Historical Record of the Third or Prince of Wales' Regiment of Dragoon Guards: From Its Formation in 1685 to 1838

17131714

The Fourth Horse marched with the British forces from the French territory, and were encamped a short time in the vicinity of Ghent. They subsequently went into quarters, and these distinguished horsemen, after remaining on the continent until the treaty of Utrecht had given peace to Europe, were embarked for England, landed at the Red House near London in the beginning of April 1714, and having returned their Cuirasses into store, proceeded to Northampton, Daventry, and Wellingborough. In the mean-time the establishment was reduced from 400 to 226 officers and soldiers.39

On the decease of Queen Anne, in August of the same year, the regiment marched into quarters near the metropolis, where it remained until the arrival of His Majesty King George I. from Hanover, and afterwards proceeded to Gloucester and Tewkesbury. In October a squadron marched to Margate, and the remainder of the regiment was posted in detachments of two officers and twenty men each, between that place and London, to attend the Princess of Wales on her arrival. Her Royal Highness with the Princesses Anne and Amelia landed at Margate on the evening of the 11th of October, when they were received by a guard of the regiment, and on the following day they were escorted to Dorchester, where they were met by the Prince of Wales and the Dukes of Somerset and Argyle and the Earl of Bridgewater, and were conducted to the metropolis by the Fourth Horse on the 13th of October.

17151716

The peaceful accession of His Majesty was followed by the most strenuous exertions of many of the partisans of the Pretender; and in 1715 they broke out into open rebellion under the Earl of Mar. The army was immediately augmented, and ten men per troop were added to the establishment of the Fourth Horse. Upon notice of a meditated rise at Bath, this regiment, with Sir Robert Rich's Dragoons, took possession of that city, where they seized a great quantity of arms. England was at this period in great danger from the prevalence of jacobite principles, and the animosity with which two powerful parties in the state were arrayed against each other gave occasion for much alarm; but the staunch fidelity of the army overawed the disaffected, and the gallant troops who had so recently conquered the foes of Britain abroad, preserved the nation from the machinations of its enemies at home. The army, though on a reduced establishment, was in excellent condition, and the cavalry in particular was considered the best mounted of any troops in Europe.40

1717

After the suppression of this rebellion the King of Sweden espoused the cause of the Pretender, and made preparations for a descent upon Britain; and the Fourth Horse, with several other corps, were placed under the command of Lieutenant-General Wills, and sent to the north. This regiment was quartered a short time at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and the Colonelcy was given to Lieutenant-General George Wade, who had distinguished himself in the war in Spain, by commission dated the 19th of March, 1717.

The project of Sweden having been defeated by the exertions of the British fleet, the regiment returned to the south of England, and took the travelling escort-duty for the Royal Family: at the same time the establishment was reduced to twenty-five private men per troop.

17181719

In 1718 the Fourth Horse were quartered at Nottingham and Northampton; and in November 1719 they were stationed on the Essex road, to attend His Majesty from Harwich to London, on his return from Hanover.

17201722

In the following year they occupied dispersed cantonments in Oxfordshire; in 1721 they were quartered at Dorchester and Salisbury; and in the summer of 1722 encamped near Andover, and afterwards on Salisbury Plain, where they were reviewed, with three other regiments of cavalry and seven of infantry, by His Majesty and the Prince of Wales, on the 30th of August. The camp was broken up in the beginning of October, when this regiment marched to Warwick and Coventry.

172417251726

During the summer of 1724 the Fourth Horse occupied quarters near London, and again performed the travelling escort-duty. They also furnished a party in constant attendance on the Prince and Princess of Wales. In the following year they occupied quarters at Stamford, Huntingdon, and Peterborough; and in 1726 at Warwick and Coventry.

17271728

On the accession of King George II., in 1727, the regiment marched to the vicinity of London, was reviewed by His Majesty in September of the same year, and was afterwards in attendance on the court until May 1728, when it returned to its former quarters at Coventry and Warwick.

