squadrons of the SEVENTH took part in the operations of the army.
After retiring from before Dunkirk, the troops re-assembled at
Furnes and Dixmude, and were stationed for some time on the
frontier of West Flanders. His royal highness having resolved to
make every possible effort for the protection of the Austrian
Netherlands, determined to re-capture Menin, and, as a diversion to
favour this design, Major-General Abercromby was directed to attack
_Lannoy_ with a body of troops, of which a squadron of the SEVENTH
formed a part. The attack was made on the 28th of October: the
French having been driven from the town by the artillery, the light
dragoons galloped forward in pursuit with distinguished gallantry,
overtook their opponents, cut down one hundred with their sabres,
took fifty-nine prisoners, and captured five pieces of artillery,
besides tumbrils and baggage waggons, for which they were honoured
with the approbation of Major-General Abercromby and of His Royal
Highness the duke of York. The only loss sustained by the SEVENTH,
on this occasion, was two men wounded.
The regiment performed much hard service on out-post duty during
the following winter.
[Sidenote: 1794]
On the 16th of April, 1794, the regiment advanced to the heights
above Cateau, where it was reviewed by the emperor of Germany, and
on the succeeding day, supported the attack of the infantry and
artillery on _Prémont_, _Vaux_, &c.
When the siege of _Landrécies_ was undertaken, the QUEEN'S
OWN formed part of the covering army encamped at _Cateau_. At
day-break, on the 26th of April, while a thick fog covered the
fields and villages near the British camp, a few pistol-shots in
front gave indication that the advance-posts were engaged, and soon
afterwards the piquets were seen retiring before crowds of French,
whose movements were partly concealed by the fog. The SEVENTH
were speedily mounted and formed in front of their camp-ground;
the cannonade became louder and louder, and the fog clearing, the
duke of York detached the cavalry of the right wing to turn the
enemy's left flank, while the SEVENTH and Eleventh light dragoons'
and two squadrons of Archduke Ferdinand's hussars, supported by
several other corps, moved forward to reconnoitre the French column
advancing from Prémont and Marets. Encountering their opponents in
the plain of St. Celian, the SEVENTH and Eleventh light dragoons
raised a loud shout and dashed furiously against the adverse ranks
of war, while the German hussars joined gallantly in the charge,
and the enemy was overthrown and pursued with dreadful carnage. The
SEVENTH were distinguished for their heroic ardour and contempt of
danger, and Lieutenant O'Laughlin eminently signalized himself.
Twelve hundred Frenchmen fell in the charge and pursuit, and ten
pieces of cannon, with eleven tumbrils filled with ammunition,
were captured, exclusive of those taken by the remainder of the
army. A writer who was present at this engagement (Robert Brown of
the Coldstream guards), states in his Journal, published in 1795,
"_the_ SEVENTH _and Eleventh light dragoons performed prodigies of
valour on our left_." The Duke of York observed in general orders,
after complimenting several other corps, "_Nor is the determined
gallantry with which the_ SEVENTH _and Eleventh light dragoons
attacked the enemy on the left (notwithstanding their numbers),
less worthy of every commendation_." The loss of the regiment on
this occasion was one man and seven horses killed, nineteen men and
six horses wounded.
After the fall of Landrécies, the regiment proceeded by forced
marches to the vicinity of _Tournay_; and on the 10th of May, when
the French attacked the British position with thirty thousand
men, it had another opportunity of signalizing itself. The enemy
having failed in his attempt to turn the British left, directed his
efforts against the centre. A favourable opportunity presenting
itself, sixteen British and two Austrian squadrons were detached,
under Lieut.-General Harcourt, against the enemy's right, and by a
determined charge broke the French columns. A second charge proved
decisive; the French were defeated, and the British troops were
thanked in general orders for their excellent conduct. The SEVENTH
had six horses killed; four men and four horses wounded; and two
horses missing.
