HISTORICAL RECORD

OF THE

FIFTH,

OR

PRINCESS CHARLOTTE OF WALES'S REGIMENT

OF

DRAGOON GUARDS.

In the early periods of the history of this country a standing army was unknown; but as the kingdom increased in arts, sciences, and manufactures, and as national institutions, established upon sound principles, assumed an important character, a regularly organized military force was found necessary to protect the interests of society, and to guard colonial possessions; and when the other nations of Europe have from time to time augmented their standing armies, it has been found necessary to make similar additions to the regular force of Great Britain. After the Restoration in 1660, the army of the Commonwealth was disbanded, and a body of household troops, with a few garrison companies, were considered sufficient; but the acquisition of additional possessions, the ambitious designs of foreign potentates, and internal commotions in the kingdom, have occasioned numerous additions to be made to the regular army. It was one of the last mentioned causes, which, in the year 1685, gave rise to the formation of the corps which is the subject of this memoir, and which now bears the title of the Fifth, or Princess Charlotte of Wales's Regiment of Dragoon Guards.

A difference in religious views and opinions has often occasioned long and sanguinary wars; and the accession of a Roman Catholic Prince (James II.) to the throne of Great Britain, was an event so little congenial to the feelings of a Protestant people, that James Duke of Monmouth (natural son of King Charles II.) was induced, by the persuasions of men who were disaffected to the existing government, to make a daring attempt to dethrone his uncle, and to gain the sovereignty of the kingdom.

This event occurring at a time when the first feelings of alarm at the appearance of a Papist on the throne had subsided, and before the King had made any serious attack on the constitution or established religion, the people were not prepared to throw off their allegiance to their sovereign; consequently, while a few thousands of disaffected persons joined the standard of rebellion, much greater numbers arrayed themselves under the banners of royalty. Many noblemen and gentlemen exerted themselves in raising forces for the King; and it is stated in the public records, that a number of the respectable yeomen and others who volunteered their services in the royal cause, were incorporated into a troop of horse by Charles Earl of Shrewsbury, at Litchfield; another troop of horse was raised by Francis Lord Brudenel, at Kingston upon Thames; a third by Sir Thomas Grosvenor, at Chester; a fourth by Roger Pope, Esq., in the vicinity of Bridgnorth; a fifth by Mr. Francis Spalding, at Bristol; and a sixth by the Honourable John D'Arcy, (guidon of the second troop, now second regiment of Life Guards,) in London. These formed part of an extensive body of troops raised in a few weeks; but the rebellion was suppressed by the old corps which the King had in his service, without the aid of the new levies. His Majesty, however, looking forward to the commotions which would probably follow the execution of the attacks he was urged by his jesuitical councillors to make on the established religion and laws, resolved to retain a considerable portion of the newly-raised forces in his service; and these six troops of horse were, on the 29th of July, 1685, constituted a regiment of Cuirassiers, of which the Earl of Shrewsbury was appointed Colonel, the Honourable John D'Arcy Lieutenant-Colonel, and John Skelton, Esq., Major. This regiment ranked at that period as Seventh Horse; and is now the Fifth Dragoon Guards.

The uniform and equipment of this corps, like that of the other regiments of horse, were hats, long scarlet coats, jacked-leather boots, cuirasses, iron head pieces, swords, pair of pistols, and short carbines. Each corps had a distinguishing colour, then called its regimental livery, and now styled its facing, and the distinguishing colour of Shrewsbury's Cuirassiers was buff; the men had their coats lined with buff shalloon, and their waistcoats, breeches, ribands in their hats, and horse furniture, were of the same colour.

Soon after its formation the regiment marched into quarters near Hounslow, and experienced officers were appointed to teach the men the established military exercises; they formed two squadrons, three troops in a squadron; but each troop had a standard of buff-silk damask; and these loyal cavaliers, being mounted on strong horses, had not only a warlike appearance, but they were well calculated for a charge in line where weight and physical power were necessary. The Cuirassiers had succeeded the ancient Lancers (or Launces), formerly the highest class of military force in Europe, and celebrated for valour, prowess, and feats of chivalry. The Lancers were armed cap à pié, but the lance having, to a great extent, been laid aside before the middle of the seventeenth century, helmets, and armour on the limbs, were also discontinued soon afterwards. The regiments of Horse, having succeeded the ancient Lancers, were held in high estimation; and in the succeeding reigns they acquired great celebrity.

