Chapter IV: Part 4

The regiment formed part of the army of observation under Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham, and accompanied the movements of this force until after the capture of _Badajoz_, when Lord Wellington marched with the main body of the army towards Castile. The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS were stationed at Villa Franca and Rebeira, being formed in brigade with the First Royal Dragoons, under the orders of Major-General Slade, and were attached to a separate corps of the army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill: subsequently the regiment advanced to Llera.

On the 11th of June the enemy's General, L'Allemand, advanced upon _Llera_, with the 17th and 29th regiments of French dragoons. Major-General Slade moved forward with the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS and Royal Dragoons, when the two regiments made a brilliant charge, and defeated and pursued the enemy nearly three leagues. On arriving within a short distance of _Maguilla_ the two British regiments had an opportunity of making a second charge, which they executed in gallant style, and having broken the enemy's first line, slew a number of men, and took many others, with one of General L'Allemand's aides-de-camp, prisoners. At length the enemy brought forward a strong support; and the two regiments being eager in the pursuit, each vying with the other which should most distinguish itself, were attacked by the enemy, forced to relinquish a number of prisoners, and to retire upon Llera. Major-General Slade concluded his despatch with observing, 'Nothing could exceed the gallantry displayed by the officers and men on this occasion. Colonel Sir Granby Calcraft and Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, commanding the two regiments, particularly distinguished themselves, as well as all the officers present. I beg particularly to report the conduct of Brigade-Major Radcliffe, to whom I feel particularly indebted for his assistance on this occasion.' The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS had thirteen men killed; and Lieutenant Homewood, sixty-seven men, and eighty-five horses were taken by the enemy.

On the following day a detachment from the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS and Royal Dragoons, consisting of about twenty men of each regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Strenuitz (aide-de-camp to Sir William Erskine) formed an ambush to intercept a strong foraging party of the enemy's cavalry. The party of the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS was destined to commence the attack, and was placed, for that purpose, under the command of troop-serjeant-major M'Clelland (who had formerly distinguished himself); and the Royals formed the reserve. The detachment came in contact with the French at a village near _Belango_; the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS charged with all the spirit and fire of Britons. The fury of the onset threw the enemy into confusion; they at once gave way and fled in all directions, leaving several officers and men, and a great number of horses, in the hands of the victors. The success of this gallant affair enabled the regiment to retrieve, by exchange with the enemy, the greatest part of the loss sustained on the preceding day.

The French having considerable reinforcements at hand, Sir Rowland Hill retired by Santa Martha to Albuhera, where the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS were joined by a remount from England, consisting of two serjeants, forty-two private men, and sixty horses.

On the 1st of July the regiment had another opportunity of signalizing itself in conflict. A strong body of French cavalry having succeeded in driving in the Spanish out-posts, was threatening the safety of the British camp at Albuhera, which was covered by the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS, when a picquet of about twenty men of the regiment, under the command of Captain E. R. Story, who perceived the extreme danger of the camp and the necessity of a check, stood the charge of the French squadrons; and having ultimately received a reinforcement of a squadron of the regiment, under Captain Watts, repulsed the attack, charged in turn, and finally compelled the enemy to retreat, recovering, at the same time, the prisoners which the French had taken in the first onset. On this occasion Lieutenant Ellis, one serjeant, one trumpeter, and two private men of the picquet, were killed; and Captain Watts, whose squadron reinforced the picquet, was wounded. This important and valuable service, performed at so critical a moment, occasioned an order for every man of the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS to be supplied with an extra ration of rum; and the following brigade order was published on the same day.

'Major-General Slade is most happy in the opportunity which the Third
Dragoon Guards have afforded him of thanking them for the gallantry
and steadiness with which they repulsed an attack made by the enemy's
cavalry this afternoon; particularly the picquet under the command
of Captain E. R. Story, and the supporting squadron, commanded by
Captain Watts. He requests those officers, with the officers and
men under their command, will be pleased to accept his grateful
acknowledgments.

'The Major-General particularly regrets the loss of Lieutenant Ellis,
who nobly fell at the head of his men: he has also to lament Captain
Watts being wounded, but he hopes not dangerously so, and that the
regiment will not be deprived of his services long.'

The camp at Albuhera broke up on the following day, and the troops advanced upon the enemy, who retired upon Cordova. The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS proceeded by Los Santos to Llerena; and occupied Fuente del Mastre on the 24th of July, on which day they were suddenly called upon to make a flank movement with the view of gaining the rear of two regiments of French dragoons and one of chasseurs, who had driven in the Portuguese picquet, and were advancing upon _Villa Franca_. The regiment passed through Los Santos, and, advancing at a quick pace, soon reached Hinojosa; but the French had made a precipitate retreat, and had quitted the town a short period before the Dragoon Guards arrived.

After the main army had gained a signal victory at _Salamanca_ (for which Lord Wellington was advanced to the dignity of Marquis), the French hastily retired before the troops commanded by Lieutenant-General Hill, who took up a position on the Tagus. The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS marched by Usagre, Balangur, and Villa, crossed the Tagus at Almaraz on the 19th of September, and occupied Belois: from whence they moved on the 26th, re-crossed the Tagus at Talavera de la Reyna, and arrived at Tombleque, in La Mancha, on the 8th of October; and, on the 21st, occupied some villages on the right bank of the Tagus.

The French army opposed to the Marquis of Wellington having been considerably reinforced, his lordship retired from Burgos, and Sir Rowland Hill collected the troops under his command on the Jacamah, from whence he retired upon Anvalo. Having crossed the Manzanarus by the bridge Ponto Largo, near Arranheuse, the army took up a position, on the 27th of October, on the right bank of the river; and the light brigade of infantry was employed during the afternoon in defending the bridge, which had been mined for destruction, but the attempt did not succeed. During the night the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS relieved the infantry at the bridge, two-thirds of the regiment having been dismounted for that purpose.

