Lithorst. In the early part of December they proceeded into quarters in East Friesland. After leaving their village quarters, about the i7(j2 middle of IMay, 1762, the Queen's Dragoon Guards nuirched to the bishopric of Paderborn, and joined the army encamped at 15rakel on the 18th of June. They were subse<|uently encamped on the heights of Tissel ; at the same time the French army commanded by Marshals d'Etrees and Soubise encanq)ed near Grocbenntien ; and on the morning of the 24th of June, the allied army advanced in several columns to attack the enemy. The Queen's Dragoon Guards, forming part of n .%. ^. ^">. ^ o.>r«^' IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) A / 1.0 if >^ 1^ I.I t 1^ ||i|2.0 L25 1 1.4 111 1.6 V] vy / Photographic Sciences Corporation V .^ 4^ '^ \ \ 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WISSTIR.N Y MSIO (716) t/s^soa ^ V^ 6^ >* >^ 62 HISTORICAL RECORD OF in 1762 the centre column, left their camp at daybreak, and having crossed the river Dymel at four o'clock, they advanced a distance of nine miles through a woody country, and succeeded in surprising the enemy in their camp. The French instantly retreated, leaving their tents standing, and the Queen's Dragoon Guards and other cavalry, dash- ing forward in pursuit, took many prisoners, par- ticularly in the woods of Wilheimsthal, where several regiments were compelled to surrender. The Queen's Dragoon Guards puisued the enemy along the road to Cassel as far as iloltzhau- sen, where they halted and encamped that night. They subsequently marched to HofF; and were afterwards employed in a series of manoeuvres and skirmishes, by which the French were driven from a considerable portion of the territory they had occupied, and the campaign was terminated by the capture of Casael A cessation of hostilities took place in November, and the regiment went into quarters in the bishopric of Munster. 1763 The success of the British arms being followed by a treaty of peace, the Queen's Dragoon Guards, after receiving the thanks of Parliament for their conduct during the war, left Germany in the beginning of February, 17G3, and marched through Holland to Williamstadt, where they embarked for England,* and after their arrival they were (quartered in Worcestershire. At the same time the establishment was reduced to three olhcers, one (juartermaster, two Serjeants, two cor- * The slrcnpth of the regiment when it embarked for England was fifteen oflicers, three hundred luul twenty-five men, and four liun.lred and five luirHOH; witli thirty-onu utliccrg' Hcrvants, und thirty-one women. — OJ/iciul lieturna. THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 63 porals, one drummer, one hautboy, and twenty- 1763 eight private men per troop ; and on the 26th of March an order was issued for the Light Troop being taken off the establishment, and disbanded. Eight men per troop were, however, subsequently equipped as Light Dragoons, and mounted on small horses, for skirmishing and other light ser- vices. But regiments of light dragoons having been introduced during the seven years' war, from this period the heavy cavalry regiments ceased to perform the travelling escort duty for the Royal Family. In the following year (1764) His Majesty com- 1764 manded the officers and men of the Queen's Dragoon Guards to wear epaulettes on the left shoulder, instead of aiguillettes. At the same time the heavy jacked leather boots were replaced by others of a lighter description ; and the em- broidered edging on the officers cotits was ordered to be discontinued. Some new regulations were also issued respecting the recruiting and remount- ing of the regiment : the men were not to be under five f 'et eight inches, nor above five feet ten inches in height : and the horses were not to be under fifteen hands, nor above fifteen hands two inches. At the same time the regiment was ordered to be remounted with hmg-failcd horses.* The regiinent marched to the vicinity of Lon- 1765 don, in the spring of 1765, and on the 3rd of June, it was reviewed by King George III., on Wimbleton Common; together with the 1 0th and 1 1 th regiments of Dragoons ; and His Majesty * Tho rof^imont was originally mountod on lonK-tuiled horses; but tlic fiishion of the short dock was introdurcd towards tho close of the stivunteenth century. t Ifl ^>~' 64 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1765 was pleased to express his approbation of the appearance and discipline of the three regi- ments. 1766 In October, 1766, a detachment of the regiment escorted the Queen of Denmark* to Harwich, where Her Majesty embarked for the Continent. At the same time other detachments were or- dered to assist the officers of the revenue in preventing the exportation of wheat and flour, which were prohibited by an order of council, in consequence of an unpropitious harvest. This year the Drummers on the establishment of the regiment were replaced by Trumpeters. 1767 During the following ye;; r the regulation price of troop horses to be purchased for the Queen's Dragoon Guards was advanced from twenty to twenty-two guineas. About this period the regi- ment was mounted on Bay Horses ; and as the other regiments of heavy cavalry were mounted on black horsea (except the Scots Greys) the Queen's Dragoon Guards were commonly style* le Queen's Bays, a title which the regiment returns to the present period, although the distinction in the colour of the horses is no longer so conspi- cuous. 1768 After occupying various stations in the south and west of England nearly five years, the regi- ment, being ordered to proceed to Scotland, marched in February, 17(»8, to Doncaster and Pontefract, where it halted about a month, and afterwards resumed its march ; but on its arrival at Newcastle on Tync the several troops were * Priiu'osH Caroline Mutildii, then rccontly married to Chrisliun Vll . Kill}? of Domiitirk. THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 65 ordered to halt and assist the civil authorities in 1768 suppressing the violent proceedings of several bands of seamen, who had forcibly levied contri- butions on the inhabitants, and had committed several outrages in that neighbourhood. After reducing the riotous seamen to obedience to the laws, the regiment proceeded to Edinburgh ; but in February, 1769, it was suddenly re-called from 17G1) Scotland, in consequence of the outrageous con- duct of the populace at Blackburn, Manchester, and Warrington having rendered the presence of a considerable military force indispensable for the preservation of property. Tranquillity having 1770 been restored, the regiment marched to the south of England; and in the summer of 1771, it was 177J again reviewed by His Majesty on Wimbledon Common. In May, 1772, the regiment furnished the 1772 Guard at WhitehaP, during the review of the Life and Horse Grenadier Guards. In April of the 1773 following year the several troops assembled at Colchester, and on the 28th of that month com- menced their march for York. On the 15th of Julv, 1773, Field Marshal the Marquis Townshend was appointed Colonel of the Second Dragoon Guards, in succession to Earl Waldegrave, who was removed to the 2n(l Foot Guards. The regiment marched to Scotland in May, 1771 1774; but returned to England in the following year, and was quartered at Lichfield, Coventry, 177r> and Warwick, from whence it proceeded in 1770, 1770 to Worcester : after various change's of (luarters it was again reviewed by His Majesty on Wim- K 1 ! 11 # ^(1 66 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1777bledon Common in May, 1777, and was subse- quently employed on coast duty in Sussex. 1778 In the spring of 1778, the American war having assumed a serious aspect in consequence of the in- tervention of France, the army was augmented, and one hundred men and horses were added to the Queen's Dragoon Guards. During the sum- mer they were encamped on Salisbury Plain ; and in the autumn a further addition of fifty men and horses was made to the establishment. 1779 In April, 1779, the men equipped as Light Dragoons were incorporated with the men of the 1st Dragoon Guards, and 4th and 10th Dragoons, into a regiment, which was numbered the 19th Light Dragoons. During the summer the Queen's Bays were again encamped on Salisbury 1780 Plain. In the following year they were quar- tered at Norwich, and other towns in the county 1781 of Norfolk. They passed the summer of 1781 at York, Leeds, and Bradford ; and in the spring of 1782 1782 they proceeded to Scotland. 