Chapter IV: Introduction (2)

The Irish being strengthened from France, and the English from Scotland, both armies took the field in the beginning of June, when General De Ginkell, who was left in command by King William, advanced through Mullingar,--captured Ballymore, and besieged Athlone, which was gallantly stormed and taken on the 30th of June. The town having been put in a posture of defence, the army advanced to Ballinasloe, and on Sunday, the 12th of July, advanced in four columns against the Irish, who were strongly posted near the village of _Aghrim_; their right flank and centre being covered by a morass, and the remainder of their front by enclosures, terminating at the castle of Aghrim, on which their left rested. LEVESON'S troopers were formed in brigade with the royal Irish dragoons commanded by Brigadier-General Villiers, and posted on the right of the line. The action was well contested on both sides. At length the Blues, Langston's, and Byerley's horse, a squadron of Ruvigny's French Protestants, and LEVESON'S dragoons, forced the pass at the castle of Aghrim, and, by a gallant charge, decided the fate of the day. LEVESON'S gallant troopers rushed forward with their wonted bravery, and overthrew all opposition. In opposing this attack in person, the enemy's general, ST. RUTH, was killed by a cannon ball, and the Irish giving way, were pursued with great slaughter by the cavalry towards Loughrea. The regiment was thanked by the Commander-in-Chief for its excellent conduct. It lost in this action seven men killed, and five wounded.

LEVESON'S dragoons were afterwards employed in the siege of _Galway_. On the 2nd of August they were detached, with twenty-four men from each regiment of Horse, under the command of Brigadier-General Leveson, to scour the country and drive in the enemy's parties; and they arrived on the 4th, in the vicinity of _Nenagh_, where five hundred of the enemy, under Brigadier-General Carrol (commonly called Tall Anthony) were in garrison in an old castle, on the domain of the Duke of Ormond. Part of the garrison occupied a pass half a mile in front of the castle; but was driven from that post by the dragoons. The garrison made a precipitate retreat towards Limerick, but were overtaken at _Cariganlis_, and routed with the loss of several men, their baggage, and four hundred head of cattle.

The siege of _Limerick_ commenced on the 25th of August, and the regiment was before the town until the 31st, when it was detached with a party of horse under Brigadier-General LEVESON, and Major Wood of the eighth horse (now sixth dragoon guards) to reduce the small garrisons in the county of Kerry, where the whole country was found in arms, and Lords Merrion's and Bretta's regiments of Irish horse there to assist the rapparees. LEVESON and WOOD[11] were both daring aspirants for military fame, and had become celebrated for their zeal and valour, and for their abilities on detached services.--Having ascertained where the two Irish regiments were encamped, they marched all the night of the 1st of September; and about one on the following morning, rushed suddenly upon them with the horse and dragoons. The enemy, surprised and confounded, fled in every direction, pursued by the victorious dragoons, who sabred many men and captured a drove of oxen. A reinforcement of three hundred horse and dragoons and six pieces of cannon was afterwards sent to Brigadier-General LEVESON, and he reduced several garrisons between Cork and Limerick, and sent numbers of oxen and sheep to the army. On the 22nd of September this gallant officer, with only two hundred and fifty horse and dragoons, attacked and dispersed two regiments of Irish dragoons and a body of rapparees nearly three thousand strong; when he again captured some cattle and sheep. It appears that the principal part of the provisions for the army encamped before Limerick was supplied by the activity of LEVESON'S corps, which continued to act as an independent force until the surrender of that city on the 3rd of October. In King James's declaration from St. Germains, Brigadier-General LEVESON was especially exempted from the general amnesty.

[Sidenote: 1692]

[Sidenote: 1693]

With the fall of Limerick ended the war in Ireland[12]; and the regiment having embarked for England, landed at Barnstaple on the 18th of March, 1692. Its establishment was six troops, 360 men, and its expense 15,999_l._ 3_s._ 4_d._ per annum. During this and the following year it was stationed in the south and western counties of England.

[Sidenote: 1694]

On the 19th of January, 1694, Brigadier-General Leveson was removed to the third horse, now second dragoon guards; and the colonelcy of the QUEEN'S dragoons was conferred upon THOMAS, LORD FAIRFAX, from lieut.-colonel of the second troop (now second regiment) of life guards.

At this period King William was engaged in a war with France, and the third horse and QUEEN'S dragoons having been reviewed by His Majesty in Hyde Park, on the 26th of March embarked for foreign service. The QUEEN'S dragoons landed at Williamstadt, in North Brabant, on the 16th of April 1694, joined the army encamped at Tirlemont on the 21st of June, and was again reviewed by His Majesty on the following day. Its excellent conduct in Ireland appears to have raised the regiment high in the King's estimation, and it was ordered to encamp beyond the defiles of the village of Roosebeck, to cover His Majesty's quarters[13].

The regiment served the campaign of this year in brigade with the royals and royal Scots dragoons, and was employed in manœuvring and skirmishing in the valleys of Brabant and in the verdant plains of Flanders. No general engagement occurred, and in October it went into quarters at Ghent.

[Sidenote: 1695]

In February, 1695, Lord Fairfax having retired, King William conferred the colonelcy on Colonel _William Lloyd_: at the same time the establishment was augmented to eight troops of thirty-eight officers, seventy-two non-commissioned officers, and four hundred and eighty privates, the annual expense being increased to 20,652_l._ 18_s._ 4_d._

Having passed the winter in barracks at Ghent and received a remount from England, the QUEEN'S dragoons marched, in April 1695, to Dixmude in West Flanders, and encamped on the plains of the Yperlee. A small detached corps was assembled at this place under Major-General Ellemberg, and in June an attack was made on the forts at Kenoque, to draw the French troops that way, and to facilitate the siege of Namur, which was undertaken immediately afterwards.

The QUEEN'S dragoons, with eight battalions of infantry, returned to Dixmude, and the remainder of the division marched to the main army before Namur.

