HISTORICAL RECORDS

OF THE

BRITISH ARMY.

PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE
ADJUTANT-GENERAL.

THE FIRST,

OR

THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.

LONDON
Printed by William Clowes and Sons.
14, Charing Cross.

GENERAL ORDERS.

HORSE-GUARDS,

1st January, 1836.

His Majesty has been pleased to command, that, with a view of doing the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regiment in the British Army shall be published under the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-General; and that this Account shall contain the following particulars: viz.,

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 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 henceforth 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 country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist 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 valuable life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved.

The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties; and their character has been established in 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 maintained 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 de Corps—an attachment 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 civilised people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes who, in moments of danger and terror, have stood, "firm as the rocks of their native shore;" and when half the World has been arrayed against them, they have fought the battles of their Country with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in war,—victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen,—our brothers—our fellow-citizens in arms,—a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us, will certainly prove acceptable to the public.

Biographical memoirs of the Colonels and other distinguished Officers, will be introduced in the Records of their respective Regiments, and the Honorary Distinctions which have, from time to time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testifying the value and importance of its services, will be faithfully set forth.

As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each Regiment will be printed in a distinct number, so that when the whole shall be completed, the Parts may be bound up in numerical succession.

[Pg i]

INTRODUCTION.

The ancient Armies of England were composed of Horse and Foot; but the feudal troops established by William the Conqueror in 1086, consisted almost entirely of Horse. Under the feudal system, every holder of land 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 provide armed men in proportion to the extent of their estates; consequently the ranks of the feudal Cavalry were completed with men of property, and the vassals and tenants of the great barons, who led their dependents to the field in person.

In the succeeding reigns the Cavalry of the Army was composed of Knights (or men at arms) and Hobiliers (or horsemen of inferior degree); and the Infantry of spear and battle-axe men, cross-bowmen, and archers. The Knights wore armour on every part of the body, and their weapons were a lance, a sword, and a small dagger. The Hobiliers were accoutred and armed[ii] for the light and less important services of war, and were not considered qualified for a charge in line. Mounted Archers[1] were also introduced, and the English nation eventually became pre-eminent in the use of the bow.

About the time of Queen Mary the appellation of "Men at Arms" was changed to that of "Spears and Launces." The introduction of fire-arms ultimately occasioned the lance to fall into disuse, and the title of the Horsemen of the first degree was changed to "Cuirassiers." The Cuirassiers were armed cap-à-pié, 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 formation of regiments armed and equipped as infantry, but mounted on small horses for the sake of expedition of movement, and these were styled "Dragoons;" a small portion of the military force of the kingdom, however, consisted of this description of troops.

The formation of the present Army commenced[iii] after the Restoration in 1660, with the establishment of regular corps of Horse and Foot; the Horsemen were cuirassiers, but only wore armour on the head and body; and the Foot were pikemen and musketeers. The arms which each description of force carried, are described in the following extract from the "Regulations of King Charles II.," dated 5th May, 1663:—

The ranks of the Troops of Horse were at this period composed of men of some property—generally the sons of substantial yeomen: the young men received as recruits provided their own horses,[iv] and they were placed on a rate of pay sufficient to give them a respectable station in society.

On the breaking out of the war with Holland, in the spring of 1672, a Regiment of Dragoons was raised[3]; 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 bayonets; and a few men in each Troop had pistols; as appears by a warrant dated the 2nd of April, 1672, of which the following is an extract:—

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 carbine[6] in addition to the sword and pair of pistols; and in a Regulation dated the 21st of February, 1687, the arms of the Dragoons at that period are commanded to be as follow:—

After several years' experience, little advantage was found to accrue from having Cavalry Regiments formed almost exclusively for engaging the [vi]enemy on foot; and, the Horse having laid aside their armour, the arms and equipment of Horse and Dragoons were so nearly assimilated, that there remained little distinction besides the name and rate of pay. The introduction of improvements into the mounting, arming, and equipment of Dragoons rendered them competent to the performance of every description of service required 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 was 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 which are styled Horse in the British Army,[vii] namely, the two Regiments of Life Guards, and the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, to whom cuirasses have recently been restored. The other Cavalry Regiments consist of Dragoon Guards, Heavy and Light Dragoons, Hussars, and Lancers; and although the long musket and bayonet have been laid aside by the whole of the Cavalry, and the Regiments are armed and equipped on the principle of the old Horse (excepting the cuirass), they continue to be styled Dragoons.

The old Regiments of Horse formed a highly respectable and efficient portion of the Army, and it is found, on perusing the histories of the various campaigns in which they have been engaged, 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 physical power, and few troops could withstand a well-directed charge of the celebrated British Horse. The records of these corps embrace a period of 150 years—a period eventful in history, and abounding in instances of heroism displayed by the British troops when danger has threatened the nation,—a period in which these Regiments have numbered in their ranks men of loyalty, valour, and good conduct, worthy of imitation.

[viii]

Since the Regiments of Horse were formed into Dragoon Guards, additional improvements have been introduced into the constitution of the several corps; and the superior description of horses now bred in the United Kingdom enables the commanding officers to remount their regiments with such excellent horses, that, whilst sufficient weight has been retained for a powerful charge in line, a lightness has been acquired which renders them available for every description of service incident to modern warfare.

The orderly conduct of these Regiments in quarters has gained the confidence and esteem of the respectable inhabitants of the various parts of the United Kingdom in which they have been stationed; their promptitude and alacrity in attending 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.

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF

THE FIRST,

OR

THE ROYAL REGIMENT

OF

DRAGOONS;

CONTAINING

AN ACCOUNT OF ITS FORMATION

IN THE REIGN OF

KING CHARLES THE SECOND,

AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES TO 1839.

ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY LONGMAN, ORME, AND CO.,

PATERNOSTER-ROW;

AND BY MESSRS. CLOWES AND SONS,

14, Charing Cross;

AND TO BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS.

1840.

LONDON:
Printed by William Clowes and Sons,
Stamford-street.

Eagle and Colour of the 105th Regiment of French Infantry, captured at Waterloo by the First, or Royal Dragoons, 18th June, 1815.

THE FIRST

OR

THE ROYAL REGIMENT

OF

DRAGOONS

BEARS ON ITS GUIDONS,

AS A

REGIMENTAL BADGE,

AN

"EAGLE,"

WITH THE FOLLOWING HONORARY INSCRIPTIONS—

"PENINSULA"—"WATERLOO."

[Pg v]

CONTENTS.

LIST OF PLATES.

[Pg 1]

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF

THE FIRST,

OR

THE ROYAL REGIMENT

OF

DRAGOONS.

The anarchy, devastation, and bloodshed which had prevailed in Britain during the rebellion and tyrannical usurpation of Cromwell, having been succeeded by the restoration of monarchy,—the despotic sway of sectarians and republicans put down by the establishment of a regular government on constitutional principles,—and the army of the commonwealth disbanded, King Charles II. directed his attention to domestic concerns, and engaged in a matrimonial alliance with Donna Catherina, Infanta of Portugal; and this event gave rise to the formation of a troop of Cuirassiers, which was the nucleus of the corps now bearing the distinguished title of The Royal Regiment of Dragoons.

By the marriage treaty the ancient and once magnificent city of Tangier, in Africa, and the island of Bombay in the East Indies, were ceded by the king of Portugal to the British crown; and,[2] with a sum equal to three hundred thousand pounds, constituted the Infanta's dowry.

As the possession of the important fortress of Tangier, with its harbour and local advantages, appeared to open a new field for commercial pursuits, and was expected to be followed by the acquisition of extensive possessions in that part of the world, four regiments of foot and a troop of horse were appointed to garrison that fortress, and the Earl of Peterborough was constituted captain general, chief governor, and vice admiral of that part of his Majesty's dominions.

Three of the regiments of foot, commanded by Sir Robert Harley, and Colonels Fitzgerald and O'Farell, were withdrawn from the garrison of Dunkirk, and were composed of men who had fought in the royal cause during the civil war, and afterwards in the Netherlands. The other regiment of foot, (now the second, or Queen's royal,) and the troop of Horse (now Royal Dragoons) were raised in England by the Earl of Peterborough in the autumn of 1661, and were mustered, the former on Putney Heath, and the latter in St. George's Fields, Southwark, in October.[7]

The troop of Horse consisted of three officers, one quarter-master, four corporals, one trumpeter, and one hundred private men; the ranks were completed with veterans of the civil war, who were armed with cuirasses, iron head-pieces called potts, long swords, and a pair of large pistols, to which a short carbine was afterwards added: they[3] were mounted on long-tailed horses of superior weight and power, wore high boots reaching to the middle of the thigh, and scarlet vests: the officers wore hats decorated with a profusion of feathers; and both officers and men ornamented their horses' heads and tails with large bunches of ribands. The officers of this troop were,—

The Earl of Peterborough, Captain and Colonel.

Robert Leech, Captain-Lieutenant.

James Mordaunt, Cornet.

The appearance and equipment of the officers and men were commended in the ephemeral publications of that period. They embarked in the middle of December, and in a letter to the Earl of Peterborough, dated the 21st of December, the King observed: 'I desire you to lett those honest men knowe who are along with you, y^t they shall allwayes be in my particular care and protection as persons y^t venture themselves in my service. And so, wishing you a good voyage, I remain, &c., Charles R.'[8]

The troops arrived at Tangier in January, 1662, and a war commencing soon afterwards between the British occupants of this part of Africa and the Moors, frequent encounters occurred between detachments of the garrison of Tangier and the barbarians, in which the former had a decided superiority, and the English horsemen became celebrated for gallant achievements.[9]

The veteran Earl of Teviot, who was appointed governor of Tangier in 1663, in succession [4]to the Earl of Peterborough, occasionally penetrated into the adjacent country at the head of a detachment of horse, and many brilliant exploits were performed by the gallant English troopers, among the rocks, in the woods, and on the plains of this part of Africa, where they frequently surprised lurking parties of Moors, and captured cattle and other booty. The Africans were, however, expert horsemen, and fought with lance, sword, and short fusils.

In February, 1664, a Moorish army, commanded by Gaylan, usurper of Fez, appeared before Tangier to besiege the fortress. On the 1st of March the Earl of Teviot, observing a body of Moors, with a splendid scarlet standard, stationed on an eminence near the city, ordered the troop of Horse to sally and bring in the standard. The command was instantly obeyed; the brave troopers, led by Captain Witham, issued from the city, traversed the intervening space with signal intrepidity, routed the Moorish band, and captured the standard, with which they returned in triumph to the fortress, and erected it on the top of one of the towers, to the surprise and chagrin of the Moorish chiefs, who, being posted at a distance with the main body of their army, witnessed this brilliant exploit.

Capture of a Moorish Standard by the English Horse, at Tangier, in 1664. Now 1st Royal Dragoons.

[To face page 4

On the 13th of March the English horsemen had a sharp encounter with some of the enemy's best cavalry; and on the 27th, the Earl of Teviot led them against a horde of Moorish lancers and foot who were concealed in ambush, and the barbarians were routed and pursued among the woods [5]and broken grounds with great slaughter. The English horsemen, however, suffered severely on the 4th of May in the same year, when the governor, having been deceived by a false report, advanced too far into the country, and was surprised by a numerous band of Moors in ambush. A fearful slaughter followed, and the Earl of Teviot was numbered among the slain.

Frequent encounters took place in the subsequent years between detached parties of British and Moors, and in this desultory warfare the English horsemen preserved their high character. Hostilities were occasionally terminated, and renewed after short intervals of peace; and during the period of seventeen years the garrison resisted, with firmness and success, every attempt of the Moors against the city.

In 1679 a numerous army of Moors appeared before Tangier, and destroyed two forts situate at a distance from the town. They afterwards withdrew, but re-appeared in the spring of 1680, with augmented numbers, and swarms of expert Moorish lancers, on light and swift horses, hovered round the fortress and confined the Christians within narrow limits. King Charles II. sent a battalion of foot guards and sixteen companies of Dumbarton's (now first royal) regiment, to reinforce the garrison, and issued commissions for raising a regiment of foot (now the fourth, or the King's own) and six troops of Horse in England: at the same time arrangements were made for procuring the service of three troops of Spanish cavalry.

[6]

The six troops of English horse were raised by Major-General the Earl of Ossory, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Lanier,[10] Captains Robert Pulteney, John Coy,[11] Charles Nedby, and Thomas Langston:[12] the three last-named officers having been captains in the Duke of Monmouth's regiment of horse, which was disbanded only a few months before, their troops were speedily completed with disciplined men who had served in that regiment; and the demand for cavalry at Tangier being urgent, they were furnished with horses and equipment from the life guards,[13] and arrived at Tangier in the early part of September: at the same time the three troops of Spanish horse arrived from Gibraltar.

The cavalry at Tangier now consisted of seven efficient troops of cuirassiers, who were engaged in a sally on the 12th of September, when the Moorish horsemen were driven from under the walls, and several outworks were recovered from the barbarians. Another sally was made on the 21st of the same month, and on the following day the English cuirassiers had a sharp skirmish with the Moorish lancers, and had eight men killed and [7]twenty wounded. An attack was made on the enemy's lines on the 24th of September, when the governor, Sir Palmes Fairborne, was mortally wounded.

On the 27th of September, the garrison, amounting to about 4000 men, issued from the fortress and attacked the Moorish army of about 15,000 men in its intrenched camp with signal gallantry. So eager were the troopers to engage their adversaries that a dispute occurred between the English and Spanish horse, each claiming the honour of charging first: the subject was referred to the lieutenant-governor, Colonel Sackville, who gave the Spaniards the precedence on this occasion, because they fought as auxiliaries. The Moors, having a great superiority of numbers, stood their ground resolutely for some time; and the thunder of cannon, the roll of musketry, the clash of arms, the loud shouts of the British, the cries of the Africans, produced an awful scene of carnage and confusion. The English horse stood in column of troops until the first intrenchment was carried, and a space levelled for the cavalry to pass, when they filed through the aperture and rushed at speed upon the dark masses of barbarians, who were broken, trampled down, and pursued with a dreadful slaughter; while the musketeers, pikemen, and grenadiers followed, shouting as the dismayed Africans fell in succession beneath the sabres of the English and Spanish troopers. Many of the Moors faced about and confronted their pursuers; numerous single combats took place, and the vicinity of the camp was[8] covered with slain. Captain Nedby's troop of English horse particularly distinguished itself, and captured a splendid Moorish colour of curious workmanship. The Spaniards also captured a colour, Dumbarton's Scots another, and a fourth was taken by a battalion of marines and seamen from the fleet.[14]

The Moorish legions, having been driven from before the town with severe loss, this victory was followed by a treaty of peace, and the troops of horse raised by the Earl of Ossory, Sir John Lanier, and Robert Pulteney, not having left England, were disbanded.

The improved military system introduced among the Moors by European renegades, having rendered it necessary to employ a much stronger garrison at Tangier than formerly, the subject was brought before parliament; but the question of a popish successor to the throne was agitating the people, and no grant was voted. The king, being unwilling to bear the expense of the fortifications and troops without pecuniary aid from parliament, resolved to destroy the works and mole, and to withdraw the garrison.

At this period the attention of King Charles II. was directed to the improvement of his army; and, resolving to retain the Tangier Horse in his service, he commissioned Colonel John Churchill (afterwards the great Duke of Marlborough) to raise a troop of dragoons at St. Alban's and its vicinity; and Viscount Cornbury (son of the[9] Earl of Clarendon) to raise another troop of dragoons at Hertford; and His Majesty constituted these two troops, with the four troops of Tangier horse, a regiment, to which he gave the distinguished title of The King's Own Royal Regiment of Dragoons: the words "King's Own" were, however, discontinued soon afterwards, and the regiment was styled "The Royal Regiment of Dragoons."[15] The colonelcy was conferred on John Churchill, who was advanced to the peerage of Scotland by the title of Baron Churchill of Aymouth; and the lieutenant-colonelcy on Viscount Cornbury, by commission dated the 19th of November, 1683.

The establishment was fixed by a warrant bearing date the 1st of January, 1684, from which the following is an extract:—

[10]

[11]

The four troops at Tangier arrived in England in February, 1684;[16] and, having returned their armour into store, the whole were equipped as dragoons with long muskets and bayonets.[17]

The uniform of the regiment was scarlet lined with blue. The men wore hats bound with silver lace, and ornamented with blue ribands, having a metal headpiece fastened inside the crown; also high boots: their horse furniture was made of scarlet cloth trimmed with blue, with the King's cipher embroidered in yellow characters on the housings and holster-caps. The drummers and hautboys were clothed in splendid liveries, which (according to the War-Office Records) cost upwards of 10l. per suit; and each troop was furnished [12]with a crimson standard or guidon, with the following devices embroidered thereon, namely:—

On the standard of the Colonel's Troop,—the King's cipher and crown.

The Lieutenant-Colonel's Troop,—the rays of the sun, proper, crowned, issuing out of a cloud, proper: a badge used by the Black Prince.

The First Troop,—the top of a beacon crowned, or, with flames of fire, proper: a badge of Henry V.

The Second Troop,—two ostrich feathers crowned, argent: a badge of Henry VI.

The Third Troop,—a rose and pomegranate impaled, leaves and stalk vert: a badge of Henry VII.

The Fourth Troop,—a phœnix in flames, proper: a badge of Queen Elizabeth's.[18]

The following officers were at this period holding commissions in the regiment:—

The Royal Regiment of Dragoons being [13]constituted, generally, of men of military experience and approved valour, appears to have advanced, at once, into royal favour; and as soon as it was regularly organized, it marched into quarters in the borough of Southwark. On the 1st of October it was reviewed, with several other corps, by King Charles II., accompanied by the Queen, the Duke of York, and many distinguished personages, on Putney Heath; and on the 13th of that month marched into quarters at Newbury, Abingdon, and Hungerford. Shortly afterwards the following order was issued relative to the regiment:—

The decease of King Charles II. took place on the 6th of February, 1685; and on the evening of the same day, his successor (James II.) commanded the Royal Dragoons to march into quarters in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis. Previous to the coronation they were furnished with new standards, and the drummers and hautboys with new liveries.[21] The ceremonial of their Majesties' coronation was conducted with extraordinary magnificence: but the agitated state of the United Kingdom gave early indication of approaching contests; and, towards the end of April, two troops of the Royal Dragoons were despatched to Carlisle, and placed under the command of the governor, Sir Christopher Musgrave, for the purpose of assisting in the seizure of 'divers outlawed and seditious persons, who, for the avoiding of Justice, have fled from Scotland into the county of Cumberland and parts adjacent.'[22] These troops arrived at Carlisle on the 10th of May, and several persons were apprehended. In [15]the middle of that month an insurrection, headed by the Earl of Argyle, broke out in Scotland; and in June, James Duke of Monmouth raised the standard of rebellion in the west of England and proclaimed himself king. The establishment of the Royal Dragoons was immediately augmented to sixty men per troop: an independent troop of dragoons, raised by Colonel Strother in 1683, was incorporated in the regiment; and five troops of dragoons were raised in the vicinity of London by Richard Leveson, John Williams, Edward Lea, Francis Russel, and Thomas Hussey, and added to the Royal Dragoons: the numbers were thus increased to twelve troops, amounting to about nine hundred officers and men.

Two troops of the regiment, with some other forces, were despatched under Brigadier-General Lord Churchill against the rebels in the west; and on the 19th of June two other troops marched for the same destination under the orders of Lieutenant-General the Earl of Feversham, who was appointed to the chief command of the King's army. The royal forces having been united, the four troops of dragoons were placed under the orders of Viscount Cornbury; and the whole marched in pursuit of the rebels.

