the COAL-OWNERS on the rivers Tyne and Wear, as a mark of grateful
respect for services performed by a part of that corps, called out
in aid of the civil power, in suppressing a riotous combination of
their workmen in the year 1810.'
[Sidenote: 1811]
In November, 1810, and again in May, 1811, the regiment was inspected
by Major-General Vyse, who passed very high encomiums on its
appearance and discipline. In June following it marched to Radipole
barracks, where it received orders, on the 5th of July, for six
troops to be held in readiness to proceed on foreign service, to
join the army commanded by General the Earl of Wellington, which was
fighting against the legions of Bonaparte in Portugal and Spain;
and the establishment was augmented to 800 troop horses. The six
troops, amounting to 550 men, and 534 horses, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Sherlock, embarked at Plymouth on the 24th of
July, and, having a quick voyage, landed at Lisbon, the capital of
Portugal, on the 4th of August.
The allied army under the command of Lord Wellington was, at this
period, on the frontiers of Spain, and the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS,
after halting three weeks at the royal barracks at Belem to refresh
the horses, received orders to march up the country and join
Major-General Le Merchant's brigade of heavy cavalry. Leaving Belem
on the 1st of September, the regiment proceeded by Villa Franca and
Santarem, to Abrantes--a romantic-looking town situate on the summit
of a lofty precipice on the right bank of the Tagus.
After occupying Abrantes and the adjacent villages a few days, the
regiment resumed its march, and proceeded by Niza, and Villa Velha,
to Castello Branco, where it was reviewed by Lord Wellington, who
expressed his entire approbation of the appearance and discipline of
the corps, and of the excellent quality and condition of the horses,
and ordered twenty of the lightest to be transferred to the regiments
of light dragoons. In October the regiment marched to Bismula,
subsequently to Fundão, and from thence to Santa Combadão, and after
the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo was raised, it proceeded into quarters
for the winter at Fundão.
[Sidenote: 1812]
When the siege of _Ciudad Rodrigo_ was resumed, the regiment moved
forward and formed part of the force employed in covering the
operation; and whilst engaged in this service a scarcity of forage
was so severely experienced, that the condition of the horses was
much deteriorated. After the capture of this fortress by storm on
the 19th of January, 1812, some changes took place in the cavalry
brigades, and this regiment was removed to Major-General Slade's
brigade, which consisted of the Third and FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS and
First Royal Dragoons. This brigade marched to Santa Combadão and
adjacent villages; and subsequently proceeded to the Alentego to join
the southern army, and cover the siege of the important fortress
of _Badajoz_. Marshal Soult advanced with a strong French corps to
relieve the town; but it was taken by storm (6th April) before his
arrival. He then retired, leaving a strong rear-guard at _Llerena_,
towards which place the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS, and other cavalry
corps, advanced; and the French troops at this place were attacked
and defeated on the 11th of April, by the British cavalry.
The brigade, of which the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS formed part, was
afterwards attached to the army of the south under the command
of Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, and was employed in all the
operations and movements performed by that body of troops.
After the important victory gained by the main army under Lord
Wellington, on the 22nd of July, at Salamanca, the army of the
south advanced upon Madrid, in which city the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS
were stationed for several days; at the same time Lord Wellington
was engaged in the siege of Burgos. A powerful French army under
General Clausel having advanced to raise the siege, while another
army under Marshal Soult, and a third under Joseph Bonaparte (who
had been elevated by his brother to the throne of Spain), were
advancing upon Madrid, Lord Wellington found himself unable to
cope with the combined forces thus assembled to attack him, and he
commenced retreating upon Salamanca. At the same time Sir Rowland
Hill's corps withdrew from its forward position, and after a long
and toilsome retreat the whole army was concentrated near Salamanca.
The French afterwards crossed the Tormes at Alba de Tormes, and Lord
Wellington retreated across the Agueda and entered Portugal. During
this movement the troops suffered severely from the inclemency of
the weather and the want of provision: the rain fell in torrents
almost the whole of the time; and the bad condition of the roads,
added to the scanty supply of forage, was particularly injurious to
the cavalry, and occasioned the death of many horses of the FOURTH
DRAGOON GUARDS, and other corps. The regiment was ordered into
quarters at Zarga Maior; from whence it marched, towards the end of
December, into cantonments at Brozas.
