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HISTORICAL RECORDS

BRITISH ARMY.

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

^-o»»>k»\*i V»« \VcV\av-A. vL&V\V\o^

THE FIRST,

THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.

LONDON
Prlnted by William Clowes and Sows,
14, Charing Cross.

i

<wf.

GENERAL ORDERS.

HORSE- GUARDS,
1st January, 1836.
His Majesty has been pleased to command,
that, with a view of doing the fullest justice to Regi
ments, as well as to Individuals who have distin
guished themselves by their Bravery in Action with
the Enemy, an Account of the Services of every Regi
ment in the British Army shall be published under
the superintendence and direction of the Adjutant-
General ; and that this Account shall contain the
following particulars : vis.,
 The Period and Circumstances of the Ori

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

Non-Commissioned Officers and Privates, Killed or
Wounded by the Enemy, specifying the Place and
Date of the Action. a 2

GENERAL ORDERS.

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

missioned Officers and Privates as may have specially
signalized themselves in Action.
And, The Badges and Devices which the Regiment

may have been permitted to bear, and the Causes
on account of which such Badges or Devices, or any
other Marks of Distinction, have been granted.
By Command of the Right Honourable
GENERAL LORD HILL,
Commanding-in- Chief.

John Macdonald,
Adjutant- General.

PREFACE.

The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly
depend upon the zeal and ardour, by which all who enter
into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the
highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the
spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions
are achieved, should be adopted.
Nothing can more fully tend to the accomplishment of this
desirable object, than a full display of the noble deeds with
which the Military History of our country abounds. To hold
forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful
soldier, and thus to incite him to emulate the meritorious
conduct of those who have preceded him in their honourable
career, are among the motives that have given rise to the
present publication.
The operations of the British Troops are, indeed, announced
in the ' London Gazette,' from whence they are transferred
into the public prints : the achievements of our armies are thus
made known at the time of their occurrence, and receive the
tribute of praise and admiration to which they are entitled.
On extraordinary occasions, the Houses of Parliament have
been in the habit of conferring on the Commanders, and the

PREFACE.
Officers and Troops acting under their orders, expressions of
approbation and of thanks for their skill and bravery, and these
testimonials, confirmed by the high honour of their Sovereign's
Approbation, constitute the reward which the soldier most
highly prizes.
It has not, however, until late years, been the practice (which
appears to have long prevailed in some of the Continental
armies) for British Regiments to keep regular records of their
services and achievements. Hence some difficulty has been
experienced in obtaining, particularly from the old Regiments,
an authentic account of their origin and subsequent services.
This defect will now be remedied, in consequence of His
Majesty having been pleased to command, that every Regiment
shall in future keep a full and ample record of its services at
home and abroad.
From the materials thus collected, the country will hence
forth derive information as to the difficulties and privations
which chequer the career of those who embrace the military
profession. In Great Britain, where so large a number of
persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture,
manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have,
for so long a period, been undisturbed by the presence of war,
which few other countries have escaped, comparatively little
is known of the vicissitudes of active service, and of the
casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the British
Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or
no interval of repose.
In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the

PREFACE.
country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agri
culturist and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed
not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and
the sailor, — on their sufferings, — and on the sacrifice of valu
able life, by which so many national benefits are obtained
and preserved.
The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endur
ance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying diffi
culties ; and their character has been established in Continental
warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they have effected
debarkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and
by the gallantry and steadiness with which they have main
tained their advantages against superior numbers.
In the official Reports made by the respective Commanders,
ample justice has generally been done to the gallant exertions
of the Corps employed ; but the details of their services, and
of acts of individual bravery, can only be fully given in the
Annals of the various Regiments.
These Records are now preparing for publication, under
His Majesty's special authority, by Mr. Richard Cannon,
Principal Clerk of the Adjutant-General's Office ; and while
the perusal of them cannot fail to he useful and interesting to
military men of every rank, it is considered that they will also
afford entertainment and information to the general reader,
particularly to those who may have served in the Army, or
who have relatives in the Service.
There exists in the breasts of most of those who have served,
or are serving, in the Army, an Esprit de Corps— an attach-

PREFACE.
ment to every thing belonging to their Regiment ; to such
persons a narrative of the services of their own Corps cannot
fail to prove interesting. Authentic accounts of the actions
of the great,— the valiant,— the loyal, have always been of
paramount interest with a brave and civilised people. Great
Britain has produced a race of heroes who, in moments of
danger and terror, have stood, " firm as the rocks of their
native shore;" and when half the World has been arrayed
against them, they have fought the battles of their Country
with unshaken fortitude. It is presumed that a record of
achievements in war, — victories so complete and surprising,
gained by our countrymen, — our brothers — our fellow-citizens
in arms, — a record which revives the memory of the brave,
and brings their gallant deeds before us, will certainly prove
acceptable to the public.
Biographical memoirs of the Colonels and other distinguished
Officers, will be introduced in the Records of their respective
Regiments, and the Honorary Distinctions which have, from
time to time, been conferred upon each Regiment, as testifying
the value and importance of its services, will be faithfully
set forth.
As a convenient mode of Publication, the Record of each
Regiment will be printed in a distinct number, so that when
the whole shall be completed, the Parts may be bound up in
numerical succession.

INTRODUCTION.

?%

The ancient Armies of England were composed
of Horse and Foot ; but the feudal troops esta
blished by William the Conqueror in 1086, con
sisted 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 pro
vide armed men in proportion to the extent of
their estates ; consequently the ranks of the feudal
Cavalry were completed with men of property,
and the vassals and tenants of the great barons,
who led their dependents to the field in person.
In the succeeding reigns the Cavalry of the
Army was composed of Knights (or men at arms)
and Hobiliers (or horsemen of inferior degree) ;
and the Infantry of spear and battle-axe men,
cross-bowmen, and archers. The Knights wore
armour on every part of the body, and their
weapons were a lance, a sword, and a small
dagger. The Hobiliers Were accoutred and armed
b

ii INTRODUCTION.
for the light and less important services of war,
and were not considered qualified for a charge in
line. Mounted Archers* were also introduced,
and the English nation eventually became pre
eminent in the use of the bow.
About the time of Queen Mary the appellation
of " Men at Arms' was changed to that of " Spears
and Launces." The introduction of fire-arms ulti
mately 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-a-pie, and their weapons were a
sword with a straight narrow blade and sharp
point, and a pair of large pistols, called petrenels ;
and the Hobiliers carried carbines. The Infantry
carried pikes, matchlocks, and swords. The
introduction of fire-arms occasioned the forma
tion 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
* 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 ilorsemen, and 40 Pages.

INTRODUCTION. iii
after the Restoration in 1660, with the establish
ment of regular corps of Horse and Foot; the
Horsemen were cuirassiers, but only wore armour
on the head and body ; and the Foot were pike
men and musketeers. The arms which each
description of force carried, are described in the
following extract from the " Regulations of King
Charles II.," dated 5th May, 1663 :—
" Each Horseman to have for his defensive
" armes, back, breast, and pot ; and for his offen-
" sive 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 souldier 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 barrels
" of which musquet to be about foor foote long,
" and to conteine a bullet, foorteen of which shall
" weigh a pound weight *."
The ranks of the Troops of Horse were at this
pez'iod composed of men of some property — gene
rally the sons of substantial yeomen : the young
men received as recruits provided their own horses,
* Military Papers, State Paper Office.
b2

\V INTRODUCTION.
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*; 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 bay
onets ; 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 Regi-
" ment of Dragoones which we have established
" and ordered to be raised, in twelve Troopes of
" fourscore in each beside officers, who are to be
" under the command of Our most deare and most
" intirely beloved Cousin Prince Rupert, shall
" be armed out of Our stoares remaining within
" Our office of the Ordinance, as followeth ; that
" is to say, three corporalls, two serjeants, the
" gentlemen at armes, and twelve souldiers of
" each of the said twelve Troopes, are to have and
" carry each of them one halbard, and one case

This Regiment was disbanded after the Peace in 1674.

INTRODUCTION. V
" of pistolls with holsters; and the rest of the
" souldiers of the several Troopes aforesaid, are
" to have and to carry each of them one match-
" locke musquet, with a collar of bandaliers, and
" also to have and to carry one bayonet *, or great
knife. That each lieutenant have and carry
" one partizan ; and that two drums be delivered
" out for each Troope of the said Regiment f."
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 car
bine J in addition to the sword and pair of pistols :
and in a Regulation dated the 21st of February,
1687, the arms of the Dragoons at that period are
commanded to be as follow : —
"The Dragoons to have snaphanse musquets,
'' strapt, with bright barrels of three foote eight
" inches long, cartouch-boxes, bayonetts, granado
" pouches, bucketts, and hammer-hatchetts."
After several years' experience, little advantage
was found to accrue from having Cavalry Regi
ments formed almost exclusively for engaging the
* This appears to be the first introduction of bayonets into
the English Army. t State Paper Office-
\ The first issue of carbines to the regular Horse appears
to have taken place in 1678; the Life Guards, however,
carried carbines from their formation in 1660. — Vide the
' Historical Record of the Life Guards.'

VI INTRODUCTION.
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 improve
ments into the mounting, arming, and equipment
of Dragoons rendered them competent to the
performance of every description of service re
quired 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 oi Dragoon Guards.
At present there are only three Regiments
which are styled Horse in the British Army,

INTRODUCTION. VII
namely, the two Regiments of Life. Guards, and
the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, to whom
cuirasses have recently been restored. The other
Cavalry Regiments consist of Dragoon Guards,
Heavy and Light Dragoons, Hussars, and Lancers ;
and although the long musket and bayonet have
been laid aside by the whole of the Cavalry, and
the Regiments are armed and equipped on the
principle of the old Horse (excepting the cuirass),
they continue to be styled Dragoons.
The old Regiments of Horse formed a highly
respectable and efficient portion of the Army,
and it is found, on perusing the histories of the
various campaigns in which they have been en
gaged, 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 phy
sical power, and few troops could withstand a
well-directed charge of the celebrated British
Horse. The records of these corps embrace a
period of 150 years — a period eventful in history,
and abounding in instances of heroism displayed
by the British troops when danger has threatened
" the nation, — a period in which these Regiments
have numbered in their ranks men of loyalty,
valour, and good conduct, worthy of imitation.

viii INTRODUCTION.
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 regi
ments 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 at
tending to the requisitions of the magistrates in
periods of excitement, and the temper, patience,
and forbearance which they have evinced when
subjected to great provocation, insult, and violence
from the misguided populace, prove the value of
these troops to the Crown, and to the Government
of the country, and justify the reliance which is
reposed on them.

HISTORICAL RECORD

THE FIRST,

THE ROYAL REGIMENT

DRAGOONS ;

CONTAINING

AN ACCOUNT OF ITS FORMATION

IN THE REIGN OF

KING CHARLES THE SECOND,
AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES TO 1839.

ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

LONDON:
PUBLISHED BY LONGMAN, ORME, AND CO.,
PATERNOSTER-ROW ;
AND BY MESSRS. CLOWES AND SONS,
14, Charing Cross ;
and to be had of all booksellers.
1840.

LONDON:
Printed by William Clowes ahd Sows,
Stamford-street.

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

THE FIRST
OR
THE ROYAL REGIMENT
OF
DRAGOONS
BEARS ON ITS GUIDONS,
AS A
REGIMENTAL BADGE,
AN
" EAGLE,"
WITH THE FOLLOWING HONORARY INSCRIPTIONS —
" PENINSULA*' — " WATERLOO."

CONTENTS.

An uo
1661

1663 1664
1664 to
1619 1680

1683
1684

1685
1688 1689
1690

1691
1692
169416951691
1702

A troop of Horse raised for service at Tangier,
and equipped as Cuirassiers
Proceeds to Africa .
Skirmishes with the Moors .
Captures a splendid Moorish standard
Skirmishes with the Moors .
Three additional troops of Horse raised and sent to
Tangier
A general engagement with the Moors
The Tangier Horse constituted the Royal Regi
ment of Dragoons .
Establishment ....
Returns to England, and equipped as dragoons
Description of the standards — Names of officers
Royal warrant respecting the rank of the regiment
Battle of Sedgemoor . . .
The Revolution .
Proceeds to Scotland
Embarks for Ireland
Siege of Charlemont
Battle of the Boyne
Embarks for England — Returns to Ireland
Skirmishes with the Rapparees
Actions with the Irish
Siege of Limerick
Embarks for England
Proceeds to the Netherlands
Skirmishes near the Mehaine
Covering the siege of Namur
Returns to England
Proceeds to Holland
Covering the sieges of Venloo, Ruremonde, Ste-
venswaert, and Liege

Page 1
34

89
1112
13 15
1821
2223 2425
2627
29
3031
32 33
34

VI CONTENTS.
Anno Page
1703 Covering the siege of Bonn . . .34
 Skirmish with a French piquet . . —
 Covering the sieges of Huy and Limburg . . 35
 • Proceeds from Holland to Portugal . . —
1704 Services on the frontiers of Spain . . 36
1705 Capture of Valencia de Alcantara and Albuquerque 37
 Barcelona . . . .38
 Relief of St. Mattheo ... 40
1706 Services in Catalonia and Valencia . . —
 during the siege of Barcelona by the French 43
 Advances to Madrid . . . .44
 Returns to Valencia ... 45
1707 Services after the battle of Almanza . . 46
1709 Capture of Balaguer and Ager . . 47
1710 Battle of Almanara . . . .48
 Skirmish at Penalva . . .49
 Battle of Saragossa . . . . —
 Advances to Madrid — Disaster at Brihuega . 51
1712 Returns to England . . . .53
1715 Rebellion of the Earl of Mar — Affair at Preston 54
1719 Proceeds to Scotland — Returns to England . 55
 Detachment to Spain — Capture of Vigo, &c. . —
1720 Prices of commissions . . . .57
1735 Proceeds to Scotland ... 59
1737 Returns to England . . . —
1742 Embarks for Flanders ... 60
1743 Battle of Dettingen . . . .61
1745  Fontenoy .... 63
 Embarks for England . . . .64
1751 Description of the clothing and guidons . 65
1755. A light troop added . . . .67
1758 Expedition to St. Maloes and Cherbourg . 68
1760 Embarks for Germany . . . . 
 Battle of Warbourg .... 69
  Campen . . , .70
1761  Kirch Denkern ... 72
 Skirmishes at Eimbeck and Foorwohle . . —
1762 Battle of Groebenstien . . 73
1763 Returns to England . . 74
 The light troop disbanded . . 75
 Proceeds to Scotland

CONTENTS.
Anno
1764 Returns to England .
1766 Drummers replaced by trumpeters
1769 Proceeds to Scotland
1770 Returns to England
1773 Proceeds to Scotland
1775 Returns to England
1781 Proceeds to Scotland
1784 Returns to England
1790 Proceeds to Scotland
1791 Returns to England
1793 Embarks for the Netherlands
 Action at the Camp de Caesar
1794  Premont
 Villers en Couche* .
 Battle of Cateau*
 ¦ Tournay
Retreats to Germany
Returns to England
Proceeds to Scotland
Embarks for Ireland
 Portugal
Skirmishes at Frexadas and Alverca .
Battle of Busaco
Skirmishes at Pombal and Quinta de Torre
 Pecoloo, Pombal, Redinha,

1795
1806
18071809
1810

1811

Casal

78

7980
81838486 87
88
90

919293
1812 Covering the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz 94
 Skirmishes at Llera, Maguilla, &c. . . 95
 Advances to Madrid — Retreats to Portugal . 97
 Skirmish at Arguilla . . . . —
1813 Battle of Vittoria .... 98
 Blockade of Pampeluna . . . .99
1814 Battle of Toulouse . . . .100
 ¦ Returns to England . . . . —
1815 Embarks for Flanders . .101
 Battle of Waterloo . . . .102

Nova, Foz d'Aronce, Sernadilla, and Alverca
Battle of Sabugal ....
Skirmish near Fort Conception .
Battle of Fuentes d'Onor
Skirmish near Barba del Puerco .
 during the retreat to Nave d'Aver .
 at Aldea de Ponte

Page 15

76

77

VU1

CONTENTS.

Anno
1815
1816
18171818 1820
1824 1825
18291835 1839

Advances to Madrid
Returns to England
Proceeds to Scotland
Embarks for Ireland
Returns to England .
Proceeds to Scotland
Embarks for Ireland
Returns to England
Embarks for Ireland
Returns to England
The conclusion

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS
1683 John Lord Churchill
1685 Edward Viscount Cornbury
1688 Robert Clifford
 Edward Viscount Cornbury
1689 Anthony Hayford .
1690 Edward Matthews
1697 Thomas Lord Raby .
1115 Richard Lord Cobham .
1721 Sir Charles Hotham, Bart.
1723 Humphrey Gore
1739 Charles Duke of Marlborough
1740 Henry Hawley .
1759 Honourable Henry Seymour Conway
1764 Henry Earl of Pembroke
1794 Philip Goldsworthy .
1801 Thomas Garth .
1829 Lord Edward Somerset
1836 Sir Frederick C. Ponsonby
1837 Sir Hussey Vivian, Bart.

Page
109
110
111

112
113115

111
122

123
124
126127
128
129130131 133

LIST OF PLATES,
The regimental guidons ;— with the Eagle and Colour of the
105th French Infantry Regiment, captured at Waterloo ;
to follow the title-page.
The capture of a Moorish Standard at Tangier in 1664
to face page 4.
The uniform of 1839 to face 1 16.

HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE FIRST, OR
THE ROYAL REGIMENT
OF
DRAGOONS.

The anarchy, devastation, and bloodshed which 1661
had prevailed in Britain during the rebellion and
tyrannical usurpation of Cromwell, having been
succeeded by the restoration of monarchy,— the
despotic sway of sectarians and republicans put
down by the establishment of a regular govern
ment on constitutional principles, — and the army
of the commonwealth disbanded, King Charles II.
directed his attention to domestic concerns, and
engaged in a matrimonial alliance with Donna
Catherina, Infanta of Portugal; and this event
gave rise to the formation of a troop of Cuiras
siers, which was the nucleus of the corps now
bearing the distinguished title of The Royal
Regiment of Dragoons.
By the marriage treaty the ancient and once
m'agnificent city of Tangier, in Africa, and the
island of Bombay in the East Indies, were ceded
by the king of Portugal to the British crown ; and,

2 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1661 with a sum equal to three hundred thousand
pounds, constituted the Infanta's dowry.
As the possession of the important fortress of
Tangier, with its harbour and local advantages,
appeared to open a new field for commercial
pursuits, and was expected to be followed by the
acquisition of extensive possessions in that part of
the world, four regiments of foot and a troop of
horse were appointed to garrison that fortress, and
the Earl of Peterborough was constituted
captain general, chief governor, and vice admiral
of that part of his Majesty's dominions.
Three of the regiments of foot, commanded by
Sir Robert Harley, and Colonels Fitzgerald and
O'Farell, were withdrawn from the garrison of
Dunkirk, and were composed of men who had
fought in the royal cause during the civil war, and
afterwards in the Netherlands. The other regi
ment of foot, (now the second, or Queen's royal,)
and the troop of Horse (now Royal Dragoons)
were raised in England by the Earl of Peterbo
rough in the autumn of 1661, and were mustered,
the former on Putney Heath, and the latter in
St. George's Fields, Southwark, in October.*
The troop of Horse consisted of three officers,
one quarter-master, four corporals, one trumpeter,
and one hundred private men; the ranks were
completed with veterans of the civil war, who
were armed with cuirasses, iron head-pieces called
potts, long swords, and a pair of large pistols, to
which a short carbine was afterwards added : they
* Bibl. Harl. No. 1595.— Mercurius Publicus —Kingdom's
Intelligencer.— War-Office Records.— History of Tangier, &c.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. S
were mounted on long-tailed horses of superior 1661
weight and power, wore high boots reaching to
the middle of the thigh, and scarlet vests : the
officers wore hats decorated with a profusion of
feathers ; and both officers and men ornamented
their horses' heads and tails with large bunches of
ribands. The officers of this troop were, —
The Earl of Peterborough, Captain and
Colonel. Robert Leech, Captain-Lieutenant.
James Mordaunt, Cornet.
The appearance and equipment of the officers
and men were commended in the ephemeral pub
lications of that period. They embarked in the
middle of December, and in a letter to the Earl of
Peterborough, dated the 21st of December, the
King observed : ' I desire you to lett those honest
' men knowe who are along with you, y* they
' shall allwayes be in my particular care and
' protection as persons y* venture themselves in
' my service. And so, wishing you a good voyage,
* I remain, &c, Charles R.'*
The troops arrived at Tangier in January, 1662, 1662
and a war commencing soon afterwards between jgg3
the British occupants of this part of Africa and
the Moors, frequent encounters occurred between
detachments of the garrison of Tangier and the
barbarians, in which the former had a decided
superiority, and the English horsemen became
celebrated for gallant achievements.!
The veteran Earl of Teviot, who was ap
pointed governor of Tangier in 1663, in succes-
* Bibl. Harl. 6844. t History of Tangier, 8vo., 1664
B 2

4 historical record of
1663 sion to the Earl of Peterborough, occasionally
penetrated into the adjacent country at the head
of a detachment of horse, and many brilliant ex
ploits were performed by the gallant English
troopers, among the rocks, in the woods, and on
the plains of this part of Africa, where they fre
quently surprised lurking parties of Moors, and
captured cattle and other booty. The Africans
were, however, expert horsemen, and fought with
lance, sword, and short fusils.
1664 In February, 1664, a Moorish army, com
manded by Gaylan, usurper of Fez, appeared
before Tangier to besiege the fortress. On the
1st of March the Earl of Teviot, observing a body
of Moors, with a splendid scarlet standard, sta
tioned on an eminence near the city, ordered the
troop of Horse to sally and bring in the standard.
The command was instantly obeyed; the brave
troopers, led by Captain Witham, issued from
the city, traversed the intervening space with
signal intrepidity, routed the Moorish band,
and captured the standard, with which they re
turned in triumph to the fortress, and erected it
on the top of one of the towers, to the surprise
and chagrin of the Moorish chiefs, who, being
posted at a distance with the main body of their
army, witnessed this brilliant exploit.
On the 13th of March the English horsemen
had a sharp encounter with some of the enemy's
best cavalry ; and on the 27th, the Earl of Teviot
led them against a horde of Moorish lancers and
foot who were concealed in ambush, and the bar
barians were routed and pursued among the woods

the first, or royal dragoons. 5
and broken grounds with great slaughter. The 1664
English horsemen, however, suffered severely on
the 4th of May in the same year, when the
governor, having been deceived by a false report,
advanced too far into the country, and was sur
prised by a numerous band of Moors in ambush.
A fearful slaughter followed, and the Earl of
Teviot was numbered among the slain.
Frequent encounters took place in the subse- 1665
quent years between detached parties of British
and Moors, and in this desultory warfare the
English horsemen preserved their high character.
Hostilities were occasionally terminated, and re- 1666
newed after short intervals of peace ; and during
the period of seventeen years the garrison resisted,
with firmness and success, every attempt of the
Moors against the city.
In 1679 a numerous army of Moors appeared 1679
before Tangier, and destroyed two forts situate at
a distance from the town. They afterwards with
drew, but re-appeared in the spring of 1680, with 1680
augmented numbers, and swarms of expert Moorish
lancers, on light and swift horses, hovered round
the fortress and confined the Christians within
narrow limits. King Charles II. sent a battalion
of foot guards and sixteen companies of Dumbar
ton's (now first royal) regiment, to reinforce the
garrison, and issued commissions for raising a
regiment of foot (now the fourth, or the King's
own) and six troops of Horse in England : at
the same time arrangements were made for pro
curing the service of three troops of Spanish
cavalry.

