TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
A superscript is denoted by ^x; for example, und^r (under) or vi^d
(six pence).
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the
text and consultation of external sources.
More detail can be found at the end of the book.
HISTORICAL RECORDS
OF THE
BRITISH ARMY.
PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE
ADJUTANT-GENERAL.
THE THIRD,
OR
PRINCE OF WALES' REGIMENT OF DRAGOON GUARDS.
LONDON:
Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and SONS,
14, Charing Cross.
GENERAL ORDERS.
_HORSE-GUARDS_,
_1st January_, 1836.
His Majesty has been pleased to command, that, with a view of doing
the fullest justice to Regiments, as well as to Individuals who have
distinguished themselves by their Bravery in Action with the Enemy,
an Account of the Services of every Regiment 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: _viz._,
---- The Period and Circumstances of the Original 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.
---- The Names of those Officers, who, in consideration 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-Commissioned 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 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 henceforth
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 country
derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist
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 valuable life, by which so
many national benefits are obtained and preserved.
The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance,
have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties; 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 maintained 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 be 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 du Corps_--an attachment 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 established by William the Conqueror in 1086,
consisted 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 provide
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 for the light and less important
services of war, and were not considered qualified for a charge in
line. Mounted Archers[1] 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 ultimately 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-à-pié_, 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 formation 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 after the Restoration
in 1660, with the establishment of regular corps of Horse and Foot;
the Horsemen were cuirassiers, but only wore armour on the head and
body; and the Foot were pikemen 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 offensive armes, a sword, and a case of
pistolls, the barrels whereof are not to be und^r. 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 und^r.; 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[2]."
The ranks of the Troops of Horse were at this period composed of men
of some property--generally the sons of substantial yeomen: the young
men received as recruits provided their own horses, 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[3]; 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 bayonets; 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 Regiment 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 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 matchlocke
musquet, with a collar of bandaliers, and also to have and to
carry one bayonet[4], 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[5]."
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
carbine[6] 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 Regiments formed almost exclusively for
engaging the 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 improvements into the mounting,
arming, and equipment of Dragoons rendered them competent to the
performance of every description of service required 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 of
_Dragoon Guards_.
At present there are only three Regiments which are styled _Horse_
in the British Army, 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 engaged, 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 physical 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.
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
regiments 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 attending 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.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] 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 Horsemen, and 40 Pages.
[2] Military Papers, State Paper Office.
[3] This Regiment was disbanded after the Peace in 1674.
[4] This appears to be the first introduction of _bayonets_ into the
English Army.
[5] State Paper Office.
[6] 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.'
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF
THE THIRD,
OR
PRINCE OF WALES' REGIMENT
OF
DRAGOON GUARDS.
CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF
THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT IN 1685,
AND OF
ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES TO 1838.
_ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES._
LONDON:
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS,
14, CHARING CROSS.
1838.
CONTENTS.