A general attack having been resolved upon, with the view of
compelling the French to evacuate Flanders, the QUEEN'S OWN light
dragoons were selected to take part in this enterprise, and were
attached to one of the columns, under His Royal Highness the Duke
of York, which advanced at an early hour on the morning of the 17th
of May, to the vicinity of Lannoy, where the troops halted a short
period, until a thick fog cleared off, when they resumed their
march. Arriving at _Roubaix_, the place was gallantly captured,
and the troops reposed a few hours in the town. As the sun was
declining in the western horizon, and the shades of evening were
gathering over the provinces of Flanders, Lieut.-General Abercromby
received orders to attack a village two miles distant, called
_Mouvaux_, which was situated on a rising ground, surrounded by
palisades and entrenchments, protected by flanking redoubts, and
defended by a strong body of republican troops. This enterprise
was undertaken with cheerful alacrity; the flank battalion of the
foot guards stormed the works, and the SEVENTH light dragoons, led
by Lieut.-Colonel William Osborne, (a most gallant officer, who
had been twenty years in the regiment[6]), made a detour round
the village, followed by the Fifteenth light dragoons, under
Lieut.-Colonel Churchill. As the French soldiers began to give
way before the furious onset of the foot guards, and issuing from
among the houses, attempted to escape by the rear of the village,
they were charged by the two cavalry regiments with the most
distinguished bravery. The SEVENTH were in front on this occasion;
arriving at a _chevaux-de-frise_, a few men of the regiment
dismounted, and, though exposed to a sharp fire of musketry,
cleared a space for the troops to pass, when the two regiments
rushed with terrific violence upon the French infantry, broke their
ranks, and cut them down with a dreadful slaughter, capturing
three guns. When the two regiments returned from the pursuit, the
evening was far advanced, and they passed the night in the village.
The Austrians having failed in several of their points of attack,
the enemy was enabled to bring nearly his whole force against the
daring Britons who had thus attacked his position; and the morning
of the 18th of May was ushered in by a tremendous cannonade.
Multitudes of French cavalry, infantry, and artillery, appeared
advancing in every direction; and by nine o'clock, Lieut.-General
Abercromby found the few men he had with him nearly surrounded
by crowds of opponents; at the same time he received orders from
the Duke of York to retire to the heights behind Roubaix. He fell
back fighting; and as he passed through the town, his rear was
pressed by hosts of enemies, who followed, shouting and assailing
the British with grape and musketry. From Roubaix the division
proceeded towards Lannoy; being beset by superior numbers, the
soldiers had to dispute every foot of ground, and to keep up a
running fight. The SEVENTH and Fifteenth light dragoons were
constantly engaged on the flanks and in the rear. _Lannoy_ being
found occupied by the French, the British division took to the
fields, passing over hedges and ditches, constantly fighting crowds
of opponents, the light cavalry evincing the most noble ardour and
intrepidity; and the SEVENTH thus exhibiting, under accumulated
disasters and difficulties, the innate bravery of Britons, and
the great value of light cavalry. One of the foot guards who was
present (Browne), observes in his Journal, "Our British light
cavalry which were with us (the Seventh, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth)
performed wonders of valour, charging the enemy with unexampled
courage whenever they approached; it was no uncommon thing to
see _one_ of them attack _three_ of the French dragoons at once,
in order to rescue the prisoners they were carrying off. It was
owing to their bravery that so few prisoners were taken; they also
retook numbers from the enemy. As soon as we reached the village
of Templeuve, we halted and formed; and from thence marched to our
former position, behind the village of Blandin. Our loss proved to
be very inconsiderable to what might have been expected, for it was
rather to be wondered at that one of us escaped." The loss of the
SEVENTH was, four horses killed; six men and ten horses wounded;
and fifteen men and thirty-two horses prisoners of war and missing.
The conduct of the British on this trying occasion was highly
commended by the Emperor of Germany; and the Duke of York expressed
his approbation of the valour and firmness of the corps engaged.
The troops returned to their former position in front of
_Tournay_, where the British were attacked on the 22nd of May;
they repulsed their opponents, who were forced to retire with the
loss of seven pieces of artillery. The loss of the SEVENTH on this
occasion was limited to one troop horse.
The immense numbers which the enemy was enabled to bring forward,
at length forced the allies to retreat from the Austrian
Netherlands to the United Provinces; and during this retrograde
movement the SEVENTH were frequently engaged in out-post duty,
in covering the retiring army, and in numerous rencounters with
detachments of French cavalry.
