Chapter III: Introduction (1)

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 preeminent 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 pikemen and musketeers. The arms which each description of force carried, are described in the following extract from the "Regulations of King Charles II.," dated 5th May, 1663:--

"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 undʳ. foorteen inches in length; and each Trooper of Our Guards to have a carbine besides the aforesaid armes. And the Foote to have each soldier a sword, and each pikeman a pike of 16 foote long and not undʳ.; 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 soldiers 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 soldiers 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 on them.

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.'

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 THIRD,

OR

THE KING'S OWN REGIMENT

OF

LIGHT DRAGOONS,

BEARS ON ITS APPOINTMENTS

THE WHITE HORSE,

ON A RED FIELD WITHIN THE GARTER,

WITH THE MOTTO

"_NEC ASPERA TERRENT_:"

ALSO THE WORDS,

"SALAMANCA"--"VITTORIA"--"TOULOUSE"--"PENINSULA,"

To commemorate its Gallant Conduct in Spain and France from 1811 to
1814;

AND THE WORD

"CABOOL, 1842,"

For its distinguished Services in Affghanistan in 1842.

FOOTNOTES:

[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

1685 Formation of the Regiment 1

---- Styled the Queen Consort's Regiment 3

---- Names of Officers 5

---- Reviewed by King James II. on Hounslow Heath --

1688 The Revolution 6

1689 Proceeds to Ireland 7

---- Attacks the Enemy's out-posts at Ardee 8

1690 Storming of Bedloe's Castle 9

---- Battle of the Boyne 11

---- Investment of Waterford 12

---- Surrender of Youghal --

---- Disperses the Rapparees--capture of Castle Martir 13

---- Siege of Limerick --

1691 Expedition to Streamstown 14

---- Battle of Aghrim --

---- Siege of Galway 15

---- Surrender of Limerick 16

1692 Arrives in England 17

1694 Reviewed in Hyde Park by King William III. --

---- Embarks for Flanders --

1695 Augmentation of establishment 18

---- Attack on the forts at Kenoque --

---- Siege of Namur--Surrender of Dixmude 19

1696 Reviewed by King William III. 20

1697 Operations in Brabant 21

---- Returns to England --

1698 Reduction of establishment --

1702 Expedition to Cadiz under the Duke of Ormond 21

---- Attack on Vigo, and Capture of the Spanish fleet 22

1706 Forms part of an expedition under Earl Rivers,
and proceeds to Spain 23

1707 Battle of Almanza 24

1708 Returns to England 25

1712 Reduction of establishment --

1713 Stationed in Scotland --

1714 Designated the King's Own Regiment --

1715 Battle of Sheriffmuir 26

1718 Reduction of establishment 28

1720 Establishment augmented --

1723 Augmentation of establishment --

1727 Establishment further augmented --

1729 Reduction of establishment --

1738 Augmentation of establishment --

1742 Reviewed by King George II. on Blackheath 29

---- Proceeds to Flanders --

1743 Battle of Dettingen 31

1745 Battle of Fontenoy 35

---- Returns to England 36

---- Proceeds to Scotland --

---- Engagement at Clifton Moor 37

1748 Reduction of establishment 39

1751 Clothing, Appointments, Guidons, &c. regulated
by Royal Warrant --

1754 Employed on coast duty in the South of England 41

1756 A light troop added --

1758 The light troop forms part of the force for a
descent on the coast of France --

---- Capture of Cherbourg 43

1763 The light troop disbanded 44

1764 Marches to Scotland --

1765 Returns to England --

1766 The Drummers replaced by Trumpeters 44

1767} Employed on coast duty in Kent, Sussex, }
and } Suffolk, and Essex } --
1768}