Anno Page
1685 Monmouth's Rebellion--The Regiment raised 1
---- Obtains rank as _Fourth Horse_ 2
---- Equipped as CUIRASSIERS 3
---- Reviewed by King James II. --
1686 First Establishment 5
---- Encamps on Hounslow Heath--Reviewed by the
King--Names of Officers 6
1688 The Revolution--Cuirasses delivered into Store 7
1689 Proceeds to Scotland 10
---- Skirmish at St. Johnston 14
---- Returns to England 15
1691 Proceeds to the Netherlands 16
1692 Battle of Steenkirk 17
1693 ---- ---- Landen 18
1695 Covering the Siege of Namur 21
1697 Returns to England 22
1702 Proceeds to Holland 23
---- Covering the Sieges of Venloo, Ruremonde, Stevenswaert,
and Liege 24 and 25
1703 Skirmish near Haneff, and Covering the Sieges
of Huy and Limburg 26
1704 Battle of Schellenberg 28
---- ---- ---- Blenheim 30
---- Covering the Siege of Landau 33
1705 ---- ---- ---- ---- Huy 34
---- Forcing the French Lines --
---- Covering the Siege of Sandvliet 36
1706 Battle of Ramilies --
1707 Cuirasses restored 39
1708 Battle of Oudenarde 40
---- Covering the Siege of Lisle 41
---- Battle of Wynendale 41
1709 Covering the Siege of Tournay --
---- Battle of Malplaquet --
---- Covering the Siege of Mons 44
1710 Ditto of Douay, Bethune, Aire, and St. Venant --
1711 Covering the Siege of Bouchain 45
1714 Returns to England--Cuirasses delivered into
Store 46
1715 Rebellion of the Earl of Mar 47
1722 Encamped near Andover, &c., and Reviewed
by King George I. 48
1727 Reviewed by George II. 49
1731 Ditto --
1738 Ditto 50
1741 Encamped on Lexdon Heath --
1743 Sent in Pursuit of Semphill's Highlanders --
1745 Rebellion in Favour of the Pretender 52
1746 Reduced to the Quality of _Dragoons_, and
styled _The Third Regiment of Dragoon
Guards_ 53
1754 Employed on Coast Duty 57
1755 A Light Troop added to the Regiment 58
1757 Encamped on Salisbury Plain --
1758 Expedition to the Coast of France 59
---- Proceeds to Germany 61
1759 Battles of Bergen and Minden 62
1760 Skirmish at Corbach 64
---- Battle of Warbourg 66
1761 ---- ---- Kirch-Denkern 68
---- Skirmish at Capelnhagen 69
---- ---- ---- Eimbeck and Foorwohle 70
1762 Battle of Groebenstien --
---- Skirmish near the Fulda 71
1763 Returns to England 72
---- Light Troop disbanded --
1764 Reviewed by King George III. --
---- Remounted with long-tailed Horses 73
1765 Styled _The Prince of Wales' Regiment of
Dragoon Guards_ --
1766 Drummers replaced by Trumpeters 74
1768 Reviewed by King George III. --
1770 Ditto --
1772 Proceeds to Scotland --
1773 Returns to England --
1779 Light Troop transferred to 20th Light Dragoons 75
---- Encamped on Lexdon Heath --
1780 Riots in London 75
1788 Proceeds to Scotland 76
1789 Returns to England --
1793 Four Troops embark for Flanders 77
---- Covering the Sieges of Valenciennes and Dunkirk --
1794 Action at Premont and Cateau 78
---- Battle of Tournay 79
---- Retreat through Holland to Germany 80
1795 Embarks for England 81
1799 Encamps near Swinley--To be mounted on nag-tailed
Horses --
1800 Reviewed by King George III. --
1803 Proceeds to Scotland --
1804 Embarks for Ireland --
1805 Returns to England 82
1809 Eight Troops embark for Portugal 83
---- Battle of Talavera 84
1810 In reserve during the Battle of Busaco 88
1811 Skirmish near Badajoz 90
---- ---- ---- Los Santos 91
---- Battle of Albuhera --
---- Action at Usagre 92
1812 Covering the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo 93
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Badajoz 94
---- Skirmish near Llecena --
---- ---- ---- Llera --
---- ---- ---- Belango 96
---- Advances to Madrid 98
---- Returns to Portugal 99
1813 Skirmish near Salamanca 100
---- Battle of Vittoria --
---- In reserve during the Battle of the Pyrenees 101
1814 Advances into France --
---- Skirmish near St. Guadens, and Battle of Toulouse 102
1814 Returns to England 102
1815 The word _Peninsula_ to be borne on the Standards 103
---- Six Troops embark for Flanders 104
---- Advances to Paris, and Reviewed by the Sovereigns
of Russia, Prussia, Austria, and France --
1816 Embarks for England --
1816 Embarks for Ireland 105
1819 Facings altered from _Blue_ to _Yellow_ --
1820 Proceeds to Scotland --
1822 Attends on King George IV. on his Visit to
Scotland 106
---- Marches to England --
---- Riots at Newcastle, &c. --
1824 Proceeds to Ireland 107
1828 ---- ---- Scotland 108
1829 Returns to England --
1831 Riots at Bristol, &c. 109
1834 Embarks for Ireland 111
1837 Returns to England --
1838 The Conclusion --
SUCCESSION OF COLONELS.
