Historical Record of the Seventh, or the Queen's Own Regiment of Hussars

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OF

THE SEVENTH,

OR,

THE QUEEN'S OWN REGIMENT

OF

HUSSARS.

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The Queen's Own Regiment of Hussars was originally a corps of heavy cavalry, and was formed of independent troops of horse and dragoons, raised in Scotland during the commotions which followed the Revolution of 1688, when a number of patriotic Scots arrayed themselves, under the banners of William and Mary, and fought against the adherents of King James II., who sought to establish papacy and arbitrary government.

After King James's flight to France, England became comparatively tranquil, and the establishment of the Prince and Princess of Orange on the throne, in February, 1689, was hailed with public rejoicings. In Scotland, the Catholic clans, and other partisans of King James were numerous; and, while the chivalrous Viscount Dundee aroused the Highlanders to arms, the Duke of Gordon held the castle of Edinburgh, of which he was governor, in the interest of the Stuart dynasty.

King William sent Major-General Mackay, an experienced officer, who had served in the armies of France and Holland, to take the command of the forces in Scotland; and, while Viscount Dundee was organising a plan of co-operation among the clans, additional corps were embodied by the government.

The Earl of Annandale, who was one of the first of the Scottish noblemen to advocate the principles of the Revolution, raised a troop of horse; a second was raised by the Lord Belhaven, a nobleman distinguished for his steady opposition to the tyrannical measures of King Charles II., and King James II.; and a third troop was raised by William, Laird of Blair: independent troops of dragoons were also embodied by several gentlemen who were zealous for the interests and welfare of their country; also several regiments and independent companies of foot.

While these corps were being embodied, Viscount Dundee descended from the mountains with several bands of Highlanders, seized on the town of Perth, and took the Laird of Blair, and his lieutenant, the Laird of Pollock, prisoners. These gentlemen were carried about like felons, in an ungenerous triumph, for six weeks, and afterwards sent to the Isle of Mul, where the Laird of Blair died, in consequence of the barbarous treatment he received.

The Earl of Annandale's and Lord Belhaven's troops of horse, having been completed and equipped, took the field, and formed part of the force under Major-General Mackay, which engaged the Highlanders and Irish, under Viscount Dundee, at the pass of Killicrankie, on the 27th of July, 1689, and were the only cavalry corps with the army on that occasion[1]. For a short time after the commencement of the action, the advantage was on the side of Major-General Mackay. When the infantry began to give way before the superior numbers of the clans, the two troops of horse were ordered forward,—one on the right, and the other on the left,—to attack the flanks of the opposing army; but, being untrained men, instead of dashing, sword in hand, upon the adverse ranks, they halted at a short distance, and commenced a straggling fire with carbines and pistols. This mode of attacking a body of men on foot of very superior numbers, could not fail to prove disastrous; and the two troops were speedily driven from the field with loss. The army was defeated; but the ability evinced by Major-General Mackay, in conducting the retreat, and in assembling another army, with the loss of the Jacobite commander, Viscount Dundee, who was killed at the commencement of the action, occasioned the result to be less disastrous than was anticipated, and the Highlanders were forced to take refuge in their mountain fastnesses.

In the beginning of 1690 the newly-raised horse were formed into a regiment, of only three troops, of which the Earl of Eglintoun was appointed colonel,—the Honorable William Forbes (eldest son of Lord Forbes), lieut.-colonel,—and Sir George Gordon, of Edinglassie, major; the dragoons were also formed into a regiment of three troops, under the command of Lord Cardross,—Jackson, lieut.-colonel, and—Guthrie, major; at the same time three of the newly-raised regiments of foot were incorporated into one, which were placed under the orders of Colonel Cunningham.

During the subsequent contest the two cavalry corps performed much harassing and faithful service; they took part in several skirmishes, and evinced intrepidity and valour; the clans were repulsed and driven back to the mountains; garrisons were placed in the heart of the Highland districts, and the adherents of King James lost all hope of success.

In the following winter the Scots army was remodelled; several corps of infantry were disbanded; and the two regiments of cavalry, of three troops each, were incorporated and constituted a regiment of dragoons, of six troops of fifty men each, of which Robert Cunningham was appointed colonel by commission dated the 30th of December, 1690; William Forbes was appointed lieut.-colonel; and Patrick Hume, major. The corps thus formed now bears the distinguished title of the Seventh, or Queen's Own, Regiment of Hussars, and its services form the subject of the following pages. Until the reign of King George II., it was distinguished by the name of its colonel.

Being constituted of men of approved fidelity and devotion to the principles of the Revolution, Cunningham's regiment was held in estimation by the government; it was quartered near the confines of the Highlands, to hold in check the disaffected clans; and was afterwards removed to the vicinity of Edinburgh. In August, 1691, a proclamation was published, proffering indemnity and pardon to all persons who would submit to the government and take the oath of allegiance to King William and Queen Mary. Before the end of January, 1692, the heads of clans had ratified their submission, and hostilities ceased in Scotland.

The British monarch had, in the mean time, engaged in a war with Louis XIV., and on His Majesty's return to England, after the termination of the campaign of 1693, the two Scots regiments of dragoons (Livingstone's, now Second, or the Scots' Greys, and Cunningham's, now Seventh Hussars) were selected to proceed on foreign service.

Cunningham's dragoons commenced their march from Scotland in February, 1694, and on arriving at Berwick they were placed on the English establishment; at the same time exertions were made to complete an augmentation of two troops, and of ten additional men and horses to each of the six old troops. The augmentation troops left Scotland in the spring, and the six old troops continued their march southward until they arrived at London, where the eight troops were united in May, and the whole embarked at Greenwich for the Netherlands.

The regiment, commanded by its colonel, Robert Cunningham, landed at Williamstadt, in North Brabant, on the 31st of May; advanced up the country to the vicinity of Arschot, and was reviewed by King William on the 16th of June, together with Livingstone's regiment: and the hardy and warlike appearance of the Scots troopers elicited the commendations of His Majesty, and of the British and foreign general officers present at the review.

After several marches the regiment was encamped at Mont St. André, where an army of eighty-eight thousand men of several nations was assembled under the command of the British monarch, and Cunningham's dragoons were formed in brigade with Eppinger's (foreign), Essex's (now fourth), and Wynne's (late fifth), regiments of dragoons, under the orders of Brigadier-General Wynne. No general engagement occurred; and after taking part in the operations of a toilsome campaign, the regiment went into cantonments for the winter among the Flemish peasantry, in the villages between Ghent and Sas van Ghent.

From its winter quarters, the regiment marched in April, 1695, to Dixmude, in West Flanders; it joined the army in May, at the camp at Arseele, and was formed in brigade with Dopf's (Dutch) dragoons under Brigadier-General Wynne.

In the beginning of June, the army advanced to Becelaer. On the 14th of that month five hundred dragoons (among whom was a large detachment from Cunningham's regiment) under the command of the Earl of Portland and Brigadier-General Wynne, left the camp with the view of intercepting a numerous French force, which was moving quietly across the country to attack the bread-waggons of the confederate army, on their way from Bruges to the camp. On arriving at Moorsleede, the French detachment was found in the village, with the streets barricaded with waggons and implements of husbandry. The dragoons instantly dismounted and attacked the barricades with signal gallantry, Cunningham's men evincing true Scottish heroism; and in a few moments the French gave way and fled, leaving a number of killed and wounded behind them, and one captain and thirty men prisoners. Count de Soissons, brother of Prince Eugene of Savoy, served as a volunteer on this occasion, and expressed, in the strongest terms, his admiration of the valour of the dragoons. Lieutenant Webb, and several men were killed; Captains Collins and Holgate were wounded. Brigadier-General Wynne, who commanded the brigade of which Cunningham's dragoons formed part, received a severe wound of which he afterwards died.

When King William undertook the siege of the important fortress of Namur, the regiment formed part of the covering army under Charles Henry of Lorraine, Prince of Vaudemont, and on the evening of the 14th of July, it was formed in order of battle, while the immense columns of the enemy, commanded by Marshal Villeroy, were seen in the open grounds in front. The two armies confronted each other during the night, and the French commander, having an immense superiority of numbers, detached a division to turn the right flank of the confederate army. The Prince ordered a retreat, which he masked with judgment; the cavalry advancing to the front—the dragoons dismounting and forming on foot at extended files, while the artillery, and infantry, with their pikes trailed and colours furled, quietly withdrew. The enemy prepared for the attack, and sent forward a cloud of light musketeers to commence the action; but the dragoons retired a few paces and mounted their horses, and when the enemy thought to have commenced the battle, the skeleton squadrons withdrew; presenting to the astonished French what appeared to be the magic spectacle of an army vanishing out of sight. The enemy's horsemen galloped forward in pursuit; but the allies effected their retreat in good order to Ghent, from whence Cunningham's dragoons were detached, with Rosse's troopers, and twelve battalions of infantry under Lieut.-General Sir Henry Bellasis, to cover Nieuport, a place celebrated for the victory gained by the English and Dutch, over the Spaniards under Archduke Albert, on the 2nd of July, 1600[2].

The regiment was stationed between Bruges and Nieuport, until Marshal Villeroy advanced towards Namur with the view of raising the siege, when it proceeded to Brussels, which city the French had, a short time previously, bombarded. The enemy's designs were frustrated; Namur was captured; the regiment left Brussels, and, after encamping a short time on the Bruges canal, went into cantonments in the villages on the banks of the canal of Ostend, in the Pays du Nord.

When the army took the field to serve the campaign of 1696, the excellent condition of this corps excited admiration; it mustered four strong squadrons, and when King William saw the regiment, he promoted its colonel, Robert Cunningham, to the rank of brigadier-general.

During the summer of this year the regiment served with the army of Flanders under the Prince of Vaudemont, and was brigaded with the regiments of Eppinger and Miremont, commanded by its colonel. It was employed in defensive operations for the preservation of Ghent, Bruges, and the maritime towns of Flanders. It passed the winter in the villages behind the Bruges canal.

On the 1st of October, 1696, Brigadier-General Cunningham was succeeded in the colonelcy by William, Lord Jedburgh, eldest son of the Marquis of Lothian.

The regiment, bearing the title of Jedburgh's dragoons, served the campaign of 1697 in Flanders with the army commanded by the Elector of Bavaria, and was formed in brigade with the regiments of Nassau-Sarbruck, and Opdam, under the orders of Brigadier-General Pyper. It took part in several operations; and in May joined King William's army in Brabant, but, subsequently, returned to Flanders. In September tranquillity was restored in Europe by the treaty of Ryswick.

During the winter Jedburgh's dragoons embarked from Flanders, and after landing at Harwich in December, proceeded to London, where they occupied quarters for several weeks; at the same time their numbers were reduced to a peace establishment.

The regiment left its cantonments in Southwark, in February, 1698, on route for Scotland, where it arrived towards the end of March.

The accession of Queen Anne, in 1702, was followed by another war on the continent; but the exertions made by the friends of the Pretender to effect his elevation to the throne, rendered it necessary to detain an efficient force at home, and Jedburgh's was one of the corps selected to remain in Scotland, where it was stationed, while the army under the renowned Marlborough was gaining laurels in Germany and the Netherlands[3], the fields of Blenheim, Ramilies, &c., giving dreadful proof of British valour.

In April, 1707, Patrick Lord Polwarth was appointed colonel of the regiment, in succession to the Marquis of Lothian, who was removed to the colonelcy of the Scots foot guards.

The king of France having fitted out a fleet and embarked troops in the early part of 1708, for the invasion of Britain by the Pretender, Lord Polwarth's regiment was held in readiness to take the field at a moment's notice, and the establishment was augmented to fifty-four men per troop; but the French fleet was driven from the Scottish coast, and the country was preserved from the horrors of civil war.

