Chapter I: Part 1

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

A superscript is denoted by ^x, for example und^r or iv^s.

Some minor changes are noted at the end of the book.

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF THE

FOURTEENTH, OR THE KING'S, REGIMENT

OF

LIGHT DRAGOONS:

CONTAINING

AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT

AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES

COMPILED BY
RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,
ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.

ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

LONDON:
PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,
30, CHARING CROSS.

M DCCC XLVII.

LONDON: Printed by W. CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street,
For Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

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.,

---- The Period and Circumstances of the Original Formation of
the Regiment; The Stations at which it has been from time to time
employed; The Battles, Sieges, and other Military Operations,
in which it has been engaged, particularly specifying any
Achievement it may have performed, and the Colours, Trophies,
&c., it may have captured from the Enemy.

---- The Names of the Officers, and the number of
Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, Killed or Wounded by the
Enemy, specifying the Place and Date of the Action.

---- The Names of those Officers, who, in consideration of their
Gallant Services and Meritorious Conduct in Engagements with the
Enemy, have been distinguished with Titles, Medals, or other
Marks of His Majesty's gracious favour.

---- The Names of all such Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers
and Privates as may have specially signalized themselves in
Action.

And,

---- The Badges and Devices which the Regiment may have been
permitted to bear, and the Causes on account of which such Badges
or Devices, or any other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.

By Command of the Right Honourable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
_Commanding-in-Chief_.

JOHN MACDONALD,
_Adjutant-General_.

PREFACE.

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 everything belonging to their Regiment; to such persons a narrative of the services of their own Corps cannot fail to prove interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions of the great, the valiant, the loyal, have always been of paramount interest with a brave and civilized people. Great Britain has produced a race of heroes who, in moments of danger and terror, have stood "firm as the rocks of their native shore;" and when half the World has been arrayed against them, they have fought the battles of their Country with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of achievements in war,--victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen, our brothers, our fellow-citizens in arms,--a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us, will certainly prove acceptable to the public.

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

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

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 spears 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 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 petronels; 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 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 pike-men 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:--

"Each Horseman to have for his defensive armes, back, breast, and
pot; and for his offensive armes, a sword, and a case of pistolls,
the barrels whereof are not to be und^r. foorteen inches in
length; and each Trooper of Our Guards to have a carbine besides
the aforesaid armes. And the Foote to have each souldier a sword,
and each pikeman a pike of 16 foote long and not und^r.; and each
musqueteer a musquet with a collar of bandaliers, the barrell of
which musquet to be about foor foote long and to conteine a bullet,
foorteen of which shall weigh a pound weight[2]."

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, 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:--

"CHARLES R.

"Our will and pleasure is, that a Regiment of Dragoones which
we have established and ordered to be raised, in twelve Troopes
of fourscore in each beside officers, who are to be under the
command of Our most deare and most intirely beloved Cousin Prince
Rupert, shall be armed out of Our stoares remaining within Our
office of the Ordinance, as followeth; that is to say, three
corporalls, two serjeants, the gentlemen at armes, and twelve
souldiers of each of the said twelve Troopes, are to have and
carry each of them one halbard, and one case of pistolls with
holsters; and the rest of the souldiers of the several Troopes
aforesaid, are to have and to carry each of them one matchlocke
musquet, with a collar of bandaliers, and also to have and to
carry one bayonet[4], or great knive. That each lieutenant have
and carry one partizan; and that two drums be delivered out for
each Troope of the said Regiment[5]."

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 were commanded to be as follows:--

"The Dragoons to have snaphanse musquets, strapt, with bright
barrels of three foote eight inches long, cartouch-boxes,
bayonetts, granado pouches, buckets, and hammer-hatchetts."

After several years' experience, little advantage was found to accrue from having Cavalry Regiments formed almost exclusively for engaging the enemy on foot; and, the Horse having laid aside their armour, the arms and equipment of Horse and Dragoons were so nearly assimilated, that there remained little distinction besides the name and rate of pay. The introduction of 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, 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.

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 in them.

ON THE INSTITUTION

OF

LIGHT CAVALRY

IN

THE BRITISH ARMY.

The records of the military events of the remote ages speak of heavy-armed horsemen being accompanied by others mounted and equipped for light services. The Barons and Knights, who rode the powerful horses celebrated by historians, and took the field completely cased in steel, had a few light-armed attendants; the feudal horsemen were variously armed; and the practice of employing Light, as well as Heavy Cavalry, was adopted, to a limited extent, by several commanders of antiquity. Armour, proof against arrow, lance, and sword, and men and horses of colossal appearance, in whom the greatest amount of weight and physical power, consistent with a moderate share of activity, could be combined, were however held in the highest estimation; but eventually the great advantage of having a portion of Cavalry in which lightness, activity, and celerity of movement, might form the principal characteristics, was discovered. The introduction of fire-arms occasioned armour to be gradually laid aside, or limited to a few heavy horsemen; superiority of weight was no longer thought so necessary; and in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the use of Light Cavalry became more general than formerly.