1783 Having passed twelve months in Scotland the Queen's Bays returned to England, and were quar- tered at Manchester; from whence they subse- quently marched to Dorchester, and Weymouth ; and the American war having been terminated by the recognition of the independence of the United States, a reduction of ninety men and horses was made in the establishment. 1784 In 1784, in consequence of an application made by the Colonel, the Marquis Townshend, His Majesty gave permission for the facing of the re- giment to be changed from Buff to Black. 178G The regunent was reviewed by His IMajesty on THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 67 Ashford Common, in May, 1786: and after re- ^^^^ peated changes of quarters in that and the two ^'^^^ succeeding years, it again proceeded to Scotland; ^789 where it remained until the spring of 1790, when ^700 it marched to Manchester; from whence it pit>- ^^^^ ceeded the following year, to Exeter, and Taun- 1^92 ton, and in 1792 to Dorchester.* At length the regiment was called upon to ^^'^'^ exchange this routine of marches for the more active and enterprising services of the field. A republican faction had gained the ascendancy in France ; and after promulgating doctrines calcu- lated to inflame the passions of the people and to destroy the good order and harmony of society, the faction seized the rein!^> of Government, deluged the country with the blood of its best and bravest sons, and, to innumerable acts of cruelty and oppression, added the decapitation of their sove- reign. Tliis faction the King of Great Britain refused to recognise as the government of France ; and, uniting with the other powers of Europe, His Majesty sent an army to Flanders under the command of the Duke of York, to act in concert with the forces of the confederate states. These events occasioned an augmentation of three troops to be made to the establishment of the Queen's Bays in February, 1793; and shortly * In November, 17B9, Cornet Le Marchant, from the 6th Dra- fjoons, was appointed to a Lieutenancy in the Queen's Bays. He was promoted to Captain of a Troop in 1791, and to Major of the 16th Dragoons in 1794. In June, 1801, he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor and Superintendant of the Royal Mihtary College ; he was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1811; commanded a brigade of cavalry under Lord Wellington in the Peninsula; and was killed while (barging tlic French infantry ut the battle of iSulamanca, on the 22nd July, 1812- K 2 i ■: ■ N n? i' lif 68 HISTORICAL RECORD OF 1 793 aftervvurds two squadrons embarked at Black- wall to join the British army in Flanders. This detachment landed at Ostend in the month of May ; from whence ic marched to the vicinity of Tournay, and forming part of a corps of reserve and observation, was encamped* between that city and Lisle during the siege of Valenciennes ; and after the surrender of that place to the Duke of York, the Bays marched from the camp and joined the army commanded by His Royal High- ness about the middle of August. The siege of Dunkirk having been resolved on, the Bays marched in the direction of that place ; and on the 23rd and 24th of August, the Duke of York attacked the French out-posts and drove them into the town ; when the siege was com- menced with some prospect of success, and the Bays formed part of the covering army. But the arrival of the heavy artillery, and of the naval force which was to co-operate with the army, was so long delayed, that the republican government of France, making use of coaches, waggons, and every other description of vehicle which they could procure, conveyed, with surprising rapidity, from every part of France, such an immense body of troops to the vicinity of Dunkirk, that after much sharp lighting the covering army was defeated, and His Royal Highness was obliged to raise the siege. On this occasion the Bays, owing to the nature of the ground, had to dismount and act as * The foUowinp corps were at this camp : the 2nd and 3rd Dragoon Guards, two regiments of Austrian Dragoons, one regi- ment of Prussian Hussars, one of Prussian Dragoons, and several battalions of Austrian and Pru!ssian infantry ; in all, about 15,000 men. -I L',!* I THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 69 infantry;* but they only sustained a loss of one 1793 man, who was shot in the body. The French, having made such extraordinary efforts to augment their army, endeavoured to overwhelm the frontiers of the Netherlands by a nmltitude of attacks, and the furious assaults made upon the several posts occupied by the Allies, occasioned the Bays to make several marches and countermarches. But they had no opportunity of distinguishing themselves in conflict until the 27th of October, on which day the British troops ad- vanced from their camp before Tournay to take up the position formerly occupied between Bai- sieux and Cysoing, and, as the columns moved forward, the cavalry went sweeping over the un- dulating grounds to drive in the French out-posts. The right squadron of the Bays, consisting of fifty- six officers and men commanded by Ca|)tain James Hay, was in advance, and as it approached Saingain, a French picquet of six officers and a hundred and fifty men with fourteen hussars were seen emerg- ing from the village and endeavouring to effect their retreat towards Lisle; when the squat^' vi (accompanied by Major Craufurd, aid-de-camp t j the Duke of York) dashed forward, and having gained the right flank of the enemy as they crossed the plain in front of t!ie village of Lezennes, charged them with signal gallantry, — broke their ranks, and cut them down with a terrible carnage. * * Part of the British heavy cavalry ; viz. The Queen's Bays, * Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards, Royal and Inniskiiiing Dra- * goons, were with the covering army on this oacasion under the * command of Sir William Erskine : and from the nature of the * ground they were obliged to dismount and form in line as in- * (anlry.— History of the Campaign «/1793. I I -i i I 70 HISTORICAL RECORD OF m 1793 The French hussars galloped away before the first onset : the picquet, broken and confused, endeavoured to escape; but th6 Bays following close, and smiting the fugitives to the ground in uncontrollable power, while fresh squadrons were seen coming up to join in the pursuit, the surviving Frenchmen surrendered themselves prisoners to the number of one hundred and forty officers and men.* The regiment lost in this brilliant affair only three men killed, and four troop horses wounded. Captain Hay's horse having been shot under him, he mounted a grey horse belonging to the farrier major, on which he continued during the re- mainder of the action. In November the army proceeded into quarters, when the Second Dragoon Guards marched to the cavalry barracks at Ghent. 1794 Several movements were made by the contend- ing forces during the winter, and in February, 1794, the Queen's Bays advanced from Ghent to the cavalry barracks at Tournay. About the middle of April the allied army was concentrated * • A picquet of six officers and 150 men, which had been ' posted at the village of Saingain.retreated across the plain toward ' Lezennes ; they had nearly reached the last-mentioned village, * when a squadron of the Second Dragoon Guards, led by Major * Craufurd, Aide-de-Camp to His R ryal Highness, advancing with ' rapidity, gained their right flank, and charged them with so much ' vigour and success, that not a single man escaped ; 104 prisoners * were taken, and the rest killed upon the spot. — The other * squadron of the Queen's Dragoon Guards, two squadrons of the ' Royals, and a division of Austrian Light Dragoons came up in * the pursuit.' — Sir James Murray's Dispatch. * On the 27th [of October an advance-guard of heavy cavalry * and some Austrian Hussars fell in with a picquet of French ' Infantry retreating towards Lisle. They killed fifty-two on the ' spot, and cut up the rest in such a manner, that only about * twenty escaped, being wounded.' — The Campaign of 1793. Second Dragoon Guards, or Queen's Bays, 1794. c \ THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 71 I on the plains of Cateau, where the British troops 1794 were reviewed by the Emperor of Austria; and on the 17th of that month a general attack was made on the enemy's positions; on which occasion the Bays being formed in brigade with the Scots Greys and Inniskilling Dragoons, sup- ported the attack on the Star redoubt near the village of Vaux, when Major Hay had his horse shot under him, which was the only loss sustained by the regiment. The siege of Landrecies was commenced on the following day, and the Queen's Bays, forming part of the covering army, were encamped near Cateau, and iiiey were engaged in repulsing the attack of the enemy on that post on the 26th of April.