In October, 1709, Lord Polwarth was succeeded in the colonelcy by William Kerr, brother of the duke of Roxburgh.

The gallant achievements of the forces under the great duke of Marlborough had, in the mean time, removed the theatre of war from the frontiers of Holland to the confines of France; Louis XIV. assembled an immense army to preserve the interior of his kingdom from the power of his opponents; and Queen Anne sent additional corps to the scene of contest. Kerr's dragoons were selected to proceed to the Netherlands; their establishment was augmented, in March, 1711, to sixty men per troop; and in the same month they embarked at Leith, but were driven back to the Frith and detained by contrary winds until the end of April, when they sailed for Holland.

Having been detained by the weather, the regiment did not arrive until the army had taken the field, and the men and horses had suffered by being so long on board of ship; they consequently remained in Holland for a short time in quarters of refreshment, and afterwards commenced their march for the frontiers; but when passing through Brabant, they were ordered to halt at Brussels. The regiment appears to have remained in reserve during the campaign of this year.

Taking the field in the spring of 1712, the regiment formed part of the army commanded by his grace the duke of Ormond, which advanced to the confines of France, and was ready to carry the war into Picardy; but the French monarch, finding his generals overmatched, and his armies beaten and dispirited, agreed to the conditions of a treaty of peace. A suspension of hostilities was proclaimed, and the army retired to Ghent, and after encamping a short period went into quarters.

In the summer of 1713 the regiment was ordered to embark at Dunkirk for Ireland. The royal dragoons had, in the mean time, returned from Spain dismounted[4], and the government, contemplating the disbanding of Kerr's regiment, directed its horses to be embarked for Dover and delivered to the royal dragoons. The following order was received on this subject:—

The regiment arrived at Dunkirk on the 15th of August, and having delivered up its horses, embarked for Ireland on the 21st of that month.

After the conclusion of the treaty of Utrecht, the strength of the army was reduced, and Colonel Kerr's regiment of dragoons was disembodied in Ireland in the spring of 1714.

At the time this regiment was reduced, the royal dragoons and Scots greys were augmented, and many men from Kerr's dragoons entered these two veteran corps. Few months, however, elapsed after the decease of Queen Anne, (1st August, 1714,) and the accession of King George I., when a change took place in the circumstances of the British court. His Majesty arrived from Hanover on the 17th of September. The result of the measures pursued by the ministry of Queen Anne, during the last three years of her reign, was soon manifested in the prevalence of Jacobin principles, and the king found it necessary to augment the army. One of the first acts of His Majesty on this occasion, was the restoration of Kerr's regiment of dragoons, now the Seventh, or Queen's Own Hussars, by a warrant under the sign manual, of which the following is a copy:—

In compliance with this order, Captains Lewis Dollon's and Peter Renourds' troops from the royal dragoons, and Captains William Crawford's, George Dunbar's and James Levingtone's troops from the greys, (being augmentation troops raised when Kerr's regiment was disembodied,) with a sixth troop raised near London, were constituted a regiment, which now bears the designation of Seventh, or Queen's own Hussars; but was then styled "KERR'S DRAGOONS."

Soon after its second formation, the regiment marched into quarters in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the county of Durham; and in July His Majesty was pleased to confer upon it the distinguished title of "Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales' own Royal Regiment of Dragoons"[5] in honour of Wilhelmina Carolina, consort of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

The augmentation of the army, and other measures adopted by the government for the preservation of tranquillity, did not sufficiently intimidate the disaffected so as to prevent an appeal to arms. In the early part of September the Earl of Mar raised the standard of the Pretender in the Highlands, and summoned the friends of the Stuart dynasty to his aid. At the same time, the Princess of Wales's dragoons were ordered to march to Scotland and join the troops commanded by Major-General Whetham, encamped at Stirling.

At this camp the regiment remained several weeks; additional forces arrived; the establishment was augmented, and the Duke of Argyle took the command of the army. The rebel forces, ten thousand strong, advancing with the view of penetrating southward, the King's troops, not four thousand men, proceeded to the vicinity of Dumblain, to oppose the progress of the clans. On the morning of Sunday, the 13th of November, the two armies confronted each other on Sheriff-muir, and the Princess of Wales', with Carpenter's (third), and a squadron of the Inniskilling (sixth) dragoons were on the left of the line, under Major-General Sabine and Brigadier-General Newton. The action commenced on the right, where the royal forces overthrew their opponents and chased them from the field. On the left the fortune of the day was in favour of the rebels; six hundred select Highlanders surprised the infantry in the act of forming, and put them into confusion. The gallant Colonel Kerr led his regiment of dragoons (the Seventh) to the charge with signal intrepidity; his horse was killed under him; but he speedily mounted another, and his brave troopers, with some gentlemen volunteers and Carpenter's squadrons, drove the rebel horsemen before them, capturing a standard. Colonel Kerr had a second horse killed under him, and a rebel trooper fired a pistol at his breast, which did him no harm, although his coat was torn. The royal infantry on the left were unable to recover from the disorder into which they had fallen; they retired before the clans; their communication with the remainder of the army was cut off; and mingling with the cavalry, both became confused, and fell back a short distance to gain an opportunity of re-forming their ranks. They retired beyond Dumblain, and took possession of the passes, to prevent the clans penetrating to Stirling. Meanwhile, the right wing of the king's army had returned from the pursuit of the left wing of the rebel forces: the Earl of Mar withdrew with the clans during the night, and the Duke of Argyle returned with the royal forces to Stirling.

Colonel Kerr lost three horses on this occasion; the regiment had also two troop horses killed, and one man and four horses wounded.

In January, 1716, the royal army, having been augmented, advanced against the rebels, who fled in every direction. The Pretender and his principal officers escaped to the continent; the common men dispersed; and the rebellion being suppressed, the regiment went into quarters in Fife.

In the following spring, the Princess of Wales' dragoons returned to England, and occupied quarters in Yorkshire; but proceeded southward during the summer; and in December one troop was ordered to attend His Majesty on his landing from Hanover.

The regiment occupied quarters in Lincolnshire in the summer of 1717; passed the following winter in Yorkshire; and in July, 1718, was reviewed by Major-General Macartney, at Leicester.

In July, 1719, one troop was employed in suppressing riots at Halifax. In December, 1720, the regiment was occupying quarters in Lancashire, and received orders not to permit any person to land from the Isle of Man, in consequence of a report that the plague was in that island.

The regiment marched to Scotland in April, 1721; it returned to England in April, 1722; and after encamping several months near Manchester, went into quarters in the town. It encamped near York in June, 1723, from whence it marched, in the autumn, into Berkshire; and in January, 1724, detachments were employed on revenue duty on the Hampshire and Dorsetshire coast; in April following, the remainder marched into Yorkshire and Durham.

Lieut.-General Carpenter reviewed the regiment at York, in September, 1725; and Lieut.-General Sir Charles Wills, in April, 1726.

On the prospect of war between Holland and the Emperor of Germany, the regiment was augmented, in February, 1727, to nine troops, and four regiments of cavalry and eight of infantry were held in readiness to assist the Dutch; but no embarkation took place.

King George I. died in June of this year, on his journey to Hanover; and his son, George, Prince of Wales, succeeded to the throne: the Princess of Wales became Queen, and this regiment was honoured with the title of "The Queen's Own Regiment of Dragoons." It marched to the vicinity of Hounslow in October, and was reviewed on the heath, on the 28th of that month, by King George II., who was pleased to express his high approbation of its appearance and discipline. After the review it marched into cantonments in Dorsetshire and Somersetshire, with a detachment on revenue duty on the Sussex coast.

A detachment attended the Princess Amelia at Bath, in May, 1728; in July the regiment was reviewed at Salisbury; and in the autumn another detachment was ordered to attend the Princess Amelia at Bath.

In 1729 the establishment was reduced from nine to six troops. In 1730 the regiment occupied cantonments in Dorsetshire, Somersetshire, and Wiltshire; and was reviewed on Hounslow-heath, on the 15th of May, 1731, by King George II., attended by several noblemen and general officers; its warlike appearance, the condition of the horses, and the discipline of the regiment, were commended.

After the review, the Queen's Own Dragoons returned to their former quarters; in 1732 they were removed to Gloucestershire and Herefordshire; and in April, 1733, they commenced their march for Scotland, where they remained during the following year.

Returning to England in April, 1735, the Queen's Own dragoons proceeded into quarters in Leicestershire and Staffordshire, with detachments on revenue duty on the coasts of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, in which duties they were employed during the remainder of that and in the two succeeding years; and in 1738 they marched into quarters in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. In 1739 they furnished detachments on coast duty in Sussex; at the same, war having been declared against Spain, the establishment was augmented to four hundred and thirty-five men.

During the summer of 1740, the Queen's Own dragoons were encamped, with four other regiments of cavalry and four of infantry, near Newbury, under the orders of Lieut.-General Wade; and subsequently near Kingsclear; in October the regiment marched from the camp to cantonments in Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire. In 1741 they marched into Scotland.

The Honourable William Kerr, after commanding the regiment upwards of thirty years with reputation to himself, and advantage to the service, was succeeded in the colonelcy by Major-General Sir John Cope, K.B., by commission, dated the 12th of August, 1741.

In the mean time, the death of Charles VI., Emperor of Germany, had been followed by war on the continent; and the Elector of Bavaria, aided by the French monarch, was endeavouring to deprive the Archduchess, Maria Theresa, of the kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia.

The Queen's Own dragoons left Scotland in April, 1742: and soon after their arrival in England, they were selected to form part of an army of sixteen thousand men, sent to the Netherlands under the command of Field-Marshal the Earl of Stair, to support the interests of the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. The regiment embarked in the early part of August; and after landing at Ostend, marched a few stages up the country, where it halted until the beginning of the following year.

In February, 1743, the regiment commenced its march for Germany; and after taking part in several manœuvres, it was encamped at Aschaffenburg, where King George II. and the Duke of Cumberland joined the army. On the 26th of June, as the troops were marching along the bank of the river Maine, a French force was discovered in position near Dettingen, a village in the Bavarian States, in the circle of the Lower Rhine; and King George II. commanded the British, Austrians, and Hanoverians to form line opposite the enemy. After a severe cannonade of several hours' duration, the French advanced from their formidable position, and a series of charges of cavalry, with a heavy fire of musketry, commenced on the left of the allied army, and extended along the front. During the heat of the engagement, the regiment which forms the subject of this memoir, had an opportunity of displaying its intrepidity and prowess in close combat with the cavalry of the opposing army, and obtained the approbation of its sovereign. The British dragoons encountered the French gens d'armes and household cavalry, and, though without armour, they fought their steel-clad opponents with signal gallantry. Twice the British horsemen were forced back; but, rallying and returning to the charge, at the third onset they overthrew the opposing squadrons, and chased them from the field with great slaughter, and with the loss of several standards and kettle drums. The infantry of the allied army evinced great bravery, and a complete victory was gained over the enemy.

The Queen's Own regiment of dragoons had Lieutenant Falconer, Cornet Hobey, one serjeant, ten rank and file, and twenty-two horses killed; Lieutenant Frazer, Cornet St. Leger, one quarter-master, two serjeants, thirteen rank and file, and thirteen horses wounded: Cornet St. Leger afterwards died of his wounds.

After passing the night in the open grounds near the field of battle, the regiment marched on the following day to Hanau, and was subsequently encamped with the army on the banks of the Kinzig. In the early part of August the king proceeded towards the Rhine, passed that river beyond Mentz, and advanced to Worms. The Queen's Own dragoons were employed in West Germany, but nothing of importance occurred; and in the autumn they re-passed the Rhine, and marched back to Brabant and Flanders, where they remained during the winter.