Several alterations were this year made in the clothing and
appointments of the regiment: the men's coats were altered to short
coatees, with blue collar and cuffs, and white bar lace with a
blue cord across the breast; the cocked hat and white feather were
discontinued, and a brass helmet, having the crest surmounted with
long black horse-hair, was adopted. The horse appointments were
changed from black to brown leather; the leather saddle-bags to a
cloth valise; and sabretaches were introduced.
[Sidenote: 1813]
Strenuous exertions were made during the winter to render the
regiment particularly efficient for the ensuing campaign: men,
horses, clothing, and appointments, arrived from England, and the
corps was brought into the most perfect condition for the field;
when an order was given for four regiments of cavalry to transfer
their horses to the other corps and proceed to England; and to
the extreme regret of the officers and men, who panted for an
opportunity to distinguish themselves in action with the enemy, the
FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS was one of the regiments ordered to return
home,--the other three were the 9th, 11th, and 13th Light Dragoons.
The commanding-officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Sherlock, used his utmost
endeavours to have the order rescinded, and to obtain permission for
the regiment to remain on foreign service, but without avail; and the
only ST. PATRICK'S DAY the ROYAL IRISH DRAGOON GUARDS ever hailed
with sorrowful feelings was the one which brought the order for the
surrender of their horses to other corps, and for their ceasing to
form part of the army under Lord Wellington's command.
Having transferred 220 horses to the First Royal Dragoons, and
110 to the Third Dragoon Guards, the dismounted men proceeded to
Lisbon, where they embarked for Portsmouth, and after their arrival
marched to Hilsea barracks. On the 3rd of June they re-embarked at
Portsmouth, and proceeded by sea to Hull, and from thence to York,
where the four depôt troops and heavy baggage joined under the
command of Major Ogilvie, from Canterbury.
During the period the regiment was serving in Portugal and Spain, it
sustained, from change of climate, sickness, fatigue, privation, and
other causes arising out of the arduous duties in which it had been
employed, a loss of 239 men, and 445 horses.
While on foreign service a schoolmaster-serjeant was added to the
corps, and that excellent institution, the regimental school, was
established under the auspices of His Royal Highness the Duke of
York, whose kind care and attention to the interests and welfare of
the soldiers on numerous occasions renders the memory of His Royal
Highness dear to every individual of the British army.
[Sidenote: 1814]
In October of this year (1813) the regiment was inspected at York
by Major-General Cheney, who expressed great satisfaction at its
appearance. In the following spring it occupied quarters at York,
Sheffield, Newcastle, and Durham; from whence it marched, in May, in
divisions for Edinburgh, and was there inspected by Major-General Sir
Granby Calcraft on the 29th and 30th of that month: one squadron was
afterwards stationed at Haddington.
In the meantime the legions of Bonaparte had not only been driven out
of Spain, but he had also lost that immense accession of territory
which had been acquired by the armies of France since the revolution;
and even the capital of their country had fallen into the hands
of the allied powers, who had removed the tyrant of Europe, the
perfidious Emperor Napoleon, from his throne, and sent him into
exile, and had restored the Bourbon dynasty. Thus tranquillity
was restored in Christendom under circumstances which warranted
the anticipation of a long period of peace and prosperity to the
nations of Europe. The strength of the British army was consequently
diminished, and the establishment of the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS was
reduced to eight troops, and the total to 545 men and 453 horses.
Soon after this reduction had been made in its numbers, the regiment
was ordered to proceed to Ireland; it embarked at Port Patrick in
the middle of August, and after landing at Donaghadee, it occupied
Belturbet, Longford, Enniskillen, Sligo and Mullingar.
Lieut.-General Miles Staveley, who had held the Colonelcy of the
regiment upwards of eleven years, died in September, 1814; and was
succeeded by Lieut.-General Sir Henry Fane, G.C.B., by commission
dated the 3rd of the following month.
A slight alteration was this year made in the uniform: the bars of
white lace across the breast were discontinued, and two broad stripes
of white lace with a blue worm were placed down the front of the
coat and upon the cuffs; the jacked-leather boots were also replaced
by others of a lighter description called Hessian boots;--the white
plush breeches, by white web pantaloons; and a blue and white girdle
(or sash) was adopted for the men.