During the seventy years' war between Spain and the United Provinces of the Netherlands, Prince Maurice of Nassau (afterwards Prince of Orange) selected a few English and Dutch heavy-armed Lancers, and constituted them _Carabineers_, for skirmishing, and other services of a similar character. The Emperor of Germany formed regiments of Hungarian _Hussars_, who were light men on small horses. The Carabineers were of an intermediate class, being much heavier than the Hussars, and lighter than the English Lancers and Cuirassiers, who rode powerful horses, and wore armour on the head, body, and limbs. The French monarchs adopted the practice of having a few Carabineers in each troop of Horse; and, in 1690, Louis XIV. added a troop of Carabineers to each Regiment of Cavalry. During the campaign of 1691, these troops formed a Carabineer brigade; but their motley appearance, and the defects of the plan, occasioned them to be constituted a regiment of Carabineers, and clothed in blue. In 1693 the French King added a regiment of Hussars to the Cavalry of his army.[7]

In England the same principle was partially carried out; the heavy horse laid aside their armour, excepting cuirasses; they were mounted on horses of less weight than formerly, and they were supplied with carbines by King Charles II. In 1685, King James II. raised several independent troops of _Light Horse_, and one of them (Sir Thomas Burton's) was retained in his service until the Revolution in 1688, when it was disbanded. In 1691-2 King William III. constituted the Seventh Regiment of Horse, now Sixth Dragoon Guards, a corps of Carabineers, as an honorary distinction, and for the performance of services for which the other regiments of Horse, being Cuirassiers, were not well adapted. The object was to combine with strength and power a greater degree of activity and speed than was to be found in the Cavalry at that period; and His Majesty appears to have contemplated having several corps of this description in his service, as he designated this _the First Regiment of Carabineers_; but no second regiment was formed.[8] In 1694 a troop of foreign Hussars formed part of the Army commanded by King William in Flanders.[9]

During the wars of Queen Anne the Regiment of Carabineers was again supplied with cuirasses, and was mounted on the same description of horses as the other regiments; retaining, however, the title of Carabineers. The activity, size, weight, and strength of the horses ridden by the British Cuirassiers and Heavy Dragoons, with the bravery and muscular powers of the men, established their superiority in continental warfare over the Cavalry of other nations; they acquired great celebrity in the valley of the Danube and on the plains of the Netherlands, in the early part of the eighteenth century, under the renowned John Duke of Marlborough; and after the peace of Utrecht, in 1713, the reputation of the British Horse and Dragoons was so high that no alteration was thought necessary, and many years elapsed without any attempt being made to revive the practice of having either Carabineers, or Light Horse, in the British Army.

The great utility of the Light Cavalry of the continental armies had, in the mean time, become apparent. Improvements in military tactics, and in the arming and equipment of corps, were taking place in various countries; and a spirit of emulation extending itself to Great Britain, on the breaking out of the rebellion in 1745, his Grace the Duke of Montague evinced his loyalty and public spirit by raising a Regiment of _Carabineers_ for the service of King George II.; at the same time, his Grace the Duke of Kingston, with equal zeal and generosity, raised, at his own expense, a Regiment of _Light Horse_. The latter regiment approximated, in the lightness of the men, horses, and equipment, to the Hussars of the continental armies; the Duke of Montague's Carabineers were of a heavier description of Cavalry.

At this period the old Cavalry Regiments rode black horses (excepting the Scots Greys) with docked tails; but the Duke of Kingston's Regiment was mounted on light horses of various colours, with swish or nag tails. The accoutrements were as light as possible: the men carried short carbines slung to their sides by a moveable swivel, pistols, and light swords inclined to a curve.

The usefulness of the Duke of Kingston's Regiment of Light Horse was proved in Scotland, where it served under His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, and was found qualified for every description of service; the light horses traversing hilly grounds with facility. It distinguished itself on several occasions, particularly at the battle of Culloden, on the 16th of April, 1746, when it charged the clans with signal gallantry, and evinced great spirit and activity in the pursuit of the rebel army upwards of three miles from the field of battle. The Duke of Cumberland was highly pleased with its behaviour during the period it was under his command; and the conduct of the Light Horse throughout the contest reflected credit on the noble peer who had raised them.

The rebellion being suppressed, the regiment was, in consequence of the conditions on which the men had enlisted, directed to be disbanded; but the Duke of Cumberland so highly approved of its conduct that he obtained permission to embody as many of the men as would re-enlist, as his own Regiment of Light Dragoons.

His Majesty's thanks and particular satisfaction were communicated to His Grace the Duke of Kingston, for his zeal and affection for His Majesty's person and Government; and His Grace was desired to convey to the officers and soldiers His Majesty's high sense of their loyalty, activity, and gallant behaviour, at a period of national danger. The regiment was afterwards disbanded at Nottingham, and nearly every man engaged in the Regiment of Light Dragoons, of which, as a signal mark of honour and distinction, His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland was appointed Colonel.

The Duke of Cumberland's Light Dragoons were mounted on active nag-tailed horses, from fourteen and a-half to fifteen hands high. The men were from five feet eight to five feet nine inches in height; and their equipment was upon a new and light plan, but retaining the cocked hat of the Heavy Dragoon pattern. This regiment served in the Netherlands, with the Army commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland: its general usefulness was fully established, and it distinguished itself at the battle of Val, in 1747. The treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle having put an end to the war, it returned to England, and was disbanded in 1749.