The regiment served the campaign of 1744 under Field-Marshal Wade, and was employed in several movements, but no general engagement occurred, and in the autumn it marched into winter quarters at Bruges.

The establishment having been augmented, the regiment was joined in the spring of 1745, by a number of men and horses from England. Soon afterwards it took the field, and advanced with the troops commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, to the relief of Tournay, which fortress was besieged by an immense French army. On the 10th of May, two troops of the Queen's Own dragoons were employed in driving back the enemy's out-guards and piquets; and on the following day, they were engaged in supporting the attack of the infantry on the formidable position, occupied by the French, near the village of Fontenoy. The centre of the position was twice forced by the British regiments; but the Dutch having failed in their point of attack, a retreat was ordered. Towards the close of the action, several squadrons of cavalry charged with signal intrepidity, but were unable to retrieve the fortune of the day, and the army withdrew to Aeth.

The regiment lost, on this occasion, ten men, and forty-six horses killed; Lieut.-Colonel Erskine, Captain-Lieutenant Ogilvy, Lieutenant Forbes, Cornet Maitland, Quartermaster Smith, thirty-five men, and forty-seven horses wounded; one man and two horses missing.

After the capture of Tournay, the French army advanced with such overwhelming numbers, that the allies were unable to prevent the loss of several important towns. The Queen's Own dragoons were employed in defensive operations, and were encamped a short time before Brussels.

Meanwhile, a rebellion had broken out in Scotland, and Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, was at the head of the insurgent clans. Several corps were ordered to return to England; and in February, 1746, the Queen's Own dragoons proceeded to Williamstadt and embarked; but some delay was occasioned by severe weather, and one transport was stranded. The regiment disembarked to wait for more favourable weather; in the mean time, the prospect of a speedy termination to the rebellion occasioned the order for its return to be countermanded.

The war on the continent was continued; the regiment, having received a remount of one hundred and two men, and one hundred and fifty-six horses, took the field in the summer of 1746, and served on the Dutch frontiers, under the command of General Sir John Ligonier, and afterwards under Prince Charles of Lorraine. On the 11th of October, the regiment was formed in line, with the Greys and Inniskilling dragoons, with its right behind Roucoux, a village near the city of Liege, while the infantry occupied the houses and streets of several hamlets along the front. An immense French force, commanded by Marshal Saxe, advanced and attacked the left of the allied army; and by superior numbers, succeeded in carrying the villages, and a retreat was ordered. As the enemy's infantry emerged from among the houses, the Greys, Inniskilling, and Queen's Own dragoons, dashed forward, broke their ranks, and chased them back in gallant style. The army afterwards withdrew to the vicinity of Maestricht; and the regiment passed the severe winter months in cantonments in the country along the Lower Maese.

In the spring of 1747, the regiment encamped a short period near the banks of the Scheldt, and was subsequently employed in operations on the Great Nethe and the Demer, during which period a remount of fifty men and one hundred and twenty horses, joined from England. On the 1st of July, it confronted the French army in one of the valleys in the province of Liege, and passed the night in a state of constant readiness for action.

The French infantry descended from the hills on the following morning, and made a furious attack on the troops stationed in the village of Val. After much severe fighting, the enemy, by means of a great superiority of numbers, forced the centre of the Allied army. The cavalry of the left wing was ordered forward, and the Queen's Own dragoons had another opportunity of distinguishing themselves. Having broken the enemy's first line, the British dragoons continued their victorious career, and overthrew a second line with terrific violence; then, mixing with the French horsemen and musketeers, used their broad swords with dreadful execution. While pursuing their opponents, they received a volley from some French infantry posted in a hollow, and behind hedges, and several men and horses fell mortally wounded. The survivors rushed furiously upon the infantry, drove them from behind the hedges, and pursued them across the fields with great slaughter. This brilliant success enabled the Duke of Cumberland to make arrangements for a retreat; and the army withdrew to Maestricht, where it arrived on the same evening.

The regiment lost several men and horses on this occasion; and had Cornet Bulmere, five men, and ten horses captured by the enemy. It was subsequently stationed a short time in the province of Limburg, and was employed in various operations until the winter.

In the spring of 1748, the army again confronted the enemy in the province of Limburg. Preliminary articles for a treaty of peace were agreed upon; a suspension of hostilities took place, and the British troops went into cantonments among the Dutch peasantry.

During the following winter, the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was concluded. The British troops left Holland; and the Queen's Own dragoons, after landing at Purfleet in January, 1749, were reduced to a peace establishment, and quartered at Norwich and Yarmouth, with detachments on coast duty.

The regiment was inspected by Lieutenant-General Campbell at Wells, in April, 1750, and at Gloucester in October following; and by Lieutenant-General Onslow at Gloucester in April, 1751.

On the 1st of July, 1751, King George II. issued a warrant relative to the colours, standards, and clothing of the several regiments, from which the following particulars have been extracted respecting the Seventh, or Queen's Own Regiment of Dragoons.

Coats,—scarlet, double-breasted, without lapels, lined with white; slit sleeves turned up with white; the button-holes ornamented with narrow white lace; the buttons flat, of white metal, set on three and three; a long slash pocket in each skirt; and a white worsted aiguillette on the right shoulder.

Waistcoats and Breeches,—white.

Hats,—bound with silver lace, and ornamented with a white metal loop and a black cockade.

Boots,—of jacked leather, reaching to the knee.

Cloaks,—of scarlet cloth, with a white collar, and lined with white shalloon; the buttons set on three and three upon yellow frogs, or loops, with a blue stripe down the centre.

Horse Furniture,—of white cloth; the holster-caps and housings having a border of royal lace, with a blue stripe down the centre; the Queen's cipher within the garter, embroidered on each corner of the housing; and on the holster-caps, the King's cipher and crown, with VII. D. underneath.

Officers,—distinguished by silver lace; their coats and waistcoats bound with silver embroidery; the button-holes worked with silver; and a crimson silk sash worn across the left shoulder.

Quarter-Masters,—to wear a crimson sash round their waists.

Serjeants,—to have narrow silver lace on the cuffs, pockets, and shoulder-straps; silver shoulder-knots, or aiguillettes, and blue and white worsted sashes tied round their waists.

Drummers and Hautboys,—clothed in scarlet coats lined with blue, and ornamented with royal lace with a blue stripe down the centre; their waistcoats and breeches of white cloth.

Guidons,—The first or King's guidon to be of crimson silk, embroidered and fringed with gold and silver; in the centre the rose and thistle conjoined and crown over them, with the motto Dieu et mon Droit underneath: the white horse in a compartment in the first and fourth corners, and VII. D., in gold characters, on a blue ground, in a compartment in the second and third corners. The second and third guidons to be of white silk, in the centre the Queen's cipher within the garter on a crimson ground: the white horse on a scarlet ground in the first and fourth compartments, and VII. D. within a wreath of roses and thistles upon a scarlet ground in the second and third compartments.

The regiment was inspected at Birmingham, in October, 1751, by Lieutenant-General Sir Philip Honeywood; at Lichfield, in April, 1752, by Lieutenant-General Campbell; and at Manchester in April, 1753, by Major-General Cholmondeley. In October following it commenced its march to Scotland, and remained in that part of the kingdom upwards of four years, during which period the undetermined limits of the British territory in North America had given rise to another war with France.

Hostilities commenced in 1755, and the establishment of the Queen's Own dragoons was augmented to three hundred and forty-seven officers and men. A seventh troop was also added, of which Captain-Lieutenant William Erskine was appointed captain by commission dated the 25th of December, 1755, and the officers and men of this troop were mounted on small horses and equipped as light dragoons. The establishment of the light troop was fixed, by a royal warrant dated the 29th of January, 1756, at three officers, one quarter-master, two serjeants, two drummers, and sixty-three rank and file; but it was subsequently augmented to upwards of one hundred officers and men.

In the spring of 1758 the Seventh dragoons quitted Scotland, and were stationed in Yorkshire, the head-quarters being at York; from whence the light troop was detached to Portsmouth to take part in an expedition against the French coast, under the orders of Charles Duke of Marlborough. A brigade was formed of the light troops of nine regiments of dragoons, under the orders of Colonel Eliott, of the horse grenadier guards; and when a landing had been effected (6th June) on the coast of Brittany, the light horsemen gave signal proof of their activity and usefulness on several occasions. They took a distinguished part in the capture of the suburbs of St. Maloes, and in the destruction, by fire, of the privateers and other vessels, amounting to upwards of one hundred sail, in the harbour; also in the destruction of extensive magazines of maritime stores. The light cavalry subsequently advanced several miles up the country, and evinced zeal and activity in skirmishing with the French troops. The expedition not being of sufficient strength to undertake the siege of St. Maloes, the troops re-embarked and returned to England. The light cavalry subsequently took part in a second enterprise against the French coast, under the orders of Lieutenant-General Bligh, when Cherbourg was captured, and the works, with the shipping in the harbour and iron ordnance were destroyed, and the brass ordnance sent as trophies to London. A second landing was also effected near St. Maloes; but no advantage resulted, and considerable loss was sustained on re-embarking.

After landing at Portsmouth in September, the light troop of the Queen's Own proceeded to Hackney, and afterwards to Romford; the remainder of the regiment occupying cantonments in Essex and Middlesex, from whence it marched, in November, 1759, to Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire.

In the mean time Hanover and the adjoining states had become the theatre of war, and a British force, commanded by the gallant Marquis of Granby, was serving with the troops of Hanover, Hesse, and Brunswick, the whole commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick; and in March, 1760, the six heavy troops of the Seventh dragoons received orders to proceed to Germany.

The Queen's Own dragoons, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel George Lawson Hall, embarked on the river Thames, and sailed for Germany in the beginning of April: having a quick passage, they arrived in the river Weser, landed above Bremen, the capital of a duchy of the same name in Lower Saxony, and joined the allied army commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, at the camp on the heights of Fritzlar, in the principality of Lower Hesse, on the 21st of April. They were formed in brigade with the dragoons of Price-schenik, under the orders of Colonel Bremar.

Being opposed by a French army of very superior numbers, the allies were restricted to defensive operations, and the Seventh took part in several toilsome marches and skirmishes. At length thirty thousand French troops crossed the river Dymel to cut off the communication of the allies with Westphalia, and a favourable opportunity occurring to attack this detached force, the Queen's Own dragoons, with several other corps, under the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, advanced to Liebenau, where they passed the Dymel, and making a detour of many miles, gained the left flank of the enemy's position at Warbourg, on the 31st of July. Prince Ferdinand was advancing with the main body against the enemy's front; but before his arrival, the enemy had been attacked in flank and rear, and were retiring. The cavalry under the Marquis of Granby and Lieut.-General Mostyn arrived at a favourable moment; a gallant charge of the British squadrons decided the fortune of the day, and the French made a precipitate retreat across the Dymel. The Seventh dragoons supported the infantry in the attack of the enemy's flank, and by a spirited charge towards the close of the action, contributed to the success of the day. The conduct of the British cavalry was commended by the Marquis of Granby, in his public despatch, and Prince Ferdinand declared in general orders, that "all the British cavalry performed prodigies of valour." The regiment being eager in the pursuit, had four men and horses captured by the enemy; three of the men, however, escaped and rejoined the regiment.

Lieut.-General Sir John Cope, K.B., died on the 28th of July, 1760; and King George II. conferred the colonelcy on Lieut.-General Mostyn, from the fifth, royal Irish, regiment of dragoons.

The Seventh dragoons were encamped near the banks of the Dymel, until winter, when the soldiers were directed to build huts to protect themselves and horses from severe weather. They subsequently went into cantonments in the villages in that part of the bishopric of Paderborn.