While the army was besieging Namur, a French force, commanded by General de Montal, invested Dixmude (15th July), and carried on the approaches with great expedition. The governor, Major-General Ellemberg, called a council of war, and suggested the expediency of surrendering. This was opposed by Major Beaumont, who commanded the QUEEN'S dragoons[14], and some other officers, but it was agreed to by the majority, and the garrison was delivered up prisoners of war. Thus, the gallant dragoons, after displaying the greatest valour in former campaigns, were tamely consigned into the hands of the enemy, by a timid, or treacherous, foreign general officer. The soldiers were enraged at not being permitted to defend the place; many of the men broke their arms before they delivered them up, and one British regiment tore its colours to pieces.

An agreement had previously been made by the contending powers, that all prisoners should be given up on certain conditions. These conditions were complied with, and the return of the regiments which had surrendered, was demanded; but the French court refused to give them up. At length the citadel of Namur capitulated, and the French garrison was permitted to march out without being made prisoners, but as they passed through the allied army, their commander, Marshal Boufflers, was arrested and detained until the conditions of the agreement were complied with. The detention of the marshal produced the release of the regiments; the QUEEN'S dragoons returned to the army, and were ordered into barracks at Ghent. At the same time a general court-martial assembled for the trial of the officers who had delivered the regiments into the power of the enemy. The governor of Dixmude, Major-General Ellemberg, was sentenced to be beheaded, and was executed at Ghent on the 20th of November. Colonels Graham, O'Farrell, Lesly, and Aver, were cashiered; two others were suspended, and the remainder acquitted. After the army left the field, the QUEEN'S dragoons were quartered in villages near the canal of Sluys.

[Sidenote: 1696]

The regiment again took the field in May 1696, and was reviewed by King William on the 29th of that month, when it appeared complete in numbers, and in excellent condition. During the summer it formed part of a detached corps commanded by Major-General Fagel, and encamped near Nieuport. The enemy made demonstrations of an attack on this part of the country, when entrenchments were thrown up, the sluices were opened, and the grounds in front of the French army were laid under water. A few skirmishes were, however, all that occurred; and in the early part of October the QUEEN'S dragoons marched into quarters on the frontiers of Dutch Flanders.

[Sidenote: 1697]

[Sidenote: 1698]

After leaving its village cantonments in the early part of April 1697, the regiment was encamped at Bois-Seigneur-Isaac; it was afterwards employed in operations in Brabant, and on the 27th of May it formed part of a detachment of seven squadrons, commanded by Major-General de Bay, sent from the camp at Promelles towards Binche and Herlaymonte-Capelle. When on the march, the advance-guard, consisting of a squadron of the QUEEN'S, commanded by Colonel Lloyd, encountered a squadron of French carabineers, whom the dragoons overthrew and put to flight, killing and wounding many men, and taking an officer and seventeen soldiers prisoners. The regiment was subsequently employed in covering Brussels, until the treaty of Ryswick restored peace to Europe; when it left the Netherlands and returned to England. In the following year the establishment was reduced to six troops--286 private men.

[Sidenote: 1702]

The regiment remained in England until the summer of 1702, when, war having been declared against France and Spain, an expedition, commanded by the Duke of Ormond, was sent against _Cadiz_, and a detachment of the QUEEN'S dragoons, consisting of three field-officers, three captains, four lieutenants, five cornets, three staff-officers, five quarter-masters, five serjeants, fourteen corporals, eight drummers, and one hundred and eighty-six private men[15], was embarked for this service. A landing was effected on the coast of Spain, near Cadiz, on the 15th of August; on the following day Rota, a town on the north side of the bay seven miles from Cadiz, was taken, and on the 21st, Port St. Mary's, situate at the mouth of the river Guadalete, was captured. The QUEEN'S dragoons, being the only cavalry with the expedition, were almost constantly employed on piquet and outpost duty. On the 25th of August the army encamped at _Santa Victoria_, and in the early part of September the attack of the Matagorda was commenced. 'On the 5th of September a squadron of Spanish horse made bold to attack a small party of the QUEEN'S dragoons, who behaved themselves so gallantly, that they put the enemy to flight, having wounded and taken an officer and two men with their horses, and on our side we had a cornet and a private man killed, and a lieutenant taken, whom the Spaniards, against all the laws of nations and arms, most barbarously cut in pieces[16].'

Cadiz was found better prepared for a siege than had been expected, and the troops were re-embarked. A successful attack was afterwards made on the fort of Vigo in Galicia, and a rich fleet was captured in the harbour, for which the QUEEN'S dragoons received 187_l._ 3_s._ 4_d._ prize money[17].

[Sidenote: 1703]

On the 31st of December, 1703, Brigadier-General (afterwards LORD) CARPENTER, was appointed to the colonelcy of the QUEEN'S DRAGOONS, by purchase[18], in succession to Major-General Lloyd.

[Sidenote: 1706]

The regiment remained on home service until 1706, when another detachment of about two hundred and forty officers and men embarked on board the fleet of Sir Cloudesley Shovel; forming part of a force of 10,000 men commanded by the Earl Rivers, and designed to invade the coast of France, on a plan suggested by the Marquis De Guiscard. The descent was, however, rendered impracticable by contrary winds, and the troops were ordered to Lisbon. In the meantime the English forces in Spain had retired from Madrid to Valencia and Catalonia, and the troops under the Earl Rivers were directed to proceed thither.

[Sidenote: 1707]

The QUEEN'S dragoons, and other forces, were accordingly re-embarked; they left Portugal in the early part of January, 1707, and, having landed at Alicant in Valencia on the 11th of February, commenced their march to join the forces under the Earl of Galway,--the united camp being formed at Caudete, on the 30th of March. The army soon afterwards destroyed several of the enemy's magazines, and besieged Villena in Murcia. Meanwhile the French and Spanish forces, commanded by the Duke of Berwick, advanced to the plains of _Almanza_, where the allies resolved to attack them on the 25th of April.

