FOOTNOTES:
[7] Bibl. Harl. No. 1595.—Mercurius Publicus.—Kingdom's Intelligencer.—War-Office Records.—History of Tangier, &c.
[8] Bibl. Harl. 6844.
[9] History of Tangier, 8vo., 1664.
[10] Sir John Lanier was afterwards colonel of the Queen's horse, now first dragoon guards.
[11] John Coy was afterwards colonel of the seventh horse, now fifth dragoon guards.
[12] Thomas Langston was celebrated for taking the Princess Anne of Denmark's regiment of horse over to the Prince of Orange at the Revolution in 1688: he was appointed colonel of that regiment on the 31st of December, 1688, and died in Ireland in 1689: the regiment was disbanded in 1692.
[13] Vide the Historical Record of the Life Guards.
[14] Narrative of the great engagement at Tangier: Tangier's Rescue, by John Ross; London Gazettes, &c. &c.
[15] One of the regiments of dragoons raised in 1678 was styled the Royal Regiment of Dragoons; but it was disbanded after the peace of Nimeguen.
[16] 'CHARLES R.
'Our will and pleasure is, that as soon as the troop of Our Royal Regiment of Dragoons, whereof Charles Nedby, Esq., is Captain, shall arrive from our garrison at Tangier, you cause the same forthwith to march to the town of Ware, in Our county of Hertford, where they are to remain until further orders. And the officers of the said troop are to take care that the soldiers duly pay their intended quarters.
'Given at Our Court at Whitehall this 1st day of February, 1683-4.
'By His Majesty's command,
'William Blathwayte.'
A similar order was given for Captain Thomas Langston's troop to quarter at Hoddesdon, Captain John Coy's at Hampstead, and Captain Alexander Mackenzie's (the troop raised in 1661) at Watford and Bushey.—War-Office Records.
[17] The following arms and appointments were issued from the Tower of London for the equipment of the regiment, viz.—
| 318 | Muskets and bayonets |
| 12 | Halberds |
| 12 | Partizans |
| 12 | Drums |
| 318 | Cartouch boxes and belts |
| 318 | Waist belts and bayonet frogs |
| 358 | Saddles and bridles |
| 358 | Sets of holster caps and housings.—Ibid. |
[18] Nathan Brook's Complete List, Military: London, 1684.
[19] Hugh Wyndham was afterwards colonel of the seventh horse, now sixth dragoon guards.
[20] Francis Langston was afterwards colonel of the fifth horse, now fourth dragoon guards.
[21] War-Office Records.
[22] Ibid.
[23] War Office Records.
[24] Mémoires de Berwick.
[25] Lingard's History of England.
[26] London Gazette; War Office Records; Life of King James II., &c.
[27] War Office Route Book.
[28] London Gazette.
[29] "There were two priests in the garrison of Charlemont, and there happened a pleasant adventure between one of them and a dragoon of Colonel Hayford's regiment (the Royal Dragoons) as they were guarding the Irish towards Armagh. They fell into a discourse about religion; the point in hand was Transubstantiation: the dragoon, being a pleasant, witty fellow, drolled upon the priest, and put him so to it, that he had little to say, upon which he grew so angry that he fell a-beating the dragoon, who, not being used to put up with blows, thrashed his fatherhood very severely. Upon which, complaint being made to Teague, as he was at dinner with our officers at Armagh, all that he said was, he was very glad of it, adding, 'What te de'il had he to do to dispute religion with a dragoon?'"—Story's History of the Wars in Ireland, p. 63.
[30] Story's History.
[31] Story.
[32] Colonel Clifford, of the Royal Dragoons, adhered to King James at the Revolution, and having proceeded to Ireland he was appointed a Brigadier-General.
[33] Story.—London Gazettes, &c. &c.
[34] D'Auvergne's History of the Campaigns in Flanders.
[35] Official Records, London Gazettes, &c.
[36] London Gazettes, Millner's Journal, and Annals of Queen Anne.
[37] London Gazettes; Present State of Europe; Mémoires de Berwick; Annals of Queen Anne; and Official Records in the War-Office.
[38] "Notwithstanding King Charles has received no reinforcements since he landed in Catalonia, his partisans, and the small army under the Earl of Peterborough, have been so active, that their progress looks altogether romantic, and will hardly be believed by posterity. They have not only maintained their conquest of the whole principality of Catalonia, but they have gained the kingdom of Valencia, and carried their arms as far as Alicant; at the same time they blockaded Roses, though the two places were above four hundred miles one from the other."—Present State of Europe, January, 1706.
[39] Doctor Freind's Account of the Earl of Peterborough's Conduct in Spain.
[40] The Present State of Europe for 1708.
[41] List of British troops which surrendered in the village of Brihuega, 9th December, 1710:—
Harvey's horse, now second dragoon guards.