1770 Proceeds to Scotland --

1771 Returns to England 45

1773 Employed on coast duty in Kent --

1775 Marches to Scotland --

1776 Stationed in South Britain --

1778 Employed on coast duty in Sussex --

---- An additional trumpeter authorised 46

1781 Reviewed by King George III. in Hyde Park 47

1784 Proceeds to Scotland --

1785 Stationed in South Britain --

1789 Reviewed by King George III. at Reading --

1791 Marches to Scotland 48

1793 Augmentation of establishment --

---- Four troops detached to Scotland --

1797 Reduction of establishment 49

1798 Alteration in the Arms and Clothing --

1800 Augmentation of establishment 50

---- Proceeds to Scotland --

1802 Reduction of establishment --

---- Embarks for Ireland --

1805 ---- for England 51

1806 Augmentation of establishment --

1807 Reviewed at Brighton by the Duke of York --

1809 Embarks for Holland 52

1810 Reviewed at Guildford by the Duke of Cambridge 53

1811 ---- on Wimbledon Common by the Prince
Regent --

---- Embarks for the Peninsula 54

1812 Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo 55

---- ---- Badajoz --

---- Affair near La Granja 56

1812 Action at Llerena 57

---- Attack on the bridge of boats at Almaraz 58

---- Skirmish near Salamanca --

---- ---- on the heights of St. Christoval --

---- ---- near Castrillos 60

---- Battle of Salamanca 61

---- Siege of Burgos 65

---- Covers the mining party at Palencia 66

1813 Affair on the heights of Estepar 68

---- Battle of Vittoria 69

1814 Advance on Bayonne 71

---- Affair of La Mosquiere --

---- Battle of Toulouse 72

---- Furnishes horses to mount the royal guard of
France 73

---- Returns to England 74

---- Reviewed on Hounslow Heath by the Duke of
York, Commander-in-Chief --

---- Reduction of establishment 75

---- Authorised to bear the word "SALAMANCA" --

1815 Embarks for Ostend 76

---- Reinforces the Army in France --

---- Reviewed by the Emperor of Russia, King of
Prussia, and the Duke of Wellington --

1816 Forms part of the Army of Occupation --

---- Reviewed by the Duke of Kent, and the Duke of
Wellington 77

1818 Returns to England --

---- Reduction of establishment --

---- Constituted _Light Dragoons_ --

---- Attends the funeral of Queen Charlotte 78

---- Proceeds to Ireland --

1820 Reviewed for the first time as a Light Dragoon
Regiment --

1821 Escorts King George IV. on his entry into
Dublin 79

---- Reviewed by His Majesty --

---- Furnishes the guard of honour on the embarkation
of the King for England --

---- Authorised to bear the words "VITTORIA" and
"TOULOUSE" 80

1822 Returns to England 81

1823 Reviewed by the Duke of York --

1824 Again reviewed by his Royal Highness the
Commander-in-Chief 82

1825 Receives testimonials for its conduct in aiding the
Civil Power at Sunderland 83

1826 Proceeds to Ireland 84

1829 Returns to England 85

1830 Establishment of horses augmented 87

1831 Proceeds to Scotland --

1833 Returns to England --

1834 Proceeds to Hounslow --

1835 Embarks for Ireland --

1837 Returns to England 88

---- Embarks for the East Indies --

1842 Expedition to Affghanistan 89

---- Storming of the heights of Jugdulluck 90

---- Action at Tezeen 91

---- Arrives at Cabool, and plants the British colours
in the Bala Hissar 93

---- Capture of Istalif 94

---- Authorised to bear the word "CABOOL" 95

---- Returns to India --

1845 Forms part of the Army of the Sutlej --

---- Battle of Moodkee 96

---- ---- Ferozeshah 98

1846 ---- Aliwal 100

---- ---- Sobraon 101

1846 Occupation of Lahore 105

---- Returns to India --

---- The Conclusion 107

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.

1685 Duke of Somerset 109

1687 Alexander Cannon 110

1688 Richard Leveson --

1694 Thomas Lord Fairfax 111

1695 William Lloyd --

1703 George Carpenter 112

1732 Philip Honeywood 114

1743 Humphrey Bland --

1752 James Lord Tyrawley 115

1755 Earl of Albemarle 116

1772 Charles Lord Southampton 117

1797 Francis Lascelles --

1799 Sir Charles Grey 118

1807 William Cartwright 119

1821 Viscount Combermere 120

1829 Lord George Beresford --

1839 Lord Charles Somerset Manners 121

PLATES.

Costume of the Regiment _to face_ 1

Battle of Sobraon " 106

[To face page 1.]