After a march of fifteen miles through a rugged and mountainous country, the wearied British and Portuguese troops entered an open plain between Caudete and Almanza, where the enemy, superior in numbers and artillery, was formed in order of battle. After a short halt the attack was commenced, and the detachments of the QUEEN'S and Essex's (now the fourth) dragoons particularly distinguished themselves; being ordered to charge a battery of guns, so placed on the brow of a hill, that the artillery mules, though concealed from sight, remained close to the guns and could be instantly attached to them. The charge was made with determined gallantry, but the guns being quickly withdrawn, ten squadrons of select Spanish cavalry charged the British dragoons, amounting only to about two hundred and ninety men, killing Lieutenant-Colonel Lawrence of the QUEEN'S, who led the attack, also Captain Smith and Cornet Petty of the same corps, and nearly annihilating the two squadrons. The greater part of the Portuguese cavalry fled from the field in a panic, when the British infantry were nearly surrounded, but the cavalry, by a desperate charge, in which three generals (Brigadier-General Carpenter of the QUEEN'S being one) and thirty-four officers fought in the front ranks, succeeded in breaking through the enemy. The Earl of Galway was wounded, and in danger of being taken prisoner; but the spirited conduct of the dragoons enabled him to effect his escape[19]; and he retreated with the remains of the English and Dutch cavalry to Alceira, where he received information that the greater part of the infantry, after retreating to the hills of Caudete, had been surrounded and compelled to surrender prisoners of war.

After this disaster, the few troops which remained were employed in defensive operations for the preservation of Catalonia. The QUEEN'S dragoons were stationed a short time at Manresa on the river Cardener, to refresh their horses; and after the fall of Lerida, the army went into winter quarters. The Earl of Galway embarked for Lisbon, and Brigadier-General Carpenter remained in command of the troops in Catalonia.

[Sidenote: 1708]

The QUEEN'S dragoons had suffered so severely at the battle of Almanza, that the officers were sent to England in March 1708, and the regiment was ordered to be recruited to sixty men per troop. The recruiting was carried on with rapidity, and the difference in the state of the regiment may be seen from two different returns in one year; in the first its numbers are 150, and in the second 303.

[Sidenote: 1709]

[Sidenote: 1710]

[Sidenote: 1711]

[Sidenote: 1712]

[Sidenote: 1713]

In 1709 the regiment mustered 443 men, and it continued at the same number during the two following years; but in October 1712 a reduction of ten men per troop took place. In 1713 it was quartered in North Britain, and mustered 339 men.

[Sidenote: 1714]

After the accession of King George I. in 1714 there being no Queen Consort on the throne, the regiment was honoured with the distinguished title of THE KING'S OWN REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.

[Sidenote: 1715]

In the summer of 1715 the regiment marched to Glasgow, in consequence of disturbances in that neighbourhood; and on the 8th of September it joined the camp at Stirling under Major-General Whetham, which was formed to oppose the Earl of Mar, who had raised the standard of rebellion, and proclaimed the Pretender at Aberdeen, Dundee, and Perth. The Duke of Argyle afterwards reviewed the troops at Stirling, as Commander-in-Chief in Scotland.

On the 10th of November His Grace, having intelligence of the design of the rebels to endeavour to pass the Forth and to penetrate towards England, resolved to prevent them, and immediately gave orders to his troops to hold themselves in readiness. An order of battle was issued, in which this regiment and Kerr's dragoons (the seventh) formed the extreme left; and according to that order, the army marched from Stirling on the 12th, and encamped on a rising ground to the east of Dumblain, between the town and Sheriffmuir. On the 13th the battle of SHERIFFMUIR was fought, when each party had one wing defeated and one victorious. The KING'S OWN dragoons were in the left wing; about six hundred highlanders surprised the infantry of that wing, in the act of forming, and put it into confusion; but upon the dragoons charging and defeating the rebel cavalry opposed to them, capturing their standard, the rebel infantry pursued their advantage no further, and Captain Armstrong, who was sent with orders from the Duke of Argyle, being killed, the infantry retired in good order. Both sides claimed the victory; but all the advantage remained with the Duke of Argyle, who captured the royal standard of the rebels, called "The Restoration," also six pieces of cannon, four waggons, and a number of prisoners. On the following day the army returned to Stirling, and awaited the arrival of reinforcements from England.

[Sidenote: 1716]

On the 9th of January, 1716, the Duke called a council of war at Stirling, where an order of battle was issued, in which CARPENTER'S dragoons were again placed on the left of the front line. Owing to the roads being rendered impassable by the snow, no advance was made till Tuesday the 29th, when the whole army advanced to Dumblain, and thence, on the 30th, to Tullibardine. At one in the morning of the 1st of February, the Duke with his cavalry entered Perth, where he was joined in the evening by his infantry; the next day he advanced to Errol, and on the 5th, with all his cavalry, moved towards Brechin; General Cadogan leading the infantry to Aberbrothock. On the 8th Aberdeen was occupied, and it being ascertained that the Pretender had retired to France, and that the rebel force had totally dispersed, the army went into winter quarters, and the KING'S OWN dragoons were stationed at Elgin.

[Sidenote: 1717]

[Sidenote: 1718]

[Sidenote: 1719]

[Sidenote: 1720]

[Sidenote: 1721]

[Sidenote: 1722]

From this time the KING'S OWN do not appear to have been engaged in any service of importance for a period of more than twenty years. They were usually stationed in the southern and western counties of England; but occasionally occupied quarters, for short periods, in Scotland. In 1718 the establishment was reduced ten men per troop; in the following year the numbers were only 186; an addition of 21 men was made in 1720, and during that and the two succeeding years the regiment mustered 207 men.

[Sidenote: 1723]

[Sidenote: 1724]

[Sidenote: 1725]

[Sidenote: 1726]

[Sidenote: 1727]

[Sidenote: 1729]

In 1723 the establishment was augmented to 333 men, at which number it remained, with an alteration only of six men, until 1727, when the regiment was ordered to hold itself in readiness to embark for Holland, as part of the complement of 10,000 men which England had engaged to furnish the States; at the same time its establishment was augmented to 552 men. No embarkation, however, took place; and in 1729, the numbers of the regiment were reduced to 309.