* After the surrender of Landrecies, the Bays marched with the army to the vicinity of Tournay, and took part in the action of the 10th of May. On this occasion the French attempted to turn the right flank of the British army, but were repulsed. They subsequently attacked the centre, * Cornet Taylor of the regiment, now Lieuten ant-General Sir Herbert Taylor, Principal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen, was on the Staff as Secretary to the Adjutant-General, and afterwards as Assistant-Secretary to the Duke of York. He joined the army in 1793; was present at the actions at St. Amand and Famars; the sieges of Valenciennes and Dunkirk ; and in 1 794 he joined his regiment in the field to take part in the actions at Cateau, Tournay, and others of less importance during that campaign and the retreat through Holland. He was also with the Duke of York in Holland in 1 799. He was promoted Lieutenant in the regiment in 1794; Captain in 1795, and Major in 1801 ; and was promoted in the same year to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the 9th West India Regiment. He obtained the rank of Colonel in 1810; Major-General in 1813; and Lieutenant-General in 1825. He has held, at different periods, the appointments of Private Secretary to the Duke of York, Secretary to George IIL, Military Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, Adjutant-General of the Forces, and Principal Aide-de-Camp to George IV., Wil- liam IV., and Her present Majesty. 72 HISTORICAL RECORD OF P' I H t I 1794 and while the conflict was going forward, the Bays, with severa? other corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Harcourt, were detached to turn the enemy's right flank. This manoeuvre succeeded. The British squadrons taking the enemy in flank and rear, broke their columns and chased them from the field with a terrible carnage and confusion ; at the same time the Queen's Bays drove a regiment of French cavalry out of the field. The loss of the regiment in this action was two men killed and two ruissing; also three horses killed, two wounded, and two missing. In repulsing the general attack made by the French army on the 22nd of May, with the view of forcing the passage of the Scheldt and investing Tournay, the Queen's Bays were not engaged ; they were formed up in front of their camp ground, and prepared for action ; but the enemy did not attack that part of the position.* Notwithstanding these repulses, the French, by their compulsory system of recruiting, replaced their losses with a facility which enabled them constantly to bring forward fresh armies, and on the 26th of June the Austrians were defeated on the plains of Fleurus. The Duke of York finding that, from the defeat an.' retrograde movements of the Austrians, he should be unable to resist the overpowering numbers of the enemy, rcitired from * • May 22nd. — A column consisting of Ave or six tliousund * men made its apj)earance towards our left, on which account the * brigade of Guards, and British Heavy Cavalry remained ready 'for action on their campground «11 that day; but the French ' observing our advantageous situation, and dreading the thought * of meeting the British Cavalry a second time on an open jtiaiii, * thought proper not to make any approaches.'— /^?f>j/'n,vyoi/r/i«/. THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 73 his position before Tournay ; and the remainder 1794 of the campaign consisted of skirmishes and a series of retreats through Flanders and Holland. The operations of Jio army ivert continued during the winter ; the troops suffered much from priva- tion and inclement weather, and amidst all their difficulties they displayed great fortitude and bravery. The Queen's Bays, after sharing in all the hard- 1795 ships and privations of this long retreat and winter campaign, arrived in the beginning of 1795 in Lc\ver Saxony, where they went into quarters of refreshment near the river Weser. They did not take part in any farther miiiiary operations ; and having passed the summer encamped in Germany, in the autumn they returned to their former quar- ters on the banks of the Weser, and in Novem- ber embarked at Bremen for England. Having landed at South Shields on the 29th of December, they marched from thence to Ipswich, and joined the depot at that place in February following. The regiment passed the summer of 1796 in 17U6 barracks at Romford, from whence it proceeded into quarters near Wimbledon, and having been reviewed on Wimbledon Common by King George HI., it afterwards returned *o its former station. In the following year it left Romford, and was 1797 quartered at Salisbuiy and Southampton: and in the spring of 1798, the muskeis and pair of large 1798 pisto' ucrotofore used, were rcphict'd by <'!irbin*"' and a ,>'iii-lepi",ol of snuiJler calibre, f^ M'in<» tiie summer of this year (179S) it Avas encu.MOod I'ear Windsor; and alterwards marched to Croydon barracks. 1^1 II 74 HISTORICAL UECORD OF 1799 The regiment was again reviewed by His Majesty on Wimbledon Common in the spring of 1799 ; it subsequently encamped near Windsor, on the same ground as during tho preceding summer ; from whence it proceeded in the autumn to quarters at Hertford, Ware, Hoddesden, and Hatfield. At the same time the establishment was augmented to ten troops ; and the regiment was ordered to be remounted on Nag-tailed horses. 1800 In the early part of 1800 it marched to South- ampton, Wallingborough, and Peterborough ; in 1801 August to Exeter; and in the spring of 1801 to Bristol and Bath. 1802 After the conclusion of the peace of Amiens, the establishment was reduced from ten to eight troops. In August, 1802,* the regiment marched from Bristol and Bath to Scotland, and on its arrival, occupied Piershill barracks, near Edinburgh. 1803 From Scotland the regiment proceeded, in the spring of 1803,f to Ireland, and on its arrival. \ f i * On the 3rd of February, 1802, Sir James Erskine, Bart., was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Queen's Bays. He entered the army in 1788 as Ensign in the 26th Foot, and served with his regiment in Canada. He served in 1793 and 1794 in Flanders, and was at several sharp engagements. In 1796 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 15th Light Dragoons. He served in Holland in 1799. In 1800 he was appointed Aide- de-Camp to the King; and in 1802 Lieutenant-Colonel of the Queen's Bays. In 1 808 he was promoted to the rank of Major- General: <->nd in 1809 he commanded a brigade of cavalry under Lord Wellington in Portugal ; and in 1813 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Gencral. He died on the 3rd of March, 1825. t On the 3rd of December. 1803, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Ballard Long was appointed to tlip Queen's Bays. He entered the army in 1791 as Cornet in the Ist Dragoon Guards ; served in Flanders and, Holland in 1793 and 1794; and, having been ap- pointed Lieutenant-Colonel of Hompesche's Mounted Riflemen, no Hcrvcd in Ireland during the rebellion in 1798. In IHOI he was appointed to the command of the York Hussars; in 1803 to the Lieutenant- Colonelcy of the Buys ; and in 1805 ho was re- moved, flrst to the 16th, and afterwards to the Idth Light Dra- THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 75 occupied quarte at Dundalk, Navau, Lisburn, 1803 Drogheda, and Man of War. In July, five troops proceeded to Dublin, in consequence of the riots occasioned by R. Emmett, at the time Viscount Kilwarden, Chief Justice of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench, was murdered by the rebels. This year, the efficiency of the regiment was increased by the addition of three captains, who released the field officers from the charge of troops.