6 historical record of
1680 The six troops of English horse were raised by
Major-General the Earl of Ossory, Lieutenant-
Colonel Sir John Lanier,* Captains Robert
Pulteney, John CoY,f Charles Nedby, and
Thomas Langston :% the three last-named offi
cers having been captains in the Duke of Mon
mouth's regiment of horse, which was disbanded
only a few months before, their troops were
speedily completed with disciplined men who had
served in that regiment ; and the demand for
cavalry at Tangier being urgent, they were fur
nished with horses and equipment from the life
guards, § and arrived at Tangier in the early part
of September : at the same time the three troops
of Spanish horse arrived from Gibraltar.
The cavalry at Tangier now consisted of seven
efficient troops of cuirassiers, who were engaged
in a sally on the 12th of September, when the
Moorish horsemen were driven from under the
walls, and several outworks were recovered from
the barbarians. Another sally was made on the
21st of the same month, and on the following day
the English cuirassiers had a sharp skirmish with
the Moorish lancers, and had eight men killed and

* Sir John Lanier was afterwards colonel of the Queen's horse,
now first dragoon guards.
John Coy was afterwards colonel of the seventh horse, now
fifth dragoon guards.
t Thomas Langston was celebrated for taking the Princess
Anne of Denmark's regiment of horse over to the Prince of
Orange at the Revolution in 1688 : he was appointed colonel of
that regiment on the 31st of December, 1688, and died in Ireland
in 1689: the regiment was disbanded in 1692.
§ Vide the Historical Record of the Life Guards.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 7
twenty wounded. An attack was made on the 1680
enemy's lines on the 24th of September, when the
governor, Sir Palmes Fairborne, was mortally
wounded. On the 27th of September, the garrison,
amounting to about 4000 men, issued from the
fortress and attacked the Moorish army of about
15,000 men in its intrenched camp with signal
gallantry. So eager were the troopers to engage
their adversaries that a dispute occurred between
the English and Spanish horse, each claiming the
honour of charging first : the subject was referred
to the lieutenant-governor, Colonel Sackville, who
gave the Spaniards the precedence on this occa
sion, because they fought as auxiliaries. The
Moors, having a great superiority of numbers,
stood their ground resolutely for some time ; and
the thunder of cannon, the roll of musketry,
the clash of arms, the loud shouts of the British,
the cries of the Africans, produced an awful
scene of carnage and confusion . The English horse
stood in column of troops until the first intrench-
ment was carried, and a space levelled for the
cavalry to pass, when they filed through the aper
ture and rushed at speed upon the dark masses of
barbarians, who were broken, trampled down, and
pursued with a dreadful slaughter ; while the mus
keteers, pikemen, and grenadiers followed, shout
ing as the dismayed Africans fell in succession
beneath the sabres of the English and Spanish
troopers. Many of the Moors faced about and
confronted their pursuers ; numerous single com
bats took place, and the vicinity of the camp was

8 historical record of
1680 covered with slain. Captain Nedby's troop of
English horse particularly distinguished itself,
and captured a splendid Moorish colour of curious
workmanship. The Spaniards also captured a
colour, Dumbarton's Scots another, and a fourth
was taken by a battalion of marines and seamen
from the fleet.*
The Moorish legions, having been driven from
before the town with severe loss, this victory was
followed by a treaty of peace, and the troops of
horse raised by the Earl of Ossory, Sir John La
nier, and Robert Pulteney, not having left Eng
land, were disbanded.
1682 The improved military system introduced among
the Moors by European renegades, having ren
dered it necessary to employ a much stronger
garrison at Tangier than formerly, the subject was
1683 brought before parliament; but the question of a
popish successor to the throne was agitating the
people, and no grant was voted. The king, being
unwilling to bear the expense of the fortifications
and troops without pecuniary aid from parliament,
resolved to destroy the works and mole, and to
withdraw the garrison.
At this period the attention of King Charles II.
was directed to the improvement of his army ; and,
resolving to retain the Tangier Horse in his ser
vice, he commissioned Colonel John Churchill
(afterwards the great Duke of Marlborough) to
raise a troop of dragoons at St. Alban's and its
vicinity ; and Viscount Cornbury (son of the

* Narrative of the great engagement at Tangier; Tangier's
Rescue, by John Ross ; London Gazettes, &c. Sec.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 9
Earl of Clarendon) to raise another troop of dra- 1683
goons at Hertford ; and His Majesty constituted
these two troops, with the four troops of Tangier
horse, a regiment, to which he gave the distin
guished title of The King's Own Royal Regi
ment of Dragoons : the words " King's Own "
were, however, discontinued soon afterwards, and
the regiment was styled " The Royal Regiment
of Dragoons."* The colonelcy was conferred on
John Churchill, who was advanced to the peer
age of Scotland by the title of Baron Churchill of
Aymouth ; and the lieutenant-colonelcy on Vis
count Cornbury, by commission dated the 19th
of November, 1683.
The establishment was fixed by a warrant, bear- 1684
ing date the 1st of January, 1684, from which the
following is an extract : —
" Charles R.
" Charles the Second, by the Grace of God,
" King of England, Scotland, France, and Ire-
" land, Defender of the Faith, &c.
" Our will and pleasure is, that this esta-
" blishment of our Guards, garrisons, and land
" forces within our Kingdom of England, Do-
" minion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon
" Tweed, and the Islands thereunto belonging,
" and of all other officers and charges therein
" expressed, do commence on the 1st day of Janu-
" ary, 1683-4, in the Thirty-Fifth year of our
" Reign."
* One of the regiments of dragoons raised in 1678 was styled
the Royal Regiment of Dragoons ; but it was disbanded after the
peace of Nimeguen.

10

historical record of

1684

HIS MAJESTY'S OWN ROYAL REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.

Staff-Officers.

Colonel, as Colonel, xii8, and iij horses iij"
Lieutenant-Colonel, as Lieut.-Colonel, vij", and ij 1
horses ijs  I
Major, as Major v", and j horse js 
Chaplaine 
Chirurgeon ivs, and j horse to carry his chest, ij8
Adjutant iv8, and for his horse js 
Quarter-Master and Marshal in one person ivs, his 1
horse js  J
Gunsmith ivs, and his servant i5 

The Colonel's Tiioop.
The Colonel, as Captaine, viiis, and iij horses iij'
Lieutenant iv*, and ij horses ijs ....
Cornett iij8, and ij horses ijs ....
Quarter-Master, for himself and horse
Two Serjeants each j5 vid, and ijs for hor3es
Three Corporals each j8, and iij8 for horses
Two Drummers each js, and ij8 for horses
Two Hautboys each i", and ij8 for horses
Fifty Soldiers each is vid for man and horse

Five Troops more at the same rate 
The Major to have no Troop, but instead thereof 1
the pay of a Captain xi", in lieu of servants iii8 J
Total
Total Per Annum . £14,447 18s. 4d.

Per Diem.

30

39

17

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 11
The four troops at Tangier arrived in England 1684
in February, 1 684 ; * and, having returned their
armour into store, the whole were equipped as
dragoons with long muskets and bayonets.f
The uniform of the regiment was scarlet lined
with blue. The men wore hats bound with silver
lace, and ornamented with blue ribands, having a
metal headpiece fastened inside the crown ; also
high boots : their horse furniture was made of
scarlet cloth trimmed with blue, with the King's
cipher embroidered in yellow characters on the
housings and holster-caps. The drummers and
hautboys were clothed in splendid liveries, which
(according to the War-Office Records) cost up
wards of 10/. per suit ; and each troop was fur-

* 'CHARLES R.
' Ouk will and pleasure is, that as soon as the troop of
' Our Royal Regiment of Dragoons, whereof Charles Nedby,
' Esq., is Captain, shall arrive from our garrison at Tangier, you
• cause the same forthwith to march to the town of Ware, in Our
• county of Hertford, where they are to remain until further orders.
' And the officers of the said troop are to take care that the sol-
' diers duly pay their intended quarters.
' Given at Our Court at Whitehall this 1st day of February,
' 1683-4. ' By His Majesty's command,
'William Blathwayte.'
A similar order was given for Captain Thomas Langston's
troop to quarter at Hoddesdon, Captain John Coy's at Hamp-
stead, and Captain Alexander Mackenzie's (the troop raised in
1661) at Watford and Bushey. — War-Office Records.
f The following arms and appointments were issued from the
Tower of London for the equipment of the regiment, viz. —
318 Muskets and bayonets
1 2 Halberds
12 Partizans
12 Drums
318 Cartouch boxes and belts
318 Waist belts and bayonet frogs
358 Saddles and bridles
358 Sets of holster caps and housings.— Ibid.

12 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1684 nished with a crimson standard or guidon, with the
following devices embroidered thereon, namely : —
On the standard of the Colonel's Troop, —
the King's cipher and crown.
The Lieutenant-Colonel's Troop, — the rays
of the sun, proper, crowned, issuing out of a cloud,
proper : a badge used by the Black Prince.
The First Troop, — the top of a beacon
crowned, or, with flames of fire, proper : a badge
of Henry V.
The Second Troop, — two ostrich feathers
crowned, argent : a badge of Henry VI.
The Third Troop, — a rose and pomegranate
impaled, leaves and stalk vert : a badge of Henry
VII. The Fourth Troop, — a phoenix in flames, pro
per : a badge of Queen Elizabeth's.*
The following officers were at this period hold
ing commissions in the regiment : —
Troops. Captains. Lieutenants. Cornets.
Colonel's . Lord Churchill Thos. Hussey Wm. Hussey
Lieut.-Col.'s Vise. Cornbury Charles Ward Piercy Roche
1st Troop . Alex. Mackenzie H. Wyndham t John Cole
2nd „ Chas. Nedby John Williams George Clifford
3rd „ John Coy Charles La Rue Wm. Stamford
4th „ Thos. Langston F. Langston $ Thos. Pownel
Hugh Sutherland . . . Major
Adjutant

Thomas Crawley .
Henry Hawker
Theobald Churchill
Peregrine Yewel

Quarter-Master & Marshal
Chaplain Chirurgeon

The Royal Regiment of Dragoons being

* £a,uan™?r°?u'S CoraPlete List, Military : London, 1684
t Hugh Wyndham was afterwards colonel of the seventh
horse, now sixth dragoon guards.
J Francis Langston was afterwards colonel of the fifth
ho: se, now fourth dragoon guards.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 13
constituted, generally, of men of military experi- 1684
ence and approved valour, appears to have ad
vanced, at once, into royal favour ; and as soon as
it was regularly organized, it marched into quar
ters in the borough of Southwark. On the 1st of
October it was reviewed, with several other corps,
by King Charles II., accompanied by the Queen,
the Duke of York, and many distinguished person
ages, on Putney Heath ; and on the 13th of that
month marched into quarters at Newbury, Abing
don, and Hungerford. Shortly afterwards the
following order was issued relative to the regi
ment : —
' Charles R.
c For the preventing of all disputes that might
' arise concerning the rank of Our Royal Regi-
' ment of Dragoons, or of any other regiment
' of Dragoons that shall be employed in Our ser-
' vice, We have thought fit hereby to declare Our
' pleasure, ' That Our Royal Regiment of Dragoons,
' and all other regiments of Dragoons which may
' be employed in Our service, shall have prece-
' dency both as Horse and Foot, as well in garri-
* son as in the field, and in all councils of war and
' other military occasions ; and the Colonels and
' Officers of the said regiments of Dragoons shall
* command as officers of Horse and Foot, according
' to the nature of the place where they shall be :
' that is to say, that in the Field the said regi-
' ments shall take place as regiments of Horse,
' and the officers shall command and do duty as
' officers of Horse, according to the dates of their

14 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1684 ' commissions ; and that in Garrison they shall
' command as Foot officers, and their regiment
' take place amongst the Foot according to their
' respective seniorities from the time they were
' raised. * Given at Our Court at Whitehall the 30th
' day of October, in the thirty-sixth year of Our
' reign (1684). 'By His Majesty's Command,
' Sunderland.'
1685 The decease of King Charles II. took place on
the 6th of February, 1685 ; and on the evening of
the same day, his successor (James II.) com
manded the Royal Dragoons to march into
quarters in the immediate vicinity of the metro
polis. Previous to the coronation they were fur
nished with new standards, and the drummers and
hautboys with new liveries.* The ceremonial of
their Majesties' coronation was conducted with
extraordinary magnificence : but the agitated state
of the United Kingdom gave early indication of
approaching , contests ; and, towards the end of
April, two troops of the Royal Dragoons were
despatched to Carlisle, and placed under the com
mand of the governor, Sir Christopher Musgrave,
for the purpose of assisting in the seizure of ' di-
' vers outlawed and seditious persons, who, for the
, avoiding of Justice, have fled from Scotland into
* the county of Cumberland and parts adjacent.'f
These troops arrived at Carlisle on the 10th of
May, and several persons were apprehended. In
* War-Office Records. |- Ibid.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 15
the middle of that month an insurrection, headed J685
by the Earl of Argyle, broke out in Scotland ;
and in June, James Duke of Monmouth raised
the standard of rebellion in the west of England
and proclaimed himself king. The establishment
of the Royal Dragoons was immediately aug
mented to sixty men per troop : an independent
troop of dragoons, raised by Colonel Strother in
1683, was incorporated in the regiment; and five
troops of dragoons were raised in the vicinity of
London by Richard Leveson, John Williams,
Edward Lea, Francis Russel, and Thomas
Hussey, and added to the Royal Dragoons :
the numbers were thus increased to twelve troops,
amounting to about nine hundred officers and men.
Two troops of the regiment, with some other
forces, were despatched under Brigadier-General
Lord Churchill against the rebels in the west ;
and on the 19th of June two other troops march
ed for the same destination under the orders of
Lieutenant-General the Earl of Feversham, who
was appointed to the chief command of the King's
army. The royal forces having been united, the
four troops of dragoons were placed under the or
ders of Viscount Cornbury ; and the whole marched
in pursuit of the rebels.
After several marches and skirmishes the Duke
of Monmouth took post at Bridgewater; and the
Earl of Feversham, having sent a troop of the
Royal Dragoons, commanded by Captain Coy,
to Lamport, to secure that pass, and to gain intelli
gence in the event of the rebels marching west
ward, advanced with the royal army to Weston

16 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1685 (about three miles from Bridgewater), where he
arrived on Sunday, the 5th of July. Having
quartered the cavalry in the village, and ordered
the infantry to encamp on a plain fronting Sedge-
moor, he sent a party of life guards to patrole in
the direction of Bristol, and posted a piquet of fifty
of the Royal Dragoons with a squadron of the
blues supported by one hundred men of the royal
regiment of foot, on the moor, in front of the
camp. A guard of the Royal Dragoons was
also posted over the artillery, which consisted of
sixteen pieces, and was drawn up on the high road
from Weston to Bridgewater.
During the night the Duke of Monmouth
marched out of Bridgewater. with the view of sur
prising the royal army ; but the piquet in advance
gave the alarm, and after exchanging a few shots
with the rebels, retreated to the camp, and formed
on the right of the infantry ; at the same time
the remainder of the Royal Dragoons, being
aroused in their quarters in the village of Weston,
turned out in the dark in good order, and
formed on the left of the foot. The rebels com
menced the attack with loud shouts, — the con
test became general along the whole line, —
and the moor sparkled with fire. The rebel horse
soon gave way and fled in disorder ; but their in
fantry stood firm and fought with great resolution.
Day at length began to break ; and the King's
foot advancing to the charge, whilst the Royal
Dragoons and other cavalry attacked the flanks
of the rebels and put them in disorder, their whole
line then gave way and fled in confusion, and were

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 17
pursued across the moor and adjoining corn-fields 1685
with great slaughter. Two troops of the Royal
Dragoons continued the pursuit as far as Bridge-
water, where they were ordered to halt by the
Earl of Feversham.
In the mean time Captain Russel's troop of the
Royal Dragoons had been attached to three
Scots regiments of foot, which had recently arrived
from Holland under the command of M|ijor-Gene-
ral Mackay, and ordered to join the army in the
west ; but, on the news of Monmouth's defeat
at Sedgemoor, these forces were directed to halt
at Bagshot ; the Royal Dragoons were subse
quently dispersed in small parties into the adjoin
ing counties to seize suspected persons ; the Scots
regiments returned to Hounslow, and, after en
camping a short time on the heath, re-embarked
for Holland.
One troop of the Royal Dragoons was ordered
to Winchester to escort the Duke of Monmouth
and other prisoners to London ; on its arrival this
troop was quartered in the Borough of Southwark,
and it was under arms when the Duke was be
headed on Tower Hill on the 15th of July. Two
other troops were ordered to Salisbury to mount
guard over the prisoners there, and were subse
quently directed to attend Judge Jeffries during
the trial and execution of the captured rebels ; in
which painful service the troopers were spectators
of numerous acts of barbarity perpetrated by the
remorseless Judge, who sacrificed the lives of
upwards of two hundred persons in these " bloody
assizes," as historians have denominated them.

18 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1685 After the suppression of this rebellion the esta
blishment of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons
was reduced to eight troops, of forty private men
per troop ; and the supernumerary troops were
embodied into a regiment of dragoons, which was
commanded by the Duke of Somerset, and is
now the third light dragoons.
On the 1st of August Lord Churchill was ap
pointed colonel of the third troop of life guards,
and the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons
was conferred on Lieutenant- Colon el Viscount
Cornbury. The two troops of the regiment having
returned from Carlisle, the whole were stationed
in London in October, and subsequently marched
into quarters in Devonshire.
1686 King James II., being a Roman Catholic,
adopted measures calculated to effect the subver
sion of the Protestant church ; and, with the view
of overawing his subjects, he doubled the numbers
of the regular army, and had large bodies of troops
encamped, from time to time, on Hounslow Heath,
where he frequently attended in person and wit
nessed the exercise of the troops. The Royal
Regiment of Dragoons formed part of the force
at these encampments in the summer of 1686,
1687 again in 1687, and in 1688. At this period many
1688 noblemen and gentlemen, resolving to preserve the
nation from papal domination, solicited the Prince
of Orange to come to England with a Dutch force
to assist them in opposing the proceedings of the
King, and the Prince provided an armament for
that purpose.
The colonel of the Royal Dragoons appears

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 19
to have been a zealous Protestant, and to have 1688
entered warmly into the measures taken to resist
the proceedings of the Papists who surrounded
the court. In November, 1688, when the Prince
of Orange had landed, Viscount Cornbury,
having marched with his regiment to Salisbury,*
where the King's army was ordered to assemble,
and where the blues and eighth horse had al
ready arrived, resolved, in connexion with Lieut.-
Colonel Langston, of the eighth horse, and seve^
ral officers of the blues, to endeavour to take these
three regiments over to the Prince, in the following
manner : —
On the night of the 11th of November, direc
tions were given for the adjutants and quarter
masters to await the arrival of the post, as orders
to march were expected. At twelve o'clock the
post arrived, when Colonel Langston opened the
bag before the officers, and the orders, apparently
from the Secretary-at-War, were produced, and
carried to Viscount Cornbury, who gave directions
for the regiments to proceed, at five o'clock, to
wards the enemy. The regiments were accord
ingly on the march before daylight on the
12th ; continuing their progress throughout that
day and the following night (excepting a few
short halts ¦ to refresh the men and horses f),
on the afternoon of the 13th, they arrived at
Axminster, within six miles of the Prince of
Orange's quarters, where they were joined by the
Earl of Abingdon, Sir Walter Clerges, and about
* War Office Records. t Memoires de Berwick.
C '2

20 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1688 thirty other gentlemen, who pretended to be volun
teers. It was now asserted that a design of the
Dutch to surprise the quarters of the King's
forces had been discovered, and orders were
issued for beating up the quarters of the enemy
that night. Accordingly, after dark, the three
regiments were again in motion, and the Prince
of Orange, apprized of their approach by Lord
Cornbury, sent a large body of cavalry to meet
them. The greater part of the men, however,
resolved not to join the Prince of Orange, and,
when they observed what was taking place, they
galloped back. Major Robert Clifford, of
the Royal Dragoons, marched back that regi
ment, with the exception of a few officers and
about fifty dragoons, who accompanied Viscount
Cornbury. The blues also returned, excepting
about twenty- seven. But the Duke of St. Al
ban's regiment (eighth horse) having mustered at
a distance, the men, ignorant of the transaction,
followed Colonel Langston to Honiton, where
they were received as friends by the Dutch gene
ral.* Many of the men, however, returned
to the King's service ; and the Duke of Berwick,
having collected the remains of the three regi
ments, marched them back to Salisbury.
The king arrived at Salisbury on the 20th of
November, and his Majesty rewarded the loy
alty of Major Clifford by promoting him to the
colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons. The King,
however, soon discovered that the defection among
* Lingard's History of England.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 21
the officers was general, and that the soldiers, al- 1688
though they were reluctant to desert his service,
were not disposed to fight in the cause of Papacy.
The superior officers of the army, with the nobility
and gentry, continued to flock to the Prince's
standard, and King James, alarmed for his per
sonal safety, returned in haste to London ; at the
same time the Royal Dragoons marched into
garrison at Portsmouth. The Prince of Orange
advanced to the capital without experiencing se
rious opposition ; King James fled to France ;
and the Prince, having assumed the reins of go
vernment, restored Viscount Cornbury to the
colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons, and ordered
them to occupy quarters at Farnham and Alton.*
After the flight of the King to France, the 1689
crown was conferred on William and Mary,
Prince and Princess of Orange. Their Majesties'
accession, however, met with opposition ; and Vis
count Dundee having induced several of the
Highland clans to take arms in favour of King
James, the Royal Dragoons were immediately
ordered to the north.f At the same time, the
Earl of Clarendon refusing to act with the new
government, his son, Viscount Cornbury, was
superseded in the command of the regiment by
the lieutenant-colonel, Anthony Hayford, whose
commission as colonel was dated the 1st of July,
1689. On the 27th of July, six battalions of infantry
* London Gazette ; War Office Records ; Life of King James
II., &c.
t War Office Route Book.

22 historical record of
1689 and two newly- raised troops of Scots horse, com
manded by Lieut.-General Mackay, were defeated
at Killicrankie by the Highlanders and a few
Irish, under Viscount Dundee and Brigadier-Ge
neral Cannon. Immediately after the action, the
Royal Dragoons were directed to march to the
assistance of Lieut.-General Mackay, and they ar
rived at Perth in the early part of August. The
object of the Commander-in-Chief being the pre
vention of the descent of the mountaineers into the
lowlands, the regiment was posted a short time at
Forfar, under the command of Major-General Sir
John Lanier, and subsequently proceeded by forced
marches to Aberdeen. The Highlanders eventu
ally retired over the mountains by paths inacces
sible to cavalry, and separated to their homes.
In the mean time, the lord-lieutenant of Ireland
(Earl Tyrconnel) had retained the greater part of
that kingdom in the interest of King James. King
William sent an army to that country under the
veteran Duke Schomberg ; and, immediately after
the dispersion of the rebel Highlanders, the Royal
Dragoons were ordered to proceed to Ireland.
They embarked for this service in the early part
of October, landed at Carlingford on the 9th of
that month,* and were ordered to take post at
Armagh and Clownish, from whence they were
removed to the isle of Maghee.
1690 Several skirmishes occurred during the winter ;
and in the spring of 1690 the Royal Dragoons
were before Charlemont, which place was block-
* London Gazette.

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

* " There were two priests in the garrison of Charlemont,
" and there happened a pleasant adventure between one of them
" and a dragoon of Colonel Hayford's regiment (the Royal Dra-
" goons) as they were guarding the Irish towards Armagh. They
" fell into a discourse about religion : the point in hand was
" Transubstantiation : the dragoon, being a pleasant, witty fel-
" low, drolled upon the priest, and put him so to it, that he had
" little to say, upon which he grew so angry that he fell a-beating
" the dragoon, who, not being used to put up with blows, thrashed
" his fatherhood very severely. Upon which, complaint being
" made to Teague, as he was at dinner with our officers at Ar-
" magh, all that he said was, he was very glad of it, adding,
" ' What te de'il had he to do to dispute religion with a dra-
" • goon V " — Story's History of the Wars in Ireland, p. 63.
+ Story's History.

24 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1690 The French and Irish, commanded by King
James, took post on the banks of the Boyne, to
dispute the passage of that river. King William
marched to the opposite bank on the 30th of June,
and, on the morning of the 1st of July, the army
forded the river and drove the enemy from his
position with great slaughter. The Royal Dra
goons and other British troops engaged in forcing
the passage of the Boyne are reported to have.
" acquitted themselves well." King James fled
from the field and proceeded to France ; and the
British army advanced on Dublin. A few days
after the battle King William reviewed the Royal
Dragoons at Finglass, on which occasion they
brought 406 private troopers into the field.
On the 21st of July Major-General Kirke pro
ceeded with the Royal Dragoons and Queen
Dowager's and Colonel Cambron's regiments of
foot to Waterford, and summoned the place, and
on the 25th the governor capitulated.
At the moment when success attended the ope
rations of the army in Ireland, the English and
Dutch fleets, commanded by Lord Torrington and
Admiral Evertsen, were defeated by the French
fleet under the Count de Tourville, and the enemy
afterwards menaced the descent of a formidable
force on the British coast. King William com
manded a troop of life guards, with Count
Schomberg's horse (now seventh dragoon
guards), the Royal Dragoons, and Trelawny's
and Hastings' (fourth and thirteenth) foot to be
immediately embarked for England.
The Royal Dragoons landed at Highlake, in

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 25
Cheshire, in the early part of August. The alarm 1690
of invasion, however, soon subsided; and they
were ordered to return to Ireland, in which country
they again landed on the 20th of October, and
proceeded into extended cantonments in the county
of Cork. Many thousands of the Roman Catholic
peasantry of Ireland were, at this period, in arms
in behalf of King James : they were called rap-
parees, and being formed into bands they made
frequent incursions into the cantonments of the
English regiments. Several men of the Royal
Dragoons were murdered in their quarters by
these rapparees ; and detachments of the regiment
were frequently sent out to scour the country and
chase these bands of marauders from the English
cantonments. Towards the end of December a detachment of
the Royal Dragoons proceeded, with some other
troops, on an expedition commanded by Major-
General Tattea, and on the 1st of January, 1691, 1691
attacked an Irish fort near Scronclaird, which was
taken in two hours, although the enemy had em
ployed five hundred men during two months to
build it.*
In the spring, when the army took the field,
the Royal Dragoons were ordered to remain in
the county of Cork to restrain the incursions of
the rapparees, and to prevent the several forts
and small garrisons from being attacked. In the
early part of June Major Culliford, with a detach
ment of the Royal Dragoons and some militia,
* Story.

