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

He died on the 19th of March, 1804; and his funeral was honoured with the presence of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York, Clarence, Kent, and Cambridge, and of many noblemen and General Officers.

Richard Vyse,Appointed 2nd April, 1804

General Vyse entered the army, on the 13th of February, 1762, as Cornet of the Fifth Royal Irish Dragoons; obtained the rank of Lieutenant in 1766; and, having become particularly proficient in the duties of his profession, was appointed Adjutant of the regiment in March of the following year. Having purchased a Captaincy in 1771, he procured the commission of Major in the Eighteenth Light Dragoons in 1777; and, in 1784, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the King's Dragoon Guards, which corps he brought into a high state of discipline and efficiency; and was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the army in 1791. On the breaking out of the war with France, in 1793, he proceeded with his regiment on foreign service; and, in the following year, commanded a brigade of heavy cavalry under his Royal Highness the Duke of York, and distinguished himself on several occasions – particularly at the battle of Cateau, on the 26th of April, 1794, where, after the fall of Major-General Mansel, he commanded two brigades throughout the remainder of the day, and materially contributed to the victory gained on that occasion. In October of the same year he was promoted to the rank of Major-General; in 1797 his Majesty gave him the Colonelcy of the Twenty-ninth Dragoons; and, in 1801, promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant-General.

After the decease of Sir William Fawcett, the King conferred the Colonelcy of the Prince of Wales' Dragoon Guards on Lieutenant-General Vyse, who was advanced to the rank of General on the 1st of January, 1812; and died in 1825.

Sir William Payne, Bart.,Appointed 2nd June, 1825

Sir William Payne first entered the army, as Cornet in the Royal Dragoons, on the 25th of January, 1776; and, having served in the subordinate commissions, was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment in 1794. He served in the Netherlands under his Royal Highness the Duke of York, and was present at the principal actions during the campaign of 1794. In 1796 he was removed from the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons to the Third Dragoon Guards; in 1798 he was promoted to the rank of Colonel in the army; and, in 1805, he was removed to the Tenth Light Dragoons. He was promoted to the rank of Major-General in the same year, and served four years on the Staff in Ireland. In November, 1807, he obtained the Colonelcy of the Twenty-third Light Dragoons; and, in 1809, he proceeded to Portugal with the local rank of Lieutenant-General, and served the campaign of that year under Sir Arthur Wellesley. He took an active part in the operations by which the French were driven from Oporto; and commanded the British cavalry at the memorable battle of Talavera, fought on the 27th and 28th of July, 1809, for which he received a medal. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General on the 4th of June, 1811; was removed from the Twenty-third to the Nineteenth Light Dragoons in July, 1814, and to the Twelfth Lancers in January, 1815. He was further advanced to the rank of General on the 27th of May, 1825; and, in the following month, he obtained the Colonelcy of the Third Dragoon Guards. He subsequently took the name of Galway; and died in April, 1831.

Samuel Hawker, G.C.H.,Appointed 22nd April, 1831

1

In the 14th year of the reign of Edward IV. a small force was established in Ireland by Parliament, consisting of 120 Archers on horseback, 40 Horsemen, and 40 Pages.

2

Military Papers, State Paper Office.

3

This Regiment was disbanded after the Peace in 1674.

4

This appears to be the first introduction of bayonets into the English Army.

5

State Paper Office.

6

The first issue of carbines to the regular Horse appears to have taken place in 1678; the Life Guards, however, carried carbines from their formation in 1660. – Vide the 'Historical Record of the Life Guards.'

7

See a brief memoir of this nobleman in the succession of Colonels at page 113.

8

'JAMES, R.

'These are to authorize you to raise volunteers with able horses for one troop of Horse, which you are commissioned to raise and command for Our Service, consisting of threescore soldiers, three corporals, and two trumpeters, besides Commissioned Officers. And as you shall raise the said Volunteers and Non-commissioned Officers of Our said troop, you are to give notice thereof to our Commissary General when and where you shall have twenty soldiers ready, with their horses, together, besides officers; that he, or his deputy, may muster them accordingly, and from such muster those soldiers, with all the officers of the said troop, are to commence and be in our pay; and from thenceforth as you shall, from time to time, entertain any more soldiers with their horses fit for Our Service, and shall produce them to muster, they shall be respectively mustered thereupon, until you shall have threescore soldiers, besides officers; and when that number shall be fully, or nearly, completed, they are to be sent under the command of a Commissioned Officer to Worcester and Droytwich, (appointed for the quarters of Our said troop,) where they are also to be mustered, and soe remain until further orders. You are likewise to send a trusty person to Our Tower of London to receive arms for Our said troop.

'Wherein, all Magistrates, Justices of the Peace, and Constables, whom it may concern, are required to be assisting; and the Officers are to be careful that the soldiers behave themselves civilly, and duly pay their landlords.

'Given at Our Court at Whitehall, this 23rd day of June, 1685, in the first year of Our Reign.