* Six troops of the regiment encamped on the 1804 Curragh of Kildare in July, 1804 ; at the same time the two other troops were stationed at Long- ford and Roscommon ; and on the 1st of Septem- ber, the eight troops went into quarters at Phillips- town, TuUamore, and Longford. In August, 1805, the regiment was again 1805 encamped on the Curragh of Kildare : from whence it proceeded to its former quarters in September ; and in December marched to Dublin, and em- barked for England. After landing at Liverpool on the 25th of December, it was inspected by the Duke of Gloucester, commanding the district; and at the end of the month marched to Birming- ham and Coventry. goons. In 1 809 bo served under Sir John Moore in Spain, and was at the battle of Corunna. He was Adjutant-General to the Forces in the Walcberoii expedition, in the same year, and was promoted to the .rank of Major-General in 1811. He served under Lord Wellington in the Peninsula, and commanded a brigade at the battle of Vittoria, in 1813. Ho died on the 2nd of March, 18'25. * When the regiment was raised in 1G85, the Colonel and Lieu- tenant-Colonel were also Captains of troops ; and the Lieutenant who commanded the Colonel's troop was styled Captain-Lieutenant. At first the Major had no troop ; but when a vacancy occurred, the Captain appointed to the Majority retained his troop, and tiie three Field OHicers continued to hold also the Captaincy of troops until 1803, when that practice was abolished. l2 76 HISTORICAL RECORD OF m 1806 In March, 1806, it proceeded to Dorchester and Blandford ; at the same time the Avar with France having recommenced in 1803, the establishment was again augmented to ten troops. In August, the regiment marched to Plymouth, and four troops were embarked, dismounted, on board the Malta, Captain, and Theseus, ships of war, for the purpose of proceeding with the expedition ordered to South America, under the command of Lieute- nant-General Whitelock; but a French squadron having been discovered at sea, the troops were dis- embarked, and the ships of war sailed in quest of the enemy's fleet. The head -quarters of the regiment were after- wards established at Salisbury, where a draft of one hundred and twenty horses was received from the 20th Light Dragoons, in consequence of that regiment being ordered to proceed to South America dismounted. 1807 In 1807 the regiment was stationed at Chiches- ter and Arundel ; and in September of the same year, Major-General Charles Gregan Craufurd was appointed its Colonel, in succession to the Marquis Townshend, deceased. 1808 From Chichester, the regiment proceeded in July, 1808, to Hastings, Piershill, Bletchingtoii, Rye, and East])ourne, where it remained until December, when it marched to Canterbury. This year the men's hair, which had been worn long, powdered, and tied in u queue, was ordered to be cut short. 1809 In 1809, a considerable armament was fitted out, and a nunil>or of troojjs embarked for the occupation of Flushing, and for the destruction of THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 77 the French ships of war, arsenals, and dock-yards, 1809 on the Scheldt. The troops were commanded by the Earl of Chatham ; and the naval part of the expedition was placed under the orders of Sir Richard Strachan. Six troops of the Second Dragoon Guards forming part of the expedition, were embarked at Ramsgate on the 23rd of July. On the 28th and 29th of the same month the fleet sailed in two divisions, and on the 1st of August, Flushing was invested by sea and land. After a severe bombardment, the place surrendered, and the garrison, consisting of nearly 6000 men, were made prisoners of war. In the mean time a numerous French army had assembled near Antwerp ; the forts on the Scheldt were well manned, and every preparation had been made for opposing the passage of the British navy and army, and also for removing the shipping so high up the river as to be out of danger. The design of forcing the Scheldt was therefore laid aside, and the troops returned to England. The occupation of Flushing was afterwards found so detrimental to the health of the men, that the forts of the port were destroyed and the island evacuated. The six troops of the Queen's Bays were disembarked at Ramsgate on the 4th of September, and joined the remainder of the regi- ment at Canterbury on the same day. Great public excitement having arisen in the 1810 metropolis, in consequence of the House of Com- mons having ordered one of its members (Sir Francis Burdett) to be sent to the Tower, the civil authorities were unable to restrain the violence of the p(>|)ulace ; when re(|uisition was 78 HISTORICAL RECORD OF ■1 J. it m 'li' M ■ I 'l^ f! . f 1810 made for the aid of a military force; and on the 8th of April, 1 810, the Queen's Bays were direct- ed to proceed to the immediate vicinity of London ; the Government persisted in enforcing the man- date of the House of Commons, and Sir Francis Burdett was conveyed under a military escort to the Tower: tranquillity was soon afterwards restored, and the troops returned to their former quarters at Canterbury on the 27th of the same month. 1811 In May, 1811, the regiment again proceeded to the environs of the metropolis ; and on the 10th of June, it was reviewed on Wimbledon Common by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom : together with the House- hold troops, 3rd Dragoons, 10th Hussars, 12th Light Dragoons, 15th Hussars, and 18th Hussars *. with the militia and volunteers of London and its vicinity, amounting to about 20,000 men. In July, the regiment marched to the north of England. Tliis year the cocked hats were ordered to be replaced by brass helmets; and the coats having cross-bar lace on the breast, skirts, and cuffs, were directed to be replaced by short coatees, with a stripe of lace down the breast, and round the collar, skirts, and cuffs. 1812 In the two following years the Second Dragoon 1813 Guards were actively employed in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Leicestershire, in aiding the civil authorities in the preservation of property against the violence of the Luddites — a set of men who had combined for the purpose of destroying machinery. In December, 1813, eight troops of the regiment marched to Deal and Rauisgate for the purpose of ! i THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 79 embarking for foreign service ; but in consequence 1813 of the great advantages gained by the allies over the French in the Peninsula and on the Continent, it was not thought necessary to embark the regi- ment. At length the sovereigns of Europe effected the 1814 expulsion of Napoleon Buonaparte from France, and the restoration of the Bourbon family. On the departure of Louis XVIII. from England, to ascend the throne of France, His Majesty was attended at Dover, where he embarked on the 20th of April, 1814, by two squadrons of the Second Dragoon Guards. In June, the regiment was stationed near London, and on the 20th of that month, it was reviewed, with other corps, in Hyde Park, by the Prince Regent, accompanied by the Emperor of Russia, King of Prussia, and several British and Foreign Princes and Nobles. In the following month it marched to Scotland : and on the 25th of July, the establishment was reduced to eight troops. The return of Napoleon Buonaparte from 1815 Elba, with his resumption of the throne of France, his defeat at Waterloo, and his subsequent exile to the island of St. Helena, are important events in the history of Europe. While the arms of Britain were triumphant at Waterloo, this regiment was stationed in Scotland ; but so great had been the loss sustained in this action, that to maintain in the field the number of troops stipulated by treaty, several additional corps were sent to the continent, and six troops of the Queen's Buys were ordered for this service. At the same time the establishment was increased to ten troops. 80 HISTORICAL RECORD OF i 1815 The six troops ordered for service abroad, com* menced their march from Scotland on the 27th of June, in three divisions ; — embarked at Dover and Ramsgate about the end of the following month ; and landed at Ostend in the beginning of August, in order to re-inforce the army under Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington. Although the campaign had already concluded, and the armies of the allies were in possession of the capital of France, the regiment marched to the vicinity of Paris, where it arrived on the 26th of August ; and on the 2nd of September it was reviewed (with six other regiments of British cavalry)* by the Emperor of Russia; who ex- pressed great admiration of the fine appearance, and high state of discipline, of the several corps. The regiment subsequently passed in review before the Emperor of Russia, Emperor of Austria, and King of Prussia, who were attended by a number of distinguished Princes and Nobles of the several states of Europe. 