After several marches and skirmishes the Duke of Monmouth took post at Bridgewater; and the Earl of Feversham, having sent a troop of the Royal Dragoons, commanded by Captain Coy, to Lamport, to secure that pass, and to gain intelligence in the event of the rebels marching westward, advanced with the royal army to Weston[16] (about three miles from Bridgewater), where he arrived on Sunday, the 5th of July. Having quartered the cavalry in the village, and ordered the infantry to encamp on a plain fronting Sedgemoor, he sent a party of life guards to patrole in the direction of Bristol, and posted a piquet of fifty of the Royal Dragoons with a squadron of the blues supported by one hundred men of the royal regiment of foot, on the moor, in front of the camp. A guard of the Royal Dragoons was also posted over the artillery, which consisted of sixteen pieces, and was drawn up on the high road from Weston to Bridgewater.

During the night the Duke of Monmouth marched out of Bridgewater with the view of surprising the royal army; but the piquet in advance gave the alarm, and after exchanging a few shots with the rebels, retreated to the camp, and formed on the right of the infantry; at the same time the remainder of the Royal Dragoons, being aroused in their quarters in the village of Weston, turned out in the dark in good order, and formed on the left of the foot. The rebels commenced the attack with loud shouts,—the contest became general along the whole line,—and the moor sparkled with fire. The rebel horse soon gave way and fled in disorder; but their infantry stood firm and fought with great resolution. Day at length began to break; and the King's foot advancing to the charge, whilst the Royal Dragoons and other cavalry attacked the flanks of the rebels and put them in disorder, their whole line then gave way and fled in confusion, and were[17] pursued across the moor and adjoining corn-fields with great slaughter. Two troops of the Royal Dragoons continued the pursuit as far as Bridgewater, where they were ordered to halt by the Earl of Feversham.

In the mean time Captain Russel's troop of the Royal Dragoons had been attached to three Scots regiments of foot, which had recently arrived from Holland under the command of Major-General Mackay, and ordered to join the army in the west; but, on the news of Monmouth's defeat at Sedgemoor, these forces were directed to halt at Bagshot; the Royal Dragoons were subsequently dispersed in small parties into the adjoining counties to seize suspected persons; the Scots regiments returned to Hounslow, and, after encamping a short time on the heath, re-embarked for Holland.

One troop of the Royal Dragoons was ordered to Winchester to escort the Duke of Monmouth and other prisoners to London; on its arrival this troop was quartered in the Borough of Southwark, and it was under arms when the Duke was beheaded on Tower Hill on the 15th of July. Two other troops were ordered to Salisbury to mount guard over the prisoners there, and were subsequently directed to attend Judge Jeffries during the trial and execution of the captured rebels; in which painful service the troopers were spectators of numerous acts of barbarity perpetrated by the remorseless Judge, who sacrificed the lives of upwards of two hundred persons in these "bloody assizes," as historians have denominated them.

[18]

After the suppression of this rebellion the establishment of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons was reduced to eight troops, of forty private men per troop; and the supernumerary troops were embodied into a regiment of dragoons, which was commanded by the Duke of Somerset, and is now the third light dragoons.

On the 1st of August Lord Churchill was appointed colonel of the third troop of life guards, and the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons was conferred on Lieutenant-Colonel Viscount Cornbury. The two troops of the regiment having returned from Carlisle, the whole were stationed in London in October, and subsequently marched into quarters in Devonshire.

King James II., being a Roman Catholic, adopted measures calculated to effect the subversion of the Protestant church; and, with the view of overawing his subjects, he doubled the numbers of the regular army, and had large bodies of troops encamped, from time to time, on Hounslow Heath, where he frequently attended in person and witnessed the exercise of the troops. The Royal Regiment of Dragoons formed part of the force at these encampments in the summer of 1686, again in 1687, and in 1688. At this period many noblemen and gentlemen, resolving to preserve the nation from papal domination, solicited the Prince of Orange to come to England with a Dutch force to assist them in opposing the proceedings of the King, and the Prince provided an armament for that purpose.

The colonel of the Royal Dragoons appears[19] to have been a zealous Protestant, and to have entered warmly into the measures taken to resist the proceedings of the Papists who surrounded the court. In November, 1688, when the Prince of Orange had landed, Viscount Cornbury, having marched with his regiment to Salisbury,[23] where the King's army was ordered to assemble, and where the blues and eighth horse had already arrived, resolved, in connexion with Lieut.-Colonel Langston, of the eighth horse, and several officers of the blues, to endeavour to take these three regiments over to the Prince, in the following manner:—

On the night of the 11th of November, directions were given for the adjutants and quarter-masters to await the arrival of the post, as orders to march were expected. At twelve o'clock the post arrived, when Colonel Langston opened the bag before the officers, and the orders, apparently from the Secretary-at-War, were produced, and carried to Viscount Cornbury, who gave directions for the regiments to proceed, at five o'clock, towards the enemy. The regiments were accordingly on the march before daylight on the 12th; continuing their progress throughout that day and the following night (excepting a few short halts to refresh the men and horses[24]), on the afternoon of the 13th, they arrived at Axminster, within six miles of the Prince of Orange's quarters, where they were joined by the Earl of Abingdon, Sir Walter Clerges, and about [20]thirty other gentlemen, who pretended to be volunteers. It was now asserted that a design of the Dutch to surprise the quarters of the King's forces had been discovered, and orders were issued for beating up the quarters of the enemy that night. Accordingly, after dark, the three regiments were again in motion, and the Prince of Orange, apprized of their approach by Lord Cornbury, sent a large body of cavalry to meet them. The greater part of the men, however, resolved not to join the Prince of Orange, and, when they observed what was taking place, they galloped back. Major Robert Clifford, of the Royal Dragoons, marched back that regiment, with the exception of a few officers and about fifty dragoons, who accompanied Viscount Cornbury. The blues also returned, excepting about twenty-seven. But the Duke of St. Alban's regiment (eighth horse) having mustered at a distance, the men, ignorant of the transaction, followed Colonel Langston to Honiton, where they were received as friends by the Dutch general.[25] Many of the men, however, returned to the King's service; and the Duke of Berwick, having collected the remains of the three regiments, marched them back to Salisbury.

The king arrived at Salisbury on the 20th of November, and his Majesty rewarded the loyalty of Major Clifford by promoting him to the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons. The King, however, soon discovered that the defection among[21] the officers was general, and that the soldiers, although they were reluctant to desert his service, were not disposed to fight in the cause of Papacy. The superior officers of the army, with the nobility and gentry, continued to flock to the Prince's standard, and King James, alarmed for his personal safety, returned in haste to London; at the same time the Royal Dragoons marched into garrison at Portsmouth. The Prince of Orange advanced to the capital without experiencing serious opposition; King James fled to France; and the Prince, having assumed the reins of government, restored Viscount Cornbury to the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons, and ordered them to occupy quarters at Farnham and Alton.[26]

After the flight of the King to France, the crown was conferred on William and Mary, Prince and Princess of Orange. Their Majesties' accession, however, met with opposition; and Viscount Dundee having induced several of the Highland clans to take arms in favour of King James, the Royal Dragoons were immediately ordered to the north.[27] At the same time, the Earl of Clarendon refusing to act with the new government, his son, Viscount Cornbury, was superseded in the command of the regiment by the lieutenant-colonel, Anthony Hayford, whose commission as colonel was dated the 1st of July, 1689.

On the 27th of July, six battalions of infantry [22]and two newly-raised troops of Scots horse, commanded by Lieut.-General Mackay, were defeated at Killicrankie by the Highlanders and a few Irish, under Viscount Dundee and Brigadier-General Cannon. Immediately after the action, the Royal Dragoons were directed to march to the assistance of Lieut.-General Mackay, and they arrived at Perth in the early part of August. The object of the Commander-in-Chief being the prevention of the descent of the mountaineers into the lowlands, the regiment was posted a short time at Forfar, under the command of Major-General Sir John Lanier, and subsequently proceeded by forced marches to Aberdeen. The Highlanders eventually retired over the mountains by paths inaccessible to cavalry, and separated to their homes.

In the mean time, the lord-lieutenant of Ireland (Earl Tyrconnel) had retained the greater part of that kingdom in the interest of King James. King William sent an army to that country under the veteran Duke Schomberg; and, immediately after the dispersion of the rebel Highlanders, the Royal Dragoons were ordered to proceed to Ireland. They embarked for this service in the early part of October, landed at Carlingford on the 9th of that month,[28] and were ordered to take post at Armagh and Clownish, from whence they were removed to the isle of Maghee.

Several skirmishes occurred during the winter; and in the spring of 1690 the Royal Dragoons were before Charlemont, which place was blockaded[23] by the King's forces. Charlemont was defended by a garrison of 500 men, commanded by Sir Teague O'Regan, a humorist, who returned the following laconic answer to the summons to surrender:—"Tell the General, from Teague O'Regan, that he's an old knave; and, by St. Patrick, he shall not have the town at all." He, however, surrendered on the 14th of May, and a detachment of the Royal Dragoons escorted the garrison towards Armagh.[29] Soon after the surrender of Charlemont Lieut.-Colonel Edward Matthews, from Leveson's (now third) dragoons, was appointed colonel of the regiment. In June it was encamped near Loughbritland, where it was joined by a remount from England. On the 22nd of June King William arrived at the camp, and "His Majesty was no sooner come than he was in amongst the throng of the troops, and observed every regiment very critically. This pleased the soldiers mightily, and every one was ready to give what demonstrations it was possible both of his courage and duty."[30]

[24]

The French and Irish, commanded by King James, took post on the banks of the Boyne, to dispute the passage of that river. King William marched to the opposite bank on the 30th of June, and, on the morning of the 1st of July, the army forded the river and drove the enemy from his position with great slaughter. The Royal Dragoons and other British troops engaged in forcing the passage of the Boyne are reported to have "acquitted themselves well." King James fled from the field and proceeded to France; and the British army advanced on Dublin. A few days after the battle King William reviewed the Royal Dragoons at Finglass, on which occasion they brought 406 private troopers into the field.

On the 21st of July Major-General Kirke proceeded with the Royal Dragoons and Queen Dowager's and Colonel Cambron's regiments of foot to Waterford, and summoned the place, and on the 25th the governor capitulated.

At the moment when success attended the operations of the army in Ireland, the English and Dutch fleets, commanded by Lord Torrington and Admiral Evertsen, were defeated by the French fleet under the Count de Tourville, and the enemy afterwards menaced the descent of a formidable force on the British coast. King William commanded a troop of life guards, with Count Schomberg's horse (now seventh dragoon guards), the Royal Dragoons, and Trelawny's and Hastings' (fourth and thirteenth) foot to be immediately embarked for England.

The Royal Dragoons landed at Highlake, in[25] Cheshire, in the early part of August. The alarm of invasion, however, soon subsided; and they were ordered to return to Ireland, in which country they again landed on the 20th of October, and proceeded into extended cantonments in the county of Cork. Many thousands of the Roman Catholic peasantry of Ireland were, at this period, in arms in behalf of King James: they were called rapparees, and being formed into bands they made frequent incursions into the cantonments of the English regiments. Several men of the Royal Dragoons were murdered in their quarters by these rapparees; and detachments of the regiment were frequently sent out to scour the country and chase these bands of marauders from the English cantonments.

Towards the end of December a detachment of the Royal Dragoons proceeded, with some other troops, on an expedition commanded by Major-General Tattea, and on the 1st of January, 1691, attacked an Irish fort near Scronclaird, which was taken in two hours, although the enemy had employed five hundred men during two months to build it.[31]

In the spring, when the army took the field, the Royal Dragoons were ordered to remain in the county of Cork to restrain the incursions of the rapparees, and to prevent the several forts and small garrisons from being attacked. In the early part of June Major Culliford, with a detachment of the Royal Dragoons and some militia,[26] penetrated that part of the country from whence the enemy received their supplies, defeated the Irish troops, and captured several droves of cattle. At length General St. Ruth, who commanded the French and Irish forces, detached two thousand horse and foot to cover this part of the country. Major Culliford, however, continued to make inroads, and having advanced with one hundred and twenty men of the Royal Dragoons, and fifty militia foot, he encountered two troops of Irish cavalry. The English dragoons advanced boldly to the charge, defeated their opponents, killed twenty men upon the spot, and pursued the remainder to Newmarket, where the Irish, being reinforced, made another stand. The Royal Dragoons, however, attacked them again with great bravery, and having sabred fifteen, the remainder fled in disorder, leaving a quantity of provision and some cattle behind. Major Culliford despatched eleven dragoons and twenty-four of the militia to the rear with the booty, and then pursued the fugitives four miles farther, when he encountered five hundred of the enemy's horse commanded by Sir James Cotter. Notwithstanding their disparity of numbers, the Royal Dragoons boldly confronted their opponents, and made a gallant resistance, but were eventually overpowered; and forty men having fallen, Major Culliford made good his retreat with the remainder. In retiring, the dragoons,—chafed in spirit and burning with revenge,—often turned round upon their pursuers; and at length Captain Bower and twenty men boldly faced about and killed about[27] twenty of the Irish horsemen, whose eagerness in the chase had caused them to advance in front of their main body. In the meantime the eleven dragoons and twenty-four of the militia, with the captured cattle and stores, arrived at Drumaugh, where they were attacked by a detachment of the enemy, but defended themselves with success until relieved by a body of troops under Colonels Hastings and Ogleby.

At the time the Royal Dragoons were making these diversions, the main army, commanded by Lieutenant-General De Ginkell, gained a decisive victory over the French and Irish at Aghrim; and on the 1st of August the regiment joined the army at Banagher-bridge. The enemy collected the remains of their defeated regiments at Limerick; and towards the end of August Lieutenant-General De Ginkell besieged that city, commencing his work on the right bank of the Shannon: the Irish army lay encamped at the same time on the opposite side of the river.

A pontoon bridge having been prepared, several regiments were ordered to cross the river at daybreak of the 16th of September. The Royal Dragoons took the lead; and Brigadier-General Clifford,[32] who commanded four regiments of King James's dragoons, being taken by surprise, made little opposition: some infantry, however, attempted to make a stand; but a squadron of the Royal Dragoons dashed forward[28] and routed them in an instant. Two or three French and Irish battalions retired to a bog and wood in their rear, from whence they were driven with the loss of several men killed, and a French lieut.-colonel, a captain, and a number of men made prisoners. The regiments which had passed the river advanced upon the enemy's camp, where a curious spectacle presented itself:—many of the Irish were running about in their shirts, some were pulling down tents, others driving away cattle, many were making their escape into the town, and others hurrying towards the mountains; a regiment of dragoons, whose horses were two miles distance at grass, dispersed in confusion: at the same time a party of horse buckled on their arms and made a show of fighting; but they fled on the advance of the English, who took possession of the camp, where they found a quantity of beef, brandy, and corn, with the saddles and appointments of three hundred dragoons. The Royal Dragoons were commended by Lieut.-General De Ginkell for their gallant conduct, and they returned to the other side of the river on the same day.[33]

On the 22nd of September the regiment, with several other corps, crossed the Shannon into the county of Clare; when the advance-guard, which consisted of eighteen men of the Royal Dragoons, was attacked by a squadron of the Irish cavalry: this small party sustained the first onset with admirable firmness, but were forced to retire; part[29] of the regiment, however, soon advanced to their assistance, when the enemy was defeated and chased under the range of their batteries, and three small pieces of brass ordnance were captured. Orders were then given for the infantry to attack the works which covered Thoumond bridge. These works were carried after a sharp struggle; when the troops which had defended them endeavoured to enter the town; but the drawbridge had been raised, and they were left to the mercy of the English, who slaughtered such numbers, that the dead bodies lay in heaps on the bridge higher than the parapet walls. Five colours were taken on this occasion, and so many men slain, drowned, and taken prisoners, that the enemy surrendered the place in a few days afterwards.

The conquest of Ireland having been effected, the Royal Dragoons returned to England, where they arrived in January, 1692, and marched into dispersed cantonments in Leicestershire; and during a part of the summer a detachment was stationed in garrison at Portsmouth. The regiment was subsequently stationed, on revenue duty, in the maritime towns on the southern coast of the kingdom; and in the autumn of 1693 it had the honour of furnishing a relay of escorts to attend King William from Margate to London, when His Majesty returned from Holland.

The war with France, which was commenced in 1689, had been continued with varied success; and in the spring of 1694 the Royal Dragoons were ordered to proceed on foreign service. They left England in May; joined the army encamped near[30] Tirlemont in South Brabant, on the 21st of June, and were reviewed by King William on the following day. On arriving at this camp they were ordered to take post in front of the village of Camtich, and this quarter being much exposed to attacks from the enemy, they were reinforced by two regiments of Dutch infantry. The army marched from Tirlemont on the 13th of July, and encamped at Mont St. André and Ramilies, where the regiment was formed in brigade with the royal Scots and Fairfax's (now second and third) dragoons, under the command of Brigadier-General Matthews, and this brigade was encamped on the left of the line. The French army encamped near Huy, with their left upon the Mehaine. On the 17th of July a foraging party of the allies crossed the river, and, meeting with several French squadrons, a skirmish ensued, when the Royal Dragoons lost eight horses and had three men wounded. On the 28th of the same month another foraging party encountered a detachment of the enemy, when the regiment had two men and several horses killed. The allied army was again in motion on the 8th of August: much manœuvring, and some skirmishing took place between the hostile squadrons, but no general engagement occurred. On the 29th of August the Royal Dragoons were stationed at Wacken—a post situate at the junction of the Mandel and the Scheldt; and in October they marched into cantonments in the villages between Ghent and Sans-van-Ghent.[34]

[31]

In the spring of 1695 the Royal Dragoons marched to Dixmude, forming part of a division of the army commanded by Major-General Ellenberg, and were brigaded with Lloyd's (now third) dragoons and a regiment of Danish cavalry. On the 7th of June the Duke of Wirtemberg took command of this division, and attacked the French forts at Kenoque as a diversion to conceal King William's design upon the strong and almost impregnable fortress of Namur, which he commanded to be invested shortly afterwards. The Royal Dragoons joined the covering army towards the end of June; but were detached to Bruges in July: they were subsequently recalled from thence and joined the camp between Genappe and Waterloo, from whence they proceeded to the vicinity of Namur, to protect the troops employed in the siege from a threatened attack of the French army. After the surrender of the important fortress of Namur, the regiment marched into cantonments behind Ghent.

The French menaced an attack upon the quarters of the allied army in Flanders in the spring of 1696, when the Royal Dragoons were suddenly called from their cantonments to encamp on the banks of the canal between Ghent and Bruges, where they were reviewed by King William on the 29th of May. They served the campaign of this year with the army of Flanders, commanded by the Prince of Vandemont, and were brigaded with the royal Scots and royal Irish (second and fifth) dragoons, commanded by Brigadier-General Matthews. The object of this army was the protection[32] of Ghent, Bruges, and the maritime towns of Flanders: no general action occurred; but a party of the Royal Dragoons, with a detachment of Langston's horse (now fourth dragoon guards), surprised one of the French out-guards on the night of the 20th of September and took thirty prisoners. This appears to be the only action in which the regiment took part during the campaign of this year; and on the 6th of October it marched into quarters in the villages behind the Bruges canal.

During the campaign of 1697 the regiment served under King William in the army of Brabant, and was brigaded with the royal Scots and Eppinger's dragoons.

On the 28th of May Brigadier-General Matthews died; and on the 30th His Majesty conferred the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons on Thomas Lord Raby, afterwards Earl of Strafford.

The enemy, having great superiority of numbers, besieged and took Aeth, and afterwards menaced Brussels; but were frustrated in their designs by King William. The Royal Dragoons were encamped before Brussels in June; and subsequently at Wavre. Hostilities were terminated in September by the treaty of Ryswick, and after the conclusion of peace, the regiment embarked from the Netherlands,—landed at the Red House in Southwark on the 21st of November, and, at the end of the same month, marched into extensive quarters in Yorkshire, where the establishment, which during the war had been eight troops, amounting to five hundred and ninety officers and[33] men, was reduced to six troops of two hundred and ninety-four officers and men.