After having been twice reviewed by King James II. on Hounslow Heath, the regiment marched into quarters in Warwickshire, where it passed several months.

The King, having acquired some practical knowledge of military service in the civil war in France, and in the Netherlands, under Marshals Turenne and the Prince of Condé, established several useful regulations for the preservation of order and discipline in his army; two experienced officers, Sir John Lanier and Sir John Fenwick, were appointed Inspecting Generals of Cavalry; and the first half-yearly inspection of this regiment was made by Brigadier-General Sir John Fenwick, of the Life Guards, in its quarters in Warwickshire.

While in these quarters, its establishment was fixed, by a royal warrant dated the 1st of January, 1686, at the following numbers:—

The following officers were at this period holding commissions in the regiment:—

The Earl of Shrewsbury's Cuirassiers were withdrawn from their country quarters in the summer of this year, and were encamped with other forces on Hounslow Heath; where they were practised in military evolutions, under the direction of Lieutenant-Generals the Earls of Craven, Feversham, and Dumbarton; and were several times reviewed by King James II.: in August they struck their tents and marched to Buckingham and Wendover.

The King, being surrounded by Roman Catholic priests, soon gave indication of his designs against the reformed religion; the Earl of Shrewsbury, who was a stanch Protestant, resigned his commission, and afterwards proceeded to Holland and joined the Prince of Orange, to whom the nation began to look for deliverance from popish tyranny. His Majesty appointed, in January, 1687, Marmaduke Lord Langdale, to the Colonelcy of the regiment, who was succeeded in the following month by the Honourable Richard Hamilton, a Roman Catholic officer, from the Colonelcy of a regiment of dragoons in Ireland.

From this period until that great national event, the Revolution in 1688, few circumstances occurred, in which Hamilton's regiment was particularly concerned, worthy of being recorded in this memoir. It was encamped on Hounslow Heath in the summer of 1687, and also in that of 1688; and its Colonel being a Papist, the attempt made by the King to introduce officers and soldiers of that religion into the army, would, doubtless, meet with no obstruction in this corps. The majority of the officers and men were, however, firmly attached to the Protestant cause.

The King had raised and equipped a fine army for the purpose of making it subservient to his insidious designs; but the troops proved faithful to the interests of their country and religion, and an association of officers was secretly formed at the camp on Hounslow Heath, in favour of the Prince of Orange, who was preparing an army to invade England and to rescue the kingdom from the power of the Papists.

Information having been received of the designs of the Prince of Orange, Hamilton's Cuirassiers were ordered to Ipswich, where the Earl of Arran's regiment (now Fourth Dragoon Guards), and the Queen's (now Third) Dragoons, commanded by Colonel Alexander Cannon, were assembled under the orders of Major-General Sir John Lanier, to preserve Landguard Fort, and to prevent the Prince landing there; and two regiments of horse and one of dragoons were stationed at Colchester to support this force, if necessary. Sir John Lanier is stated by King James, in his memoirs, to have been one of the associated officers, and to have resolved to seize on the Earl of Arran, and Colonels Hamilton and Cannon, and to have joined the Prince with the three regiments; but this arrangement, in which King James states, in his memoirs, most of the officers had agreed to co-operate, was rendered void by his Highness landing at Torbay.

Hamilton's Cuirassiers were afterwards ordered to march to the metropolis, and from thence to Salisbury; but a general defection appearing in the army, the King fled to France; the Prince of Orange ordered the regiment to march to Fenny Stratford, and its Colonel, the Honourable Richard Hamilton, was confined in the Tower of London, for holding a commission for which he was disqualified by law, he being a Papist.