1816 After the conclusion of the definitive treaties, the Queen's Dragoon Guards formed part of an army of occupation which remained on the fron- tiers of France. The regiment was quartered near St. Omers ; and the whole of the cavalry and horse artillery! were reviewed near that place on the 12th, and again on the 15th of October, * 1*/ Brigade. — Ist Life Guards; 2n(l Life Guards; Royal Horse Guards ; and 1st Dragoon Guards. Sth Bn'gadfi. — 2nd Dragoon Guards ; 3rd Dragoon Guards ; and 3rd Draf^oons. Horse Artillery. — One troop, f \st Brigade.— 2xiii Dragoon Guards; 3rd Dragoons; and Colonel Bull's troop of Royal Horse Artillery. 271 d Brigade.— \2i\x Light Dragoons, and 18th Light Dra- goons. 3rrf Brigade,— 7ih Hussars, and 11th Light Dragoon«. t I THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 81 1816, by the Duke of Wellington. On the 22nd 1816 of the same month His Grace saw the army of occunation (artillery, cavalry, and infantry), on the plains of St. Denain, and witnessed the troops go through the formula of a general engagement. This year the establishment of the regiment was reduced from ten to eight troops. In 1817 the Queen's Bays occupied quarters 1817 in the vicinity of Calais ; subsequently near Cam- bray, where the legiment was reviewed by the Duke of Wellington ; and on the 17th of October retuiiied to its former cantonments near Calais.; the Head Quarters of the regiment being estab- lished at Guines. On the 29th of June, 1818, the Second Dra- is 18 goon Guards were reviewed on the sands near Calais, by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, who was pleased to express his admiration of the appearance and discipline of the corps. The regi- ment afterwards marched to quarters near St. Omers ; subsequently to the vicinity of Cambray, near which place the several corps were reviewed by the Duke of Wellington ; and on the 23rd of October the Emperor of Russia and King of Prussia reviewed the army of occupation near Haspres. On the 7th of November* the Queen's Dragoon 1818 * Brigade Order. • Hardtnghen, 4th November, 1818. • Major-General Lord Edward Somerset, in taking leave of the * two regiments (2nd Dragoon Guards and 3rd Dragoons), which * he has had the honour to comixiand for nearly three years, begs * to congratulate them on the approbation expressed at their con^ * dur,; by the Lieutenant-General commanding the cavalry, as * well as by the distinguished OHicers who have lately seen them * in the field. The Major-General lias great pleasure in assuring * them of thelsensc he entertains of their good conduct : he requests M 89 HISTORICAL RECORD OF il '. Guards embarked at Calais, and landed at Dover on the following day, from whence the troops marched to quarters at Egham, Staines, and adjacent vil- lages ; where an order was received for the reduc- tion of the establishment to 439 non-commissioned officers and privates, and 273 troop-horses. About the end of November the regiment marched to Bristol, and in the following month embarked for Ireland. 1819 In 1819 the regiment was stationed in the south-east and western districts of Ireland, and at the usual half-yearly inspections obtained the ap- probation of the district commanders.* 1820 After occupying various stations during the summer of 1820, the regiment marched to Dublin :f from whence it proceeded,, on the 23rd of September, to Newbridge barracks. * the Officers commanding the two regiments and troop of Horse < Artillery, and the officers in general, will accept his thanks for < the zeal and attention they have manifested in the discharge < of their duties, and he offers them his best wishes for their future *. welfare and prosperity.' ♦ Souib-Ea^t Pistrict Order. • Caher, 5th May, 1819. ' Major-General Doyle is much pleased with the excellent ap- ^ pearance the Queen's Dragoon Guards made this day at their * half-yearly inspection. The horses are not only of a superior *• description ; but the mt^nner in which they have been trained^ < the condition they are in, the uniform seat of the soldier, and < the riding in general, mark the attention which must have been * paid by the Kiding-Master, Lieutenant Dyer, and every indivi- * dual concerned. The manoeuvres in the field, the sword « exercise, the marchingi and the several charges, were performed" « with celerity and precision. The care of the sick, the state of < the hospital and of the- barracks, the good behaviour of the men^ * since their arrival in the district, and the whole interior economy t of the regiment, cannot be surpcKsed^ and rellect infinite credit ( on Lieutenant-Colonel Kearney, who appears to have been ably t supported in his command.' + 'Garrison Orders. ' Dublin, 22nd September, 1820. ' Miyor-General Sir C. Grant cannot allow the 2nd Dragoon, f THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 83 I In March, 1821> Lieutenant-General Sir C. G. 1821 Craufurd, G.C.B., died; and on the 2nd of April the Colonelcy of the Second Dragoon Guards was conferred on General William Loftus. In April the regiment marched to Dublin, and on the 23rd of that month it was reviewed, with the whole of the troops in garrison,* by the Lord- Lieutenant (Earl Talbot). On the 29th of May the regiment embarked for England ; and, after disembarking at Holyhead and Liverpool on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of June, marched to Sheffield, Burnley, Halifax and Huddersfield. In August the establishment was reduced to six troops ; and the total number of non-commissioned officers and privates to 335, and the troop-horses to 253. In the same month the regiment proceeded to New- castle-upon-Tyne and Carlisle ; and in May of the 1822 following year to York and Leeds. In 1823 and 1824 the regiment was quartered 1823 at Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham, and 1824 places adjacent. In the following year it marched to the vicinity of Hounslow ; and formed part of 1825 a division of cavalry which was reviewed on Hounslow Heath, on the 28th of June, by His Royal Highness the Duke of York, who was ac- * Guards to return to Newbridge barracks without expressing to * Colonel Kearney, to the Officers, and to the naen, his entire ap- * probation of this excellent corps. The appearance of the regi- *ment in the' field, the pointed attention of all classes to their * respective duties, and the conseLi;t- 1833 land. In the following year it returned to Eng- ipnd, and was quartered at Nottingham and the ad]:c it towns ; and on the 10th September it was ins[>ect.»Mi > i i Bulwell Forest by His Royal High" ht'ss the Duke of Sussex, Avho was pleased to ex- l\ JSecond nrngoon OiiMdi, or Quecn'-i Uhvh, 1837. f".. f-.u. imgf m. ' THE SECOND DRAGOON GUARDS. 85 press his approbation of the soldierlike appearance 1833 of the corps, and of the celerity and precision of its field movements. In 1834 it was removed to Ipswich ; and in 1834 May, 183J, it embarked for Ireland, where it has 1835 since continued to serve. On the 20th of February, 1837, the Colonelcy 1837 having become vacant by the decease of Sir James Hay, was conferred on Lieut. -General Sir Thomas Gage Montresor, K.C.H. The present year brings this memoir of the Second, or Queen's Dragoon Guards to a conclusion. Tliis regimf:nt, when first embodied, formed part of that respectable and efficient force. The English Horse, which was celebrated for valour in the field, and for good conduct in quarters. It has served as Third Horse and Second Dragoon Guards, through an extended and eventful period of history, in which the army has rendered the most important services to the kingdom ; and ^vhen this regiment has had oppor- tunities of confronting a foreign enemy in the field, it has evinced an ardent and gjdlant bearing, characteristic of the native valour of Britons ; and it has preserved, by its conduct on all occasions, an unblemished reputation through the vicissitudes of one hundred and fifty years. SUCCESSION OF COLONELS OF THB SECOND, OR QUEEN'S DRAGOON GUARDS. Henry Earl op Peterborough, K.G. Appointed 20th June, 1685. The Earl of Peterborough was a zealous supporter of tlie royal cause during the civil war in the reign of King Charles I. Being firmly attached to his sovereign, and to monarchial government, he displayed his ab« horrence to the proceedings of the disaffected, by joining the noblemen who rallied round the standard of their king, and in the subsequent struggles he became con- spicuous for constancy, valour, and devotion to his sove- reign. He raised a regiment of Foot at his own expense ; distinguished himself in several actions with the forces of the Parliament, particularly at the battle of Newbury, where he was severely wounded ; and he was repeatedly imprisoned for his loyal attempts. In 1648 his Lordship engaged with the Earl of Hol- land and others, in an attempt to rescue the king from his imprisonment; and on their defeat the Earl of Hol- land was taken and beheaded. Tlie Earl of Peterborough and his brother John (who was subsequently created Viscount Avelon) escaped ; but they were voted traitors to tlie Commonweahh, and their estates sequestered. On the marriage of King Charles II. the Earl of Peterborough was appointed Governor of Tangier in Africa (part, of the Queen's dowry), and Colonel of a veginieniof Foot, and Captain of a troop of Horse, raised 88 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. to garrison that fortress.