The army was suddenly called from its winter quarters in February, 1761, and penetrating, during a heavy snow, into the enemy's cantonments, captured several towns and extensive magazines of forage and provision; but afterwards returned to its former quarters, and the Seventh were again quartered in villages in the bishopric of Paderborn.

On taking the field in the beginning of May, 1761, the Seventh were formed in brigade with the Scots greys and Ancram's (eleventh) dragoons, commanded by Colonel Harvey. After much manœuvring, some skirmishing, and many long and toilsome marches, they were encamped on the heights of Denkernberg, between the rivers Asse and Lippe, and formed part of the Marquis Granby's corps, which had its right in front of the village of Kirch-Denkern. This post was attacked on the 15th, and again on the 16th of July; the Seventh were formed in column behind the centre of this part of the position, and supported the infantry; the enemy was repulsed; the cavalry dashed forward, but were prevented charging by the nature of the ground.

The regiment was subsequently employed in operations which brought on slight skirmishes; but no general engagement occurred. In August it was employed on the Dymel. In the early part of November it was engaged in dislodging a French corps from a strong camp near Escherhausen, in the duchy of Brunswick; and afterwards marched to Eimbeck, where another skirmish occurred. These movements were designed to surprise the French army in dispersed quarters; but the enemy having gained time to assemble his forces, this regiment, with several other corps, marched during the night of the 7th of November, through a heavy snow to Foorwohle, where another skirmish occurred, and the British dragoons evinced signal gallantry. The Seventh were encamped in the snow until the following morning, when the British had another skirmish with their opponents; and they subsequently marched to the heights between Mackensen and Lithorst. When the army went into winter quarters, the regiment was cantoned in East Friesland.

The season for military operations having arrived, the Queen's Own dragoons again took the field, and were encamped at Brackel, and subsequently on the heights of Tissel: they were formed in brigade with the Eleventh dragoons, under Lieut.-Colonel George Lawson Hall, of the Seventh. They left their camp before day-break on the morning of the 24th of June, 1762, and having crossed the Dymel, advanced against the French camp at Groebenstein. The enemy was surprised, and made a precipitate retreat upon Cassel, with the loss of their tents and baggage; and one division being surrounded in the woods of Wilhelmsthal, surrendered. The Seventh pursued the French in the direction of Cassel, and took several prisoners; they subsequently encamped near Holtzhausen.

During the remainder of the campaign, the regiment continued actively employed, and was frequently engaged in detached services; the enemy was forced to abandon several important positions, and Cassel was captured by the allies. Preliminary articles for a treaty of peace having been agreed upon, a suspension of hostilities took place, and the Queen's Own dragoons, and other British cavalry, went into quarters in the bishopric of Munster.

Peace having been concluded, the thanks of Parliament were communicated to the army, and in February, 1763, the Seventh commenced their march from Germany, through Holland, to Williamstadt, where they embarked for England. After landing at Harwich they were stationed at Chelmsford, Springfield, and Colchester. The light troop, which had not been on foreign service with the other troops of the regiment, was disbanded; and the establishment was reduced to six troops of three officers, one quarter-master, two serjeants, two corporals, one drummer, and twenty-eight private men each; eight men per troop were equipped as light dragoons, and the remainder as heavy dragoons.

In May, 1763, Lieut.-General Mostyn was removed to the First dragoon guards; and Major-General Sir George Howard, K.B., was appointed colonel of the Seventh dragoons, from the third foot, or buffs.

In January, 1764, a squadron was employed on revenue duty on the Suffolk coast. On the 9th of April following, King George III. reviewed the regiment in Hyde Park, and expressed his high approbation of its appearance and discipline. In the same year, orders were received for the regiment to be mounted on long-tailed horses;—for epaulettes to be worn on the left shoulder instead of aiguillettes, and for the men's boots to be of a lighter description than formerly.

The regiment occupied quarters in Sussex, in 1765, and was removed to Northampton and Leicestershire in 1766; at the same time, the Drummers on the establishment were directed to be replaced by Trumpeters.

From Leicestershire, &c., the regiment was removed to York in May, 1767, and to Scotland in the spring of 1768, but returned to England in the early part of 1769, and was quartered in Warwickshire.

In April, 1770, the regiment marched into Dorsetshire and Somersetshire; in June, 1771, it was removed to Canterbury, and employed on coast duty until April, 1772, when it marched into Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire. In the spring of 1773 it commenced its march for Scotland, where it was stationed during the succeeding twelve months.

Returning to England in the summer of 1774, the regiment was stationed in Lancashire; in 1775 it was removed into Worcestershire and Staffordshire; in 1776 it was employed on revenue duty on the Sussex coast; and in 1777 it was engaged in similar duties on the coasts of Norfolk and Suffolk.

In the summer of 1778 the Queen's Own dragoons were encamped near Bury St. Edmunds, together with three other regiments of dragoons and two battalions of militia, under the command of Major-General Warde.

Lieut.-General Sir George Howard, C.B., was removed in April, 1779, to the first dragoon guards, and King George III. conferred the command of the Queen's Own dragoons on Major-general Sir Henry Clinton, K.B.

An augmentation had, in the mean time, been made to the strength of the regiment, in consequence of the American war; and in April, 1779, the men, equipped as light dragoons, were incorporated, with detachments from the second, third, fifteenth, and sixteenth, into a regiment, which was numbered the twenty-first light dragoons.

Soon after this event the Seventh dragoons marched to Scotland, where they remained two years, and on their arrival in England, in May, 1781, they were quartered at Durham. In the summer of 1782 they were removed to Salisbury, and in 1783 to Newbury.

The great usefulness of light cavalry had been fully proved during the reign of King George II., and also during the American war; and after the conclusion of a treaty of peace in 1783, the Queen's Own dragoons underwent a change of clothing and equipment;—the cocked hats were replaced by helmets; boots, saddles, belts, and other articles of equipment, of a light construction, were adopted; carbines of a smaller size than those before used, were received; the standard height for men and horses was reduced; and the regiment was constituted a corps of Light Dragoons.

The change of equipment having taken place, the regiment was employed in the travelling escort duty for the royal family; it was quartered at Hounslow, and other villages, on the road from London to Windsor; and during the summer of 1784 it was reviewed, on Hounslow heath, by His Majesty, when its appearance and discipline procured the expression of his royal approbation.

Regulations for the Clothing of the
Light Dragoons.—April, 1784.

The clothing of a private light dragoon to consist of a jacket and shell, under-waistcoat, and leather breeches.

The jacket and shell to be of blue cloth, the collars and cuffs of the royal regiments to be red, and those of the other regiments to be of the colour of the facing of the regiment, looped upon the breast, and edged with white thread cord, and to be lined with white, the Eleventh and Thirteenth regiments excepted, which are to be lined with buff.

The under-waistcoat to be of flannel, with sleeves, and made so as to be buttoned within the waistband of the breeches.

The breeches to be of buckskin.

N.B.—The make of the dress, and method of placing the cord upon the breast of the jacket, to be exactly conformable to the pattern approved of by His Majesty.

Officers and Quarter-Masters,—The dress uniform of the officers and quarter-masters of the light dragoons to be made according to the King's regulation of the 19th of December, 1768, excepting that the coats are to be blue, and faced with the same colour as the private men, and that the royal regiments are to be faced with scarlet.

Field Uniform of the Officers and Quarter-Masters,—The jacket and shell to be made up in the same manner as those of the men, excepting that the shell is to have sleeves, and that the looping is to be of silver, the Thirteenth regiment excepted, which is to be of gold.

Serjeants,—To be distinguished by gold or silver looping.

Corporals,—To be distinguished by a gold or silver cord round the collar and cuff.

Trumpeters,—To have a jacket and shell the colour of the facing of the regiment, with lace instead of looping in front and down the seams.

N.B.—A pattern suit of clothing, made up according to these regulations, will be deposited at the Army-Comptroller's Office, Horse Guards.

The Seventh Light Dragoons marched, in the summer of 1785, into quarters in Sussex, where the following order, dated Horse Guards, February 6, 1786, was received:—

In May, 1786, the Seventh dragoons were removed to Guildford, and in July to Maidstone; in 1787 they marched to Canterbury; and afterwards to Greenwich and adjacent villages, from whence they proceeded to Norwich; they passed the summer of 1788 in Nottinghamshire; in the following winter they proceeded to the vicinity of London, and after occupying cantonments at Staines a few months, resumed their former quarters at Hounslow, &c., in April, 1789, and took part in the escort duty for the royal family.

Having been relieved from escort duty, the regiment marched, in June, 1790, into cantonments in Sussex, the head-quarters being established at Lewes, from whence they were removed, in April, 1791, to Brighton, and in June of the same year to Canterbury. In the summer of 1792 the regiment marched to Nottingham.

A revolution had in the mean time taken place in France, and the tyrannical and barbarous proceedings of the republicans, who had seized on the powers of the government in that kingdom, filled Europe with wonder and with abhorrence of the ruthless perpetrators of the numerous tragedies which took place; their crimes were increased by the execution of their sovereign Louis XVI.; the British ambassador consequently received instructions to quit Paris, and active preparations were made for war. Two troops were added to the Queen's Own light dragoons, and in the spring of 1793 four troops, under the command of Major Osborne, embarked for the Netherlands, to form part of the army under His Royal Highness the duke of York, designed to co-operate with the allies in repelling the aggressions of the French republic on Holland and the Austrian Netherlands. The depôt troops were stationed at Manchester.

Having joined the forces commanded by the duke of York, the two squadrons of the Seventh took part in the operations of the army. After retiring from before Dunkirk, the troops re-assembled at Furnes and Dixmude, and were stationed for some time on the frontier of West Flanders. His royal highness having resolved to make every possible effort for the protection of the Austrian Netherlands, determined to re-capture Menin, and, as a diversion to favour this design, Major-General Abercromby was directed to attack Lannoy with a body of troops, of which a squadron of the Seventh formed a part. The attack was made on the 28th of October: the French having been driven from the town by the artillery, the light dragoons galloped forward in pursuit with distinguished gallantry, overtook their opponents, cut down one hundred with their sabres, took fifty-nine prisoners, and captured five pieces of artillery, besides tumbrils and baggage waggons, for which they were honoured with the approbation of Major-General Abercromby and of His Royal Highness the duke of York. The only loss sustained by the Seventh, on this occasion, was two men wounded.

The regiment performed much hard service on out-post duty during the following winter.

On the 16th of April, 1794, the regiment advanced to the heights above Cateau, where it was reviewed by the emperor of Germany, and on the succeeding day, supported the attack of the infantry and artillery on Prémont, Vaux, &c.

When the siege of Landrécies was undertaken, the Queen's Own formed part of the covering army encamped at Cateau. At day-break, on the 26th of April, while a thick fog covered the fields and villages near the British camp, a few pistol-shots in front gave indication that the advance-posts were engaged, and soon afterwards the piquets were seen retiring before crowds of French, whose movements were partly concealed by the fog. The Seventh were speedily mounted and formed in front of their camp-ground; the cannonade became louder and louder, and the fog clearing, the duke of York detached the cavalry of the right wing to turn the enemy's left flank, while the Seventh and Eleventh light dragoons' and two squadrons of Archduke Ferdinand's hussars, supported by several other corps, moved forward to reconnoitre the French column advancing from Prémont and Marets. Encountering their opponents in the plain of St. Celian, the Seventh and Eleventh light dragoons raised a loud shout and dashed furiously against the adverse ranks of war, while the German hussars joined gallantly in the charge, and the enemy was overthrown and pursued with dreadful carnage. The Seventh were distinguished for their heroic ardour and contempt of danger, and Lieutenant O'Laughlin eminently signalized himself. Twelve hundred Frenchmen fell in the charge and pursuit, and ten pieces of cannon, with eleven tumbrils filled with ammunition, were captured, exclusive of those taken by the remainder of the army. A writer who was present at this engagement (Robert Brown of the Coldstream guards), states in his Journal, published in 1795, "the Seventh and Eleventh light dragoons performed prodigies of valour on our left." The Duke of York observed in general orders, after complimenting several other corps, "Nor is the determined gallantry with which the Seventh and Eleventh light dragoons attacked the enemy on the left (notwithstanding their numbers), less worthy of every commendation." The loss of the regiment on this occasion was one man and seven horses killed, nineteen men and six horses wounded.