Anno Page
1685 Thomas Earl of Plymouth 113
1687 Sir John Fenwick, Bart. 115
1688 Richard Viscount Colchester 116
1692 John Lord Berkeley 117
1694 Cornelius Wood 118
1712 Thomas Viscount Windsor 119
1717 George Wade 120
1748 Honourable Sir Charles Howard, K.B. 121
1765 Lord Robert Manners 122
1782 Philip Honeywood 123
1785 Richard Burton Philipson 124
1792 Sir William Fawcett, K.B. 125
1804 Richard Vyse 127
1825 Sir William Payne, Bart. 128
1831 Samuel Hawker, G.C.H. 129
LIST OF PLATES.
The Uniform of 1687 to face page 6.
" 1838 " 112.
THE THIRD,
OR
PRINCE OF WALES' REGIMENT
OF
DRAGOON GUARDS,
BEARS ON ITS STANDARDS AS A REGIMENTAL BADGE
A CORONET, WITH A PLUME OF THREE FEATHERS,
A RISING SUN, AND A RED DRAGON,
WITH THE MOTTO
"_ICH DIEN_,"
AND THE FOLLOWING INSCRIPTIONS,--
"TALAVERA"--"ALBUHERA"--"VITTORIA"--"PENINSULA."
HISTORICAL RECORD
OF THE
THIRD, OR PRINCE OF WALES' REGIMENT
OF
DRAGOON GUARDS.
[Sidenote: 1685]
In the month of June, 1685, when the Duke of Monmouth raised the
standard of rebellion in the west of England, many of the nobility
and gentry displayed their loyalty by raising forces for the service
of their Sovereign; and during the alarm and consternation which
prevailed throughout the country, Thomas Earl of Plymouth,--a
nobleman highly distinguished for loyalty and attachment to the
crown,[7]--a veteran who had fought the battles of his King against
the forces of Cromwell,--raised a troop of horse in Worcestershire;
another troop was raised by Claudius Earl of Abercorn in Oxfordshire;
a third by Henry Lord Eyland at St. Alban's and its vicinity;
a fourth by Henry Lord Grey at Dunstable and other towns in
Bedfordshire; a fifth by Lionel Walden, Esq., at Huntingdon and its
vicinity; and a sixth by Mr. Ambrose Brown in the neighbourhood
of Dorking;[8] and, when the decisive battle of Sedgemoor, with
the capture and execution of the Duke of Monmouth, had destroyed
the hopes of the disaffected, the six troops raised by the above
distinguished noblemen and gentlemen were incorporated into a
regiment, which ranked as FOURTH HORSE; and the corps thus formed
having been continued in the service of the crown until the present
time, it is now distinguished by the title of the THIRD, OR PRINCE
OF WALES' REGIMENT OF DRAGOON GUARDS, and the various operations in
which it has been engaged, with the part it has taken in battles,
sieges, and other occurrences, through many eventful periods of
history, form the subject of this brief memoir.
The Colonelcy was conferred on the Earl of Plymouth, by commission
dated the 15th of July, 1685, and the Lieut.-Colonelcy on Hugh
Sunderland, an officer of experience, who had been Major of the
Royal Dragoons since 1683. The FOURTH HORSE were armed and equipped
as CUIRASSIERS.[9] The men wore hats with broad brims, bound with
silver lace, turned up on one side and ornamented with green ribands;
scarlet coats lined with green shalloon, and high boots made of
jacked leather; they had also scarlet cloaks lined with green, and
green horse-furniture embroidered with white, and ornamented with
the King's cypher and crown. Their cuirasses were pistol-proof, and
they had also iron headpieces called potts. Their weapons were a
sword, a pair of pistols, and a short carbine; and, thus equipped,
these loyal yeomen had a formidable and warlike appearance. In a
few weeks after the regiment was formed, it marched into quarters
in Buckinghamshire (viz., to Amersham, Aylesbury, and Marlow), and,
having been instructed in the plain and simple exercises practised
at that period, it was reviewed on the 20th of August by the King on
Hounslow Heath, and again on the 22nd of that month.