* After his return to England, in 1663, he was employed on a mission to the Court of Modena; and on the accession of King James II. in 1685, his Lordship was elected a Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter. On the breaking out of the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, he obtained the Colonelcy of the Third Horse, f from which he was removed on the 31st of December, 1688, by the Prince of Orange. In the following year he was impeached of high treason for being reconciled to the church of Rome ; but the impeachment was afterwards dropped. He died on the 19th of June, 1697, having witnessed three great national events ; namely, the decapitation of King Charles I. and the formation of the Commonwealth ; the restoration * These corps were raised in 1661. The regiment of Foot is how the Second, or Queen's Royal. The Horse raised for the defence of Tangier were, in 1680, augmented to four troops, and in 1683 they were constituted Royal Dragoons, and are now desig- nated the First, or Royal Regimtnt of Dragoons. + The following copy of a warrant, appointing George Carpenter (afterwards General Lord Carpenter) Quarter Master of the Third Horse, shows the various offices held by the Earl of Peterborough: ' Hknrv Earl of Pkterborough, Peer of England, Lord ' Mordaunt, Lord Baron of Turvey, Groom of the Stole, and first • Gentleman of the Bed Chamber to his Majesty, Lord High ' Steward to the Queen, Lord-Lieutenant of the county of Nortli- • ampton, one of the Lords of his Majesty's Most Honourable Privy ' Council, and Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter ; ' To George Carpenter, Gentleman. • By virtue of a commission unto me given by the King's • most excellent Majesty to be Colonel of a regiment of Horse, I • do hereby appoint and constitute you to be Quarter Master of ' that troop in my regiment whereof the Lord Aylesbury is Captain. • You are therefore to take upon you the care and charge of Quarter ' Master, and duly and carefully to doe and execute all things • appertaining or incident to the place and duty of Quarter Master, • and the officers and soldiers of the said troop are to acknowledge you as Quarter Master to the same ; and you are to observe and follow such orders and directions as you shall fiom time to time receive from me or oilier your superior officer, according to the discipline of warr, and in pursuance of the trust reposed in you. ' Given under my hand and seal this -'nd day of March, 1085G, in the second year of His Majesty's reign. 'Pktkrhorouoh.' SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 89 of monarchy; and the revoUition of 1688; and was suc- ceeded in his titles, &c. by his nephew, who became celebrated for his conduct in the war of the Spanish succession. The Honourable Edward Villiers. Appointed S\st December, 1688. Edward Villiers, eldest son of Viscount Grandison, entered the army in 1671, and rose to the rank of Lieut.- Colonel in King Charles II. 's own troop of Life Guards (now the 1st regiment of Life Guards). He also held the same appointment in the reign of James II.; and during the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, he com- manded the brigade of Life Guards and Horse Grenadier Guards which marched to the west of England, and dis- tinguished themselves at the battle of Sedgmoor. In December, 1688, he was on duty at Whitehall Palace, when the king fled for France, and his laudable conduct at the head of the guard was conducive to the sup- pression of the disturbances which followed. On the 31st of that month the Prince of Orange appointed him Colonel of the Third Horse. In the following year he conmianded the cavalry in Ireland ; and serving, during the remainder of the war in that country, in the capacity of Brigadier-General, he acquired the reputaliu of a spirited and efficient officer. He died in 1693. Richard Leveson. Appointed \Wi January, 1694. On the breaking out of the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth, in Juno 1685, Richard Leveson, Esq., raised a troop of Dragoons for the service of King James 11., which troop was, in the first instance, added to the Royal Regiment of Dragoons ; but it was afterwards incor- porated in the Queen's Regiment, now 3rd Light Dra- goons. On the 1st of Jidy, 16S7, he was appointed to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy, and in December of the fol- n 90 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. lowing year to the Colonelcy of the same corps. He served at the head of his regiment in Ireland in 1689, 1690, and 1691, and highly distinguished himself on several occasions, particularly on detached services, by which he acquired great celebrity ; and after the decease of Brigadier-General Villiers, King William III. con- ferred the Colonelcy of the Third Horse on this gallant and meritorious officer. He afterwards served under the king in Flanders, and died on the 3rd of March, 1699. Daniel Harvey. Appointed 25th March, 1699. This Officer, after a service of several years in the subordinate commissions, obtained the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel in the 2nd troop (now 2nd regiment) of Life Guards, in which corps he served under King William in Flanders and in 1699 he was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Third Horse. In the war of the Spanish succession he served under the Earl of Galway in Portugal and Spain, where he acquired the character of a brave and intelligent officer, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General in 1707, and to that of General in 170^ In 1711, when many distinguished officers were removed from their commands by the new ministry, General Harvey also quitted his regiment. He died in September, 1732. i I I John Bland. Appointed l.st January, 1712. John Bland served in the wars of Queen Anne, under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough, arxl on the removal of General Harvey he obtained the Colonelcy of the Third Horse ; and died three years afterwards. SUCCIiSSlON OF COLOWELS. 91 Thomas Pitt. Appointed ^th February, 1715. Thomas Pitt* entered the army in 1703, and served under the Duke of Marlborough in Flanders. He was subsequently a member of Parliament ; and, in 1715 King George appointed him to the Colonelcy of the Third Horse. On the 3rd of June, 1719, he was created a Peer of Ireland by the title of Baron of LoNDONDERRr. In August, 1726, he was removed to the 3rd Foot ; and he was advanced to the dignity of E\rl of Londonderry in October of the same year. In 1727 he was appointed Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief of his Ma- jesty's Leeward Islands in America ; and he died at the Island of St. Christopher on the 1 2th of September, 1729. John Duke of Argyle, K.T. and K.G. Appointed 2Gth August, 1726. This Nobleman betook himself to a military life at an early age, and in 1694 he was Colonel of a regiment of Foot, in the service of the States General of Holland, with which corps he served under King William in Flanders. After the conclusion of the war he was elected a Knight of the Thistle. On the commencement of hos- tilities in the reign of Queen Anne, he was appointed Colonel of a newly-raised regiment of P'oot, (afterwards disbanded) and after the decease of his father in 1703, he was promoted to the Colonelcy of the Scots Troop of Life Guards, He served on the