Tn August the army was encamped near _Breda_, on a large plain
bestrewed with the vestiges of war, to give the Dutch an
opportunity of putting the fortress in a state of defence. While
at this camp, a piquet of the SEVENTH and Sixteenth light dragoons
surprised one of the enemy's out-guards. The French dragoons fled
at the first onset; and many of them forsook their horses to escape
across walls and other fences where mounted troopers could not
pursue them; seven men were, however, made prisoners, and forty
horses were captured.
One hundred thousand French advanced to attack thirty-five thousand
British, and the Duke of York made a further retrograde movement.
In October the army defended the passage of the Waal from the
island of Bommel until it communicated with the Austrians on the
left. The enemy constructed batteries before _Nimeguen_; a sortie
was made on the 4th of November, in order to destroy the French
works, and the QUEEN'S OWN light dragoons formed part of the force
employed on this service. The infantry led on by Major-General
De Burgh (afterwards Earl of Clanricarde), stormed the enemy's
entrenchments in gallant style, when a dreadful carnage ensued,
the French fighting with resolution, but the British proved
irresistible with the bayonet: as the enemy fled from their works,
the SEVENTH and other cavalry charged them in the rear and cut them
down with great slaughter. "Here" (Captain Jones states in the
Historical Journal) "the British performed prodigies of valour": a
thousand opponents lay weltering on the plain and among the works;
the troops were thanked in general orders for their services on
this occasion.
[Sidenote: 1795]
At length a severe frost enabled the enemy to advance in the
beginning of 1795, across the rivers on the ice, and the British,
being no longer capable of resisting the very superior numbers
of their opponents, retired through Holland to Germany. During
this retreat the troops endured very great hardship and privation
from severe weather, and from the hostile spirit manifested by
the Dutch, who had imbibed principles favourable to the French
interest. The SEVENTH light dragoons were employed in covering
the retrograde movements, and had occasional skirmishes with
the enemy's leading corps. After their arrival in Germany, they
occupied quarters of refreshment for several weeks; during the
summer they were encamped on one of the plains of Westphalia; and
in November returned to England.
On the decease of General Sir Henry Clinton, K.B., his Majesty
conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-General David
Dundas, by commission dated the 26th of December, 1795.
[Sidenote: 1796]
[Sidenote: 1797]
[Sidenote: 1798]
[Sidenote: 1799]
The QUEEN'S OWN light dragoons occupied various quarters in England
until the summer of 1799, when they were encamped near Windsor,
and were reviewed by the King, who was pleased to express, in
very gracious terms, his royal approbation of their appearance
and field movements. In the mean time the British government had
resolved to make, in connection with the Russians, an attempt to
deliver Holland from the power of the French republic; and the
SEVENTH embarked for this service at Ramsgate, in the beginning of
September, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel HENRY LORD PAGET,
who was appointed to the command of the cavalry employed in this
expedition, consisting of the SEVENTH, Eleventh, Fifteenth, and
part of the Eighteenth light dragoons; the whole being under the
orders of His Royal Highness the Duke of York.
On the advance of the army on the 19th of September, the SEVENTH
were attached to the column under Lieut.-General de Hermann, which
attacked the enemy at half-past three in the morning, and by
eight gained possession of _Bergen_, a large village surrounded
by extensive woods; but the Russians, overlooking the formidable
resistance they were to meet with, had not preserved the necessary
order, and they were driven back with the loss of many men, and
Lieut.-Generals de Hermann and Tchertchekoff taken prisoners.
In the attack of the enemy's position on the 2nd of October, the
SEVENTH formed part of the cavalry attached to the column commanded
by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, which advanced along the
beach to within a mile of _Egmont-op-Zee_, where a corps of French
infantry was posted among the sand-hills, with a numerous body of
cavalry and artillery on the beach. A sanguinary contest ensued,
in which the heroic perseverance of the British was conspicuous.
Late in the evening the enemy's cavalry made an attempt on the
British horse artillery on the beach: but were charged with
signal intrepidity by the light dragoons under Colonel LORD
PAGET, and driven with considerable loss nearly to the town. The
British established themselves among the sand-hills, where they
passed the night, and on the following day gained possession of
Egmont-op-Zee[7]. The SEVENTH had two men and four horses killed on
this occasion, and eleven men and twenty-five horses wounded.