Royal Dragoons (one squadron), now first, or the royal dragoons.
Pepper's dragoons, now the eighth light dragoons.
Stanhope's dragoons, disbanded.
Foot Guards, one battalion.
Harrison's foot, now the sixth.
Wade's ditto, now the thirty-third.
Dormer's ditto, disbanded.
Bowle's ditto, ditto.
Gore's ditto, ditto.
Munden's ditto, ditto.
Dalzel's ditto, ditto.
[42] Marching Order Books and Establishment Books in the War-Office.
[43] The seventh and eighth regiments of dragoons were disbanded after the Peace of Utrecht; but the seventh was restored, as stated above, and the eighth in a few months afterwards.
[44] Two newly-raised corps, afterwards disbanded.
[45] Annals of George I., &c.
[46] The Lieutenant of the Colonel's troop was styled Captain-Lieutenant.
[47] London Gazette.
[48] War-Office Establishment Book.
[49] Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston rose to the rank of general: he was, at different periods, colonel of the ninth dragoons, first horse (now fourth dragoon guards), and sixth dragoons: he was also governor of Quebec. He died 13th December, 1797, and was interred in Westminster Abbey. He wrote a Journal of the Campaign of 1760, which has been forwarded to the compiler of this record by his grandson, Major Frederick Johnston, unattached.
[50] Journal of Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston, Royal Dragoons, MS.
[51] Journal of the Campaigns in Germany, by an Officer present with the Army.
[52] On the 19th of December, 1768, a royal warrant was issued for regulating the clothing, horse-furniture, and standards of the regiments of cavalry, which contained similar directions to the warrant of the 1st of July, 1751. See [page 65].
[53] Official Records, Adjutant-General's Office.
[54] GENERAL ORDERS.
"The heavy cavalry, with the exception of the two regiments of life guards and royal regiment of horse guards, are to be mounted on nag-tailed horses.
"The first, or King's regiment of dragoon guards; the first, or royal regiment of dragoons; the third, or King's own regiment of dragoons, are to be mounted on black nag-tailed horses.
"The second, or Queen's regiment of dragoon guards, are to be mounted on nag-tailed horses of the colours of bay and brown.
"The second, or royal North British regiment of dragoons, are to be mounted on nag-tailed grey horses.
"All other regiments of heavy cavalry on the British establishment are to be mounted on nag-tailed horses of the colours of bay, brown, and chestnut.
"The custom of mounting trumpeters on grey horses is to be discontinued, and they are in future to be mounted on horses of the colour or colours hereby prescribed for the regiment to which they belong.
"Harry Calvert,
Adjutant General.
"Horse Guards,
10th August, 1799."
[55] 28th Aug. "A piquet of this regiment (Royals) made a gallant and successful charge on a party of the enemy's cavalry and infantry, and took some prisoners."—Lord Wellington's Despatch.
[56] "I have received a report of a gallant action of one of our patroles yesterday evening, under the command of Lieutenant Persse, of the 16th Light Dragoons, and Lieutenant Foster, of the Royals, who attacked a detachment of the enemy's cavalry between Alverca and Guarda, and killed and wounded several of them, and took the officer and 37 men prisoners."—Lord Wellington's Despatch, 27th March, 1811.
[57] "It is with great pleasure I have to mention the very admirable conduct of the Royals under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, and one troop of the fourteenth light dragoons, which being all that were employed in covering the front from Villa de Egua to Espejo, were assembled at Gallegos, and retreated from thence agreeably to my directions. And notwithstanding all the efforts of General Montbrun (who commanded the French cavalry) to outflank the British, pressing them at the same time in front with eight pieces of cannon, their retreat to Nave d'Aver merits the highest commendation.
"Major-General Slade speaks in much praise of Major Dorville, of the Royal Dragoons, and of Captain Purvis, of the same regiment, who had opportunities of distinguishing themselves."—Lieutenant-General Sir Brent Spencer's Despatch.
[58] "Nothing could exceed the gallantry displayed by the officers and men on this occasion. Sir Granby Calcraft, and Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton, commanding the two regiments, particularly distinguished themselves, as well as all the officers present.
"I beg particularly to report the conduct of Brigade Major Radclyffe, of the Royal Dragoons, to whom I feel particularly indebted for his assistance on this occasion."—Major-General Slade's Despatch.
[59] Journal of Major Radclyffe, of the Royal Dragoons—MS.
[60] "The infantry complained they had suffered much from our absence and tardy arrival, though, God knows, we had lost no time."—Major Radclyffe's Journal.
[61] Now Colonel A. K. Clark Kennedy, C.B. and K.H., lieutenant-colonel of the seventh dragoon guards.