[Sidenote: 1732]

After the decease of General Lord Carpenter in 1732, King George II. conferred the colonelcy on Major-General PHILIP HONEYWOOD, from the eleventh dragoons.

[Sidenote: 1738]

[Sidenote: 1739]

An augmentation was made to the establishment in 1738; in 1739, the breaking out of a war with Spain occasioned general orders for recruiting to be issued:--the establishment of the KING'S OWN dragoons was raised to 435 men, and in the summer they were encamped on Hounslow Heath, where they were several times reviewed by the Duke of Cumberland.

[Sidenote: 1740]

[Sidenote: 1741]

During the summer of 1740, the KING'S OWN were encamped in Windsor Forest; and in 1741, they were ordered, with several other regiments and a train of artillery, amounting nearly to 10,000 men, to prepare for embarkation for foreign service. This force encamped in July, on ground cleared for the purpose, on Lexdon heath, near Colchester: no embarkation, however, took place, and after a few weeks, the troops went into quarters in the various towns in the neighbourhood.

[Sidenote: 1742]

In the meantime war was raging on the continent; the King of France and the Elector of Bavaria had united to deprive the Archduchess Maria Theresa of her hereditary dominions; and in 1742, His Britannic Majesty sent sixteen thousand British troops to Flanders to make a diversion in favour of the Austrians. The KING'S OWN Regiment of dragoons was one of the corps selected for this service, and having been reviewed on Blackheath by King George II., accompanied by the Duke of Cumberland, it embarked shortly afterwards at Woolwich and Deptford; their colonel, Lieutenant-General Honeywood, taking the command of the expedition until the arrival of Field Marshal the Earl of Stair.

After landing at Ostend the KING'S OWN dragoons advanced a few leagues up the country, but all active operations were prevented by the tardiness of the Dutch.

[Sidenote: 1743]

Early in 1743, the British troops moved from their cantonments towards the Rhine; the KING'S OWN, and four companies of the foot guards, forming the advance-guard of the army, were at St. Trond, in the province of Limburg, on the 9th of February, and on the 11th resumed their march for Germany. In May, the regiment, with the Inniskilling dragoons, and four battalions of the foot guards, formed a detached camp a little below the town of Hochst, in the duchy of Nassau on the Maine, and was afterwards encamped at Aschaffenburg in Franconia, a town situate on a hill on the side of Maine. In the meantime Lieut.-General Honeywood had been removed to the first dragoon guards, and the colonelcy of the KING'S OWN conferred on Brigadier-General HUMPHREY BLAND, from the thirteenth dragoons.

His Majesty King George II. having left England towards the end of May, landed at Helvoetsluys on the 2nd of June, and joined the army on the 9th; when he found his forces under considerable embarrassment, from the French commander having succeeded in gaining possession of several important posts on the Maine, by which means he cut off the supplies of provisions and forage.

Under these circumstances His Majesty resolved to march to Hanau, where a reinforcement of 12,000 Hessians and Hanoverians had arrived; and at daybreak on the 16th of June, the troops commenced the march along the banks of the Maine: but scarcely had they proceeded three leagues when it was ascertained that the enemy had crossed the river, and was drawn up near DETTINGEN to dispute the march of the army.

The allies were immediately formed for action, with their left on the river, and their right extending to a wood, in which the baggage was placed. Shortly afterwards the action commenced, when Lieut.-General Clayton, who commanded the left wing of infantry, requested some squadrons to cover his flank, and the KING'S OWN dragoons were ordered to this important post, where they suffered severely, being exposed three hours to the fire of the French batteries, as well from their front, as from the other side of the river, which commanded their flank and rear. At length the regiment was led forward, and encountering nine squadrons of household cavalry, the élite of the French army, charged these celebrated horsemen with a degree of gallantry truly astonishing. British valour was most conspicuously displayed; though over-matched with numbers, and nearly surrounded by enemies, the KING'S OWN dragoons were seen nobly contending for victory, and mingled in close fight with their antagonists, the swift motion of their glittering sabres showed with what vehemence the gallant troopers fought for the honour of their King and country. They cut through their renowned opponents three times; distinguishing themselves in the most signal manner under the eye of their Sovereign, and contributing materially to the victory gained on that occasion. Their loss was however great. Of the three cornets who bore the standards, two were wounded, and the third, Mr. Child, the brother of Lord Castlemaine, had two horses killed under him. The standards were totally destroyed by shot and sabre-cuts, and one of them was only preserved from capture by the heroism of a private in the regiment, named THOMAS BROWN, a native of Kirkleatham, in Yorkshire. This gallant soldier, on the cornet's receiving a wound in the wrist, and dropping the standard, attempted to dismount in order to recover it, but in so doing lost two fingers of his bridle-hand by a sabre cut, and his horse ran away with him to the rear of the French lines. Whilst endeavouring to regain his regiment he perceived the standard, which the French had succeeded in capturing by overwhelming numbers, in the custody of a _gendarme_, who was conveying it to the rear. This man he attacked and killed, caught the standard as it fell, and fixing it between his leg and the saddle, succeeded in cutting his way back through the ranks of the enemy: but received, in so doing, seven wounds in his head, face, and body, and three balls passed through his hat.[20] A letter, in the Gazette of July 16th, states, 'that in this action Ligonier's horse, (the seventh dragoon guards,) and the THIRD dragoons suffered most, and gained great reputation.' The loss of the THIRD was Lieutenant Baily, one serjeant, two drummers, thirty-eight private men, and one hundred and forty-one horses, killed; Major Honeywood[21], Captain Brown, Lieutenant Robinson, Cornets Dawson, Monteith and O'Carrol, with three quarter-masters, six serjeants, five drummers, eighty-six private men, and fifty horses wounded[22]. The victory was most decisive; the French were completely defeated in their attempt, and were compelled to recross the Maine with precipitation, with the loss of many standards, colours, and four pair of kettle-drums.