Part of the regiment was engaged on the 6th of October, in driving
the enemy from his position between _Beverwyck_ and _Wyck-op-Zee_,
which proved a sanguinary service; but the SEVENTH did not sustain
any loss.
These gallant efforts were not seconded by the Dutch, and severe
weather, with other causes, having rendered a retreat necessary,
the SEVENTH under LORD PAGET, covered the movement. Some
skirmishing took place, and several pieces of cannon fell into the
hands of the enemy, when his lordship led one squadron on to the
charge with signal gallantry, and breaking in upon and repulsing a
force six times more numerous than his own, retook the cannon and
with them several pieces belonging to the enemy.
Circumstances having occurred to induce the Duke of York to vacate
Holland, the regiment returned to England in December, and was
stationed at Canterbury.
[Sidenote: 1800]
[Sidenote: 1801]
In the year 1800 the QUEEN'S OWN light dragoons were stationed at
Windsor and Hounslow, to perform the escort duty for the royal
family; in 1801 they were quartered at Reading, with detached
troops in Sussex, from whence they were removed to Oxfordshire and
Wiltshire.
Lieut.-General Sir David Dundas was removed to the Scots Greys in
May, 1801, and the lieut.-colonel of the SEVENTH, Colonel HENRY
W. LORD PAGET (now MARQUIS OF ANGLESEY), was advanced by King
George III. to the colonelcy of the regiment, as a special mark
of royal favour and approbation for his personal merit, and for
the excellent state of discipline and efficiency manifested on all
occasions by the corps under his orders.
[Sidenote: 1802]
[Sidenote: 1803]
Peace having been concluded with the French republic, in 1802,
the establishment of the regiment was reduced; but in 1803, the
treacherous conduct of Napoleon Bonaparte gave rise to another war,
and the establishment was again augmented. When Bonaparte made his
ostentatious, but vain, preparations for the invasion of Great
Britain, the SEVENTH were stationed at Ipswich and Norwich, and
were held in readiness to repel the invaders, should they venture
to approach the shores of Britain.
[Sidenote: 1804]
In 1804 the establishment was augmented to ten troops.
[Sidenote: 1805]
[Sidenote: 1807]
In 1805 directions were received for the light dragoon appointments
and clothing to be changed for those of HUSSARS; the alteration
took place on the 25th of December, 1807; and the regiment
subsequently obtained the designation of "SEVENTH, OR QUEEN'S OWN,
REGIMENT OF HUSSARS."
[Sidenote: 1808]
After passing six years at Ipswich and Norwich, the SEVENTH HUSSARS
proceeded to Guildford in July, 1808; and when on their march
they were reviewed by His Royal Highness the Duke of York, on
Hounslow-heath. Important events had, in the mean time, transpired
on the continent and in the peninsula, and Portugal and Spain had
become subject to the tyrannical sway of Bonaparte, who had nearly
attained the zenith of his power. Portugal was delivered during the
summer of 1808, by British skill and valour; and a powerful effort
in aid of the Spaniards, who were endeavouring to free themselves
of the French yoke, having been resolved upon by the British
government, the SEVENTH HUSSARS were selected to take part in this
enterprise.
Eight troops, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel R. H. Vivian, and
consisting of two lieut.-colonels (Vivian and Kerrison), two
majors (Hon. Berkeley Paget and Hon. G. H. C. Cavendish), eight
captains, six lieutenants, four cornets, four staff-officers,
six quarter-masters, 717 non-commissioned officers, trumpeters,
and privates, and 677 troop-horses, embarked at Portsmouth in
October; on arriving at Corunna, in November, the horses were slung
overboard, and they swam to the shore. The regiment marched by
squadrons to Astorga, from whence it proceeded, with the Tenth and
Fifteenth hussars, towards Salamanca, to join the troops advancing
from Portugal under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, K.B. The British
commander had been promised that his advance should be covered
by a powerful and victorious Spanish army, and that numerous and
enthusiastic legions of patriots were ready to co-operate with
him; but not a Spanish soldier was in his front;--the enemy was at
hand;--those armies with which he had been ordered to co-operate
had been routed and dispersed, and Bonaparte was approaching the
capital of Spain in triumph. Twenty-three thousand Britons were
not able to cope with three hundred thousand French; but Sir John
Moore resolved to push boldly forward, and menace the French lines,
that he might thus draw Bonaparte with a powerful army from the
capital, which would give time for the southern provinces of Spain
to organize their means of resistance, and for the discomfited
Spanish armies to re-assemble. The boldness and ability with which
this resolution was executed, surprised Napoleon, and deserve the
commendation of posterity. The SEVENTH HUSSARS were employed in
this enterprise, and a piquet of the regiment was engaged on the
21st of December, with the Tenth and Fifteenth hussars, commanded
by Lieut.-General LORD PAGET, in driving a body of French dragoons
from _Sahagun_, when about twenty of the enemy were killed,
and thirteen officers and one hundred and fifty-four men taken
prisoners, in a sharp sword-fight which lasted about twenty minutes.