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF THE

THIRD, OR THE KING'S OWN, REGIMENT

OF

LIGHT DRAGOONS.

[Sidenote: 1685]

JAMES THE SECOND ascended the throne of England on the 6th of February, 1685, and four months only had elapsed, when his nephew, JAMES DUKE OF MONMOUTH, erected the standard of rebellion on the western coast, and, having been joined by upwards of three thousand men, proclaimed himself king. To oppose MONMOUTH and his rash adherents, the King obtained from Parliament a grant of four hundred thousand pounds, and augmented the strength of his army. Among the loyal yeomen and artisans who arrayed themselves under the banners of their sovereign, a number of young men from Berkshire, Middlesex, Herts, and Essex, were formed into five independent troops of Dragoons under Captains RICHARD LEVESON, JOHN WILLIAMS, THOMAS HUSSEY, EDWARD LEA, and FRANCIS RUSSEL. These five troops, with an old independent troop of Dragoons, commanded by Colonel Strather, were attached to the Royal Dragoons under JOHN LORD CHURCHILL, (afterwards the great DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH,) whose regiment was thus augmented to nine hundred men, and from these additional troops the corps which now bears the distinguished title of the "THIRD, OR KING'S OWN REGIMENT OF LIGHT DRAGOONS," derives its origin.

Captain Russel's troop rendezvoused at Chelsea and Knightsbridge, and having been speedily mounted and equipped, it was attached to the three Scots regiments of foot which had arrived from Holland, and ordered to join the army; but the insurgent bands having been overthrown at Sedgemoor on the 6th of July, it halted at Bagshot; and proceeding to London on the 13th, was present at the execution of the Duke of Monmouth on the 15th of that month.

Although the insurrection was thus speedily suppressed, and the executions which followed were sufficiently numerous to intimidate the disaffected, and prevent a second appeal to arms of a similar character, yet the King resolved to retain a considerable number of the newly-raised forces in his service. On the 17th of July several troops of Dragoons were formed into a regiment, (now the fourth light dragoons,) under the command of Colonel John Berkeley; and in the beginning of August, four of the additional troops attached to the royal dragoons, with one troop from Berkeley's regiment, were incorporated; at the same time another troop was ordered to be raised, and the six were constituted a regiment of which HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF SOMERSET was appointed Colonel, and ALEXANDER CANNON, from a regiment of foot in the Dutch service, Lieutenant-Colonel, by commission dated the 2nd of August, 1685. The regiment thus formed is the subject of this memoir; its Colonel being Lord-Lieutenant of Somersetshire, had commanded the militia of that county during the rebellion, and his regiment was honoured with the title of the "QUEEN CONSORT'S REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS;" and being composed of troops raised previously to those of Berkeley's regiment, it obtained precedence of the last-mentioned corps[10].

[Sidenote: 1686]

The establishment was fixed by warrant under the sign manual, bearing date the 1st of January, 1686, from which the following is an extract.