17311732173317341737

In January 1731 it was again on the King's duty, and was reviewed by His Majesty on Hounslow Heath in May of the same year. The two succeeding years were passed in country quarters, and in May 1734 it resumed its attendance on the Court. On the 29th of June following His Majesty reviewed the corps of Life Guards, when this regiment had the honour of furnishing the royal escort required on the occasion. In November of the same year, having been relieved on the King's duty by the Royal Horse Guards, it marched to Nottingham and Derby, where it remained until April 1737, when it resumed its station at Coventry and Warwick.

1738

On the 5th of July, 1738, the Fourth Horse, and the Royal regiment of Horse Guards, were reviewed by His Majesty on Hounslow Heath, and their appearance and discipline were approved of by the King.

17401741

After the review the Fourth Horse marched into quarters in Staffordshire. During the summer of 1740 they were encamped near Newbury; and in 1741 formed part of a body of troops encamped on Lexdon Heath, near Colchester.41

17421743

Towards the close of the summer of 1742 a British army proceeded to Flanders, to make a diversion in favour of the Queen of Hungary, whose dominions were overrun by the armies of France and Bavaria; but the Fourth Horse remained in England, and in the beginning of May, 1743, they marched into quarters near the metropolis, and resumed their duties of attendance on the Court. On the 17th of the same month one squadron was sent in pursuit of a number of deserters from Lord Semphill's (42nd) Highland regiment, a corps formed in 1739 of independent companies of infantry, raised in the Highlands, for service in the mountain districts during the disaffection which prevailed for some years in the north of Scotland.

The Highland regiment was designed for foreign service. In pursuance of this object it marched to the south of England, and on the 14th of May was reviewed by General Wade on Finchley Common, when the novelty of the scene attracted thousands of spectators to view the unique costume of the corps, and its appearance and discipline were generally admired. After the review the Highlanders were ordered to Gravesend, to embark for Flanders, but, as many of the men had enlisted on the presumption that they would never be required to quit the kingdom, and a report being spread amongst them that they were designed for the West Indies, a country which, at this period, was considered as a charnel-house for Europeans, about 150 of them deserted with their arms, and proceeded in a body towards Scotland.

The squadron of the Fourth Horse sent in pursuit of the Highlanders overtook them in Northamptonshire; and on Sunday, the 22nd of May, surrounded them in Lady-wood, near Oundle, and shortly afterwards the horse were joined by a squadron of Churchill's Dragoons (now Tenth Hussars). The Highlanders were disposed to submit on condition of receiving a free pardon; at the same time they took possession of a strong post in the wood, and, being provided with ammunition, they declared their determination to resist to the last extremity, and be cut to pieces rather than submit on any other terms. Captain Ball, of the Fourth Horse, had an interview with them, and, after trying every remonstrance and persuasion in vain, he was obliged to leave them. He, however, gained over two of their number, who conducted him out of the wood, and, promising them both a free pardon, he induced one to return and endeavour to prevail upon the remainder to submit. Eventually the main body surrendered at discretion, and were conducted to the Tower of London, where three of their number were tried and shot, and the remainder were drafted to different colonies abroad. This event did not, however, prevent the embarkation of the Highland regiment for Flanders.

17441745

In the beginning of 1744 the Fourth Horse were ordered to send a draft of sixty men and horses to Flanders to be incorporated in the three regiments of horse on foreign service. At the same time several additional corps were sent to the continent, but this regiment remained in the south of England until September 1745, when it was ordered to Nottingham; and on the receipt of information of the arrival of Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, in Scotland, it marched to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where several corps were assembled under the command of Field-Marshal Wade. In the mean time the young Pretender was joined by several Highland clans, and, there being but few troops in Scotland to oppose his progress, he gained possession of Edinburgh, surprised and defeated several corps under Sir John Cope at Preston Pans, and afterwards penetrated into England. At the same time Field-Marshal Wade marched with the troops under his command, by Durham, Darlington, and Richmond, in order to cover Yorkshire, and the cavalry proceeded to Doncaster, where the Fourth Horse arrived on the 8th of December.