After these reviews the FOURTH HORSE marched into winter quarters
at several towns in Gloucestershire; and it is a curious particular
in the annals of the regiment, that the first service it was called
upon to perform was enforcing obedience to an Act of Parliament which
prohibited the cultivation of tobacco. The increased consumption
and high price of this article had induced several landholders to
cultivate it on their farms, in violation of the law, particularly
at Winchcomb and the villages in that neighbourhood. One troop was
stationed for a short time at Winchcomb expressly for the purpose of
preventing the cultivation of this herb; and when the men left that
town the following paragraph appeared in the order for their march:
'Our further will and pleasure is, that you cause parties to be sent,
once at least in every week, to our town of Winchcomb and places
adjacent, who are hereby ordered to destroy all plants, seeds, and
leaves of tobacco which they shall, upon the strictest search, find
planted or growing contrary to the Act of Parliament.'[10]
[Sidenote: 1686]
During its stay in Gloucestershire, the first inspection of the
regiment was made by Brigadier-General Sir John Lanier, one of
the inspecting-generals of cavalry; and the establishment of the
regiment, with the rates of pay of each rank, was fixed by a warrant
under the sign manual, bearing date the 1st of January, 1686, from
which the following is an extract:--
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| THE EARL OF PLYMOUTH'S REGIMENT OF HORSE. |
+-----------------------------------------------------+--------------+
| FIELD AND STAFF-OFFICERS. | Per Diem. |
+-----------------------------------------------------+----+----+----+
| | £. |_s._|_d._|
| The Colonel, _as Colonel_ | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel, _as Lieut.-Colonel_ | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| The Major (_who has no troop_), for himself, } | | | |
| horses, and servants } | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Adjutant | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Chaplain | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| Chirurgeon iv^s per day, and j horse to carry his } | | | |
| chest, ij^s per day } | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| A Kettle-Drummer to the Colonel's troop | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| +----+----+----+
| | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| +----+----+----+
| THE COLONEL'S TROOP. | | | |
| The Colonel, _as Captaine_, x^s per day, and ij } | | | |
| horses, each at ij^s per day } | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Lieutenant vi^s, and ij horses, each at ij^s | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Cornett v^s, and ij horses, each at ij^s | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Quarter-Master iv^s, and i horse, at ij^s | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Three Corporals, each at iij^s per day | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Two Trumpeters, each at ij^s viii^d | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Forty Private Soldiers, each at ij^s vi^d per day | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| +----+----+----+
| | 7 | 13 | 4 |
| FIVE TROOPS MORE, of the same numbers, and at the } | | | |
| same rates of pay as the Colonel's troop } | 38 | 6 | 8 |
| +----+----+----+
| TOTAL FOR THIS REGIMENT PER DIEM | 49 | 0 | 8 |
| +----+----+----+
| PER ANNUM £17,897 | 3 | 4 |
+-----------------------------------------------------+----+----+----+
Immediately after the establishment was finally arranged, the FOURTH
HORSE were ordered to march into quarters in the metropolis, where
they arrived in February, 1686, to assist the Life Guards in the
duties of the court; at the same time a detachment of one officer
and six men proceeded to Liverpool to convey the specie collected
by the officers of the revenue at that port from thence to London;
which was probably a very necessary service, as the King, by doubling
the strength of his regular army, had made a great increase in his
expenditure.
During the summer of this year the regiment was encamped on Hounslow
Heath, where it was several times reviewed by the King, and
afterwards went into quarters at Cambridge, Huntingdon, and St. Ives.