During the two succeeding years the Royal Dragoons occupied quarters in Lancashire and Leicestershire. In June, 1700, they assembled on Hounslow Heath and were reviewed by King William III., who was pleased to express his royal approbation of their appearance and discipline. Leaving the south of England in July, they proceeded into quarters in Yorkshire and Cumberland, with one troop stationed in garrison at Carlisle and another at Hull.

In 1701 the Royal Dragoons were stationed in Yorkshire, with three troops in garrison at Hull; at this period the ambitious Louis XIV. of France violated the treaties he had entered into, and procured the accession of his grandson, Philip, Duke of Anjou, to the throne of Spain. War was resolved upon, and the establishment of the regiment was augmented to eight troops amounting to five hundred and thirty-two officers and men; and it embarked for Holland in the beginning of March, 1702. Before the transports sailed, the death of King William occurred (8th March, 1702), when the regiment was disembarked and placed in cantonments in the villages in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis. In a few days afterwards, Her Majesty Queen Anne having resolved to pursue the foreign policy of her predecessor, the regiment re-embarked, and after landing at Williamstadt, went into quarters at Breda, where it was formed in brigade with the royal Scots and royal Irish (second and fifth) dragoons,[34] under the command of that excellent officer, Brigadier-General Ross, and was placed as a guard to the English train of artillery.[35]

A powerful French army was in the field menacing the frontiers of Holland. The Earl of Marlborough assembled the forces under his orders towards the end of June, and in July the Royal Dragoons joined the army with the train of artillery. By a daring advance the British commander disconcerted the designs of his opponents, who retired without venturing an engagement. The Royal Dragoons were employed in covering the sieges of Venloo, Ruremonde, and Stevenswaert; and took part in the capture of the city of Liege: they afterwards marched back to Holland, and were quartered at Arnheim, the capital of the province of Guelderland, where they were reviewed in April, 1703, by their colonel, Lord Raby, who was passing through Holland on his way to Prussia, as envoy extraordinary to that court.[36]

At the commencement of the campaign of 1703 the Royal Dragoons were employed in covering the siege of Bonn, and afterwards joined the army near Maestricht, with six battalions of infantry commanded by the Prince of Hesse, and were formed in brigade with the same regiments as in the preceding year.

On the advance of the allied army commanded by the Duke of Marlborough, the French retreated, and took post behind their fortified lines.

[35]

On the 27th of July the British commander proceeded, with four thousand horse and dragoons, towards the enemy's intrenchments, and Lieutenant Benson, with thirty men of the Royal Dragoons, who formed the advance-guard, charged and defeated a piquet of forty French horsemen, and chased them to the barriers of their intrenchments with signal gallantry, which gave his Grace an opportunity of advancing within musket-shot of the lines. He was desirous of attacking these formidable works, but was prevented by the timidity and pertinacity of the Dutch generals and field deputies. In August, when the siege of Huy was undertaken, the Royal Dragoons were encamped on the banks of the river Maese, to secure the bridge, and to keep up the communication. They were subsequently engaged in the siege of Limburg, a city situated on a pleasant eminence among the woods near the banks of the little river Wesdet. Spanish Guelderland having been delivered from the power of France, and the Dutch freed from the dread of an invasion, the Royal Dragoons quitted the vicinity of Limburg and marched back to Holland. In the mean time circumstances had occurred which occasioned their removal from the army commanded by the celebrated Duke of Marlborough, to another theatre of war.

During the summer the Emperor of Germany and Prince Joseph renounced their pretensions to the Spanish monarchy in behalf of Archduke Charles, who was acknowledged as King of Spain by several of the states of Europe; and a treaty of[36] alliance having been concluded with the King of Portugal, the Royal Dragoons were selected to accompany the Archduke to Lisbon, and to take part in the attempt to place him on the throne of Spain by force of arms.

The Portuguese monarch having engaged to provide horses for the English cavalry, the Royal Dragoons transferred their horses to the British regiments in Holland, and embarked, dismounted, in October; but were so long detained by contrary winds and severe weather, that they did not arrive at the capital of Portugal before March, 1704, when they landed with the remainder of the British and Dutch forces commanded by Duke Schomberg.

In consequence of the horses produced by the Portuguese authorities being of so inferior a description that the English officers rejected the greater part of them, only twenty men per troop of the Royal Dragoons were mounted; the dismounted men proceeded to Abrantes to await the arrival of horses, and the mounted men advanced to the frontiers of Portugal, and encamped on a pleasant plain near Estremos. Tardiness and inability were, however, manifested by the Portuguese authorities to such an extent, that the Duke of Berwick, having arrived from France with eighteen battalions of infantry and nineteen squadrons of cavalry, and taken the command of the French and Spanish forces, attacked the frontiers of Portugal before the allies were prepared to take the field. The court of Lisbon was alarmed, the provinces were in consternation; the Duke[37] Schomberg solicited to be recalled, and the Earl of Galway was sent with reinforcements to Portugal, and appointed to the command of the British forces in that country.

One hundred and twenty men of the Royal Dragoons formed part of a body of cavalry, which crossed the frontiers and made a successful incursion into the Spanish territory. Extraordinary measures were adopted to procure horses, and at the close of the summer the regiment had upwards of three hundred mounted men in the field. In the autumn the army was enabled to act on the offensive, and the Royal Dragoons were among the forces which penetrated Spain; but on arriving at the vicinity of Ciudad Rodrigo, the enemy was found so advantageously posted on the opposite side of the Agueda, that the Portuguese generals would not venture the passage of the river; and, after reconnoitring the hostile army several times, the allies returned to Portugal, and the Royal Dragoons went into village cantonments in the Alentejo.[37]

During the winter and the spring of 1705 the regiment procured an additional supply of horses, and when it again took the field it was much better mounted than in the preceding year. It joined the army in April, and, advancing into Spanish Estremadura, formed part of the force which invested Valencia de Alcantara, which fortress was captured in the early part of May.

[38]

Albuquerque was subsequently besieged and taken; and the capture of Badajoz was contemplated, but that undertaking was abandoned until the summer's heat was abated.

In the mean time an expedition had been fitted out in England, and a land force, commanded by Lieut.-General the Earl of Peterborough, embarked for the purpose of furthering the designs of the house of Austria. The fleet arrived at Lisbon in June, and, King Charles resolving to accompany the expedition, the Royal and Cunningham's (now eighth) dragoons, and four regiments of foot, were embarked to strengthen the land force. The fleet put to sea, and, after several consultations among the general and naval officers, an attack on Barcelona was resolved upon. The fleet arrived before that fortress on the 22nd of August (N.S.), and on the 24th the Royal Dragoons landed near a river called Bassoz, on the east side of the city, and encamped about a mile from the walls, in a place well fortified by nature, where the army was joined by many of the country people, who were formed into bands, and acted as a guerilla force: "they were" (as Bishop Burnet observes) "good at plundering, but could not submit to regular discipline, nor were they willing to expose themselves to dangerous services."

The siege of Barcelona was considered a romantic enterprise, and it excited a lively interest in every nation in Christendom. The garrison equalled in strength the besieging army within about two thousand men, and, according to the[39] ordinary rules and chances of war, success appeared impossible. The siege was, however, commenced, and on the 14th of September an attack was made on the strong fortress of Montjuich, situate on an eminence overlooking the town, on which occasion a detachment of the Royal Dragoons was posted between this detached fortress and the city to prevent a sally of the Spanish cavalry. The garrison of Fort Montjuich held out three days, and then surrendered. During the remainder of the siege the Royal Dragoons were almost constantly on duty, the besieging army not having a sufficient number of men to form two reliefs of the ordinary guards in the trenches and on the batteries: the siege was, however, persisted in, and the governor capitulated on the 9th of October. The garrison was preparing to march out on the 14th, when numbers of the guerillas and armed peasantry, having entered by the breach in hopes of obtaining plunder, united with the inhabitants of the town, and attacked the houses of the French and other persons known to be in the interest of the Duke of Anjou; they also threatened to massacre the governor and garrison: but the Earl of Peterborough marched into the town at the head of a troop of the Royal Dragoons and a detachment of grenadiers, and restored order and tranquillity. On this occasion his lordship narrowly escaped falling a sacrifice to his humanity. A Spaniard having fired at the Duke of Popoli, the ball passed through the Earl of Peterborough's periwig. The valour and perseverance of the British and Dutch[40] having achieved the conquest of Barcelona, at which (as Dr. Freind observes) "all Europe wondered," nearly every town in Catalonia declared for King Charles III., and the Royal Dragoons were placed in garrison at Tortosa, excepting a detachment which remained at Barcelona. Shortly afterwards Valencia declared in favour of the house of Austria.

A French and Spanish force, commanded by the Conde de las Torres, was detached to retake the revolted towns, and in December the enemy besieged St. Mattheo, which place was defended by a party of Spaniards, commanded by a stout-hearted Welshman, named Jones, who made a resolute defence. The Earl of Peterborough advanced with two hundred of the Royal Dragoons and a thousand British foot to relieve the place. This force was not more than one-fifth of the numbers of the besieging army: but, by night marches among the woods and mountains, and by circulating false reports, the British succeeded in surprising their opponents; and the Spanish commander, not knowing the numbers of his enemy, and being deceived by spies, made a precipitate retreat, and his rear-guard was pursued by the Royal Dragoons over the mountains to Albocazar.

The French and Spanish army continued to retire, and was pursued by the Earl of Peterborough with a force so much inferior in numbers, that the record of these events appears almost incredible,[38] and exhibits the native valour,[41] spirit of enterprise, and temerity of the British commander, with the pusillanimity and credulity of the Spaniards, in a strong light. Four troops of the Royal Dragoons formed part of that small body of men with which the Earl of Peterborough pursued a numerous army. The services in which they were engaged partook of the nature of a guerilla warfare, and put to a severe test the discipline, bravery, and intelligence of the men. Being divided into small parties, and united with bands of armed peasantry, they were continually performing night marches among the woods and mountains, and, hovering about the rear and flanks of the Spanish army, keeping it in a state of alarm, which services were performed in concert with spies; and although, under these circumstances, it must have been difficult to preserve subordination and discipline, yet the Royal Dragoons performed these duties to the satisfaction of the commander-in-chief. On one occasion "the Spaniards employed by my lord Peterborough informed the Conde de las Torres of a considerable force that was upon his left, somewhat before him, and certainly designed, as they told him, to take some passes which might prevent his entrance into the plains leading to[42] Valencia, and that there were English troops among them. This the Spanish general thinking impossible, one of the spies offered to give any two or three officers he pleased to appoint the satisfaction of seeing what he affirmed. Upon this two officers, in the country habit, went along with him to a place where, pretending to alight and refresh themselves, they were seized by ten English dragoons that were posted there on purpose, and had marched in the mountains all night with the spies. The Spaniards being thus surprised and seized, the spy pretended the guard was drunk, and the officers, seeing a couple of dragoons lying apparently in that condition, slipped into the stable and took three of the horses, and so returned to the Conde de las Torres. This was enough to confirm the intelligence and gain credit to the spy, as officers of that country never fail to magnify their dangers and escapes. Sometimes the dragoons were brought prisoners, by consent, into the Spanish camp, by country people, seeming in their interest. By such artful means, and by such diligent application, a little body of men, about twelve or thirteen hundred cavalry and two thousand infantry, were brought to join in the neighbourhood of Castillon de la Plana."[39] Such were the services in which the Royal Dragoons were engaged, and an immense tract of country was delivered from the power of the enemy. A most romantic part of the adventure[43] was, that the Earl of Peterborough, being deficient in cavalry, procured eight hundred Spanish horses, and constituted Lord Barrymore's regiment (now thirteenth foot) a corps of dragoons, of which he appointed the lieut.-colonel, Edward Pearce, colonel.

The Royal Dragoons accompanied the Earl of Peterborough to Valencia. The enemy brought forward a numerous army to besiege this important place; but the British commander issued from the city with his gallant horsemen, and surprised and captured the Spanish battering-train; he also penetrated, by a night march, to the rear of their army, and attacked and defeated their reinforcements; and by these and other achievements of a similar character, which exhibit the valour and excellent conduct of the troops under his orders, he frustrated the designs of the enemy.

These brilliant successes alarmed the courts of France and Spain, and a powerful attempt to regain the possession of the towns which had acknowledged King Charles was determined upon. The Spaniards were desirous of commencing with Valencia, but they were overruled by orders from France; and, the English fleet having left Barcelona in the autumn, the siege of that place was undertaken by a land force commanded by King Philip in person, and the French fleet under the Count de Toulouse.

The Earl of Peterborough hastened from Valencia with the Royal Dragoons and a select number of men from the other corps, and on his arrival at the vicinity of Barcelona he found the[44] town invested by a numerous army and a fleet. He immediately took to the mountains with his hardy dragoons and about two thousand foot, and, being joined by numbers of the armed peasantry, he was constantly hovering near the besieging army with his detachments, interrupting the enemy's communications, cutting off their supplies, and attacking their out-guards; and on one occasion he succeeded in throwing a number of men into the town. At length the British fleet arrived with reinforcements; the French admiral withdrew with precipitation, and, Barcelona being thus relieved, the enemy raised the siege on the 12th of May, 1706, and retreated towards Roussillon, leaving behind his artillery, ammunition, stores, and sick and wounded men. A squadron of the Royal Dragoons and some other cavalry were ordered to pursue the retiring army, and, being joined by hundreds of armed peasantry, they attacked the enemy's rear-guard several times, and took a number of prisoners. The Spaniards killed every man who fell into their hands; but the prisoners taken by the English and Dutch met with good treatment.

After the flight of the enemy from before Barcelona, the Royal Dragoons returned to Valencia, from whence they expected to advance with King Charles immediately upon Madrid, to join the allied army commanded by the Marquis das Minas and the Earl of Galway, which being superior in numbers to the French and Spanish forces on the frontiers of Portugal, arrived at the capital of Spain towards the end of June. King Charles,[45] however, delayed to proceed to Madrid, and being guided by pernicious councils, he eventually went round by way of Arragon. Meanwhile the French and Spanish forces which, after raising the siege of Barcelona, had retired to France, re-entered Spain, and uniting with the forces under the Duke of Berwick, compelled the army of Portugal to retire from Madrid. The Royal Dragoons marched from Valencia in July, together with Pearce's dragoons, a regiment of Castilian foot, and a regiment of Germans, and on the 8th of August joined the army of Portugal at Guadalaxara, from whence they marched to Chinchon, a town of Toledo, eighteen miles from Madrid, where they remained about a month.

The allied army, being unable to make head against the superior numbers of the enemy, retired, and having crossed the Tagus at Fuente Duennas, continued their march through the fine champaign country of La Mancha, and took up their winter quarters in Valencia, extending their cantonments from Requena to Denia.

In the spring of 1707 the Royal Dragoons were ordered to take the field, and after a long and difficult march they joined the army in the beginning of April; but no expectation of a general engagement being entertained, and land carriage being difficult to procure, they were detached on the 9th of April as far as Denia, for their clothing, and to refresh their horses a short time in village cantonments. While they lay at Collera, a town situate at the mouth of the river Xucar, in the province of Valencia, the battle of Almanza was[46] fought on the 25th of April, when the allied army, commanded by the Marquis das Minas and the Earl of Galway, was nearly annihilated by the French and Spaniards under the Duke of Berwick.

Soon after this disaster the Royal Dragoons joined the wreck of the allied army, which had been collected by the Earl of Galway, and were employed for three months in marches and countermarches, observing the motions of the opposing army and endeavouring to preserve the rich and extensive province of Catalonia from the power of the enemy. They afterwards formed part of the force assembled for the relief of Lerida, but the undertaking was found to be impracticable. The enemy gained possession of Arragon and Valencia, but were prevented acquiring all the advantages from the victory at Almanza which had been anticipated.

During the winter and succeeding spring exertions were made to bring the regiments in Catalonia into as efficient a state as possible; and when the Royal Dragoons took the field to serve the campaign of 1708, they were reported to be "in excellent condition."[40] The allied army in Catalonia was under the orders of Marshal Count Guido de Staremberg, an officer of reputation, who had commanded the Imperial troops in Hungary. The services of the Royal Dragoons were of a defensive character; sending out detachments to reconnoitre, furnishing piquets and patroles, and traversing[47] the mountain districts of Catalonia in small parties, were the only duties they were called upon to perform. They were encamped a short time in a valley near Monblanco, subsequently on a fertile plain near Cervera, and they passed another winter in cantonments in Catalonia.

The early part of the campaign of 1709 was also passed in defensive movements: the Royal Dragoons were encamped with the army on the banks of the Segré, and having forded that river in August, the town of Balaguer, situate at the foot of a hill on the banks of that stream and in a district of uncommon fertility, was captured; also Ager, a place twelve miles from Balaguer. After placing garrisons in these towns the army repassed the river, and the regiments went into cantonments.

The campaign of 1710 was distinguished by more important events, the two claimants to the throne of Spain heading their armies in person. The enemy was first in the field, and commenced operations with the siege of Balaguer, but retired on the approach of the allied army. The Royal Dragoons were subsequently encamped on the banks of the Segré; and when King Charles joined the army, they were detached to meet his Majesty and to escort him to the camp.

After some manœuvring, Lieutenant-General Stanhope (afterwards Earl Stanhope), who commanded the British troops in Spain, being at the head of the leading column of the allied army on the march towards Alfaras, discovered, on the evening of the 27th of July, a body of the enemy's[48] forces in front of the village of Almanara, and obtained the King's permission to attack them with the cavalry, of which the Royal Dragoons had the honour to form part.

The sun was declining from the horizon, and the shades of evening were gathering over the valleys of Catalonia, when the British commander led forward his warlike horsemen. Before him appeared twenty-two squadrons of Castilian cavalry, the pride and flower of the Spanish army, with King Philip's life guards on the right; a second line of the same numbers was seen in the rear, and nine battalions of infantry supported the cavalry. Against this force the gallant Stanhope advanced at the head of Harvey's horse (now second dragoon guards); his front line consisted of sixteen squadrons, with a reserve of six squadrons. The Spaniards came forward to meet their opponents in all the pomp of war, and a noble spectacle presented itself. The foaming squadrons dashed upon each other, but the contest was of short duration. The enemy's left soon gave way,—the Spanish life guards were routed with the loss of a standard and a pair of kettle drums,—their second line fled in confusion,—the infantry were seized with a panic; and Stanhope's troopers chased the fugitives from the field with great slaughter, following them among the rocks and dells until the darkness rendered it impossible to distinguish friends from foes.

The result of this cavalry action disconcerted the plans of the enemy; King Philip called in his detachments and retired; and the allied army[49] moved forward in pursuit. After following the retiring army many days, sometimes crossing valleys, and at other times traversing wild but beautiful regions among rocks and mountains, and obtaining possession of numerous towns in Arragon, the Royal Dragoons overtook the enemy's rear-guard in the pass of Penalva, on the 15th of August, when a sharp skirmish ensued, and Lieut.-Colonel Colberg, who commanded the regiment, was wounded and taken prisoner.

Continuing the pursuit during the four succeeding days, the Royal Dragoons passed the Ebro with the leading column under Major-General Carpenter, and on the evening of the 19th of August the French and Spanish forces were discovered in order of battle on the right of Saragossa, a city pleasantly situated on the river Ebro, in a very plentiful country, abounding with every necessary for the support and convenience of life, and once the delight of Julius Cæsar, who erected a splendid palace there. Preparations were made to attack the enemy on the following day; the Royal Dragoons formed part of the cavalry of the left wing, commanded by Lieut.-General Stanhope, and were opposed to the enemy's right on the brow of a steep hill.