26 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1691 penetrated that part of the country from whence
the enemy received their supplies, defeated the
Irish troops, and captured several droves of cattle.
At length General St. Ruth, who commanded the
French and Irish forces, detached two thousand
horse and foot to cover this part of the country.
Major Culliford, however, continued to make
inroads, and having advanced with one hundred
and twenty men of the Royal Dragoons, and
fifty militia foot, he encountered two troops of
Irish cavalry. The English dragoons advanced
boldly to the charge, defeated their opponents,
killed twenty men upon the spot, and pursued the
remainder to Newmarket, where the Irish, being
reinforced, made another stand. The Royal Dra
goons, however, attacked them again with great
bravery, and having sabred fifteen, the remainder
fled in disorder, leaving a quantity of provision
and some cattle behind. Major Culliford de
spatched eleven dragoons and twenty-four of the
militia to the rear with the booty, and then pur
sued the fugitives four miles farther, when he
encountered five hundred of the enemy's horse
commanded by Sir James Cotter. Notwithstand
ing their disparity of numbers, the Royal Dra
goons boldly confronted their opponents, and made
a gallant resistance, but were eventually over
powered ; and forty men having fallen, Major Cul
liford made good his retreat with the remainder.
In retiring, the dragoons, — chafed in spirit and
burning with revenge, — often turned round upon
their pursuers ; and at length Captain Bower and
twenty men boldly faced about and killed about

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 27
twenty of the Irish horsemen, whose eagerness in 1691
the chase had caused them to advance in front of
their main body. In the meantime the eleven
dragoons and twenty-four of the militia, with the
captured cattle and stores, arrived at Drumaugh,
where they were attacked by a detachment of the
enemy, but defended themselves with success
until relieved by a body of troops under Colonels
Hastings and Ogleby.
At the time the Royal Dragoons were making
these diversions, the main army, commanded by
Lieutenant-General De Ginkell, gained a deci
sive victory over the French and Irish at Aghrim ;
and on the 1st of August the regiment joined the
army at Banagher-bridge. The enemy collected
the remains of their defeated regiments at Limerick;
and towards the end of August Lieutenant-Ge
neral De Ginkell besieged that city, commenc
ing his work on the right bank of the Shannon :
the Irish army lay encamped at the same time on
the opposite side of the river.
A pontoon bridge having been prepared, several
regiments were ordered to cross the river at day
break of the 16th of September. The Royal
Dragoons took the lead ; and Brigadier-Ge
neral Clifford,* who commanded four regiments
of King James's dragoons, being taken by sur
prise, made little opposition : some infantry, how
ever, attempted to make a stand ; but a squa
dron of the Royal Dragoons dashed forward

* Colonel Clifford, of the Royal Dragoons, adhered to King
James at the Revolution, and having proceeded to Ireland he was
appointed a Brigadier-General.

28 historical record of
1691 and routed them in an instant. Two or three
French and Irish battalions retired to a bog and
wood in their rear, from whence they were driven
with the loss of several men killed, and a French
lieut.-colonel, a captain, and a number of men
made prisoners. The regiments which had passed
the river advanced upon the enemy's camp, where
a curious spectacle presented itself: — many of the
Irish were running about in their shirts, some
were pulling down tents, others driving away cat
tle, many were making their escape into the town,
and others hurrying towards the mountains ; a
regiment of dragoons, whose horses were two
miles distance at grass, dispersed in confusion :
at the same time a party of horse buckled on their
arms and made a show of fighting ; but they fled
on the advance of the English, who took posses
sion of the camp, where they found a quantity of
beef, brandy, and corn, with the saddles and
appointments of three hundred dragoons. The
Royal Dragoons were commended by Lieut.-
General De Ginkell for their gallant conduct,
and they returned to the other side of the river on
the same day.*
On the 22nd of September the regiment, with
several other corps, crossed the Shannon into the
county of Clare ; when the advance-guard, which
consisted of eighteen men of the Royal Dragoons,
was attacked by a squadron of the Irish cavalry :
this small party sustained the first onset with
admirable firmness, but were forced to retire ; part
* Story.— London Gazettes, &c. &c.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 29
of the regiment, however, soon advanced to their 1691
assistance, when the enemy was defeated and
chased under the range of their batteries, and
three small pieces of brass ordnance were cap
tured. Orders were then given for the infantry
to attack the works which covered Thoumond
bridge. These works were carried after a sharp
struggle ; when the troops which had defended
them endeavoured to enter the town ; but the
drawbridge had been raised, and they were left to
the mercy of the English, who slaughtered such
numbers, that the dead bodies lay in heaps on the
bridge higher than the parapet walls. Five co
lours were taken on this occasion, and so many men
slain, drowned, and taken prisoners, that the enemy
surrendered the place in a few days afterwards.
The conquest of Ireland having been effected, 1692
the Royal Dragoons returned to England, where
they arrived in January, 1692, and marched into
dispersed cantonments in Leicestershire ; and
during a part of the summer a detachment was
stationed in garrison at Portsmouth. The regi
ment was subsequently stationed, on revenue duty,
in the maritime towns on the southern coast of the
kingdom ; and in the autumn of 1693 it had the 1 693
honour of furnishing a relay of escorts to attend
King William from Margate to London, when His
Majesty returned from Holland.
The war with France, which was commenced in 1694
1689, had been continued with varied success ; and
in the spring of 1694 the Royal Dragoons were
ordered to proceed on foreign service. They left
England in May ; joined the army encamped near

30

historical record of

1694 Tirlemont in South Brabant, on the 21st of June,
and were reviewed by King William on the follow
ing day. On arriving at this camp they were
ordered to take post in front of the village of Cam-
tich, and this quarter being much exposed to
attacks from the enemy, they were reinfoi'ced by
two regiments of Dutch infantry. The army
marched from Tirlemont on the 13th of July, and
encamped at Mont St. Andre and Ramilies, where
the regiment was formed in brigade with the royal
Scots and Fairfax's (now second and third) dra
goons, under the command of Brigadier- General
Matthews, and this brigade was encamped on the
left of the line. The French army encamped near
Huy, with their left upon the Mehaine. On the
17th of July a foraging party of the allies crossed
the river, and, meeting with several French squa
drons, a skirmish ensued, when the Royal
Dragoons lost eight horses and had three men
wounded. On the 28th of the same month an
other foraging party encountered a detachment of
the enemy, when the regiment had two men and
several horses killed. The allied army was again in
motion on the 8th of August : much manoeuvring,
and some skirmishing took place between the
hostile squadrons, but no general engagement
occurred. On the 29th of August the Royal
Dragoons were stationed at Waeken — a post
situate at the junction of the Mandel and the
Scheldt ; and in October they marched into can
tonments in the villages between Ghent and Sans^
van-Ghent.*
* D'Auvergne's History of the Campaigns in Flanders.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 31
In the spring of 1695 the Royal Dragoons 1695
marched to Dixmude, forming part of a division
of the army commanded by Major-General Ellen-
berg, and were brigaded with Lloyd's (now third)
dragoons and a regiment of Danish cavalry. On
the 7th of June the Duke of Wirtemberg took
command of this division, and attacked the French
forts at Kenoque as a diversion to conceal King
William's design upon the strong and almost
impregnable fortress of Namur, which he com
manded to be invested shortly afterwards. The
Royal Dragoons joined the covering army to
wards the end of June ; but were detached to
Bruges in July : they were subsequently recalled
from thence and joined the camp between Genappe
and Waterloo, from whence they proceeded to the
vicinity of Namur, to protect the troops employed
in the siege from a threatened attack of the French
army. After the surrender of the important for
tress of Namur, . the regiment marched into can
tonments behind Ghent.
The French menaced an attack upon the quar- 1696
ters of the allied army in Flanders in the spring of
1696, when the Royal Dragoons were suddenly
called from their cantonments to encamp on the
banks of the canal between Ghent and Bruges,
where they were reviewed by King William on
the 29th of May. They served the campaign of
this year with the army of Flanders, commanded by
the Prince of Vandemont, and were brigaded with
the royal Scots and royal Irish (second and fifth)
dragoons, commanded by Brigadier-General Mat
thews. The object of this army was the protec-

32 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1696 tion of Ghent, Bruges, and the maritime towns of
Flanders : no general action occurred ; but a party
of the Royal Dragoons, with a detachment of
Langston's horse (now fourth dragoon guards),
surprised one of the French out-guards on the
night of the 20th of September and took thirty
i prisoners. This appears to be the only action in
which the regiment took part during the campaign
of this year ; and on the 6th of October it marched
into quarters in the villages behind the Bruges
canal.
1697 During the campaign of 1697 the regiment
served under King William in the army of Bra
bant, and was brigaded with the royal Scots and
Eppinger's dragoons.
On the 28th of May Brigadier- General Mat
thews died ; and on the 30th His Majesty conferred
the colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons on Tho
mas Lord Raby, afterwards Earl of Strafford.
The enemy, having great superiority of numbers,
besieged and took Aeth, and afterwards menaced
Brussels ; but were frustrated in their designs by
King William. The Royal Dragoons were en
camped before Brussels in June ; and subsequently
at Wavre. Hostilities were terminated in Sep
tember by the treaty of Ryswick, and after the
conclusion of peace, the regiment embarked from
the Netherlands, — landed at the Red House in
South wark on the 21st of November, and, at the
end of the same month, marched into extensive
quarters in Yorkshire, where the establishment,
which during the war had been eight troops,
amounting to five hundred and ninety officers and

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 33
men, was reduced to six troops of two hundred and 1698
ninety-four officers and men.
During the two succeeding years the Royal 1699
Dragoons occupied quarters in Lancashire and
Leicestershire. In June, 1700, they assembled on 1700
Hounslow Heath and were reviewed by King Wil
liam III., who was pleased to express his royal
approbation of their appearance and discipline.
Leaving the south of England in July, they pro
ceeded into quarters in Yorkshire and Cumberland,
with one troop stationed in garrison at Carlisle and
another at Hull.
In 1701 the Royal Dragoons were stationed 1701
in Yorkshire, with three troops in garrison at
Hull ; at this period the ambitious Louis XIV.
of France violated the treaties he had entered
into, and procured the accession of his grandson,
Philip, Duke of Anjou, to the throne of Spain.
War was resolved upon, and the establishment
of the regiment was augmented to eight troops
amounting to five hundred and thirty-two officers
and men ; and it embarked for Holland in the
beginning of March, 1702. Before the trans- 1702
ports sailed, the death of King William occurred
(8th March, 1702), when the regiment was disem
barked and placed in cantonments in the villages
in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis. In a
few days afterwards, Her Majesty Queen Anne
having resolved to pursue the foreign policy of her
predecessor, the regiment re-embarked, and after
landing at Williamstadt, went into quarters at Bre
da, where it was formed in brigade with the royal
Scots and royal Irish (second and fifth) dragoons,
D

34

HISTORICAL RECORD OF

1702 under the command of that excellent officer, Bri
gadier-General Ross, and was placed as a guard to-
the English train of artillery.*
A powerful French army was in the field me
nacing the frontiers of Holland. The Earl of
Marlborough assembled the forces under his
orders towards the end of June, and in July the
Royal Dragoons joined the army with the train
of artillery. By a daring advance the British com
mander disconcerted the designs of his opponents,
who retired without venturing an engagement.
The Royal Dragoons were employed in covering
the sieges of Venloo, Ruremonde, and Stevens-
waert ; and took part in the capture of the city of
Liege : they afterwards marched back to Holland,
and were quartered at Arnheim, the capital of the
province of Guelderland, where they were reviewed
1703 in April, 1703, by their colonel, Lord Raby, who
was passing through Holland on his way to Prussia,
as envoy extraordinary to that court.t
At the commencement of the campaign of 1703
the Royal Dragoons were employed in covering
the siege of Bonn, and afterwards joined the army
near Maestricht, with six battalions of infantry
commanded by the Prince of Hesse, and were
formed in brigade with the same regiments as in
the preceding year.
On the advance of the allied army commanded
by the Duke of Marlborough, the French re
treated, and took post behind their fortified lines.
* Official Records, London Gazettes, &c.
t London Gazettes, Millner's Journal, and Annals of Queen
Anne.

the first, or royal dragoons. 35
On the 27th of July the British commander pro- 1703
ceeded, with four thousand horse and dragoons,
towards the enemy's intrenchments, and Lieute
nant Benson, with thirty men of the Royal Dra
goons, who formed the advance-guard, charged
and defeated a piquet of forty French horsemen,
and chased them to the barriers of their intrench
ments with signal gallantry, which gave his
Grace an opportunity of advancing within musket-
shot of the lines. He was desirous of attacking
these formidable works, but was prevented by the
timidity and pertinacity of the Dutch generals and
field deputies. In August, when the siege of Huy
was undertaken, the Royal Dragoons were en
camped on the banks of the river Maese, to secure
the bridge, and to keep up the communication.
They were subsequently engaged in the' siege of
Limburg, a city situated on a pleasant eminence
among the woods near the banks of the little river
Wesdet. Spanish Guelderland having been de
livered from the power of France, and the Dutch
freed from the dread of an invasion, the Royal
Dragoons quitted the vicinity of Limburg and
marched back to Holland. In the mean time
circumstances had occurred which occasioned
their removal .from the army commanded by the
celebrated Duke of Marlborough, to another
theatre of war.
During the summer the Emperor of Germany
and Prince Joseph renounced their pretensions to
the Spanish monarchy in behalf of Archduke
Charles, who was acknowledged as King of Spain
by several of the states of Europe ; and a treaty of
d 2

36 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
J 703 alliance having been concluded with the King of
Portugal, the Royal Dragoons were selected to
accompany the Archduke to Lisbon, and to take
part in the attempt to place him on the throne of
Spain by force of arms.
The Portuguese monarch having engaged to
provide horses for the English cavalry, the Royal
Dragoons transferred their horses to the British
regiments in Holland, and embarked, dismounted,
in October ; but were so long detained by contrary
winds and severe weather, that they did not arrive
1704 at the capital of Portugal before March, 1704,
when they landed with the remainder of the
British and Dutch forces commanded by Duke
Schomberg. In consequence of the horses produced by the
Portuguese authorities being of so inferior a de
scription that the English officers rejected the
greater part of them, only twenty men per troop
of the Royal Dragoons were mounted ; the dis
mounted men proceeded to Abrantes to await the
arrival of horses, and the mounted men advanced
to the frontiers of Portugal, and encamped on a
pleasant plain near Estremos. Tardiness and
inability were, however, manifested by the Portu
guese authorities to such an extent, that the Duke
of Berwick, having arrived from France with
eighteen battalions of infantry and nineteen squa
drons of cavalry, and taken the command of the
French and Spanish forces, attacked the frontiers
of Portugal before the allies were prepared to take
the field. The court of Lisbon was alarmed, the
provinces were in consternation ; the Duke

the first, or royal dragoons. 37
Schomberg solicited to be recalled, and the 1704
Earl of Galway was sent with reinforcements
to Portugal, and appointed to the command of
the British forces in that country.
One hundred and twenty men of the Royal
Dragoons formed part of a body of cavalry, which
crossed the frontiers and made a successful incur
sion into the Spanish territory. Extraordinary
measures were adopted to procure horses, and at
the close of the summer the regiment had upwards
of three hundred mounted men in the field. In
the autumn the army was enabled to act on the
offensive, and the Royal Dragoons were among
the forces which penetrated Spain ; but on arriving
at the vicinity of Ciudad Rodrigo, the enemy was
found so advantageously posted on the opposite
side of the Agueda, that the Portuguese generals
would not venture the passage of the river ; and,
after reconnoitring the hostile army several times,
the allies returned to Portugal, and the Royal
Dragoons went into village cantonments in the
Alentejo.* During the winter and the spring of 1705 the 1705
regiment procured an additional supply of horses,
and when it again took the field it was much
better mounted than in the preceding year. It
joined the army in April, and, advancing into
Spanish Estremadura, formed part of the force
which invested Valencia de Alcantara, which
fortress was captured in the early part of May.
* London Gazettes ; Present State of Europe ; M£moires de
Berwick; Annals of Queen Anne; and Official Records in the
War- Office.

38 historical record of
1705 Albuquerque was subsequently besieged and taken;
and the capture of Badajoz was contemplated, but
that undertaking was abandoned until the sum
mer's heat was abated.
In the mean time an expedition had been fitted
out in England, and aland force, commanded by
Lieut.-General the Earl of Peterborough, em
barked for the purpose of furthering the designs
of the house of Austria. The , fleet arrived at
Lisbon in June, and, King Charles resolving, to
accompany the expedition, the Royal and Cun
ningham's (now eighth) dragoons, and four regi
ments of foot, were embarked to strengthen the
land force. The fleet put to sea, and, after
several consultations among the general and naval
officers* an attack on Barcelona was resolved upon.
The fleet arrived before that fortress on the 22nd
of August (N.S.), and on the 24th the Royal
Dragoons landed near a river called Bassoz, on
the east side of the city, and encamped about a
mile from the walls, in a place well fortified by
nature, where the army was joined by many of the
country people, who were formed into bands, and
acted as a guerilla force : " they were" (as Bishop
Burnet observes) " good at plundering, but could
" not submit to regular discipline, nor were they
" willing to expose themselves to dangerous ser-
" vices. The siege of Barcelona was considered a ro
mantic enterprise, and it excited a lively interest
in every nation in Christendom. The garrison
equalled in strength the besieging army within
about two thousand men, and, according to the

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 39
ordinary rules and chances of war, success ap- 1705
peared impossible. The siege was, however,
commenced, and on the 14th of September an
attack was made on the strong fortress of Mont
juich, situate on an eminence overlooking the
town, on which occasion a detachment of the
Royal Dragoons was posted between this de
tached fortress and the city to prevent a sally of
the Spanish cavalry. The garrison of Fort
Montjuich held out three days, and then surren
dered. During the remainder of the siege the
Royal Dragoons were almost constantly on
duty, the besieging army not having a sufficient
number of men to form two reliefs of the ordi
nary guards in the trenches and on the batteries :
the siege was, however, persisted in, and the
governor capitulated on the 9th of October. The
garrison was preparing to march out on the 14th,
when numbers of the guerillas and armed pea
santry, having entered by the breach in hopes of
obtaining plunder, united with the inhabitants of
the town, and attacked the houses of the French
and other persons known to be in the interest of
the Duke of Anjou ; they also threatened to mas
sacre the governor and garrison : but the Earl of
Peterborough marched into the town at the head of
a troop of the Royal Dragoons and a detachment
of grenadiers, and restored order and tranquillity.
On this occasion his lordship narrowly escaped
falling a sacrifice to his humanity. A Spaniard
having fired at the Duke of Popoli, the ball passed
through the Earl of Peterborough's periwig. The
valour and perseverance of the British and Dutch

40 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1705 having achieved the conquest of Barcelona, at
which (as Dr. Freind observes) " all Europe
" wondered," nearly every town in Catalonia de
clared for King Charles III., and the Royal
Dragoons were placed in garrison at Tortosa,
excepting a detachment which remained at Bar
celona. Shortly afterwards Valencia declared in
favour of the house of Austria.
A French and Spanish force, commanded by
the Conde de las Torres, was detached to retake
the revolted towns, and in December the enemy
besieged St. Mattheo, which place was defended
by a party of Spaniards, commanded by a stout
hearted Welshman, named Jones, who made a
resolute defence. The Earl of Peterborough ad
vanced with two hundred of the Royal Dragoons
and a thousand British foot to relieve the place.
This force was not more than one-fifth of the
numbers of the besieging army : but, by night
marches among the woods and mountains, and by
circulating false reports, the British succeeded in
surprising their opponents ; and the Spanish com
mander, not knowing the numbers of his enemy,
and being deceived by spies, made a precipitate
retreat, and his rear-guard was pursued by the
Royal Dragoons over the mountains to Albo-
cazar. The French and Spanish army continued to
retire, and was pursued by the Earl of Peter
borough with a force so much inferior in num
bers, that the record of these events appears al
most incredible,* and exhibits the native valour,
* " Notwithstanding King Charles has received no reinforce-

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 41
spirit of enterprise, and temerity of the British 1706
commander, with the pusillanimity and credulity
of the Spaniards, in a strong light. Four troops
of the Royal Dragoons formed part of that small
body of men with which the Earl of Peterborough
pursued a numerous army. The services in which
they were engaged partook of the nature of a gue
rilla warfare, and put to a severe test the disci
pline, bravery, and intelligence of the men. Being
divided into small parties, and united with bands
of armed peasantry, they were continually per
forming night marches among the woods and
mountains, and, hovering about the rear and flanks
of the Spanish army, keeping it in a state of
alarm, which services were performed in concert
with spies ; and although, under these circum
stances, it must have been difficult to preserve
subordination and discipline, yet the Royal Dra
goons performed these duties to the satisfaction
of the commander-in-chief. On one occasion
" the Spaniards employed by my lord Peterbo-
" rough informed the Conde de las Torres of a
" considerable force that was upon his left, some-
" what before him, and certainly designed, as
" they told him, to take some passes which might
" prevent his entrance into the plains leading to

" ments since he landed in Catalonia, his partisans, and the small
" army under the'Earl of Peterborough, have been so active, that
" their progress looks altogether romantic, and will hardly be be-
" lieved by posterity. They have not only maintained their con-
" quest of the whole principality of Catalonia, but they have
" gained the kingdom of Valencia, and carried their arms as far
" as Alicant ; at the same time they blockaded Roses, though
" the two places were above four hundred miles one from the
" other."— Present State of Europe, January, 1706.

1706

42 historical record of
Valencia, and that there were English troops
among them. This the Spanish general thinks
ing impossible, one of the spies offered to give
any two or three officers he pleased to appoint
the satisfaction of seeing what he affirmed.
Upon this two officers, in the country habit,
went along with him to a place where, pre*
tending to alight and refresh themselves, they
were seized by ten English dragoons that were
posted there on purpose, and had marched in
the mountains all night with the spies. The
Spaniards being thus surprised and seized, the
spy pretended the guard was drunk, and the
officers, seeing a couple of dragoons lying appa
rently in that condition, slipped into the stable
and took three of the horses, and so returned to
the Conde de las Torres. This was enough to
confirm the intelligence and gain credit to the
spy, as officers of that country never fail to
magnify their dangers and escapes. Sometimes
the dragoons were brought prisoners, by con
sent, into the Spanish camp, by country people,
seeming in their interest. By such artful means;
and by such diligent application, a little body of
men, about twelve or thirteen hundred cavalry
and two thousand infantry, were brought to join
in the neighbourhood of Castillon de la Plana."*
Such were the services in which the Royal Dra
goons were engaged, and an immense tract of
country was delivered from the power of the
enemy. A most romantic part of the adventure
* Doctor Freind's Account of the Earl of Peterborough's Con
duct in Spain.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 43
was, that the Earl of Peterborough, being defi- 1706
cient in cavalry, procured eight hundred Spanish
horses, and constituted Lord Barrymore's regi
ment (now thirteenth foot) a corps of dragoons,
of which he appointed the lieut.-colonel, Edward
Pearce, colonel.
The Royal Dragoons accompanied the Earl
of Peterborough to Valencia. The enemy brought
forward a numerous army to besiege this important
place ; but the British commander issued from the
city with his gallant horsemen, and surprised and
captured the Spanish battering-train ; he also pe
netrated, by a night march, to the rear of their
army, and attacked and defeated their reinforce
ments ; and by these and other achievements of a
similar character, which exhibit the valour and
excellent conduct of the troops under his orders,
he frustrated the designs of the enemy.
These brilliant successes alarmed the courts of
France and Spain, and a powerful attempt to re
gain the possession of the towns which had ac
knowledged King Charles was determined upon.
The Spaniards were desirous of commencing with
Valencia, but they were overruled by orders from
France ; and, the English fleet having left Bar
celona in the autumn, the siege of that place was
undertaken by a land force commanded by King
Philip in person, and the French fleet under the
Count de Toulouse.
The Earl of Peterborough hastened from Va
lencia with the Royal Dragoons and a select
number of men from the other corps, and on his
arrival at the vicinity of Barcelona he found the

44 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1706 town invested by a numerous army and a fleet.
He immediately took to the mountains with his
hardy dragoons and about two thousand foot, and,
being joined by numbers of the armed peasantry,
he was constantly hovering near the besieging
army with his detachments, interrupting the
enemy's communications, cutting off their sup
plies, and attacking their out-guards ; and on one
occasion he succeeded in throwing a number of
men into the town. At length the British fleet
arrived with reinforcements ; the French admiral
withdrew with precipitation, and, Barcelona being
thus relieved, the enemy raised the siege on the
12th of May, 1706, and retreated towards Rous-
sillon, leaving behind his artillery, ammunition,
stores, and sick and wounded men. A squadron
of the Royal Dragoons and some other cavalry
were ordered to pursue the retiring army, and,
being joined by hundreds of armed peasantry,
they attacked the enemy's rear-guard several
times, and took a number of prisoners. The
Spaniards killed every man who fell into their
hands ; but the prisoners taken by the English
and Dutch met with good treatment.
After the flight of the enemy from before Bar
celona, the Royal Dragoons returned to Valen
cia, from whence they expected to advance with
King Charles immediately upon Madrid, to join
the allied army commanded by the Marquis das
Minas and the Earl of Galway, which being supe
rior in numbers to the French and Spanish forces
on the frontiers of Portugal, arrived at the capital
of Spain towards the end of June. King Charles,