At this period the following Officers were holding commissions in the
regiment:--
CAPTAINS. LIEUTENANTS. CORNETS.
Troop.
1st. Earl of Plymouth (Col.) Humphry Perott. Thos. Wendover.
2nd. Hugh Sunderland (Lt. Col.) Doyley Mitchell. Wm. Wentworth.
3rd. Earl of Abercorn. Henry Holford. Vincent Martin.
4th. Henry Lord Eyland. Edm. Pendergrast. Wm. Fenwick.
5th. Ambrose Brown. Thomas Platt. Daniel Vivian.
6th. Sir Thos. Bludworth. Peter Barnsley. M. D. Morton.
Lionel Walden Major.
Thomas Hodds Chaplain.
Thomas Platt Adjutant.
Thomas Jones Chirurgeon.
[Sidenote: 1687]
In the summer of 1687 the regiment was again quartered for a short
time in London, and it was subsequently encamped on Hounslow Heath,
where a series of reviews and mock-battles were performed by the
troops in presence of the court. The King spent much of his time
on the Heath witnessing the exercise of the several corps, and
endeavouring to ingratiate himself in the affections of his army,
in order to render it subservient in the execution of his designs
against the established religion and laws of the country.
[Illustration: Fourth Horse, 1687. Constituted Third Dragoon Guards
in 1746. [To face page 6.]
On the 3rd of November, in this year, the Earl of Plymouth died, and
the Colonelcy of the FOURTH HORSE was given to Brigadier-General
Sir John Fenwick, who had for several years held the appointment of
Lieut.-Colonel of the Second Troop, now Second Regiment, of Life
Guards; he was also one of the inspecting generals of cavalry, and
was known to be firmly attached to the King, and a zealous supporter
of the measures of the court. Several officers resigned their
commissions, and they were replaced by men whose principles were
presumed to be favourable to papacy and absolute monarchy.
[Sidenote: 1688]
Although the nation was at peace, and arts and manufactures were
prospering, yet the minds of the people were troubled, for they
saw the King proceeding with rapid progress towards effecting the
overthrow of the established religion and laws of the kingdom; while
the nobility appeared resolved to make a stand against the arbitrary
measures of the court. Thus, the FOURTH HORSE, when they had been
only three years in the service of the crown, found themselves in a
most perplexing situation; yet their conduct was so truly honourable,
that every individual who has served in the corps may reflect with
exultation on the fact that, throughout the whole period of its
service, its reputation has been preserved untarnished. In the
summer of 1688 it again erected its tents on Hounslow Heath; and,
several Bishops having been imprisoned and brought to trial for not
acquiescing in the King's measures, on the day they were acquitted,
his Majesty, after reviewing the army on the Heath, dined in the
Earl of Feversham's tent when, on a sudden, the soldiers began to
shout and huzza; the King inquired the cause of the noise, and
was answered--'Nothing, your Majesty, but the soldiers shouting
because the Bishops are acquitted.' The King answered, with evident
displeasure, 'Call you that nothing?' and dismissed the troops to
their quarters, resolving (according to the historians of that
period) never to call them together again until he had remodelled
them, by the dismissal of protestants and the introduction of
papists. But events were ripe for execution; and the Prince of Orange
was, in compliance with the solicitations of the English nobility,
preparing an expedition for England to support the established
religion and laws.
When the FOURTH HORSE left Hounslow Heath, they proceeded into
quarters at Oxford and Woodstock. In the beginning of November they
marched to Alresford; and when the Prince of Orange landed at Torbay,
they were ordered to advance to Salisbury, where King James's army
was assembled; before leaving Alresford, the men, in consequence
of an order from the Secretary-at-War, placed their ARMOUR under
the charge of the civil authorities of the town, from whence it was
subsequently removed to the Tower of London.