Early on the morning of the 20th of August a heavy cannonade commenced; and as the mountains re-echoed the sound, and the smoke, tinged with the rays of the sun, rose in curling clouds and formed a glittering dome over the opposing armies, King Charles and his suite galloped along the line, and his Majesty's presence infused a[50] glowing ardour into the troops. About mid-day Lieut.-General Stanhope led the Royal Dragoons and other British horsemen on the left against their adversaries, and a sharp cavalry action ensued, in which the French troopers (being superior in numbers) had the advantage; but Stanhope's second line of cavalry repulsed the enemy. The British dragoons rallied, and returning to the charge, a sanguinary sword-fight took place at the foot of the hill; but six squadrons of Portuguese dragoons on the extreme left fled before the troops advancing against them, without waiting to be attacked. The battle extended along the front to the banks of the Ebro, and the Imperial, Dutch, and Palatine troops vied with the British in feats of gallantry. The Royals, Pepper's (now eighth) and Stanhope's dragoons, continuing the fight, gained some advantage; Harvey's horse signalized themselves; and four English battalions, commanded by Major-General Wade, being mixed with the cavalry of the left wing, behaved with remarkable intrepidity and heroism. The British infantry, throwing off their knapsacks, sprang up the acclivity and attacked their opponents sword in hand: finally, the enemy was driven from the field with prodigious slaughter, and the loss of six thousand prisoners, twenty-two pieces of cannon, seventy-two standards and colours, the ammunition, baggage, and plate of King Philip; and the city of Saragossa was captured, with its military stores of ammunition, provision and clothing. The Royal Dragoons passed the night in the fields near the town, and were[51] thanked by King Charles for their distinguished gallantry.

After this victory the army once more advanced to Madrid, and King Charles made his public entry into the capital on the 28th of September; but the army of Portugal not advancing to sustain this forward movement, the most disastrous results followed. King Philip called to his aid troops from Estremadura,—reinforcements arrived from France,—the Castilian peasantry took arms in his behalf,—and the allied army was once more forced to retire.

On the 11th of November King Charles withdrew from the army, taking with him the Royal Dragoons and Staremberg's Imperialists, and proceeded to Cienpoznelos. The Royal Dragoons appear to have become a favourite corps with his Majesty, and when he retired to Barcelona he took with him two squadrons of the regiment as a body-guard. The other squadron remained with the army, and during the retreat it formed part of the rear column on the left commanded by Lieut.-General Stanhope. This retrograde movement was performed under great difficulties from the hostile spirit of the Castilians, inclement weather, and a scarcity of forage and provision. On the 6th of December the column of which the Royal Dragoons formed part arrived at Brihuega, a village of about a thousand houses, situate in the mountains of Castile, near the river Tajuna, where they halted on the following day. While the troops were reposing in this rural seclusion, the town was suddenly[52] surrounded by the French and Spanish forces commanded by the Duke of Vendosme. The British, though invested by a force of more than ten times their own numbers, resolved on a vigorous defence; but unfortunately they had no artillery, very little ammunition, and the wall round the village was in a ruinous condition. The enemy forced the gates, battered down part of the wall with their cannon, and assaulted the place by storm, but were repulsed with severe loss. A second assault was given, and the British troops, having spent all their ammunition, defended themselves a short time with stones and other missiles; but were eventually forced to surrender prisoners of war.[41]

The officers and men of the Royal Dragoons who were thus made prisoners were sent to France, and, after being exchanged, were removed to England, and subsequently to Scotland. The remainder of the regiment continued in Spain, where it served under Lieut.-General the Duke of Argyle.

[53]

In 1711 the Emperor Joseph died, King Charles proceeded from Spain to Germany, and was elected Emperor of the Romans. This event removed one of the competitors for the throne of Spain. King Philip made a formal renunciation of his claim to succeed to the throne of France, and the danger of an union of the kingdoms of France and Spain was thus removed. Negotiations for a general peace were commenced, and in the summer of 1712 the officers and men of the Royal Dragoons quitted Spain and returned to England. They were mounted on Spanish horses; but before they quitted Catalonia their horses were sold, and the men returned home dismounted.

After their arrival in England the Royal Dragoons were stationed in dispersed quarters in Yorkshire; and the establishment was fixed at twenty-seven officers, eight quarter-masters, and three hundred and twenty-eight non-commissioned officers and private men. During the summer of 1713 a detachment of the regiment proceeded to Dover, and received a draft of two hundred horses from Kerr's (now seventh) dragoons, which regiment was ordered to proceed, dismounted, to Ireland, where it was disbanded.

On the decease of Queen Anne on the 1st of August, 1714, the Royal Dragoons left Yorkshire, and marched into quarters in the villages near London; but after the arrival of King George I. from Hanover they returned to Yorkshire, and a reduction of fifty men was made in the establishment.[42]

[54]

In January, 1715, two troops of the Royal Dragoons, with three troops of the Scots greys, and a newly-raised troop of dragoons, were incorporated into a regiment—the present seventh hussars.[43] The establishment was thus reduced to six troops; and on the 13th of June in the same year the colonelcy was conferred on Richard Lord Cobham, who was advanced to the dignity of Viscount three years afterwards.

At this period Jacobite principles were very prevalent in the United Kingdom; and in September, 1715, the Earl of Mar raised the standard of rebellion in Scotland, and excited the clans to take arms in favour of the Pretender. The Royal Dragoons were immediately ordered to the North; and in the early part of October they arrived at Edinburgh, from whence they marched immediately afterwards, and, being placed under the command of Lieutenant-General Carpenter, went in pursuit of a body of rebels.

After several marches and countermarches Lieutenant-General Carpenter arrived at Jedburgh on the 30th of October: three days afterwards he ascertained that a division of the rebel army had marched in the direction of Carlisle, and he instantly went in pursuit of them. The rebels, however, eluded his vigilance, and arrived without opposition at Preston, in Lancashire. Major-General Wills, who commanded in Cheshire, assembled several regiments, and marched towards[55] Preston. In the mean time Lieutenant-General Carpenter, with the Royal, Molesworth's, and Churchill's dragoons,[44] were marching with all possible expedition from Scotland; and they arrived before Preston about mid-day on Sunday, the 13th of November, when they found the town surrounded by the troops under Major-General Wills: some sharp fighting had previously taken place, but on the arrival of the forces from Scotland, the rebels surrendered at discretion. On the same day another division of the rebel army was defeated at Sheriff-moor, near Dumblain; and in the early part of 1716 the Pretender and insurgent chiefs made their escape to France, and the common people retired to their homes.

After the suppression of this rebellion, the Royal Dragoons were stationed in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, from whence they marched, in February, 1717, to Newcastle upon Tyne, and were placed under the command of Major-General Wills. This march was occasioned by the preparations made by Charles XII., King of Sweden, for an expedition to England to place the Pretender on the throne; but the measures taken by the British government defeated the project. The journals of this period speak highly of the condition of the British army, particularly the cavalry, which they represent as the best in the world.[45]

In the spring of 1718 the Royal Dragoons marched into quarters in Yorkshire and Lancashire; and, the King of Sweden having been compelled [56]to relinquish his projected expedition, the establishment was reduced to two hundred and seven officers and men.

The peace of Europe was disturbed in 1719 by Philip V. of Spain, who was desirous of recovering the places ceded by him in the treaty of Utrecht; and among the measures contemplated by the Spaniards was placing the Pretender on the throne of Great Britain, that the interest of this country might be insured in favour of the projected innovations. An expedition, commanded by the Duke of Ormond, was prepared in Spain for a descent on the British coast; but the fleet was dispersed and disabled by a storm: two ships, however, reached the coast of Scotland, and between three and four hundred Spaniards landed, and were joined by a number of Highlanders. When information of this event reached London, orders were issued for the Royal Dragoons to proceed with all possible expedition to Scotland, where they arrived in May. Major-General Wightman advanced with a body of foot and three troops of the Scots greys, and attacked the Spaniards and Highlanders on the 10th of June at the pass of Glenshill, and forced them to retire with considerable loss. On the following day the Highlanders dispersed, and the Spaniards surrendered themselves prisoners of war. The Royal Dragoons returned to England in July, and were quartered in Yorkshire; and a detachment was ordered to embark at Portsmouth and accompany the expedition commanded by their colonel, Viscount Cobham, intended to make an attack on Corunna. The[57] design on that place was, however, abandoned; but the troops effected a landing on the coast of Spain, and took Vigo, where they obtained possession of several pieces of brass ordnance, with a magazine of muskets and other arms. Rondendella and Pont-a-Vedra were also taken, and additional captures of military stores effected. The Spanish court made overtures for a treaty of peace; and in November the expedition returned to England.

In February, 1720, His Majesty issued a regulation, fixing the amount of purchase-money to be paid for regimental commissions, and the following prices were established for the

Royal Regiment of Dragoons.

The Royal Dragoons left Yorkshire in April, 1721, and were stationed at Nottingham and Derby; and on the 10th of that month the colonelcy was conferred on Sir Charles Hotham, Baronet, Viscount Cobham having been removed to the second horse, now first dragoon guards.

[58]

During the summer of 1722 the Royal Dragoons were encamped near Durham; and on the 12th of January, 1723, the colonelcy, having become vacant by the decease of Sir Charles Hotham, was conferred on Brigadier-General Humphrey Gore, from the tenth dragoons.

The regiment occupied extensive quarters in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in 1724; in the following year it furnished detachments to assist the revenue officers in their duties on the coast; and in October, 1726, it was stationed in Sussex and Essex.

England having agreed to furnish ten thousand men to assist the States-General in their war with the Emperor of Germany, the Royal Dragoons were augmented to nine troops, of five hundred and fifty-two officers and men, and selected to form part of this force. No embarkation was, however, required.

The decease of King George I. took place on the 11th of June, 1727; and a few days previous to the coronation of his successor, George II., the Royal Dragoons marched into quarters near London, and were reviewed in brigade with Honeywood's (now eleventh) dragoons by his Majesty on Hounslow Heath, on the 17th of October. They subsequently proceeded into Leicestershire and Derbyshire; and in the beginning of the succeeding year the establishment was again reduced to six troops.

In the spring of 1730 the regiment marched into cantonments in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire; in 1731 it was stationed in Kent, with[59] detachments on coast duty; and in the month of March in the following year proceeded into Somersetshire, from whence it detached, in the spring of 1733, several parties to the maritime towns and villages on the Suffolk coast, where frequent rencounters took place between the military and smugglers.

The several detachments were collected in May, 1734, and the six troops assembled at Taunton, where they were reviewed by their colonel, Major-General Gore. One troop was afterwards detached into Sussex; and in August another troop proceeded to Bath, and furnished a daily guard for the Princess Amelia during her Royal Highness's residence at that city. In August, 1735, the five troops in Somersetshire marched to the north, and were placed under the orders of Lieut.-General Wade, commander-in-chief in Scotland. They, however, returned to England in April, 1737, and were quartered in Lancashire; and during the summer of the following year the six troops were stationed in Essex and Kent, with detachments on coast duty.

In July, 1739, the Royal Dragoons were ordered to call in their detachments and march into quarters at Hounslow and its vicinity; and on the 28th of that month they were reviewed on Hounslow Heath by his Majesty. In the beginning of August they marched into quarters in Worcestershire; and their colonel, Major-General Gore, died on the 18th of that month. On the 1st of September his Majesty conferred the[60] colonelcy on Charles, second Duke of Marlborough, from the 38th regiment of foot.

The Spaniards having repeatedly violated the existing treaties in regard to the commerce of England with America, his Majesty declared war against Spain; and the establishment of the Royal Dragoons was augmented to four hundred and thirty-five officers and men.

In May, 1740, the colonelcy, vacant by the removal of the Duke of Marlborough to the second troop (now second regiment) of life guards, was conferred on Major-General Hawley, from the thirteenth dragoons.

During the summer of 1740 the Royal Dragoons were encamped (with three other regiments of cavalry and six of infantry) near Newbury, and afterwards near Devizes, under the orders of General Wade. In October they marched from camp into quarters in Leicestershire; and in November, 1741, removed into Somersetshire.

In the mean time hostilities had commenced on the continent, and France, Bavaria, and Prussia were endeavouring to deprive the house of Austria of its hereditary dominions. King George II. resolved to support the Austrians; and in the summer of 1742 his Majesty sent Field Marshal the Earl of Stair with sixteen thousand men to Flanders. The Royal Dragoons were selected for this service, and, having been reviewed by his Majesty on Hounslow Heath, they embarked in August, and after their arrival in Flanders were stationed in the cavalry barracks at Ghent.

[61]

Leaving Ghent in February, 1743, the Royal Dragoons marched for Germany; and in June they were encamped, with the other forces, near Aschaffenburg, on the river Maine, where they were joined by King George II. and the Duke of Cumberland. On the 26th of June the army marched for Hanau, a town of Hesse-Cassel, and the Royal Dragoons formed part of the advance-column. When on the march the French were discovered in position near Dettingen: his Majesty commanded the army to form opposite the enemy, and the Royal Dragoons were posted near the right of the line.

The French advanced from their position and attacked the left of the allied army; the contest soon became general, and the English cavalry engaged the French cuirassiers with varied success. The Mousquetaires Noirs, a choice corps of French cavalry, separated themselves from their line, and, passing between two columns of infantry, rushed headlong towards the British cavalry. The Royal Dragoons, undaunted by this audacity, met the French horsemen with a cool, determined bearing, and, encountering them in mid-onset, overthrew the presumptuous squadrons, cut them down with a dreadful slaughter, and captured a STANDARD. The Royal Dragoons were afterwards engaged with the enemy's household troops; they were again victorious, and, though without armour, fought and triumphed over their steel-clad opponents, and received the thanks of his Majesty for their gallant conduct. Eventually the French army was[62] overthrown, and driven from the field with great loss.

In this action the Royal Dragoons had six men and thirty-four horses killed and wounded. The Standard of the Mousquetaires Noirs was taken by a serjeant of the right squadron. It was of white satin, embroidered with gold and silver: in the middle a bunch of nine arrows tied with a wreath, with the motto Alterius Jovis altera tela. The lance was broken, the standard was stained with blood; the cornet who carried it was killed without falling, being buckled to his horse, and his standard buckled to him.[47]

The Royal Dragoons passed the night near the field of battle, exposed to a heavy storm of rain, and on the following day marched with the army to Hanau, and encamped on the banks of the river Kinzig, where they remained until the early part of August, when they advanced, and, having crossed the Rhine above Mentz, were employed in operations in West Germany. Nothing of importance, however, transpired; and in October they commenced their march for Mentz, where they repassed the Rhine, and, proceeding through the duchy of Nassau, the principality of Liege, and province of Brabant, entered Flanders, and, arriving at Ghent on the 18th of November, again occupied part of the cavalry barrack at that place.

The campaign of 1744 passed without any general engagement. The army penetrated the French territory; but the services of the Royal[63] Dragoons were limited to piquets, out-guards, and protecting foraging parties from the attacks of the French garrisons; and in October they returned to their former station at Ghent.

In April, 1745, the Royal Dragoons marched from their winter quarters, and encamped near Brussels. The enemy assembled a numerous army, and invested Tournay, the chief town of a district in the province of Hainault; and the Duke of Cumberland, though inferior to the French in numbers by above thirty thousand men, resolved to attack them. His Royal Highness accordingly advanced; and on the 10th of May (N.S.) a squadron of the Royal Dragoons was engaged, with other forces, in driving in the enemy's out-guards and piquets. The French army was discovered in order of battle on a gentle ascent protected by batteries, and rising gradually from the plain near Fontenoy. At daybreak on the morning of the 11th of May the allies moved forward, but, having many defiles to pass, the attack did not commence until near ten o'clock. The British infantry advanced against the enemy, and throughout the day they displayed the greatest valour and intrepidity; but the Dutch did not evince equal resolution, and their failure occasioned the most unfortunate results. It was near the conclusion of the action before the Royal Dragoons were called upon to charge, when they advanced through a hollow way abounding with difficulties, and were exposed to the destructive fire of two batteries: they charged by alternate squadrons with all the spirit and resolution[64] which characterizes the attack of British cavalry. But the Duke of Cumberland, perceiving that, from the failure of the Dutch and other causes, it was impossible to retrieve the fortune of the day, ordered a retreat, and the army marched from the field of battle, and encamped near Aeth.

The loss of the regiment in this engagement was fifteen men and sixty-nine horses killed; with Lieutenant-Colonel Naizon, Cornets Hartwell, Desmeret, and Creighton, thirty-one men, and forty-seven horses wounded.

The allied army afterwards encamped on the plain of the Dender, near Lessines; and subsequently near Brussels.

In the mean time Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, arrived in Scotland with a ship laden with arms, and, being joined by several of the Highland clans, took the opportunity of the King's army being abroad to make a desperate effort to gain the throne. Several regiments were immediately ordered to England; and in November the Royal Dragoons marched to Williamstadt, in North Brabant, and embarked; but the shipping was delayed for some time by contrary winds, and several horses were lost from the transports being stranded.

After their arrival in England the Royal Dragoons formed part of the army assembled near the metropolis to repel the threatened descent of a French force on the southern coast of the kingdom.

The rebellion having been suppressed by the victory at Culloden, the Royal Dragoons continued in the south of England: they were stationed at[65] Windsor, Reading, and Colnbrook, and had the honour of furnishing travelling escorts for the royal family: in July, 1746, one troop attended the Princess Caroline at Bath. On the 26th of December, 1747, they were reviewed by His Majesty on Hounslow Heath: in the following summer they were employed on coast duty in Lincolnshire, and in suppressing riots among the weavers in Lancashire.

After the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle the establishment was reduced to two hundred and eighty-five officers and men; and in 1750 the regiment marched to Scotland.

A regulation was issued in 1751 relative to the clothing and standards of the several regiments; from which the following particulars have been extracted relative to the Royal Dragoons:—

Coats—scarlet; double breasted; without lappels; lined with blue; slit sleeves turned up with blue; the button-holes worked with narrow yellow lace; the buttons of yellow metal, set on two and two; a long slash pocket in each skirt; and a yellow worsted aiguillette on the right shoulder.

Waistcoats and Breeches—blue.

Hats—bound with gold lace, and ornamented with a yellow metal loop, and a black cockade.

Boots—of jacked leather.

Cloaks—of scarlet cloth, with a blue collar, and lined with blue shalloon; the buttons set on two and two upon yellow frogs or loops, with a blue stripe down the centre.

Horse Furniture—of scarlet cloth; the holster-caps and housings having a border of royal[66] lace, with a blue stripe down the centre; the crest of England within the garter, embroidered on each corner of the housing; and on the holster-caps, the King's cipher and crown, with I.D underneath.

Officers—distinguished by gold lace; their coats and waistcoats bound with gold embroidery; the button-holes worked with gold; and a crimson silk sash worn across the left shoulder.

Quarter-Masters—to wear a crimson sash round the waist.

Serjeants—to have narrow gold lace on the cuffs, pockets, and shoulder-straps; gold shoulder-knots or aiguillettes, and yellow and blue worsted sashes tied round the waist.

Drummers and Hautboys—clothed in scarlet coats lined with blue, and ornamented with royal lace with a blue stripe down the centre; their waistcoats and breeches of blue cloth.

Guidons.—The first or King's guidon to be of crimson silk, embroidered and fringed with gold and silver; in the centre the rose and thistle conjoined and crown over them, with the motto Dieu et mon Droit underneath: the white horse in a compartment in the first and fourth corners, and I.D in gold characters on a blue ground in a compartment in the second and third corners. The second and third guidons to be of blue silk, in the centre the crest of England within the garter on a crimson ground: the white horse on a scarlet ground in the first and fourth compartments, and I.D within a wreath of roses and thistles upon a scarlet ground in the second and third compartments.

[67]

In 1752 the Royal Dragoons returned to England, and were stationed at York, from whence they marched, in October, 1753, into quarters in Norfolk and Essex, and in September of the following year they proceeded into extensive cantonments in Kent.