The troops retreating by Madrid, through the Guadarama pass, formed a junction with the army commanded by the Marquis of Wellington at Salamanca, the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS, on this occasion, forming part of the rear-guard. During the retreat the regiment was joined by a remount from England, consisting of four lieutenants, two serjeants, two corporals, twenty private men, and forty-six horses.

On the 15th of November the army retired on Ciudad Rodrigo, when the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS were again employed in covering the retreat, and suffered much from the inclemency of the weather, but more especially from the scarcity of forage and provisions. On the 20th they went into quarters at Herquera, and on the 27th proceeded to Membrio, where a remount, consisting of one lieutenant, one cornet, two serjeants, fifty-seven private men, and fifty-horses, joined on the 29th of November.

In a warrant, dated the 12th of August, 1812, the facing of the regiment was changed from _white_ to _blue_; cocked hats were replaced by brass helmets; jacked boots and breeches by cloth overalls and short boots; and the skirts of the coats were shortened.

[Sidenote: 1813]

On the 25th of January, 1813, the six troops on foreign service marched to St. Vincent, where the forage being good and plentiful, the horses soon recovered their condition. On the 5th of March they re-crossed the Tagus at Alcantara, and on the 11th went into quarters at Gigo de Coria, where a draught of ninety-four horses joined from the Fourth Dragoon Guards.

Arrangements having been made for the advance of the army against the enemy, the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS left Gigo de Coria on the 16th of May, and accompanying the second division, under Sir Rowland Hill, advanced through the mountains by the pass of Banos, and crossed the river Tormes below _Salamanca_. On the 26th of May they came up with the rear-guard of the enemy, covering the retreat from _Salamanca_, and being supported by the Royal Dragoons, and a troop of horse artillery, succeeded in taking upwards of 500 prisoners.

The enemy continuing to retreat, the allied army directed its march on Valladolid. The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS crossed the Douro at Toro on the 3rd of June, and continued to press upon the rear of the French army in its retreat.

On the 21st of June the regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Holmes, marched early in the morning towards _Vittoria_, where the French army, commanded by Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jourdan, was concentrated and formed in position. A general engagement immediately commenced. During the early part of the day the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS manœuvred in conjunction with, and supported the attacks of, the infantry; but towards the evening they moved forward and made a brilliant and decisive charge on a corps of French cavalry and a column of infantry, which were covering the retreat of several pieces of cannon and a number of waggons laden with ammunition and treasure: the enemy was defeated, driven from his ground, and the guns and waggons were captured by the regiment. This was followed by the entire overthrow and defeat of the French army, with the loss of its cannon, ammunition, and baggage. The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS had four men and six horses killed; Lieutenant Stewart was wounded in the body by a musket ball, but subsequently recovered; two men of the regiment were also wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Holmes received a gold medal for his distinguished conduct in this action; and His Royal Highness the Prince Regent commanded the word 'VITTORIA' to be placed on the standards of the regiment.

The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS were next engaged in the blockade of Pampeluna; and they were formed up in reserve at the foot of the mountains during the severe contest in the _Pyrenees_, on the 29th and 30th of July, but the scene of action was too mountainous for cavalry to engage.

The regiment remained in front of Pampeluna until the 17th of September, when it moved to Milagro, on the Ebro, where a remount, consisting of three officers, two serjeants, twenty-four private men, and fifty-five horses, joined from England, under the command of Major Watts. On the 20th of November the regiment occupied Valtierra and Arquedas, on the Ebro, where it remained in reserve during the winter.

[Sidenote: 1814]

The movements of the allies were now attended with success in every quarter, and part of the army had already entered France. Early in the spring of 1814 the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS advanced, by Pampeluna and Toloso, through the Pyrenean mountains, to St. Jean de Luz, in France, where they arrived on the 11th of March, and were there joined by a further remount of three officers, two serjeants, eleven private men, and fifty-four horses.

The regiment was now actively engaged in operations against the enemy, and on the 22nd of March had an affair with a body of French troops at _St. Guadens_, in which it captured many prisoners. Advancing up the country it was almost constantly confronting the enemy. The battle of _Toulouse_ was fought on the 10th of April; but the brigade, of which this regiment formed a part, being attached to Sir Rowland Hill's division, was not engaged. The enemy having retired from Toulouse, the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS marched through that city, and on the 13th of April, being the regiment in advance, received the last shot of the enemy. The armies of the Continental Powers having penetrated France by the opposite frontier, had advanced to the capital, Napoleon Bonaparte was compelled to abdicate the throne of France, and the brilliant achievements of the British troops were crowned with the restoration of peace.

The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS were quartered at Viellevigne; on the 25th of April they were at Nalloux and the neighbouring villages; and on the 25th of May occupied Venargne and adjacents. On the 2nd of June they commenced their march from the southern to the northern extremity of France, passing through many of the principal cities and towns, and finally arrived at Calais, where they embarked for England on the 20th of July, and landed at Dover and Ramsgate on the following day, after an absence of five years and three months. The loss which the regiment sustained from fatigue, privation, disease, and the various incidents of war, may be estimated by reference to the number of men and horses sent out from time to time to replace those which had fallen, or were become unfit for service.

On the 22nd of July the regiment assembled at Canterbury, and marched from thence to Huntingdon; where two troops were reduced, and the numbers of the remaining eight troops considerably decreased. On the 12th of August it marched for York, where it arrived on the 23rd, and occupied Leeds and Sheffield as out-stations.

[Sidenote: 1815]

His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, appreciating the gallant and important services of the regiment, which, in connexion with the other corps of the army, and of the forces of the Allied Sovereigns, had been so conducive to the restoration of peace, was graciously pleased to direct that the word 'PENINSULA' should be borne as an honorary distinction on the standards of the THIRD, or PRINCE OF WALES' REGIMENT OF DRAGOON GUARDS, in commemoration of its services in Portugal, Spain, and France, under the command of Field-Marshal his Grace the Duke of Wellington. The Prince Regent's pleasure on this subject was communicated to the regiment by the Adjutant-General in a letter dated the 6th of April, 1815.