From this period the value of light horsemen was more appreciated in England than formerly; the general utility of this arm, on home and foreign service, had been fully proved; and at the commencement of hostilities with France, in 1755, King George II. resolved to possess the advantage of a body of Light Cavalry in the approaching contest. His Majesty accordingly commanded _a troop of Light Dragoons_ to be added to the First, Second, and Third Regiments of Dragoon Guards, and First, Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Tenth, and Eleventh Regiments of Dragoons. The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Irish Horse (now Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Dragoon Guards), and the Fifth, Eighth, Ninth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Dragoons, being on the Irish establishment, did not receive the same addition.

These troops of Light Dragoons were mounted, armed, equipped, and trained, according to specific instructions, calculated to render them available for the services for which they were designed. Several of them were reviewed in Hyde Park by His Majesty; and their neat appearance, celerity of movement, and the spirited and exact manner in which they performed their evolutions, were much admired.

Nine of these troops were formed into a brigade in 1758, under the command of one of the King's aides-de-camp, Colonel George Augustus Eliott, of the Horse Grenadier Guards; and they were employed in the expeditions to the coast of France under Charles Duke of Marlborough and Lieut.-General Bligh. They landed in France twice; skirmished with the French Cavalry; and throughout these enterprises they evinced activity, spirit, and general usefulness. After their return to England, they were augmented to 125 men per troop.

At this period, the war on the Continent had involved most of the European states; and the extended and active operations which were taking place in Germany rendered it necessary for a British force to join the Allied Army under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. This gave rise to a further augmentation of the Army; and the increased estimation in which Light Cavalry was held induced the King to give directions for the raising of _entire Regiments of Light Dragoons_, in addition to the five Regiments of Horse, three of Dragoon Guards, and fourteen of Dragoons, already on the British and Irish establishments. The following corps were accordingly embodied:--

LIGHT DRAGOONS.

_Incorporated in 1759._

FIFTEENTH, in England, by Colonel George A. Eliott;--now the Fifteenth, or the King's Hussars.

SIXTEENTH, in England, by Lieut.-Colonel John Burgoyne;--now the Sixteenth, or the Queen's Lancers.

SEVENTEENTH, in Scotland, by Captain Lord Aberdour;--disbanded in 1763.

EIGHTEENTH, in England, by Lieut.-Colonel John Hale;--now the Seventeenth Lancers.

NINETEENTH, in Ireland, by Lieut.-Colonel Lord Drogheda;--numbered the Eighteenth in 1763; constituted Hussars in 1807; and after performing much valuable service at home and abroad, it was disbanded at Newbridge, in Ireland, in 1821.

_Incorporated in 1760._

TWENTIETH, in Ireland, by Captain Sir James Caldwell;--disbanded in 1763.

TWENTY-FIRST, or Royal Foresters, in England by Lieut.-General the Marquis of Granby, and Colonel Lord Robert Sutton;--disbanded in 1763.

After the peace of Fontainebleau, three of these corps were disbanded, and the other four continued in the service. The light troops attached to the heavy regiments were also disbanded, but a few men of each troop were afterwards equipped as Light Dragoons.

A more perfect knowledge of the efficiency and capabilities of Light Cavalry, acquired during the campaigns in Germany and Portugal, had advanced the estimation in which that arm was held; and, in 1768, the TWELFTH Dragoons (one of the heavy regiments raised by King George I. in 1715), underwent a change of equipment and clothing, and was constituted a corps of _Light Dragoons_, by General Carpenter, in Ireland.

This alteration served as a precedent for subsequent changes; and further experience, during the American war, from 1775 to 1783, confirming the value of Light Cavalry, the SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH, TENTH, ELEVENTH, THIRTEENTH, and FOURTEENTH Regiments of Dragoons were changed from _heavy_ to _light_. The Light Dragoons attached to the heavy regiments were incorporated into newly-raised corps, and the following regiments of

LIGHT DRAGOONS

_Were embodied in 1779._

NINETEENTH,--by Major-General Russell Manners;--disbanded in 1783.

TWENTIETH,--by Major-General Richard Burton Phillipson;--disbanded in 1783.

TWENTY-FIRST,--by Major-General John Douglas;--disbanded in 1783.

TWENTY-SECOND,--by Lieut.-Colonel John Lord Sheffield;--disbanded in 1783.

_Embodied in 1781._

TWENTY-THIRD,--by Lieut.-General Sir John Burgoyne, Baronet, for service in India, and was numbered the NINETEENTH after the peace in 1783. This regiment signalized itself on numerous occasions in India, and was rewarded with the honour of bearing on its guidons and appointments the _Elephant_, with the words _Assaye_ and _Seringapatam_. The word _Niagara_ was also added in commemoration of the gallantry of two troops, in the year 1813, in North America. In 1817 it was constituted a corps of LANCERS. It was disbanded in Ireland in 1821.

Thus a few years had produced a great change in the British Army. Twenty-five years previously to the termination of the American war there was not a single Light Dragoon Regiment in the Service, and in 1783 there were seventeen; four of them were disbanded at that period, and thirteen retained in the Service.