Disputes having occurred between England and France relating to the boundaries of the British possessions in North America, hostilities commenced in 1755, when an augmentation of one hundred men was made to the establishment: a light troop, consisting of three officers, one quarter-master, two serjeants, three corporals, two drummers, and sixty private soldiers,[48] was raised and added to the regiment on the same principle as the light companies to regiments of infantry.

War was declared against France in 1756, when the French monarch made preparations for a descent on the British coast, and the Royal Dragoons were stationed in the maritime towns in the southern counties: during the summer of 1757 they were encamped near Salisbury.

The British military establishment having been considerably augmented, His Majesty was prepared to act offensively against France; and in 1758 the light troop of the Royal Dragoons formed part of an expedition commanded by Charles, Duke of Marlborough, which landed on the coast of Brittany and destroyed the French shipping and magazines at St. Maloes. This troop was afterwards engaged in a second expedition[68] to the coast of France, commanded by General Bligh, when a landing was effected in the Bay des Marées, and Cherbourg was taken: it was also engaged in the second descent on the coast of Brittany.

On the 5th of April, 1759, the colonelcy, having become vacant by the decease of General Hawley, was conferred on Henry Seymour Conway, from the fourth Irish horse, now seventh dragoon guards. In the same year the establishment of each of the six heavy troops was augmented to sixty private men, and the light troop to eighty-nine; making a total of five hundred and forty-four officers and men; and in the following year the light troop was further augmented to four officers, one quarter-master, four serjeants, four corporals, two drummers, and one hundred and eighteen private men.

In the mean time a British army had proceeded to Germany, and was serving in conjunction with the Hanoverian, Hessian, and Brunswick troops, commanded by Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick; and in the spring of 1760 the Royal Dragoons, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Johnston,[49] embarked for foreign service, and, having landed at Bremen, in Lower Saxony, on the 16th and 17th of April, joined the army encamped[69] near Fritzlar, in the principality of Lower Hesse, on the 21st of that month. On the 22nd they were reviewed by the Duke of Brunswick, who was pleased to express his approbation of their appearance.

After much manœuvring and skirmishing, thirty thousand French troops, commanded by the Chevalier de Muy, crossed the Dymel to cut off the communication of the allied army with Westphalia. The Royal Dragoons, with several other corps, were immediately sent forward to Liebenau, under the command of the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, to secure the bridge across the Dymel; and being followed by the main body, the Prince advanced to the vicinity of Warbourg, and reconnoitred the French forces in position near that place, whom he resolved to attack on the following day.

At daybreak on the morning of the 31st of July the Royal Dragoons, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Johnston, left their camp on the heights of Corbeke, and making a detour through several villages gained the left flank of the French army. Several other corps having arrived at the same point, the attack was immediately commenced, and after a sharp dispute the enemy gave way and retired upon Warbourg, where he was again attacked and driven across the Dymel with great loss. The Royal Dragoons encountered the French cavalry corps of royal Piedmont, and acquitted themselves with their accustomed gallantry. They afterwards charged a corps of Swiss infantry (the regiment of Planta) with distinguished bravery, broke its ranks, and after sabring[70] many of the men took twenty-one officers and two hundred soldiers prisoners: many of the Swiss attempting to escape were drowned in the Dymel. Three troops of the Royal Dragoons formed part of the force under the Marquis of Granby, which pursued the enemy across the Dymel and halted that night on the heights of Wilda: the other three, having suffered severely in the attack on the Swiss infantry, remained at Warbourg.[50] In a general order issued on the occasion, Prince Ferdinand declared that "all the British Cavalry performed prodigies of valour."

The Royal Dragoons lost in this action eight men and twenty-one horses killed; and twelve men and thirteen horses wounded.

The regiment was subsequently encamped on the banks of the Dymel, and on the 1st of October was despatched towards the Lower Rhine, forming part of a separate corps under the Hereditary Prince, which invested Wesel, a town in the duchy of Cleves.

The enemy advanced in force to relieve the besieged, and encamped, on the 14th of October, behind the convent of Campen. Immediately after dark on the evening of the same day, the Royal Dragoons and other corps advanced towards the enemy, the Hereditary Prince designing to surprise him in the night; but it was found necessary to dislodge a corps which occupied the convent of Campen, and this occasioned some firing, which alarmed the French camp, and the[71] troops were immediately formed in order of battle.

The action commenced before daybreak, and a succession of attacks, repulses, and charges were kept up until nine at night, in which the Royal Dragoons took an active part, and they are reported to have "behaved extremely well." Two pieces of cannon and a pair of colours were captured; but at length the Prince perceived that it was impossible to drive the enemy out of a wood of which he had possessed himself, and, the allied infantry having expended all their ammunition, his Highness ordered a retreat.

The Royal Dragoons had eight men and ten horses killed; Lieut.-Colonel Johnston, two men, and four horses, wounded; Captain Wilson, Lieutenant Goldsworthy, Cornet Duffe, and twenty-five men, taken prisoners. The regiment repassed the Rhine on the 18th of October, and was cantoned in the principality of Hesse, where the officers received orders to wear mourning for his late Majesty King George II.

In February, 1761, the regiment was engaged in an incursion into the French cantonments, and took part in several skirmishes with the enemy. In the spring a remount joined from England.

After much manœuvring, the allied army took post in Prussian Westphalia, on the rivers Asse and Lippe, and the Royal Dragoons were encamped on the heights between Illingen and Hohenover.[51] On the 15th of July the enemy attacked[72] the troops under the Marquis of Granby at Kirch Denkern, when the Royal Dragoons marched across the Asse by the bridge at Hans Hohenover, and advanced to support the corps attacked. After a sharp action the enemy was repulsed with loss. The fire of the skirmishers was, however, kept up throughout the night, and on the following morning the enemy renewed the engagement with great fury. During this day the Royal Dragoons were posted near Vellinghausen, and, when the enemy's columns of attack were repulsed, advanced to charge, but were prevented by the hedges and marshy hollows which intersected the country. They were subsequently employed in military operations on the Dymel, and afterwards marched into the electorate of Hanover, and were engaged in a skirmish near Eimbeck in the early part of November. On the same night they marched through a heavy snow to Foorwohle, where they encountered and drove back some French cavalry. On the 9th of November they had another skirmish at Foorwohle, and subsequently marched into quarters in East Friesland.

The Royal Dragoons left their winter quarters in May, 1762, and on the 18th of June joined the army encamped at Brackel, in the bishopric of Paderborn, from whence they marched to the heights of Tissel. The French army, commanded by Marshals d'Estrées and Soubise, took post at Groebenstien, where Prince Ferdinand resolved to attack them on the 24th of June, and the army was ordered to move forward in several columns for that purpose.

[73]

Moving from their camp-ground at daybreak, the Royal Dragoons passed the Dymel at Liebenau about four in the morning, and advanced against the enemy's camp. The manœuvre was conducted with such address, that the army was in presence of the French before they had the least apprehension of an attack, and, being instantly assaulted in front, flank, and rear, they retired in confusion, leaving all their equipage behind them. The Royal Dragoons had advanced against the enemy's front, and they were subsequently employed in surrounding a division of the French army commanded by General Stainville in the woods of Wilhelmsthal, where several corps were made prisoners. The pursuit was continued, and the French took refuge under the cannon of Cassel; the Royal Dragoons then retired a few miles, and encamped near Holtzhausen.

During the remainder of the campaign the Royal Dragoons were employed in operations on the Fulde, the Eder, and the Lahn, which were attended with such signal success, that a considerable portion of territory was wrested from the power of the enemy, and the allies took Cassel.

These successes were followed by a treaty of peace, and the Royal Dragoons proceeded into quarters in the bishopric of Munster.

At the close of the military operations of the year, when the army marched into winter quarters, Colonel James Johnston, of the Royal Dragoons, who had commanded the regiment since the 7th of April, 1759, and during the[74] campaign of 1762 had commanded the brigade composed of the Royals and second dragoon guards, received a most flattering mark of the approbation of the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick (afterwards reigning Duke, who married Princess Augusta, sister to George III.; he died of the wounds he received at the battle of Jena in 1808), namely, a valuable gold snuff-box, embellished with highly-chased military trophies, accompanied by an autograph letter, of which the following is a copy:—

During the winter shipping arrived from England to convey the troops home. The Royal Dragoons commenced their march for Williamstadt in February, 1763, and embarked at that port for England. According to the official returns, the strength of the regiment was fourteen officers, three hundred and twenty-nine men, and four hundred and twenty-three horses, with twenty-four servants and thirty-five women.

[75]

After their return from Germany the Royal Dragoons were ordered to proceed to Scotland; at the same time the light troop was disbanded, and the establishment was reduced to two hundred and thirty-one officers and soldiers. Eight men per troop were equipped as light dragoons, and mounted on small horses for skirmishing and other light services; the remainder of the regiment was mounted on large horses of superior weight and power.

In 1764 the regiment marched to South Britain; and an order was received to remount with long-tailed horses. On the 9th of May in the same year the colonelcy was conferred on Henry Earl of Pembroke, who had recently distinguished himself in the campaigns in Germany.

The six drummers borne on the establishment were, in 1766, ordered to be replaced by trumpeters; and on the 4th of May in the following year King George III. reviewed the regiment in Hyde Park, and expressed his approbation of its appearance and high state of discipline.[52] After the review it marched to the north of England; and in 1769 was stationed in Scotland; but returned to England in the following year, and, after occupying various quarters in the southern and western counties, was again reviewed by his Majesty on the 17th of May, 1773, on Finchley Common;[76] and, according to the journals of that period, its excellent condition and correct manœuvring procured the approbation of the King, and excited the admiration of the princes, noblemen, general officers, and other spectators.

During the summer the Royal Dragoons again proceeded to the north, and, after occupying quarters for a short period in Yorkshire, marched to Scotland, where they were stationed during the summer of 1774; but returned to England in the succeeding year; and on the 24th of May, 1777, were reviewed in brigade with the second dragoon guards, on Wimbledon Common, by the King, accompanied by several of the young princes, and attended by a retinue of noblemen and general officers.

Hostilities having commenced between Great Britain and the colonies in North America, an augmentation was made in the strength of the regular army; and in 1778 six serjeants, six corporals, and one hundred and twenty-six private men were added to the Royal Dragoons. During the summer they were encamped, with several other corps, on Coxheath, near Maidstone, where they were reviewed by the King.

In 1779 the men of the Royal Dragoons, equipped as light dragoons, with the light troops of the third dragoon guards, and sixth and eleventh dragoons, were incorporated into a regiment which was numbered the twentieth light dragoons.[53] During the summer the third dragoon guards,[77] Royals, fifteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first dragoons were encamped on Lexden Heath, near Colchester.

During the great riots in London in 1780 the Royal Dragoons were ordered to march thither. In the following year they proceeded to Scotland; and at the termination of the American war, in 1783, the establishment was reduced to two hundred and thirty-one officers and soldiers.

The regiment left Scotland in 1784, and occupied various quarters in the western and northern counties of England six years. On the breaking out of the revolutionary proceedings in France, the establishment was augmented nine men per troop, and in the spring of 1790 the six troops proceeded to Scotland; they, however, returned to England in the following year, and were employed in suppressing riots at Birmingham.

A further augmentation was made to the establishment in 1792, and again in the spring of 1793, when four troops were ordered to be held in constant readiness for foreign service.

The enormities committed by the French republicans occasioned another war; Holland was attacked; a body of British troops was sent to assist the Dutch; and on the 10th of June, 1793, four troops of the Royal Dragoons embarked for the Netherlands to join the army commanded by his Royal Highness the Duke of York. After landing at Ostend the four troops marched up the country, and formed part of the force which drove a body of French from the Camp de Cæsar, behind the Scheldt, on the 8th of August. The Royal[78] Dragoons were also with the covering army during the siege of Dunkirk, and after the attempt on that place was abandoned, they were employed in operations near the frontiers of Flanders, where they had a sharp encounter with a corps of French cavalry on the 27th of October.

On the 28th of January, 1794, the colonelcy of the regiment, being vacant by the decease of the Earl of Pembroke, was conferred on Major-General Philip Goldsworthy.

In April the four troops on foreign service were assembled with the army near Cateau, and were engaged in the general attack made on the enemy's positions at Prémont, &c. on the 17th of April, when Captain-Lieutenant the Honourable Thomas Carlton, of the regiment, was killed. The siege of Landrécies was immediately undertaken: the Royal Dragoons formed part of the covering army, and on the 24th of April were engaged in an affair with the enemy at Villers en Couché, when the French lost twelve hundred men and three pieces of cannon: the Royals had one man and two horses killed, and two men and three horses wounded.

The Royal Dragoons had another opportunity of distinguishing themselves on the 26th of April at Cateau. The enemy had marched out of Cambray, and at daybreak attacked the British army. The Duke of York detached the Royals and seven other cavalry regiments to turn the left flank of the French army: this movement was attended with the most brilliant success; the enemy was overthrown with immense slaughter; the rout[79] became general—cavalry and infantry, mingled in promiscuous crowds, were scattered over the plains, and the fugitives fell beneath the sabres of the British dragoons, who captured the French commander, Lieut.-General Chapuy, and thirty-five pieces of cannon. The Duke of York, in his account of this action, observes, "The behaviour of the British cavalry has been beyond all praise." The Royal Dragoons were among the corps which were declared in general orders to have "ACQUIRED IMMORTAL HONOUR." Their loss on this occasion was six men and twelve horses killed; with Lieutenant Froom, two serjeants, eleven men, and fourteen horses wounded.

After the capture of Landrécies the Royal Dragoons marched to the vicinity of Tournay, where they were again engaged with the enemy on the 10th of May; and the Duke of York observed in his public despatch, that the troops had "well supported the reputation acquired on the 26th of last month." The loss of the Royals was only two horses killed, and one man and three horses wounded.

The Royals were in reserve when the attack was made on the French positions on the 17th of May. The army afterwards resumed its post before Tournay, where it was attacked on the 22d of May by General Pichegru with an immense force. The British heavy cavalry had, it appears, become a terror to the enemy, for Brown, in his Journal, observes (22d May), "A column of five or six thousand men made its appearance towards our[80] left, on which account the brigade of guards and the British heavy cavalry remained ready for action on their camp ground; but the French, observing our advantageous situation, and dreading the thought of meeting the British cavalry a second time on an open plain, thought proper not to approach." Finally the French were repulsed at every point of attack, and retreated in the evening.

At length the enemy defeated the Austrians, and brought forward such immense numbers that the English army had no chance of success: the Duke of York retreated, and the final evacuation of Flanders followed.

In the mean time another squadron of the Royals embarked for foreign service; but having been driven back by severe weather, the officers and men were ordered to disembark and remain in England. In July that part of the regiment which was in England marched from Salisbury to Weymouth, in consequence of his Majesty visiting that place; and in October, when the King returned to London, they marched to Dorchester barracks.

During the winter the four troops on foreign service were exposed to privations and inclement weather, which occasioned the death of many men and horses. The winter was particularly severe, the Dutch people were favourable to the French, and the British troops, in their retreat through Holland during a hard frost and storms of snow and sleet, were treated as enemies by the inhabitants; at length the troops arrived in the duchy[81] of Bremen, where they had repose and kind treatment.

The Royal Dragoons were not engaged in any further hostilities on the continent. During the summer of 1795 they were encamped on one of the plains of Westphalia, and in the winter embarked for England.

Meanwhile, that part of the regiment which was on home service was again employed on King's duty at Weymouth, during his Majesty's stay at that place, and afterwards proceeded to Dorchester, where the four troops returning from the continent arrived in January, 1796. In July of the same year the regiment encamped on Barham Downs, near Weymouth, and in September marched into quarters at Canterbury.

In October, 1797, the regiment marched for Birmingham and Coventry; in July, 1798, for Exeter and Taunton; and in the following summer proceeded to Radipole barracks, Weymouth; but marched from thence, in November of the same year, for Salisbury, Warminster, &c.

In August, orders were received for the regiment to be mounted on nag-tailed black horses;[54] and the horse's tails were consequently cut.

[82]

During the summer of 1800 an encampment of about thirty thousand men was formed on Swinley common, near Windsor; the Royal Dragoons joined the camp in July; the troops were frequently exercised in the presence of the royal family, and the King reviewed the several corps previous to their departure. On the 11th of August the regiment quitted the camp, and proceeded to Croydon barracks and Epsom, with a squadron detached on coast duty in Sussex.

On the 7th of January, 1801, his Majesty conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-General Thomas Garth, in succession to Lieut.-General Goldsworthy, deceased.

Towards the end of May the regiment marched to Canterbury, and furnished numerous detachments on the revenue duty at the maritime towns and villages on the coast of Kent, where they assisted in making large seizures of smuggled goods, for which they received a reward of upwards of one pound per man.

A treaty of peace with the French republic having been signed at Amiens, a reduction of two[83] troops was made in the establishment, and the officers were placed on half-pay.

In July, 1802, four troops were ordered to Trowbridge to aid the civil power in the suppression of riots. In October following the regiment proceeded to Exeter and Taunton, with detached troops on coast duty in Cornwall; and in April, 1803, it was removed to Dorchester, Radipole, and Wareham barracks, from whence it marched in July following to Arundel and Chichester. At the same time, the war with France having recommenced, the establishment was augmented from eight to ten troops.

A change of quarters took place in April, 1804, and the regiment was stationed at Ipswich and Woodbridge; from whence it proceeded, in November following, to Colchester, where it passed the winter.

The regiment quitted Colchester in April, 1805, and proceeded to York, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Birmingham. In January, 1806, it returned from the north, and was again stationed at Woodbridge; and in March of the same year it once more proceeded northward, and, on arriving in Scotland, its head-quarters were established at Edinburgh, with detached troops at Dunbar, Haddington, and Perth, having marched upwards of six hundred miles in three months.

Embarking from Scotland in January, 1807, the regiment proceeded to Ireland, from which country it had been absent one hundred and fifteen years; and on its arrival the head-quarters were stationed at Dundalk, with detached troops[84] at Belturbet, Lisburn, Monaghan, Enniskillen, Sligo, and Londonderry. In June, 1808, it proceeded to Dublin, with detached troops at Carlow and Athy.

In the mean time important events had transpired in the Peninsula. Napoleon Buonaparte (whom the French had elevated to the throne) had obtained possession of the kingdoms of Portugal and Spain by treachery; had placed his brother Joseph on the throne of Spain, and supported these usurpations by an immense French army. The Spaniards and Portuguese, being impatient of the bondage into which they were brought, made energetic struggles for liberty, and, a British force proceeding to their aid, Portugal was delivered from the power of Buonaparte. Lieut.-General Sir John Moore advanced from Lisbon into Spain to aid the patriots; and the Royal Dragoons were directed to proceed on foreign service to reinforce the army in the Peninsula; but, on arriving at Cork for embarkation, news of the result of Sir John Moore's expedition occasioned the order to be countermanded.

The regiment remained at Cork barracks until April, 1809, when it proceeded into extensive cantonments (head-quarters at Clonmell), from whence it was withdrawn in August following, and eight troops, of eighty rank and file and eighty horses per troop, embarked at Cork for Portugal. The transports sailed on the 2nd of September, and on the 12th and 13th of that month the regiment landed at Lisbon, and occupied the barracks at Belem.

[85]

The British army in Portugal, commanded by Lord Wellington, was occupying quarters on the Mondego. The Royal Dragoons marched a few stages up the country in January, 1810, and were stationed at Santarem and Torres Novas, in the province of Estremadura; from whence they marched, in February, to Niza and Alphalo, in the Alentejo.

The enemy having an immense superiority of numbers, the British commander was reduced to the necessity of acting on the defensive, and his ultimate object was the protection of Lisbon. He, however, resolved to maintain a frontier position as long as possible; and, Ciudad Rodrigo being menaced in the end of April, the Royal Dragoons were ordered to advance to Belmonte, in the province of Beira, where they arrived on the 5th of May. The French army, commanded by Marshal Massena, Prince of Esling, proved so numerous, that all hope of preserving Ciudad Rodrigo was abandoned. The Royal Dragoons left Belmonte on the 9th of June, and proceeded to Villa Velha, from whence they marched, on the 1st of July, to Ville de Touro, and towards the end of the same month to Alverca; the enemy having taken Ciudad Rodrigo and besieged Almeida, the advanced posts of the British army were removed to Frexadas.