'By His Majesty's Command,

'WILLIAM BLATHWAYTE.'

'To Our right trusty and right well-beloved Cousin and Councillor, Thomas Earl of Plymouth, &c.'

A similar warrant was issued for raising each of the other five troops. —War-Office Records.

9

The cuirass was not peculiar to this regiment, there being, in the autumn of 1685, ten regiments of Cuirassiers in the English army, besides the Life Guards, who were also Cuirassiers.

10

War-Office Records.

11

The Marquis de Miremont was a French nobleman, and cousin to Louis Earl of Feversham.

12

The three regiments were Colonel John Butler's Dragoons, Colonel Anthony Hamilton's Foot Guards, and Colonel Roger McElligot's Regiment of Foot – 1500 men. —War-Office Records.

13

Memoirs of General Mackay.

14

War-Office Records.

15

D'Auvergne's History of the Campaigns in Flanders, &c.

16

No record appears to have been preserved of the number killed and wounded of the Fourth Horse; but according to the London Gazette, No. 2895, the English cavalry lost 59 officers and 472 men.

17

D'Auvergne's History of the Campaigns in Flanders; Boyer's Life of King William III.; the London Gazette, &c.

18

The present Second and Sixth Dragoon Guards: – Galway's Horse was disbanded after the Peace of Ryswick in 1697.

19

'The Queen's Horse, now 1st Dragoon Guards; Carabiniers, now 6th Dragoon Guards; a squadron of Schomberg's Horse, now 7th Dragoon Guards; with Stewart's and Stanley's Foot.' —London Gazette and Millner's Journal.

20

'On the 31st of October the garrison marched out of the place, being upwards of 1500 men, besides nearly 300 that deserted before the capitulation. The troops of Liege came out first, and immediately quitted the French service, marching off in a body. Of the Swiss there deserted likewise above 400 as soon as they came out; so that this garrison will be very much lessened before they get to Antwerp, whither they are marching, being conducted by a squadron of Brigadier-General Wood's regiment.' —London Gazette, No. 3857.

21

'We generally began our march about three in the morning, proceeded about four leagues, or four and a half, each day, and reached our ground about nine. As we marched through the countries of our Allies, commissaries were appointed, to furnish us with all manner of necessaries for man and horse; these were brought to the ground before we arrived, and the soldiers had nothing to do but to pitch their tents, boil their kettles, and lie down to rest. Surely never was such a march carried on with more regularity, and with less fatigue both to man and horse.' —Parker's Memoirs.

22

'All the troops in general behaved with the greatest bravery, but none distinguished themselves more than Her Majesty of Great Britain's subjects, who in this engagement had the post of honour, which they sustained with the universal applause and approbation of all the Generals of the several nations who were eye-witnesses of their courage and resolution.' —London Gazette, No. 4033.

23

Annals of Queen Anne; Millner's Journal; Military History of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, &c. &c.

24

Parker's Memoirs.

25

'Here was a fine plain, without hedge or ditch, for the Cavalry on both sides to show their bravery; for there were but few Foot to interpose, these being mostly engaged at the villages.

'And now our squadrons charged in their turn, and thus for some hours they charged each other with various success, all sword in hand. At length the French courage began to abate, and our squadrons gained upon them.' —Parker's Memoirs.

26

'The bravery of all our troops on this occasion cannot be expressed; the Generals, as well as the officers and soldiers, behaving themselves with the greatest courage and resolution, the Horse and Dragoons having been obliged to charge four or five several times.' —The Duke of Marlborough's Despatch.

27

'Not only Fame, but likewise the Generals of my forces – the companions of your labours and victories – attributed the same chiefly to your counsels, and the valour and bravery of the English, and other forces who fought under your conduct.' —The Emperor of Germany's Letter to the Duke of Marlborough.

28

'The troops acquitted themselves with a bravery surpassing all that could have been hoped of them.' —Marlborough's Despatch.

29

War-Office Records.

30

'The headmost regiments of English Horse that pursued the enemy's centre were those of Major-General Wood, commanded by himself, and Wyndham's Carabiniers, headed by Major Pertry. When they came upon a rising ground they espied seven squadrons of the Spanish and Bavarian Guards, with whom the Elector of Bavaria and Marshal Villeroy hoped to make good their retreat and save their cannon, which was marching in a line before them. General Wood gallopped with his own regiment upon the enemy's left, and charged them so vigorously that he broke them all to pieces, killing many of them and taking not a few prisoners, amongst whom were two Lieut. – Colonels, one Major, four Captains, with several subalterns and men. He took also the Standard of the Elector's Guard, two of the Elector's own Trumpeters, and killed his Kettle-Drummer, the Elector himself and Marshal Villeroy narrowly escaping.' —Annals of Queen Anne.