The return of Bonaparte to France, and the sudden breaking out of the war in 1815, occasioned an augmentation of two troops to be made to the establishment; and immediately after the battle of _Waterloo_ the regiment received orders to proceed on foreign service.

From York it marched to Northampton, where it arrived on the 5th of July, and having established a dépôt of four troops at that place, under the command of Major Watts, the remaining six troops proceeded to Ramsgate and Dover, where they embarked on the 21st of July, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Holmes.

Having landed at Ostend on the 23rd and 24th (with the loss of one horse only on the passage), the regiment marched from thence to Drouges, near Ghent, where it arrived on the 25th. Advancing up the country it entered France, and proceeding to the vicinity of Paris, took part in several grand military spectacles and reviews, at which the sovereigns of Russia, Prussia, Austria, and France were present.

On the 29th of October the regiment marched to Fontenoy, occupying also Guitrancourt and St. Cyr; and while stationed there it transferred 108 horses to the 1st and 2nd Dragoon Guards, 3rd Dragoons, and 13th Light Dragoons; also exchanged 54 others. Leaving Fontenoy on the 17th of December, the regiment marched for Abbeville, where it arrived on the 28th of that month.

[Sidenote: 1816]

After the definitive treaties between France and the allied powers were settled, the British troops withdrew from France, excepting a small army of occupation. The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS left Abbeville on the 15th of January, 1816, arrived at Calais on the 24th, where they immediately embarked, and landed at Dover and Ramsgate on the following day, from whence they proceeded to Romford, and a reduction of two troops was again made in the establishment. On the 12th of February the service troops marched for Leicester, where they arrived on the 19th, and joined the regimental dépôt. On the 23rd the regiment marched for Manchester, where the head-quarters arrived on the 29th, and detachments occupied Sheffield, Huddersfield, Leeds, and Liverpool. In May a draft of 184 horses was received from the Royal Artillery.

Towards the end of June the regiment embarked at Liverpool for Ireland, and having landed at Dublin, marched to Ballinarobe, Gort, Sligo, Castlebar, Roscommon, and Dunmore; and in August a further reduction was made in the establishment.

[Sidenote: 1817]

In March, 1817, Lieutenant-Colonel Holmes received the ribbon and badge of a Companion of the most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, which was transmitted to him, in compliance with the commands of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, by the Duke of York, in a letter bearing date the 11th of March, 1817.

[Sidenote: 1818]

[Sidenote: 1819]

In June, 1818, the regiment marched to Dublin, Philipstown, and Tullamore. In the early part of the following year the several troops assembled at Dublin, and a further reduction was made in the establishment. During the summer the regiment marched to Cahir, Carrick-on-Suir, Clogheen, Fethard, and Newross.

[Sidenote: 1820]

On the 25th December the facing was altered from _blue_ to _yellow_, and the lace from _yellow_ to _white_: but the officers were subsequently allowed to retain the gold lace as previously worn.

The regiment embarked at Donaghadee in August, 1820, landed at Portpatrick, and proceeded from thence to Hamilton, Glasgow, and Paisley.

[Sidenote: 1821]

During the summer of 1821, it marched to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Carlisle, and Penrith; but returned to Hamilton, Glasgow, and Paisley in August; when the establishment was reduced to six troops--total, 27 officers, 335 non-commissioned officers and privates, and 253 troop horses.

In November the regiment proceeded to Piershill barracks, Ayr, Greenock, and Perth.

[Sidenote: 1822]

The whole assembled at Edinburgh in June, 1822, for the purpose of attending his Majesty King George IV., on his visit to Scotland; on the 18th of August had the honor of being present when his Majesty landed at Leith; and the King was graciously pleased to promote Captain Story (who was the senior captain in garrison) to the rank of Brevet-Major. His Majesty afterwards reviewed the regiment on the sands near Musselburgh, and expressed his approbation of its appearance and discipline.

In September of the same year the regiment returned to England, and was stationed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Carlisle; where it was frequently called upon to suppress tumults and disorders, and to protect the coal and shipping interests during the disturbances amongst the keelmen of the river; which service it performed to the entire satisfaction of Major-General Sir John Byng, who was in command of the district; and also of the civil authorities of the place.[58]

[Sidenote: 1823]

[Sidenote: 1824]

During the summer of 1823 the regiment marched to York and Leeds, and subsequently to Manchester, Nottingham, and Sheffield. In the spring of the following year three troops and head-quarters were removed to Liverpool, where they remained about a week, after which the head-quarters returned to Manchester. In April the silk-weavers at Macclesfield manifested a disposition to riot, but by the timely appearance of a detachment of the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS tranquillity was restored.

In this year the regiment was supplied with helmets and bear-skin crests. In June it proceeded to Ireland, and having landed at Dublin, marched to Cahir, Limerick, and Clogheen.

[Sidenote: 1825]

The Colonelcy of the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS having become vacant by the decease of General Vyse, His Majesty conferred the appointment on General Sir William Payne, Baronet, who afterwards took the name of Galway, his commission bearing date the 2nd June, 1825.

[Sidenote: 1826]

Towards the end of the same month the regiment marched to Dublin, where it remained until the following spring, when it returned to Cahir, Limerick, and Clogheen. Several changes of quarters were made during the summer, and eventually the troops were stationed at Cork and Fermoy, with detachments in aid of the civil authorities and officers of the revenue.

[Sidenote: 1827]

[Sidenote: 1828]

In the autumn of 1827 the regiment marched to Newbridge. In the early part of the following year four troops proceeded to Dublin, and subsequently to Dundalk and Belturbet. In April it embarked at Donaghadee, landed at Portpatrick, and marched to Piershill barracks and Glasgow, and subsequently occupied Perth, with detachments in aid of the officers of the revenue at Forfar and Cupar Angus.