After the fall of Landrécies, the regiment proceeded by forced marches to the vicinity of Tournay; and on the 10th of May, when the French attacked the British position with thirty thousand men, it had another opportunity of signalizing itself. The enemy having failed in his attempt to turn the British left, directed his efforts against the centre. A favourable opportunity presenting itself, sixteen British and two Austrian squadrons were detached, under Lieut.-General Harcourt, against the enemy's right, and by a determined charge broke the French columns. A second charge proved decisive; the French were defeated, and the British troops were thanked in general orders for their excellent conduct. The Seventh had six horses killed; four men and four horses wounded; and two horses missing.

A general attack having been resolved upon, with the view of compelling the French to evacuate Flanders, the Queen's Own light dragoons were selected to take part in this enterprise, and were attached to one of the columns, under His Royal Highness the Duke of York, which advanced at an early hour on the morning of the 17th of May, to the vicinity of Lannoy, where the troops halted a short period, until a thick fog cleared off, when they resumed their march. Arriving at Roubaix, the place was gallantly captured, and the troops reposed a few hours in the town. As the sun was declining in the western horizon, and the shades of evening were gathering over the provinces of Flanders, Lieut.-General Abercromby received orders to attack a village two miles distant, called Mouvaux, which was situated on a rising ground, surrounded by palisades and entrenchments, protected by flanking redoubts, and defended by a strong body of republican troops. This enterprise was undertaken with cheerful alacrity; the flank battalion of the foot guards stormed the works, and the Seventh light dragoons, led by Lieut.-Colonel William Osborne, (a most gallant officer, who had been twenty years in the regiment[6]), made a detour round the village, followed by the Fifteenth light dragoons, under Lieut.-Colonel Churchill. As the French soldiers began to give way before the furious onset of the foot guards, and issuing from among the houses, attempted to escape by the rear of the village, they were charged by the two cavalry regiments with the most distinguished bravery. The Seventh were in front on this occasion; arriving at a chevaux-de-frise, a few men of the regiment dismounted, and, though exposed to a sharp fire of musketry, cleared a space for the troops to pass, when the two regiments rushed with terrific violence upon the French infantry, broke their ranks, and cut them down with a dreadful slaughter, capturing three guns. When the two regiments returned from the pursuit, the evening was far advanced, and they passed the night in the village.

The Austrians having failed in several of their points of attack, the enemy was enabled to bring nearly his whole force against the daring Britons who had thus attacked his position; and the morning of the 18th of May was ushered in by a tremendous cannonade. Multitudes of French cavalry, infantry, and artillery, appeared advancing in every direction; and by nine o'clock, Lieut.-General Abercromby found the few men he had with him nearly surrounded by crowds of opponents; at the same time he received orders from the Duke of York to retire to the heights behind Roubaix. He fell back fighting; and as he passed through the town, his rear was pressed by hosts of enemies, who followed, shouting and assailing the British with grape and musketry. From Roubaix the division proceeded towards Lannoy; being beset by superior numbers, the soldiers had to dispute every foot of ground, and to keep up a running fight. The Seventh and Fifteenth light dragoons were constantly engaged on the flanks and in the rear. Lannoy being found occupied by the French, the British division took to the fields, passing over hedges and ditches, constantly fighting crowds of opponents, the light cavalry evincing the most noble ardour and intrepidity; and the Seventh thus exhibiting, under accumulated disasters and difficulties, the innate bravery of Britons, and the great value of light cavalry. One of the foot guards who was present (Browne), observes in his Journal, "Our British light cavalry which were with us (the Seventh, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth) performed wonders of valour, charging the enemy with unexampled courage whenever they approached; it was no uncommon thing to see one of them attack three of the French dragoons at once, in order to rescue the prisoners they were carrying off. It was owing to their bravery that so few prisoners were taken; they also retook numbers from the enemy. As soon as we reached the village of Templeuve, we halted and formed; and from thence marched to our former position, behind the village of Blandin. Our loss proved to be very inconsiderable to what might have been expected, for it was rather to be wondered at that one of us escaped." The loss of the Seventh was, four horses killed; six men and ten horses wounded; and fifteen men and thirty-two horses prisoners of war and missing. The conduct of the British on this trying occasion was highly commended by the Emperor of Germany; and the Duke of York expressed his approbation of the valour and firmness of the corps engaged.

The troops returned to their former position in front of Tournay, where the British were attacked on the 22nd of May; they repulsed their opponents, who were forced to retire with the loss of seven pieces of artillery. The loss of the Seventh on this occasion was limited to one troop horse.

The immense numbers which the enemy was enabled to bring forward, at length forced the allies to retreat from the Austrian Netherlands to the United Provinces; and during this retrograde movement the Seventh were frequently engaged in out-post duty, in covering the retiring army, and in numerous rencounters with detachments of French cavalry.

Tn August the army was encamped near Breda, on a large plain bestrewed with the vestiges of war, to give the Dutch an opportunity of putting the fortress in a state of defence. While at this camp, a piquet of the Seventh and Sixteenth light dragoons surprised one of the enemy's out-guards. The French dragoons fled at the first onset; and many of them forsook their horses to escape across walls and other fences where mounted troopers could not pursue them; seven men were, however, made prisoners, and forty horses were captured.

One hundred thousand French advanced to attack thirty-five thousand British, and the Duke of York made a further retrograde movement. In October the army defended the passage of the Waal from the island of Bommel until it communicated with the Austrians on the left. The enemy constructed batteries before Nimeguen; a sortie was made on the 4th of November, in order to destroy the French works, and the Queen's Own light dragoons formed part of the force employed on this service. The infantry led on by Major-General De Burgh (afterwards Earl of Clanricarde), stormed the enemy's entrenchments in gallant style, when a dreadful carnage ensued, the French fighting with resolution, but the British proved irresistible with the bayonet: as the enemy fled from their works, the Seventh and other cavalry charged them in the rear and cut them down with great slaughter. "Here" (Captain Jones states in the Historical Journal) "the British performed prodigies of valour": a thousand opponents lay weltering on the plain and among the works; the troops were thanked in general orders for their services on this occasion.

At length a severe frost enabled the enemy to advance in the beginning of 1795, across the rivers on the ice, and the British, being no longer capable of resisting the very superior numbers of their opponents, retired through Holland to Germany. During this retreat the troops endured very great hardship and privation from severe weather, and from the hostile spirit manifested by the Dutch, who had imbibed principles favourable to the French interest. The Seventh light dragoons were employed in covering the retrograde movements, and had occasional skirmishes with the enemy's leading corps. After their arrival in Germany, they occupied quarters of refreshment for several weeks; during the summer they were encamped on one of the plains of Westphalia; and in November returned to England.

On the decease of General Sir Henry Clinton, K.B., his Majesty conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-General David Dundas, by commission dated the 26th of December, 1795.

The Queen's Own light dragoons occupied various quarters in England until the summer of 1799, when they were encamped near Windsor, and were reviewed by the King, who was pleased to express, in very gracious terms, his royal approbation of their appearance and field movements. In the mean time the British government had resolved to make, in connection with the Russians, an attempt to deliver Holland from the power of the French republic; and the Seventh embarked for this service at Ramsgate, in the beginning of September, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Henry Lord Paget, who was appointed to the command of the cavalry employed in this expedition, consisting of the Seventh, Eleventh, Fifteenth, and part of the Eighteenth light dragoons; the whole being under the orders of His Royal Highness the Duke of York.

On the advance of the army on the 19th of September, the Seventh were attached to the column under Lieut.-General de Hermann, which attacked the enemy at half-past three in the morning, and by eight gained possession of Bergen, a large village surrounded by extensive woods; but the Russians, overlooking the formidable resistance they were to meet with, had not preserved the necessary order, and they were driven back with the loss of many men, and Lieut.-Generals de Hermann and Tchertchekoff taken prisoners.

In the attack of the enemy's position on the 2nd of October, the Seventh formed part of the cavalry attached to the column commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, which advanced along the beach to within a mile of Egmont-op-Zee, where a corps of French infantry was posted among the sand-hills, with a numerous body of cavalry and artillery on the beach. A sanguinary contest ensued, in which the heroic perseverance of the British was conspicuous. Late in the evening the enemy's cavalry made an attempt on the British horse artillery on the beach: but were charged with signal intrepidity by the light dragoons under Colonel Lord Paget, and driven with considerable loss nearly to the town. The British established themselves among the sand-hills, where they passed the night, and on the following day gained possession of Egmont-op-Zee[7]. The Seventh had two men and four horses killed on this occasion, and eleven men and twenty-five horses wounded.

Part of the regiment was engaged on the 6th of October, in driving the enemy from his position between Beverwyck and Wyck-op-Zee, which proved a sanguinary service; but the Seventh did not sustain any loss.

These gallant efforts were not seconded by the Dutch, and severe weather, with other causes, having rendered a retreat necessary, the Seventh under Lord Paget, covered the movement. Some skirmishing took place, and several pieces of cannon fell into the hands of the enemy, when his lordship led one squadron on to the charge with signal gallantry, and breaking in upon and repulsing a force six times more numerous than his own, retook the cannon and with them several pieces belonging to the enemy.

Circumstances having occurred to induce the Duke of York to vacate Holland, the regiment returned to England in December, and was stationed at Canterbury.

In the year 1800 the Queen's Own light dragoons were stationed at Windsor and Hounslow, to perform the escort duty for the royal family; in 1801 they were quartered at Reading, with detached troops in Sussex, from whence they were removed to Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

Lieut.-General Sir David Dundas was removed to the Scots Greys in May, 1801, and the lieut.-colonel of the Seventh, Colonel Henry W. Lord Paget (now Marquis of Anglesey), was advanced by King George III. to the colonelcy of the regiment, as a special mark of royal favour and approbation for his personal merit, and for the excellent state of discipline and efficiency manifested on all occasions by the corps under his orders.

Peace having been concluded with the French republic, in 1802, the establishment of the regiment was reduced; but in 1803, the treacherous conduct of Napoleon Bonaparte gave rise to another war, and the establishment was again augmented. When Bonaparte made his ostentatious, but vain, preparations for the invasion of Great Britain, the Seventh were stationed at Ipswich and Norwich, and were held in readiness to repel the invaders, should they venture to approach the shores of Britain.

In 1804 the establishment was augmented to ten troops.

In 1805 directions were received for the light dragoon appointments and clothing to be changed for those of Hussars; the alteration took place on the 25th of December, 1807; and the regiment subsequently obtained the designation of "Seventh, or Queen's Own, Regiment of Hussars."

After passing six years at Ipswich and Norwich, the Seventh Hussars proceeded to Guildford in July, 1808; and when on their march they were reviewed by His Royal Highness the Duke of York, on Hounslow-heath. Important events had, in the mean time, transpired on the continent and in the peninsula, and Portugal and Spain had become subject to the tyrannical sway of Bonaparte, who had nearly attained the zenith of his power. Portugal was delivered during the summer of 1808, by British skill and valour; and a powerful effort in aid of the Spaniards, who were endeavouring to free themselves of the French yoke, having been resolved upon by the British government, the Seventh Hussars were selected to take part in this enterprise.