Soon after the termination of the American war, the French monarch having, by aiding the rebellious British provincials, taught his own subjects a lesson of insubordination, was deprived of the reins of government; and the violent conduct of the French revolutionists in the West Indies occasioned the TWENTIETH or JAMAICA REGIMENT OF LIGHT DRAGOONS to be raised in 1791 by Colonel Henry F. Gardner, for service in that island. Besides its services in Jamaica, detachments of this regiment served at Malta; Sicily; at the taking of the Cape of Good Hope, in 1806; at the capture of Alexandria, in 1807; at the attack on Monte Video; in Portugal; at Genoa; and on the eastern coast of Spain; and acquired the honour of bearing the word _Peninsula_ on its guidons and appointments. It was disbanded in Ireland in 1818.

War with France commenced in 1793, and was followed by augmentations to the Army. It was not found necessary to add a single Heavy Cavalry Regiment; but the following Regiments of

LIGHT DRAGOONS

_Were incorporated in 1794._

TWENTY-FIRST,--by Lieut.-Colonel Thomas R. Beaumont. This regiment served at the Cape of Good Hope and in India thirteen years; a detachment was sent to do duty at St. Helena, when Napoleon Buonaparte was removed thither. This regiment was disbanded at Chatham in 1820.

TWENTY-SECOND,--by Major-General William Viscount Fielding;--served in Great Britain and Ireland;--disbanded in 1802.

TWENTY-THIRD,--by Colonel William Fullerton;--served in Great Britain and Ireland;--disbanded in 1802.

TWENTY-FOURTH,--by Colonel William Loftus;--served in Great Britain and Ireland;--disbanded in 1802.

TWENTY-FIFTH,--by Major-General Francis Edward Gwyn. This regiment was numbered the TWENTY-SECOND after the Treaty of Amiens in 1802. It served with reputation in India; was employed at the reduction of Java; signalized itself on several occasions; and was rewarded with the royal authority to bear the word _Seringapatam_ on its guidons and appointments. It was disbanded in England in 1820.

_Raised in 1795._

TWENTY-SIXTH,--by Lieut.-General R. Manners;--numbered the TWENTY-THIRD in 1803. This regiment served in Egypt, Portugal, Spain, Flanders, and France; and its distinguished conduct was rewarded with the honour of bearing on its guidons and appointments, the _Sphinx_, with the words _Egypt_, _Peninsula_, and _Waterloo_. In 1816 it was constituted a corps of LANCERS. It was disbanded in England in 1817.

TWENTY-SEVENTH,--by Major-General Wynter Blathwayte;--numbered the TWENTY-FOURTH in 1804. This regiment served in India, distinguished itself at the battles of Ghur and Delhi, and was permitted to bear the _Elephant_, with the word _Hindoostan_, on its guidons and appointments. It was disbanded in England, on its arrival from Bengal, in 1819.

TWENTY-EIGHTH,--by Major-General Robert Lawrie;--served in Great Britain, Ireland, and at the Cape of Good Hope;--disbanded in Ireland in 1802.

TWENTY-NINTH,--by Major-General Francis Augustus Lord Heathfield;--numbered the TWENTY-FIFTH in 1804. This regiment served in India, and was at the reduction of the Isle of France. It was disbanded at Chatham, on its arrival from India, in 1819.

_Raised in 1794._

THIRTIETH,--by Lieut.-Colonel J. C. Carden;--disbanded in 1796.

THIRTY-FIRST,--by Lieut.-Colonel William St. Ledger;--disbanded in 1796.

THIRTY-SECOND,--by Lieut.-Colonel H. J. Blake;--disbanded in 1796.

THIRTY-THIRD,--by Lieut.-Colonel J. Blackwood;--disbanded in 1796.

Soon after the re-commencement of hostilities with France in 1803, the SEVENTH, TENTH, FIFTEENTH, and EIGHTEENTH Light Dragoons were equipped as HUSSARS. Since the termination of the war in 1815, the THIRD and FOURTH Dragoons have been changed from _heavy to light_; the NINTH, TWELFTH, SIXTEENTH, and SEVENTEENTH Light Dragoons have been constituted LANCERS; and the EIGHTH and ELEVENTH Light Dragoons have also been equipped as HUSSARS.

At this period (1847), the Cavalry of the British Army consists of twenty-six regiments--thirteen Heavy and thirteen Light; and is composed of three regiments of Cuirassiers, ten of Heavy Dragoons, four of Light Dragoons, five of Hussars, and four of Lancers.

THE FOURTEENTH,

OR

THE KING'S, REGIMENT

OF

LIGHT DRAGOONS,

BEARS ON ITS APPOINTMENTS

THE KING'S CREST,

AND THE WORDS,

"TALAVERA"--"FUENTES D'ONOR"--"SALAMANCA"--"VITTORIA"--"ORTHES"--"PENINSULA."

