I have had the honour to lay before the Commander-in-Chief your letter of the 26th February last, and am directed to acquaint you in reply that His Royal Highness the Prince Regent has been pleased, in the Name and on the behalf of His Majesty, to approve of the Regiments named in the Margin, being permitted to bear on their Colors and Appointments in addition to any other Badges, or Devices, which may have been heretofore permitted to be borne by those Regiments the Word “Niagara,” in consequence of the distinguished Conduct of those Corps in the Capture of Fort Niagara by Assault on the 19th December 1813, and in the Battle at Lundy’s Lane, in North America, on the 25th July 1814.
I have &c.
H. Calvert
A. G.
Lt. General
Sir George Prevost Bt.
or General Officer Commanding Canada.
Detachments of the regiment were quartered at La Prairie, Isle aux Noix, Blairfindie, Quebec, Montreal, and St John’s.
In 1816, the whole of the ten troops of the regiment, amounting to 620 rank and file, appear to have been in Canada. At the very end of the year, the strength of the Canadian establishment was fixed at 5000 rank and file. In order to bring it down to this number, the 19th were held under orders to return to England, but, it was not till the following 6th August that they embarked at Quebec, and landed at Tilbury, 13th September. On landing they marched to Romford, where they remained till the following March.
The execution done by the Polish lancers at Waterloo induced the military authorities in England to arm four regiments with lances. Accordingly, the 9th, 12th, 16th, and 23rd Light Dragoons were equipped as Lancers, in September 1816. But great reductions in the military establishments were in progress, and, in October 1817, the 23rd were disbanded, their horses being made over to the 19th, whose establishment was reduced to eight troops. At the same time, the 19th were ordered to be equipped as lancers.[67]
In March 1818, the regiment was moved to Hounslow and Hampton Court, with detachments at Pimlico and Kensington. On the 26th May, the regiment, together with the 10th Hussars, was reviewed at Hounslow by the Prince Regent, and, in November, they were on duty, at Datchet, for Queen Charlotte’s funeral.
The regimental muster rolls show that in October the regiment had 455 rank and file.