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                           HISTORICAL RECORD

                                OF THE

                   THIRD, OR THE KING'S OWN REGIMENT

                                  OF

                            LIGHT DRAGOONS:

                              CONTAINING

              AN ACCOUNT OF THE FORMATION OF THE REGIMENT
                               IN 1685,

                    AND OF ITS SUBSEQUENT SERVICES
                               TO 1846.


                              COMPILED BY
                         RICHARD CANNON, ESQ.,
               ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, HORSE GUARDS.

                       ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES.

                                LONDON:
                     PARKER, FURNIVALL, & PARKER,
                          30, CHARING CROSS.

                             M DCCC XLVII.

        LONDON: Printed by W. CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street,
                  For Her Majesty's Stationery Office.




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 de Corps_--an attachment to everything
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 civilized 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 spears 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 preeminent 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 petronels; 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 undʳ. foorteen inches in length; and each
Trooper of Our Guards to have a carbine besides the aforesaid armes.
And the Foote to have each soldier a sword, and each pikeman a pike
of 16 foote long and not undʳ.; and each musqueteer a musquet with a
collar of bandaliers, the barrell 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 soldiers 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 soldiers 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
  knive. 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 were commanded to be as follows:--

"The Dragoons to have snaphanse musquets, strapt, with bright barrels
of three foote eight inches long, cartouch-boxes, bayonetts, granado
pouches, buckets, 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,