THE WHITE HORSE AND THE PRUSSIAN EAGLE,

_As shown in Plate opposite to Page 62_,

WERE BORNE ON THE REGIMENTAL GUIDON UNTIL THE YEAR 1834, WHEN THE GUIDONS OF THE REGIMENTS OF LIGHT DRAGOONS, HUSSARS, AND LANCERS, WERE DIRECTED TO BE DISCONTINUED.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] In the 14th year of the reign of Edward IV. a small force was established in Ireland by Parliament, consisting of 120 Archers on horseback, 40 Horsemen, and 40 Pages.

[2] Military Papers, State Paper Office.

[3] This Regiment was disbanded after the Peace of 1674.

[4] This appears to be the first introduction of _bayonets_ into the English Army.

[5] State Paper Office.

[6] The first issue of carbines to the regular Horse appears to have taken place in 1684; the Life Guards, however, carried carbines from their formation in 1660.--_Vide_ the 'Historical Record of the Life Guards.'

[7] _Histoire de la Milice Françoise_, par le PÈRE DANIEL.

[8] National Records.

[9] The equipment of Hussars at this period is described by D'AUVERGNE, in his _History of the Campaign of 1694_, pp. 22, 23.

CONTENTS.

Year Page

1715 Formation of the Regiment 1
---- Raised in South Britain by Brigadier-General James Dormer 1
---- Numbered Fourteenth Dragoons 1
---- Names of the Officers 2
---- Engaged with the rebels at Preston in Lancashire 2
1716 Proceeded into Lincolnshire 3
1717 Embarked for Ireland 3
1742 Returned to Great Britain 4
1745 Advanced to Edinburgh 5
---- Engaged with the Rebels at Prestonpans 6
1746 Returned to Scotland 7
---- Victory of Culloden 8
---- Rebellion suppressed 8
1747 Returned to Ireland 8
1751 Clothing, Appointments, and Guidons regulated
by Royal Warrant of King George II. 9
1768 Ditto--ditto--by Royal Warrant of King George III. 10
1776 Constituted a Corps of Light Dragoons 12
1784 Uniform changed from Scarlet to Dark-blue 13
1794 Two troops embarked for Flanders 15
1795 Embarked for the West Indies 16
1797 Returned to England 17
1798 Permitted to be styled the Fourteenth, or the Duchess of
York's Own, Light Dragoons; to bear the Prussian Eagle;
and to change the Facings from lemon-yellow to orange 18
1808 Embarked for Portugal 19
1809 Engaged at Oporto 20
---- Engaged at Talavera de la Reyna 22
1810 Advanced to Almeida 24
---- Engaged at Villa de Puerco 25
---- Engaged at Frexadas 28
---- Battle of Busaco and Retreat to Torres Vedras 29
---- Affair at Rio Mandevilla 30
---- Posted on the Cartaxo road 30
1811 Pursuit of the French from Santarem 31
---- Skirmishes at Pombal; at Redinha; at Casal
Nova; and at Foz d'Aronce 31
---- Action at Sabugal 31
---- Engaged at Gallegos 32
---- Engaged at Fuentes d'Onor 32
---- Repulse of the French from Portugal 33
---- Siege of, and retreat from before Badajoz 34
---- Action at Nave d'Aver, and at Carpio 35
1812 Capture of Ciudad Rodrigo 36
---- Siege and Capture of Badajoz 36
---- Skirmish near Villa Franca 36
---- Affair at Llerena 36
---- Skirmish at Alaejos 38
---- Action at Castrillos 38
---- Battle of Salamanca 39
---- Pursuit of the French, and engagement at Penerada 40
---- Affair at Blasco Sancho 40
---- March to Madrid 40
---- Retreat from Madrid to Alba de Tormes 41
---- Repulse of French Lancers at Matilla 41
---- Reconnoitring parties on retreat from Salamanca to
Ciudad Rodrigo 41
1813 Advance to Salamanca 42
---- Passage of the Carion and Pisuerga 42
1813 Capture of Burgos 43
---- Skirmish at Huarte 43
---- Battle of Vittoria 43
---- Pursuit of the French to Pampeluna 44
---- -------------------- to the Pyrenees 44
---- Capture of a party at Ostiz 44
---- ------------------ at Roncesvalles 45
---- Skirmish at Almandoz 45
---- -------- at the pass of Maya 45
---- Engagement at the valley of Bastan 46
---- Passage of the Nivelle 46
---- Affair at the ford near Cambo 46
---- Passage of the Nive 46
---- Affair in front of Mendionda 47
---- Engagement at Hasparren 47
1814 Active operations resumed 47
---- Actions at Hellette, Garris, and Sauveterre 47
---- Battle of Orthes 48
---- Engagement at Aire 48
---- Defeat of the enemy's designs at Pau 48
---- Skirmish at Castel Paget 49
---- Affair at Tarbes 50
---- Battle of Toulouse 50
---- Termination of the Peninsular War 50
---- Marched to Bourdeaux 51
---- Returned to England 51
---- Reviewed at Hounslow 51
---- Embarked for America 52
---- Proceeded on an Expedition to New Orleans 52
1815 Hostilities with America ceased 53
---- Returned to England 53
---- Authorised to bear the word "Peninsula" 53
---- Proceeded to Hounslow 53
1816 Embarked for Ireland 54
1819 Returned to England 54
1822 Reviewed at Hounslow 55
1825 Re-embarked for Ireland 55
1828 Returned to England 56
1830 Proceeded to London 57
---- Reviewed by King William IV. 57
---- Authorised to bear the title of the Fourteenth, or the
King's, Light Dragoons 57
---- The Facings changed from Orange to Scarlet 57
1831 Marched to Birmingham, Coventry, and Gloucester 58
---- Engaged in repressing Riots at Bristol 59
1832 Removed to Hounslow 60
---- Authorised to bear the King's Crest on the appointments;
and the Prussian Eagle on the second and third corners
of the regimental guidon 60
1833 Embarked at Bristol for Ireland 60
1834 Standards discontinued 60
1835 Embarked at Belfast for Scotland 60
1838 Returned to England from Scotland 60
1841 Embarked for Bombay 61
1846 Proceeded to the Bengal Presidency 62
---- The Conclusion 63