On the 31st of December, 1688, the Prince of Orange conferred the Colonelcy of the regiment on the Lieutenant-Colonel, John Coy; and during the eight succeeding years it bore the title of Coy's Horse, or Cuirassiers.

All the Papists having been dismissed, the regiment received a draft of one hundred men and horses from the Marquis of Miremont's regiment of horse,—a corps which had been recently raised, and was now disbanded.

These events were followed by the accession of William and Mary, the Prince and Princess of Orange, to the throne; and the first duty in which the regiment was called upon to engage under the new dynasty, was the patrolling of the public roads to prevent highway robberies, which, owing to the commotions recently experienced in society, had become very frequent. It also furnished a detachment to protect the King's herd of deer in the Forest of Dean against the depredations of organized bands of deer-stealers.

From these duties Coy's Horse were soon relieved to engage in military operations in Ireland, which country had become the theatre of intestine war. The Papists were in arms in favour of King James, who had arrived in Ireland with a body of troops from France; and, following that system of cruelty which has invariably been practised when religion has been the subject of contention, the hapless Protestants, being the weaker party, had been made to feel the full weight of Catholic vengeance. Many of the Protestants, particularly in Inniskilling and Londonderry, had taken arms. King William sent a body of troops under Duke Schomberg to their aid, and Coy's Horse embarked at Highlake, in Cheshire, in the middle of August, 1689, for the same service.

After landing at Belfast, the regiment was employed in covering the siege of Carrickfergus, and had its post in the lines before the town. This place having surrendered on the 28th of August, a detachment of the regiment, commanded by Captain Sir William Russel, escorted the garrison, consisting of two regiments of foot, "all stout fellows, but ill clothed," the first stage from the town; and such cruelties had been practised by the Papists, that, according to Story, who was an eye-witness, the troopers experienced some difficulty in preserving the Catholic soldiers from being torn to pieces by the country people, who were stimulated to revenge by the remembrance of past injuries.

The regiment afterwards advanced with the army towards Newry, where a party of the enemy was assembled, who, on the approach of the English, set fire to the town, and retreated over the mountains to Dundalk. The English passed the mountains on the following day, when the enemy quitted Dundalk and retired to Atherdee, where the main body of King James's army was assembled.

Marshal Duke Schomberg, finding Dundalk to be a strong situation, with a convenient harbour for obtaining supplies from England, and knowing that the enemy's army was more than double his own in numbers, formed an intrenched camp, where he resolved to continue during the remainder of the campaign; but the ground where the troops were encamped being low, and the weather proving wet, this injudicious choice of situation proved so fatal to his army, that the infantry corps lost half their men from disease. Coy's Horse remained at Dundalk upwards of a month, and afterwards proceeded to Carlingford for the convenience of forage. During the winter, detached parties had frequent encounters with the bands of armed Papists who prowled the country, committing every description of outrage; and an out-guard of the regiment, posted in the pass of Newry, was sharply engaged with a party of the enemy, who attempted to force the pass, but were repulsed with loss, the gallant English Cuirassiers proving more than a match for their antagonists.

In June, 1690, King William arrived in Ireland to command the army in person, and the regiment was now called upon to serve under the eye of its sovereign. This circumstance is said to have given rise to a laudable feeling of emulation in all ranks of the army, and the troopers longed for an opportunity to distinguish themselves in presence of their King. The desired opportunity soon occurred; the King, advancing up to the banks of the Boyne, found the enemy in position on the opposite side of the river, and the troops prepared for battle. This regiment was with His Majesty on the evening preceding the battle, while reconnoitring the enemy's position, and was exposed to a cannonade, on which occasion the King was wounded in the shoulder, and the regiment had three men and nine horses killed.