The KING'S OWN dragoons passed the night near the field of battle, surrounded by their ensanguined trophies, and, having marched to Hanau on the following day, were encamped, for some time, on the banks of the little river Kinzig, from whence they advanced with the army, in the early part of August, for the Rhine; and, having crossed that river above Mentz, were employed in operations in West Germany, where the army was joined by the Dutch auxiliaries. The enemy's entrenchments at Germersheim, in the Bavarian circle of the Rhine, were afterwards destroyed, but no general engagement occurred; and in the middle of October the army repassed the Rhine, and marched back to the Netherlands in eight divisions[23]. The royals, greys, and KING'S OWN dragoons, with the Scots highlanders, forming the first division, proceeded through the duchy of Nassau, the provinces of Limburg, Liege, and South Brabant, to Brussels, where they arrived on the 16th of November, and on the following day continued their march for West Flanders, to pass the winter in quarters at Ghent.

[Sidenote: 1744]

Notwithstanding its severe loss the regiment remained in Belgium, and being joined by a number of recruits, in the spring of 1744, it took the field, and in June it formed part of the army encamped on the banks of the Scheldt, near Oudenarde, in East Flanders. During the summer it was employed in operations in the province of Hainault, and in levying contributions in the French territory towards Lisle. In October it marched into quarters at Ghent: and by the Muster Rolls for this year we find its numbers were 538.

[Sidenote: 1745]

After leaving their winter quarters about the middle of April, 1745, the KING'S OWN were encamped a short time near Brussels, where they were reviewed by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland. They were afterwards assembled with the army at Soignies. The French having assembled a numerous army and besieged Tournay, the Duke of Cumberland resolved to attempt the relief of that fortress; the army, accordingly, advanced, and on the 28th of April took post at Leuse. On the following day a squadron of the KING'S OWN was employed, with other troops, in driving back the enemy's advanced-posts, and on the 30th the battle of _Fontenoy_ took place; when the gallant efforts and brilliant success of the British were rendered unavailing by the failure of the Dutch. After an action of several hours the KING'S OWN dragoons were ordered forward, and they charged the enemy with their accustomed gallantry; but under such disadvantageous circumstances that their manly efforts only retarded the fate of the day. The Duke of Cumberland ordered a retreat, and the army marched to the vicinity of Aeth. The enemy had great advantage in numbers, in artillery, and in the favourable ground they occupied; the loss was nearly equal on both sides, and the Allies lost no honour, though compelled to retire. The KING'S OWN had nine private men, and twenty-eight horses, killed; Captain Wade, Quarter-Master Corbidge, fourteen private men, and thirty-four horses wounded;--and Cornet Bland, two non-commissioned-officers, fifteen men, and twenty-three horses missing.

The regiment was afterwards encamped on the banks of the Dender, near Lessines; from whence it proceeded with the army on the 30th of June, to Grammont in West Flanders, and was subsequently encamped before Brussels.

In the mean time Charles-Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, had arrived in Scotland, and, being joined by several of the highland clans, he asserted his father's pretensions to the throne. There being few troops in Scotland at this time, the rebellion soon made alarming progress; when orders were given for the return of several regiments from the continent, and the KING'S OWN were among the first troops ordered home.

Having embarked at Williamstadt, the regiment, after a boisterous passage, arrived in the River Thames on the 25th of October, and immediately landed and proceeded towards the north. On the 10th of November it joined the army of Lieutenant-General Sir John Ligonier, then assembling near Lichfield. On the advance of the rebels towards Derby, the regiment formed part of the army commanded by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland; and when the highlanders retreated towards Scotland, it was sent in pursuit. It left Lichfield on this service on the 9th of November; on the 11th, it was at Macclesfield; on the 13th at Wigan, and on the evening of the 19th--after ten hours' march--it arrived on _Clifton Moor_, three miles from Penrith; at the same time the rear-guard of the rebel army, consisting of two battalions of highlanders and some hussars, occupied the village, and lined the hedges on both sides of the road.

The sun had set; the shades of evening were gathering over the little village of Clifton, and distant objects were scarcely discernible, when the KING'S OWN, and a few detachments from other corps, forming the advance-guard of the royal army, having dismounted, proceeded in compact order to attack the rebels. As the troops approached the enclosures, the highlanders opened a sharp fire, which re-echoed along the vale, and was soon answered by volleys of musketry from the dragoons. After several rounds, the KING'S OWN were ordered to retire a few paces; when the highlanders, mistaking this for a flight, raised a loud shout and rushed forward with sword and pistol; but they were well received by the dragoons with their broad-swords, and a fierce combat ensued, hand to hand, both sides displaying great bravery. Some of the highlanders broke their swords on the steel caps of the dragoons, when they drew their daggers, and continued the fight with great obstinacy. Eventually, however, the dragoons proved victorious, and the rebels made a precipitate retreat to Penrith. The loss of the King's forces on this occasion was twelve men killed and twenty-five wounded, amongst whom were four officers of the KING'S OWN, viz., Lieutenant-Colonel Honeywood[24], Captain East, and Cornets Owen and Hamilton. The rebels had about twenty killed, and Captain Hamilton of the hussars with about seventy men taken prisoners[25].

The KING'S OWN afterwards marched in pursuit of the rebels to Carlisle, and were stationed near the town during the siege, which was terminated by the surrender of the place on the 30th of December.

[Sidenote: 1746]

[Sidenote: 1747]

[Sidenote: 1748]

The regiment continued to advance into Scotland, and is mentioned in the list of the Duke of Cumberland's army in the spring of 1746. On the 14th of February it was detached to Dundee, and after the suppression of the rebellion, returned to England, where it was employed in guarding the rebel prisoners at York. The establishment continued the same in this year, as it did in the following, but after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, the numbers were reduced to 285, the regiment being then quartered at Bury St. Edmunds.