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

Year Page

1715 James Dormer 65
1720 Clement Neville 66
1737 Archibald Hamilton 67
1749 James Lord Tyrawley 67
1752 Louis Dejean 68
1757 John Campbell, afterwards Marquis of Lorne 69
1765 Charles Fitroy, afterwards Lord Southampton 70
1772 Daniel Webb 70
1773 George Warde 71
1778 Sir Robert Sloper, K.B. 72
1797 John William Egerton, afterwards Earl of Bridgewater 73
1823 Sir John Ormsby Vandeleur, G.C.B. 74
1830 Sir Edward Kerrison, Bart., K.C.B, and G.C.H. 74

LIEUTENANT-COLONELS.

Succession of Lieutenant-Colonels from the year 1800 75

MAJORS.

Succession of Majors from the year 1799 78

List of the Battles, Sieges, &c. which took place in
the Peninsula from 1808 to 1814 81

PLATES.

Costume of the Regiment _to face_ 1
Guidon of the Regiment in 1798 " 18
Guidon of the Regiment in 1832 " 60

[_to face page 1._
]

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF THE

FOURTEENTH (THE KING'S) REGIMENT

OF

LIGHT DRAGOONS.

[Sidenote: 1715]

The accession of the house of Hanover to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland, was the commencement of a dynasty under which this kingdom has attained a splendid elevation of naval, military, commercial, and political importance; has extended its possessions in remote countries;--and its armies have fought and conquered in every quarter of the globe. The first year of His Majesty's reign had, however, not expired, when it was found necessary to augment the regular army, and the FOURTEENTH, (THE KING'S) REGIMENT OF LIGHT DRAGOONS, is one of the corps incorporated on that occasion. It was raised in South Britain, by Brigadier-General JAMES DORMER, who had acquired a reputation in the war of the Spanish succession; and the following officers were appointed to the regiment, by commissions dated the 22nd July, 1715.

_Captains._ _Lieutenants._ _Cornets._

James Dormer (col). Jas. Stevens (cap.-lt.) Edward Stroude.
H. Killegrew (lt.-col.) Henry Lasale. Thomas Ellis.
Sol. Rapin. (major) Peter Davenport. Thomas Delahaye.
Henry Pelham. Jonathan Pirke. William Hamilton.
William Boyle. Cuthbert Smith. Rigley Molyneux.
Beverly Newcommin. James Flemming. Andrew Forrester.

His Majesty's protestant subjects arrayed themselves under the royal standard with great cheerfulness, but before the regiment was complete in men and horses, the arrangements of the Jacobites were in such a state of forwardness, that the Pretender's standard was raised in Scotland by the Earl of Mar, who was soon at the head of ten thousand men. A body of rebels having penetrated into Lancashire, DORMER'S dragoons were among the corps directed to advance, under Major-General Wills, and fight the insurgent bands: the regiment was formed in brigade with Pitt's horse, now second dragoon guards, under its Colonel, Brigadier-General Dormer. Arriving at _Preston_, about three o'clock in the afternoon of the 12th of November, the rebels were found in force in the town, with the avenues barricaded and defended by cannon. The FOURTEENTH dragoons were directed to dismount and form as infantry, to take part in storming the avenue leading to Lancaster, in which they were assisted by Wynne's (ninth), and a squadron of Stanhope's dragoons (afterwards disbanded) under Brigadier-Generals Dormer and Munden; Pitt's horse, Munden's (thirteenth), and a squadron of Stanhope's dragoons forming in support. The first barrier was carried with great gallantry; but the inner barricade could not be forced for want of cannon. The houses were afterwards set on fire, and measures adopted to prevent the escape of the rebels, who were eventually forced to surrender at discretion. The regiment had three men and sixteen horses killed on this occasion, Brigadier-General Dormer, and four private soldiers wounded.

The regiment escorted a number of the captured insurgents to Lancaster gaol, and was afterwards quartered in that town, and in the early part of 1716 the rebellion was suppressed by the troops under the Duke of Argyle.

[Sidenote: 1716]

In May 1716, the regiment marched from Lancaster, into cantonments at Lincoln and the neighbouring towns.

[Sidenote: 1717]

A reduction of the army took place in the spring of 1717, and in May, DORMER'S dragoons marched to Bristol and embarked for Ireland, to replace a regiment ordered to be disbanded in that country.