King James arrived at Salisbury to command the forces in person,
where he again discovered the reluctance of the troops to support
the proceedings of the jesuitical faction by which he was governed;
and, alarmed by the desertions which took place, he fled to London
and ultimately to France. Several corps went over to the Prince of
Orange; but the FOURTH HORSE preserved their fidelity to King James
until that unhappy monarch forsook the throne; and when the Prince
assumed the reins of government, His Highness ordered the regiment to
march to Dorking and Ryegate, where it received a draught of 100 men
and horses from the Marquis de Miremont's[11] regiment of horse, a
newly-raised corps which was ordered to be disbanded.
Sir John Fenwick, adhering to the interest of King James, resigned
his commission; and the Colonelcy of the regiment was given to Lord
Colchester, from the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the Fourth Troop of Life
Guards, who was one of the first officers that joined the Prince of
Orange at Exeter, and took with him several men of his troop.
[Sidenote: 1689]
After the flight of the King, the Roman Catholic soldiers committed
some irregularities; and in January, 1689, a squadron of the FOURTH
HORSE, with a detachment of Sir George Hewyt's Horse (now Sixth
Dragoon Guards), marched to Lewes and Chichester, where they caused
three regiments of Irish Roman Catholics[12] to lay down their
arms, and afterwards escorted them to Portsmouth; from whence they
were removed, under a strong guard, to the Isle of Wight, and were
subsequently, sent to Hamburg, and disposed of in the service of the
Emperor of Germany.
In the mean time the accession of King William and Queen Mary
to the throne was opposed in Scotland, and Viscount Dundee was
actively engaged in exciting the northern shires, particularly the
Highlanders, to take arms in favour of King James. The FOURTH HORSE,
after transferring thirty men and horses to the Blues (which regiment
was ordered to proceed to Holland), marched for Scotland, and were
placed under the command of Major-General Mackay.
Having arrived at Edinburgh early in April, the FOURTH HORSE formed
part of the force employed in the siege of the castle, which the
Duke of Gordon held possession of for King James. Shortly afterwards
one squadron of the regiment, with two squadrons of the Royal Scots
Dragoons (the Greys), and two hundred foot, accompanied Major-General
Mackay to the town of Dundee, where two troops of the Royal Scots
Dragoons were left, and the remainder proceeded in quest of the
rebels.
Major-General Mackay having ascertained that Viscount Dundee had
joined Macdonald of Keppoch, who lay before Inverness with a thousand
men, determined to confront them with his little band. He crossed the
Spey, and advanced to Elgin with all possible speed, and throughout
the march he was rejoiced (as he observes in his memoirs) to find his
troops animated with the same spirit as himself.
At Elgin the squadron of the FOURTH HORSE halted two days in quarters
of refreshment, the men and horses being nearly exhausted. On the
third day they proceeded towards Forres, and on the march the
General ascertained that Viscount Dundee had taken the road through
Badenoch to Lochaber. The squadron then proceeded to Inverness,
where Major-General Mackay invited the influential persons in the
neighbourhood to meet him to concert measures for opposing the
rebels; and, expecting that Viscount Dundee would soon appear with a
vast accession of force, several additional corps were ordered from
Edinburgh to Inverness. At the same time the remainder of the FOURTH
HORSE were also directed to proceed to the same destination.