[Sidenote: 1829]

[Sidenote: 1830]

During the summer of 1829 the regiment marched to Birmingham and Coventry. In October one troop was employed in assisting the civil power at Atherstone; and in the beginning of April, 1830, another troop was similarly employed at Pamswick. In the middle of April the regiment marched to Exeter, Trowbridge, Dursley, and Wotton-under-Edge. Towards the end of the year several changes of quarters took place, and detachments were furnished in aid of the civil authorities during the election of Members of Parliament. Eventually the regiment was stationed at Dorchester and Blandford; and an addition of three horses was made to the establishment of each troop.

[Sidenote: 1831]

On the 22nd of April, 1831, his Majesty conferred the Colonelcy of the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS (vacant by the decease of General Sir William Payne) on Lieut.-General Sir Samuel Hawker, G.C.H.

In June one troop was actively employed in suppressing the violent proceedings of the pit and ironfoundry men at Merthyr-Tidvil and its vicinity. During the remainder of this year the regiment was almost constantly in motion to support the civil power, and to prevent the occurrence of serious breaches of the peace. The labouring classes, being strongly excited by designing men, frequently violated the laws, and burnt great quantities of agricultural property.

The subject of a reform in parliament had created considerable discussion and interest throughout the country, and the resistance of certain members to the extensive changes proposed in the representation and elective franchise had excited the indignation of the populace in various places, particularly at _Bristol_, of which city one of the members, Sir Charles Wetherall, was recorder. He arrived at Bristol on Saturday the 29th of October, to open the King's commission, when he was assailed by an outrageous rabble, with insult, menace, and showers of stones. The tumult increasing, the Riot Act was read, when the mob became more violent than before,--broke open the Mansion-house, demolished the windows, doors, and furniture, and prepared to set the building on fire. At this moment a troop of the 14th Light Dragoons arrived, and the Mansion-house was saved, and the rioters dispersed. On Sunday the mob again assembled, and plundered the Mansion-house, where they found a quantity of wine and spirits, and they soon became intoxicated. In this state the rioters became more furious than before. They broke open the Bridewell, liberated the prisoners, and set fire to the building. The new gaol and the Gloucester county prison were treated in like manner. The Bishop's palace, the Mansion-house, the Excise-office, the Custom-house, and many private dwellings, were plundered and set on fire, and several of the drunken rioters perished in the flames. In the midst of this scene of tumult and conflagration a detachment of the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS was seen endeavouring to arrest the progress of the mobs. Unfortunately the magistrates did not give the necessary instructions; and as the soldiers were proceeding in one direction, destruction was going on in another, and property to an immense amount was destroyed, before the exertions of the civil and military powers restored order. About one hundred of the rioters were killed or wounded before the tumult was suppressed; and one hundred and eighty were committed to prison, of whom fifty were capitally charged with rioting and burning.

[Sidenote: 1832]

In 1832 the regiment was stationed at Brighton, Chichester, and Worthing; and in August four troops proceeded to London, occupied Regent's Park barracks, and performed the duties of the metropolis during the absence of the Life Guards for the purpose of being reviewed by His Majesty. After performing this duty, the four troops returned to Brighton and Chichester.

In the early part of November, King William IV. and Queen Adelaide arrived at Brighton, and on the 30th of that month the officers of the regiment had the honour of dining with their Majesties at the Royal Pavilion: the band was in attendance during the evening, and also on several other occasions.

[Sidenote: 1833]

The regiment received orders to march to Dorchester in January, 1833; and, before it quitted Brighton, Lieut.-Colonel Story was honoured with the King's most gracious commands--'To make known to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates, His Majesty's entire approbation of their conduct while at Brighton.'

[Sidenote: 1834]

From Dorchester the regiment proceeded, in March of the same year, to Birmingham, where it remained the succeeding twelve months. In April, 1834, it marched to Liverpool, and, having embarked at that port for Ireland, landed in Dublin on the 1st of May.

[Sidenote: 1835]

[Sidenote: 1836]

After passing one year at Dublin, the regiment marched, in May, 1835, to Longford; remained at this station during the following twelve months, and proceeded, in May, 1836, to Ballincollig.

[Sidenote: 1837]

[Sidenote: 1838]

Having spent a period of three years in Ireland, the regiment marched to Cork; embarked from thence on the 14th of June, 1837, for England; landed at Bristol on the following day, and proceeded to Ipswich; where it has remained until the spring of 1838, which brings the record of this distinguished corps to a conclusion.

Few cavalry regiments have been favoured with a greater number of opportunities of acquiring honour by deeds of valour in action with the enemies of the British nation than the THIRD, OR PRINCE OF WALES' REGIMENT OF DRAGOON GUARDS: it has served under MARLBOROUGH and WELLINGTON--names immortalized in the history of Europe. As a regiment of HORSE, it fought at Blenheim, Ramilies, and Malplaquet--battles which shed lustre on the British arms. As a corps of DRAGOON GUARDS, it gained immortal fame at Corbach and Warbourg, and signalized itself in other actions in Germany. In Flanders, under his Royal Highness the Duke of York, it earned new laurels; and, in the Peninsular War, it added to its previous reputation by its gallant bearing on all occasions, particularly at the battle of Albuhera. On this subject, Viscount Beresford observed, in a letter to the Adjutant-General, 'The conduct of this regiment, during the period it was under my command, deserved, on all occasions, and especially at the battle of Albuhera, my highest encomiums.' On home service, it has acquired the confidence and approbation of its sovereign, and the commendations of the general officers under whose command it has been placed.

FOOTNOTES:

[7] See a brief memoir of this nobleman in the succession of Colonels at page 113.

[8] 'JAMES, R.