Early on the 1st of July, as the rays of morning-light shed their lustre on the camp, the English and Dutch troops appeared in motion, every man displaying a green branch in his hat; and soon the columns were seen advancing towards the Boyne, their glittering arms, waving plumes, and floating banners, exhibiting all the pomp of war: the French and Irish stood to their arms and prepared to defend their post. Coy's Horse, forming part of the cavalry of the right wing, were in the column which forded the river near Slane Bridge; some opposition was made by a regiment of Irish dragoons, which was attacked, and its commanding officer and about 70 men killed. After passing the river, the troops advanced through large corn-fields, crossed several deep ditches, and overcoming every obstacle with an ardour which bespoke the valour and confidence which glowed in every breast, the enemy's left wing was dismayed and retreated towards Duleck. Coy's Horse were amongst the squadrons which galloped forward in pursuit, and charging the Irish foot, cut them down with a great slaughter. While these events were transpiring on the right, King William passed the river with the main body of his forces: the enemy was overpowered at every point, and His Majesty stood triumphant on the field of battle. King James fled to Dublin, and afterwards to France, and was followed by the French troops; but the Irish Papists resolved to maintain his cause to the last extremity.

Coy's Horse advanced with King William to Dublin, and were afterwards with the army before Limerick, during the unsuccessful siege of that place, when His Majesty returned to England, the regiment went into quarters near Cork.

In the depth of the winter an incursion into the enemy's cantonments was resolved upon; and the regiment having joined the forces selected for that service, advanced, on the 31st of December, into the county of Kerry. On arriving near Brewsterfield, the van-guard, consisting of a troop of this regiment and one of Eppinger's Dragoons, encountered a party of 160 of the enemy's cavalry. Coy's Horse and the dragoons instantly drew their swords, and advanced to charge their opponents, who fled in a panic. Continuing its route, the detachment took a number of prisoners, also drove seven troops of Irish horse and twenty-one of dragoons from Tralee, and afterwards returned to its quarters.

When the army took the field in the summer of 1691, Coy's Horse were left in dispersed quarters in the county of Cork to overawe the disaffected, and to check the depredations of the bands of Papists, whose proceedings were very injurious to the Protestants; the regiment was, consequently, not at the battle of Aghrim, but it afterwards joined the army near Limerick, and was employed in the siege of that place.

On the 16th of September, a squadron of the regiment, with a strong party of dragoons and infantry, crossed the Shannon by a pontoon bridge before break of day, surprised and defeated a body of the enemy, and captured a standard; also surprised the troops in the camp near the town, and forced them to make a precipitate flight to the mountains. On the 24th of the same month, a cessation of hostilities took place, which ended in a treaty, and the authority of King James was extinguished in Ireland.

The regiment, having thus performed its part in reducing Ireland to submission to the authority of King William, embarked at Belfast in the beginning of 1692, and after its arrival in England it was quartered at Huntingdon, Chester, and St. Ives; from whence it proceeded to the vicinity of London, and, for a short time, assisted the Life Guards in performing the escort duty for the royal family. It was, however, allowed but a short period of home service before it was called upon to take the field against a foreign enemy.

King William was engaged in a war to restrain the ambitious designs of Louis XIV. of France, who sought to become the dictator of Europe and the destroyer of the reformed religion. After the severe loss sustained by the confederates at the battle of Landen, in 1693, the British monarch gave orders for Colonel Coy to proceed with his regiment of horse to the Netherlands, and to join the army in that country.

On its arrival in Flanders, the regiment was placed in quarters at Ghent; from whence it marched to Tirlemont, and, joining the army commanded by King William in person, took part in the operations of the long and toilsome campaign of 1694, but was not engaged in any action of importance.

In the following year the regiment formed part of the covering army during the siege of the strong and important fortress of Namur, which was superintended by King William in person. Two magnificent armies confronted each other, and manœuvred, the one to prevent, and the other to ensure, the capture of this strong fortress; and it was eventually taken by the forces commanded by His Britannic Majesty. About a month after the surrender of the castle of Namur, the regiment marched into quarters at Ghent.

King William reviewed the regiment near Ghent, in May, 1696, and expressed his approbation of its appearance. During this summer it formed part of the army of Flanders, under the orders of the veteran Prince of Vaudemont, and was encamped for several months on the canal between Ghent and Bruges, and its services were limited to defensive measures for the preservation of these two places, and the maritime towns of Flanders from the attacks of the enemy. On the 4th of October, the regiment returned to its former station at Ghent.