Information having been received of the advance of the Highlanders to Derby, and of their precipitate retreat from thence towards Scotland, an attempt was made to intercept them, but without success. The Fourth Horse were subsequently despatched, with some other corps, under Major-General Oglethorp, in pursuit, and, after marching a distance of 100 miles in three days, in most inclement weather, and along roads choked with ice and snow, the King's troops overtook and defeated the rear of the rebel army on the borders of Lancashire, and captured several prisoners; but the main body of the Highlanders escaped, and, having placed a garrison in Carlisle, continued their flight to Scotland. The Fourth Horse pursued the Highlanders to Carlisle, and were stationed near that city until its surrender on the 30th of December.

1746

In the beginning of 1746 the Fourth Horse marched to York, and, after the decisive overthrow of the rebel army at Culloden, the regiment furnished escorts to guard parties of prisoners to Lincoln, and other places, in which service it was partially engaged throughout the summer; and in September it was stationed at Bristol.

The suppression of this rebellion having been effected, His Majesty resolved, as a measure of economy, to reduce this and two other regiments from the pay and quality of Horse to that of Dragoons. The establishment was accordingly changed on the 25th of December, 1746, and, the pay of the non-commissioned officers and private men being reduced by this alteration, every man received a gratuity of three pounds, with the option of his discharge; and the men who accepted their discharge received fourteen days' pay each, to defray the expense of their journey home. The regiment was now armed with long muskets and bayonets, also with swords and pistols, as before. A slight alteration was at the same time made in the uniform; – the officers were distinguished by gold lace and embroidery on their regimentals, and a crimson silk sash worn over the left shoulder; the quarter-masters by gold lace, and silk sashes round their waists; and the serjeants by narrow lace on the lappels, sleeves, and pockets, and a worsted sash round the waist. When this change had taken place His Majesty conferred on the regiment the title of Third Dragoon Guards, by a warrant dated the 9th of January, 1747, of which the following is a copy: —

1747

'GEORGE R.

'Whereas We have thought fit to order Our Own Regiment of Horse, commanded by Our trusty and well-beloved General Sir Philip Honeywood; The Queen's Royal Regiment of Horse, commanded by our right trusty and right entirely beloved Cousin and Counsellor, Lieutenant-General John Duke of Montague; and Our Regiment of Horse, commanded by Our right trusty and well-beloved Counsellor, Field-Marshal George Wade, to be respectively formed into regiments of Dragoons, and their establishment and pay, as Dragoons, to commence the 25th of December, 1746: And,

'Whereas it is become necessary, by the said Regiments being formed into Dragoons, that their former titles as Regiments of Horse should be altered; We are hereby graciously pleased to declare Our Royal Will and Pleasure, that Our Regiment of Dragoons, now under the command of General Sir Philip Honeywood, shall bear the title of Our First Regiment of Dragoon Guards; Our Regiment of Dragoons, now commanded by the Duke of Montague, the title of Our Second Regiment of Dragoon Guards; and Our Regiment of Dragoons, now commanded by Field-Marshal Wade, the title of Our Third Regiment of Dragoon Guards, and have rank and precedency of all other regiments of Dragoons in our service. Nevertheless,

'Our further Will and Pleasure is, that the said three Regiments of Dragoon Guards shall roll and do duty in Our army, or upon detachments, with Our other forces, as Dragoons, in the same manner as if the word Guards was not inserted in their respective titles.

'Whereof the Colonels above mentioned, and the Colonels of Our said Regiments for the time being, and all others whom it may or shall concern, are to take notice and govern themselves accordingly.

'Given at our Court at St. James's, this 9th day of January, 1746-7, in the twentieth year of our reign.

'By His Majesty's Command,'H. FOX.'

The establishment of the regiment, with the rates of pay of each rank, is given in the following table, copied from the War-Office records.

1748

The regiment, having thus been constituted the Third Dragoon Guards, was disposed in quarters at Leicester and Coventry, where it passed that and the following summer, and in the autumn of 1748 marched to Durham and Newcastle.

After the decease of Field-Marshal Wade, in February, 1748, the Colonelcy was conferred on the Honourable Charles Howard.

17491750

In the succeeding year the regiment was stationed at York and Barnard Castle; and in 1750 at Loughborough, Norwich, and North Yarmouth.