'THESE ARE TO AUTHORIZE YOU to raise volunteers with able horses for one troop of Horse, which you are commissioned to raise and command for Our Service, consisting of threescore soldiers, three corporals, and two trumpeters, besides Commissioned Officers. And as you shall raise the said Volunteers and Non-commissioned Officers of Our said troop, you are to give notice thereof to our Commissary General when and where you shall have twenty soldiers ready, with their horses, together, besides officers; that he, or his deputy, may muster them accordingly, and from such muster those soldiers, with all the officers of the said troop, are to commence and be in our pay; and from thenceforth as you shall, from time to time, entertain any more soldiers with their horses fit for Our Service, and shall produce them to muster, they shall be respectively mustered thereupon, until you shall have threescore soldiers, besides officers; and when that number shall be fully, or nearly, completed, they are to be sent under the command of a Commissioned Officer to Worcester and Droytwich, (appointed for the quarters of Our said troop,) where they are also to be mustered, and soe remain until further orders. You are likewise to send a trusty person to Our Tower of London to receive arms for Our said troop.

'WHEREIN, all Magistrates, Justices of the Peace, and Constables, whom it may concern, are required to be assisting; and the Officers are to be careful that the soldiers behave themselves civilly, and duly pay their landlords.

'GIVEN at Our Court at Whitehall, this 23rd day of June, 1685, in the first year of Our Reign.

'BY HIS MAJESTY'S COMMAND,
'WILLIAM BLATHWAYTE.'

'To _Our right trusty and right
well-beloved Cousin and Councillor,
Thomas Earl of Plymouth,
&c._'

A similar warrant was issued for raising each of the other five troops.--_War-Office Records._

[9] The cuirass was not peculiar to this regiment, there being, in the autumn of 1685, ten regiments of Cuirassiers in the English army, besides the Life Guards, who were also Cuirassiers.

[10] War-Office Records.

[11] The Marquis de Miremont was a French nobleman, and cousin to Louis Earl of Feversham.

[12] The three regiments were Colonel John Butler's Dragoons, Colonel Anthony Hamilton's Foot Guards, and Colonel Roger McElligot's Regiment of Foot--1500 men.--_War-Office Records._

[13] Memoirs of General Mackay.

[14] Mackay's Memoirs, p. 56.

[15] London Gazette.

[16] War-Office Records.

[17] D'Auvergne's History of the Campaigns in Flanders, &c.

[18] No record appears to have been preserved of the number killed and wounded of the FOURTH HORSE; but according to the London Gazette, No. 2895, the English cavalry lost 59 officers and 472 men.

[19] D'Auvergne's History of the Campaigns in Flanders; Boyer's Life of King William III.; the London Gazette, &c.

[20] The present Second and Sixth Dragoon Guards:--Galway's Horse was disbanded after the Peace of Ryswick in 1697.

[21] D'Auvergne.

[22] 'The Queen's Horse, now 1st Dragoon Guards; Carabiniers, now 6th Dragoon Guards; a squadron of Schomberg's Horse, now 7th Dragoon Guards; with Stewart's and Stanley's Foot.'--_London Gazette_ and _Millner's Journal._

[23] 'On the 31st of October the garrison marched out of the place, being upwards of 1500 men, besides nearly 300 that deserted before the capitulation. The troops of Liege came out first, and immediately quitted the French service, marching off in a body. Of the Swiss there deserted likewise above 400 as soon as they came out; so that this garrison will be very much lessened before they get to Antwerp, whither they are marching, being conducted by a squadron of Brigadier-General Wood's regiment.'--_London Gazette, No. 3857._

[24] 'We generally began our march about three in the morning, proceeded about four leagues, or four and a half, each day, and reached our ground about nine. As we marched through the countries of our Allies, commissaries were appointed, to furnish us with all manner of necessaries for man and horse; these were brought to the ground before we arrived, and the soldiers had nothing to do but to pitch their tents, boil their kettles, and lie down to rest. Surely never was such a march carried on with more regularity, and with less fatigue both to man and horse.'--_Parker's Memoirs._

[25] 'All the troops in general behaved with the greatest bravery, but none distinguished themselves more than Her Majesty of Great Britain's subjects, who in this engagement had the post of honour, which they sustained with the universal applause and approbation of all the Generals of the several nations who were eye-witnesses of their courage and resolution.'--_London Gazette, No. 4033._

[26] Annals of Queen Anne; Millner's Journal; Military History of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, &c. &c.

[27] Parker's Memoirs.

[28] 'Here was a fine plain, without hedge or ditch, for the Cavalry on both sides to show their bravery; for there were but few Foot to interpose, these being mostly engaged at the villages.

'And now our squadrons charged in their turn, and thus for some hours they charged each other with various success, all sword in hand. At length the French courage began to abate, and our squadrons gained upon them.'--_Parker's Memoirs._

[29] 'The bravery of all our troops on this occasion cannot be expressed; the Generals, as well as the officers and soldiers, behaving themselves with the greatest courage and resolution, the Horse and Dragoons having been obliged to charge four or five several times.'--_The Duke of Marlborough's Despatch._

[30] 'Not only Fame, but likewise the Generals of my forces--the companions of your labours and victories--attributed the same chiefly to your counsels, and the valour and bravery of the _English_, and other forces who fought under your conduct.'--_The Emperor of Germany's Letter to the Duke of Marlborough._

[31] 'The troops acquitted themselves with a bravery surpassing all that could have been hoped of them.'--_Marlborough's Despatch._

[32] War-Office Records.