[Sidenote: 1815]
The anticipations of a lengthened peace vanished in the spring
of 1815, and the long-wished for repose of Europe was disturbed
by Bonaparte, who violated the conditions of his treaties and
engagements, quitted the island of Elba, and once more trod the soil
of France. His former associates in war flocked to his banner; his
advance was rapid and decisive; Louis XVIII. was forced to vacate
his newly-acquired throne and fly to the Netherlands; and the edicts
of Napoleon were again issued from the Tuilleries. He was now singly
opposed to nearly the whole of Europe; and, with the hardihood of
desperation, he braved the resentment of the united powers. The
ROYAL IRISH DRAGOON GUARDS were not fortunate enough to be again
called on foreign service: but, every power in Christendom increasing
the strength of its armies, the establishment of this regiment was
augmented ten men per troop, and subsequently a further addition of
48 men and 128 horses was made to its numbers.
The battle of Waterloo disposed of Bonaparte and his legions, and
a few days of contest sufficed to re-establish the tranquillity of
Europe. The peace then restored has continued, with the exception of
commotions in particular kingdoms, to shed its benign influence over
Christendom for a longer period than on any former occasion during
the two preceding centuries; and knowledge, refinement, arts, and
manufactures have advanced to a state beyond that to which they ever
previously attained.
The head-quarters of the regiment were removed from Belturbet to
Tullamore in April, 1815; and various changes took place in the
stations of the detached troops[22].
[Sidenote: 1816]
The peace of Europe having been re-established, the strength of the
regular army was reduced, and in August, 1816, the numbers of the
FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS were decreased to 493 men and 333 horses.
[Sidenote: 1817]
In February, 1817, the head-quarters of the regiment were removed to
Dublin, and detachments were stationed at Tullamore, Longford, Kavan,
Philipstown, and five other places.
[Sidenote: 1818]
The regiment assembled at Dublin in June, 1818, and having embarked
for England, landed at Bristol in the early part of July, and
occupied Radipole barracks, with two troops at Bristol, and one at
Taunton; and furnished a strong detachment on revenue duty on the
coast. In the autumn the head-quarters were removed to Nottingham,
and the detached troops occupied Northampton and Leicester. The
regiment was inspected at this station by Major-General Bolton, in
October; and again in May of the following year. In December, 1818,
the establishment was reduced to 405 men and 273 horses.
[Sidenote: 1819]
A change of quarters took place in June and July, 1819, and the
regiment was stationed at York, Sheffield, Leeds, and Huddersfield.
In the middle of August five troops were employed in suppressing
riots at Leeds; and in September one troop proceeded to Durham, in
consequence of some commotions among the people of that city.
A further alteration was made in the uniform this year: the coats
were made with long skirts, with four bars of white lace with a blue
worm upon the sleeves, two bars on each side of the collar; and four
bars, two rows in each bar, across the breast. The colour of the
cloth overalls was changed to blue-grey, with a blue stripe down
the outside of the leg. The officers wore aiguillettes on the right
shoulder, and a stripe of silver lace on their overalls.
[Sidenote: 1820]
The decease of His Majesty King George III. having taken place on
the 29th of January, 1820, on the 31st of that month the troops of
the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS at head-quarters attended the Lord Mayor,
corporation, and societies of the city of York in solemn procession,
while making proclamation of the accession of King George IV.; and on
the 8th of February, 1820, they marched in procession at 8 o'clock,
P.M., in funeral order to York minster, where a solemn dirge and
funeral service was performed on the death of King George III.
On the 11th of April three troops marched from York to assist the
civil power in suppressing some serious disturbances which had
occurred in the neighbourhood of Wakefield. A collision afterwards
took place with the rioters near Sheffield, when one sergeant, one
private, and two horses were wounded with pikes, many of which were
found in possession of the people.