31

'One of the Lieut. – Colonels, who was much wounded, remembering me last war, cried out to me to save his life, which I did. The other Lieut. – Colonel came to me and yielded himself prisoner also. Both these assured me the day after the battle, that the Elector himself and Marshal Villeroy were in the crowd, and not ten yards from me when they two called out to me for quarter, and that they narrowly escaped us; which, had I been so fortunate as to have known, I had strained Coriolanus (on whom I rid all the day of the battle) to have made them prisoners.' —Extract of a Letter from Lieut. – General Wood.

32

War-Office Records.

33

London Gazette.

34

Now the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Dragoon Guards.

35

Major-General Webb received the thanks of Parliament for his excellent defence of the convoy.

36

War Office Records.

37

War Office Records.

38

The Tenth Horse was raised in February, 1693, and disbanded after the peace of Utrecht.

39

War-Office Records, London Gazette, &c. &c.

40

Annals of George I., vol. iii., p. 179.

41

The following corps were encamped on Lexdon Heath: Horse – Pembroke's, Montague's, and Wade's (First, Second, and Third Dragoon Guards); Dragoons – Hawley's, Campbell's, Honeywood's, and Cadogan's (First, Second, Third and Sixth); with seven regiments of Foot, viz., Third, Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Twenty-first, Twenty-third, and Thirty-first.

42

War-Office Establishment Book.

43

List of cavalry corps of the right wing under Lord George Sackville, at the battle of Minden.

1st Brigade.– Blues, 1st Dragoon Guards, and Inniskilling Dragoons.

2nd Brigade.– 3rd Dragoon Guards, Scots Greys, and 10th Dragoons.

Hanoverian Regiments of Bremen and Veltheim. —History of the Campaign in Germany.

44

'Bland's squadrons and Howard's Regiment of Dragoons (First and Third Dragoon Guards) charged the enemy so furiously as to enable our infantry to make a safe retreat.' —London Gazette.

'The Hereditary Prince, as a last resource, put himself at the head of a squadron of Bland's and Howard's Regiment of Dragoons. By these the uncommon heroism of their young leader was perfectly seconded. They charged the enemy with the utmost fury, stopped the career of their victorious horse, and enabled the allied battalions to make an undisturbed retreat.' —Annual Register, 1760.

'Bland's squadrons and Howard's Regiment of Dragoons MADE A MOST FURIOUS CHARGE ON THE ENEMY.' —Operations of the Allied Army. London, 1764.

'One squadron of Bland's, commanded by Major Mill, and Howard's Regiment of Dragoons gained great honour.' —Ibid.

45

London Gazette.

46

'My Lord Granby, with the English cavalry, contributed materially to the success of the day.' —Prince Ferdinand's Despatch.

'I should do injustice to the general officers, and to every officer and private man of the cavalry, if I did not beg your Lordship would assure His Majesty that nothing could exceed their gallant behaviour on that occasion.' —The Marquis of Granby's Despatch.

'The English cavalry outdid his (Prince Ferdinand's) expectation, and indeed all former examples. They came up five miles on a full trot (the Germans call it a gallop) without being blown, without the least confusion or disorder, and attacked the enemy's cavalry and infantry several times.' —Annual Register, 1760.

47

London Gazette.

48

It appears from the Official Returns that no less than 1666 women were with the British army in Germany.

49

Records in the Adjutant-General's Office.

50

Heights above Cateau, 26th April, 1794.

'Sir,

'It is from the field of battle that I have the satisfaction to acquaint you, for His Majesty's information, with the glorious success which the army under my command has had this day.

'At day-break this morning the enemy attacked me on all sides. After a short but severe conflict, we succeeded in repulsing them with considerable slaughter.

'The enemy's General Chapuy is taken prisoner, and we are masters of thirty-five pieces of the enemy's cannon. The behaviour of the British Cavalry has been beyond all praise. It is impossible for me, as yet, to give a full account of the loss sustained by His Majesty's troops: I have reason to believe that it is not considerable. The only officers of whom I have any information as yet, and who I believe are all that have fallen upon this occasion, are Major-General Mansell, Captain Pigot, and Lieutenant Fellowes, of the Third Dragoon Guards.' —Extract from the Duke of York's Despatch.

51

Annual Register.

52

'Every horror that could make war hideous attended this dreadful march! Distress, conflagration, death, in all modes! from wounds, from fatigue, from water, from the flames, from starvation. On every side unlimited violence – unlimited vengeance.' —Napier.

53

Colonel Napier.

54

Major-General Lumley's Despatch.

55

'Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 10th December, 1822.

'Sir,

'I have the honor to announce to you the happy termination of the disturbances amongst the keelmen of this river, and at the same time to express the gratitude of the civil authorities for the promptitude with which Colonel Holmes of the Third Dragoon Guards has afforded them support on all occasions, and their entire approbation of the conduct of the troops under his command.

'I have, &c. 'Robert Bell, Mayor.

'To Major-General Sir John Byng, K.C.B.'

56

Vide the Historical Record of the Sixth Dragoon Guards.