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 45
however, delayed to proceed to Madrid, and being 1706
guided by pernicious councils, he eventually went
round by way of Arragon. Meanwhile the French
and Spanish forces which, after raising the siege
of Barcelona, had retired to France, re-entered
Spain, and uniting with the forces under the Duke
of Berwick, compelled the army of Portugal to
retire from Madrid. The Royal Dragoons
marched from Valencia in July, together with
Pearce's dragoons, a regiment of Castilian foot,
and a regiment of Germans, and on the 8th of
August joined the army of Portugal at Guada-
laxara, from whence they marched to Chinchon,
a town of Toledo, eighteen miles from Madrid,
where they remained about a month.
The allied army, being unable to make head
against the superior numbers of the enemy, retired,
and having crossed the Tagus at Fuente Duennas,
continued their march through the fine champaign
country of La Mancha, and took up their winter
quarters in Valencia, extending their cantonments
from Requena to Denia.
In the spring of 1707 the Royal Dragoons 1707
were ordered to take the field, and after a long
and difficult march they joined the army in the
beginning of April ; but no expectation of a general
engagement being entertained, and land carriage
being difficult to procure, they were detached on
the 9th of April as far as Denia, for their clothing,
and to refresh their horses a short time in village
cantonments. While they lay at Collera, a town
situate at the mouth of the river Xucar, in the
province of Valencia, the battle of Almanza was

46 historical record of
1707 fought on the 25th of April, when the allied army,
commanded by the Marquis das Minas and the
Earl of Galway, was nearly annihilated by the
French and Spaniards under the Duke of Ber
wick. Soon after this disaster the Royal Dragoons
joined the wreck of the allied army, which had
been collected by the Earl of Galway, and were
employed for three months in marches and coun
termarches, observing the motions of the opposing
army and endeavouring to preserve the rich and
extensive province of Catalonia from the power of
the enemy. They afterwards formed part of the
force assembled for the relief of Lerida, but the
undertaking was found to be impracticable. The
enemy gained possession of Arragon and Valencia,
but were prevented acquiring all the advantages
from the victory at Almanza which had been anti
cipated.
1708 During the winter and succeeding spring exer
tions were made to bring the regiments in Cata
lonia into as efficient a state as possible ; and when
the Royal Dragoons took the field to serve the
campaign of 1708, they were reported to be " in
excellent condition."* The allied army in Cata
lonia was under the orders of Marshal Count Guido
de Staremberg, an officer of reputation, who had
commanded the Imperial troops in Hungary. The
services of the Royal DRAGOONS^were of a defen
sive character ; sending out detachments to recon
noitre, furnishing piquets and patroles, and tra-
* The Present State of Europe for 1708.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 47
versing the mountain districts of Catalonia in 1708
small parties, were the only duties they were
called upon to perform. They were encamped a
short time in a valley near Monblanco, subse
quently on a fertile plain near Cervera, and they
passed another winter in cantonments in Catalonia.
The early part of the campaign of 1709 was 1709
also passed in defensive movements : the Royal
Dragoons were encamped with the army on the
banks of the Segre, and having forded that river
in August, the town of Balaguer, situate at the
foot of a hill on the banks of that stream and in
a district of uncommon fertility, was captured ;
also Ager, a place twelve miles from Balaguer.
After placing garrisons in these towns the army
repassed the river, and the regiments went into
cantonments. The campaign of 1710 was distinguished by 1710
more important events, the two claimants to the
throne of Spain heading their armies in person.
The enemy was first in the field, and commenced
operations with the siege of Balaguer, but retired
on the approach of the allied army. The Royal
Dragoons were subsequently encamped on the
banks of the Segre,; and when King Charles
joined the army, they were detached to meet his
Majesty and to escort him to the camp.
After some manoeuvring, Lieutenant-General
Stanhope (afterwards Earl Stanhope), who
commanded the British troops in Spain, being at
the head of the leading column of the allied army
on the march towards Alfaras, discovered, on the
evening of the 27th of July, a body of the enemy's

48 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1710 forces in front of the village of Almanara, and
obtained the King's permission to attack them
with the cavalry, of which the Royal Dragoons
had the honour to form part.
The sun was declining from the horizon, and
the shades of evening were gathering over the
valleys of Catalonia, when the British commander
led forward his warlike horsemen. Before him
appeared twenty -two squadrons of Castilian
cavalry, the pride and flower of the Spanish army,
with King Philip's life guards on the right ; a
second line of the same numbers was seen in the
rear, and nine battalions of infantry supported the
cavalry. Against this force the gallant Stan
hope advanced at the head of Harvey's horse
(now second dragoon guards) ; his front line con
sisted of sixteen squadrons, with a reserve of six
squadrons. The Spaniards came forward to meet
their opponents in all the pomp of war, and a noble
spectacle presented itself. The foaming squadrons
dashed upon each other, but the contest was of
short duration. The enemy's left soon gave way,
— the Spanish life guards were routed with the
loss of a standard and a pair of kettle drums, —
their second line fled in confusion, — the infantry
were seized with a panic ; and Stanhope's
troopers chased the fugitives from the field with
great slaughter, following them among the rocks
and dells until the darkness rendered it impossible
to distinguish friends from foes.
The result of this cavalry action disconcerted
the plans of the enemy ; King Philip called in his
detachments and retired; and the allied army

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 49
moved forward in pursuit. After following the 1710
retiring army many days, sometimes crossing val
leys, and at other times traversing wild but beau
tiful regions among rocks and mountains, and
obtaining possession of numerous towns in Ar-
ragon, the Royal Dragoons overtook the enemy's
rear-guard in the pass of Penalva, on the 15th
of August, when a sharp skirmish ensued, and
Lieut.-Colonel Colberg, who commanded the
regiment, was wounded and taken prisoner.
Continuing the pursuit during the four succeed
ing days, the Royal Dragoons passed the Ebro
with the leading column under Major-General
Carpenter, and on the evening of the 19th of
August the French and Spanish forces were dis
covered in order of battle on the right of Sara-
gossa, a city pleasantly situated on the river
Ebro, in a very plentiful country, abounding with
every necessary for the support and convenience of
life, and once the delight of Julius Csesar, who
erected a splendid palace there. Preparations
were made to attack the enemy on the following
day ; the Royal Dragoons formed part of the
cavalry of the left wing, commanded by Lieut.-
General Stanhope, and were opposed to the
enemy's right on the brow of a steep hill.
Early on the morning of the 20th of August
a heavy cannonade commenced ; and as the moun
tains re-echoed the sound, and the smoke, tinged
with the rays of the sun, rose in curling clouds
and formed a glittering dome over the opposing
armies, King Charles and his suite galloped along
the line, and his Majesty's presence infused a
E

50 HISTORICAL record^ of
1710 glowing ardour into the troops. About mid-day
Lieut.-General Stanhope led the Royal Dra
goons and other British horsemen on the left
against their adversaries, and a sharp cavalry
action ensued, in which the French troopers (be
ing superior in numbers) had the advantage ; but
Stanhope's second line of cavalry repulsed the
enemy. The British dragoons rallied, and return
ing to the charge, a sanguinary sword-fight took
place at the foot of the hill ; but six squadrons of
Portuguese dragoons on the extreme left fled
before the troops advancing against them, without
waiting to be attacked. The battle extended
along the front to the banks of the Ebro, and the
Imperial, Dutch, and Palatine troops vied with
the British in feats of gallantry. The Royals,
Pepper's (now eighth) and Stanhope's dragoons,
continuing the fight, gained some advantage;
Harvey's horse signalized themselves ; and four
English battalions, commanded by Major-General
Wade, being mixed with the cavalry of the left
wing, behaved with remarkable intrepidity and
heroism. The British infantry, throwing off their
knapsacks, sprang up the acclivity and attacked
their opponents sword in hand: finally, the
enemy was driven from the field with prodigious
slaughter, and the loss of six thousand prisoners,
twenty-two pieces of cannon, seventy- two standards
and colours, the ammunition, baggage, and plate
of King Philip ; and the city of Saragossa was cap
tured, with its military stores of ammunition, pro
vision and clothing. The Royal Dragoons passed
the night in the fields near the town, and were

the first, or royal dragoons. 51
thanked by King Charles for their distinguished 1710
gallantry. After this victory the army once more advanced
to Madrid, and King Charles made his public
entry into the capital on the 28th of September ;
but the army of Portugal not advancing to sustain
this forward movement, the most disastrous re
sults followed. King Philip called to his aid
troops from Estremadura, — reinforcements arrived
from France, — the Castilian peasantry took arms
in his behalf, — and the allied army was once more
forced to retire.
On the 1 1th of November King Charles with
drew from the army, taking with him the Royal
Dragoons and Staremberg's Imperialists, and
proceeded to -Cienpoznelos. The Royal Dra
goons appear to have become a favourite corps
with his Majesty, and when he retired to Bar
celona he took with him two squadrons of the
regiment as a body-guard. The other squadron
remained with the army, and during the retreat it
formed part of the rear column on the left com
manded by Lieut.-General Stanhope. This
retrograde movement was performed under great
difficulties from the hostile spirit of the Castilians,
inclement weather, and a scarcity of forage and
provision. On the 6th of December the colpmn
of which the Royal Dragoons formed part
arrived at Brihuega, a village of about a thou
sand houses, situate in the mountains of Castile,
near the river Tajuna, where they halted on the
following day. While the troops were reposing
in this rural seclusion, the town was suddenly
e 2

52 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1710 surrounded by the French and Spanish forces
commanded by the Duke of Vendosme. The
British, though invested by a force of more than
ten times their own numbers, resolved on a vigo
rous defence ; but unfortunately they had no artil
lery, very little ammunition, and the wall round
the village was in a ruinous condition. The
enemy forced the gates, battered down part of the
wall with their cannon, and assaulted the place by
storm, but were repulsed with severe loss. A
second assault was given, and the British troops,
having spent all their ammunition, defended them
selves a short time with stones and other missiles ;
but were eventually forced to surrender prisoners
of war.*
The officers and men of the Royal Dragoons
who were thus made prisoners were sent to France,
and, after being exchanged, were removed to
England, and subsequently to Scotland. The
remainder of the regiment continued in Spain,
where it served under Lieut.-General the Duke of
1711 Argyle.

* List of British troops which surrendered in the village of,
Brihuega, 9th December, 1 710 : —
Harvey's horse, now second dragoon guards.
, Royal Dragoons (one squadron), now first, or the royal
dragoons.
Pepper's dragoons, now the eighth light dragoons.
Stanhope's dragoons, disbanded.
Foot Guards, one battalion.
Harrison's foot, now the sixth.
Wade's ditto, now the thirty-third.
Dormer's ditto, disbanded.
Bowie's ditto, ditto.
Gore's ditto, ditto.
Munden's ditto, ditto.
DalzePs ditto, ditto.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 53
In 1711 the Emperor Joseph died, King 1711
Charles proceeded from Spain to Germany,
and was elected Emperor of the Romans. This
event removed one of the competitors for the
throne of Spain. King Philip made a formal
renunciation of his claim to succeed to the throne
of France, and the danger of an union of the
kingdoms of France and Spain was thus removed.
Negotiations for a general peace were commenced, 1712
and in the summer of 1712 the officers and men
of the Royal Dragoons quitted Spain and re
turned to England. They were mounted on
Spanish horses ; but before they quitted Catalonia
their horses were sold, and the men returned home
dismounted. After their arrival in England the Royal
Dragoons were stationed in dispersed quarters in
Yorkshire ; and the establishment was fixed at
twenty-seven officers, eight quarter-masters, and
three hundred and twenty-eight non-commissioned
officers and private men. During the summer of 1713
1713 a detachment of the regiment proceeded to
Dover, and received a draft of two hundred horses
from Kerr's (now seventh) dragoons, which regi
ment was ordered to proceed, dismounted, to Ire
land, where it was disbanded. 1714
On the decease of Queen Anne on the 1st of
August, 1714, the Royal Dragoons left York
shire, and marched into quarters in the villages near
London ; but after the arrival of King George I.
from Hanover they returned to Yorkshire, and a re
duction of fifty men was made in the establishment.*

* Marching Order Books and Establishment Books in the War-
Office.

54 historical record of
1715 In January, 1715, two troops of the Royal
Dragoons, with three troops of the Scots greys,
and a newly-raised troop of dragoons, were incor
porated into a regiment — the present seventh
hussars.* The establishment was thus reduced to
six troops; and on the 13th of June in the same
year the colonelcy was conferred on Richard
Lord Cobham, who was advanced to the dignity
of Viscount three years afterwards.
At this period Jacobite principles were very
prevalent in the United Kingdom ; and in Septem
ber, 1715, the Earl of Mar raised the standard of
rebellion in Scotland, and excited the clans to take
arms in favour of the Pretender. The Royal
Dragoons were immediately ordered to the
North ; and in the early part of October they
arrived at Edinburgh, from whence they marched
immediately afterwards, and, being placed under
the command of Lieutenant-General Carpenter,
went in pursuit of a body of rebels.
After several marches and countermarches Lieu
tenant-General Carpenter arrived at Jedburgh on
the 30th of October: three days afterwards he
ascertained that a division of the rebel army had
marched in the direction of Carlisle, and he in
stantly went in pursuit of them. The rebels, how
ever, eluded his vigilance, and arrived without
opposition at Preston, in Lancashire. Major-
General WillSj who commanded in Cheshire, as
sembled several regiments, and marched towards
* The seventh and eighth regiments of dragoons were dis
banded after the Peace of Utrecht ; but the seventh was restored,
as stated above, and the eighth in a few months afterwards.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 55
Preston. In the mean time Lieutenant-General 1715
Carpenter, with the Royal, Molesworth' s, and
Churchill's dragoons,* were marching with all
possible expedition from Scotland ; and they ar
rived before Preston about mid-day on Sunday, the
13th of November, when they found the town sur
rounded by the troops under Major-General Wills :
some sharp fighting had previously taken place,
but on the arrival of the forces from Scotland, the
rebels surrendered at discretion. On the same day
another division of the rebel army was defeated at
Sheriff-moor, near Dumblain ; and in the early
part of 1716 the Pretender and insurgent chiefs 17]fi
made their escape to France, and the common
people retired to their homes.
After the suppression of this rebellion, the
Royal Dragoons were stationed in Leicestershire
and Nottinghamshire, from whence they marched,
in February, 1717, to Newcastle upon Tyne, and
were placed under the command of Major-General
Wills. This march was occasioned by the prepara
tions made by Charles XII., King of Sweden, for
an expedition to England to place the Pretender
on the throne ; but the measures taken by the
British government defeated the project. The
journals of this period speak highly of the condi
tion of the British army, particularly the cavalry,
which they represent as the best in the world.]
In the spring of 1718 the Royal Dragoons
marched into quarters in Yorkshire and Lanca- 1718
shire ; and, the King of Sweden having been com-
* Two newly-raised corps, afterwards disbanded.
t Annals of George I., &c.

1717

56 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1718 pelled to relinquish his projected expedition, the
establishment was reduced to two hundred and
seven officers and men.
1719 The peace of Europe was disturbed in 1719 by
Philip V. of Spain, who was desirous of recover
ing the places ceded by him in the treaty of Utrecht ;
and among the measures contemplated by the
Spaniards was placing the Pretender on the throne
of Great Britain, that the interest of this country
might be insured in favour of the projected inno
vations. An expedition, commanded by the Duke
of Ormond, was prepared in Spain for a descent
on the British coast ; but the fleet was dispersed
and disabled by a storm : two ships, however,
reached the coast of Scotland, and between three
and four hundred Spaniards landed, and were
joined by a number of Highlanders. When in
formation of this event reached London, orders
were issued for the Royal Dragoons to proceed
with all possible expedition to Scotland, where
they arrived in May. Major-General Wightman
advanced with a body of foot and three troops of the
Scots greys, and attacked the Spaniards and High
landers on the 10th of June at the pass of Glen-
shitt, and forced them to retire with considerable
loss. On the following day the Highlanders dis
persed, and the Spaniards surrendered themselves
prisoners of war. The Royal Dragoons re
turned to England in July, and were quartered in
Yorkshire ; and a detachment was ordered to em
bark at Portsmouth and accompany the expedition
commanded by their colonel, Viscount Cobham,
intended to make an attack on Corunna. The

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 57
design on that place was, however, abandoned ; 1719
but the troops effected a landing on the coast of
Spain, and took Vigo, where they obtained posses
sion of several pieces of brass ordnance, with a
magazine of muskets and other arms. Rondendella
and Pont-a-Vedra were also taken, and additional
captures of military stores effected. The Spa
nish court made overtures for a treaty of peace ;
and in November the expedition returned to Eng
land. In February, 1720, His Majesty issued a regu- 1720
lation, fixing the amount of purchase-money to be
paid for regimental commissions, and the following
prices were established for the
Royal Regiment of Dragoons.
Colonel and Captain . . . £7000
Lieutenant- Colonel and Captain 3200
Major and Captain . . . 2600
Captain  1800
Captain-Lieutenant* . . . 1000
Lieutenant  800
Cornet  600
Adjutant  200
The Royal Dragoons left Yorkshire in April,
1721, and were stationed at Nottingham and
Derby; and on the 10th of that month the colo- 172]
nelcy was conferred on Sir Charles Hotham,
Baronet, Viscount Cobham having been re
moved to the second horse, now first dragoon
guards.
* The Lieutenant of the Colonel's troop was styled Captain-
Lieutenant.

58 historical record of
1722 During the summer of 1722 the Royal Dra
goons were encamped near Durham ; and on the
1723 12th of January, 1723, the colonelcy, having be
come vacant by the decease of Sir Charles Ho=
tham, was conferred on Brigadier-General Hum
phrey Gore, from the tenth dragoons.
1724 The regiment occupied extensive quarters in
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in 1724 ; in the
1725 following year it furnished detachments to assist
the revenue officers in their duties on the coast ;
1726 and in October, 1726, it was stationed in Sussex
and Essex.
England having agreed to furnish ten thousand
men to assist the States-General in their war with
.the Emperor of Germany, the Royal Dragoons
were augmented to nine troops, of five hundred
and fifty-two officers and men, and selected to
form part of this force. No embarkation was,
however, required.
1727 The decease of King George I. took place on the
11th of June, 1727; and a few days previous to the
coronation of his successor, George II., the Royal
Dragoons marched into quarters near London,
and were reviewed in brigade with Honeywood's
(now eleventh) dragoons by his Majesty on Houn-
slow Heath, on the 17th of October. They sub
sequently proceeded into Leicestershire and Der-
1728 byshire ; and in the beginning of the succeeding
year the establishment was again reduced to six
troops.
1730 In the spring of 1730 the regiment marched
into cantonments in Worcestershire and Glouces-
1731 tershire ; in 1731 it was stationed in Kent, with

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 59
detachments on coast duty ; and in the month of 1731
March in the following year proceeded into So- 1732
mersetshire, from whence it detached, in the
spring of 1733, several parties to the maritime 1733
towns and villages on the Suffolk coast, where
frequent rencounters took place between the mili
tary and smugglers.
The several detachments were collected in May, 1734
1734, and the six troops assembled at Taunton,
where they were reviewed by their colonel, Ma
jor-General Gore. One troop was afterwards
detached into Sussex ; and in August another
troop proceeded to Bath, and furnished a daily
guard for the Princess Amelia during her Royal
Highness's residence at that city. In August, 1735
1735, the five troops in Somersetshire marched to
the north, and were placed under the orders of
Lieut.-General Wade, commander-in-chief in
Scotland. They, however, returned to England
in April, 1737, and were quartered in Lanca- 1737
shire ; and during the summer of the following 1738
year the six troops were stationed in Essex and
Kent, with detachments on coast duty.
In July, 1739, the Royal Dragoons were 1739
ordered to call in their detachments and march
into quarters at Hounslow and its vicinity ; and
on the 28th of that month they were reviewed on
Hounslow Heath by his Majesty. In the begin
ning of August they marched into quarters in
Worcestershire ; and their colonel, Major-Gene
ral Gore, died on the 18th of that month. On
tbe 1st of September his Majesty conferred the

60 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1739 colonelcy on Charles, second Duke of Marl
borough, from the 38th regiment of foot.
The Spaniards having repeatedly violated the
existing treaties in regard to the commerce of
England with America, his Majesty declared war
against Spain ; and the establishment of the
Royal Dragoons was augmented to four hun
dred and thirty-five officers and men.
1740 In May, 1740, the colonelcy, vacant by the
removal of the Duke of Marlborough to the
second troop (now second regiment) of life
guards, was conferred on Major-General Haw
ley, from the thirteenth dragoons.
During the summer of 1740 the Royal Dra
goons were encamped (with three other regiments
of cavalry and six of infantry) near Newbury, and
afterwards near Devizes, under the orders of Ge
neral Wade. In October they marched from
camp into quarters in Leicestershire ; and in
1741 November, 1741, removed into Somersetshire.
In the mean time hostilities had commenced on
the continent, and France, Bavaria, and Prussia
were endeavouring to deprive the house of Austria
of its hereditary dominions. King George II. re
solved to support the Austrians ; and in the sum-
1742 mer of 1742 his Majesty sent Field Marshal the
Earl of Stair with sixteen thousand men to Flan
ders. The Royal Dragoons were selected for
this service, and, having been reviewed by his
Majesty on Hounslow Heath, they embarked in
August, and after their arrival in Flanders were
stationed in the cavalry barracks at Ghent.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 61
Leaving Ghent in February, 1743, the Royal 1743
Dragoons marched for Germany ; and in June
they were encamped, with the other forces, near
Aschaffenburg, on the river Maine, where they
were joined by King George II. and the Duke
of Cumberland. On the 26th of June the army
marched for Hanau, a town of Hesse-Cassel, and
the Royal Dragoons formed part of the ad
vance-column. When on the march the French
were discovered in position near Dettingen : his
Majesty commanded the army to form opposite
the enemy, and the Royal Dragoons were
posted near the right of the line.
The French advanced from their position and
attacked the left of the allied army ; the contest
soon became general, and the English cavalry en
gaged the French cuirassiers with varied success.
The Mousquetaires Noirs, a choice corps of
French cavalry, separated themselves from their
line, and, passing between two columns of in
fantry, rushed headlong towards the British ca
valry. The Royal Dragoons, undaunted by
this audacity, met the French horsemen with
a cool, determined bearing, and, encountering
them in mid-onset, overthrew the presump
tuous squadrons, cut them down with a dreadful
slaughter, and captured a standard. The Royal
Dragoons were afterwards engaged with the
enemy's household troops ; they were again victo
rious, and, though without armour, fought and
triumphed over their steel-clad opponents, and
received the thanks of his Majesty for their gal
lant conduct. Eventually the French army was

62 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1743 overthrown, and driven from the field with great
loss. In this action the Royal Dragoons had six
men and thirty-four horses killed and wounded.
The Standard of the Mousquetaires Noirs
was taken by a serjeant of the right squadron.
It was of white satin, embroidered with gold and
silver : in the middle a bunch of nine arrows tied
with a wreath, with the motto Alterius Jovis al
tera tela. The lance was broken, the standard
was stained with blood ; the cornet who carried it
was killed without falling, being buckled to his
horse, and his standard buckled to him.*
The Royal Dragoons passed the night near
the field of battle, exposed to a heavy storm of
rain, and on the following day marched with the
army to Hanau, and encamped on the banks of
the river Kinzig, where they remained until the
early part of August, when they advanced, and,
having crossed the Rhine above Mentz, were em
ployed in operations in West Germany. Nothing
of importance, however, transpired ; and in Octo
ber they commenced their march for Mentz, where
they repassed the Rhine, and, proceeding through
the duchy of Nassau, the principality of Liege,
and province of Brabant, entered Flanders, and,
arriving at Ghent on the 18th of November, again
occupied part of the cavalry barrack at that place.
1744 The campaign of 1744 passed without any ge
neral engagement. The army penetrated the
French territory ; but the services of the Royal
* London Gazette.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 63
Dragoons were limited to piquets, out-guards, 1744
and protecting foraging parties from the attacks
of the French garrisons ; and in October they
returned to their former station at Ghent.
In April, 1745, the Royal Dragoons marched 1745
from their winter quarters, and encamped near
Brussels. The enemy assembled a numerous
army, and invested Tournay, the chief town of
a district in the province of Hainault ; and the
Duke of Cumberland, though inferior to the
French in numbers by above thirty thousand men,
resolved to attack them. His Royal Highness
accordingly advanced ; and on the 10th of May
(N.S.) a squadron of the Royal Dragoons was
engaged, with other forces, in driving in the
enemy's out-guards and piquets. The French
army was discovered in order of battle on a gentle
ascent protected by batteries, and rising gradually
from the plain near Fontenoy. At daybreak on
the morning of the 11th of May the allies moved
forward, but, having many defiles to pass, the
attack did not commence until near ten o'clock.
The British infantry advanced against the enemy,
and throughout the day they displayed the greatest
valour and intrepidity ; but the Dutch did not
evince equal resolution, and their failure occa
sioned the most unfortunate results. It was near
the conclusion of the action before the Royal
Dragoons were called upon to charge, when
they advanced through a hollow way abounding
with difficulties, and were exposed to the destruc
tive fire of two batteries : they charged by alter
nate squadrons with all the spirit and resolution