[Sidenote: 1821]
Another change of quarters took place in August of this year, and the
regiment was stationed at Newcastle upon Tyne, Carlisle, Penrith,
and Whitehaven; and in October it was inspected by Major-General Sir
Andrew Barnard, at Newcastle. In March, 1821, it marched to Scotland,
and was stationed at Piershill barracks, Edinburgh, Greenock, Irvine,
and Ayr. On the 6th of June it was inspected by Major-General Sir
Thomas Bradford; and, in August, the establishment was reduced to
six troops. Previous to this date the troops were classed according
to the colour of the horses, and the regiment consisted of two black
troops, two brown, two bay, one bright bay, and one chestnut; when
this reduction was ordered, the horses of one of the black troops,
and of the chestnut troop, were transferred to the others; the
horses thus became mixed, and they have since been trooped without
reference to colour. The reduced establishment was 27 officers, 24
serjeants, 18 corporals, 6 trumpeters, 6 farriers, 281 privates and
253 troop horses. In September the regiment was again inspected by
Major-General Sir Thomas Bradford; and in a few days afterwards
the head-quarters were removed to Glasgow, where five troops were
stationed, and one troop was quartered at Hamilton.
[Sidenote: 1822]
On the 10th of June, 1822, Major-General Sir Thomas Bradford again
inspected the regiment, and expressed in strong terms his approbation
of its appearance and discipline on this and the former occasion when
he had seen the corps.
In July the regiment marched to Port Patrick, where it embarked for
Ireland; and after landing at Donaghadee, the head-quarters were
established at Dundalk, and detachments were stationed at Belturbet,
Monaghan, Enniskillen, &c.: on the 23rd of October it was inspected
by Major-General Egerton. An alteration was this year made in the
shape of the helmet; and a large bear-skin crest was adopted.
[Sidenote: 1823]
The regiment marched from the northern district in June, 1823,
for Dublin, where it was reviewed on the 12th of that month by
Major-General Sir Colquhoun Grant, by whom its appearance and
discipline were commended. In a few days after this review it was
removed to Newbridge, and was again inspected by the same officer in
November following.
[Sidenote: 1824]
[Sidenote: 1825]
In June, 1824, the regiment marched to the royal barracks at Dublin,
where it was inspected by Major-General Sir Colquhoun Grant on the
12th of July; and again on the 14th of May, 1825. In June it marched
to Cahir, Limerick, Clogheen, and New Ross; and on the 20th of
October it was inspected by Major-General Sir Charles Doyle.
[Sidenote: 1826]
From these quarters the regiment was withdrawn in March, 1826, and
proceeding to Dublin, was there once more inspected by Sir Colquhoun
Grant, and afterwards embarked for Liverpool, where it landed on the
29th of March. On the 31st it marched for Coventry, Birmingham, and
Abergavenny; and in July was inspected by Major-General Sir Hussey
Vivian.
In consequence of serious riots having taken place at Dudley and
Wolverhampton, two troops marched to these places in the beginning of
August. Serious disturbances also occurred at Lichfield during the
election in the early part of September, and much mischief would have
been done, but was prevented by the timely arrival of a troop of the
FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS from Birmingham. The troops were obliged to
act against the people on several occasions, and a few persons were
wounded.
[Sidenote: 1827]
On the 8th of January, 1827, this regiment, in common with the other
corps of the army, testified, by articles of mourning, the general
grief on account of the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of York,
the Commander-in-Chief of the army. The decease of His Royal Highness
occurred on the 7th of January, and the whole army had to deplore
the loss of a Prince who had justly obtained the appellation of "The
Soldiers' friend." He was succeeded in the command of the army by the
Duke of Wellington.
After the decease of Lieutenant-General Cartwright,
Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Fane, G.C.B., was removed to the First
Dragoon Guards, and was succeeded in the Colonelcy of the FOURTH
ROYAL IRISH DRAGOON GUARDS by Lieutenant-General Sir George Anson,
G.C.B., by commission dated the 27th of February, 1827.
In April of this year the regiment marched to Dorchester, and
occupied also Christchurch, Trowbridge, and Dursley; and was
inspected on the 29th of April by Major-General Sir Hussey Vivian.
In consequence of the Dorchester barracks requiring repairs, two
troops and the head-quarters marched to Weymouth on the 1st of June.