[Sidenote: 1751]

A regulation was issued on the 1st July, 1751, relative to the clothing and standards of the several regiments; from which the following particulars have been extracted relative to the KING'S OWN dragoons.

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

WAISTCOATS and BREECHES--light blue.

HATS--bound with gold lace, and ornamented with a yellow metal loop, and a black cockade.

BOOTS--of jacked leather.

CLOAKS--of scarlet cloth, with a light blue collar, and lined with light blue shalloon; the buttons set on three and three upon yellow frogs or loops, with a light blue stripe down the centre.

HORSE FURNITURE--of light blue cloth; the holster-caps and housings having a border of royal lace, with a red stripe down the centre; the white horse within the garter, embroidered on each corner of the housing; and on the holster-caps, the King's cipher and crown, with III.D underneath.

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

QUARTER-MASTERS--to wear a crimson sash round the waist.

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

DRUMMERS and HAUTBOYS--clothed in scarlet coats lined with light blue, and ornamented with royal lace with a blue stripe down the centre; their waistcoats and breeches of blue cloth.

GUIDONS--The first or King's guidon to be of crimson silk, embroidered and fringed with gold and silver; in the centre the rose and thistle conjoined, and crown over them, with the motto _Dieu et mon Droit_ underneath: the white horse in a compartment in the first and fourth corners, and III.D in gold characters on a light blue ground in a compartment in the second and third corners. The second and third guidons to be of light blue silk, in the centre the white horse within the garter on a crimson ground, and motto _Nec aspera terrent_: the white horse on a scarlet ground in the first and fourth compartments, and III.D within a wreath of roses and thistles upon a scarlet ground in the second and third compartments.

[Sidenote: 1752]

In 1752 Lieut.-General Bland was removed to the King's dragoon guards, and His Majesty conferred the colonelcy of HIS OWN DRAGOONS on James Lord Tyrawley from the fourteenth dragoons.

[Sidenote: 1753]

[Sidenote: 1754]

In 1753 the KING'S OWN lay at Colchester, and in 1754 at Croydon. In December of this year it was broken up into half troops, and employed on coast duty: being scattered along the sea coast, from Shoreham to the Isle of Wight.

[Sidenote: 1755]

In April, 1755, Lord Tyrawley was removed to the second foot guards, and King George II. conferred the colonelcy of HIS OWN DRAGOONS on GEORGE, EARL OF ALBEMARLE, from the twentieth foot.

[Sidenote: 1756]

In June, of the same year, the whole regiment assembled at Lewes, where it remained till July, 1756. At this time the KING'S OWN, in common with the other regiments of dragoons, received the addition, novel to the British service, of a _light troop_. In July it marched to Reading, and in December of the same year, to Northampton.

[Sidenote: 1757]

[Sidenote: 1758]

The regiment marched to Henley, Amersham, and High Wycombe in June, 1757; and war having been declared against France in May, 1758, the light troop, then commanded by Captain St. Leger, was ordered into camp on South Sea Common, for the purpose of forming, with the light troops of eight other regiments, part of the force intended for a descent on the coast of France, the whole forming a brigade, under Colonel Eliott, afterwards Lord Heathfield. The troops embarked May 19th, sailed June the 1st, and arrived on the French coast so as to land in Cancalle Bay on the 5th. On the 7th the army moved on St. Maloes, the light troops forming the advance guard, and encamping about a mile from the town.

As soon as night fell, the piquets and light dragoons were detached against the harbour and the suburbs of St. Servan, being ordered, if possible, to destroy the stores. This object they effected with equal judgment and determination, setting fire to the storehouses and vessels in the harbour, together with the magazines of tar, pitch, rope, &c., so completely performing their work, as totally to ruin the whole of the marine stores, and to destroy one man-of-war of 50 guns, one of 36, and all the privateers, some of 30 guns each; the vessels destroyed amounting to upwards of 100 sail, and the fire continuing to rage all night. The light dragoons afterwards advanced to the town of Dol, where, in several slight affairs, they showed great zeal and activity. On the 11th, they re-embarked, and the fleet sailed on the 16th, remaining, however, some time longer on the coast of France, and watching another opportunity to land. This being rendered impracticable by the weather, the fleet returned, and arrived at Spithead on the first of July. The light troops remained at Portsmouth for some time, and many experiments were made with boats of different constructions, in order to ascertain the practicability of landing men and horses in rough weather.

[Sidenote: 1759]

In August the brigade of light dragoons proceeded on a second expedition, and a landing having been effected in the Bay des Marées, _Cherbourg_ was taken, and the fortifications, and vessels in the harbour were destroyed. A descent was afterwards effected in the Bay of St. Lunar, and an incursion made into the adjacent country; but on re-embarking, the rear guard was attacked, and it sustained some loss. In December, the light troops landed and went into quarters, the light troop of the KING'S OWN being quartered at Maidenhead. So completely had these troops answered the expectations entertained of them, that, in the next year, the first English regiment of light dragoons (the present fifteenth hussars) was raised under Brigadier-General Eliott; and in June, 1759, each light troop received an augmentation of one lieutenant, one serjeant, and twenty-nine privates. On the 7th of November, the KING'S OWN marched to Hounslow and Brentford, relieving the royals, who proceeded to Essex.

[Sidenote: 1760]

[Sidenote: 1761]

[Sidenote: 1762]

On the 21st of June, 1760[26], the regiment received orders to prepare for embarkation for Germany, to join the army of Prince Ferdinand. These orders were, however, countermanded, and in 1761 and 1762 the regiment was successively quartered at Romford, Colchester, Uxbridge, and Chelmsford.

[Sidenote: 1763]

Peace having been restored by the treaty of Fontainbleau; in April, 1763, the light troop was disbanded at Putney; but a few men of each troop were afterwards equipped as light dragoons.