continent under the great Duke of Marlborough, and distinguished himself in 1706 at the battle of Ramilies, where he was wounded. He also captiu'ed the fort of Plassendale, assisted at the siege of Ostend, and distinguished himself at the siege of * Thomas Pitt, fatliei- of the above, was governor of Fort St. George in the East Indies in the reign of Queen Anne; and while in that country he purchased a diamond for 20,400/. ; which lie afterwards sold to Louis XV. lur 13.'), 000/. sterling. N 2 92 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. r i in Menin; and in February, 1707, he obtained the Colo- nelcy of the 3rd Foot. In the succeeding campaign his Grace displayed great gallantry at the battle of Oudenard, where he commanded twenty battalions of Infantry : he also assisted at the siege of Lisle, and afterwards at the siege of Ghent. He was employed in the siege of Tour- nay, in 1709, in which service he was wounded ; and in the attack made upon the enemy's fortified encampment near Malplaquet he displayed great valour and contempt of danger. In 1710 he was elected a Knight of the Garter; and he was subsequently appointed to the com- mand of the British troops in Spain ; but shortly after he had joined the army in Catalonia, in 1711, he was taken seriously ill and obliged to quit the field. On his return to England he was appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle, and Commander-in-Chief in Scot- land ; afterwards joining with the opposition to the mi- nistry, he was removed from his commands. But on the accession of King George I. he was again appointed Commander-in-Chief in Scotland, also Governor of Mi- norca; and in 1715 he was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Royal Horse Guards. During the winter of 1715- 16, he displayed great military talents in suppressing the rebellion of the Earl of Mar; but he afterwards joined the opposition, ana was again dismissed from his commands. He was, however, restored to his Majesty's favour and confidence in 1719, and was created Duke of Greenwich. He was also appointed Master- General of the Ordnance in 1725; Colonel of the Queen's Horse in 1726; Governor of Portsmouth in 1731; and was removed to the Colonelcy of the Blues in 1733. In 1735 this distinguished nobleman was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. He however joined the oppo- sition to Sir Robert Walpole, and in 1740 he was once more dismissed from his appointments ; but on the change of the ministry in 1742, he was again appointed Colonel of the Blues ; he resigned that commission shortly after- wards, and died in the autumn of 1743. SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 93 William Evans. Appointed Qth August, 1733. This Officer entered the army as Ensign on the 24th of July, 1689, and served in the wars of King William until the peace of Ryswick, in 1697. Shortly after the accession of Queen Anne, he was commissioned to raise a regiment of Foot, at the head of which he served with distinction under the great Duke of Marlborough ; and was advanced to the rank of Brigadier- General in 1707, and to that of Majo:*- General on the 1st of January, 1710. After the peace of Utrecht his regiment of Foot was disbanded, when he obtained the Colonelcy of the 4th Dragoons, from which he was removed in 1733 to the Queen's Horse ; and died on the 29th of January, 1740. John Duke of Montague, K.G., K.B. Appointed 6th May, 1 740. This Noblemam was an officer in the reign of Queen Anne, and in May, 1715, King George I. appointed him to the Colonelcy of the 1st troop of Life Guards, which gave him the privilege of taking the court duty of Gold Stick in Waiting ; but he resigned his commission in 1721. He was re-appointed in 1737; but was re- moved in the same year. In 1740 he was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Queen's Horse, and constituted Master-General of the Ordnance ; and on the breaking out of the rebellion in 1745, he raised a regiment of Carabiniers and a regiment of Foot, which were dis- banded after the overthrow of the insurgents at Cul- loden. He died in 1749. SiK JOHW LlGONIKR, lv.I3. Appointed 24th Jriy, 1749. ' John Ligomer obtained a commission in the army in 1703, and served in all the subsequent campaigns of the 04 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. Ti rl:- great Duke of Marlborough, where in numerous battles and sieges he displayed those qualities which eventually raised him to the highest military rank, and procured him a celebrity seldom equalled. In 1720 he was ap- pointed to the Colonelcy of the 8th Horse, (now 7th Dragoon Guards) and he subsequently held an appoint- ment on the Staff of Ireland. In 1742 he proceeded with his regiment to the Netherlands ; he obtained the rank of Lieutenant-General in the following year, and served under the king at the battle of Dettingen, where his distinguished gallantry attracted the attention of his Majesty, who constituted him a Knight Banneret under the Royal Standard. This brave officer continued to serve on the continent with distinction, and at the battle of Fontenoy in 1745, he set a noble example of valour and magnanimity worthy of imitation. He commanded the British troops at the battle of Roucoux in 1746, where he displayed great talent ; and he commanded the cavalry at the battle of Val, in 1747, where, charging at the head of the Scots Greys, his horse was killed under him, and he was taken prisoner. The Colonelcy of the Queen's Dragoon Guards was conferred on Sir John Ligonier in 1749; and in 1753 he was removed to the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards. In 1757 he was created a Peer of Ireland by the title of Viscount Ligonier : he was appointed Commander-in- Chief and Colonel of the 1st Foot Guards in the same year; and in 1759 he was constituted Master-General of the Ordnance. His Lordship was subsequently advanced to the rank of Field Marshal, He was created a Peer of Great Britain by the title of Baron Ligonier in 1763; was advanced to the rank of Earl Ligonier in 1 766 ; and after serving the crown faithfully a period of sixty- seven years, he died, on the 28th of April, 1770, at the advanced age of 91. ■ ^ :■' SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. \t:) The Honourable William Herbert. Apjjointed 27th January, 1753. The Honourable William Herbert, fifth son of Thomas eighth Earl of Pembroke, and father of Henry I. Earl of Caernarvon, after serving in the subordinate com- missions, was promoted by King George H. to the Colo- nelcy of the Queen's Dragoon Guards, in 1753. He died 31st of March, 1757. Lord George Sackville. Appointed bth April, 1757. Lord George Sackville, youngest son of his Grace the Duke of Dorset, entered the army in 1737, and on the 19th of July, 1740, he was appointed Lieutenant- Colonel of the 28th Regiment of Foot. His distinguished behaviour at the battle of Dettingen recommended him to the notice of King George II. ; and a few days after- wards his Lordship was appointed one of the king's Aides-de-Camp. He continued to serve in the sub- sequent campaigns ; again distinguished himself at the head of his regiment at the battle of Fontenoy, and was wounded. His Lordship was also actively employed under the Duke of Cumberland, in 1746, in suppressing the rebellion in Scotland ; and on the 9th of April in the same year, he was advanced to the Colonelcy of the 20th Regiment of Foot. He served under the Duke of Cum- berland in the campaigns of 1747 and 1748 ; and on the 1st of November in the following year, he was removed to the command of the 12th Dragoons. In January, 1750, the Colonelcy of the King's Carabiniers (now 6th Dragoon Guards) was given to Lord George Sackville ; and seven years afterwards he was removed to the Queen's Dragoon Guards. In 1758 his Lordship was second in command of the expedition which proved so fatal to the French shipping and naval stores at St. Maloes : about the end of the same year he was second % SUCCESSION OF COLONELS V'- in command of the army sent to Germany under the Duke of Marlborough ; and after the death of his Grace, Lord George Sackviile was appointed Commander-in- Chief of the British troops in Germany, under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, Generalissimo of the allied army there, in the pay of Great Britain. In the follow- ing year, in consequence of some misunderstanding with his Serene Highness at the battle of Minden, his Lord- ship obtained permission to return to