On the 28th of May the squadron of the regiment at Inverness, with
some other troops, in all 640 men, accompanied General Mackay in
his advance towards Ruthven Castle, where he expected to meet
Colonel Ramsay with 600 Dutch infantry from Edinburgh; but before
the general reached the Castle, he ascertained that Ramsay had been
intimidated by the threatening aspect of the Athol men, and finding
himself in a wild country, to which he was a stranger, surrounded
by enemies, he had returned towards Perth: at the same time General
Mackay was informed that Viscount Dundee with 2000 hardy mountaineers
had arrived that morning at the heights of Badenoch. Under these
perplexing circumstances, Mackay turned to the left; then, proceeding
down Strathspey, he continued his march for twenty-four hours without
a halt; when, having attained a considerable distance in advance of
the enemy, he slackened his pace, and was soon afterwards joined by
two troops of the Royal Scots Dragoons from the town of Dundee. In
the mean time, the enemy followed with all possible expedition,
and on their near approach, General Mackay ascertained that several
of his officers carried on a secret correspondence with Viscount
Dundee, at the same time he had reason to doubt the fidelity of
the Scots dragoons. The general, having only the squadron of the
FOURTH HORSE and a few Dutch infantry and Scots irregulars on whom
he could depend, once more found himself in a perplexing situation;
and, not deeming it prudent to march through an hostile country--all
papists, with an enemy at his heels four times more numerous than
his own little detachment--he commenced his march, at dusk in the
evening, by the side of the river, with hungry men and hungry horses,
though resolute, particularly the squadron of the FOURTH HORSE, and
200 fusileers, on whom he principally relied.[13] On arriving at
Balveny, the troops halted to procure bread for the men and oats
for the horses. Having, however, sent out scouts, and none of them
returning, General Mackay ordered his party to march forward before
the bread was baked, or the horses had eaten a feed of corn, nor
halted until four o'clock on the next morning, when neither cavalry
nor infantry were able to proceed. However, after two hours' rest,
during which time the horses were permitted to feed in a field of
corn, he proceeded three miles farther, and took post at the foot
of Suy Hill, where he had a view for two miles in every direction
in which the enemy could approach. Here the men had some repose,
and, their provisions being exhausted, a further supply was sent
for from a house in the neighbourhood belonging to the Lord Forbes;
but before the food was prepared the general found it necessary
to resume his march. On the same day he was joined by Berkeley's
(now Fourth) Dragoons, and Leslie's (now Fifteenth) Regiment of
Foot. Thus reinforced he resolved to confront the enemy; but the
Highlanders, though not inferior in numbers to the King's forces,
made a precipitate retreat, and the troops pursued them from the low
country until they took refuge in the wilds of Lochaber. The FOURTH
HORSE afterwards returned to the lowlands for refreshment, of which
they stood in great need: having in this, their first campaign,
undergone the greatest fatigues and privation with a constancy and
patience, which occasioned General Mackay, who was an officer of much
experience, to speak of them in terms of commendation.
The enemy, though compelled to retire, was not to be despised. The
lofty, chivalrous spirit of Viscount Dundee rose superior to ordinary
difficulties, and he was engaged in arousing the friends of the
Stuarts to arms. At the same time General Mackay was at Edinburgh
procuring supplies; and, having given directions for a considerable
body of troops to assemble at Perth, he proceeded thither without
delay. Here he received intelligence of the enemy's increasing
numbers, and, although his cavalry had not joined him (excepting two
troops of newly-raised horse), he resolved to march forward, with a
view of preventing the entry of the Highlanders into the country
of Athol. The result was the unfortunate battle of Killicrankie; in
narrating which the General observes, in reference to the latter part
of the action, '_that if he had had but fifty resolute horse such
as_ COLCHESTER'S (the FOURTH) _with him, he had certainly, by all
human appearance, recovered the day_,'[14] which shows the very high
opinion he entertained of the regiment.
Two days after this action, in which Viscount Dundee was killed,
and the command of the mountaineers devolved on Brigadier-General
Cannon, the FOURTH HORSE joined General Mackay, who proceeded with
the reinforcements he received towards _St. Johnston_, to prevent the
junction of the disaffected in the shires of Perth and Angus with
the rebels, and to keep the latter to the hills. When on this march,
a squadron of the regiment highly distinguished itself in an action
with a detachment of the enemy, and fully verified the previous
commendatory assertions of General Mackay in behalf of the corps. The
particulars of this encounter are as follow.
A detachment of rebels, consisting of two troops of horse and about
three hundred foot, had seized, at St. Johnston, a quantity of
provision, with which they were proceeding to the main body of their
army, about seven miles distant;[15] but they were overtaken by
Major-General Mackay at the head of a squadron of the FOURTH HORSE
and some dragoons, who, regardless of the enemy's numbers, dashed
forward with signal intrepidity,--charged and defeated the rebel
horse in gallant style,--then rushed upon their foot, and, having
broken their ranks, and sabred one hundred and twenty on the spot,
the rest were either dispersed or taken prisoners.