The French took Almeida on the 27th of August, and on the following day attacked a squadron of the Royals and a squadron of the fourteenth light dragoons on piquet at Frexadas, under the command of Major Dorville. The[86] enemy brought forward a superior force of cavalry, supported by infantry; but the two British squadrons, undaunted by superior numbers, charged the French horsemen with signal gallantry, and drove them from the field with the loss of many men killed and wounded, and five taken prisoners.[55] The Royals lost, in this encounter, two men and one horse killed, and two men and one horse wounded.

The allied army retired a short distance. The Royal Dragoons continued to be actively employed, and, in a skirmish with the enemy on the 2nd of September at Alverca, on the main road to Almeida, they had a serjeant wounded. The regiment retired from its advanced position on the same day, and on the 19th of that month was stationed at Santa Comba Dão.

The enemy continued to press upon the rear of the British army, and a party of the Royal Dragoons had another encounter with the French on the 21st of September, and had one man wounded, and another wounded and taken prisoner.

Lord Wellington having resolved to make a stand on the heights of Busaco, the army retired to that position, covered by the Royals and fourteenth light dragoons. During the severe contest in the mountains on the 27th of September, the Royals were formed in reserve behind the position; and when the army retired to the celebrated[87] lines of Torres Vedras, the Royals once more occupied the post of honour in the rear of the line of march. The French pressing upon the retiring army near Pombal on the 5th of October, their audacity was punished by a piquet of the Royals commanded by Lieutenant Carden, who charged the enemy and drove them back with loss; but, having advanced too far in pursuit, the lieutenant and one man, who were both wounded, were taken prisoners: the piquet, however, captured and brought off a French cavalry officer. The enemy's leading corps, being supported by immense columns, continued to hover round the rear of the allied army; and the temerity of their cavalry was again chastised on the 9th of October, near Quinta de Torre, by a squadron of the Royal Dragoons, which made a gallant charge, driving the French horsemen back with loss, and forcing them to take shelter behind a corps of infantry. This corps was too strong to be attacked by the squadron, and the Royals, having received a volley, retired with the loss of six horses killed, and one serjeant-major and two men wounded, with four men wounded and taken prisoners.

On the following day the allied army was in position in the fortified lines, where it opposed to the advance of the enemy a barrier so formidable that Marshal Massena, after several reconnoisances, declined to attack it, and retired during the night of the 14th of November. On the 15th the Royal Dragoons were despatched after the enemy, and a piquet of the regiment took a serjeant and five French dragoons prisoners.

[88]

The French army took post on the heights of Santarem; and the Royal Dragoons were stationed at Cazal Diera, Quinta, St. Christol, and Porto de Mugem, from whence they sent out detachments on piquet and outpost duty.

The French Marshal, having consumed his resources and wasted the numbers and physical power of his army, retired from Santarem on the night of the 5th of March, 1811. The Royals were again despatched in pursuit, and in the series of brilliant exploits which followed they took a distinguished part. They had a skirmish with the enemy near Pecoloo on the 7th of March, when they took three prisoners, and had one man and one horse wounded. They had another encounter with the French on the 8th of March, and had two men and one horse wounded. They again came in contact with the enemy on the 11th of March, near Pombal, and took two serjeants and seventy-six men prisoners.

Resuming the pursuit on the following day the allies discovered in their front a body of French cavalry, infantry, and artillery, posted on a high table land near Redinha. Lord Wellington ordered the troops to form in line, and the Royal Dragoons were directed to support the attack of the infantry. Three shots from the British centre was the signal to advance, and suddenly a most splendid spectacle of war was exhibited. The woods seemed alive with troops, and in a few moments thirty thousand men, forming three lines of battle, were stretched across the plain, bending in a gentle curve, and moving majestically onwards,[89] while the horsemen and guns, springing forward simultaneously from the centre and left wing, charged under a general volley from the French battalions: the latter were instantly hidden by the smoke, and when that had cleared away, no enemy was to be seen, the French having made a precipitate retreat to Condeixa.

The British again moved forward in pursuit, and on the 14th of March the Royal Dragoons supported a successful attack of the infantry on a French force posted in the mountains at Casal Nova: they also supported the attack on the French position at Foz d'Aronce on the 15th; and on the 18th they encountered a party of the enemy near Sernadilla, when they took a serjeant and twelve men prisoners, and captured twelve mules: the Royals had only one man wounded on this occasion. They continued hovering near the French army; and on the 26th of March a patrole of the Royals, commanded by Lieutenant Foster, with a patrole of the sixteenth light dragoons, attacked a detachment of French cavalry near Alverca with distinguished gallantry, sabred several dragoons, and took an officer and thirty-seven men prisoners.[56]

The Royals had another affair with a party of the enemy on the 28th of March, when they captured[90] a car laden with officers' baggage near Ardés, and had one man wounded. On the third of April they were posted in reserve during the action at Sabugal; and, on the retreat of the French, they were detached in pursuit, and captured several mules laden with baggage near Alfayates.

On the 7th of April the Royals were sent to the relief of a corps of Portuguese militia, commanded by Colonel Trant, who had taken post near Fort Conception. A brigade of French infantry was within half a mile of the militia, whose destruction appeared inevitable, when suddenly two cannon shots were heard to the southward,—the French formed squares in retreat,—and in a few minutes six squadrons of British cavalry and a troop of horse artillery came sweeping up the plain in their rear. The Portuguese were rescued from impending danger. The enemy, however, contrived to effect their escape, with the loss of about three hundred men killed, wounded, and taken prisoners, and part of their baggage: among the other captures the Royal Dragoons took a drove of fourteen bullocks and a horse.

The French army having been driven out of Portugal, the allies blockaded Almeida. Marshal Massena advanced to relieve that place, and he found the allied army posted on a fine table land, the left at Fort Conception, and the right at the beautiful village of Fuentes d'Onor. The village was attacked on the 3rd of May, and on the 5th a general assault was made on the British army. The French drove in the cavalry out-guards, and by the impetuosity of their attacks[91] gained some advantage; when two squadrons of the Royals, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, made a gallant and successful charge on the enemy's cavalry, took a serjeant and twenty-three men, and released a party of the foot guards who had been made prisoners by the French. A party of the enemy's cavalry made a gallant charge, and captured two guns belonging to Captain Bull's troop of horse artillery; when a squadron of the Royals dashed forward, routed the enemy, and retook the guns, which they brought back to the British line, with several French prisoners. Finally, the French were repulsed at every point of attack, and forced to relinquish their design of relieving Almeida. The Royal Dragoons had four men and nineteen horses killed; also two serjeants, thirty-four men, and twenty-four horses wounded; and they subsequently occupied their former quarters at Villa de Ceirva.

About midnight on the 10th of May the French garrison in Almeida blew up the works, then rushed in one column out of the town, forced their passage through the blockading troops, and directed their march on Villa de Ceirva; but finding it occupied by the Royals they changed the direction of their march and moved on Barba del Puerco. A party of the Royal Dragoons having been suddenly called out in the night, overtook the rear of the French column, which they attacked, and took a serjeant and nine men prisoners. The fourth and thirty-sixth foot also pursued the enemy; but the main body of the garrison made good their retreat. The regiment had two men wounded on this occasion.

[92]

After this affair Lord Wellington proceeded to Estremadura, to besiege Badajoz: but the Royal Dragoons remained with the forces left on the frontiers of Portugal, near Ciudad Rodrigo; and they were stationed in advance to cover the front from Villa de Egua to Espejo.

The French army, having been reinforced, and placed under the command of Marshal Marmont, advanced at daybreak on the morning of the 6th of June in two columns, when the light division was directed to retire from Gallegos upon Nave d'Aver, and subsequently upon Alfayetes; and the Royals, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, with a troop of the fourteenth light dragoons, were assembled at Gallegos to cover the retreat. The French brought forward about two thousand cavalry, six thousand infantry, and ten guns; and the Royals confronted this immense force with a degree of fortitude and valour seldom equalled.[57] That celebrated French cavalry officer, General Montbrun, manœuvred to outflank the Royals; but his squadrons were attacked and defeated twice,[93] and the retreat was effected with little loss. For their distinguished conduct on this occasion the Royals were publicly thanked by Lieutenant-General Sir Brent Spencer, who commanded, in the absence of Lord Wellington in Estremadura. They lost on this occasion a troop-serjeant-major, three men, and six horses killed; and nine men wounded.

The Royals subsequently bivouacked near Sabugal, from whence they proceeded to Arronches, and were encamped at the conflux of the Caya and Algrette: towards the end of July they marched to Idanha a Nova, on the frontiers of Portugal; and in August to Villa de Toura and Iteura. Meanwhile Lord Wellington returned from Estremadura, and afterwards blockaded Ciudad Rodrigo. Marshal Marmont advanced; when his lordship raised the blockade, and took up a defensive position, and the Royal Dragoons were posted on the 22nd of September on the Upper Azava. A series of attacks and manœuvres followed, and on the 25th the Royals were in the position of Fuente Guinaldo: from whence they were ordered to retire on the following day; and on the 27th were posted near Alfayates, with a piquet at Aldea de Ponte, which was attacked by the enemy, when Lieutenant Ross had his horse killed under him, and three men and six horses were wounded. On the following day the Royals were with the army in position behind Soito; and Lord Wellington offered battle, but the enemy retired, and the allied army went into cantonments. The Royals were stationed at Adão; subsequently[94] at Espejo, and towards the end of November marched for Meda.

Lord Wellington having resolved to besiege Ciudad Rodrigo, the Royal Dragoons marched to the vicinity of that city in January, 1812, and took post at Villa Turpina, to cover the troops employed in the siege. This city was taken by storm on the 19th of that month, and, when the works were put in a state of defence, the Royals marched to St. Jao de Presquere. The siege of Badajoz—the capital of Spanish Estremadura, situate on a beautiful plain on the banks of the Guadiana, was next determined upon: the army was accordingly put in motion for the south, and the Royal Dragoons, proceeding by way of Abrantes into Spanish Estremadura, were placed under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham; and, having crossed the Guadiana on the 16th of March, advanced upon Valverde and Santa Martha, and thence towards Llerena,—an old town of Estremadura, which once belonged to the knights of St. John. On the 19th of March the Royals were at Villa Franca; but on the advance of Marshal Soult, with a considerable force, they retired. Badajoz was taken on the 6th of April, and Lord Wellington afterwards proceeded to the north; but the Royal Dragoons remained in Estremadura, forming part of the force left in the south under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill.

On the 25th of May a squadron of the Royals, commanded by Major Dorville, proceeded on out-post duty to Llera. On the 27th, at night,[95] the commanding officer ascertained that a French brigade had advanced within a short distance of his post: he therefore retired to a wood about a mile behind the village, and having placed a small piquet on an eminence, with a support at the ford of a rivulet in front of the wood, the squadron bivouacked for the night. In the mean time a brigade of French cavalry, commanded by Brigadier-General L'Allemand, advanced to Llera, and surrounded the village at midnight, expecting to surprise the squadron in its quarters; but on discovering that it had marched, he advanced towards the wood, and, attacking the piquet, wounded and took prisoners one serjeant and five men. Meanwhile the support commenced a brisk fire, and gallantly defended the passage of the ford, and the squadron, not having drawn bit, immediately mounted and formed; when the French, being foiled in their object, retired: the squadron followed, and continued skirmishing with the enemy until they had passed Llera, and then resumed its former post.

On the 11th of June the seventeenth and twenty-ninth regiments of French dragoons, commanded by Brigadier-General L'Allemand, again proceeded to the vicinity of Llera, when Major-General Slade advanced with the Royals and third dragoon guards, and having attacked the French, routed them, and continued the pursuit about nine miles. On arriving at the vicinity of Maguilla the British regiments had another opportunity of charging, when they broke the enemy's first line, sabred many of the men, and took one of General L'Allemand's aides-de-camp prisoner. The British regiments[96] rushed forward in pursuit with too much eagerness, each vying with the other which should most distinguish itself; and in a moment of confusion the French brought forward a reserve, and charged the broken squadrons with such fury that they were obliged to retire.[58] The Royals lost in this encounter one serjeant, eleven men, and six horses killed; also nineteen men, and eight horses wounded; and Lieutenant Windsor, with four serjeants and thirty-nine men, taken prisoners. Lieutenant Windsor and most of the men were wounded before they were taken.

Patroles were afterwards sent on the road to Maguilla, and on the 14th of June a serjeant and twenty-five men of the Royals, with the like number of the third dragoon guards, encountered a squadron of French dragoons, which they charged with distinguished gallantry, and having sabred a number of men, took a captain (the commanding officer of the squadron), with a serjeant and twenty men, prisoners; and captured twenty-three horses.

On the 18th of June the Royals marched for Albuhera: they were subsequently encamped near Llerena, from whence they marched to Los Santos. Meanwhile the forces under Lord Wellington had[97] defeated the French at Salamanca; and on the news of this success Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill advanced. The Royals were in motion on the 30th of July, and proceeded to Villa Franca, and subsequently to Fuente del Maestre.

The main army having marched to Madrid, Sir Rowland Hill advanced to act in concert with Lord Wellington. The Royals advanced on the 27th of August, and on the 6th of September were at Villa Nova; left that place on the 13th of September; crossed the pontoon bridge at Almarez on the 19th, and arrived at Talavera, in the valley of the Tagus, on the 28th; from whence they proceeded to Tembleque, in New Castile. Lord Wellington having left Madrid and besieged the castle of Burgos, Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill took up a position on the Tagus, and the Royals marched by Aranjuez,—a beautiful palace of the kings of Spain,—to Morata. The enemy, however, concentrated his forces, and advanced, with an immense superiority of numbers, to relieve Burgos, when Lord Wellington raised the siege and retired, and Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill made a corresponding movement. The Royals commenced retiring on the 27th of October by Madrid and the pass of the Guadarama mountains, and arrived, on the 12th of November, at Salamanca; from whence they proceeded on the 15th to Arguilla, and on the 17th had an encounter with the enemy, when four men and one horse were wounded. Leaving Arguilla on the 28th of November they proceeded to Zelreira, and towards the end of December to Alcantara.

[98]

The Royal Dragoons passed the winter and spring of 1813 in Spanish Estremadura, from whence they advanced, in the middle of May, to turn the enemy's position on the northern bank of the Douro; and, arriving at Salamanca on the 26th of that month, they forded the river Tormes above the town, and encountered a body of French infantry and a few cavalry under General Villatte, who was retiring from Salamanca in the direction of Alba de Tormes, when the right squadron, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, charged the enemy with signal gallantry, sabred a number of men, and took one hundred and forty-three prisoners, with four tumbrils. In this action the Royals had five horses killed, and ten men and three horses wounded: Major Purvis's charger was also killed under him.

After this action the Royals bivouacked near La Orbado until the 3rd of June, when they advanced, with the army, on Valladolid. The enemy withdrew his troops from Madrid, and retired on Burgos; and on the approach of the allied army blew up the castle and fell back towards the Ebro, and subsequently to Vittoria, where he prepared to give battle. The allied army followed in pursuit; and in this long and toilsome march the Royals were subjected to much fatigue and privation,—frequently marching from daybreak in the morning until dusk in the evening, through a romantic and difficult tract of country, and climbing mountains and passing defiles and rugged precipices heretofore deemed impracticable. The horses, from practice, ascended and descended the[99] mountains with astonishing facility; and on the 20th of June the troops were in front of the enemy's position.

At daylight on the morning of the 21st of June the Royal Dragoons left their bivouac, and advanced to support the attack of the infantry on the heights in front of Vittoria. The face of the ground was so rugged that the operations of the cavalry were impeded, and for some time the services of the Royals were limited to supporting the columns of attack: towards the evening they, however, advanced to charge, but the enemy fled in confusion, leaving behind them cannon, ammunition, baggage, and the military chest of the army. The Royals moved forward in pursuit, and bivouacked about three miles beyond Vittoria: their loss was only one man and two horses killed, and one horse wounded. On this occasion the regiment was commanded by Major Purvis, Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton being in command of the brigade.

The Royals advanced in pursuit of the enemy on the following morning, and on the 2nd of July they were at Suista and other villages near Pampeluna, which place was blockaded by the allied army. They left that quarter, however, on the 18th of July, for Sanguesa, a town of Navarre, on the river Arragon, twenty-five miles from Pampeluna. Towards the end of that month the French army advanced to relieve Pampeluna, when the Royals were immediately ordered to return to the vicinity of that place, and they were formed in column at the foot of the mountains during the battle of the Pyrenees. They remained[100] with the blockading force near Pampeluna until the 10th of August, when, forage becoming scarce, they again proceeded to the plains of the Arragon, where they remained, together with General Mina's division of Spaniards, as a corps of reserve and support to the blockade, until after the surrender of that fortress. They were subsequently stationed at Villa Franca during the winter.

In the mean time the main army had entered France. On the 3rd of February, 1814, the Royal Dragoons marched to Tauste: from whence they proceeded, in the beginning of March, through the Pyrenean mountains, and entered France on the 9th of that month. For a short period they were stationed near Bayonne, which place was blockaded by the allied army; but they subsequently advanced up the country, and on the 10th of April were at the battle of Toulouse, when they were employed in covering the light brigade of guns, and in driving the piquets of the enemy under the walls of the city, which was immediately besieged. The French, having retired, the Royals were ordered forward to Villa Franche, and afterwards to Gardouch. These brilliant successes of the British troops were followed by the abdication of Buonaparte, and the restoration of peace.

The Royal Dragoons returned to Villa Franche on the 23rd of April, where they remained about a month, and then moved to Montguiscarde; and on the 2nd of June commenced their march through France to Calais, where they arrived on the 17th of July. They embarked on the following day, landed at Dover on the 19th,[101] and marched from thence to Bristol, where they arrived on the 11th of August; and shortly afterwards the establishment was reduced from ten to eight troops. In November the quarters were removed from Bristol to Exeter; and the brilliant services of the regiment were rewarded with permission to bear the word "Peninsula," as an honorary distinction, on the standards and appointments.

The prospect of a lasting peace soon vanished, and unexpected events brought the Royal Dragoons again into the field of conflict. The return of Buonaparte to France, the flight of Louis XVIII. from Paris, and the appearance of a British army near the frontiers of France, followed in rapid succession. An express arrived at the quarters of the Royals on the morning of the 24th of April, 1815, with orders to march on the following morning for Canterbury, and afterwards to Dover and Ramsgate, and to embark for the Netherlands. An augmentation of two troops was at the same time ordered; a hundred horses were received at Canterbury by transfer from the fifth dragoon guards; and about the middle of May the Royals were in Belgium, in quarters in the villages between Ghent and Brussels, where, to pass away the time unemployed by military duties, the officers amused themselves with horse-races and athletic sports.[59]

On the morning of the 16th of June the Royals were suddenly aroused before daybreak[102] by the loud notes of the bugle sounding "to horse." The summons had a highly exhilarating effect on the spirits of the men: they turned out with alacrity, not doubting but the day was big with events, and in a short time they were advancing on Quatre Bras, where the enemy had commenced a furious attack on the advanced-posts. After continuing the march about fifty miles, the Royals arrived at the scene of conflict about dusk in the evening:[60] the fighting had ceased, and the troops bivouacked on the field of battle.