[33] 'The headmost regiments of English Horse that pursued the enemy's centre were those of Major-General Wood, commanded by himself, and Wyndham's Carabiniers, headed by Major Pertry. When they came upon a rising ground they espied seven squadrons of the Spanish and Bavarian Guards, with whom the Elector of Bavaria and Marshal Villeroy hoped to make good their retreat and save their cannon, which was marching in a line before them. General Wood gallopped with his own regiment upon the enemy's left, and charged them so vigorously that he broke them all to pieces, killing many of them and taking not a few prisoners, amongst whom were two Lieut.-Colonels, one Major, four Captains, with several subalterns and men. _He took also the Standard of the Elector's Guard_, two of the Elector's own Trumpeters, and killed his Kettle-Drummer, the Elector himself and Marshal Villeroy narrowly escaping.'--_Annals of Queen Anne._

[34] 'One of the Lieut.-Colonels, who was much wounded, remembering me last war, cried out to me to save his life, which I did. The other Lieut.-Colonel came to me and yielded himself prisoner also. Both these assured me the day after the battle, that the Elector himself and Marshal Villeroy were in the crowd, and not ten yards from me when they two called out to me for quarter, and that they narrowly escaped us; which, had I been so fortunate as to have known, I had strained Coriolanus (on whom I rid all the day of the battle) to have made them prisoners.'--_Extract of a Letter from Lieut.-General Wood._

[35] War-Office Records.

[36] London Gazette.

[37] Now the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Dragoon Guards.

[38] Major-General Webb received the thanks of Parliament for his excellent defence of the convoy.

[39] War Office Records.

[40] War Office Records.

[41] The Tenth Horse was raised in February, 1693, and disbanded after the peace of Utrecht.

[42] War-Office Records, London Gazette, &c. &c.

[43] Annals of George I., vol. iii., p. 179.

[44] The following corps were encamped on Lexdon Heath: Horse--Pembroke's, Montague's, and Wade's (First, Second, and Third Dragoon Guards); Dragoons--Hawley's, Campbell's, Honeywood's, and Cadogan's (First, Second, Third and Sixth); with seven regiments of Foot, viz., Third, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Twenty-first, Twenty-third, and Thirty-first.

[45] War-Office Establishment Book.

[46] List of cavalry corps of the right wing under Lord George Sackville, at the battle of Minden.

_1st Brigade._--Blues, 1st Dragoon Guards, and Inniskilling
Dragoons.

_2nd Brigade._--3rd Dragoon Guards, Scots Greys, and 10th
Dragoons.

Hanoverian Regiments of Bremen and Veltheim.--_History of the
Campaign in Germany._

[47] 'Bland's squadrons and Howard's Regiment of Dragoons (First and Third Dragoon Guards) _charged_ the enemy _so furiously_ as to enable our infantry to make a safe retreat.'--_London Gazette._

'The Hereditary Prince, as a last resource, put himself at the head of a squadron of Bland's and Howard's Regiment of Dragoons. By these the uncommon heroism of their young leader was perfectly seconded. _They charged the enemy with the utmost fury, stopped the career of their victorious horse, and enabled the allied battalions to make an undisturbed retreat._'--_Annual Register, 1760._

'Bland's squadrons and Howard's Regiment of Dragoons MADE A MOST FURIOUS CHARGE ON THE ENEMY.'--_Operations of the Allied Army. London, 1764._

'One squadron of Bland's, commanded by Major Mill, and Howard's Regiment of Dragoons gained great honour.'--_Ibid._

[48] London Gazette.

[49] 'My Lord Granby, with the English cavalry, contributed materially to the success of the day.'--_Prince Ferdinand's Despatch._

'I should do injustice to the general officers, and _to every officer and private man of the cavalry_, if I did not beg your Lordship would assure His Majesty that _nothing could exceed their gallant behaviour on that occasion_.'--_The Marquis of Granby's Despatch._

'The English cavalry outdid his (Prince Ferdinand's) expectation, and indeed all former examples. They came up five miles on a full trot (the Germans call it a gallop) without being blown, without the least confusion or disorder, and attacked the enemy's cavalry and infantry several times.'--_Annual Register, 1760._

[50] London Gazette.

[51] It appears from the Official Returns that no less than 1666 women were with the British army in Germany.

[52] Records in the Adjutant-General's Office.

[53] Heights above Cateau, 26th April, 1794.

'SIR,

'It is from the field of battle that I have the satisfaction to acquaint you, for His Majesty's information, with the glorious success which the army under my command has had this day.

'At day-break this morning the enemy attacked me on all sides. After a short but severe conflict, we succeeded in repulsing them with considerable slaughter.

'The enemy's General Chapuy is taken prisoner, and we are masters of thirty-five pieces of the enemy's cannon. THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE BRITISH CAVALRY HAS BEEN BEYOND ALL PRAISE. It is impossible for me, as yet, to give a full account of the loss sustained by His Majesty's troops: I have reason to believe that it is not considerable. The only officers of whom I have any information as yet, and who I believe are all that have fallen upon this occasion, are Major-General Mansell, Captain Pigot, and Lieutenant Fellowes, of the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS.'--_Extract from the Duke of York's Despatch._

[54] Annual Register.

[55] 'Every horror that could make war hideous attended this dreadful march! Distress, conflagration, death, in all modes! from wounds, from fatigue, from water, from the flames, from starvation. On every side unlimited violence--unlimited vengeance.'--_Napier._

'_This retreat has been marked by a barbarity seldom equalled and never surpassed._'--_Lord Wellington's Despatch._

[56] Colonel Napier.

[57] Major-General Lumley's Despatch.

[58] 'Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
10th December, 1822.

'Sir,

'I have the honor to announce to you the happy termination of the disturbances amongst the keelmen of this river, and at the same time to express the gratitude of the civil authorities for the promptitude with which Colonel Holmes of the Third Dragoon Guards has afforded them support on all occasions, and their entire approbation of the conduct of the troops under his command.

'I have, &c.
'ROBERT BELL, Mayor.

'To Major-General
Sir John Byng, K.C.B.'

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

OF THE

THIRD, OR PRINCE OF WALES' REGIMENT OF DRAGOON GUARDS.