64 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1745 which characterizes the attack of British cavalry.
But the Duke of Cumberland, perceiving that,
from the failure of the Dutch and other causes,
it was impossible to retrieve the fortune of the
day, ordered a retreat, and the army marched
from the field of battle, and encamped near Aeth.
The loss of the regiment in this engagement
was fifteen men and sixty-nine horses killed ; with
Lieutenant-Colonel Naizon, Cornets Hartwell,
Desmeret, and Creighton, thirty-one men, and
forty-seven horses wounded.
The allied army afterwards encamped on the
plain of the Dender, near Lessines ; and subse
quently near Brussels.
In the mean time Charles Edward, eldest son of
the Pretender, arrived in Scotland with a ship
laden with arms, and, being joined by several of
the Highland clans, took the opportunity of the
King's army being abroad to make a desperate
effort to gain the throne. Several regiments were
immediately ordered to England ; and in Novem
ber the Royal Dragoons marched to William-
stadt, in North Brabant, and embarked ; but the
shipping was delayed for some time by contrary
winds, and several horses were lost from the trans
ports being stranded.
1746 After their arrival in England the Royal Dra
goons formed part of the army assembled near
the metropolis to repel the threatened descent of a
French force on the southern coast of the kingdom.
The rebellion having been suppressed by the vic
tory at Culloden, the Royal Dragoons continued
in the south of England: they were stationed at

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 65
Windsor, Reading, and Colnbrook, and had the 1746
honour of furnishing travelling escorts for the
royal family : in July, 1746, one troop attended
the Princess Caroline at Bath. On the 26th of
December, 1747, they were reviewed by His Ma- 1747
jesty on Hounslow Heath : in the following sum
mer they were employed on coast duty in Lincoln- 1748
shire, and in suppressing riots among the weavers
in Lancashire.
After the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle the esta- 1749
blishment was reduced to two hundred and eighty-
five officers and men ; and in 1750 the regiment 1750
marched to Scotland.
A regulation was issued in 1751 relative to the 1751
clothing and standards of the several regiments ;
from which the following particulars have been
extracted relative to the Royal Dragoons: —
Coats — scarlet ; double breasted ; without lap-
pels ; lined with blue ; slit sleeves turned up with
blue ; the button-holes worked with narrow yellow
lace ; the buttons of yellow metal, set on two and
two ; a long slash pocket in each skirt ; and a yellow
worsted aiguillette on the right shoulder.
Waistcoats and Breeches — blue.
Hats — bound with gold lace, and ornamented
with a yellow metal loop, and a black cockade.
Boots — of jacked leather.
Cloaks — of scarlet cloth, with a blue collar,
and lined with blue shalloon ; the buttons set on
two and two upon yellow frogs or loops, with a
blue stripe down the centre.
Horse Furniture — of scarlet cloth ; the hol
ster-caps and housings having a border of royal
F

66 historical record of
1751 lace, with a blue stripe down the centre ; the crest
of England within the garter, embroidered on
each corner of the housing ; and on the holster-
caps, the King's cipher and crown, with i.d under
neath. Officers — distinguished by gold lace ; their
coats and waistcoats bound with gold embroidery;
the button-holes worked with gold ; and a crimson
silk sash worn across the left shoulder.
Quarter-Masters — to wear a crimson sash
round the waist.
Serjeants — to have narrow gold lace on the
cuffs, pockets, and shoulder-straps ; gold shoulder-
knots or aiguillettes, and yellow and blue worsted
sashes tied round the waist.
Drummers and Hautboys — clothed in scarlet
coats lined with blue, and ornamented with royal
lace with a blue stripe down the centre; their
waistcoats and breeches of blue cloth.
Guidons. — The first or King's guidon to be of
crimson silk, embroidered and fringed with gold
and silver ; in the centre the rose and thistle con
joined and crown over them, with the motto Dieu
et mon Droit underneath : the white horse in a
compartment in the first and fourth corners, and
i.d in gold characters on a blue ground in a com
partment in the second and third corners. The
second and third guidons to be of blue silk, in the
centre the crest of England within the garter on a
crimson ground : the white horse on a scarlet ground
in the first and fourth compartments, and LD within
a wreath of roses and thistles upon a scarlet ground
in the second and third compartments.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 67
In 1752 the Royal Dragoons returned to 1752
England, and were stationed at York, from
whence they marched, in October, 1753, into 1753
quarters in Norfolk and Essex, and in September
of the following year they proceeded into extensive 1754
cantonments in Kent.
Disputes having occurred between England and 1755
France relating to the boundaries of the British
possessions in North America, hostilities com
menced in 1755, when an augmentation of one
hundred men was made to the establishment : a
light troop, consisting of three officers, one quarter
master, two serjeants, three corporals, two drum
mers, and sixty private soldiers,* was raised and
added to the regiment on the same principle as the
light companies to regiments of infantry.
War was declared against France in 1756, 1756
when the French monarch made preparations for
a descent on the British coast, and the Royal
Dragoons were stationed in the maritime towns
in the southern counties : during the summer of
1757 they were encamped near Salisbury. 1757
The British military establishment having been 1758
considerably augmented, His Majesty was pre
pared to act offensively against France ; and in
1758 the light troop of the Royal Dragoons
formed part of an expedition commanded by
Charles, Duke of Marlborough, which landed on
the coast of Brittany and destroyed the French
shipping and magazines at St. Maloes. This
troop was afterwards engaged in a second expedi-
* War-Office Establishment Book.
f 2

68 historical record of
1758 tion to the coast of France, commanded by Gene
ral Bligh, when a landing was effected in the Bay
des Marees, and Cherbourg was taken : it was
also engaged in the second descent on the coast of
Brittany.
1759 On the 5th of April, 1759, the colonelcy, having
become vacant by the decease of General Hawley,
was conferred on Henry Seymour Conway,
from the fourth Irish horse, now seventh dragoon
guards. In the same year the establishment of
each of the six heavy troops was augmented to
sixty private men, and the light troop to eighty-
nine ; making a total of five hundred and forty-four
1760 officers and men ; and in the following year the
light troop was further augmented to four officers,
one quarter-master, four serjeants, four corporals,
two drummers, and one hundred and eighteen pri
vate men.
In the mean time a British army had proceeded
to Germany, and was serving in conjunction with
the Hanoverian, Hessian, and Brunswick troops,
commanded by Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Bruns
wick ; and in the spring of 1760 the Royal Dra
goons, commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel James
Johnston,* embarked for foreign service, and,
having landed at Bremen, in Lower Saxony, on
the 16th and 17th of April, joined the army en-
* Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston rose to the rank of general :
he was, at diiferent periods, colonel of the ninth dragoons, first
horse (now fourth dragoon guards), and sixth dragoons : he was
also governor of Quebec. He died 13th December, 1797, and
was interred in Westminster Abbey. He wrote a Journal of the
Campaign of 1760, which has been forwarded to the compiler of
this record by his grandson, Major Frederick Johnston, unat
tached.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 69
camped near Fritzlar, in the principality of Lower 1 7(0
Hesse, on the 21st of that month. On the 22nd
they were reviewed by the Duke of Brunswick,
who was pleased to express his approbation of their
appearance. After much manoeuvring and skirmishing, thirty
thousand French troops, commanded by the Cheva
lier de Muy, crossed the Dymel to cut off the commu
nication of the allied army with Westphalia. The
Royal Dragoons, with several other corps, were
immediately sent forward to Liebenau, under the
command of the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick,
to secure the bridge across the Dymel ; and being
followed by the main body, the Prince advanced to
the vicinity of Warbourg, and reconnoitred the
French forces in position near that place, whom
he resolved to attack on the following day.
At daybreak on the morning of the 31st of July
the Royal Dragoons, commanded by Lieutenant-
Colonel James Johnston, left their camp on the
heights of Corbeke, and making a detour through
several villages gained the left flank of the French
army. Several other corps having arrived at the
same point, the attack was immediately com
menced, and after a sharp dispute the enemy gave
way and retired upon Warbourg, where he was
again attacked and driven across the Dymel with
oreat loss. The Royal Dragoons encountered
the French cavalry corps of royal Piedmont, and
acquitted themselves with their accustomed gal
lantry. They afterwards charged a corps of Swiss
infantry (the regiment of Planta) with distin
guished bravery, broke its ranks, and after sabring

70 historical record of
1760 many of the men took twenty-one officers and two
hundred soldiers prisoners : many of the Swiss
attempting to escape were drowned in the Dymel.
Three troops of the Royal Dragoons formed part
of the force under the Marquis of Granby, which
pursued the enemy across the Dymel and halted
that night on the heights of Wilda : the other
three, having suffered severely in the attack on
the Swiss infantry, remained at Warbourg* In a
general order issued on the occasion, Prince Fer
dinand declared that "all the British Cavalry
performed prodigies of valour."
The Royal Dragoons lost in this action eight
men and twenty-one horses killed ; and twelve
men and thirteen horses wounded.
The regiment was subsequently encamped on
the banks of the Dymel, and on the 1st of Oc
tober was despatched towards the Lower Rhine,
forming part of a separate corps under the Here
ditary Prince, which invested Wesel, a town in
the duchy of Cleves.
The enemy advanced in force to relieve the
besieged, and encamped, on the 14th of October,
behind the convent of Campen. Immediately
after dark on the evening of the same day, the
Royal Dragoons and other corps advanced to
wards the enemy, the Hereditary Prince designing
to surprise him in the night ; but it was found ne
cessary to dislodge a corps which occupied the
convent of Campen, and this occasioned some
firing, which alarmed the French camp, and the
* Journal of Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston, Royal Dragoons,
MS.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 71
troops were immediately formed in order of 1760
battle. The action commenced before daybreak, and a
succession of attacks, repulses, and charges were
kept up until nine at night, in which the Royal
Dragoons took an active part, and they are re
ported to have " behaved extremely well." Two
pieces of cannon and a pair of colours were cap
tured ; but at length the Prince perceived that
it was impossible to drive the enemy out of a wood
of which he had possessed himself, and, the allied
infantry having expended all their ammunition,
his Highness ordered a retreat.
The Royal Dragoons had eight men and ten
horses killed ; Lieut.-Colonel Johnston, two men,
and four horses, wounded; Captain Wilson, Lieu
tenant Goldsworthy, Cornet Duffe, and twenty-
five men, taken prisoners. The regiment repassed
the Rhine on the 18th of October, and was can
toned in the principality of Hesse, where the offi
cers received orders to wear mourning for his late
Majesty King George II.
In February, 1761, the regiment was engaged 1761
in an incursion into the French cantonments, and
took part in several skirmishes with the enemy.
In the spring a remount joined from England.
After much manoeuvring, the allied army took
post in Prussian Westphalia, on the rivers Asse
and Lippe, and the Royal Dragoons were en
camped on the heights between Illingen and Ho-
henover.* On the 15th of July the enemy at-
* Journal of the Campaigns in Germany, by an Officer present
with the Army.

72 historical record of
1761 tacked the troops under the Marquis of Granby
at Kirch Denkern, when the Royal Dragoons
marched across the Asse by the bridge at Hans
Hohenover, and advanced to support the corps
attacked. After a sharp action the enemy was
repulsed with loss. The fire of the skirmishers
was, however, kept up throughout the night, and
on the following morning the enemy renewed the
engagement with great fury. During this day
the Royal Dragoons were posted near Velling-
hausen, and, when the enemy's columns of attack
were repulsed, advanced to charge, but were pre
vented by the hedges and marshy hollows which
intersected the country. They were subsequently
employed in military operations on the Dymel,
and afterwards marched into the electorate of
Hanover, and were engaged in a skirmish near
Eimbeck in the early part of November. On the
same night they marched through a heavy snow
to Foorwohle, where they encountered and drove
back some French cavalry. On the 9th of No
vember they had another skirmish at Foorwohle,
and subsequently marched into quarters in East
Friesland.
1762 The Royal Dragoons left their winter quar
ters in May, 1762, and on the 18th of June joined
the army encamped at Brackel, in the bishopric
of Paderborn, from whence they marched to the
heights of Tissel. The French army, commanded
by Marshals d'Estrees and Soubise, took post
at Groebenstien, where Prince Ferdinand resolved
to attack them on the 24th of June, and the army
was ordered to move forward in several columns
for that purpose.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 73
Moving from their camp-ground at daybreak, 1762
the Royal Dragoons passed the Dymel at Lie-
benau about four in the morning, and advanced
against the enemy's camp. The manoeuvre was
conducted with such address, that the army was
in presence of the French before they had the
least apprehension of an attack, and, being in
stantly assaulted in front, flank, and rear, they
retired in confusion, leaving all their equipage
behind them. The Royal Dragoons had ad
vanced against the enemy's front, and they were
subsequently employed in surrounding a division
of the French army commanded by General
Stainville in the woods of Wilhelmsthal, where
several corps were made prisoners. The pursuit
was continued, and the French took refuge under
the cannon of Cassel ; the Royal Dragoons then
retired a few miles, and encamped near Holtz-
hausen. During the remainder of the campaign the
Royal Dragoons were employed in operations
on the Fulde, the Eder, and the Lahn, which
were attended with such signal success, that a
considerable portion of territory was wrested from
the power of the enemy, and the allies took Cassel.
These successes were followed by a treaty of
peace, and the Royal Dragoons proceeded into
quarters in the bishopric of Munster.
At the close of the military operations of the
year, when the army marched into winter quar
ters, Colonel James Johnston, of the Royal
Dragoons, who had commanded the regiment
since the 7th of April, 1759, and during the

74 historical record of
1762 campaign of 1762 had commanded the brigade
composed of the Royals and second dragoon
guards, received a most flattering mark of the
approbation of the Hereditary Prince of Bruns
wick (afterwards reigning Duke, who married
Princess Augusta, sister to George III. ; he died
of the wounds he received at the battle of Jena in
1808), namely, a valuable gold snuff-box, embel
lished with highly-chased military trophies, ac
companied by an autograph letter, of which the
following is a copy : —
" Munden, ce 17 de Nov. 1762.
" Monsieur, " Vous m'obligerez sensiblement en acceptant
" la babiole que je joins ici, comme une marque
" de l'estime et de la consideration parfaite que je
" vous porte, et comme un souvenir d'un ami qui
" jamais ne finera d'etre, " Monsieur,
" Votre tres humble et tres devoue serviteur,
" Charles Pr. Her. de B.
" A Mons. le Col. Johnston."
1763 During the winter shipping arrived from Eng
land to convey the troops home. The Royal
Dragoons commenced their march for William-
stadt in February, 1763, and embarked at that
port for England. According to the official re
turns, the strength of the regiment was fourteen
officers, three hundred and twenty-nine men, and
four hundred and twenty-three horses, with twen
ty-four servants and thirty-five women.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 75
After their return from Germany the Royal 1763
Dragoons were ordered to proceed to Scotland ;
at the same time the light troop was disbanded,
and the establishment was reduced to two hundred
and thirty-one officers and soldiers. Eight men
per troop were equipped as light dragoons, and
mounted on small horses for skirmishing and other
light services ; the remainder of the regiment was
mounted on large horses of superior weight and
power. In 1764 the regiment marched to South Bri- 1764
tain ; and an order was received to remount with
long-tailed horses. On the 9th of May in the
same year the colonelcy was conferred on Henry
Earl of Pembroke, who had recently distin
guished himself in the campaigns in Germany.
The six drummers borne on the establishment 1766
were, in 1766, ordered to be replaced by trum
peters ; and on the 4th of May in the following 1767
year King George III. reviewed the regiment in
Hyde Park, and expressed his approbation of its
appearance and high state of discipline.* After 1768
the review it marched to the north of England ;
and in 1769 was stationed in Scotland; but re- 1769
turned to England in the following year, and, after 1770
occupying various quarters in the southern, and 1771
western counties, was again reviewed by his Ma- 1772
jesty on the 17th of May, 1773, on FinchleyCom- 1773

* On the 19th of December, 1768, a royal warrant was issued
for regulating the clothing, horse-furniture, and standards of the
regiments of cavalry, which contained similar directions to the
warrant of the 1 st of July, 1 751 . See page 65.

76 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1773 mon ; and, according to the journals of that period,
its excellent condition and correct manoeuvring
procured the approbation of the King, and excited
the admiration of the princes, noblemen, general
officers, and other spectators.
During the summer the Royal Dragoons
again proceeded to the north, and, after occupying
quarters for a short period in Yorkshire, marched
to Scotland, where they were stationed during the
1774 summer of 1774 ; but returned to England in the
1775 succeeding year; and on the 24th of May, 1777,
1 777 were reviewed in brigade with the second dragoon
guards, on Wimbledon Common, by the King,
accompanied by several of the young princes, and
attended by a retinue of noblemen and general
officers.
1778 Hostilities having commenced between Great
Britain and the colonies in North America, an
augmentation was made in the strength of the
regular army ; and in 1778 six serjeants, six cor
porals, and one hundred and twenty-six private
men were added to the Royal Dragoons. Dur
ing the summer they were encamped, with several
other corps, on Coxheath, near Maidstone, where
they were reviewed by the King.
1779 in 1779 the men of the Royal Dragoons,
equipped as light dragoons, with the light troops
of the third dragoon guards, and sixth and eleventh
dragoons, were incorporated into a regiment which
was numbered the twentieth light dragoons.*
During the summer the third dragoon guards,
* Official Records, Adjutant-General's Office.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 77
Royals, fifteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first 1779
dragoons were encamped on Lexden Heath, near
Colchester. During the great riots in London in 1780 the 1780
Royal Dragoons were ordered to march thither.
In the following year they proceeded to Scotland ; 1781
and at the termination of the American war, in
1783, the establishment was reduced to two hun- 1783
dred and thirty-one officers and soldiers.
The regiment left Scotland in 1784, and occu- 1784
pied various quarters in the western and northern
counties of England six years. On the breaking 1789
out of the revolutionary proceedings in France,
the establishment was augmented nine men per
troop, and in the spring of 1790 the six troops 1790
proceeded to Scotland ; they, however, returned
to England in the following year, and were em- 1791
ployed in suppressing riots at Birmingham.
A further augmentation was made to the esta- 1792
blishment in 1792, and again in the spring of
1793, when four troops were ordered to be held 1793
in constant readiness for foreign service.
The enormities committed by the French repub
licans occasioned another war; Holland was at
tacked ; a body of British troops was sent to assist
the Dutch ; and on the 10th of June, 1793, four
troops of the Royal Dragoons embarked for the
Netherlands to join the army commanded by his
Royal Highness the Duke of York. After landing
at Ostend the four troops marched up the country,
and formed part of the force which drove a body
of French from the Camp de Ccesar, behind the
Scheldt, on the 8th of August. The Royal

78 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
Dragoons were also with the covering army dur
ing the siege of Dunkirk, and after the attempt on
that place was abandoned, they were employed in
operations near the frontiers of Flanders, where
they had a sharp encounter with a corps of French
cavalry on the 27th of October.
1794 On the 28th of January, 1794, the colonelcy of
the regiment, being vacant by the decease of the
Earl of Pembroke, was conferred on Major-
General Philip Goldsworthy.
In April the four troops on foreign service were
assembled with the army near Cateau, and were
engaged in the general attack made on the enemy's
positions at Premont, &c. on the 17th of April,
when Captain-Lieutenant the Honourable Thomas
Carlton, of the regiment, was killed. The siege
of Landrecies was immediately undertaken : the
Royal Dragoons formed part of the covering
army, and on the 24th of April were engaged in
an affair with the enemy at Villers en Couche,
when the French lost twelve hundred men and
three pieces of cannon : the Royals had one man
and two horses killed, and two men and three
horses wounded.
The Royal Dragoons had another opportunity
of distinguishing themselves on the 26th of April
at Cateau. The enemy had marched out of Cam-
bray, and at daybreak attacked the British army.
The Duke of York detached the Royals and
seven other cavalry regiments to turn the left flank
of the French army : this movement was attended
with the most brilliant success ; the enemy was
overthrown with immense slaughter ; the rout

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 79
became general — cavalry and infantry, mingled in 1794
promiscuous crowds, were scattered over the plains,
and the fugitives fell beneath the sabres of the
British dragoons, who captured the French com
mander, Lieut.-General Chapuy, and thirty-five
pieces of cannon. The Duke of York, in his
account of this action, observes, " The behaviour
of the British cavalry has been beyond
all praise." The Royal Dragoons were
among the corps which were declared in general
orders to have " acquired immortal honour."
Their loss on this occasion was six men and
twelve horses killed ; with Lieutenant Froom,
two serjeants, eleven men, and fourteen horses
wounded. After the capture of Landrecies the Royal
Dragoons marched to the vicinity of Tournay,
where they were again engaged with the enemy
on the 10th of May ; and the Duke of York ob
served in his public despatch, that the troops had
" well supported the reputation acquired on the
26th of last month." The loss of the Royals
was only two horses killed, and one man and three
horses wounded.
The Royals were in reserve when the attack
was made on the French positions on the 17th of
May. The army afterwards resumed its post be
fore Tournay, where it was attacked on the 22d of
May by General Pichegru with an immense force.
The British heavy cavalry had, it appears, become
a terror to the enemy, for Brown, in his Journal,
observes (22d May), " A column of five or six
" thousand men made its appearance towards our

80 historical record of
1794 " left, on which account the brigade of guards and
" the British heavy cavalry remained ready for
" action on their camp ground ; but the French,
" observing our advantageous situation, and dread-
" ing the thought of meeting the British cavalry
" a second time on an open plain, thought proper
" not to approach." Finally the French were
repulsed at every point of attack, and retreated in
the evening.
At length the enemy defeated the Austrians, and
brought forward such immense numbers that the
English army had no chance of success : the Duke
of York retreated, and the final evacuation of
Flanders followed.
In the mean time another squadron of the
Royals embarked for foreign service ; but having
been driven back by severe weather, the officers
and men were ordered to disembark and remain
in England. In July that part of the regiment
which was in England marched from Salisbury
to Weymouth, in consequence of his Majesty visit
ing that place ; and in October, when the King
returned to London, they marched to Dorchester
barracks. During the winter the four troops on foreign
service were exposed to privations and inclement
weather, which occasioned the death of many men
and horses. The winter was particularly severe,
the Dutch people were favourable to the French,
and the British troops, in their retreat through
Holland during a hard frost and storms of snow
and sleet, were treated as enemies by the inha
bitants ; at length the troops arrived in the duchy

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 81
of Bremen, where they had repose and kind treat- 1794
ment. The Royal Dragoons were not engaged in 1795
any further hostilities on the continent. During
the summer of 1795 they were encamped on one
of the plains of Westphalia, and in the winter
embarked for England.
Meanwhile, that part of the regiment which
was on home service was again employed on
King's duty at Weymouth, during his Majesty's
stay at that place, and afterwards proceeded to
Dorchester, where the four troops returning from 1796
the continent arrived in January, 1796. In July
of the same year the regiment encamped on Bar-
ham Downs, near Weymouth, and in September
marched into quarters at Canterbury.
In October, 1797, the regiment marched for 1797
Birmingham and Coventry; in July, 1798, for 1798
Exeter and Taunton ; and in the following sum- 1799
mer proceeded to Radipole barracks, Weymouth ;
but inarched from thence, in November of the same
year, for Salisbury, Warminster, &c.
In August, orders were received for the regi
ment to be mounted on nag-tailed black horses ; *
and the horse's tails were consequently cut.
* GENERAL ORDERS.
" The heavy cavalry, with the exception of the two regiments
" of life guards and royal regiment of horse guards, are to be
" mounted on nag-tailed horses.
" The first, or King's regiment of dragoon guards ; the first,
" or royal regiment of dragoons ; the third, or King's own regi-
" ment of dragoons, are to be mounted on black nag-tailed
" horses. " The second, or Queen's regiment of dragoon guards, are to
G

82 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1800 During the summer of 1800 an encampment of
about thirty thousand men was formed on Swinley
common, near Windsor ; the Royal Dragoons
joined the camp in July; the troops were fre
quently exercised in the presence of the royal
family, and the King reviewed the several corps
previous to their departure. On the 11th of Au
gust the regiment quitted the camp, and proceeded
to Croydon barracks and Epsom, with a squadron
detached on coast duty in Sussex.
1801 On the 7th of January, 1801, his Majesty con
ferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-
General Thomas Garth, in succession to Lieut.-
General Goldsworthy, deceased.
Towards the end of May the regiment marched
to Canterbury, and furnished numerous detach
ments on the revenue duty at the maritime towns
and villages on the coast of Kent, where they as
sisted in making large seizures of smuggled goods,
for which they received a reward of upwards of
one pound per man.
1802 A treaty of peace with the French republic
having been signed at Amiens, a reduction of two

" be mounted on nag-tailed horses of the colours of bay and
" brown." The second, or royal North British regiment of dragoons,
" are to be mounted on nag-tailed grey horses.
" All other regiments of heavy cavalry on the British esta-
" blishment are to be mounted on nag-tailed horses of the colours
" of bay, brown, and chestnut.
" The custom of mounting trumpeters on grey horses is to be
" discontinued, and they are in future to be mounted on horses
" of the colour or colours hereby prescribed for the regiment to
" which they belong.
" Harry Calvert,
" Horse Guards, " Adjutant General.
" 10th August, 1799."