[Sidenote: 1764]

In June the KING'S OWN lay at York, and remained there till the spring of 1764, when they marched to Scotland, and occupied Dalkeith, Leith, Haddington, Musselburgh, and Linlithgow; and orders were received for remounting with _long-tailed_ horses.[27]

[Sidenote: 1765]

[Sidenote: 1766]

In 1765, the regiment lay at Coventry and Warwick, and in the next year passed the summer at Reading, where it was reviewed on the 10th of May, afterwards taking up winter quarters at Dorchester, Blandford, and Sherbourne. At the same time the drummers on the establishment were ordered to be replaced by trumpeters.

[Sidenote: 1767]

[Sidenote: 1768]

The KING'S OWN were employed on coast duty in 1767 and 1768; in the first year in Kent and Sussex, head quarters at Lewes; and the second in Suffolk and Essex, head quarters at Ipswich.

[Sidenote: 1769]

[Sidenote: 1770]

Five troops lay at York and one at Hull in 1769, and in the next year the regiment marched to Scotland, head quarters, with three troops, being stationed at Hamilton, and detachments at Linlithgow, Irvine, and Kilmarnock.

[Sidenote: 1771]

[Sidenote: 1772]

In the year 1771, the KING'S OWN lay at Preston, Blackburn, Wigan, and Warrington; and in 1772 at Worcester, Pershore, and Bromsgrove. In October of this year the colonelcy was conferred on the Honourable Charles Fitzroy (afterwards Lord Southampton)[28], from the fourteenth dragoons, in succession to the Earl of Albemarle, deceased.

[Sidenote: 1773]

[Sidenote: 1774]

[Sidenote: 1775]

[Sidenote: 1776]

In June, 1773, we find the regiment employed in aid of the revenue service on the coast of Kent, with its head-quarters at Canterbury. The year 1774 was spent at Northampton, and in April, 1775, the regiment was again marched to Scotland, being at East Retford in August, and in the autumn taking up quarters at Haddington, Dalkeith, and Musselburgh. In December of the same year, one troop was detached as far as Wakefield, and in the spring of 1776, the whole regiment followed to the south, and was quartered at Coventry, Lichfield, and Birmingham.

[Sidenote: 1777]

[Sidenote: 1778]

In 1777, the KING'S OWN were reviewed at Newbury, and thence took up winter quarters at Blandford, Dorchester and Sherbourne. Early in 1778 they were ordered to Salisbury, there to be reviewed, and thence proceeded to Suffolk, and were encamped on Culford Heath, under the command of Lieutenant-General Warde, finally going into winter quarters in Sussex, and being employed there on coast duty during the remainder of the year. The regiment had, for many years, been in possession of a pair of KETTLE DRUMS, in consequence of having taken them from the enemy, and on the 25th of December, 1778, an additional man and horse was placed upon the establishment, which gave the regiment its complement of Trumpeters besides the kettle drummer; being granted by His Majesty in compliance with a memorial from the Colonel[29].

[Sidenote: 1779]

In the spring of 1779, the men of the regiment equipped as light dragoons, were incorporated, with detachments from other corps, into a regiment, which was numbered the twenty-first light dragoons.

[Sidenote: 1780]

In consequence of the alarming riots in London in 1780, the regiment was ordered thither, and was quartered about Islington, furnishing the piquets in Portman Square during the trial of Lord George Gordon, and having a party stationed in Apsley House, then the property of Lord Chancellor Bathurst.

[Sidenote: 1781]

[Sidenote: 1782]

[Sidenote: 1783]

In 1781, having been reviewed by His Majesty in Hyde Park, the KING'S OWN marched into Suffolk; and in 1782, were quartered at Derby, Leicester, and Nottingham, thence proceeding to Manchester in the autumn. In 1783, after the spring review they marched to Newcastle-on-Tyne and Durham, assembled at the latter place for inspection in September, and then returned to their old quarters for the winter.

[Sidenote: 1784]

[Sidenote: 1785]

[Sidenote: 1786]

The KING'S OWN, for the third time in fourteen years, entered Scotland in 1784, and took up their old quarters at Dalkeith, Leith, and Haddington. Here they were inspected by Major-General Mackay, and soon after detached a troop to Dumfries. In July, 1785, the six troops were at Manchester, and thence, in 1786, proceeded to Worcester, then a general place of inspection for cavalry. At this station they were inspected by Major-General Philipson, and, after a stay of about six weeks, went into winter quarters at Hereford, Ludlow, and Leominster.

[Sidenote: 1787]

[Sidenote: 1788]

In May, 1787, the regiment assembled at Hereford to be reviewed by Major-General Douglas. It was ordered, on the rumour of a Russian armament, to hold itself in readiness to join any force that might be assembled; but, nothing taking place, it went into winter quarters at Dorchester, Blandford, and Poole. In 1788, it moved to Salisbury, was there reviewed, and then quartered at Winchester.

[Sidenote: 1789]

[Sidenote: 1790]

Early in 1789, the regiment marched to Reading. It was there reviewed by His Majesty, George III., on Ashford Common, and marched to Ipswich, where it remained until 1790, and, being then reviewed at Stamford, took up winter quarters at York and Lincoln.

[Sidenote: 1791]

[Sidenote: 1792]

At York all the troops assembled for inspection in the spring of 1791, and, for the fourth time marched to Scotland and were for two years quartered at Dumfries, being in that period twice inspected by Major-General Leslie.

[Sidenote: 1793]

[Sidenote: 1794]

In the spring of 1793, the KING'S OWN received an order to augment three troops, and, after a short halt at Manchester, proceeded to Birmingham. From this place, four troops, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Waller, were detached back to Scotland, in consequence of serious riots in that part of the kingdom. In 1794 the regiment was ordered to furnish one hundred men, towards forming a regiment of cavalry for service in the West Indies; the newly-formed regiment was numbered the twenty-sixth light dragoons, and afterwards, on a reduction of regiments taking place, the twenty-third. In the same year a squadron from the troops in England, and one troop from those in Scotland, were ordered to embark to join the troops on the continent. The troop in Scotland marched a day or two, and was then recalled in consequence of the disturbed state of the country; and the squadron embarked at Blackwall, and was actually at sea, when it was recalled by a king's cutter, landed, and sent to Watford.

