thousand horse and dragoons, towards the enemy's intrenchments,
and Lieutenant BENSON, with thirty men of the ROYAL DRAGOONS,
who formed the advance-guard, charged and defeated a piquet of
forty French horsemen, and chased them to the barriers of their
intrenchments 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 encamped 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 delivered 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 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.
[Sidenote: 1704]
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 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 description that the English officers
rejected the greater part of them, only twenty men per troop of
the ROYAL DRAGOONS were mounted; the dismounted 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 Portuguese authorities to such an extent, that
the DUKE OF BERWICK, having arrived from France with eighteen
battalions of infantry and nineteen squadrons 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 SCHOMBERG solicited to be recalled, and
the 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
incursion 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.[37]
[Sidenote: 1705]
During the winter and the spring of 1705 the 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.
_Albuquerque_ was subsequently besieged and taken; and the capture
of Badajoz was contemplated, but that undertaking was abandoned
until the summer's heat was abated.
In the mean time an expedition had been fitted out in England, and
a land force, commanded by Lieut.-General the Earl of Peterborough,
embarked 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 Cunningham's
(now eighth) dragoons, and four regiments 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 services."
The siege of _Barcelona_ was considered a romantic 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 ordinary rules and chances
of war, success appeared impossible. The siege was, however,
commenced, and on the 14th of September an attack was made on the
strong fortress of _Montjuich_, situate on an eminence overlooking
the town, on which occasion a detachment of the ROYAL DRAGOONS
was posted between this detached fortress and the city to prevent
a sally of the Spanish cavalry. The garrison of Fort Montjuich
held out three days, and then surrendered. 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 ordinary 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
peasantry, 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 massacre
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 having achieved
the conquest of Barcelona, at which (as Dr. Freind observes) "all
Europe wondered," nearly every town in Catalonia declared for
King Charles III., and the ROYAL DRAGOONS were placed in garrison
at Tortosa, excepting a detachment which remained at Barcelona.
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 advanced 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 commander,
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 Albocazar.
[Sidenote: 1706]
The French and Spanish army continued to retire, and was pursued by
the Earl of Peterborough with a force so much inferior in numbers,
that the record of these events appears almost incredible,[38] and
exhibits the native valour, spirit of enterprise, and temerity of
the British 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 guerilla warfare, and put
to a severe test the discipline, bravery, and intelligence of the
men. Being divided into small parties, and united with bands of
armed peasantry, they were continually performing 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 circumstances, it must have been difficult to preserve
subordination and discipline, yet the ROYAL DRAGOONS performed
these duties to the satisfaction of the commander-in-chief. On one
occasion "the Spaniards employed by my lord Peterborough informed
the Conde de las Torres of a considerable force that was upon his
left, somewhat before him, and certainly designed, as they told
him, to take some passes which might prevent his entrance into the
plains leading to Valencia, and that there were English troops
among them. This the Spanish general thinking 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, pretending 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 apparently 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 consent, 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."[39] Such were the services
in which the ROYAL DRAGOONS were engaged, and an immense tract of
country was delivered from the power of the enemy. A most romantic
part of the adventure was, that the Earl of Peterborough, being
deficient in cavalry, procured eight hundred Spanish horses, and
constituted Lord Barrymore's regiment (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 penetrated, by a night march,
to the rear of their army, and attacked and defeated their
reinforcements; 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 regain the possession of the towns
which had acknowledged 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
_Barcelona_ 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 Valencia 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 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 supplies, 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
Roussillon, 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 Barcelona, the ROYAL
DRAGOONS returned to Valencia, 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 superior 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, however, delayed to proceed to Madrid,
and being 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 Guadalaxara, 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.
[Sidenote: 1707]
In the spring of 1707 the ROYAL DRAGOONS 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 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
Berwick.
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 countermarches,
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 anticipated.
[Sidenote: 1708]
During the winter and succeeding spring exertions were made to
bring the regiments in Catalonia 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."[40] The allied army in Catalonia 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 defensive character; sending out
detachments to reconnoitre, furnishing piquets and patroles, and
traversing the mountain districts of Catalonia in small parties,
were the only duties they were called upon to perform. They were
encamped a short time in a valley near Monblanco, subsequently on
a fertile plain near Cervera, and they passed another winter in
cantonments in Catalonia.
[Sidenote: 1709]
The early part of the campaign of 1709 was also passed in defensive
movements: the ROYAL DRAGOONS were encamped with the army on the
banks of the Segré, 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.
[Sidenote: 1710]
The campaign of 1710 was distinguished by 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 Segré; and when King Charles joined the army, they
were detached to meet his Majesty and to escort him to the camp.
After some manœuvring, 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 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 STANHOPE advanced at the head of Harvey's horse (now
second dragoon guards); his front line consisted 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 moved forward in pursuit. After following the
retiring army many days, sometimes crossing valleys, and at other
times traversing wild but beautiful regions among rocks and
mountains, and obtaining possession of numerous towns in Arragon,
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 succeeding 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 discovered in order of battle on
the right of _Saragossa_, 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 Cæsar, 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 mountains 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 glowing ardour into the troops. About mid-day Lieut.-General
Stanhope led the ROYAL DRAGOONS and other British horsemen on the
left against their adversaries, and a sharp cavalry action ensued,
in which the French troopers (being superior in numbers) had the
advantage; but Stanhope's second line of cavalry repulsed the
enemy. The British dragoons rallied, and returning 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 captured,
with its military stores of ammunition, provision and clothing. The
ROYAL DRAGOONS passed the night in the fields near the town, and
were thanked by King Charles for their distinguished 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 results 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.