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 83
troops was made in the establishment, and the of- 1802
ficers were placed on half-pay.
In July, 1802, four troops were ordered to
Trowbridge to aid the civil power in the sup
pression of riots. In October following the regi
ment proceeded to Exeter and Taunton, with de
tached troops on coast duty in Cornwall ; and in
April, 1803, it was removed to Dorchester, 1803
Radipole, and Wareham barracks, from whence
it marched in July following to Arundel and
Chichester. At the same time, the war with
France having recommenced, the establishment
was augmented from eight to ten troops.
A change of quarters took place in April, 1804, 1804
and the regiment was stationed at Ipswich and
Woodbridge ; from whence it proceeded, in No
vember following, to Colchester, where it passed
the winter.
The regiment quitted Colchester in April, 1805, 1805
and proceeded to York, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and
Birmingham. In January, 1806, it returned from 1806
the north, and was again stationed at Wood-
bridge ; and in March of the same year it once
more proceeded northward, and, on arriving in
Scotland, its head-quarters were established at
Edinburgh, with detached troops at Dunbar,
Haddington, and Perth, having marched up
wards of six hundred miles in three months.
Embarking from Scotland in January, 1807, 1807
the regiment proceeded to Ireland, from which
country it had been absent one hundred and fif
teen years ; and on its arrival the head-quarters
were stationed at Dundalk, with detached troops
g2

84 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1807 at Belturbet, Lisburn, Monaghan, Enniskillen,
1808 Sligo, and Londonderry. In June, 1808, it pro
ceeded to Dublin, with detached troops at Carlow
and Athy.
In the mean time important events had trans
pired in the Peninsula. Napoleon Buonaparte
(whom the French had elevated to the throne)
had obtained possession of the kingdoms of Por
tugal and Spain by treachery ; had placed his
brother Joseph on the throne of Spain, and sup
ported these usurpations by an immense French
army. The Spaniards and Portuguese, being
impatient of the bondage into which they were
brought, made energetic struggles for liberty, and,
a British force proceeding to their aid, Portugal
was delivered from the power of Buonaparte.
Lieut.-General Sir John Moore advanced from
Lisbon into Spain to aid the patriots; and the
Royal Dragoons were directed to proceed on
foreign service to reinforce the army in the Pe
ninsula; but, on arriving at Cork for embarka
tion, news of the result of Sir John Moore's
expedition occasioned the order to be counter
manded.
1809 The regiment remained at Cork barracks until
April, 1809, when it proceeded into extensive can
tonments (head-quarters at Clonmell), from whence
it was withdrawn in August following, and eight
troops, of eighty rank and file and eighty horses per
troop, embarked at Cork for Portugal. The trans
ports sailed on the 2nd of September, and on the
12th and 13th of that month the regiment landed
at Lisbon, and occupied the barracks at Belem.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 85
The British army in Portugal, commanded by 1810
Lord Wellington, was occupying quarters on the
Mondego. The Royal Dragoons marched a
few stages up the country in January, 1810, and
were stationed at Santarem and Torres Novas, in
the province of Estremadura ; from whence they
marched, in February, to Niza and Alphalo, in
the Alentejo.
The enemy having an immense superiority of
numbers, the British commander was reduced to
the necessity of acting on the defensive, and his
ultimate object was the protection of Lisbon.
He, however, resolved to maintain a frontier po
sition as long as possible ; and, Ciudad Rodrigo
being menaced in the end of April, the Royal
Dragoons were ordered to advance to Belmonte,
in the province of Beira, where they arrived on
the 5th of May. The French army, commanded
by Marshal Massena, Prince of Esling, proved so
numerous, that all hope of preserving Ciudad
Rodrigo was abandoned. The Royal Dra
goons left Belmonte on the 9th of June, and pro
ceeded to Villa Velha, from whence they marched,
on the 1st of July, to Ville de Touro, and to
wards the end of the same month to Alverca ; the
enemy having taken Ciudad Rodrigo and besieged
Almeida, the advanced posts of the British army
were removed to Frexadas.
The French took Almeida on the 27th of Au
gust, and on the following day attacked a squad
ron of the Royals and a squadron of the four
teenth light dragoons on piquet at Frexadas,
under the command of Major Dorville. The

86 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1810 enemy brought forward a superior force of ca
valry, supported by infantry ; but the two Bri
tish squadrons, undaunted by superior numbers,
charged the French horsemen with signal gal
lantry, and drove them from the field with the
loss of many men killed and wounded, and five
taken prisoners.* The Royals lost, in this en
counter, two men and one horse killed, and two
men and one horse wounded.
The allied army retired a short distance. The
Royal Dragoons continued to be actively em
ployed, and, in a skirmish with the enemy on the
2nd of September at Alverca, on the main road
to Almeida, they had a serjeant wounded. The
regiment retired from its advanced position on the
same day, and on the 19th of that month was sta
tioned at Santa Comba Dao.
The enemy continued to press upon the rear of
the British army, and a party of the Royal Dra
goons had another encounter with the French on
the 21st of September, and had one man wounded,
and another wounded and taken prisoner.
Lord Wellington having resolved to make a
stand on the heights of Busaco, the army retired
to that position, covered by the Royals and four
teenth light dragoons. During the severe contest
in the mountains on the 27th of September, the
Royals were formed in reserve behind the posi
tion ; and when the army retired to the celebrated

* 28th Aug. " A piquet of this regiment (Royals) made a
" gallant and successful charge on a party of the enemy's ca-
" valry and infantry, and took some prisoners." — Lord Welling
ton's Despatch.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 87
lines of Torres Vedras, the Royals once more 1810
occupied the post of honour in the rear of the line
of march. The French pressing upon the retiring
army near Pombal on the 5th of October, their
audacity was punished by a piquet of the Royals
commanded by Lieutenant Garden, who charged
the enemy and drove them back with loss ; but,
having advanced too far in pursuit, the lieutenant
and one man, who were both wounded, were
taken prisoners : the piquet, however, captured
and brought off a French cavalry officer. The
enemy's leading corps, being supported by im
mense columns, continued to hover round the rear
of the allied army ; and the temerity of their ca
valry was again chastised on the 9th of October,
near Quinta de Torre, by a squadron of the
Royal Dragoons, which made a gallant charge,
driving the French horsemen back with loss, and
forcing them to take shelter behind a corps of in
fantry. This corps was too strong to be attacked
by the squadron, and the Royals, having received
a volley, retired with the loss of six horses killed,
and one serjeant-major and two men wounded,
with four men wounded and taken prisoners.
On the following day the allied army was in
position in the fortified lines, where it opposed to
the advance of the enemy a barrier so formidable
that Marshal Massena, after several reconnoisances,
declined to attack it, and retired during the night
of the 14th of November. On the 15th the
Royal Dragoons were despatched after the
enemy, and a piquet of the regiment took a ser
jeant and five French dragoons prisoners.

88 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1810 The French army took post on the heights of
Santarem ; and the Royal Dragoons were sta
tioned at Cazal Diera, Quinta, St. Christol, and
Porto de Mugem, from whence they sent out
detachments on piquet and outpost duty.
1811 The French Marshal, having consumed his re
sources and wasted the numbers and physical
power of his army, retired from Santarem on the
night of the 5th of March, 1811. The Royals
were again despatched in pursuit, and in the series
of brilliant exploits which followed they took a
distinguished part. They had a skirmish with
the enemy near Pecoloo on the 7th of March, when
they took three prisoners, and had one man and one
horse wounded. They had another encounter with
the French on the 8th of March, and had two men
and one horse wounded. They again came in
contact with the enemy on the 11th of March,
near Pombal, and took two serjeants and seventy-
six men prisoners.
Resuming the pursuit on the following day the
allies discovered in their front a body of French
cavalry, infantry, and artillery, posted on a high
table land near Redinha. Lord Wellington or
dered the troops to form in line, and the Royal
Dragoons were directed to support the attack of
the infantry. Three shots from the British centre
was the signal to advance, and suddenly a most
splendid spectacle of war was exhibited. The
woods seemed alive with troops, and in a few
moments thirty thousand men, forming three lines
of battle, were stretched across the plain, bending
in a gentle curve, and moving majestically on-

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 89
wards, while the horsemen and guns, springing 1811
forward simultaneously from the centre and left
wing, charged under a general volley from the
French battalions : the latter were instantly hidden
by the smoke, and when that had cleared away, no
enemy was to be seen, the French having made a
precipitate retreat to Condeixa.
The British again moved forward in pursuit, and
on the 14th of March the Royal Dragoons sup
ported a successful attack of the infantry on a
French force posted in the mountains at Casal
Nova : they also supported the attack on the
French position at Foz d'Aronce on the 15th ;
and on the 18th they encountered a party of the
enemy near Sernadilla, when they took a serjeant
and twelve men prisoners, and captured twelve
mules : the Royals had only one man wounded on
this occasion. They continued hovering near the
French army ; and on the 26th of March a patrole
of the Royals, commanded by Lieutenant Foster,
with a patrole of the sixteenth light dragoons,
attacked a detachment of French cavalry near
Alverca with distinguished gallantry, sabred se
veral dragoons, and took an officer and thirty-seven
men prisoners.*
The Royals had another affair with a party of
the enemy on the 28th of March, when they cap-

* " I have received a report of a gallant action of one of our
" patroles yesterday evening, under the command of Lieutenant
" Persse, of the 1 6th Light Dragoons, and Lieutenant Foster, of
" the Royals, who attacked a detachment of the enemy's cavalry
" between Alverca and Guarda, and killed and wounded several
"of them, and took the officer and 37 men prisoners." — Lord
Wellington's Despatch, 27 th March, 181 1.

90 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1811 tured a car laden with officers' baggage near Ardes,
and had one man wounded. On the third of April
they were posted in reserve during the action at
Sabugal ; and, on the retreat of the French, they
were detached in pursuit, and captured several
mules laden with baggage near Alfayates.
On the 7th of April the Royals were sent to
the relief of a corps of Portuguese militia, com
manded by Colonel Trant, who had taken post
near Fort Conception. A brigade of French in
fantry was within half a mile of the militia, whose
destruction appeared inevitable, when suddenly
two cannon shots were heard to the southward, —
the French formed squares in retreat, — and in a
few minutes six squadrons of British cavalry and
a troop of horse artillery came sweeping up the
plain in their rear. The Portuguese were rescued
from impending danger. The enemy, however,
contrived to effect their escape, with the loss of
about three hundred men killed, wounded, and
taken prisoners, and part of their baggage : among
the other captures the Royal Dragoons took a
drove of fourteen bullocks and a horse.
The French army having been driven out of
Portugal, the allies blockaded Almeida. Marshal
Massena advanced to relieve that place, and he
found the allied army posted on a fine table land,
the left at Fort Conception, and the right at the
beautiful village of Fuentes d'Onor. The vil
lage was attacked on the 3rd of May, and on the
5th a general assault was made on the British
army. The French drove in the cavalry out-
guards, and by the impetuosity of their attacks

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 91
gained some advantage; when two squadrons of 1811
the Royals, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel
Clifton, made a gallant and successful charge on
the enemy's cavalry, took a serjeant and twenty-
three men, and released a party of the foot guards
who had been made prisoners by the French. A
party of the enemy's cavalry made a gallant charge,
and captured two guns belonging to Captain Bull's
troop of horse artillery ; when a squadron of the
Royals dashed forward, routed the enemy, and
retook the guns, which they brought back to the
British line, with several French prisoners. Fi
nally, the French were repulsed at every point of
attack, and forced to relinquish their design of
relieving Almeida. The Royal Dragoons had
four men and nineteen horses killed ; also two ser
jeants, thirty-four men, and twenty-four horses
wounded; and they subsequently occupied their
former quarters at Villa de Ceirva.
About midnight on the 10th of May the French
garrison in Almeida blew up the works, then
rushed in one column out of the town, forced their
passage through the blockading troops, and direct
ed their march on Villa de Ceirva ; but finding it
occupied by the Royals they changed the direction
of their march and moved on Barba del Puerco. A
party of the Royal Dragoons having been sud
denly called out in the night, overtook the rear of the
French column, which they attacked, and took a ser-
jeantand nine men prisoners. The fourth and thirty-
sixth foot also pursued the enemy ; but the main
body of the garrison made good their retreat. The
regiment had two men wounded on this occasion.

92 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1811 After this affair Lord Wellington proceeded to
Estremadura, to besiege Badajoz : but the Royal
Dragoons remained with the forces left on the
frontiers of Portugal, near Ciudad Rodrigo ; and
they were stationed in advance to cover the front
from Villa de Egua to Espejo.
The French army, having been reinforced, and
placed under the command of Marshal Marmont,
advanced at daybreak on the morning of the 6th of
June in two columns, when the light division was
directed to retire from Gallegos upon Nave d Aver,
and subsequently upon Alfayetes ; and the Royals,
commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, with
a troop of the fourteenth light dragoons, were
assembled at Gallegos to cover the retreat. The
French brought forward about two thousand ca
valry, six thousand infantry, and ten guns ; and
the Royals confronted this immense force with a
degree of fortitude and valour seldom equalled.*
That celebrated Fi-ench cavalry officer, General
Montbrun, manoeuvred to outflank the Royals ;
but his squadrons were attacked and defeated twice,

* "It is with great pleasure I have to mention the very admi
rable conduct of the Royals under the command of Lieutenant-
Colonel Clifton, and one troop of the fourteenth light dragoons,
which being all that were employed in covering the front, from
Villa de E?ua to Espejo, were assembled at Gallegos, and re
treated from thence agreeably to my directions. And notwith
standing all the efforts of General Montbrun (who commanded
the French cavalry) to outflank the British, pressing them at the
same time in front with eight pieces of cannon, their retreat to
Nave d'Aver merits the highest commendation.
" Major-General Slade speaks in much praise of Major Dorville,
of the Royal Dragoons, and of Captain Purvis, of the same
regiment, who had opportunities of distinguishing themselves."
— Lieutenant General Sir Brent Spencer's Despatch.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 93
and the retreat was effected with little loss. For 1811
their distinguished conduct on this occasion the
Royals were publicly thanked by Lieutenant-
General Sir Brent Spencer, who commanded, in
the absence of Lord Wellington in Estremadura.
They lost on this occasion a troop-serjeant-major,
three men, and six horses killed ; and nine men
wounded. The Royals subsequently bivouacked near
Sabugal, from whence they proceeded to Arron-
ches, and were encamped at the conflux of the
Caya and Aigrette : towards the end of July they
marched to Idanha a Nova, on the frontiers of
Portugal ; and in August to Villa de Toura and
Iteura. Meanwhile Lord Wellington returned
from Estremadura, and afterwards blockaded Ciu
dad Rodrigo. Marshal Marmont advanced ; when
his lordship raised the blockade, and took up a
defensive position, and the Royal Dragoons
were posted on the 22nd of September on the
Upper Azava. A series of attacks and manoeuvres
followed, and on the 25th the Royals were in the
position of Fuente Guinaldo : from whence they
were ordered to retire on the following day ; and
on the 27th were posted near Alfayates, with a
piquet at Aldea de Ponte, which was attacked by
the enemy, when Lieutenant Boss had his horse
killed under him, and three men and six horses
were wounded. On the following day the Royals
were with the army in position behind Soito ; and
Lord Wellington offered battle, but the enemy
retired, and the allied army went into cantonments.
The Royals were stationed at Adao ; subsequently

94 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1811 at Espejo, and towards the end of November
marched for Meda.
1812 Lord Wellington having resolved to besiege
Ciudad Rodrigo, the Royal Dragoons marched
to the vicinity of that city in January, 1812, and
took post at Villa Turpina, to cover the troops
employed in the siege. This city was taken by
storm on the 19th of that month, and, when the
works were put in a state of defence, the Royals
marched to St. Jao de Presquere. The siege of
Badajoz — the capital of Spanish Estremadura,
situate on a beautiful plain on the banks of the
Guadiana, was next determined upon : the army
was accordingly put in motion for the south, and
the Royal Dragoons, proceeding by way of
Abrantes into Spanish Estremadura, were placed
under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir
Thomas Graham ; and, having crossed the Gua
diana on the 16th of March, advanced upon
Valverde and Santa Martha, and thence towards
Llerena, — an old town of Estremadura, which once
belonged to the knights of St. John. On the 19th
of March the Royals were at Villa Franca ; but
on the advance of Marshal Soult, with a consider
able force, they retired. Badajoz was taken on
the 6th of April, and Lord Wellington afterwards
proceeded to the north ; but the Royal Dragoons
remained in Estremadura, forming part of the force
left in the south under the command of Lieutenant-
General Sir Rowland Hill.
On the 25th of May a squadron of the Royals,
commanded by Major Dorville, proceeded on
out-post duty to Llera. On the 27th, at night,

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 95
the commanding officer ascertained that a French 1812
brigade had advanced within a short distance of his
post : he therefore retired to a wood about a mile
behind the village, and having placed a small piquet
on an eminence, with a support at the ford of a rivulet
in front of the wood, the squadron bivouacked for
the night. In the mean time a brigade of French
cavalry, commanded by Brigadier-General L'Alle-
mand, advanced to Hera, and surrounded the vil
lage at midnight, expecting to surprise the squadron
in its quarters ; but on discovering that it had
marched, he advanced towards the wood, and, at
tacking the piquet, wounded and took prisoners
one serjeant and five men. Meanwhile the support
commenced a brisk fire, and gallantly defended the
passage of the ford, and the squadron, not having
drawn bit, immediately mounted and formed ;
when the French, being foiled in their object,
retired : the squadron followed, and continued
skirmishing with the enemy until they had passed
Llera, and then resumed its former post.
On the 1 1 th of June the seventeenth and twenty-
ninth regiments of French dragoons, commanded
by Brigadier-General L'Allemand, again proceed
ed to the vicinity of Llera, when Major-General
Slade advanced with the Royals and third dragoon
guards, and having attacked the French, routed
them, and continued the pursuit about nine miles.
On arriving at the vicinity of Maguilla the British
regiments had another opportunity of charging,
when they broke the enemy's first line, sabred
many of the men, and took one of General L'Alle-
mand's aides-de-camp prisoner. The British regi-

96 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1812 ments rushed forward in pursuit with too much
eagerness, each vying with the other which should
most distinguish itself; and in a moment of confu
sion the French brought forward a reserve, and
charged the broken squadrons with such fury that
they were obliged to retire.* The Royals lost
in this encounter one serjeant, eleven men, and six
horses killed ; also nineteen men, and eight horses
wounded ; and Lieutenant Windsor, with four
serjeants and thirty-nine men, taken prisoners.
Lieutenant Windsor and most of the men were
wounded before they were taken.
Patroles were afterwards sent on the road to
Maguilla, and on the 14th of June a serjeant and
twenty-five men of the Royals, with the like
number of the third dragoon guards, encountered
a squadron of French dragoons, which they charged
with distinguished gallantry, and having sabred a
number of men, took a captain (the commanding
officer of the squadron), with a serjeant and twenty
men, prisoners ; and captured twenty- three horses .
On the 18th of June the Royals marched for
Albuhera : they were subsequently encamped near
Llerena, from whence they marched to Los Santos .
Meanwhile the forces under Lord Wellington had

* " Nothing could exceed the gallantry displayed by the officers
" and men on this occasion. Sir Granby Calcraft, and Lieute-
" nant-Colonel Clifton, commanding the two regiments, particu-
" larly distinguished themselves, as well as all the officers
" present. " I beg particularly to report the conduct of Brigade Major
" Radclyffe, of the Royal Dragoons, to whom I feel particularly
" indebted for his assistance on this occasion." — Major-General
Slade's Despatch.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 97
defeated the French at Salamanca ; and on the 1812
news of this success Lieutenant-General Sir Row
land Hill advanced. The Royals were in motion
on the 30th of J uly, and proceeded to Villa Franca,
and subsequently to Fuente del Maestre.
The main army having marched to Madrid, Sir
Rowland Hill advanced to act in concert with
Lord Wellington. The Royals advanced on the
27th of August, and on the 6th of September were
at Villa Nova; left that place on the 13th of
September; crossed the pontoon bridge at Almarez
on the 19th, and arrived at Talavera, in the valley
of the Tagus, on the 28th ; from whence they
proceeded to Tembleque, in New Castile. Lord
Wellington having left Madrid and besieged the
castle of Burgos, Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland
Hill took up a position on the Tagus, and the
Royals marched by Aranjuez, — a beautiful pa
lace of the kings of Spain, — to Morata. The
enemy, however, concentrated his forces, and ad
vanced, with an immense superiority of numbers,
to relieve Burgos, when Lord Wellington raised
the siege and retired, and Lieutenant-General Sir
Rowland Hill made a corresponding movement.
The Royals commenced retiring on the 27th of
October by Madrid and the pass of the Guada
rama mountains, and arrived, on the 1 2th of No
vember, at Salamanca ; from whence they proceed
ed on the 15th to Arguilla, and on the 17th had an
encounter with the enemy, when four men and one
horse were wounded. Leaving Arguilla on the
28th of November they proceeded to Zelreira, and
towards the end of December to Alcantara. H

98 historical record of
1813 The Royal Dragoons passed the winter and
spring of 1813 in Spanish Estremadura, from
whence they advanced, in the middle of May, to
turn the enemy's position on the northern bank of
the Douro ; and, arriving at Salamanca on the 26th
of that month, they forded the river Tormes above
the town, and encountered a body of French in
fantry and a few cavalry under General Villatte,
who was retiring from Salamanca in the direction
of Alba de Tormes, when the right squadron, led
by Lieutenant- Colonel Clifton, charged the
enemy with signal gallantry, sabred a number of
men, and took one hundred and forty-three prison
ers, with four tumbrils. In this action the Royals
had five horses killed, and ten men and three
horses wounded : Major Purvis's charger was also
killed under him.
After this action the Royals bivouacked near
La Orbado until the 3rd of June, when they ad
vanced, with the army, on Valladolid. The ene
my withdrew his troops from Madrid, and retired
on Burgos ; and on the approach of the allied army
blew up the castle and fell back towards the Ebro,
and subsequently to Vittoria, where he prepared
to give battle. The allied army followed in pur
suit ; and in this long and toilsome march the
Royals were subjected to much fatigue and pri
vation, — frequently marching from daybreak in the
morning until dusk in the evening, through a
romantic and difficult tract of country, and climb
ing mountains and passing defiles and rugged
precipices heretofore deemed impracticable. The
horses, from practice, ascended and descended the

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 99
mountains with astonishing facility; and on the 1813
20th of June the troops were in front of the
enemy's position.
At daylight on the morning of the 21st of June
the Royal Dragoons left their bivouac, and ad
vanced to support the attack of the infantry on the
heights in front of Vittoria. The face of the ground
was so rugged that the operations of the cavalry were
impeded, and for some time the services of the
Royals were limited to supporting the columns of
attack : towards the evening they, however, ad
vanced to charge, but the enemy fled in confusion,
leaving behind them cannon, ammunition, baggage,
and the military chest of the army. The Royals
moved forward in pursuit, and bivouacked about
three miles beyond Vittoria : their loss was only
one man and two horses killed, and one horse
wounded. On this occasion the regiment was
commanded by Major Purvis, Lieutenant-Colonel
Clifton being in command of the brigade.
The Royals advanced in pursuit of the enemy
on the following morning, and on the 2nd of July
they were at Suista and other villages near Pam
peluna, which place was blockaded by the allied
army. They left that quarter, however, on the
18th of July, for Sanguesa, a town of Navarre, on
the river Arragon, twenty-five miles from Pam
peluna. Towards the end of that month the
French army advanced to relieve Pampeluna,
when the Royals were immediately ordered to
return to the vicinity of that place, and they were
formed in column at the foot of the mountains dur
ing the battle of the Pyrenees. They remained
h 2

100 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1813 with the blockading force near Pampeluna until
the 10th of August, when, forage becoming scarce,
they again proceeded to the plains of the Arragon,
where they remained, together with General Mi-
na's division of Spaniards, as a corps of reserve
and support to the blockade, until after the sur
render of that fortress. They were subsequently
stationed at Villa Franca during the winter.
1814 In the mean time the main army had entered
France. On the 3rd of February, 1814, the
Royal Dragoons marched to Tauste: from
whence they proceeded, in the beginning of March,
through the Pyrenean mountains, and entered
France on the 9th of that month. For a short
period they were stationed near Bayonne, which
place was blockaded by the allied army ; but they
subsequently advanced up the country, and on the
10th of April were at the battle of Toulouse, when
they were employed in covering the light brigade
of guns, and in driving the piquets of the enemy
under the walls of the city, which was immediately
besieged. The French, having retired, the Royals
were ordered forward to Villa Franche, and after
wards to Gardouch. These brilliant successes of the
British troops were followed by the abdication of
Buonaparte, and the restoration of peace.
The Royal Dragoons returned to Villa
Franche on the 23rd of April, where they re
mained about a month, and then moved to Mont-
guiscarde ; and on the 2nd of June commenced
their march through France to Calais, where they
arrived on the 17th of July. They embarked on
the following day, landed at Dover on the 19th,

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 101
and marched from thence to Bristol, where they 1814
arrived on the 11th of August; and shortly after
wards the establishment was reduced from ten to
eight troops. In November the quarters were
removed from Bristol to Exeter ; and the brilliant
services of the regiment were rewarded with per
mission to bear the word "Peninsula," as an
honoraiy distinction, on the standards and appoint
ments. The prospect of a lasting peace soon vanished, 1815
and unexpected events brought the Royal Dra
goons again into the field of conflict. The return
of Buonaparte to France, the flight of Louis
XVIII. from Paris, and the appearance of a Bri
tish army near the frontiers of France, followed
in rapid succession. An express arrived at the
quarters of the Royals on the morning of the
24th of April, 1815, with orders to march on the
following morning for Canterbury, and afterwards
to Dover and Ramsgate, and to embark for the
Netherlands. An augmentation of two troops was
at the same time ordei'ed ; a hundred horses were
received at Canterbury by transfer from the fifth
dragoon guards ; and about the middle of May the
Royals were in Belgium, in quarters in the vil
lages between Ghent and Brussels, where, to pass
away the time unemployed by military duties, the
officers amused themselves with horse-races and
athletic sports.*
On the morning of the 16th of June the
Royals were suddenly aroused before daybreak
* Journal of Major Radclyffe, of the Royal Dragoons — MS.