175217531754

In the spring of 1752 the Third Dragoon Guards furnished a relay of escorts to attend the King to Harwich, where His Majesty embarked for the continent, on a visit to his German dominions. During the remainder of that year, and in the two succeeding years, detachments of the regiment were employed on coast duty in Suffolk, Essex, and Devonshire. Owing to an increase of duty on several articles of foreign produce, smuggling had become prevalent to a great extent in England, and it was found necessary to have parties of dragoons constantly stationed in the maritime towns and villages to assist the officers of the revenue in preventing the introduction of contraband goods. At the same time a laxity of morals prevailed amongst the labouring classes; and, in the absence of an efficient police in the kingdom, parties of dragoons were employed to patrole the public roads for the prevention of highway robberies, which had become alarmingly frequent, and were often attended with acts of cruelty and even murder. From the ephemeral publications of the day it appears that organized gangs of robbers infested many parts of the kingdom at this period.

1755

In 1755 signs of an approaching war began to appear. The French committed several acts of violence against British settlements in America; retaliation was made by the English troops, and the French were driven from the possessions they had seized. The British Court was disposed to an amicable arrangement of the existing differences; but such difficulties were raised by France, that his Majesty deemed it prudent to augment the strength of the regular army, and an addition of 1 corporal and 15 men was made to the strength of each troop of the Third Dragoon Guards: and subsequently a LIGHT TROOP, consisting of 3 officers, 1 quarter-master, 2 serjeants, 3 corporals, 2 drummers, and 60 private men, was added to the establishment.42 The general utility of light dragoons had been manifest in continental warfare; a regiment of light horse raised by the Duke of Kingston in 1744 had been highly instrumental in the suppression of the rebellion in Scotland; and from the autumn of 1755 light cavalry have constituted a portion of the British land forces.

1756

The aggressions of France in America were followed by a declaration of war; when the King of France made preparations for a descent upon England, which produced considerable alarm in the kingdom; but the designs of the enemy were frustrated by the warlike preparations of the British Government. In this year (1756) the establishment of the Third Dragoon Guards was 24 officers, 7 quarter-masters, and 427 non-commissioned officers and private men.

During the summer a detachment of the regiment was stationed at Kensington to assist the Life Guards in the performance of the travelling escort-duty for the royal family.

1757

In July, 1757, the regiment was encamped, with several other corps, on Salisbury Plain, under the command of Lieut. – General Hawley; and a brigade was there formed of the LIGHT TROOPS of several regiments, for instruction in the evolutions, and in services peculiar to light cavalry. In autumn the regiment marched to quarters at Colchester, Malden, and Witham.

1758

The augmentation made in the naval and military establishments of the kingdom enabled the British Government to act offensively, and in the spring of 1758 the LIGHT TROOP of the Third Dragoon Guards was called upon to hold itself in readiness for actual warfare. In April it was ordered to encamp near Petersfield, where a brigade was formed of the light troops of nine regiments, under the command of Colonel Eliott, of the Horse Grenadier Guards. Towards the end of May the brigade embarked on board transports, – forming part of an expedition under Charles Duke of Marlborough, designed for a descent on the coast of France. On the 5th of June the Fleet arrived in Cancalle Bay, on the coast of Brittany, and, having silenced a battery on the shore, part of the troops were immediately landed; when a battalion of French infantry and two troops of cavalry, posted on the heights near that place, retired without making opposition. On the following day the brigade of light cavalry and the artillery were landed; and on the 7th the whole (excepting three battalions of infantry left to cover the coast) marched to the vicinity of St. Maloes, and during the night the light cavalry, with detachments from the infantry, set fire to the shipping and naval stores at St. Servan, destroyed a fleet of privateers, with a man-of-war of fifty guns, and another of thirty-six, and afterwards retired. The capture of St. Maloes had been designed; but the expedition was not provided with troops and heavy ordnance sufficient for so great an undertaking; consequently that design was laid aside, and on the 11th of June the light cavalry were re-embarked. A second descent being rendered impracticable by severe weather, the fleet returned to England, and the light cavalry landed and encamped near Portsmouth and subsequently on Southsea Common.