From Ghent the regiment marched in May, 1697, to join the army of Brabant, and was encamped a short time at St. Quintin Linneck. The French besieged the town of Aeth; and a body of troops was sent out, under Brigadier-General Lumley, to make a reconnoissance towards Enghien, with the view of attacking the French army and raising the siege. A detachment of Coy's Horse, commanded by Sir William Russel, formed the advance-guard on this occasion; and when on the march, he encountered a party of French hussars, carabiniers, and dragoons. Upon notice of the approach of the enemy, the main body of the British force concealed itself in the wood, and formed an ambush; and the advance-guard retiring, the French advanced boldly forward, and were nearly every man killed or taken prisoner.

The design of relieving Aeth was afterwards laid aside; King William retired, and subsequently took up a position before Brussels.

Colonel John Coy having obtained His Majesty's permission to dispose of the Colonelcy of the regiment to Charles Earl of Arran,[7] brother of the Duke of Ormond, his lordship was appointed to the regiment on the 1st of July, 1697; and during the succeeding five years it was styled Arran's Horse.

King William, after waging war for the good of Europe a period of nine years, had the satisfaction of seeing his endeavours succeeded by a treaty of peace, which was signed at Ryswick in September of this year.

Shortly after this event, Arran's Horse were ordered to return to England, where they arrived in January, 1698, and were quartered at Coventry, Daventry, and Towcester.

The army in England having been reduced by the House of Commons to the low establishment of seven thousand men, King William was under the necessity of disbanding several corps, and of sending others to Ireland. This regiment was one of the corps selected to proceed to Ireland, where it arrived in the summer of 1700, and its numbers were reduced to thirty-six private men per troop.

The repose granted to Europe by the treaty of Ryswick was, however, of short duration. Louis XIV. of France, procured the accession of his grandson, the Duke of Anjou, to the throne of Spain; this virtual union of two powerful states, rekindled the flame of war; and the Earl of Arran's regiment was one of the cavalry corps ordered to be augmented to fifty-seven private men per troop, and held in readiness to proceed on foreign service; but so great was the difficulty experienced in raising an army of sufficient numbers to meet the exigence of the nation on this sudden emergency, that only three troops of the regiment could, in the first instance, be spared from Ireland.

These three troops landed at Highlake, in Cheshire, in the beginning of March, 1702, and marching to London, embarked in transports on the river Thames in the beginning of April, and sailed for Holland.

The decease of King William, who might justly be styled the protector of the reformed religion, and the accession of Queen Anne, produced no alteration in the foreign policy of the British court. The war was prosecuted with vigour, and the three troops of Arran's Horse, forming one squadron, were attached to Brigadier-General Wood's regiment (now Third Dragoon Guards), and served the campaign of this year under the Earl of Marlborough. The British horse, had, however no opportunity of signalizing themselves in action this year; their services being limited to out-post duty, and covering the sieges of Venloo, Ruremonde, Stevenswaert, and the famous city of Liege, which fortresses were captured by the British commander.

The Earl of Arran having been promoted to the Colonelcy of the third troop of Life Guards, Queen Anne conferred the command of the regiment on Brigadier-General Cadogan (afterwards Earl Cadogan), from the Sixth, or Inniskilling Dragoons, by commission, dated the 2d of March, 1703.

The three troops of the regiment on foreign service, now bearing the title of Cadogan's Horse, continued to serve throughout the campaign of this year with Brigadier-General Wood's regiment. In a slight skirmish near Haneff, in the beginning of June, a small detachment evinced the martial spirit and valour of British troopers; and in the various movements of the army before the enemy, the national character was fully sustained. The French commanders avoided an engagement, and after covering the sieges of Huy and Limburg, Cadogan's Horse went into quarters for the winter in Holland.

In the beginning of the following year the other three troops of the regiment were withdrawn from Ireland, and after occupying quarters a short time at Northampton, embarked (4th April, 1704) for Holland.