[Sidenote: 1795]

[Sidenote: 1796]

In 1795, the troops returned from Scotland, having had most harassing duty for two winters; and in the spring of 1796, the whole regiment assembled at Salisbury under Lord Cathcart, thence proceeding to the camp at Weymouth, and finally taking up winter quarters in Exeter.

[Sidenote: 1797]

The colonelcy of the KING'S OWN DRAGOONS was conferred in March 1797 on Major-General Francis Lascelles from the eighth dragoons, in succession to Lord Southampton, deceased.

During the summer, the KING'S OWN were again encamped at Weymouth; and on the breaking up of the camp, marched to Northampton, where the ninth troop was reduced.

[Sidenote: 1798]

In May, 1798, the regiment marched to Nottingham, where an entire change took place in the arms and clothing; the long skirt was abolished, and instead of the musket and brace of large pistols before used, the men received the carbine and single pistol.

[Sidenote: 1799]

On the 10th of June, 1799, the regiment marched to form part of the cavalry camp on Swinley Downs, near Windsor, at which place it received orders to join the armament under Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, then about to proceed to the Helder. These orders, however, were countermanded; and, at the breaking up of the camp, the regiment marched to Reading. During the time of encampment, Lt.-Colonel Callow[30] being appointed deputy governor of Quebec, was succeeded by Lt.-Colonel Waller, and on the 4th of September, General Sir Charles Grey from the eighth dragoons succeeded General Lascelles as colonel. At this period the tails of the horses were again shortened, having been worn of the natural length since 1764.

[Sidenote: 1800]

[Sidenote: 1801]

In February, 1800, the KING'S OWN marched to Trowbridge, but only remained there a few weeks, and then proceeded to Chester to be reviewed. At this place an augmentation of two troops took place, making a total of ten; and on the 22nd of September, the whole regiment marched to Lancashire, thence to Carlisle, and, in December, to Scotland, the head-quarters being established at Hamilton; three troops, under the command of Major Wade, being detached to Carlisle and Penrith. At Hamilton, the regiment was reviewed by Major-Generals Erskine and Vyse, and the present system of casting horses annually first introduced; and as it was considered the peculiar privilege of the regiment to have _black horses_ exclusively, those that had the slightest shade of brown, were sent to the fourth dragoon guards, none but black horses being retained, with the exception of one white for the kettle-drums.

[Sidenote: 1802]

[Sidenote: 1803]

[Sidenote: 1804]

After the peace of Amiens in 1802, two troops were reduced; the number of men in the others being also reduced from 100 to 64; and, on the 11th of August, the KING'S OWN embarked at Port-Patrick for Ireland, proceeded to Dundalk, and in the spring of 1803 marched to Belturbet. Here they were reviewed by Major-General Sir James Afleck, and were actively employed in patrolling the country during the excitement caused by the disturbances in Dublin, to which place they proceeded in March, 1804, and were quartered in the royal barracks.[31]

[Sidenote: 1805]

[Sidenote: 1806]

On the 5th of April, 1805, the first division, immediately followed by the others, embarked for Liverpool, and marched to Nottingham, where the regiment remained for two years; the second year's halt being at the express request of the magistrates of Nottingham and Louth. The war having been resumed, two additional troops were added to the establishment.

[Sidenote: 1807]

The regiment marched to Chichester in May 1807, and being there reviewed by Major-General Hugonin, proceeded to Brighton, and was encamped on the hills above the present barracks, for the purpose of being reviewed, in conjunction with the first dragoon guards, by His Royal Highness the Duke of York. On the breaking up of the camp, the THIRD marched to Chichester, but were shortly ordered to Canterbury, where a brigade was formed, consisting of the second dragoon guards, and third and fourth dragoons.

[Sidenote: 1809]

In January, 1809, the regiment received orders to embark at Portsmouth, for the purpose of joining the army in Spain, under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, and had advanced some days' march, when it was recalled, on the arrival of the news of the retreat of the British troops to Corunna.

On the 20th of July, the regiment received orders to march to Ramsgate, and was immediately embarked for Holland under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Mundy, forming part of an expedition designed to effect the destruction of the French shipping and arsenal on the Scheldt. After remaining in the Downs for six days, the fleet sailed, and arrived off Walcheren on the 29th, remaining there upwards of a fortnight; and after the capture of Flushing, proceeded up the Scheldt as far as Fort-Batz. The enemy's shipping had, in the meantime, been removed higher up the river, and an immense force assembled to oppose the British armament; at the same time an epidemic disease broke out among the English soldiers. The fleet consequently retired down the river, and sailed for England; the KING'S OWN disembarked at Ramsgate in September following, and proceeded to occupy Canterbury, as before the expedition.

[Sidenote: 1810]

In April, 1810, in consequence of the riots in London, occasioned by the House of Commons having ordered Sir Francis Burdett to be lodged in custody in the Tower, the regiment was hastily ordered thither, marching all night, and arriving in Southwark at 7 A. M. The men were billeted on the south side of the Thames; an hotel near Westminster Bridge being the head quarters, and the Obelisk the alarm post. After the suppression of the riots, the regiment was ordered to Guildford, where it was reviewed by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, who was pleased to express his entire approbation of its appearance and discipline. On the release of Sir Francis Burdett from the Tower, the regiment was again sent to London, but remained there a few nights only, and then returned to Guildford.

[Sidenote: 1811]

Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, having conquered Portugal, had placed his brother Joseph on the throne of Spain, supported by a French army. The efforts of the Spaniards and Portuguese to regain their liberty, which commenced in 1808, were continued to be aided by the British government, and a force, amounting at this time to nearly sixty thousand men, had been assembled in Portugal under the command of Lieutenant-General the Viscount Wellington.