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| THE QUEEN CONSORT'S REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS. |
+---------------------------------------------------+--------------------+
| STAFF-OFFICERS. | Per Diem. |
+---------------------------------------------------+--------------------+
| | £. | _s._ | _d._ |
| | | | |
| Colonel, _as Colonel_, xiiˢ, iij horses iijˢ | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Lieutenant-Colonel, _as Lieut.-Colonel_, vijˢ, } | | | |
| and ij horses ijˢ } | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Major (_who has no troop_) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Chaplaine | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| | | | |
| Chirurgeon ivˢ and j horse to carry his } | | | |
| chest, ijˢ } | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Adjutant ivˢ, and for his horse jˢ | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Quarter-Master and Marshal in one person } | | | |
| ivˢ, his horse jˢ } | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Gunsmith ivˢ and his servant iˢ | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| +------+------+------+
| | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| +------+------+------+
| THE COLONEL'S TROOP. | | | |
| | | | |
| The Colonel, _as Captaine_, viiiˢ, and iij } | | | |
| horses iijˢ } | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Lieutenant ivˢ, and ij horses ijˢ | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Cornett iijˢ, and ij horses ijˢ | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Quarter-Master, for himself and horse | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Two Serjeants, each jˢ viᵈ, and ijˢ for horses | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Three Corporals, each jˢ, and iijˢ for horses | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Two Drummers, each jˢ, and ijˢ for horses | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Two Hautboys, each iˢ, and ijˢ for horses | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Fifty Soldiers, each at iˢ viᵈ for man and } | | | |
| horse } | 3 | 15 | 0 |
| +------+------+------+
| | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | |
| Five Troops more, at the same rate | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| +------+------+------+
| TOTAL PER DIEM | 39 | 6 | 8 |
| +------+------+------+
| PER ANNUM £14,356. 13_s._ 4_d._ | | | |
+---------------------------------------------------+------+------+------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| NAMES of the OFFICERS of HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN |
| CONSORT'S REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS. |
+------------------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| Captains. | Lieutenants. | Cornets. |
+------------------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| Charles, Duke of Somerset, } | Thomas Pownell | Thos. Brewerton |
| (Colonel) } | | |
| | | |
| Alexr. Cannon, (Lieut.-Col.) | Edward Sandys | John Webb |
| | | |
| Gustavus Philpot, (Major) | had no troop | |
| | | |
| Richard Leveson | Willm. Stanniford | Francis De la Rue |
| | | |
| John Williams | George Clifford | Richard Folliott |
| | | |
| Thomas Hussey | William Hussey | Peter Sutherland |
| | | |
| Oliver St. George | Francis Tankard | Rupert Napier |
+==============================+===================+===================+
| Henry Packhurst Chaplain. |
| James Barry Adjutant. |
| Noe L'Evesque Chirurgeon. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Sidenote: 1687]

During the summer the regiment was encamped on Hounslow Heath, where it was reviewed by the King; it was also encamped on the same ground in the summer of 1687; and took part in several mock-engagements, which were exhibited by an army of upwards of ten thousand men, in presence of their Majesties, and a numerous concourse of people.

[Sidenote: 1688]

The King, having openly declared himself a Roman Catholic, resolved to give public audience to a nuncio from the Pope, Ferdinand d'Adda, who had been consecrated Archbishop of Amasia in the King's Chapel at St. James's, and the DUKE OF SOMERSET, who was Lord of the Bedchamber in waiting, was directed to attend the legate into His Majesty's presence. This command his Grace refused to obey, with a laudable firmness which astonished the King, alleging the laws of England made such attendance treason; he was consequently deprived of his regiment and of his post at court. The King conferred the Colonelcy on the Lieutenant-Colonel, ALEXANDER CANNON, under whom it was again encamped on Hounslow Heath.

While pursuing a course of tyrannical and ill-advised measures against the laws and religion of the country, the King learnt with astonishment and indignation, that the Prince of Orange was embarking an army for England to aid the noblemen and gentlemen who were opposed to papacy and arbitrary government; the QUEEN'S DRAGOONS, with several other corps, were ordered to Ipswich, under the command of Major-General Sir John Lanier, to endeavour to preserve Landguard fort, and to oppose the Prince if he should attempt to land there. His Highness, however, landed at Torbay on the 5th of November, 1688, when the regiment was ordered to Salisbury, and from thence to Warminster, where the advance-post of the King's army was established.

While the regiment was stationed at Warminster, the Lieutenant-Colonel, RICHARD LEVESON, Captain St. George, with several other officers and a number of men, being stanch Protestants and zealous advocates for their religion, and for the welfare of their country, quitted their post and joined the Prince of Orange. The remainder of the regiment continued with King James' army and retreated towards London. His Majesty having quitted England and retired to France, the regiment was re-united at Dunstable, and the Prince of Orange conferred the colonelcy on Lieutenant-Colonel LEVESON, in succession to Colonel Cannon, who adhered to the interest, and followed the fortunes of King James.

[Sidenote: 1689]

On the accession of King William III. and Queen Mary, the Regiment did not lose its title of "THE QUEEN'S," but that designation was not used, and numerical titles not having been then introduced, it was usually styled LEVESON'S regiment; it was, however, again called "THE QUEEN'S," after its return from Ireland in 1692.