England, and was shortly afterwards deprived of his military appointments. He died 26th April, 1785. The Honourable John Waldegrave. Appointed lOth September, 1759. The Honourable John Waldegrave obtained a com- mission in the First Foot Guards in 1737, and having rose to the rank of Major in the Third Guards, he was, in 1751, promoted to the Colonelcy of the 9th Regiment of Foot. Having attained the rank of Major-General, he commanded a division of British Infantry in the campaign in Germany, in 1759; and at the battle of Minden his extraordinary presence of mind at a critical moment contributed materially to the gaining of the victory. In September of the same year he obtained the Colonelcy of the Queen's Dragoon Guards ; and during the three subsequent campaigns, he gave signal proofs of bravery and ability as a commander ; as well as of generosity and a tender compassion for the suffer- ings of the peasantry whose unfortunate country was the seat of war, and also for the troops who frequently under- went great privations in Germany. In 1763 he succeeded to the title of Earl Waldegrave. In July, 1773, he was removed to the Coldstream Guards, the command of which corps he retained until his decease, on the 22nd October, 1784. ■i: SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. George Marquis Townshend. 9; Appointed \bth July, 1773. Lord Townshend entered the army at an early age, and served iu Germany under the Duke of Cumberland ; but owing to some misunderstanding on the subject of promotion, he resigned his commission. He, however, again entered the army in 1758; and having obtained the restoration of his rank, he was appointed Colonel of the 64th Foot in the following year, and went third in command to North America. His Lordship served under Major- General Wolfe, and commanded a brigade at the battle of Montmorency (31 st July, 1759), where he con- ducted himself with great prudence and magnanimity at that critical juncture. He also commanded under Major- General Wolfe at the celebrated battle on the heights of Abraham (13th September, 1759), and after the fall of that General, the command of the army devolved on Brigadier-General Townshend, whose judicious conduct ensured the victory ; and he gained possession of Quebec a few days afterwards. In October, 1759, he was re- moved to the command of the 28th Foot; and in 1761 he served in Germany under the Marquis of Granby. About this time Portugal was menaced by Spain ; and Major- General Townshend was appointed second in command of a body of British troops embarked for the protection of that country, and designed also to infuse a spirit of order, dis- cipline, and subordination amongst the Portuguese. In 1773 his Lordship was appointed Colonel of the Queen's Dragoon Guards ; and he retained the command of that corps until his decease, in September, 1807. Sir Charles Gregan Craufurd, G.C.B. Appointed \%th September, 1807. This Officer entered the army in 1778 as a comet in the 1st Dragoon Guards ; he obtained the command of 98 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 1 '■ ! ■ 1 \t : li a troop in the Second Dragoon Guards in 1783 ; and on the breaking out of the war in 1793, he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Duke of York. He attended his Koyal Highness during the campaign of that and the following year, and was present at nearly every battle and skirmish in wliich the British troops were engaged, and at many engagements between the French and Austrians. He was appointed Major of the regiment on the 29th of January, 1794, and Lieutenant-Colonel on the 1st of March following: also Deputy- Adjutant General to the Duke of York's army on the 2nd of Feb- ruary, 1794. In the following year he was sent to the Austrian army on the Rhine, in order that he might report to the British government the result of the several actions which occurred ; and in the performance of this service he was present at numerous engagements, and was so severely wounded in August, 1796, as to be ren- dered incapable of again engaging in the active services of tlie field. I'he Colonelcy of the Rutland Fencibles was conferred upon this meritorious officer in August, 1799; also the appointment of Lieutenant-Governor of Tynemouth. He was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1803 ; and in 1807 he was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Second Dragoon Guards ; which he retained until his decease in 1821. William Loftus. Appointed 2nd April, 1821. This Officer obtained the commission of Cornet in the 17tli Dragoons in 1770; he proceeded with his regiment 10 North America in 1775 ; and at the battle of Bunker's Hill he volunteered during the action to reinforce the troops enjjijged, with a part of the Dragoons dismounted. After the evacuation of Boston he was employed as as- sistant-engineer in erecting a fort and other works in Nova Scotia. Ho was afterwards employed on Long SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 99 Island ; and was engaged with a squadron of his regi- ment at the battle of Bedford, on which occasion the offi- cers and men received the thanks of Sir Henry Clinton and Sir William Erskine. Lieutenant Loftus was in the action with Major-General Woodle's corps of Ame- rican cavalry, at the reduction of New York Islands; and at the battle of White Plains, where he was wounded. He was also in the attack and capture of Fort Washington on York Island, • nd served with Lord Percy's brigade in the lines of Knightsbridge, 1 8th January, 1777, and was again wounded. Lieutenant Loftus was removed to the 3rd Foot Guards in May, 1777. He was in the ex- pedition up Hudson's River, and was actively employed with the army in the Jerseys in the campaign of ihe same year. In 1797 he was employed on the staff in Ireland; and in 1798 commanded a brigade at the battle of Vinegar Hill. In 1800 he was removed to the Staff in England; and on the I4th of August, 1802, obtained the Colonelcy fi the 24th Light Dragoons. In 1821 he obtained the Colonelcy of the Second Dragoon Guards ; and died ten years afterwards. Sir James Hay, K.C.H. Appointed 20th July, 1831. James Hay obtained a cornctcy in the Second Dragoon Guards on the 22nd of February, 1780 ; he was appointed Lieutenant in 1785 ; and Captain on the 5th of April, 1791 ; and proceeding with the regiment to Flanders in 1793, he served with the army under the Duke of Vork, and highly distinguished himself in the skirmish near Lezennes, where his horse was shot under him. He was promoted to the Majority of the regiment in March, 1791, and commanding the two squadrons on foreign service, he was at the several actions in that campaign ; had another horse killed under him in the affair near the village of Vaux, and was in the retreat through Holland to Germany. In September, 1795, he was promoted to 100 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the 29th (afterwards 25th) Light Dragoons ; and proceeding with his regiment to the West Indies, he served in the Islands of Barbadoes and St. Domingo, where his health was soon so much impaired that he obtained permission to return to England ; and when on his passage the ship was captured by a French privateer, and he was conveyed a prisoner to Phi- ladelphia, but he soon afterwards obtained the necessary passport, and sailed for Great Britain. A short time after his arrival he was removed to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the First Dragoon Guards, and in June, 1798, to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the Second Dragoon Guards. In the following year he was appointed to the command of the Cavalry depot; and in September, 1803, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the army. When Bonaparte made preparations for a descent upon Eng- land, Colonel Hay was appointed Brigadier-General on the Staff', and to the command of a brigade of Yeomanry Cavalry in the southern district. He was promoted to the rank of Major-General in July, 1810; and he held the appointment of Adjutant-General to the army in Ireland, from September, 1812, until June, 1814, when he was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant-General. He was subsequently on the Irish Staff"; and in 1831 he was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Second Dragoon Guards ; which he retained until his decease, in 1837. Sir Thomas Gage Montresor, K.C.H. Appointed 20th February, 1837. V Hi m ! lA)ndoD: Pciuted by William Clowki aud Soni>, Slamrurd Strtiet