THOMAS EARL OF PLYMOUTH,

_Appointed 15th July, 1685._

On the decease of THOMAS, sixth LORD WINDSOR, on the 6th of December, 1642, without issue, his titles became extinct, but his estates descended to his nephew THOMAS WINDSOR HICKMAN, then in the fifteenth year of his age. The rebellion breaking out immediately, this youth displayed an ardent and chivalrous spirit, with a fixed devotion to his sovereign and to monarchical government. He raised and maintained a troop of horse at his own charge, with which he joined King Charles I., and became an active and an enterprising leader amongst the loyalists, distinguishing himself in many skirmishes and sharp encounters with the rebels. At the battle of _Naseby_, fought on the 14th of June, 1645, he commanded a regiment of horse, and stoutly charged through and through the enemy's ranks; when the King, taking special notice of the gallantry of this youth, commanded that that regiment, with its valiant leader, should be the royal guard for that day. The King's army was, however, defeated, and his Majesty retreated to Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Leicestershire; where, remembering the signal service of that regiment of horse, and the particular merits of Colonel Windsor Hickman, he gave command for preparing a patent for reviving the title and dignity of LORD WINDSOR, to the said THOMAS WINDSOR HICKMAN. But, from that period, a series of disasters befalling the unfortunate monarch, nothing further transpired on that subject until the restoration of King Charles II., when his Majesty, taking into consideration the many good services performed by this THOMAS WINDSOR HICKMAN throughout the whole course of that rebellion (amongst which the raising of the siege of his Majesty's garrison of High-Ercall, in Shropshire, was not the least), as also his sufferings in the Royal cause, by imprisonment, plunder, and otherwise, did, by a declaratory patent under the great seal, bearing date the 16th of June, 1660, restore unto him the title and dignity of LORD WINDSOR, with the same rank and precedence which were held by his maternal uncle, Thomas, late Lord Windsor.

On the 18th of July following, LORD WINDSOR was appointed lord-lieutenant of Worcestershire; and, in 1665, he was sent governor to Jamaica. During his stay in the West Indies, LORD WINDSOR assembled the troops under his command, defeated 3000 Spaniards, and captured seven ships in the harbour of St. Jago de la Cuba; and eventually took the town and castle, with the cannon of the works, and five hundred barrels of powder. Not enjoying his health in that climate, his Lordship received permission to return to England; and, after his arrival, he was appointed one of his Majesty's Privy Council in Ireland. At length his Majesty, taking into consideration the eminent services of Lord Windsor, advanced him to the dignity of EARL OF PLYMOUTH, by patent dated the 6th of December, 1682.

The EARL OF PLYMOUTH enjoyed the affection and confidence of King James II., who conferred upon him the Colonelcy of the FOURTH REGIMENT OF HORSE (now 3rd Dragoon Guards), and also appointed him one of the Privy Council. He died on the 3rd of November, 1687, and was buried in the church of Tarbick.

SIR JOHN FENWICK, BART.,

_Appointed 6th November, 1687_.

JOHN FENWICK, Esq., was a loyal cavalier in the reign of King Charles II., and an officer of the Queen's Troop (now Second Regiment) of Life Guards. He served under the Duke of Monmouth, with the French army, in the Netherlands, during the campaigns of 1672 and 1673. In the succeeding year he obtained permission to proceed to Holland; and, in 1675, he was appointed Colonel of an Irish regiment in the Dutch service (the present Fifth Foot). He served with his regiment during the campaign of that year under the Prince of Orange; and, in the following summer, he served at the siege of Maestricht, where he was severely wounded while on duty with his regiment in the trenches (2nd August, 1676). Shortly afterwards some angry words passed between him and the Prince of Orange, when he quitted the Dutch service, and, returning to England, resumed his duties in the Life Guards; and, from this period, a personal aversion is said to have existed between his Highness and Colonel Fenwick. The Colonel was, however, well received at the British court: he succeeded, on the decease of his father, to the dignity of a baronet, and, in 1678, King Charles II. promoted him to the rank of Brigadier-General, and gave him the Colonelcy of a newly-raised regiment of foot, with which he proceeded to Flanders; but, after the peace of Nimeguen, this regiment was disbanded, and Sir John again resumed his duties in the Life Guards, in which corps he rose to the rank of Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1686 he was appointed Inspecting General of Cavalry (jointly with Brigadier-General Sir John Lanier), and, after the decease of the Earl of Plymouth in 1687, he was promoted from the Life Guards to the Colonelcy of the FOURTH HORSE. He was also Governor of Holy Island, and a Member of Parliament for the county of Northumberland.

Sir John Fenwick appears to have been devotedly attached to the Stuart dynasty; and, having been advanced to the rank of Major-General in November, 1688, he refused to take the required oath to the Prince of Orange at the Revolution, and his regiment was given to Viscount Colchester. After the accession of William and Mary, Sir John did not abstain from corresponding with the dethroned monarch. After the decease of Queen Mary, he assisted in planning an insurrection in favour of King James, which was to have broken out in the winter of 1695-6, and he agreed to command a body of horse. At this time a plot for the assassination of King William was discovered, and Sir John Fenwick was apprehended at New Romney, on his way to France, on an attainder of high treason, and was brought to trial before the Parliament. No proof of his guilt was produced; but the written evidence of a witness on a former trial was produced against him. This proceeding gave rise to much altercation amongst the members; but the Bill was at length carried by a majority of seven: forty-one Lords, including eight Prelates, entering a protest against the decision. An offer of pardon was made to him by the Peers, on condition that he would make a full discovery; but he chose to suffer death rather than incur the disgrace of becoming an informer. He was beheaded on Tower Hill on the 28th of January, 1697. At the time of his execution, he professed his attachment to King James, and expressed a wish that the exiled monarch might be restored to the throne.

RICHARD VISCOUNT COLCHESTER,

_Appointed 31st December, 1688_.