[Sidenote: 1720]

The regiment remained in Ireland during the succeeding twenty-five years. In 1720, Brigadier-General Dormer was removed to the sixth regiment of foot, and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the FOURTEENTH dragoons, by Colonel Clement Neville, from the lieut.-colonelcy of the thirteenth dragoons.

[Sidenote: 1721]

[Sidenote: 1737]

Colonel Neville commanded the regiment seventeen years, and was removed in 1737, to the eighth dragoons, and the colonelcy of the FOURTEENTH was conferred on Colonel Archibald Hamilton from the 27th foot.

[Sidenote: 1740]

[Sidenote: 1741]

[Sidenote: 1742]

Charles VI. Emperor of Germany, died in 1740; the succession of the Archduchess Maria-Theresa, as Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, was disputed by the Elector of Bavaria, who was supported by a French army; and, in 1742, King George II. sent a British force to Flanders to aid the house of Austria; at the same time the FOURTEENTH dragoons were withdrawn from Ireland, to replace the cavalry regiments which had proceeded on foreign service from England.

[Sidenote: 1743]

[Sidenote: 1744]

[Sidenote: 1745]

The regiment was stationed in Great Britain during the years 1743 and 1744; and in 1745, when Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, raised his father's standard in Scotland, it was ordered to Stirling. After Lieut.-General Sir John Cope had marched from Stirling with the infantry and some artillery, the FOURTEENTH dragoons proceeded to Leith, where they were stationed when the rebel army advanced towards Edinburgh. They were suddenly ordered to join Colonel Gardiner, who was retiring before the rebel army, with the thirteenth dragoons; they rode through Edinburgh at a brisk pace during public worship on Sunday, the 15th of September, when the congregations rushed out of the churches and chapels and filled the streets, and four hundred volunteers, with a thousand men of the trained bands, appeared in arms. The FOURTEENTH dragoons joined Colonel Gardiner at Carstorphin, from whence they fell back to Coltsbridge, where they were joined by the city guard and Edinburgh regiment. On a report of the approach of the rebel bands, the Edinburgh regiment and city guard withdrew within the walls, and the dragoons moved towards Haddington, the citizens refusing to admit them into the place; and while a tumultuary council was being held to decide about the mode of defending the city, the insurgents gained possession of one of the gates: thus Edinburgh fell into the hands of the young Pretender.

The FOURTEENTH dragoons were afterwards ordered to join Lieut.-General Sir John Cope, who had arrived at Dunbar with a small body of infantry, and he advanced towards Edinburgh, when the rebel army was put in motion to meet him. On the 20th of September the King's troops confronted the insurgents near _Prestonpans_ and the night was passed in the field: the FOURTEENTH dragoons, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel William Wright, furnished videttes and patrols on the flanks of the army. Before day-break, on the following morning, a chosen band of Highlanders advanced through the thick atmosphere, and attacked the right of the King's troops; their sudden advance in the dark, their superior numbers, and peculiar mode of fighting, struck with consternation the few men who guarded the artillery, and who faced about and fled. The dragoons advanced to charge the Highlanders; but seeing the very superior numbers of their opponents, and being discouraged by the loss of their artillery, they made only a feeble effort to stem the torrent of battle, and afterwards retired from the field. Several officers, and a few private soldiers, however, behaved with great gallantry, and among others, Major RICHARD BOWLES, of the FOURTEENTH dragoons, particularly distinguished himself; the few troopers, who rallied round him, had been cut down, and his own horse killed; but he continued to fight on foot; he was surrounded, and had received eleven wounds, when a rebel leader interposed and saved his life. When once troops are put into confusion, and are afterwards closely pressed by the enemy, no reserves being at hand for them to rally upon, the difficulty of restoring order becomes particularly great, and, in this instance, the loss of the battle was the result. The FOURTEENTH dragoons withdrew from the field, and afterwards marched to Berwick.

The regiment subsequently joined the army assembled under Field-Marshal Wade at Newcastle; when the rebels penetrated into Derbyshire, it was employed in covering Yorkshire; and when the young Pretender made a precipitate retreat to Scotland, the FOURTEENTH dragoons marched to Edinburgh, where a few regiments were assembled under Lieut.-General Hawley.

[Sidenote: 1746]

On their return to Scotland, the rebels besieged Stirling Castle; and Lieut.-General Hawley put the King's troops in motion to raise the siege. The FOURTEENTH dragoons left Edinburgh on the 13th of January, 1746; they took part in driving a body of rebels out of Linlithgow, and were subsequently encamped near _Falkirk_.

On the 17th of January, as the soldiers were at dinner in the camp, the approach of the rebel army was descried, and the troops moved towards some high grounds on Falkirk-moor, where the insurgent bands were formed. The action was commenced by a charge of the cavalry; the enemy's first line was broken, and some execution done; but the second line of insurgents repulsed the dragoons. The infantry was, soon afterwards, brought into the fight; but a heavy storm of wind and rain beat so violently in the soldiers' faces, as nearly to blind them, and the wet prevented their muskets giving fire. Several regiments retired in some disorder; others maintained their ground and repulsed the Highlanders, and after dark the whole withdrew to Linlithgow and afterwards to Edinburgh.