The Prussians had been defeated at Ligny and forced to retire; the Duke of Wellington made a corresponding movement; and the Royal Dragoons, after passing the night under arms in the open fields, were formed in line, on the forenoon of the 17th of June, with the other cavalry regiments, to cover the retreat of the infantry. The British cavalry, manœuvring, and, by their varied evolutions, masking and covering the retreat of the infantry, exhibited a splendid spectacle of war. One squadron of the Royals, commanded by Major Radclyffe, was sent to the front to skirmish. "I was detached," observes the major, in his narrative, "with my squadron to cover the brigade by skirmishing, and Major-General Sir William Ponsonby, and the brigade generally, were pleased to applaud the style in which we acquitted ourselves. It rained with greater violence than I ever witnessed before, which I found to[103] my advantage when it was my turn to skirmish. The enemy had two squadrons of Chasseurs opposed to me, and as they could not overpower us by their fire, they huzzaed and endeavoured to excite each other on with 'Vive l'Empereur!' and once actually charged towards my skirmishers, but they stopped short, not daring to come to daggers with us." Towards the evening the Royals arrived at the position in front of Waterloo, where they halted, and again passed the night in the open fields, without provisions, without drink, and exposed to continued rain.

On the morning of the 18th of June the army was formed in order of battle. "We" (the Royals) "found ourselves," states the Major, in his journal, "in our place in close column behind the second line of infantry, fetlock deep in mud; no baggage for the officers, and neither provision nor water for the men (though some stray cattle had been killed and eaten, and a small supply of spirits had, a short time before, been found on the road), so that we might be said to go coolly into action, for every man was wet to the skin." Notwithstanding these disadvantages the Royals proved "true Britons."

At ten o'clock the French army was seen forming on the opposite heights, from whence a cloud of skirmishers rushed forwards: the fire of the artillery gradually opened, and about noon the columns of attack came sweeping through the valley in all the pomp and majesty of war. A succession of attacks was made at various points, and the Royals were formed in column, awaiting the[104] moment when their services should be required. At length, twenty thousand French infantry (Count d'Erlon's corps) suddenly appeared on the opposite heights, and rushing forward, such was the celerity of their course, that, scarcely seeming to traverse the intermediate space, they quickly ascended the position,—dispersed a Belgic brigade with which they first came in contact,—forced the artillery-men, posted in the rear of the double hedge and narrow road, to abandon their guns,—broke through parts of the British supporting infantry,—and several thousand of French foot having passed La Haye Sainte, had actually crowned the allied position, when Lieutenant-General the Earl of Uxbridge came galloping to that part of the field. A few words issued from his lips: speedily the Royals, the Scots Greys, and Inniskillen dragoons were seen advancing in line; the noble bearing of these distinguished horsemen was characteristic of the innate valour of the officers and men, and the spectacle was singularly imposing. The three regiments halted a few moments to permit the broken battalions to pass through the intervals of squadrons, and then rushed forward, with terrific violence, upon the enemy's infantry. The effect was magical: the heads of the French columns were instantly broken and forced back,—a general flight commenced; the firing ceased, and the smoke having cleared away, those formidable masses, a moment before so menacing and conspicuous, had almost disappeared, or left only the traces of a dispersed rabble flying over the plain.[105] Some, despairing to escape, abandoned their arms, and threw themselves on the ground, and the Royals, Greys, and Inniskillen dragoons were seen trampling down and sabring the French infantry with uncontrollable power. Crowds of French soldiers appeared at different points, surrendering as prisoners: many, however, defended themselves to the last; and others again, rising up, after being ridden over or passed by the dragoons, were observed firing on their rear, the slope of the position being left literally covered with dead.

During the heat of this conflict, Captain Alexander Kennedy Clark,[61] commanding the centre squadron of the Royal Dragoons, having led his men about two hundred yards beyond the second hedge on the British left, perceived in the midst of a crowd of infantry the Eagle of the French 105th regiment, with which the bearer was endeavouring to escape to the rear. Against this body of men, Captain Clark instantly led his squadron at full speed, and plunging into the midst of the crowd, overtook and slew the French officer who carried the Eagle; and several men of the Royal Dragoons coming up at the moment, the Eagle was captured, and Captain Clark, giving it to Corporal Stiles,[62] directed him to carry it to the rear.[63]

[106]

Another Eagle was captured by the Greys; and the three regiments, animated by this tide of success, pursued their advantage too far. They crossed the ravine; carried several batteries; and continued their course even to the rear of the enemy's position. The latter, recovering confidence from the disorder too apparent in the movements of this insulated and unsupported brigade, fell upon it with a large body of lancers and some cuirassiers. The three regiments being broken and dispersed in the pursuit, were forced back, and they sustained considerable loss. Their gallant leader, Major-General Sir William Ponsonby was killed,[64] and the command of the[107] brigade devolved on Colonel Muter[65] of the Inniskillen dragoons.

In this attack the Royals took an immense number of prisoners: their conduct excited great admiration, and has been commended by historians. The following is an extract from one of the numerous accounts of the battle of Waterloo:—"The Marquis of Anglesey, galloped up to the second brigade (1st, 2nd, and 6th dragoons), and the three regiments, wheeling into line, presented a beautiful front of about one thousand men. The noble Marquis ordered a charge, which was most gallantly executed. They took the enemy in flank and a most tremendous fight commenced. Every man fought with unparalleled heroism, for every man had his own individual task to perform. The Royals, fired with a noble emulation, rushed into a column of four thousand men, where they captured the Eagle of the 105th regiment and bore it off in triumph. The greater part of this column then threw down[108] their arms, and were immediately conducted to the rear. The Greys also captured an Eagle. Thus the great attack of the enemy on the left was finally overthrown, and two thousand men made prisoners."

After returning from the charge, the Royals resumed their post in position, and were exposed to a heavy cannonade. In the afternoon the brigade was moved to its right; and, Colonel Muter having been wounded, Lieut.-Colonel Clifton of the Royals took the command of the three regiments; when the command of the Royals devolved on Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Dorville. The enemy made several attacks on various points, but was uniformly repulsed. At length the Duke of Wellington assumed the offensive. The Royals again advanced, and the allied army made a simultaneous rush upon the enemy, who was overthrown, cut down, and pursued with dreadful slaughter from the field of battle. Thus ended a day glorious to the British arms beyond precedent. The distinguished services of the Heavy Cavalry did not fail to excite admiration:—by their powerful attacks they more than once restored the battle; and they were especially noticed by the Duke of Wellington in his despatch.

The Royal Dragoons had Captain Windsor, Lieutenant Foster, Cornets Magniac and Sykes, Adjutant Shepley, six serjeants, eighty-six men, and one hundred and sixty-one horses killed: Brevet Major Radclyffe[66], Captain Clark, Lieutenants[109] Gunning, Keily, Trafford, Wyndowe, Ommaney, Blois, and Goodenough, with six serjeants, eighty-two men, and thirty-five horses, wounded; also two men wounded and taken prisoners.

On the following morning the allied army advanced, directing its march upon Paris, which city was surrendered in the early part of July. The Royals accompanied the army, and on the 7th of July marched into quarters at Nanterre, a village situate about seven miles from the French[110] capital. The Bourbon dynasty was restored to the throne, and the campaign terminated.

The Royals left Nanterre on the 30th of July, and proceeded to Rouen, and in October to Montevilliers; from whence they marched, in December, to the vicinity of the coast; and in the early part of January, 1816, embarked at Calais. The regiment landed at Dover and Ramsgate on the 15th of that month, and proceeding from thence to Ipswich barracks, arrived there on the 23rd; and, on the 25th, the establishment was reduced from ten to eight troops. For their distinguished gallantry on the 18th of June, 1815, permission was granted for the Royal Dragoons to bear the word "Waterloo" and an "Eagle" on their standards and appointments: every officer and man present at that engagement received a silver medal to be worn on the left breast, and the subaltern officers and soldiers had the privilege of reckoning two years' service for that day, towards increase of pay and pension.

The following officers of the Royal Dragoons received medals and marks of royal favour for their services during the war:—

[111]

MEDALS FOR WATERLOO.

Towards the end of August, 1817, the Royal Dragoons marched for Scotland, and were stationed at Hamilton, Ayr, Dumfries, Stirling, and Glasgow. In June, 1818, they embarked at Portpatrick for Ireland, and, having landed at Donaghadee, proceeded to Ballinrobe, Sligo, Longford, Roscommon, and Dunmore. In November a reduction of eight serjeants, ninety-six men, and fifty-six horses, was made in the establishment.

In June, 1819, the regiment proceeded to Dublin, where it remained on garrison duty until August of the following year, when it embarked for England; and, after landing at Liverpool, marched to Manchester, Oldham, Ashton, and Altringham.

On the 19th of March, 1821, the Royals commenced their march for Radipole barracks, from whence a number of parties were detached on revenue duty; and, for the seizure of smuggled goods made whilst on this duty, the regiment received upwards of £200. In September the[112] establishment was reduced to six troops, of three officers, three serjeants, one trumpeter, one farrier, fifty rank and file, and forty-two horses each.

The regiment marched, on the 13th of June, 1822, from the west and south-west districts, to Richmond and other villages near the metropolis, and was reviewed on Wormwood Scrubbs by His Royal Highness the Duke of York on the 6th of July. Two days after the review it marched for Canterbury, detaching troops and parties on the revenue duty.

Having called in the detachments, the regiment marched from Canterbury, on 1st of July, 1823, for the cavalry barracks near the Regent's Park, London, and on their arrival took the King's duty—the life guards and royal horse guards having marched into quarters near Hounslow, preparatory to a review, which took place on the 15th of July, when the Royals furnished a guard of honour for His Royal Highness the Duke of York, and a squadron to assist in keeping the ground. They were relieved from the King's duty on the following day, and marched for York barracks, where they arrived on the 29th of July.

From York the Royals marched, on the 24th of May, 1824, for Scotland, and occupied Piershill barracks, Edinburgh, and Perth,—with detachments at Cupar, Angus, and Forfar; and were employed, during the calamitous fire in Parliament Square, Edinburgh, in November, on three successive days, in preserving order, protecting property, and rendering assistance to the unfortunate[113] sufferers; and the dismounted men, with the barrack engine, assisted materially in extinguishing the fire in the Tron church. The services of the regiment, on this occasion, were commended in a general order, issued by the commander of the forces in Scotland; and in a vote of thanks from the lord provost, magistrates, and town council of Edinburgh.

In the early part of March, 1825, the regiment proceeded to Hamilton, and Glasgow, and in the following month embarked for Ireland; after landing at Donaghadee, it marched to Dundalk and Belturbet, from whence several strong escorts were detached for the safe-conduct of specie,—the currency of the two kingdoms having been assimilated.

On the 30th of March, 1826, the Royals marched for Dublin, where they remained until April, 1827, and then marched for Newbridge; and in October following proceeded to Cork, Fermoy, and Bandon. The whole assembled at Cork in March, 1828, and proceeded from thence to Ballincollig.

The regiment commenced its march for Dublin on the 28th of April, 1829, embarked for England in the early part of May, and, after disembarking at Liverpool, proceeded into quarters in the town of Manchester,—the barracks at that place having been pulled down for the purpose of being rebuilt. During their stay at this place the Royals furnished a number of piquets and parties for the prevention of riot and open violation of the law by the operatives, who were in a state of disaffection: detachments were also sent to Blackburn and Bolton for the same purpose.

[114]

The death of Lieutenant-General Garth having taken place on the 18th of November, 1829, on the 23rd of that month, His Majesty conferred the colonelcy on Lieut.-General Lord R. E. H. Somerset, G.C.B. from the seventeenth lancers.

In the summer of 1830 the regiment marched to Norwich and Ipswich; at the same time the establishment was reduced to two hundred and seventy rank and file. In the autumn of this year the agricultural labourers, having been excited by designing men, committed numerous acts of incendiarism and effected the destruction of property to a most alarming extent in several counties. The Royal Dragoons were, in consequence, called upon to furnish a number of detachments to assist the civil authorities in suppressing these outrages. A resolution of thanks from the magistrates of Norfolk, acknowledging the very effective services rendered by the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, was forwarded by the lord-lieutenant of the county, to the general commanding-in-chief, who was pleased to express the satisfaction he experienced in being presented with so honourable a testimonial of their behaviour.

The regiment remained at Norwich and Ipswich during the whole of the year 1831. In the spring of 1832 it marched to Canterbury[67]; in[115] 1833 to Dorchester; and in 1834 to Brighton. During the following winter it proceeded to Bristol, from whence it embarked, in January, 1835, for Ireland; and, after landing at Dublin, was stationed at Newbridge for sixteen months.

On the removal of Lieutenant-General Lord Edward Somerset to the fourth dragoons in March, 1836, the colonelcy of the Royals was conferred on Major-General Sir Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, K.C.B., G.C.M.G., and K.C.H., from the eighty-sixth foot.

During the summer of 1836 the regiment proceeded to Dublin; and, while stationed at that place, its colonel, Sir Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, died; and was succeeded, on the 20th of January, 1837, by Lieutenant-General the Right Honourable Sir Hussey Vivian, K.C.B. and G.C.H.

The regiment left Dublin in the autumn of 1837, and was stationed during the following year at Cork; from whence it embarked, in May, 1839, for Liverpool; and, after landing at that port, was removed to Sheffield, where it has remained until the conclusion of this memoir.

In taking a retrospective view of the services of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons, its conduct cannot fail to excite admiration. The details given in the preceding pages afford numerous instances of determined bravery, steady discipline, and constant efficiency. These qualities were eminently displayed when charging the Moorish legions on the confines of Africa, and bearing away in triumph the Mahomedan colours in 1664 and 1680;—when routing the insurgent bands at Sedgemoor in 1685;—forcing the passage of the Boyne in 1690;—on[116] detached services in Ireland in 1691; and opposing the troops of Louis XIV. in the Netherlands from 1694 to 1697. Nor were they less conspicuously evinced when serving on the frontiers of Holland under the great Duke of Marlborough in 1702 and 1703;—skirmishing in the mountains of Catalonia and in the valleys of Valencia, under the Earl of Peterborough, in 1705 and 1706;—and charging the Spanish forces at Almanara, and at Saragossa in 1710.

The Royal Dragoons also distinguished themselves under the eye of their sovereign when fighting the French cuirassiers at the battle of Dettingen in 1743, where they captured the standard of the mousquetaires noirs; they again displayed signal valour at Warbourg in 1760; and under the Duke of York in Flanders in 1794. In numerous fights with the legions of Napoleon in the Peninsula, from 1810 to 1814, they acquired new honours: they were also engaged at the glorious battle of Waterloo on the 18th of June, 1815, where they captured one of the two French Eagles taken on that day.

On all occasions the Royal Dragoons have evinced a dauntless bearing, united with steady valour, and unshaken firmness, the characteristics of a British corps. These qualities, as well as the temper, patience, and forbearance which have distinguished their conduct, when employed in aiding the civil power on duties at home, have rendered the regiment a valuable acquisition to the crown, and have afforded the strongest proofs of its usefulness to the country.

First, or Royal Dragoons, 1839.

[To face page 116.

[117]

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

OF

THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.

John Lord Churchill.

Appointed 19th November, 1683.

At its formation the Royal Regiment of Dragoons had the honour of being commanded by one of the most distinguished officers Great Britain has produced,—a general who acquired celebrity in the field and in the cabinet,—who never fought a battle he did not win, nor besiege a town which he did not capture.

John Churchill was born on the 24th of June, 1650. At sixteen years of age he was page of honour to the Duke of York, who procured him an ensign's commission in the first foot guards; and he soon afterwards resigned the pleasures of the court to acquire a practical knowledge of his profession at Tangier, in Africa, where he served as a volunteer against the Moors, and gave presage of those bright qualities for which he afterwards became distinguished. On the breaking out of the Dutch war in 1672 he was appointed captain in the Duke of Monmouth's regiment of foot, in the service of the King of France, with which corps he served in the Netherlands, where he signalised himself by a regular attention to his duties, and by volunteering his services on occasions of difficulty or danger; and he evinced signal gallantry in 1673, at the siege of Maestricht,[68] where he was wounded.[118] He subsequently served with the French army on the Rhine,—attracted the particular attention and regard of the celebrated Marshal Turenne,—and in 1674 he was appointed colonel of one of the English regiments in the service of the French monarch, in succession to the Earl of Peterborough. His regiment was recalled from France in 1678, and he was appointed to the command of a brigade of foot in Flanders; but the peace of Nimeguen taking place, he returned to England, and his regiment was disbanded. He became the constant attendant of the Duke of York, and being employed in several delicate missions between His Royal Highness and the King, he evinced great address.

The King having resolved to add to the regular army a regiment of dragoons for permanent service, Colonel Churchill was commissioned to raise a troop of dragoons, and was appointed colonel of the regiment, which was honoured with the distinguished title of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons. He was also advanced to the peerage of Scotland by the title of Baron Churchill of Aymouth. Soon after the accession of King James II. he was created an English peer by the title of Baron Churchill of Sandridge. On the 14th of May, 1685, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general: on the breaking out of the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth he was sent, with a body of cavalry, to the west of England, and he was second in command at the battle of Sedgemoor. His meritorious conduct during this rebellion was rewarded with the colonelcy of the third troop of life guards, and the rank of major-general. No ties of interest, or charms of royal favour, could, however, induce him to abandon the best interests of his native country; and at the Revolution in 1688 he joined the standard of the Prince of Orange, for which he was removed from the life guards by King James. On the accession of King William III. he was restored to the command of the third troop of life guards,—appointed[119] colonel of the royal fusiliers,—sworn a member of the privy council,—made lord of the bedchamber to his Majesty,—created Earl of Marlborough, and appointed to the command of the British troops sent to the Netherlands, to be employed in the war with France. During the campaign of 1689 he served under Prince Waldeck, and gave proof of his personal bravery, and ability to command, at the battle of Walcourt. In June, 1690, he was appointed commander-in-chief, and proceeding, in the autumn of that year, with a body of troops to Ireland, captured Cork and Kinsale. In 1691 he commanded the British infantry under King William in the Netherlands. In the following year he was confined in the Tower of London on a charge of high treason; but was subsequently released without being brought to trial, and restored to royal favour. On the breaking out of the war in 1701, he was selected by King William to command the British forces sent to the Netherlands, and to negotiate the treaties to be formed with foreign powers; and he was appointed colonel of a regiment of foot (now twenty-fourth). Queen Anne confirmed these appointments; also advanced him to the post of captain-general of her forces, and procured him the chief command of the united British, Dutch, and auxiliary troops. At the head of these forces he evinced the abilities of a great captain; he forced the enemy to take shelter behind their lines; took Venloo, Ruremonde, Stevenswaert, and Liege with surprising rapidity; extended and secured the Dutch frontiers; and was rewarded with the thanks of parliament, the approbation of his sovereign, and the dignity of Duke of Marlborough. In the campaign of 1703 he was again victorious; he captured Bonn, Huy, and Limburg; but his career of victory was impeded by the jealousy or timidity of the Dutch, which he bore in a manner corresponding with the greatness of his mind. On the 25th of April, 1704, he was appointed colonel of the first foot guards. The succeeding campaign was splendid in glorious achievements. He led his[120] army from the ocean to the Danube; forced the heights of Schellenberg on the 2nd July, 1704, and compelled the enemy to take shelter behind the lines of Augsburg. New armies and new generals appeared, and their overthrow, at the decisive battle of Blenheim on the 13th of August, added new lustre to the reputation of the British commander: there the heaps of slain gave dreadful proofs of British valour, and whole legions of prisoners of their mercy. This victory displayed the distinguishing character of Marlborough, and produced important results: Bavaria was subdued; Ratisbon, Augsburg, Ulm, Meninghen,—all were recovered. From the Danube he marched to the Rhine and the Moselle; Landau, Treves, and Traerbach were taken; and the British commander,—courted and honoured by sovereign princes,—applauded by nations, became the pride of armies, and was rewarded with the dignity of a Prince of the Roman Empire. While his judgment swayed the councils of the states of Christendom, he led their armies to battle and victory. In 1705 he experienced disappointment from the princes he had delivered in the preceding year; but, suddenly changing the scene of his operations, he led his army from the Moselle to the Maese; Liege was relieved; Huy retaken; and the boasted impregnable French lines forced. In the spring of 1706 another campaign opened, when the discipline he had introduced, and the confidence he had inspired, again proved invincible. He met, attacked, and triumphed over the French, Spaniards, and Bavarians, at Ramilies, on the 23rd of May. This decisive action was followed by the surrender of Louvain, Brussels, Malines, Liege, Ghent, Oudenarde, Antwerp, Damme, Bruges, and Courtray; and by the capture of Ostend, Menin, Dendermond, and Aeth,—places which had resisted the greatest generals for months—for years; provinces, disputed for ages, were the conquests of a summer. So great was his reputation, that, throughout the campaign of 1707, the enemy avoided a general[121] engagement: but in the following summer a gallant French army, led by the princes of the blood, was overcome at Oudenarde; and, although new armies and new generals appeared, the career of Marlborough could not be stopped. The barriers of France on the side of the Low Countries,—the work of half a century,—were attacked. A numerous French army were spectators of the fall of Lisle, the bulwark of their barriers. Every campaign added new conquests. In 1709 Tournay was taken; and a powerful French army posted near Malplaquet, in a position covered by thick woods, defended by triple intrenchments, was attacked. The battle was bloody,—the event decisive; the woods were pierced; the fortifications were trampled down; and the enemy fled. After this victory Mons was taken. In the succeeding year Douay, Bethune, Aire, St. Venant, shared the same fate; and the campaign of 1711 was distinguished by splendid success. A new series of lines were passed, and Bouchain captured. Nothing availed against a general whose sagacity foresaw everything, whose vigilance attended to everything, whose constancy no labour could subdue, whose courage no danger could dismay, and whose intuitive glance always caught the decisive moment and insured victory; while the discipline he maintained, and the confidence he inspired, were equivalent to an army. The French monarch saw with alarm his generals overmatched, his armies beaten and discouraged, his fortresses wrested from him, and an invincible leader with a victorious army on the confines of France, ready to carry all the horrors of war into the heart of his kingdom, and he sued for peace. A change of the ministry in England, with the adoption of a policy favourable to the French interest, was followed by the removal of the great Marlborough from all his offices dependent on the British crown. He retired to the Continent, where he remained until the accession of King George I., when he[122] was replaced in his former posts, in which he continued until his decease in 1722.