On the 12th of July, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Clarence
(afterwards Queen Adelaide) arrived at Weymouth, and the FOURTH
DRAGOON GUARDS had the honour of escorting Her Royal Highness into
the town, and of mounting a guard of honour where she alighted. Her
Royal Highness left Weymouth on the following day with a similar
escort. The regiment had also the honour of furnishing an escort for,
and of receiving, the Duke of Clarence (afterwards King William IV.)
when His Royal Highness passed through Dorchester.
On the 20th of August the regiment was again inspected by
Major-General Sir Hussey Vivian; and in October the head-quarters
returned to Dorchester. In December, it furnished an escort and a
guard of honour for His Royal Highness Don Miguel of Portugal on his
visiting Dorchester.
[Sidenote: 1828]
The lace across the breast of the coats was this year discontinued,
the coats were made to button in front without lace, and the skirts
lengthened: four bars of lace were worn on the sleeve, and the facing
was directed to be a blue velvet. The officers were ordered to wear
two silver epaulettes and an aiguillette; and the men brass scales on
the shoulders. At the same time the men's girdles were discontinued,
but the officers continued to wear a crimson and gold sash with long
pendent tassels. In the following spring the colour of the overalls
was changed to dark blue, with a broad stripe of silver lace for the
officers, and of white lace for the men. A blue great coat was also
introduced for the officers; and horse furniture[23] of dark blue
cloth with a double row of broad silver lace, with the King's cypher,
crown, and the star of St. Patrick on each corner: and a black
bearskin flounce.
Sir Hussey Vivian inspected the regiment on the 13th of April, and
repeated the expressions of approbation he had invariably used on
former occasions, of its appearance and discipline. In May its
quarters were changed to Exeter and Topsham barracks, with one troop
at Dursley, and Sir Hussey Vivian made the autumnal half-yearly
inspection on the 25th of August. During the summer the regiment had
again the honour of furnishing travelling escorts for the Duchess of
Clarence; and in September for Her Majesty the Queen of Portugal.
Gauntlet gloves were originally part of the equipment of every
cavalry soldier; but were replaced by short gloves in the early part
of the reign of George III.; and in December of this year the short
leather gloves were laid aside and gauntlets again adopted.
[Sidenote: 1829]
[Sidenote: 1830]
The regiment marched from its quarters in Devonshire and
Gloucestershire in April, 1829, for the north of England, and
occupied York, with detached troops at Beverley and Newcastle upon
Tyne. In September, Sir Hussey Vivian again inspected the regiment;
and in April, 1830, it marched for Scotland, and occupied quarters at
Piershill barracks, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Perth. It was inspected
on the 31st of May by Major-General Sir Robert O'Callaghan, K.C.B.;
and on the 26th of June it was formed, with the remainder of the
garrison, at the mound of Edinburgh Castle and fired a _feu-de-joie_,
in consequence of the accession of His Majesty King William IV. to
the throne.
Soon after His Majesty's accession orders were given for all the
army, excepting the Royal Horse Guards, to wear _scarlet_; also for
all the regular forces to wear _gold_ lace and embroidery, and the
militia silver. The lace and embroidery of the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS,
which had been silver from the period of its formation, were at this
period changed to GOLD.
On the 27th of October the regiment was inspected by Major-General
the Honourable Patrick Stewart, who expressed himself in terms of
approbation of its appearance and discipline.
[Sidenote: 1831]
In April and May of the following year the troops performed several
marches and much extra duty in consequence of the riotous conduct of
the people at the elections. Escorts were required for the voters,
and so violent were the rioters, that one man was killed by a brick
while proceeding to vote in charge of a party of the military. Many
of the soldiers were knocked off their horses with stones, and others
had their helmets broken; yet such was the exemplary patience and
forbearance of the soldiers of the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS, under
these painful and trying circumstances, that not a single civilian
was hurt by them during the whole period. During the riots at Ayr
the prisoners in the gaol rose against the turnkeys, whom they
overpowered; but a few men of the FOURTH DRAGOON GUARDS arriving,
they dismounted, entered the gaol with loaded carbines, secured the
prisoners before they could effect their escape, and restored order.
The usual half-yearly inspection was made by Major-General Hon.
Patrick Stuart on the 16th of June; and on the 8th of September the
regiment, with the garrison at Edinburgh, assembled and fired a
_feu-de-joie_, on the occasion of the coronation of King William IV.
and Queen Adelaide.