Eight troops, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel R. H. Vivian, and consisting of two lieut.-colonels (Vivian and Kerrison), two majors (Hon. Berkeley Paget and Hon. G. H. C. Cavendish), eight captains, six lieutenants, four cornets, four staff-officers, six quarter-masters, 717 non-commissioned officers, trumpeters, and privates, and 677 troop-horses, embarked at Portsmouth in October; on arriving at Corunna, in November, the horses were slung overboard, and they swam to the shore. The regiment marched by squadrons to Astorga, from whence it proceeded, with the Tenth and Fifteenth hussars, towards Salamanca, to join the troops advancing from Portugal under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, K.B. The British commander had been promised that his advance should be covered by a powerful and victorious Spanish army, and that numerous and enthusiastic legions of patriots were ready to co-operate with him; but not a Spanish soldier was in his front;—the enemy was at hand;—those armies with which he had been ordered to co-operate had been routed and dispersed, and Bonaparte was approaching the capital of Spain in triumph. Twenty-three thousand Britons were not able to cope with three hundred thousand French; but Sir John Moore resolved to push boldly forward, and menace the French lines, that he might thus draw Bonaparte with a powerful army from the capital, which would give time for the southern provinces of Spain to organize their means of resistance, and for the discomfited Spanish armies to re-assemble. The boldness and ability with which this resolution was executed, surprised Napoleon, and deserve the commendation of posterity. The Seventh Hussars were employed in this enterprise, and a piquet of the regiment was engaged on the 21st of December, with the Tenth and Fifteenth hussars, commanded by Lieut.-General Lord Paget, in driving a body of French dragoons from Sahagun, when about twenty of the enemy were killed, and thirteen officers and one hundred and fifty-four men taken prisoners, in a sharp sword-fight which lasted about twenty minutes.

The approach of Bonaparte with an immense army rendered it necessary for the British to withdraw, and the heavy baggage, with several brigades of infantry, commenced retiring; at the same time the cavalry patroles advanced up to the French lines and skirmished, to conceal the retrograde movement. On the morning of the 25th of December a squadron of the Seventh Hussars, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Kerrison, advanced towards Carrion, and encountering a French detachment of about equal numbers, made them all prisoners except the officer, who wounded Lieut.-Colonel Kerrison in the arm, and escaped.

The regiment commenced its retreat a few hours after this affair; and the army rested two days at Benevente, a rich open town situate in a plain extending from the Gallician mountains to the neighbourhood of Burgos. The infantry afterwards continued the retreat, while the cavalry remained in the town, and had parties watching the fords of the little river Esla. Soon after day-break on the 29th of December, six hundred cavalry of the French imperial guard crossed the stream and advanced into the plain; the British detachments retired fighting, and a piquet of the Seventh Hussars, under Lieutenant Lowther, was sharply engaged. Being joined by part of the Third German hussars, the piquets charged the French leading squadrons with signal gallantry, the ground was obstinately disputed, and a particularly animating scene presented itself. Baggage mules and followers of the army were scattered over the plain, the town was filled with tumult, the distant piquets and videts were galloping in from right and left; the French were pressing forward, and every appearance indicated that the enemy's whole army was come up and passing the river. Suddenly Lord Paget led the Tenth hussars at speed into the plain; the piquets that were engaged united, and the whole charged. In an instant the scene changed, the French were seen galloping back, with the British at their heels; they plunged into the stream without breaking their ranks, and having gained the opposite heights, they wheeled round and appeared inclined to come forward a second time; but the British horse artillery opening upon them, they retired. Fifty-five killed and wounded Frenchmen lay on the plain, their general, Lefebre Desnouettes, and several other officers, were taken prisoners, and many of those who escaped across the river, were wounded. The piquet of the Seventh Hussars suffered severely, nearly every man being either killed or wounded.

The enemy planted heavy cannon on the bank of the river, and made a show of re-crossing; but Lord Paget guarded the fords all the day, and at night withdrew with the cavalry. The Seventh were constantly in the rear of the army, with the other hussar regiments, during the remainder of the retreat; they, however, suffered little from the swords of the enemy; but the effects of frost, snow, and of a deficiency in the supplies of provision and forage, were severely felt. The want of horse-shoes was a serious evil, which was owing to the impracticability of the forge carts accompanying the regiment. When the army withdrew from the position at Lugo, during the night of the 8th of January, 1809, the Seventh Hussars were left behind to keep up the bivouac fires, and to cover the retreat, and they were in the rear of the army until it arrived within three leagues of Corunna.

On arriving at Corunna, the regiment mounted two hundred and fifty horses only, out of six hundred and eighty which had marched from that port about two months before, and many of those which remained, were destroyed for the want of transport, which could be obtained only for the officers' horses and for about ninety troop-horses.

The French were defeated in a general action fought on the 16th of January, when Sir John Moore fell mortally wounded. The army afterwards embarked and returned to England. Thus the British had intercepted the blow which was descending to crush Spain; time had been given to enable the patriots to re-organize their armies; and Bonaparte being recalled to France, by the news that Austria and Russia were arming to oppose him, the war was protracted in Spain. On the passage to England the Despatch transport, having on board Major the Hon. G. C. Cavendish, Captain G. Dukinfield, and Lieutenant the Hon. Edward Waldegrave, with one hundred and thirteen men, and forty-four horses, was wrecked near the Lizard, on the coast of Cornwall, and only seven men escaped.

After its arrival from Spain, the regiment was quartered at Guildford, from whence it proceeded to Weymouth; in May, 1810, it embarked at Liverpool for Ireland, and was stationed at Dublin, with detached troops at Athy and Carlow.

In 1811 the head-quarters were removed to Dundalk, where they remained during the year 1812; and in 1813 the regiment embarked at Dublin for England.

Having landed at Liverpool, the regiment proceeded to London; it was stationed at Hyde Park barracks, Hampton Court, and Hounslow, and performed the king's duty during the absence of the household cavalry on foreign service.

The glorious victories gained by the allied army under Field Marshal the Marquis of Wellington had, in the mean time, accomplished the deliverance of Portugal, and of nearly all Spain, from the despotic sway of Bonaparte, and the Seventh Hussars were selected to take part in completing the overthrow of the tyrannical power of Napoleon. Eight troops, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel R. Hussey Vivian, embarked at Portsmouth on the 15th of August, and landed at Bilboa, the capital of Biscay, in Spain, on the 1st of September; and two additional troops joined from England in October. The regiment was formed in brigade with the Tenth and Fifteenth hussars, commanded by Major-General Lord Edward Somerset.

After the surrender of the castle of St. Sebastian the regiment advanced, and having joined the army, supported the infantry at the passage of the Bidassoa, and advanced as far as Vera on the borders of France. The Seventh Hussars subsequently retired through the Pyrenean mountains to the vicinity of Pampeluna, which fortress surrendered on the 31st of October.

Colonel Richard Hussey Vivian having been appointed to the command of a brigade of cavalry, the command of the regiment devolved on Lieut.-Colonel Edward Kerrison.

After occupying village cantonments near Pampeluna for several weeks, the Seventh Hussars marched through the Pyrenees and joined the army in France. On the 18th of December they took the out-post duty at Cambo, a town eight miles from Bayonne, where the French army, under Marshal Soult, lay in a fortified camp. On the 31st of December, the regiment took the out-post duty on the road leading to St. Jean Pied de Port, where a French division was stationed. The weather becoming very severe, the regiment went into cantonments in the beginning of 1814, near Hasparan, in Gascony, thirteen miles from Bayonne: in these quarters forage was particularly scarce, and the horses suffered in condition from being fed on chopped gorse and about three pounds of oats a day. The foraging parties sent towards the French lines, had frequent skirmishes, and on one of these occasions, Captain Peter Augustus Heyliger was wounded.

The weather having become more clear, the army advanced in the middle of February, and on the 24th the hussar brigade proceeded to the bank of the Gave d'Oléron, in the expectation of being engaged. Captain Fraser and twelve men of the Seventh passed the river under a heavy fire, and were followed by Captain Verner's squadron, for the purpose of supporting a body of infantry which had crossed the stream and were seriously engaged; but the enemy being in force, and the ground such that cavalry could not act, the squadron was re-called. The enemy abandoning his position, the regiment crossed the river in pursuit, and halted at the village of Boren.

Marshal Soult concentrated his forces behind the Pau at Orthes; the allies advanced to attack him; and the Seventh Hussars, having crossed the river, were engaged in driving the enemy from his position on the 27th of February. About 10 o'clock the regiment was ordered to cover the sixth division and the guns; and when the French gave way, it dashed forward in pursuit, and by a brilliant charge it overthrew a body of opponents, and took sixty prisoners: this occurred about 3 o'clock. Shortly afterwards the regiment was again ordered to charge, and being led forward by Colonel Kerrison with signal gallantry, it was once more successful, and sixteen officers, with about seven hundred men, were made prisoners. The Marquis of Wellington observed in his public despatch: "Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton took advantage of the only opportunity which occurred, to charge with Major-General Lord Edward Somerset's brigade in the neighbourhood of Sault de Navailles, where the enemy had been driven from the high road by Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill. The Seventh Hussars distinguished themselves upon this occasion, and made many prisoners."

The regiment had four men and five horses killed; Major William Thornhill, Captain P. A. Heyliger, Lieutenant Robert Douglas, nine men, and eleven horses wounded.

After the battle of Orthes the Seventh Hussars were employed a short time at Villeneuve de Marsan, in the department of the Landes; also at Roquefort and Captieux, in protecting the rear of the army from the depredations of parties of brigands. From these quarters the regiment advanced, and rejoining the army near Toulouse, supported the infantry in the action at that place on the 10th of April.

When the French withdrew from Toulouse, the regiment moved forward and was employed in the out-post duty.

At length hostilities were terminated by the abdication of Bonaparte and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty. Thus a war of unprincipled aggression, begun in acts of fraud and perfidy, and carried on with treachery, cruelty, and rapine, ended with the downfall of its author, and the humiliation and dispersion of his boasted invincible legions.

After the termination of hostilities, the regiment reposed a month in village cantonments; and on the 1st of June commenced its march for Boulogne, where it embarked for England, and, after landing, it marched to Romford, and in September to Brighton. Its services were subsequently rewarded with the honour of bearing the word "Peninsula" upon its appointments.

Riots having occurred in London towards the end of February and in the beginning of March, 1815, in consequence of the introduction into Parliament of a bill to regulate the importation of grain, the Seventh Hussars were suddenly ordered to proceed thither from Brighton.

The return of Bonaparte to France, the sudden defection of the forces of Louis XVIII., and the elevation of the usurper to the throne, filled Europe with astonishment. War was resolved upon, and on the 25th of March three squadrons of the Queen's Own Hussars, commanded by Col. Sir Edward Kerrison, marched from London for foreign service; they embarked at Dover, landed at Ostend, and, after marching a few stages up the country, went into cantonments, and were formed in brigade with the Fifteenth hussars, and Second hussars of the King's German legion, under the orders of Major-General Sir Colquhoun Grant, K.C.B. On the 29th of May they were reviewed, with other brigades of the cavalry, by Field-Marshal his Grace the Duke of Wellington, accompanied by Marshal Von Blucher, the commander of the Prussian army.

Bonaparte, endeavouring, by one of those rapid movements for which he had been so famous, to interpose between the British and Prussian armies, and beat them in detail, suddenly attacked and drove in the out-posts, and early on the morning of the 16th of June the Seventh Hussars advanced to support the troops engaged at Quatre Bras. After a march of many miles, they arrived at the scene of conflict; the French were repulsed, and the troops bivouacked in the fields.