102 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1815 by the loud notes of the bugle sounding " to horse."
The summons had a highly exhilarating effect on
the spirits of the men : they turned out with ala
crity, not doubting but the day was big with events,
and in a short time they were advancing on Quatre
Bras, where the enemy had commenced a furious
attack on the advanced-posts. After continuing
the march about fifty miles, the Royals arrived at
the scene of conflict about dusk in the evening : *
the fighting had ceased, and the troops bivouacked
on the field of battle.
The Prussians had been defeated at Ligny and
forced to retire ; the Duke of Wellington made a
corresponding movement; and the Royal Dra
goons, after passing the night under arms in the
open fields, were formed in line, on the forenoon of
the 17th of June, with the other cavalry regiments,
to cover the retreat of the infantry. The British
cavalry, manoeuvring, and, by their varied evolu
tions, masking and covering the retreat of the
infantry, exhibited a splendid spectacle of war.
One squadron of the Royals, commanded by
Major Radclyffe, was sent to the front to skirmish.
" I was detached," observes the major, in his nar
rative, " with my squadron to cover the brigade
" by skirmishing, and Major-General Sir William
" Ponsonby, and the brigade generally, were
" pleased to applaud the style in which we ac-
" quitted ourselves. It rained with greater violence
" than I ever witnessed before, which I found to
* " The infantry complained they had suffered much from our
absence and tardy arrival, though, God knows, we had lost no
time." — Major Radclyffe's Journal.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 103
" my advantage when it was my turn to skirmish. 1815
" The enemy had two squadrons of Chasseurs
" opposed to me, and as they could not overpower
" us by their fire, they huzzaed and endeavoured
" to excite each other on with ' Vive l'Empereur ! '
" and once actually charged towards my skirmish-
" ers, but they stopped short, not daring to come
" to daggers with us." Towards the evening the
Royals arrived at the position in front of Water
loo, where they halted, and again passed the night
in the open fields, without provisions, without
drink, and exposed to continued rain.
On the morning of the 18th of June the army
was formed in order of battle. " We " (the Roy
als) " found ourselves," states the Major, in his
journal, -" in our place in close column behind the
" second line of infantry, fetlock deep in mud ; no
" baggage for the officers, and neither provision
" nor water for the men (though some stray cattle
" had been killed and eaten, and a small supply of
" spirits had, a short time before, been found on
" the road), so that we might be said to go coolly
" into action, for every man was wet to the skin."
Notwithstanding these disadvantages the Royals
proved "true Britons."
At ten o'clock the French army was seen form
ing on the opposite heights, from whence a cloud
of skirmishers rushed forwards : the fire of the
artillery gradually opened, and about noon the co
lumns of attack came sweeping through the valley
in all the pomp and majesty of war. A succession
of attacks was made at various points, and the
Royals were formed in column, awaiting the

104

historical record of

1815 moment when their services should be required.
At length, twenty thousand French infantry
(Count d'Erlon's corps) suddenly appeared on the
opposite heights, and rushing forward, such was
the celerity of their course, that, scarcely seeming
to traverse the intermediate space, they quickly
ascended the position, — dispersed a Belgic brigade
with which they first came in contact, — forced the
artillery-men, posted in the rear of the double
hedge and narrow road, to abandon their guns, —
broke through parts of the British supporting
infantry, — and several thousand of French foot
having passed La Haye Sainte, had actually
crowned the allied position, when Lieutenant-
General the Earl of Uxbridge came galloping
to that part of the field. A few words issued
from his lips : speedily the Royals, the Scots
Greys, and Inniskillen dragoons were seen ad
vancing in line ; the noble bearing of these dis
tinguished horsemen was characteristic of the
innate valour of the officers and men, and the spec
tacle was singularly imposing. The three regi
ments halted a few moments to permit the broken
battalions to pass through the intervals of squa
drons, and then rushed forward, with terrific
violence, upon the enemy's infantry. The effect
was magical : the heads of the French columns
were instantly broken and forced back, — a general
flight commenced ; the firing ceased, and the
smoke having cleared away, those formidable
masses, a moment before so menacing and conspi
cuous, had almost disappeared, or left only the
traces of a dispersed rabble flying over the plain.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 105
Some, despairing to escape, abandoned their arms, 1815
and threw themselves on the ground, and the
Royals, Greys, and Inniskillen dragoons were
seen trampling down and sabring the French in
fantry with uncontrollable power. Crowds of
French soldiers appeared at different points, sur
rendering as prisoners : many, however, defended
themselves to the last ; and others again, rising up,
after being ridden over or passed by the dragoons,
were observed firing on their rear, the slope of
the position being left literally covered with dead.
During the heat of this conflict, Captain Alex
ander Kennedy Clark,* commanding the centre
squadron of the Royal Dragoons, having led
his men about two hundred yards beyond the
second hedge on the British left, perceived in the
midst of a crowd of infantry the Eagle of the
French 105th regiment, with which the bearer
was endeavouring to escape to the rear. Against
this body of men, Captain Clark instantly led his
squadron at full speed, and plunging into the
midst of the crowd, overtook and slew the French
officer who carried the Eagle ; and several men
of the Royal Dragoons coming up at the mo
ment, the Eagle was captured, and Captain Clark,
giving it to Corporal Stiles,! directed him to carry
it to the rear.f
* Now Colonel A. K. Clark Kennedy, CB. and K.H., lieu
tenant-colonel of the seventh dragoon guards.
f Francis Stiles was rewarded with an ensigncy in the sixth
West India regiment on the 11th of April, 1816, and was placed
on half-pay on the 28th of December, 1817 : he died in London
on the 9th of January, 1828.
J " I was in command of the centre squadron of the Royal
" Dragoons in this charge. While following up the attack, I

106 HISTORICAL record of
1815 Another Eagle was captured by the Greys ;
and the three regiments, animated by this tide of
success, pursued their advantage too far. They
crossed the ravine ; carried several batteries ; and
continued their course even to the rear of the
enemy's position. The latter, recovering confidence
from the disorder too apparent in the movements
of this insulated and unsupported brigade, fell
upon it with a large body of lancers and some
cuirassiers. The three regiments being broken
and dispersed in the pursuit, were forced back,
and they sustained considerable loss. Their gal
lant leader, Major-General Sir William Pon
sonby was killed,* and the command of the
" perceived, a little to my left, in the midst of a body of infantry,
" an Eagle and Colour, which the bearer was making off with
" towards the rear. I immediately gave the order, ' Right shoulders
" forward,' to my squadron, at the same time leading direct upon
" the Eagle, and calling out to the men with me to ' Secure the
" colours.' The instant I got within reach of the officer who
'¦ carried the Eagle, I ran my sword into his right side, and he
" staggered and fell, but did not reach the ground on account
" of the pressure of his companions. As the officer was in the
" act of falling, I called out, a second time, to some men close be-
" hind me, ' Secure the colour ; it belongs to me !' The standard
" eoverer, Corporal Stiles, and several other men, rushed up, and
" the Eagle fell across my horse's head, against that of Corporal
" Stiles, who came up on my left. As it was falling I caught
" the fringe of the flag with my left hand, but could not at the
"first pull up the Eagle: at the second attempt, however, I
" succeeded. Being in the midst of French troops, I attempted
" to separate the Eagle from the staff, to put it into the breast
¦' of my coatee ; but it was too firmly fixed. Corporal Stiles
" said, ' Pray, Sir, do not break it !' to which T replied ' Very well ;
" carry it off to the rear as fast as you can,' which he did. Though
" wounded, I preferred remaining in the field in the command of
" my squadron, which I did until near seven o'clock in the
" evening, when I was obliged to withdraw ; having had two
" horses killed under me, and having received two wounds, which
" confined me to my quarters at Brussels nearly two months." —
Captain Clark's Narrative of the Capture of the Eagle.
*This respected and lamented officer (Major-General Sir William
Ponsonby), beloved by all who served with or under him, met his
death in a manner which conferred upon it an interesting character. When

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 107
brigade devolved on Colonel Muter* of the Innis- 1815
killen dragoons.
In this attack the Royals took an immense
number of prisoners : their conduct excited great
admiration, and has been commended by historians.
The following is an extract from one of the nu
merous accounts of the battle of Waterloo : — " The
" Marquis of Anglesey, galloped up to the second
" brigade (1st, 2nd, and 6th dragoons), and the
" three regiments, wheeling into line, presented a
" beautiful front of about one thousand men.
" The noble Marquis ordered a charge, which was
" most gallantly executed. They took the enemy
" in flank and a most tremendous fight commenced.
" Every man fought with unparalleled heroism,
" for every man had his own individual task to
" perform. The Royals, fired with a noble
" emulation, rushed into a column of four thousand
" men, where they captured the Eagle of the
" 105th regiment and bore it off in triumph. The
" greater part of this column then threw down
When the order was given for attacking the enemy, he led the three
regiments forward with that noble ardour for which he had been dis
tinguished in the campaigns in the Peninsula. Having cut through
the first column, he proceeded where the Royals were so hotly
engaged, and found himself outflanked by a regiment of Polish
lancers in a newly-ploughed field, the ground of which was so
soft that his horse became blown, and was unable to proceed.
He was attended by only one aide-de-camp. At this instant the
lancers were approaching him at full speed. His own death, he
knew, was inevitable, but supposing his aide-de-camp might
escape, he drew forth the picture of his lady and his watch, and
was in the act of delivering them to his attendant to be conveyed
to his family, when the enemy came up and they were both
speared upon the spot.
* Now Lieutenant-General Sir Joseph Straton, K.C.H. and
C.B., colonel of the eighth royal Irish hussars, who was autho
rised to take and use the surname of Straton, instead of Muter,
on the 28th of September, 1816.

108 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1815 « their arms, and were immediately conducted to
" the rear. The Greys also captured an Eagle.
" Thus the great attack of the enemy on the left
" was finally overthrown, and two thousand men
" made prisoners."
After returning from the charge, the Royals
resumed their post in position, and were exposed
to a heavy cannonade. In the afternoon the brigade
was moved to its right ; and, Colonel Muter hav
ing been wounded, Lieut.-Colonel Clifton of the
Royals took the command of the three regiments ;
when the command of the Royals devolved on
Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Dorville. The enemy made
several attacks on various points, but was uniformly
repulsed. At length the Duke of Wellington
assumed the offensive. The Royals again ad
vanced, and the allied army made a simultaneous
rush upon the enemy, who was overthrown, cut
down, and pursued with dreadful slaughter from
the field of battle. Thus ended a day glorious to
the British arms beyond precedent. The dis
tinguished services of the Heavy Cavalry did not
fail to excite admiration : — by their powerful attacks
they more than once restored the battle ; and they
were especially noticed by the Duke of Wellington
in his despatch.
The Royal Dragoons had Captain Windsor,
Lieutenant Foster, Cornets Magniac and Sykes,
Adjutant Shepley, six serjeants, eighty-six men,
and one hundred and sixty-one horses killed :
Brevet Major Radclyffe *, Captain Clark, Lieu-
* Major Radclyffe was wounded in the first charge, and taken
from the field. He was an excellent swordsman, and had
taught

the first, or royal dragoons. 109
tenants Gunning, Keily, Trafford, Wyndowe, 1815
Ommaney, Blois, and Goodenough, with six ser
jeants, eighty-two men, and thirty-five horses,
wounded ; also two men wounded and taken pri
soners. On the following morning the allied army
advanced, directing its march upon Paris, which
city was surrendered in the early part of July.
The Royals accompanied the army, and on the
7th of July marched into quarters at Nanterre, a
village situate about seven miles from the French

taught many of his men his peculiar method of giving point,
and he was afterwards much delighted on being informed that
the troopers, by adhering to his instructions, had been signally
successful in their attacks. The decease of this gallant and
excellent officer, clever man, and good scholar, took place on the
24th of February, 1827: the following is an extract from a
periodical work respecting him : —
"Died on the 24th of February, 1827, in Connaught-square, Lieu-
" tenant-Colonel Radclyffe, Major of Brigade to the Cavalry in
" Great Britain, aged 53. — This distinguished officer served in all
" the campaigns of the late revolutionary war, commencing with
" the Duke of York's, in Flanders, in 1793, and ending with the
" sanguinary battle of Waterloo. There he received a severe
" wound from a musket-ball, which lodged in his knee, the constant
" pain and irritation of which (as it could not be extracted) has
" thus prematurely destroyed his valuable life. His Lieut.-Co-
" lonelcy took its date from that glorious day. He was present
" at the battles of Salamanca, Vittoria, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor,
" the blockade of Pampeluna, and the attack of Bayonne, besides
" numerous engagements of minor note. He was Major of Brigade
" during the campaigns in Spain to the battle of Toulouse in April,
" 1814; after which he was appointed Assistant- Adjutant General
" to the Cavalry, and accompanied it as such through France to
" England. So entirely was his mind devoted to his profession, that
" almost the last words he spoke (only two hours before his
" death), in answer to a question from his physicians as to how
" he felt, were, ' I am retreating, retreating, retreating : I cannot
" advance.' He was a most scientific and dexterous swordsman,
" a skilful officer, and able tactician. Witness a small work
" which he printed on those subjects. He was a sincere and
" ardent friend, a conscientious Christian, and a brave and good
" man. He lived highly and universally respected, and died
" sincerely lamented."

110 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1816 capital. The Bourbon dynasty was restored to
the throne, and the campaign terminated.
The Royals left Nanterre on the 30th of July,
and proceeded to Rouen, and in October to Monte-
villiers; from whence they marched, in Decem
ber, to the vicinity of the coast ; and in the early
part of January, 1816, embarked at Calais. The
regiment landed at Dover and Ramsgate on the
15th of that month, and proceeding from thence
to Ipswich barracks, arrived there on the 23rd ;
and, on the 25th, the establishment was reduced
from ten to eight troops. For their distinguished
gallantry on the 18th of June, 1815, permission
was granted for the Royal Dragoons to bear
the word " Waterloo" and an " Eagle" on
their standards and appointments : every officer
and man present at that engagement received
a silver medal to be worn on the left breast, and
the subaltern officers and soldiers had the privi
lege of reckoning two years' service for that day, to
wards increase of pay and pension.
The following officers of the Royal Dragoons
received medals and marks of royal favour for
their services during the war : —
Lieutenant-Colonel.
Colonel Arthur Benjamin Clifton.
Medal and one clasp for Fuentes d'Onor, and Vittoria.
Companion of the order of the Bath.
Medal for Waterloo.
The second class of the Russian order of St. Anne.
The fourth class of the order of Wilhelm of Holland.
Majors.
Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Dorville.
Companion of the order of the Bath.
Waterloo Medal. Charles Purvis.
Medal for Vittoria.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. Ill
MEDALS FOR WATERLOO.
Captains. Lieutenants.
Major Charles E. Radclyffe Cornthwaite Ommaney
Alexander Kennedy Clark Charles Blois
Paul Phipps Stephen Goodenough
Lieutenants. Cornets.
Henry Robert Carden C. B. Stephenson
Sigismund Trafford Honourable John Massey
George Gunning Quarter-Master W. Waddell
Townshend Richard Keily Surgeon George Steed
Samuel Windowe Veterinary-Surgeon W. Ryding
Towards the end of August, 1817, the' Royal 1817
Dragoons marched for Scotland, and were sta
tioned at Hamilton, Ayr, Dumfries, Stirling, and
Glasgow. In June, 1818, they embarked at Port- 1818
patrick for Ireland, and, having landed at Donag-
hadee, proceeded to Ballinrobe, Sligo, Longford,
Roscommon, and Dunmore. In November a re
duction of eight serjeants, ninety-six men, and
fifty-six horses, was made in the establishment.
In June, 1819, the regiment proceeded to Dub- 1819
lin, where it remained on garrison duty until
August of the following year, Avhen it embarked 1820
for England; and, after landing at Liverpool,
marched to Manchester, Oldham, Ashton, and
Altringham. On the 19th of March, 1821, the Royals com- 1821
menced their march for Radipole barracks, from
whence a number of parties were detached on
revenue duty ; and, for the seizure of smuggled
goods made whilst on this duty, the regiment re
ceived upwards of £200. In September the

112 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1821 establishment was reduced to six troops, of three
officers, three serjeants, one trumpeter, one farrier,
fifty rank and file, and forty-two horses each.
1822 The regiment marched, on the 13th of June,
1822, from the west and south-west districts, to
Richmond and other villages near the metropolis,
and was reviewed on Wormwood Scrubbs by His
Royal Highness the Duke of York on the 6th of
July. Two days after the review it marched for
Canterbury, detaching troops and parties on the
revenue duty.
1823 Having called in the detachments, the regiment
marched from Canterbury, on 1st of July, 1823,
for the cavalry barracks near the Regent's Park,
London, and on their arrival took the King's duty
— the life guards and royal horse guards having
marched into quarters near Hounslow, prepara
tory to a review, which took place on the 15th of
July, when the Royals furnished a guard of
honour for His Royal Highness the Duke of York,
and a squadron to assist in keeping the ground.
They were relieved from the King's duty on the
following day, and marched for York barracks,
where they arrived on the 29th of July.
1824 From York the Royals marched, on the 24th
of May, 1824, for Scotland, and occupied Piershill
barracks, Edinburgh, and Perth, — with detach
ments at Cupar, Angus, and Forfar; and were
employed, during the calamitous fire in Parliament
Square, Edinburgh, in November, on three suc
cessive days, in preserving order, protecting pro
perty, and rendering assistance to the unfortunate

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 113
sufferers; and the dismounted men, with the bar- 1824
rack engine, assisted materially in extinguishing the
fire in the Tron church. The services of the regi
ment, on this occasion, were commended in a gene
ral order, issued by the commander of the forces in
Scotland ; and in a vote of thanks from the lord pro
vost, magistrates, and town council of Edinburgh.
In the early part of March, 1825, the regiment 1825
proceeded to Hamilton, and Glasgow, and in the
following month embarked for Ireland ; after land
ing at Donaghadee, it marched to Dundalk and Bel
turbet, from whence several strong escorts were de
tached for the safe-conduct of specie, — the currency
of the two kingdoms having been assimilated.
On the 30th of March, 1826, the Royals 1826
marched for Dublin, where they remained until
April, 1827, and then marched for Newbridge ; 1827
and in October following proceeded to Cork, Fer
moy, and Bandon. The whole assembled at Cork
in March, 182S, and proceeded from thence to 1828
Ballincollig. The regiment commenced its march for Dublin 1829
on the 28th of April, 1829, embarked for England
in the early part of May, and, after disembarking
at Liverpool, proceeded into quarters in the town
of Manchester, — the barracks at that place having
been pulled down for the purpose of being rebuilt,
During their stay at this place the Royals fur
nished a number of piquets and parties for the pre
vention of riot and open violation of the law by
the operatives, who were in a state of disaffection :
detachments were also sent to Blackburn and
Bolton for the same purpose. I

114 HISTORICAL RECORD OF
1829 The death of Lieutenant-General Garth having
taken place on the 18th of November, 1829, on
the 23rd of that month, His Majesty conferred
the colonelcy on Lieut.-General Lord R. E. H.
Somerset, G.C.B. from the seventeenth lancers.
1830 In the summer of 1830 the regiment marched
to Norwich and Ipswich ; at the same time the
establishment was reduced to two hundred and
seventy rank and file. In the autumn of this year
the agricultural labourers, having been excited by
designing men, committed numerous acts of in
cendiarism and effected the destruction of pro
perty to a most alarming extent in several counties.
The Royal Dragoons were, in consequence,
called upon to furnish a number of detachments
to assist the civil authorities in suppressing these
outrages. A resolution of thanks from the magis
trates of Norfolk, acknowledging the very effec
tive services rendered by the officers, non-commis
sioned officers, and privates, was forwarded by
the lord-lieutenant of the county, to the general
commanding-in-chief, who was pleased to express
the satisfaction he experienced in being presented
with so honourable a testimonial of their behaviour.
1831 The regiment remained at Norwich and Ips
wich during the whole of the year 1831. In the
1832 spring of 1832 it marched to Canterbury*; in

* A guard of honour, consisting of one major (Major Marten),
two captains, two subalterns, four serjeants, and one hundred rank
and file, with the royal standard, was ordered, by the king's
special command, from Canterbury to Windsor Castle, for the
purpose of escorting their majesties on the occasion of the present
ation of a new standard to the royal horse guards (blues) by King
William IV. on the 13th of August, 1832.

THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS. 115
1833 to Dorchester; and in 1834 to Brighton. 1833
During the following winter it proceeded to Bris- 1834
tol, from whence it embarked, in January, 1835, 1835
for Ireland; and, after landing at Dublin, was
stationed at Newbridge for sixteen months.
On the removal of Lieutenant-General Lord 1836
Edward Somerset to the fourth dragoons in March,
1836, the colonelcy of the Royals was conferred
on Major-General Sir Frederick Cavendish Pon
sonby, K.C.B., G.C.M.G., and K.C.H., from the
eighty-sixth foot.
During the summer of 1836 the regiment pro
ceeded to Dublin ; and, while stationed at that
place, its colonel, Sir Frederick Cavendish Pon
sonby, died ; and was succeeded, on the 20th of
January, 1837, by Lieutenant-General the Right 1837
Honourable Sir Hussey Vivian,K.C.B. and G.C.H.
The regiment left Dublin in the autumn of 1837,
and was stationed during the following year at 1838
Cork; from whence it embarked, in May, 1839, 1839
for' Liverpool ; and, after landing at that port, was
removed to Sheffield, where it has remained until
the conclusion of this memoir.
In taking a retrospective view of the services of
the Royal Regiment of Dragoons, its conduct
cannot fail to excite admiration. The details given
in the preceding pages afford numerous instances
of determined bravery, steady discipline, and con
stant efficiency. These qualities were eminently
displayed when charging the Moorish legions on
the confines of Africa, and bearing away in triumph
the Mahomedan colours in 1664 and 1680 ; — when
routing the insurgent bands at Sedgemoor in
1685 ; — forcing the passage of the Boyne in 1690;
i2

116 THE FIRST, OR ROYAL DRAGOONS.
1839 — on detached services in Ireland in 1691 ; and op
posing the troops of Louis XIV. in the Netherlands
from 1694 to 1697. Nor were they less conspicu
ously evinced when serving on the frontiers of
Holland under the great Duke of Marlborough in
1702 and 1703 ; — skirmishing in the mountains of
Catalonia and in the valleys of Valencia, under the
Earl of Peterborough, in 1705 and 1706 ; — and
charging the Spanish forces at Almanara, and at
Saragassa in 1710.
The Royal Dragoons also distinguished them
selves under the eye of their sovereign when fight
ing the French cuirassiers at the battle of Dettin
gen in 1743, where they captured the standard
of the mousquetaires noirs ; they again displayed
signal valour at Warbourg in 1760; and under
the Duke of York in Flanders in 1794. In nume
rous fights with the legions of Napoleon in the
Peninsula, from 1810 to 1814, they acquired new
honours : they were also engaged at the glorious
battle of Waterloo on the 18th of June, 1815,
where they captured one of the two French Eagles
taken on that day.
On all occasions the Royal Dragoons have
evinced a dauntless bearing, united with steady
valour, and unshaken firmness, the characteristics
of a British corps. These qualities, as well as the
temper, patience, and forbearance which have dis
tinguished their conduct, when employed in aiding
the civil power on duties at home, have rendered
the regiment a valuable acquisition to the crown,
and have afforded the strongest proofs of its useful
ness to the country.

First, or Royal Dragoons, 1839.

[To face page 1 16.

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS

THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS.

John Lord Churchill.
Appointed 19rt November, 1683.
At its formation the Royal Rkgiment of Dragoons
had the honour of being commanded by one of the most
distinguished officers Great Britain has produced, — a
general who acquired celebrity in the field and in the
cabinet, — who never fought a battle he did not win, nor
besiege a town which he did not capture.
John Churchill was born on the 24th of June, 1650.
At sixteen years of age he was page of honour to the
Duke of York, who procured him an ensign's commission
in the first foot guards ; and he soon afterwards resigned
the pleasures of the court to acquire a practical know
ledge of his profession at Tangier, in Africa, where he
served as a volunteer against the Moors, and gave pre
sage of those bright qualities for which he afterwards
became distinguished. On the breaking out of the Dutch
war in 1672 he was appointed captain in the Duke of
Monmouth's regiment of foot, in the service of the King
of France, with which corps he served in the Nether
lands, where he signalised himself by a regular attention
to his duties, and by volunteering his services on occasions
of difficulty or danger ; and he evinced signal gallantry in
1673, at the siege of Maestricht,* where he was wounded.
* Vide the Historical Record of the Life Guards.