[62] Francis Stiles was rewarded with an ensigncy in the sixth West India regiment on the 11th of April, 1816, and was placed on half-pay on the 28th of December, 1817: he died in London on the 9th of January, 1828.
[63] "I was in command of the centre squadron of the Royal Dragoons in this charge. While following up the attack, I perceived, a little to my left, in the midst of a body of infantry, an Eagle and Colour, which the bearer was making off with towards the rear. I immediately gave the order, 'Right shoulders forward,' to my squadron, at the same time leading direct upon the Eagle, and calling out to the men with me to 'Secure the colours.' The instant I got within reach of the officer who carried the Eagle, I ran my sword into his right side, and he staggered and fell, but did not reach the ground on account of the pressure of his companions. As the officer was in the act of falling, I called out, a second time, to some men close behind me, 'Secure the colour; it belongs to me!' The standard coverer, Corporal Stiles, and several other men, rushed up, and the Eagle fell across my horse's head, against that of Corporal Stiles, who came up on my left. As it was falling I caught the fringe of the flag with my left hand, but could not at the first pull up the Eagle: at the second attempt, however, I succeeded. Being in the midst of French troops, I attempted to separate the Eagle from the staff, to put it into the breast of my coatee; but it was too firmly fixed. Corporal Stiles said, 'Pray, Sir, do not break it!' to which I replied 'Very well; carry it off to the rear as fast as you can,' which he did. Though wounded, I preferred remaining in the field in the command of my squadron, which I did until near seven o'clock in the evening, when I was obliged to withdraw; having had two horses killed under me, and having received two wounds, which confined me to my quarters at Brussels nearly two months."—Captain Clark's Narrative of the Capture of the Eagle.
[64] This respected and lamented officer (Major-General Sir William Ponsonby), beloved by all who served with or under him, met his death in a manner which conferred upon it an interesting character. When the order was given for attacking the enemy, he led the three regiments forward with that noble ardour for which he had been distinguished in the campaigns in the Peninsula. Having cut through the first column, he proceeded where the Royals were so hotly engaged, and found himself outflanked by a regiment of Polish lancers in a newly-ploughed field, the ground of which was so soft that his horse became blown, and was unable to proceed. He was attended by only one aide-de-camp. At this instant the lancers were approaching him at full speed. His own death, he knew, was inevitable, but supposing his aide-de-camp might escape, he drew forth the picture of his lady and his watch, and was in the act of delivering them to his attendant to be conveyed to his family, when the enemy came up and they were both speared upon the spot.
[65] Now Lieutenant-General Sir Joseph Straton, K.C.H. and C.B., colonel of the eighth royal Irish hussars, who was authorised to take and use the surname of Straton, instead of Muter, on the 28th of September, 1816.
[66] Major Radclyffe was wounded in the first charge, and taken from the field. He was an excellent swordsman, and had taught many of his men his peculiar method of giving point, and he was afterwards much delighted on being informed that the troopers, by adhering to his instructions, had been signally successful in their attacks. The decease of this gallant and excellent officer, clever man, and good scholar, took place on the 24th of February, 1827: the following is an extract from a periodical work respecting him:—
"Died on the 24th of February, 1827, in Connaught-square, Lieutenant-Colonel Radclyffe, Major of Brigade to the Cavalry in Great Britain, aged 53.—This distinguished officer served in all the campaigns of the late revolutionary war, commencing with the Duke of York's, in Flanders, in 1793, and ending with the sanguinary battle of Waterloo. There he received a severe wound from a musket-ball, which lodged in his knee, the constant pain and irritation of which (as it could not be extracted) has thus prematurely destroyed his valuable life. His Lieut.-Colonelcy took its date from that glorious day. He was present at the battles of Salamanca, Vittoria, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onor, the blockade of Pampeluna, and the attack of Bayonne, besides numerous engagements of minor note. He was Major of Brigade during the campaigns in Spain to the battle of Toulouse in April, 1814; after which he was appointed Assistant-Adjutant General to the Cavalry, and accompanied it as such through France to England. So entirely was his mind devoted to his profession, that almost the last words he spoke (only two hours before his death), in answer to a question from his physicians as to how he felt, were, 'I am retreating, retreating, retreating: I cannot advance.' He was a most scientific and dexterous swordsman, a skilful officer, and able tactician. Witness a small work which he printed on those subjects. He was a sincere and ardent friend, a conscientious Christian, and a brave and good man. He lived highly and universally respected, and died sincerely lamented."
[67] A guard of honour, consisting of one major (Major Marten), two captains, two subalterns, four serjeants, and one hundred rank and file, with the royal standard, was ordered, by the king's special command, from Canterbury to Windsor Castle, for the purpose of escorting their majesties on the occasion of the presentation of a new standard to the royal horse guards (blues) by King William IV. on the 13th of August, 1832.