The Prussians having been defeated and forced to retreat, the Duke of Wellington made a corresponding movement on the 17th of June, to preserve his communication with them, and the Seventh Hussars were engaged, with other corps, in covering this retrograde movement. On passing through the village of Genappe, the French lancers began to press upon the rear of the retiring army, and the Seventh were directed by their colonel, Lieutenant-General the Earl of Uxbridge, to charge. This order was executed with signal bravery; but the lancers, being sustained by a great mass of cavalry, and having their flanks secure, presented an almost impenetrable row of pikes, through which the hussars were unable to break. The regiment rallied and charged a second time; but the lancers, being well supported and advantageously posted, were enabled to maintain their ground. Some impression had, however, been made, and two squadrons of the first regiment of life guards coming up at speed, the weight and power of their charge broke the lancers, who were pursued through the village with great slaughter. The retreat was afterwards continued with skirmishing and cannonading to the position in front of the village of Waterloo, where the army passed the night exposed to a heavy rain.

On the following day the hard contested and sanguinary battle of Waterloo was fought,—a battle memorable in the annals of Europe,—where the fate of empires was decided by the sword, and the British troops acquired immortal honour! During the early part of the action the Seventh Hussars supported the infantry, and towards the evening they were ordered forward. Moving from Hugomont, they acted nearly on the reverse of the enemy, and by a series of brilliant charges, most nobly executed, contributed to the final overthrow of the French army. On this occasion the officers and men proved their resolution to support the high character which the regiment had so long borne; and their conduct was publicly noticed and attested in the strongest and most unequivocal terms by the commander of the cavalry, Lieutenant-General the Earl of Uxbridge, who, after having gone through this arduous day, received a wound at the close of the action by which he lost his right leg.

The loss of the regiment on the 17th and 18th of June was, one serjeant, fifty-five rank and file, and eighty-four horses killed; Captains J. W. Robins, W. Vernor, and P. A. Heyliger; Lieutenants R. Douglas, E. Peters, and R. Beattie; with nine serjeants, one trumpeter, eighty-three rank and file, and one hundred and sixteen horses wounded.

The gallant conduct of the regiment on this occasion, was subsequently rewarded with the honour of bearing the word "Waterloo" on its appointments; the officers and men received each a silver medal; and the privilege of reckoning two years' service for that day, was conferred on the subaltern officers, and also on the non-commissioned officers and private men.

On the 19th of June, the regiment advanced in pursuit of the French, who fled in dismay towards Paris; on the evening of the 24th, it was at the capture of Cambray by escalade, by Lieut.-General Sir Charles Colville's division. On arriving at the vicinity of Paris, the war was terminated, by the surrender of the capital, and the restoration of Louis XVIII. to the throne of his ancestors.

After occupying village cantonments near Paris for several months, and taking part in several grand reviews, at which the Emperors of Russia and Austria, and the Kings of Prussia and France, were present, the Seventh Hussars were selected to form part of the army of occupation in France, and they proceeded to Estaples and neighbouring villages.

In the summer of 1816, the Seventh marched to quarters between St. Omer and Dunkirk, for the purpose of field exercise and review, and were joined by a squadron from England. On the 22nd of October, the Duke of Wellington reviewed the army on the plains of St. Denain, and witnessed the troops go through the formula of a mock engagement. The Seventh afterwards returned to their former quarters.

In February, 1817, the regiment was again quartered near St. Omer, for the convenience of field exercise; it was subsequently stationed between Cambray and Valenciennes, and was again reviewed in October, by the Duke of Wellington, together with the remainder of British troops, and the Saxons, Danes, and Hanoverians. The regiment was afterwards stationed at Cassel and adjacent villages.

Several changes of quarters took place in 1818; and the regiment was at the grand military spectacles, when the army was seen by their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of Kent and Cumberland, and when the Russians, British, Saxons, Danes, and Hanoverians were reviewed, by the Emperor of Russia, King of Prussia, Prince of Orange, Grand Dukes Constantine and Michael, &c., &c. After these reviews, the army of occupation quitted France: the Seventh Hussars embarked at Calais, landed at Dover and Ramsgate, and marched to Chertsey, &c.

On the night of the 1st of December the regiment attended the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Charlotte.

In 1819, the regiment marched to Scotland; in August, 1820, it embarked at Port Patrick for Ireland; and the head-quarters were stationed twelve months at Dundalk.

In August, 1821, the regiment marched to Dublin, on the occasion of the visit of His Majesty King George IV. to the capital of Ireland. On the 18th of August, the king reviewed the Seventh Hussars, with the other troops in garrison at Dublin, on which occasion the regiment was commanded by its colonel, the Marquis of Anglesey. In September the establishment was reduced from eight to six troops.

Leaving Dublin in December, 1822, the regiment proceeded to Newbridge; in June, 1823, it embarked at Waterford, and landing at Bristol, proceeded to Richmond and other villages in the neighbourhood of Hounslow.

On the 15th of July the two regiments of life guards, Blues, Third light dragoons, and Seventh and Fifteenth hussars, with a brigade of horse artillery, were reviewed on Hounslow-heath by his Royal Highness the Duke of York.

After the review the Seventh Hussars marched to Brighton, Chichester, and Hastings, with detachments on revenue duty on the coast; but returned to the vicinity of Hounslow in the spring of 1824, the head-quarters being at Hampton Court; and on the 7th of July they were again reviewed, with the same corps as in the preceding year, on Hounslow-heath, by the Duke of York. The head-quarters were afterwards removed to Hounslow barracks, and the regiment took the escort duty.

In July, 1825, the regiment proceeded to York, Beverley, and Newcastle; in April, 1826, it marched to Scotland, and was stationed at Edinburgh and Perth, with parties on revenue duty at Cupar, Angus, and Forfar; and in March, 1827, it left Scotland for the South of England.

On the 12th of April the Seventh Hussars were reviewed on Hounslow-heath by his Grace the Duke of Wellington, who was pleased to express his unqualified approbation of their appearance and discipline. After the review they continued their march to Brighton and Chichester.

Leaving these quarters, the regiment proceeded to Liverpool in March, 1828, and embarking for Ireland, landed at Dublin, where it was stationed until May, 1829, when it was removed to Newbridge, and in May, 1830, to Dundalk, Monaghan, and Belturbet.

On the 2d of August, 1830, a general order was issued for the whole of the cavalry, with the exception of the Royal Horse Guards (Blues), to be dressed in red; the Seventh Hussars were consequently furnished with red pelisses in the following year.

The regiment left Dundalk, &c., in April, 1831, for Newbridge, and in June proceeded to Dublin and embarked for England. After landing at Liverpool, it marched to Birmingham, with detached troops at Coventry and Kidderminster.

In March, 1832, the regiment proceeded to Norwich, Ipswich, and one troop to Boston. In the month of March of the following year it proceeded to Scotland, and was stationed at Hamilton and Glasgow, and in February, 1834, performed much extra duty in consequence of riots among the cotton spinners and calico printers in the neighbourhood of Glasgow.

On the 2d of May, 1834, the regiment left its quarters in Scotland, and proceeding to England, was stationed at York and Newcastle; and in April, 1835, it marched to Nottingham, Sheffield, Derby, and Boston.

In April, 1836, the regiment proceeded to Hounslow, and took the escort duty. In June, 1837, it embarked at Bristol for Ireland, landed at Cork, and the head-quarters were established at Ballincollig, from whence they were removed in August to Cork, and in September to Dublin, where they passed the winter.

Orders having been received for the regiment to transfer its services to Canada, it was divided into four service and two depôt troops; the service troops embarked at Cork on the 1st of May, 1838; and arrived at Montreal in June. In November, 1838, they were employed against the insurgents in Lower Canada, and one troop was similarly employed in January, 1839.

During the years 1839, 1840, and 1841, the service troops were stationed at Montreal and Laprairie. In the year 1841 orders were received to resume blue pelisses. The Service Troops have continued in Canada to the summer of 1842, the date of the conclusion of this memoir.

The record of the services of the Seventh, or Queen's Own Hussars, for a period of one hundred and fifty years, (as contained in the preceding pages,) exhibits a proof, among the other portions of the British army, of attachment to their officers, of loyalty and fidelity to their sovereign, and of zeal and devotedness to their country. On all occasions, when their services have been required to meet a foreign enemy, they have entered upon the difficulties of active warfare with readiness and a determination to perform the duties allotted them; and their bravery and contempt of danger have been strongly evinced. Their gallantry at the battle of Dettingen in 1743; their conduct at Warbourg in 1760, under the Marquis of Granby, and on other occasions in Germany during the Seven years' War;—their boldness and intrepid bearing in conflict with the enemy at Cateau, Roubaix, Tournay, and Mouvaux, under the Duke of York, in 1794, which received His Royal Highness's strongest commendations, afford instances of the most determined bravery.

The proofs of true courage were further adduced by the firm conduct of the Seventh Hussars in the advance into Spain under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore in 1808, and in the retreat to Corunna in January, 1809, as detailed in the Regimental Record. The gallantry of the regiment at the battle of Waterloo, in June, 1815, gained an imperishable addition to its fame; and the deeds of the officers and men, who fought on that glorious occasion, are sufficient to perpetuate an emulous desire in the present and future members of the corps to rival the exertions of their brave predecessors.

The smart, active, and soldier-like appearance of the regiment, its correct and orderly conduct in quarters, and its gallantry in the field, have acquired a high character in the estimation of the country, and proved it to be a valuable acquisition to the crown and to the government.

In thus recording the commendations due to so distinguished a regiment as the Seventh Hussars, the compiler of this Record, with true respect towards the gallant officer and nobleman at the head of the corps, ventures to associate his fame and honour with those of his regiment, with which, for more than forty years, they have been identified: General the Marquis of Anglesey, K.G. and G.C.B., assumed the command of the Seventh Hussars as Lieutenant-Colonel on the 6th of April, 1797; he shared with his regiment in the dangers and honours of the conflicts in Holland in 1799; at Sahagun and Benevente in 1808; in the retreat to Corunna in 1809; and at the all-crowning victory of Waterloo in 1815, where he lost his leg by a cannon shot. In future ages the gallant and heroic deeds of this nobleman will be the admiration of every member and friend of the British army.

---

OF

THE SEVENTH,

OR

QUEEN'S OWN REGIMENT

OF

HUSSARS.

---

Robert Cunningham.

Appointed 30th December, 1690.

Robert Cunningham was an officer of reputation in the Scots brigade in the service of Holland, and was wounded at the battle of St. Denis, in 1678. Proceeding to Scotland, he became a warm advocate for the principles of the Revolution of 1688, and having performed faithful services in that cause, he was rewarded with the colonelcy of a regiment of foot formed during the winter of 1689-90. When the clans tendered their submission to King William's government, Colonel Cunningham's regiment was disbanded, and he obtained the command of a corps of dragoons, now the Seventh Hussars. He served with his regiment, under King William, in the Netherlands, during the campaigns of 1694, 1695, and 1696, and in the summer of the last-mentioned year he commanded a brigade of dragoons in Flanders. At the close of the campaign he was succeeded in the colonelcy by Lord Jedburgh.

William, Lord Jedburgh.

Appointed 1st October, 1696.

The Honorable William Kerr, son of Robert, fourth Earl and first Marquis of Lothian, steadily supported the principles of the Revolution, and rose to the rank of colonel in the army on the 1st of March, 1692. He succeeded, in the same year, to the title of Lord Jedburgh; and on the 1st of October, 1696, King William appointed him to the colonelcy of a regiment of dragoons, now the Seventh Hussars. In 1702, Queen Anne promoted him to the rank of brigadier-general. On the decease of his father, in 1703, he succeeded to the title of Marquis of Lothian[8]. The rank of major-general was conferred on his lordship in 1704; in the succeeding year he was invested with the order of the Thistle; and in January, 1707, he obtained the rank of lieut.-general. On the 25th of April following he obtained the colonelcy of the third foot guards, from which he was removed in 1713, in consequence of his political views not being in accordance with those of Queen Anne's new ministry. After the accession of King George I., his lordship was appointed to the staff of North Britain. He died in 1722.