This nobleman entered the Life Guards, in which corps he attained, in the spring of 1686, the rank of Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Colonel. He was one of the first officers who joined the Prince of Orange at the Revolution in 1688, and he took with him several private gentlemen of the fourth troop of Life Guards. On the removal of Sir John Fenwick, the Colonelcy of the FOURTH REGIMENT OF HORSE was conferred on Viscount Colchester, who attended King William in Ireland, and was at the battle of the Boyne and the siege of Limerick. His lordship was removed to the Colonelcy of the Third Troop of Life Guards in 1692, which gave him the privilege of taking the court duty of Gold Stick, and he served with distinction under his Majesty in several campaigns on the Continent. He succeeded to the title of EARL RIVERS in 1694; and, in the early campaigns of the wars of Queen Anne, he served under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough. In 1706 he commanded an expedition designed to make a descent on the French coast; but the fleet having been delayed by contrary winds until the design was frustrated, he proceeded to Spain, where he left the troops under the command of the Earl of Galway, and afterwards returned to England. He was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Royal Horse Guards in 1712; and died in the same year.

JOHN LORD BERKELEY,

_Appointed 23d January, 1692_.

This nobleman was the son of Sir John Berkeley, a descendant from the ancient Barons of Berkeley Castle (and a distinguished loyalist in the time of Charles I. and Charles II.), who was raised to the peerage by the title of LORD BERKELEY, OF STRATTON. Having entered the Royal Navy, he rose to the rank of Admiral, and was also Colonel of a regiment of Marines (afterwards disbanded) in the reign of Charles II. It was common at this period for the Admirals to hold commissions in the army. After the Revolution of 1688, Lord Berkeley sustained a military character, and was appointed Colonel of the FOURTH REGIMENT OF HORSE in January, 1692. He, however, quitted the regiment in the following year, and held a naval command, in which he distinguished himself against the French. Lord Berkeley died on the 29th of February, 1697.

CORNELIUS WOOD,

_Appointed 24th January, 1694_.

This officer was the son of a clergyman of Staffordshire, and having been unfortunate in commerce, in the reign of Charles II., he entered Queen Catherine's Troop (now Second Regiment) of Life Guards, as a private gentleman, at the time when the ranks of that corps contained many young men of distinction who were aspiring to commissions in the regular army. Mr. Wood evinced great attention in acquiring a knowledge of his profession, which, with a strict performance of all his duties, soon procured him the approbation and favour of Sir Philip Howard, the Captain and Colonel, and of Sir George Hewytt, the Lieutenant-Colonel, through whose recommendation he was advanced to the post of Sub-Corporal with the rank of Cornet; and, on the 15th of June, 1685, King James II. promoted him to the degree of Corporal (or Brigadier) with the rank of Lieutenant. During the remainder of the short reign of James II., Brigadier Wood is said to have witnessed with regret the violent conduct of the King; and, being faithful to the principles which he had imbibed in his youth, he adhered to the Protestant interest at the Revolution in 1688, and was promoted, by King William III., to the Captaincy of a troop in the Ninth Horse (now Sixth Dragoon Guards), the command of which corps had been conferred on his friend, Sir George Hewytt, afterwards Viscount Hewytt. The intrepidity which he displayed in the wars in Ireland and in Flanders[59] gained him a high reputation, and he was promoted to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the regiment on the 31st of December, 1692. His gallant conduct at the battle of Landen, on the 19th of July, 1693, attracted the attention of King William, who complimented him on his bravery, made him a present of a valuable charger, and, in January of the following year, His Majesty promoted him to the Colonelcy of the FOURTH HORSE; at the head of which regiment he served in Flanders until the peace of Ryswick in 1697.

On the breaking out of the war in 1702, Colonel Wood was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, and sent with his regiment to Holland, to serve under the celebrated John Duke of Marlborough; and, in the following year, he was advanced to the rank of Major-General. The several campaigns of this war form a glorious era in the military history of Great Britain; and few officers acquired greater celebrity than GENERAL WOOD. In the annals of that war his name is associated with exploits of particular brilliancy; and he is mentioned among those who materially contributed to the victories at Schellenberg, Blenheim, and Ramilies. At the latter engagement, the Duke of Bavaria and Marshal Villiers narrowly escaped being taken prisoners by him, as more particularly stated in the record of the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS. He also distinguished himself at the battle of Malplaquet, and in several skirmishes.

The death of this distinguished officer was occasioned by the fall of his horse in May, 1712.

THOMAS VISCOUNT WINDSOR,

_Appointed 18th May, 1712_.

LORD THOMAS WINDSOR, second son of Thomas Earl of Plymouth, the first Colonel of this regiment, served with distinction in the army in the wars of King William III., and, on the 23rd of January, 1692, he obtained the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the FOURTH HORSE. On the 16th of February, 1694, he was appointed to the Colonelcy of a newly-raised regiment of horse, which was disbanded after the peace of Ryswick. On the 19th of June, 1699, he was advanced to the peerage of Ireland by the title of VISCOUNT WINDSOR. After the decease of the Earl of Macclesfield, in 1701, the Colonelcy of the Tenth Horse was conferred upon Viscount Windsor, who was promoted, on the 9th of March, 1702, to the rank of Brigadier-General, and on 1st of January, 1704, to that of Major-General. In October of the latter year his regiment was given to Samuel (afterwards Lord) Masham. The rank of Lieutenant-General was, however, conferred upon his Lordship in 1707; in April, 1711, he was restored to the Colonelcy of the Tenth Horse; and in December of the same year, he was made an English Peer, by the title of Baron Montjoy, of the Isle of Wight. The Colonelcy of the FOURTH HORSE was conferred upon his Lordship in 1712; from which he was removed, by King George I., in 1717: he died in 1738.

GEORGE WADE,

_Appointed 19th March, 1717_.