Under its new sovereign the regiment was quickly employed in active service. King James proceeded from France to Ireland, and finding an army, levied by Earl Tyrconnel, ready to support the Roman Catholic interest, he soon reduced the greater part of that country to submission to his authority. King William sent the veteran Duke Schomberg with an army to Ireland, to rescue that country from the power of papacy; and LEVESON'S dragoons embarked at Highlake on the 21st of August, for the same destination. Having landed near Carrickfergus, they joined Duke Schomberg's camp a mile beyond Belfast, on the 30th of August, and were reviewed on the following day.

The army quitted Belfast on the 2nd of September, and advancing towards Newry on the 3rd, found the town in flames, and the enemy fled; LEVESON'S troopers and some Inniskilling horse, rode forward in pursuit, but were unable to overtake the rear of the fugitive army.

A camp was afterwards formed at Dundalk, and, on the 13th of September, as a party of the regiment was cutting forage in the fields, a detachment of the enemy appeared; the dragoons instantly threw down their forage and advanced to meet their opponents, who, though superior in numbers, faced about and retired. On the 21st of September the enemy appeared in force, displaying their royal standard, but retired without venturing to attack the camp; when a party of LEVESON'S Dragoons galloped forward in pursuit, and overtaking the enemy's rear, killed five men. On the 17th of October, as a detachment of the regiment and some Inniskilling horse, were reconnoitring, they advanced with great audacity to the immediate vicinity of King James' camp, and a party of Irish horse gained a pass in their rear to cut off their retreat; but the gallant dragoons, by a determined charge forced their way through the defile, killed four opponents, and brought off six prisoners.

These instances of bravery gave Duke Schomberg a high opinion of the regiment, and about midnight on the 27th of October, he sent out two hundred of LEVESON'S troopers with some Inniskilling horse and French protestants, who dashed across the country to the neighbourhood of _Ardee_, routed the enemy's out-guards, and captured a drove of oxen and some horses, with which they returned in triumph to the camp at Dundalk.

In November the army went into winter quarters in the north of Ireland, and a party of LEVESON'S troopers was stationed at a frontier post at Tandrogee. On the 26th of November, sixty men of the regiment accompanied Colonel Cambron, while making a reconnoisance of the enemy's post at _Charlemont_; when they discovered a party from the garrison posted in the hedges near the place. The Dragoons, with their characteristic intrepidity, dismounted, drove the enemy from the hedges in gallant style, killed seven men upon the spot, and captured two Irish musketeers, twenty horses, and a number of cattle, with the loss of one man who was killed by a shot from the town, and eight men, whose ardour led them too forward in the pursuit, and who were surrounded and made prisoners.

[Sidenote: 1690]

In February, one squadron of the regiment formed part of a reconnoitring party under Major-General Sir John Lanier; and on arriving in the vicinity of Dundalk, LEVESON'S dragoons dismounted,--stormed _Bedloe's Castle_,--killed ten of the garrison,--took the remainder prisoners,--and burnt the building. The same party captured about fifteen hundred head of cattle, and afterwards returned to Newry,--having lost one lieutenant, three dragoons, and four horses, killed, in this expedition.

Although no general engagement had occurred, LEVESON'S dragoons, by their spirited conduct on all occasions, had become celebrated in the army; Colonel LEVESON was foremost on every occasion of danger, the men were proud of their commander, and the character of the corps was already established, when King William III. arrived in Ireland to command the Army in person. His Majesty landed at Carrickfergus on the 14th of June, and proceeded from thence to Belfast, where he was met by the principal officers of the army. LEVESON'S troopers were, at this time, at Newry, with a division of the army commanded by Major-General Kirke; and on Sunday, the 22nd of June, a squadron of the regiment, under the orders of Captain Crow, and a company of Kirke's (now second) foot, commanded by Captain Farlow, were ordered forward to reconnoitre the enemy's camp at Dundalk.