Patrick, Lord Polwarth.

Appointed 28th April, 1707.

This officer was the son of Sir Patrick Hume, of Polwarth, who was one of the most conspicuous and vigorous characters of the age in which he lived, was a strenuous opposer of the proceedings of King Charles II. in Scotland, and was created, by King William, Lord Polwarth, and Earl of Marchmont.

Patrick Hume was educated in Holland, and the Prince of Orange gave him a commission in the Dutch service. He accompanied His Highness to England at the Revolution, and when his father was elevated to the dignity of Earl of Marchmont, he was styled Lord Polwarth. He was appointed major of a regiment of dragoons, now Seventh Hussars, in 1694; lieut.-colonel in 1697, and colonel in 1707. He died in 1709.

The Honorable William Kerr.

Appointed 10th October, 1709.

The Honorable William Kerr, third son of Robert, Earl of Roxburgh, and brother of John, first Duke of Roxburgh, served with reputation on the continent, under the celebrated John, Duke of Marlborough. In 1709 he was rewarded with the command of a regiment of dragoons, now Seventh Hussars, and on the accession of King George I. he was appointed groom of the bedchamber to the Prince of Wales. He highly distinguished himself at the battle of Dumblain, on the 13th of November, 1715, where, according to the accounts published at the time, he had three horses killed under him, was wounded in the thigh, and had his coat torn by a pistol bullet. The care and attention which he paid to the interests of his corps, procured him the affection and esteem of the officers and soldiers. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general in 1727, to that of major-general in 1735, and to that of lieut.-general in 1739. He died in 1741, after commanding the regiment nearly thirty-two years.

John Cope.

Appointed 12th August, 1741.

John Cope entered the army in March, 1707, and speedily rose to the lieut.-colonelcy in the second or Scots troop of horse grenadier guards. He obtained the rank of colonel in the army in 1711. In 1730 he was promoted from the horse grenadier guards to the colonelcy of the thirty-ninth foot, from which he was removed to the fifth foot, in 1732. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general in 1735; was removed to the ninth dragoons in 1737; and advanced to the rank of major-general two years afterwards. He served several years on the staff of Ireland, obtained the colonelcy of the Seventh dragoons in 1741, and proceeded, in the summer of 1742, to Flanders with the army commanded by Field-Marshal the Earl of Stair. In the beginning of the following year he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general, and having signalized himself, under the eye of his sovereign, at the head of the second line of cavalry, at the battle of Dettingen, he was constituted a knight of the Bath.

Sir John Cope was commander-in-chief in Scotland when the rebellion of 1745 broke out in the Highlands, and a small body of troops, under his immediate command, was defeated by the clans under the young Pretender, at Preston Pans, which unfortunate circumstance enabled the rebels to penetrate into England. He died in 1760.

John Mostyn.

Appointed 18th August, 1760.

John Mostyn served in the thirty-first foot, in which corps he rose to the rank of captain, and in 1742 he was appointed captain-lieutenant in the second foot guards. Having joined his company on foreign service, he was engaged at the battle of Fontenoy, where the foot guards highly distinguished themselves, and he was wounded. In December, 1747, he was promoted to the rank of colonel, and appointed aide-de-camp to King George II.; and in 1751 he obtained the colonelcy of the seventh foot, from which he was removed to the thirteenth dragoons in 1754. In 1757 he was promoted to the rank of major-general; he was removed to the fifth dragoons in 1758, and to the Seventh dragoons in 1760. He commanded a brigade of infantry under the Duke of Marlborough in the expedition to the coast of France in 1758; in 1759 he was promoted to the rank of lieut.-general, and serving in Germany under Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, he distinguished himself on several occasions. At the conclusion of the war he was removed to the first dragoon guards, and was promoted in 1772, to the rank of general. He died in March, 1779.

Sir George Howard, K.B.

Appointed 13th May, 1763.

George Howard entered the army in the reign of King George I., and after serving the crown a period of nineteen years, he obtained the lieut.-colonelcy of the third foot on the 2nd of April, 1744. He commanded the regiment at the battles of Fontenoy, Falkirk, Culloden, and Val; and in 1749 he succeeded his father in the colonelcy of the corps. He served with distinction in Germany during the seven years' war; was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1758, and to that of lieut.-general in 1760: and at the conclusion of the peace in 1763, he was removed to the Seventh dragoons, and advanced to the dignity of a knight of the Bath. In 1777 he was promoted to the rank of general; in April, 1779, he was removed to the first dragoon guards; and was promoted to the rank of field-marshal in October 1793; he was also a member of the privy council, and governor of Jersey. He died on the 16th of July, 1796.

Sir Henry Clinton, K.B.

Appointed 21st April, 1779.

Henry Clinton, grandson of Francis, sixth Earl of Lincoln, held a commission in an independent company of foot at New York, from which he was removed in 1751, to a lieutenancy in the second foot guards, and in 1758 he was promoted to the rank of captain and lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards. Having gained great credit for his conduct during the seven years' war, in which the foot guards had several opportunities of acquiring distinction, he was promoted, in 1762, to the rank of colonel in the army; and in November, 1766, King George III. rewarded him with the colonelcy of the twelfth regiment of foot, then at Gibraltar; he was promoted to the rank of major-general in 1772. On the breaking out of hostilities in America, in 1775, this distinguished officer was sent with reinforcements to General Gage, at Boston, with the local rank of lieut.-general, and signalized himself at the battle of Bunker's Hill. In January, 1776, he was promoted to the local rank of general in America; he proceeded to North Carolina, and commanded the troops which made an unsuccessful attempt on Charlestown; and afterwards commanded a division of the army, under General Sir William Howe, in the descent on Long Island. In the action at Brooklyn he evinced ardour and ability; also in the skirmish at White Plains, and in the capture of Rhode Island, in December, the same year. In 1777, he commanded the troops at New York, and captured forts Clinton and Montgomery, and was rewarded with the order of the Bath. In 1778 he was appointed commander-in-chief in North America; in May he joined the army at Philadelphia from whence he withdrew to New York, and while on the march he repulsed an attack of the Americans at Freehold. He subsequently had success in several affairs of minor importance; and while engaged in these services, he was appointed to the colonelcy of the Seventh dragoons. In December, 1779, he embarked with a large force for South Carolina, and, after overcoming numerous difficulties, he captured Charlestown, for which he received the thanks of parliament. He sustained the character of a brave, zealous, and accomplished officer; but he was so circumstanced in America, that he was unable to add much to his reputation by the energetic and gallant efforts which he made in that country; and after experiencing pain and mortification from numerous causes, he returned to England in June, 1782, having been succeeded by General Carleton, afterwards Lord Dorchester.

The rank of general in the army was conferred on Sir Henry Clinton in 1793; he held the government of Limerick; and in 1795 he was appointed governor of Gibraltar. He was many years a member of parliament; and was also groom of the bedchamber to the Duke of Gloucester. His decease occurred on the 23rd of December, 1795.

David Dundas.

Appointed 26th December, 1795.

David Dundas was one of the most distinguished officers of the age in which he lived, for his perfect knowledge of the principles of military tactics. He commenced his military education at the age of thirteen in the academy at Woolwich, and at fifteen he assisted in a survey of Scotland; in 1756 obtained a commission in the fifty-sixth regiment. In 1758 he proceeded with the expedition to the coast of France as an assistant quarter-master-general; and in the following year obtained the command of a troop in a newly-raised regiment of light dragoons (Eliott's light horse), now the fifteenth, or King's hussars. He served with his regiment in Germany in 1760 and 1761; in the following summer he accompanied an expedition to Cuba, as aide-de-camp to Major-General Eliott, and was actively employed in the reduction of the Havannah. After the peace he resumed his post in his regiment, in which he rose to the rank of major; and, urged by an ardent desire to acquire a perfect knowledge of every branch of his profession, he obtained permission to proceed to the continent, to observe the practice of the French and Austrian armies. In 1775 he procured the lieut.-colonelcy of the twelfth light dragoons, joined the regiment in Ireland shortly afterwards, and in 1778 obtained the appointment of quarter-master-general in that country. In 1782 he was removed to the lieut.-colonelcy of the second Irish horse, now the fifth dragoon guards. In 1785 he again proceeded to the continent, attended the exercises of the Prussian troops during three summers, and after his return he presented His Majesty with a detailed account of their evolutions.

Colonel Dundas, having become a proficient tactician, produced, in 1788, a highly useful work on the principles of military movements, which became the basis of our army regulations for field exercises. His abilities obtained for him the favour and attention of King George III., who appointed him adjutant-general in Ireland, for the purpose of introducing his system of tactics into the army of that country. In 1790 Colonel Dundas was promoted to the rank of major-general. In 1791 he obtained the colonelcy of the twenty-second foot, and in the same year was placed on the Irish staff, but he resigned that appointment in 1793 to engage in service of actual warfare. After the commencement of hostilities with the French republic, Major-General Dundas was employed on a military mission to the island of Jersey, and was subsequently sent to the continent to confer with the Duke of York respecting the siege of Dunkirk. From Flanders he proceeded to Toulon, which had recently been taken possession of by a British armament; and his services there, although he was ultimately obliged to evacuate the place, called forth the approbation of his sovereign and of the British nation. After abandoning Toulon, he made a descent on Corsica, which island was reduced and annexed to the British dominions; but shortly afterwards he received directions to proceed to Flanders, where he arrived in the spring of 1794, and commanded a brigade of cavalry at the battle of Tournay on the 22d of May, 1794. Major-General Dundas was actively employed in the retreat through Holland, and the corps under his immediate command gained considerable advantage over the enemy in two successive actions near Gelder-Malsen; he highly distinguished himself also in an attack upon the French post at Thuyl, in December of the same year. He continued with the British troops in Germany during the summer of 1795, and in December was appointed colonel of the Seventh Light Dragoons. After his return to England he was appointed quarter-master-general to the army; and he composed the celebrated regulations for the field exercises and movements for the cavalry, which were approved by his Royal Highness the Duke of York and by King George III., and ordered to be exclusively adopted throughout the cavalry.

In 1799 Lieut.-General Dundas commanded a division of the allied army under the Duke of York, in the expedition to Holland; he distinguished himself in several actions with the enemy, and was highly commended by His Royal Highness in his public despatches. In 1801 he was appointed colonel of the second, or Royal North British dragoons, and was constituted governor of Fort George. In 1802 he was promoted to the rank of general; and in the following year, when the French were preparing to invade England, he was placed in command of the troops in the southern district, which comprised the counties of Kent and Sussex. In 1804 he was appointed governor of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, and created a Knight of the Bath. On the 18th of March, 1809, His Majesty was pleased to confer on this distinguished veteran the appointment of commander-in-chief of the army, on the resignation of Field-Marshal His Royal Highness the Duke of York, which appointment he held until the 25th of May, 1811, when His Royal Highness was re-appointed. He was also appointed colonel-in-chief of the rifle brigade on the 31st of August, 1809. He was promoted to the colonelcy of the King's dragoon guards on the 27th of January, 1813. He died in 1820, after a distinguished service of upwards of sixty years.

Henry W., Lord Paget,

NOW

Marquis of Anglesey, KG., GCB., K.St.P., GCH.

Appointed 16th May, 1801.

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OF THE

SEVENTH, OR QUEEN'S OWN, REGIMENT OF HUSSARS.

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OF THE

SEVENTH, OR QUEEN'S OWN, REGIMENT OF HUSSARS.

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