The approach of Bonaparte with an immense army rendered it
necessary for the British to withdraw, and the heavy baggage, with
several brigades of infantry, commenced retiring; at the same
time the cavalry patroles advanced up to the French lines and
skirmished, to conceal the retrograde movement. On the morning of
the 25th of December a squadron of the SEVENTH HUSSARS, commanded
by Lieut.-Colonel Kerrison, advanced towards _Carrion_, and
encountering a French detachment of about equal numbers, made
them all prisoners except the officer, who wounded Lieut.-Colonel
Kerrison in the arm, and escaped.
The regiment commenced its retreat a few hours after this affair;
and the army rested two days at _Benevente_, a rich open town
situate in a plain extending from the Gallician mountains to the
neighbourhood of Burgos. The infantry afterwards continued the
retreat, while the cavalry remained in the town, and had parties
watching the fords of the little river Esla. Soon after day-break
on the 29th of December, six hundred cavalry of the French imperial
guard crossed the stream and advanced into the plain; the British
detachments retired fighting, and a piquet of the SEVENTH HUSSARS,
under Lieutenant Lowther, was sharply engaged. Being joined by
part of the Third German hussars, the piquets charged the French
leading squadrons with signal gallantry, the ground was obstinately
disputed, and a particularly animating scene presented itself.
Baggage mules and followers of the army were scattered over the
plain, the town was filled with tumult, the distant piquets and
videts were galloping in from right and left; the French were
pressing forward, and every appearance indicated that the enemy's
whole army was come up and passing the river. Suddenly LORD PAGET
led the Tenth hussars at speed into the plain; the piquets that
were engaged united, and the whole charged. In an instant the scene
changed, the French were seen galloping back, with the British
at their heels; they plunged into the stream without breaking
their ranks, and having gained the opposite heights, they wheeled
round and appeared inclined to come forward a second time; but
the British horse artillery opening upon them, they retired.
Fifty-five killed and wounded Frenchmen lay on the plain, their
general, Lefebre Desnouettes, and several other officers, were
taken prisoners, and many of those who escaped across the river,
were wounded. The piquet of the SEVENTH HUSSARS suffered severely,
nearly every man being either killed or wounded.
[Sidenote: 1809]
[Sidenote: 1810]
The enemy planted heavy cannon on the bank of the river, and made a
show of re-crossing; but LORD PAGET guarded the fords all the day,
and at night withdrew with the cavalry. The SEVENTH were constantly
in the rear of the army, with the other hussar regiments, during
the remainder of the retreat; they, however, suffered little from
the swords of the enemy; but the effects of frost, snow, and of a
deficiency in the supplies of provision and forage, were severely
felt. The want of horse-shoes was a serious evil, which was owing
to the impracticability of the forge carts accompanying the
regiment. When the army withdrew from the position at Lugo, during
the night of the 8th of January, 1809, the SEVENTH HUSSARS were
left behind to keep up the bivouac fires, and to cover the retreat,
and they were in the rear of the army until it arrived within
three leagues of Corunna.
On arriving at Corunna, the regiment mounted two hundred and fifty
horses only, out of six hundred and eighty which had marched
from that port about two months before, and many of those which
remained, were destroyed for the want of transport, which could
be obtained only for the officers' horses and for about ninety
troop-horses.