[Sidenote: 1690]

This party was on the march at an early hour, and having advanced through a pass, to the grounds where the enemy had erected a fort in the preceding campaign, but had afterwards abandoned it, they were suddenly saluted by a volley from some infantry who had concealed themselves in the fort; at the same time five hundred of the enemy's horse were seen through the misty dawn advancing to charge them. Never were men in greater danger than that to which this little band was exposed; LEVESON'S troopers, being in advance, stood their ground boldly, but were driven back by the superior numbers of their antagonists. The enemy's horsemen being checked by the fire of Farlow's musketeers, the dragoons returned to the charge and used their broad swords with good effect; the pikemen joined in the charge and the Irish were driven back; but not knowing the numbers of their opponents, the dragoons and pikemen retired through the pass in good order. The loss on this occasion was twenty-two men killed and several wounded, and Captain Farlow, who commanded the foot, was taken prisoner. The enemy's loss was greater, and their Commanding Officer was killed by one of LEVESON'S troopers. Another party of the regiment was sent forward on the following morning, and ascertained that the enemy had left the camp at Dundalk, and were retreating towards Ardee.

King William advanced through Dundalk to Ardee, which town he entered as the enemy's rear-guard abandoned the place. On the 30th of June he arrived at the river _Boyne_, and Captain Pownell, of LEVESON'S dragoons, was sent with a squadron to take post near Slane-bridge. King James' army was strongly posted on the opposite bank of the river, with his right near Drogheda and his left extending towards the village of Slane.

On the 1st of July the river was crossed at three places, and a general engagement was fought. After a severe struggle the enemy retreated to the village of Donore, where they made such a determined stand that the Dutch and Danish horse, though headed by the King in person, gave way; when a squadron of LEVESON'S dragoons, commanded by Captain Brewerton, and a party of Sir Albert Cunningham's dragoons (the sixth Inniskilling) dismounted, and, lining the hedges, and an old house, 'did such execution upon the pursuers as soon checked their ardour.' At the same time Colonel LEVESON, with the remainder of his regiment, galloped forward, and, with admirable bravery, interposed between the enemy's horse, and the village of Duleck. King William's horse having rallied and returned to the charge, the enemy retreated, when they were attacked in the rear by Colonel LEVESON with his dragoons, who made great slaughter. The Irish abandoned the field with precipitation; but their French and Swiss auxiliaries retreated in good order.

King James returned to France, yet the war was continued in Ireland. On the 22nd of July, LEVESON'S dragoons proceeded, with other forces, to _Waterford_, and invested the town. The garrison surrendered on the 25th, and was conducted to _Youghal_ by a troop of the regiment under Captain Pownell. Having delivered up his charge, the captain, representing to the governor the ruin he would bring upon himself if he held out, induced him to deliver up the place; and it was taken possession of the same night by the dragoons, who found fourteen pieces of cannon, 350 barrels of oats, and some provisions, in the town. This troop remained in garrison at Youghal, with a company of foot; and the commanding officer, having heard that bands of armed Roman Catholic peasantry, called Rapparees, were committing ravages on the Protestants, marched out with thirty-six dragoons and fifty foot. The dragoons were in advance, and when they arrived near _Castle Martir_, they encountered three hundred rapparees. Notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, the gallant dragoons dashed forward sword in hand,--broke in upon the enemy,--sabred sixty upon the spot, and took seventeen prisoners. The foot having come up, the castle was summoned, and the troops in the garrison delivered it up on condition of being allowed to march unmolested to Cork, without horses and arms. The captain gave the arms to the Protestant inhabitants, and took the horses with him to Youghal.

At this time the remainder of the regiment was engaged in the siege of _Limerick_, which failed, owing to the loss of the battering train. From Limerick the five troops marched with other corps towards _Birr_, to relieve the castle, which was besieged by the enemy; and, after performing this service, encamped beyond the town.

On the 16th of September one troop of the regiment attacked an immense number of rapparees who were proceeding from Cork to Lismore, and having routed them and killed forty, took three prisoners. Two days afterwards, as Lieutenant Kelly of the regiment was out with a small party reconnoitring, he was surrounded and taken prisoner.

[Sidenote: 1691]

The regiment passed a part of the winter at Clonmel, and in February 1691, it was employed on an expedition to _Streamstown_, when the advanced guard highly distinguished itself; and shortly afterwards its colonel, the gallant LEVESON, was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. In May it was encamped at Mullingar.