A second visit to the coast of France was however determined on; and after several experiments had been made with flat-bottomed boats to ascertain the practicability of landing troops in rough weather, the LIGHT TROOP of the Third Dragoon Guards was again embarked, and the expedition sailed on the 1st of August, under the command of Lieut. – General Bligh. After seven days the fleet anchored near Cherbourg; the troops landed, – the town surrendered, – the fortifications and works of the place with the shipping in the harbour were destroyed, and the brass ordnance were brought away as trophies of their success. A second descent was afterwards made on the coast of Brittany; but no advantage resulted from this enterprise; and when the troops re-embarked, the rear-guard was attacked by a considerable body of the enemy, and about 1000 men, with many officers of distinction, were killed, drowned, or taken prisoners.

In the mean time His Majesty's German dominions had been the scene of conflict and disaster; and a body of Hanoverian, Hessian, and Brunswick troops, commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, had been subject to a capitulation, by which it was agreed that the Hessian and Brunswick forces should return to their homes, and the Hanoverians remain in a district assigned to them: at the same time the Electorate of Hanover was taken possession of by the enemy. The conditions of this capitulation were, however, violated by the French; the Hanoverians resumed their arms, and, with the Hessian and Brunswick troops, amounting to 30,000 men, all in British pay, re-assembled under the command of Prince Ferdinand Duke of Brunswick, and had the advantage in several actions with the enemy. In July a British force was ordered to proceed to Germany, under the command of Charles, Duke of Marlborough, and the Third Dragoon Guards were ordered for this service.

Previous to embarking they were encamped on Blackheath, on a fine lawn in front of the residence of Sir George Page, where they were reviewed by His Majesty in presence of a vast concourse of spectators, and their fine appearance was universally admired; at the same time the most sanguine expectations were entertained of the future achievements of this distinguished corps on the field of battle.

On the 27th of July the regiment embarked at Gravesend, and arrived at Embden, in Germany, on the 1st of August. On the 3rd of that month the troops landed a few miles above the town, where they encamped until the morning of the 5th, when they commenced their march up the country, and joined the army commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick on the 17th. On the 20th the Third Dragoon Guards were reviewed, with several other corps, by his Serene Highness, who expressed his admiration of their condition after the march. They were not, however, engaged in any affair of importance during the remainder of the campaign; and they passed the winter in quarters in the bishopric of Osnaburg.

1759

The allies commenced operations early in the spring of 1759, and, having gained considerable advantage over the enemy in the country of Hesse, afterwards attacked (13th of April) the French army commanded by the Duke of Broglio in its position at Bergen. In this action the Third Dragoon Guards supported the attack of the infantry, and were subsequently brought forward to menace the enemy's front; but it was found impracticable to force the position, and during the following night the allies retired, nor were they enabled to make a stand against the superior numbers of the enemy for some time afterwards.

During this campaign the regiment was formed in brigade with the Scots Greys and Tenth Dragoons: and on the 17th of July it was encamped on Petershagen Heath, a few miles from Minden, and near the strong position occupied by the French army under the Duke de Broglio and Marshal Contades.

On the 29th of July the allies advanced and took post at Hillé, and the Third Dragoon Guards were encamped on the extreme right of the cavalry. Prince Ferdinand having, by several manœuvres, succeeded in drawing the French army from its strong post in front of Minden, a general engagement was fought on the 1st of August, when the valour of the British infantry decided the fortune of the day, and the enemy, after a sharp contest, sustained a decisive defeat, with the loss of forty-three pieces of cannon, ten pair of colours, and seven standards. At the commencement of the action the Third Dragoon Guards were posted, with several other corps, under Lord George Sackville,43 behind a thick wood on the right of the army, and, although these troops were not brought forward in time to share in the conflict and glories of the day, yet they afterwards highly distinguished themselves in the pursuit of the enemy a distance of about two hundred miles, in which great difficulties were overcome, and several French corps were nearly annihilated.

The Third Dragoon Guards took part in the several manœuvres and skirmishes of this campaign, which were continued throughout the year. In November the regiment was posted on the banks of the river Lahn, and it subsequently occupied cantonments near Osnaburg.