This casual encounter produced important results. The enemy,
disheartened by the repulse, proceeded towards the north, keeping
near the Grampian Hills; and General Mackay with 1400 horse and
dragoons marched along the plains at the base of the hills, to
restrain the enemy from descending. In this service the FOURTH HORSE
were subject to many harassing marches and counter-marches. By day
the troops were perpetually in motion; during the night they lay in
the fields in a body; and their commander having no confidence in the
reports of the country people, who were nearly all hostile to the
existing government, he was continually sending out small parties
throughout the night to procure intelligence. At length the enemy
retreated over the mountains by paths inaccessible to cavalry, and
many of the Highlanders proceeded to their homes.
The regiment having sustained considerable loss in this campaign from
fatigue and privation, particularly in horses, marched into England
to recruit, and was quartered at Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon.
[Sidenote: 1690]
Having completed its ranks to the numbers borne on the establishment,
the regiment marched to the vicinity of the metropolis, and in June,
1690, it furnished a relay of escorts to attend the King to Highlake,
in Cheshire, where His Majesty embarked for Ireland, in order to
rescue that kingdom from the power of King James. The regiment
was subsequently employed in assisting the Life Guards in their
attendance on the court; for several months it furnished a daily
guard for the Queen-Dowager, at Windsor; and one troop afterwards
accompanied Her Majesty to Newmarket.
[Sidenote: 1691]
From the south of England the regiment marched in the spring of 1691
to Lancashire; but it returned to the south in November of the same
year, and on the 25th of that month received orders to embark for
foreign service.
King William was actively engaged in a war with Louis XIV., who used
every means to promote the aggrandizement of France. The FOURTH
HORSE formed part of a reinforcement sent to the British army on the
Continent; and, after landing at Williamstadt in North Brabant, they
marched to Flanders, and went into village cantonments.
[Sidenote: 1692]
On the 23rd of January, 1692, John Lord Berkeley was appointed
Colonel of the regiment, in succession to Lord Colchester, who was
promoted to the command of the Third Troop of Life Guards.[16]
The FOURTH HORSE were called from their cantonments in the spring
of 1692, to engage in active operations; and they formed part of
the army commanded by King William in person, which advanced to the
relief of Namur, when that fortress was besieged by the French.
But on arriving at the banks of the Mehaine, that river was found
impassable from heavy rains; the enemy arriving on the opposite
bank, the two armies viewed each other across the river, but no
action took place; and while the army was thus delayed, Namur fell
into the hands of the enemy. The FOURTH HORSE were subsequently
engaged in several manœuvres; and they took part in the attack of the
French in their position near _Steenkirk_, on the 3rd of August.
On this occasion they formed part of the leading column which, after
passing along several narrow defiles and through some woody grounds,
deployed on a small plain in front of the enemy, and commenced the
attack in gallant style; but not being sustained by the main army,
the corps in advance, after gaining considerable advantage and
displaying great valour, were obliged to retire. The FOURTH HORSE,
after driving back some French squadrons, had advanced to the right
skirts of a wood on the left wing, and their gallant bearing, under
a heavy fire which thinned the ranks, was conspicuous; but they
were eventually forced from their ground by the torrent of superior
numbers which came pouring down upon their front. The King ordered a
retreat, and the troops performed the difficult operation of retiring
through a broken country in presence of an army of superior numbers,
in fine order.
After several marches and changes of position, the regiment proceeded
to Ghent, where it was joined by a draft of men and horses from the
Princess Anne's Horse, commanded by Colonel Francis Langston,--a
regiment which, having suffered severely at Steenkirk, was
discontinued on the establishment of the army, and the few remaining
men and horses were transferred to other corps.[17]
[Sidenote: 1693]