Edward Viscount Cornbury.

Appointed 1st August, 1685.

Edward Hyde Viscount Cornbury, son of the second Earl of Clarendon, was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Dragoons when that corps was first embodied; and having distinguished himself at the battle of Sedgemoor, he succeeded Lord Churchill in the colonelcy of the regiment. The circumstances of his removal are stated at page 19 in the 'Historical Record of the Royal Dragoons.'

Robert Clifford.

Appointed 24th November, 1688.

Major Robert Clifford of the Royal Dragoons was firmly devoted to the Roman Catholic interest, and in November, 1688, by his exertions he recovered the regiment for the service of King James, as stated at page 19 in the Historical Record of the corps. At the revolution he adhered to King James, and he commanded a corps of dragoons in Ireland, until the siege of Limerick in 1691, when he was imprisoned by the Irish on a charge of favouring the passage of the Shannon by the English; and would have been condemned to death, if the town had not surrendered soon afterwards.

Edward Viscount Cornbury.

Re-appointed 31st December, 1688.

Lord Cornbury was restored to the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons by the Prince of Orange; but was removed from his command a few months afterwards. He was governor of New York, in the reign of Queen Anne; and in October, 1709, succeeded to the title of Earl of Clarendon. His decease occurred on the 31st of March, 1723.

[123]

Anthony Hayford.

Appointed 1st July, 1689.

This Officer served in the life guards as a private gentleman, and afterwards in the Duke of Monmouth's regiment of horse in the reign of Charles II. In 1684 he was appointed lieutenant in the horse grenadier guards. In 1687 he was lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Dragoons. He joined the Prince of Orange in November, 1688; and succeeding Lord Cornbury in the colonelcy of the regiment in 1689, served in Scotland and Ireland.

Edward Matthews.

Appointed in June, 1690.

This Officer served as a volunteer at Tangier, in Africa; also in Ireland in 1690 and the following year, and distinguished himself on several occasions. He also commanded a brigade of dragoons under King William in Flanders, in 1694, 1695, and 1696; and died on the 28th of May, 1697.

Thomas Lord Raby.

Appointed 30th May, 1697.

Thomas Wentworth, son of Sir William Wentworth, baronet, was appointed cornet of the fourth horse, now third dragoon guards, on the 31st of December, 1688; and in the following summer served with his regiment against the rebel Highlanders in Scotland. In 1692 he served in Flanders, and was in the advance-guard at the battle of Steenkirk on the 3rd of August in that year, where he highly distinguished himself, and the squadron he was with, being exposed to a heavy cannonade, only brought off fifty men alive out of one hundred and fifty. His gallantry on this occasion was especially reported to his sovereign, and he was appointed aide-de-camp to His Majesty: in which capacity he served at the battle of Landen, on the 19th of July, 1693, when his conduct obtained the approbation of King William III., who promoted him to the commission of cornet and major in the first troop, now first regiment, of life guards.

[124]

Major Wentworth served with the life guards in the subsequent campaigns in the Netherlands, and rose to the rank of lieutenant, and lieutenant-colonel. He succeeded, on the decease of William Earl of Strafford, to the title of Lord Raby; was appointed colonel of the Royal Dragoons in May, 1697; and attended the Earl of Portland in the interviews with Marshal Boufflers, which preceded the conclusion of peace at Ryswick. In 1698 his lordship accompanied King William to Holland, and, on one occasion, when hunting with His Majesty, he went alone and attacked a wild boar; the animal, however, threw him down, and had already torn his clothes and lacerated his flesh, when the King sent two huntsmen to his aid, who speared the boar.

In the first year of the reign of Queen Anne, Lord Raby served with his regiment on the Continent, and in January, 1703, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. In the spring of the same year he was appointed envoy extraordinary to the King of Prussia, and subsequently ambassador extraordinary at the same court; and on the first of January, 1705, was advanced to the rank of major-general. His lordship served in the army under the Duke of Marlborough, during the brilliant campaign of 1706; and, on the 1st of January following, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general. In 1711 he was sworn of the privy council, and appointed ambassador extraordinary to the States-General of Holland; and in September of the same year he was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Strafford. His Lordship took an active part in negociating the treaty of peace at Utrecht; but after the accession of George I., he was removed from his public employments. The Earl of Strafford died on the 15th of November, 1739.

Richard Lord Cobham.

Appointed 13th June, 1715.

Sir Richard Temple served under King William in[125] the Netherlands; and, on the breaking out of the war of the Spanish succession, he was promoted to the colonelcy of a newly-raised regiment of foot, which was disbanded at the peace of Utrecht. He served under the great Duke of Marlborough, and was conspicuous for a noble bearing, a greatness of soul, and a contempt of danger, which he exhibited in a signal manner at the sieges of Venloo and Ruremonde, at the battle of Oudenarde, and at the siege of the important fortress of Lisle. In January, 1709, he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and his conduct at the siege of Tournay, the sanguinary battle of Malplaquet, and siege of Mons, was rewarded, in the following year, with the rank of lieutenant-general and the colonelcy of the fourth dragoons. He served under the Duke of Marlborough in 1711, and had the honour of taking part in the forcing of the French lines at Arleux, and the capture of the strong fortress of Bouchain. After the change in the ministry, and the adoption of a new system of policy by the court, the well-known attachment of this officer to the Protestant succession, occasioned him to be removed from his regiment; but on the accession of King George I. he was elevated to the peerage by the title of Baron of Cobham, and in 1715 he was appointed colonel of the Royal Dragoons. In 1717 he was appointed governor of Windsor Castle; in 1718 he was advanced to the dignity of Viscount Cobham; and in 1721 he was removed to the King's horse, now first dragoon guards. He was also one of the privy council, and governor of the island of Jersey; but resigned his appointments in 1733. On the change of the ministry in 1742 he was promoted to the rank of field-marshal, and in December of the same year King George II. conferred upon him the colonelcy of the first troop of horse grenadier guards. In 1744 he was removed to the sixth horse, and in 1745 to the tenth dragoons, the colonelcy of which corps he retained until his decease in 1749.

[126]

Sir Charles Hotham, Baronet.

Appointed 10th April, 1721.

Charles Hotham, eldest son of the Rev. Charles Hotham, Rector of Wigan, succeeded to the dignity of baronet on the decease of his uncle in 1691. He served with distinction in the wars of King William III., and also under the great Duke of Marlborough in the reign of Queen Anne; and in 1705 he obtained the colonelcy of a regiment of foot, with which he proceeded to Spain in 1706, and was in garrison at Alicant when the unfortunate battle of Almanza was fought. Sir Charles served with reputation during the remainder of the war; but his regiment, having suffered severely in the defence of several fortified towns, was disbanded in Catalonia in 1708. He was appointed brigadier-general in 1710; and shortly after the accession of King George I., he was commissioned to raise a regiment of foot, which, after the suppression of the rebellion of the Earl of Mar, was sent to Ireland, and disbanded in the following year, when Sir Charles was appointed colonel of a newly-raised regiment of dragoons, which was, however, disbanded in November, 1718.

On the 7th of July, 1719, the colonelcy of the thirty-sixth regiment of foot was conferred on Sir Charles Hotham; he was removed to the eighth foot in December 1720; and in April following to the Royal Dragoons. His decease occurred on the 8th of January, 1723.

Humphrey Gore.

Appointed 12th January, 1723.

This Officer entered the army as ensign in 1689, and saw much service in the campaigns of King William on the Continent. On the 1st of February, 1707, he was appointed colonel of a newly-raised regiment of foot, with which he proceeded to Spain in 1709, and was appointed[127] brigadier-general on the 1st of January following. He was at the battles of Almanara and Saragossa in 1710, and was taken prisoner by the French in the unfortunate affair at the village of Brihuega in December of the same year.[69] At the peace of Utrecht his regiment of foot was disbanded; but proving a loyal and faithful adherent to the Protestant succession, at a time when Jacobite principles had become prevalent in the kingdom, he was commissioned by King George I., in July, 1715, to raise a regiment of dragoons—the present tenth royal hussars. He was removed to the Royal Dragoons, in 1723; appointed major-general on the 6th of March, 1727; lieutenant-general on the 29th of October, 1735; and he died on the 18th of August, 1739.

Charles Duke of Marlborough, K.G.

Appointed 1st September, 1739.

Charles Spencer, fourth Earl of Sunderland, succeeded to the title of Duke of Marlborough in 1733; and five years afterwards he was appointed colonel of the thirty-eighth regiment of foot. In 1739 he was removed to the Royal Dragoons, in the following year to the second troops of life guards, and in 1742 to the second regiment of foot guards; and he commanded the brigade of foot guards at the battle of Dettingen. In 1755 he was appointed master-general of the ordnance; and in 1758 commanded the expedition against France, when the enemy's magazines and shipping at St. Maloes were destroyed. He was subsequently appointed to command the forces sent to Germany; and died on the Continent in October, 1758.

Henry Hawley.

Appointed 12th May, 1740.

This Officer served the crown in four successive reigns,[128] and held a commission in the army during a period of sixty-five years. His first appointment was dated the 10th of January, 1694; and having signalized himself in the wars of Queen Anne, he obtained the rank of colonel by brevet dated the 16th of October, 1712. He was wounded at the battle of Dumblain in 1715. On the 19th of March, 1717, he was promoted from the lieutenant-colonelcy of the fourth dragoons to the colonelcy of the thirty-third regiment of foot; and on the 7th of July, 1730, he was removed to the colonelcy of the thirteenth dragoons. In 1735 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general; in 1739 to that of major-general; and in the following year obtained the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons. In 1742 Major-General Hawley proceeded with the army to Flanders, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general in the following spring, and served at the battles of Dettingen and Fontenoy. In 1746 he commanded against the rebel Highlanders in Scotland, and the troops under his orders had a sharp encounter with the enemy near Falkirk, and sustained considerable loss. He was afterwards on the staff of the army in Ireland; was many years governor of Portsmouth; and died on the 24th of March, 1759.

The Honourable Henry Seymour Conway.

Appointed 5th April, 1759.

The Honourable Henry Seymour Conway, second son of Lord Conway, and brother of Francis Earl of Hertford, was appointed lieutenant in the first foot guards in 1737, captain and lieutenant-colonel in 1741, and in 1746 he was appointed aide-de-camp to the Duke of Cumberland, and promoted to the colonelcy of the fifty-ninth (now forty-eighth) foot. He was removed to the thirty-fourth foot in 1749, to the thirteenth dragoons in 1751, and to the fourth horse in 1754. In 1756 he was promoted to the rank of major-general, and in 1759 to that of lieutenant-general: he was removed to the[129] Royal Dragoons in the same year. He commanded a division of the allied army in Germany, under the Duke of Brunswick, in 1761; and the British forces in Germany were placed under his orders during the absence of the Marquis of Granby. He was also one of the grooms of the bedchamber to his Majesty, and a member of parliament; and having voted against ministers on the great question of military warrants, in 1764, he resigned his court appointment and military commands: but in 1768 he was appointed colonel of the fourth dragoons. In 1770 he succeeded the Marquis of Granby in the colonelcy of the royal regiment of horse guards; in 1772 he was promoted to the rank of general; and in 1782 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the army: in 1793 he was promoted to the rank of field-marshal. He died in 1795; at which period he was eldest general officer and first field marshal in the army.

Henry Earl of Pembroke.

Appointed 9th May, 1764.

Henry Herbert, tenth Earl of Pembroke, entered the army in 1752; in 1754 he obtained a captaincy in the first, dragoon guards; in 1756 he was appointed captain and lieutenant-colonel in the first foot guards; and on the 8th of May, 1758, he was appointed aide-de-camp to King George II. with the rank of colonel. In the following year he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the fifteenth light dragoons, and proceeding to Germany, he served with distinction under the Marquis of Granby during the remainder of the seven years' war. The rank of major-general was conferred on his lordship in 1761, and in 1764 King George III. gave him the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons. On the 30th of April, 1770, he obtained the rank of lieutenant-general, and was promoted to that of general in November, 1782. The Earl of Pembroke was author of an excellent work on horsemanship;[130] was many years governor of Portsmouth; and died on the 26th of January, 1794.

Philip Goldsworthy.

Appointed 28th January, 1794.

This Officer was many years in the Royal Dragoons, with which corps he served in Germany during the Seven years' war. On the 18th of April, 1779, he was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the regiment; obtained the rank of major-general on the 20th of December, 1793; and in the following month succeeded the Earl of Pembroke in the colonelcy. On the 26th of June, 1799, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general. He died in 1801.

Thomas Garth.

Appointed 7th January, 1801.

Thomas Garth was appointed cornet in the Royal Dragoons on the 12th of April, 1762, and he served the campaign of that year with his regiment in Germany. He was appointed lieutenant in the same corps in 1765, captain in 1775; and in 1779 exchanged to the twentieth light dragoons, with which corps he proceeded to the West Indies, where he served many years. In 1792 he was appointed major in the second dragoon guards; and, in 1794, lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Dragoons. He served under the Duke of York in Flanders; and was rewarded with the colonelcy of the Sussex fencibles, from which he was removed to the twenty-second light dragoons. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1798; and in 1801 he obtained the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons. The rank of lieutenant-general was conferred on him in 1805, and that of general in 1814. He died in 1829.

[131]

Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset.

Appointed 23rd November, 1829.

Lord R. Edward H. Somerset (third son of Henry fifth Duke of Beaufort) was appointed in 1793 cornet in the tenth dragoons, with which corps he served six years. In 1799 he was appointed major in the twelfth light dragoons; in 1800 he was removed to the twenty-eighth light dragoons; and in 1801 he was promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the fourth, or Queen's own dragoons, which regiment he commanded at the battles of Talavera and Salamanca, where he particularly distinguished himself. He was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1813; commanded a brigade of cavalry at the battles of Vittoria, Orthes, and Toulouse; and signalized himself at the head of the household cavalry brigade at the battle of Waterloo. He also commanded a brigade of cavalry in the army of occupation in France. His services were rewarded with a cross and one clasp; and the grand cross of the order of the Bath. He subsequently performed the duties of inspecting general of the cavalry; he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general in 1825; and in 1829 obtained the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons, from which his lordship was removed in 1836, to the fourth light dragoons.

Hon. Sir Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, K.C.B., G.C.M.G., and K.C.H.

Appointed 31st March, 1836.

Hon. Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, second son of Frederick third earl of Besborough, was appointed cornet in the tenth dragoons in 1800, and rose in 1803 to the rank of captain in the same corps, from which he exchanged to the sixtieth regiment in 1806. In 1807 he was appointed major in the twenty-third light dragoons, at the head of which corps he distinguished himself at the battle of Talavera in 1809; and in 1810 was promoted[132] to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the regiment. In 1811 he served under lieutenant-general Graham at Cadiz; and at the battle of Barossa, in March of that year, he attacked, with a squadron of German dragoons, the French cavalry covering the retreat, overthrew them, took two guns, and even attempted, though vainly, to sabre Rousseau's battalions. On the 11th of June, 1811, he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the twelfth light dragoons; at the head of which corps he served under Lord Wellington, and distinguished himself, in April, 1812, at Llerena, in one of the most brilliant cavalry actions during the war. At the battle of Salamanca he charged the French infantry, broke his sword in the fight, and his horse received several bayonet wounds. He repeatedly evinced great judgment, penetration, and resolution in out-post duty, and was wounded in the retreat from Burgos, on the 13th of October, 1812. At the battle of Vittoria he again distinguished himself: his services at Tolosa, St. Sebastian, and Nive were also conspicuous; and, on the king's birth-day in 1814, he was promoted to the rank of colonel in the army. He commanded the twelfth light dragoons at the battle of Waterloo, where he led his regiment to the charge with signal intrepidity,—received sabre cuts on both arms,—was brought to the ground by a blow on the head,—pierced through the back by a lancer,—plundered by a tirailleur,—ridden over by two squadrons of cavalry,—and plundered a second time by a Prussian soldier; but afterwards recovered of his wounds. His services were rewarded with the following marks of royal favour:—Knight companion of the order of the Bath,—Knight grand cross of the order of St. Michael and St. George,—Knight commander of the Hanoverian Guelphic order,—a cross,—a Waterloo medal,—Knight of the Tower and Sword of Portugal,—and Knight of Maria Theresa of Austria. In January, 1824, he was appointed inspecting field-officer in the Ionian islands: he was promoted brigadier-general upon[133] the staff of those islands on the 4th of March, 1824; and in June, 1825, he was advanced to the rank of major-general: he was removed to the staff at Malta, and retained the command of the troops in that island until May, 1835. In 1835 he obtained the colonelcy of the eighty-sixth regiment, from which he was removed to the Royal Dragoons in the following year. He was an ornament to his profession. In him, military talent was united with the most chivalrous bravery,—calm judgment,—cool decision,—resolute action,—and modest deportment. He died on the 10th of January, 1837.

Sir Hussey Vivian, Baronet, G.C.B., and G.C.H.

Appointed 20th January, 1837.

London:—Printed by W. Clowes and Sons, Duke-street, Stamford-street.

HISTORICAL RECORDS

OF THE

BRITISH ARMY.

UNDER THE SPECIAL AUTHORITY, AND BY COMMAND, OF

HIS LATE MAJESTY,

WHICH HAVE RECEIVED THE GRACIOUS APPROBATION AND PATRONAGE OF

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN.

EACH ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

The above are Parts of a Series of Narratives of the several Regiments of the British Army, from the Periods of their Formation to the present time.

Which are being prepared by

RICHARD CANNON, Esq.,

Adjutant-General's Office, Horse-Guards.

1840.