The Duke of Cumberland subsequently took the command of the troops in Scotland, and advanced towards Stirling; when the rebels made a precipitate retreat. His Royal Highness pursued; but the FOURTEENTH dragoons were left behind, and were directed to patrol along the roads leading westward from Edinburgh, to prevent the rebels obtaining intelligence. At length the Highlanders were overpowered in the field of Culloden, and the rebellion was suppressed.

[Sidenote: 1747]

In 1747 the regiment returned to Ireland, and was stationed in that country during the succeeding forty-eight years.

[Sidenote: 1749]

Lieut.-General Hamilton died on the 8th of July, 1749, and King George II. conferred the colonelcy of the FOURTEENTH dragoons on Lieut.-General James, Lord Tyrawley, from the tenth regiment of Foot.

[Sidenote: 1751]

The following description of the clothing and guidons of the regiment is taken from the Royal Warrant, dated the 1st of July, 1751.

COATS,--scarlet; double-breasted, without lappels; lined with _lemon colour_; slit sleeves turned up with lemon colour; the button-holes worked with narrow white lace; the buttons of white metal, set on three and three; a long slash pocket in each skirt; and a white worsted aiguillette on the right shoulder.

WAISTCOATS AND BREECHES,--lemon colour.

HATS,--bound with silver lace, and ornamented with a white loop and a black cockade. Red forage cap turned up with lemon colour, and XIV. D. on the flap.

BOOTS,--of jacked leather, reaching to the knee.

CLOAKS,--Scarlet, with a lemon-coloured cape; the buttons set on three and three, upon white frogs or loops, with a red and green stripe down the centre.

HORSE FURNITURE,--of lemon-coloured cloth; the holster caps and housings having a border of white lace, with a red and green stripe down the centre; XIV. D. embroidered upon a red ground, within a wreath of roses and thistles, on the housing; and upon the holster caps G.R., with the crown over it, and XIV. D. underneath.

OFFICERS,--distinguished by silver lace and embroidery; and a crimson silk sash worn across the left shoulder.

QUARTER MASTERS,--to wear a crimson sash round their waists.

SERJEANTS,--to have narrow silver lace on the cuffs, pockets, and shoulder-straps; silver aiguillettes; and green, red, and white worsted sashes tied round their waists.

DRUMMERS AND HAUTBOYS,--clothed in lemon-coloured coats, lined and faced with scarlet, and ornamented with white lace, having a red and green stripe down the centre: red waistcoats and breeches.

GUIDONS,--the first, or King's guidon, to be of crimson silk, with a silver and red fringe; 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 XIV. D., in silver characters, on a lemon ground, in a compartment in the second and third corners: the second and third guidons to be of lemon-coloured silk; in the centre XIV. D. on a red ground within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk; the white horse, on a red ground, in the first and fourth compartments; and the rose and thistle conjoined, on a red ground, in the second and third compartments; the third colour to have a figure 3, on a circular red ground, under the wreath.

[Sidenote: 1752]

Lieut.-General Lord Tyrawley commanded the regiment two years, and was removed, in July, 1752, to the third dragoons, and was succeeded by Colonel Lewis Dejean, whose regiment of foot had been disbanded at the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748-9.

[Sidenote: 1756]

[Sidenote: 1757]

Colonel Dejean was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1756, and in 1757 he was removed to the third Irish Horse, now sixth dragoon guards; and His Majesty conferred the colonelcy of the FOURTEENTH dragoons on Colonel John Campbell, from the fifty-fourth regiment.

[Sidenote: 1759]

[Sidenote: 1761]

[Sidenote: 1765]

The rank of major-general was conferred on Colonel Campbell in 1759; in 1761 his uncle, Archibald, third Duke of Argyle, died, when his father, General John Campbell of the Scots Greys, succeeded to that title, and Major-General Campbell of the FOURTEENTH Dragoons obtained the designation of MARQUIS OF LORNE: he was removed to the first, the royal regiment of foot, in 1765, and was succeeded in the command of the FOURTEENTH dragoons, by Colonel Charles Fitzroy, (afterwards Lord Southampton) whose regiment of foot had been disbanded at the peace of Fontainbleau in 1763.

[Sidenote: 1768]

On the 19th December, 1768, a warrant was issued, by authority of King George III., for regulating the standards, guidons, clothing, &c., of the regiments of cavalry, in which it was directed, that the uniform of the FOURTEENTH dragoons should be red, with _lemon-coloured_ facings, without lappels, with silver lace; the uniform, &c., being the same as prescribed by the Royal Warrant of the 1st July, 1751.

[Sidenote: 1772]

Colonel Fitzroy was promoted to the rank of major-general and removed to the third dragoons, in 1772, when King George III. conferred the colonelcy of the FOURTEENTH dragoons on Lieut.-General Daniel Webb, from the eighth foot.

[Sidenote: 1773]

Lieut.-General Webb died in 1773, and was succeeded by Colonel George Warde, from the lieut.-colonelcy of the fourth dragoons.

[Sidenote: 1775]

[Sidenote: 1776]

[Sidenote: 1777]