118 succession of colonels.
He subsequently served with the French army on the
Rhine, — attracted the particular attention and regard of
the celebrated Marshal Turenne, — and in 1674 he was
appointed colonel of one of the English regiments in the
service of the French monarch, in succession to the Earl
of Peterborough. His regiment was recalled from France
in 1678, and he was appointed to the command of a
brigade of foot in Flanders ; but the peace of Nimeguen
taking place, he returned to England, and his regiment
was disbanded. He became the constant attendant of
the Duke of York, and being employed in several delicate
missions between His Royal Highness and the King, he
evinced great address.
The King having resolved to add to the regular army
a regiment of dragoons for permanent service, Colonel
Churchill was commissioned to raise a troop of dragoons,
and was appointed colonel of the regiment, which was
honoured : with the distinguished title of the Royal
Regiment of Dragoons. He was also advanced to the
peerage of Scotland by the title of Baron Churchill of
Aymouth. Soon after the accession of King James II.
he was created an English peer by the title of Baron
Churchill of Sandridge. On the 14th of May, 1685, he
was promoted to -the rank of brigadier-general : on the
breaking out of the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth
he was sent, with a body of cavalry, to the west of Eng
land, and he was second in command at the battle of
Sedgemoor. His meritorious conduct during this rebel
lion was rewarded with the colonelcy of the third troop
of life guards, and the rank of major-general. No ties of
interest, or charms of royal favour, could, however, in
duce him to abandon the best interests of his native
country ; and at the Revolution in 1688 he joined the
standard of the Prince of Orange, for which he was
removed from the life guards by King James. On the
accession of King William III. he was restored to the
command of the third troop of life guards, — appointed

succession of colonels. 119
colonel of the royal fusileers, — sworn a member of the
privy council, — made lord of the bedchamber to his Ma
jesty, — created Earl of Marlborough, and appointed
to the command of the British troops sent to the Nether
lands, to be employed in the war with France. During
the campaign of 1689 he served under Prince Waldeck,
and gave proof of his personal bravery, and ability to
command, at the battle of Walcourt. In June, 1690, he
was appointed commander-in-chief, and proceeding, in
the autumn of that year, with a body of troops to Ireland,
captured Cork and Kinsale, In 1691 he commanded
the British infantry under King William in the Nether
lands. In the following year he was confined in the
Tower of London on a charge of high treason ; but was
subsequently released without being brought to trial, and
restored to royal favour. On the breaking out of the
war in 1701, he was selected by King William to com
mand the British forces sent to the Netherlands, and to
negotiate the treaties to be formed with foreign powers ;
and he was appointed colonel of a regiment of foot (now
twenty- fourth). Queen Anne confirmed these appoint
ments ; also advanced him to the post of captain-general
of her forces, and procured him the chief command of the
united British, Dutch, and auxiliary troops. At the head of
these forces he evinced the abilities of a great captain ;
he forced the enemy to take shelter behind their lines ;
took Venloo, Ruremonde, Stevenswaert, and Liege with
surprising rapidity ; extended and secured the Dutch
frontiers ; and was rewarded with the thanks of parlia
ment, the approbation of his sovereign, and the dignity of
Duke of Marlborough. In the campaign of 1703 he
was again victorious ; he captured Bonn, Huy, and Lim
burg ; but his career of victory was impeded by the
jealousy or timidity of the Dutch, which he bore in a
manner corresponding with the greatness of his mind
On the 25th of April, 1704, he was appointed colonel
of the first foot guards. The succeeding campaign
was splendid in glorious achievements. He led his

120 SUCCESSION of colonels.
army from the ocean to the Danube ; forced the
heights of Schellenberg on the 2nd July, 1704, and
compelled the enemy to take shelter behind the lines of
Augsburg. New armies and new generals appeared, and
their overthrow, at the decisive battle of Blenheim on the
13th of August, added new lustre to the reputation of the
British commander : there the heaps of slain gave dread
ful proofs of British valour, and whole legions of prisoners
of their mercy. This victory displayed the distinguishing
character of Marlborough, and produced important
results: Bavaria was subdued; Ratisbon, Augsburg,
Ulm, Meninghen, — all were recovered. From the Da
nube he marched to the Rhine and the Moselle ; Landau,
Treves, and Traerbach were taken ; and the British com
mander, — courted and honoured by sovereign princes, —
applauded by nations, became the pride of armies, and
was rewarded with the dignity of a Prince of the Ro
man Empire. While his judgment swayed the councils
of the states of Christendom, he led their armies to battle
and victory. In 1705 he experienced disappointment
from the princes he had delivered in the preceding year ;
but, suddenly changing the scene of his operations, he led
his army from the Moselle to the Maese ; Liege was
relieved ; Huy retaken ; and the boasted impregnable
French lines forced. In the spring of 1706 another
campaign opened, when the discipline he had introduced,
and the confidence he had inspired, again proved invin
cible. He met, attacked, and triumphed over the French,
Spaniards, and Bavarians, at Ramilies, on the 23rd of
May. This decisive action was followed by the surrender
of Louvain, Brussels, Malines, Liege, Ghent, Oudenarde,
Antwerp, Damme, Bruges, and Courtray ; and by the cap
ture of Ostend, Menin, Dendermond, and Aeth, — places
which had resisted the greatest generals for months — for
years ; provinces, disputed for ages, were the conquests
of a summer. So great was his reputation, that, through
out the campaign of 1707, the enemy avoided a general

SUCCESSION OF COLONELS. 121
engagement : but in the following summer a gallant
French army, led by the princes of the blood, was over
come at Oudenarde ; and, although new armies and new
generals appeared, the career of Marlborough could not
be stopped. The barriers of France on the side of the
Low Countries, — the work of half a century, — were at
tacked. A numerous French army were spectators of
the fall of Lisle, the bulwark of their barriers. Every
campaign added new conquests. In 1709 Tournay was
taken; and a powerful French army posted near Mal-
plaquet, in a position covered by thick woods, defended
by triple intrenchments, was attacked. The battle was
bloody, — the event decisive ; the woods were pierced ; the
fortifications were trampled down ; and the enemy fled.
After this victory Mons was taken. In the succeeding
year Douay, Bethune, Aire, St. Venant, shared the same
fate; and the campaign of 1711 was distinguished by
splendid success. A new series of lines were passed, and
Bouchain captured. Nothing availed against a general
whose sagacity foresaw everything, whose vigilance at
tended to everything, whose constancy no labour could
subdue, whose courage no danger could dismay, and
whose intuitive glance always caught the decisive moment
and insured victory ; while the discipline he maintained,
and the confidence he inspired, were equivalent to an
army. The French monarch saw with alarm his generals
overmatched, his armies beaten and discouraged, his
fortresses wrested from him, and an invincible leader with
a victorious army on the confines of France, ready to
carry all the horrors of war into the heart of his kingdom,
and he sued for peace. A change of the ministry in
England, with the adoption of a policy favourable to the
French interest, was followed by the removal of the great
Marlborough from all his offices dependent on the
British crown. He retired to the Continent, where he
remained until the accession of King George I., when he

122 SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
was replaced in his former posts, in which he continued
until his decease in 1722.
Edward Viscount Cornbury.
Appointed 1st August, 1685.
Edward Hyde Viscount Cornbury, son of the second
Earl of Clarendon, was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the
Royal Dragoons when that corps was first embodied ;
and having distinguished himself, at the battle of Sedge-
moor, he succeeded Lord Churchill in the colonelcy of
the regiment. The circumstances of his removal are
stated at page 19 in the ' Historical Record of the Royal
Dragoons.' Robert Clifford.
Appointed 24th November, 1688.
Major Robert Clifford of the Royal Dragoons was
firmly devoted to the Roman Catholic interest, and in
November, 1688, by his exertions he recovered the regi
ment forthe service of King James, as stated at page 19 in
the Historical Record of the corps. At the revolution he
adhered to King James, and he commanded a corps of
dragoons in Ireland, until the siege of Limerick in 1691,
when he was imprisoned by the Irish on a charge of
favouring the passage of the Shannon by the English ;
and would have been condemned to death, if the town
had not surrendered soon afterwards.
Edward Viscount Cornbury.
Re-appointed 31st December, 1688.
Lord Cornbury was restored to the colonelcy of the
Royal Dragoons by the Prince of Orange; but was
removed from his command a few months afterwards.
He was governor of New York, in the reign of Queen
Anne ; and in October, 1709, succeeded to the title of
Earl of Clarendon. His decease occurred on the
31st of March, 1723.

succession of colonels. 123
Anthony Hayford.
Appointed 1st July, 1689.
This Officer served in the life' guards as a private gentle
man, and afterwards in the Duke of Monmouth's regiment
of horse in the reign of Charles II. In 1684 he was
appointed lieutenant in the horse grenadier guards. In
1687 he was lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Dragoons.
He joined the Prince of Orange in November, 1688; and
succeeding Lord Cornbury in the colonelcy of the regiment
in 1689, served in Scotland and Ireland.
Edward Matthews.
Appointed in June, 1690.
This Officer served as a volunteer at Tangier, in
Africa; also in Ireland in 1690 and the following year,
and distinguished himself on several occasions. He
also commanded a brigade of dragoons under King
William in Flanders, in 1694, 1695, and 1696 ; and died
on the 28th of May, 1697.
Thomas Lord Raby.
Appointed 30th May, 1697.
Thomas Wentworth, son of Sir William Wentworth,
baronet, was appointed cornet of the fourth horse, now
third dragoon guards, on the 31st of December, 1688;
and in the following summer served with his regiment.
against the rebel Highlanders in Scotland. In 1692
he served in Flanders, and was in the advance-guard at the
battle of Steenkirk on the 3rd of August in that year,
where he highly distinguished himself, and the squadron
he was with, being exposed to a heavy cannonade, only
brought off fifty men alive out of one hundred and fifty.
His gallantry on this occasion was especially reported to
his sovereign, and he was appointed aide-de-camp to
His Majesty : in which capacity he served at the battle
of Landen, on the 19th of July, 1693, when his conduct
obtained the approbation of King William III., who pro
moted him to the commission of cornet and major in the
first troop, now first regiment, of life guards.

124 SUCCESSION of colonels.
Major Wentworth served with the life guards in the
subsequent campaigns in the Netherlands, and rose to
the rank of lieutenant, and lieutenant-colonel. He suc
ceeded, on the decease of William Earl of Strafford, to
the title of Lord Raby ; was appointed colonel of the
Royal Dragoons in May, 1697 ; and attended the Earl
of Portland in the interviews with Marshal Boufflers,
which preceded the conclusion of peace at Ryswick. In
1698 his lordship accompanied King William to Hol
land, and, on one occasion, when hunting with His
Majesty, he went alone and attacked a wild boar ; the
animal, however, threw him down, and had already torn
his clothes and lacerated his flesh, when the King sent
two huntsmen to his aid, who speared the boar.
In the first year of the reign of Queen Anne, Lord
Raby served with his regiment on the Continent, and in
January, 1703, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-
general. In the spring of the same year he was ap
pointed envoy extraordinary to the King of Prussia, and
subsequently ambassador extraordinary at the same
court ; and on the first of January, 1 705, was advanced
to the rank of major-general. His lordship served in
the army under the Duke of Marlborough, during the
brilliant campaign of 1706 ; and, on the 1st of January
following, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-
general. In 1711 he was sworn of the privy council,
and appointed ambassador extraordinary to the States-
General of Holland ; and in September of the same
year he was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Straf
ford. His Lordship took an active part in negociat-
ing the treaty of peace at Utrecht ; but after the acces
sion of George I., he was removed from his public
employments. The Earl of Strafford died on the 15th of
November, 1739.
Richard Lord Cobham.
Appointed \3th June, 1715.
Sir Richard Temple served under King William in

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

126 SUCCESSION OF colonels.
Sir Charles Hotham, Baronet.
Appointed 10th April, 1721.
Charles Hotham, eldest son of the Rev. Charles
Hotham, Rector of Wigan, succeeded to the dignity of
baronet on the decease of his uncle in 1691. He served
with distinction in the wars of King William III., and
also under the great Duke of Marlborough in the reign
of Queen Anne; and in 1705 he obtained the colonelcy
of a regiment of foot, with which he proceeded to Spain
in 1706, and was in garrison at Alicant when the un
fortunate battle of Almanza was fought. Sir Charles
served with reputation during the remainder of the war ;
but his regiment, having suffered severely in the defence
of several fortified towns, was disbanded in Catalonia
in 1708. He was appointed brigadier-general in 1710;
and shortly after the accession of King George I., he
was commissioned to raise a regiment of foot, which,
after the suppression of the rebellion of the Earl of Mar,
was sent to Ireland, and disbanded in the following year,
when Sir Charles was appointed colonel of a newly-
raised regiment of dragoons, which was, however, dis
banded in November, 1718.
On the 7th of July, 1719, the colonelcy of the thirty-
sixth regiment of foot was conferred on Sir Charles
Hotham ; he was removed to the eighth foot in December
1720; and in April following to the Royal Dragoons.
His decease occurred on the 8th of January, 1723.
Humphrey Gore.
Appointed 12th January, 1723.
This Officer entered the army as ensign in 1689, and
saw much service in the campaigns of King William on
the Continent. On the 1st of February, 1707, he was
appointed colonel of a newly-raised regiment of foot,
with which he proceeded to Spain in 1709, and was ap-

SUCCESSION of colonels. 127
pointed brigadier-general on the 1st of January follow
ing. He was at the battles of Almanara and Saragossa
in 1710, and was taken prisoner by the French in the
unfortunate affair at the village of Brihuegain December
of the same year.* At the peace of Utrecht his regiment
of foot was disbanded ; but proving a loyal and faithful
adherent to the Protestant succession, at a time when
Jacobite principles had become prevalent in the kingdom,
he was commissioned by King George I., in July, 1715,
to raise a regiment of dragoons — the present tenth royal
hussars. He was removed to the Royal Dragoons, in
1723; appointed major-general on the 6th of March,
1727; lieutenant-general on the 29th of October, 1735;
and he died on the 18th of August, 1739.
Charles Duke of Marlborough, K.G.
Appointed 1st September, 1739.
Charles Spencer, fourth Earl of Sunderland, succeeded
to the title of Duke of Marlborough in 1733 ; and
five years afterwards he was appointed colonel of the
thirty-eighth regiment of foot. In 1739 he was removed
to the Royal Dragoons, in the following year to the
second troops of life guards, and in 1742 to the second
regiment of foot guards ; and he commanded the brigade
of foot guards at the battle of. Dettingen. In 1755 he
was appointed master-general of the ordnance ; and in
1758 commanded the expedition against France, when
the enemy's magazines and shipping at St. Maloes were
destroyed. He was subsequently appointed to command
the forces sent to Germany ; and died on the Continent
in October, 1758.
Henry Hawley.
Appointed 12th May, 1740.
This Officer served the crown in four successive reigns,
* Vide page 51 in the ' Historical Record of the Royal Dragoons.'

128 succession of colonels.
and held a commission in the army during a period of six
ty-five years. His first appointment was dated the 10th
of January, 1694 ; and having signalized himself in the
wars of Queen Anne, he obtained the rank of colonel by
brevet dated the 16th of October, 1712. He was wound
ed at the battle of Dumblain in 1715. On the 19th of
March, 1717, he was promoted from the lieutenant-
colonelcy of the fourth dragoons to the colonelcy of the
thirty-third regiment of foot; and on the 7th of July,
1730, he was removed to the colonelcy of the thirteenth
dragoons. In 1735 he was promoted to the rank of
brigadier-general; in 1739 to that of major-general;
and in the following year obtained the colonelcy of the
Royal Dragoons. In 1742 Major-General Hawley
proceeded with the army to Flanders, he was promoted
to the rank of lieutenant-general in the following spring,
and served at. the battles of Dettingen and Fontenoy.
In 1746 he commanded against the rebel Highlanders
in Scotland, and the troops under his orders had a sharp
encounter with the enemy near Falkirk, and sustained
considerable loss. He was afterwards on the staff of
the army in Ireland ; was many years governor of Ports
mouth; and died on the 24th of March, 1759.
The Honourable Henry Seymour Conway.
Appointed 5th April, 1759.
The Honourable Henry Seymour Conway, second
son of Lord Conway, and brother of Francis Earl of
Hertford, was appointed lieutenant in the first foot guards
in 1737, captain and lieutenant-colonel in 1741, and in
1746 he was appointed aide-de-camp to the Duke of
Cumberland, and promoted to the colonelcy of the fifty-
ninth (now forty-eighth) foot. He was removed to the
thirty-fourth foot in 1749, to the thirteenth dragoons in
1751, and to the fourth horse in 1754. In 1756 he was
promoted to the rank of major-general, and in 1759
to that of lieutenant-general: he was removed to the

succession of colonels. 129
Royal Dragoons in the same year. He commanded a
division of the allied army in Germany, under the Duke
of Brunswick, in 1761 ; and the British forces in Germany
were placed under his orders during the absence of the
Marquis of Granby. He Was also one of the grooms of
the bedchamber to his Majesty, and a member of parlia
ment; and having voted against ministers on the great
question of military warrants, in 1764, he resigned his
court appointment and military commands : but in 1 768
he was appointed colonel of the fourth dragoons. In
1770 he succeeded the Marquis of Granby in the colonelcy
of the royal regiment of horse guards; in 1772 he was
promoted to the rank of general ; and in 1782 he was ap
pointed commander-in-chief of the army : in 1 793 he
was promoted to the rank of field-marshal. He died in
1795 ; at which period he was eldest general officer and
first field marshal in the army.
Henry Earl of Pembroke.
Appointed 9th May, 1764.
Henry Herbert, tenth Earl of Pembroke, entered the
army in 1752 ; in 1754 he obtained a captaincy in the
first dragoon guards; in 1756 he was appointed captain
and lieutenant-colonel in the first foot guards ; and on
the 8th of May, 1758, he was appointed aide-de-camp to
King George II. with the rank of colonel. In the fol
lowing year he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the
fifteenth light dragoons, and proceeding to Germany, he
served with distinction under the Marquis of Granby
during the remainder of the seven years' war. The rank
of major-general was conferred on his lordship in 1761,
and in 1764 King George III. gave him the colonelcy
of the Royal Dragoons. On the 30th of April, 1770,
he obtained the rank of lieutenant-general, and was pro
moted to that of general in November, 1782. The Earl
of Pembroke was author of an excellent work on horse*

130

succession of colonels.

manship ; was many years governor of Portsmouth ; and
died on the 26th of January, 1794.
Philip Goldsworthy.
Appointed 2Sth January, 1794.
This Officer was many years in the Royal Dragoons,
with which corps he served in Germany during the
Seven years' war. On the 18th of April, 1779, he was
promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the regiment ;
obtained the rank of major-general on the 20th of De
cember, 1793; and in the following month succeeded
the Earl of Pembroke in the colonelcy. On the 26th
of June, 1799, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-
general. He died in 1801.
Thomas Garth.
Appointed 7th January, 1801.
Thomas Garth was appointed cornet in the Royal
Dragoons on the 12th of April, 1762, and he served
the campaign of that year with his regiment in Germany.
He was appointed lieutenant in the same corps in 1765,
captain in 1775; and in 1779 exchanged to the twen
tieth light dragoons, with which corps he proceeded to
the West Indies, where he served many years. In 1792
he was appointed major in the second dragoon guards ;
and, in 1794, lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Dragoons.
He served under the Duke of York in Flanders ; and
was rewarded with the colonelcy of the Sussex fencibles,
from which he was removed to the twenty-second light
dragoons. He was promoted to the rank of major-
general in 1798; and in 1801 he obtained the colonelcy
of the Royal Dragoons. The rank of lieutenant-gene
ral was conferred on him in 1805, and that of general in
1814. He died in 1829.

succession of colonels. 131
Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset.
Appointed 23rd November, 1829.
Lord R. Edward H. Somerset (third son of Henry
fifth Duke of Beaufort) was appointed in 1793 cornet
in the tenth dragoons, with which corps he served six
years. In 1799 he was appointed major in the twelfth
light dragoons ; in 1800 he was removed to the twenty-
eighth light dragoons; and in 1801 he was promoted to
the lieutenant-colonelcy of the fourth, or Queen's own
dragoons, which regiment he commanded at the battles
of Talavera and Salamanca, where he particularly dis
tinguished himself. He was promoted .to the rank of
major-general in 1813 ; commanded a brigade of cavalry
at the battles of Vittoria, Orthes, and Toulouse ; and
signalized himself at the head of the household cavalry
brigade at the battle of Waterloo. He also commanded
a brigade of cavalry in the army of occupation in France.
His services were rewarded with a cross and one clasp ;
and the grand cross of the order of the Bath. He sub
sequently performed the duties of inspecting general of
the cavalry ; he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-
general in 1825; and in 1829 obtained the colonelcy
of the Royal Dragoons, from which his lordship was
removed in 1836, to the fourth light dragoons.
Hon. Sir Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, K.C.B.,
G.C.M.G., and K.C.H.
Appointed 31st March, 1836.
Hon. Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, second son of
Frederick third earl of Besborough, was appointed cor
net in the tenth dragoons in 1800, and rose in 1803 to
the rank of captain in the same corps, from which he ex
changed to the sixtieth regiment in 1806. In 1807 he
was appointed major in the twenty-third light dragoons, at
the head of which corps he distinguished himself at the
battle of Talavera in 1809; and in 1810 was promoted

132 succession of colonels.
to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the regiment. In 1811 he
served under lieutenant-general Graham at Cadiz ; and
at the battle of Barossa, in March of that year, he
attacked, with a squadron of German dragoons, the
French cavalry covering the retreat, overthrew them,
took two guns, and even attempted, though vainly, to
sabre Rousseau's battalions. On the 11th of June, 1811,
he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the twelfth light
dragoons ; at the head of which corps he served under Lord
Wellington, and distinguished himself, in April, 1812, at
Llerena, in one of the most brilliant cavalry actions
during the war. At the battle of Salamanca he charged
the French infantry, broke his sword in the fight, and his
horse received several bayonet wounds. He repeatedly
evinced great judgment, penetration, and resolution in
out-post duty, and was wounded in the retreat from
Burgos, on the 13th of October, 1812. At the battle of
Vittoria he again distinguished himself : his services at
Tolosa, St. Sebastian, and Nive were also conspicuous ;
and, on the king's birth-day in 1814, he was promoted to
the rank of colonel in the army. He commanded the
twelfth light dragoons at the battle of Waterloo, where
he led his regiment to the charge with signal intrepidity,
— received sabre cuts on both arms, — was brought to the
ground by a blow on the head, — pierced through the
back by a lancer, — plundered by a tirailleur, — ridden over
by two squadrons of cavalry, — and plundered a second
time by a Prussian soldier ; but afterwards recovered of
his wounds. His services were rewarded with the follow
ing marks of royal favour : — Knight companion of the
order of the Bath, — Knight grand cross of the order of
St. Michael and St. George, — Knight commander of the
Hanoverian Guelphic order, — a cross, — a Waterloo
medal,— Knight of the Tower and Sword of Portugal, 
and Knight of Maria Theresa of Austria. In January,
1824, he was appointed inspecting field-officer in the
Ionian islands : he was promoted brigadier-general upon

succession of colonels. 133
the staff of those islands on the 4th of March, 1824 ; and
in June, 1825, he was advanced to the rank of major-
general : he was removed to the staff at Malta, and re
tained the command of the troops in that island until May,
1835. In 1835 he obtained the colonelcy of the eighty-
sixth regiment, from which he was removed to the Royal
Dragoons in the following year. He was an ornament
to his profession. In him, military talent was united
with the most chivalrous bravery, — calm judgment, —
cool decision, — resolute action, — and modest deportment.
He died on the 10th of January, 1837.
Sir Hussey Vivian, Baronet, G.C.B., and G.C.H.
Appointed 20th January, 1837-

London :— Printed by W. Clowns and SoNG.Duke.street, Stamford-street,

HISTORICAL RECORDS

BRITISH ARMY.

UNDER THE SPECIAL AUTHORITY, AND BY COMMAND, OF
HIS LATE MAJESTY,
WHICH HAVE RECEIVED THE GRACIOUS APPROBATION AND PATKONACrE 01'
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN.

CAVALRY.
Of the Life Guards  Us,
„ Royal Horse Guards, or Blues. . , 10s
,, First, or King's Dragoon Guards , 8s.
„ Second, or Queen's ditto 
,, Third Dragoon Guards  8s,
„ Fourth ditto  85,
„ Fifth ditto  8s,
,, Sixth ditto  Ss.
,, Seventh ditto  8s.

IN PANTRY*
OF the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot 12s,
Second, or Queen's Foot  8s,
Third Foot, or the Buffs  12s,
Fourth Foot, or the King's Own . 8s,
Fifth, or Northumberland Fusiliers 8s,
Sixth, or Royal First Warwickshire 8s
Eighty-eighth, or Connaught Ran
gers  6s

EACH ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

The above are Parts of a Series of Narratives of the several Regiments of the
British Army, from the Periods of their Formation to the present time.
Which are being prepared by
RICHARD CANNON, Esq.,
Adjutant-General's Office, Horse-Guards.
1840.

PUBLISHED Bt

Longman, Orm£, and Co. Palernoster-row.
Clowes and Sons, 14, Charing-cross.
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Calkin and Budd, 118, Pall-mall,

Pinknev, Military Library, Whitehall,
Millikzn and Son, Dublin.
Savage and Son, Cork.
A. and C. Black, Edinburgh.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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