The six troops were thus united in time for the whole regiment to take part in the glorious exploits of the campaign of 1704, in which that noble ardour and chivalric spirit which has raised Britain to its present exalted station among the nations of Europe, were displayed by the army under the Duke of Marlborough in a signal manner. Confidence in the commander has always given additional life and vigour to innate valour, and the troops having already proved the military virtues of their leader, the great Marlborough was enabled to march his forces from the ocean to the Danube, and to gain new honours in the heart of Germany.

This enterprise was undertaken in consequence of the armies of France and Bavaria having united against the Emperor of Germany, and the British general advanced to the aid of the house of Austria, which was thus menaced by a force which it was unable to withstand. Quitting the territory of the Dutch republic the army crossed the Rhine, and traversed the various states of Germany with a degree of order and regularity which bespoke a high state of discipline, united with excellent arrangements, while the nations of Europe gazed with astonishment at the undertaking.

Having arrived at the theatre of war and joined the Imperial army, the first action of importance was the attack of a body of French and Bavarians commanded by the Count d'Arco, at their entrenched camp on the lofty heights of Schellenberg, on the 2d of July. On this occasion the cavalry supported the attacks of the infantry, and when the enemy was forced from the entrenchments, the brilliant charge of the English horse, and Royal Scots Dragoons (the Greys) completed the overthrow; the hostile army lost its colours, cannon, and baggage, and numbers of French and Bavarians fell beneath the conquering sabres of the British horsemen, who chased their adversaries to the banks of the Danube, and captured many prisoners. Cadogan's Horse were commanded on this occasion by Lieutenant-Colonel George Kellum, and had Major Napier,[8] Lieutenant Tettefall, and several private men wounded; and sustained a serious loss in troop horses, from having been exposed to a heavy cannonade: their Colonel, Brigadier-General Cadogan, was also wounded.

This action was the precursor of a greater overthrow to the forces of the enemy, who made efforts to retrieve his affairs; new armies and new generals appeared; but these only served to augment the splendour of victory, and to enhance the value of the conquerors in the estimation of the world. The action was fought in the valley of the Danube, near the village of Blenheim, on the 13th of August, and the English horsemen, who during the two preceding campaigns had panted for an opportunity to signalize themselves, had a fair field in which to display their valour and prowess, and they gave undeniable proofs of their good qualities. The Gallo-Bavarian army was destroyed; its commander, Marshal Tallard, and many entire battalions and squadrons were made prisoners of war; and the field of battle was literally covered with trophies.

The victory was most complete and decisive, and it was not gained over new levies; but over an army of veterans fully instructed in the art of war,—select troops flushed with former successes, and commanded by generals of great bravery and experience.[9] This regiment had only one officer (Lieutenant Groubere) killed; its loss in non-commissioned officers and private men has not been recorded.

The regiment took part in the subsequent operations of the main army; and after covering the siege of Laudan, it marched back to Holland for winter quarters.

In the following summer the regiment marched with the army through the Duchy of Juliers, and crossed the Moselle and the Saar, in order to carry on the war in Alsace; but the Duke of Marlborough, being disappointed of the promised co-operation of the Imperialists, marched back to the Netherlands.

The French had, with much labour and art, constructed a line of fortifications of many miles extent to cover their recently acquired territory in the Spanish Netherlands, and Cadogan's Horse having been selected to form part of the division to be employed in forcing these lines, had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves, and their valour shone forth with as bright a lustre as in any of the heroes in the ancient days of chivalry. The British commander, having by skilful movements succeeded in drawing the main body of the French army from the point selected for the attack, forced the lines at Helixem and Neer-Hespen at day-break on the morning of the 18th of July, and the pioneers levelled a space for the cavalry to pass over; but scarcely had the British horse passed the barriers, when the Marquis d'Allegre appeared with fifty squadrons of cavalry and twenty battalions of infantry to drive back the British forces. The sun had risen, and the French army was in full march to oppose this sudden attack on their lines; hence every moment was of importance, and a sharp fire of musketry having forced the enemy from a hollow way, the Duke of Marlborough ordered forward his heavy cavalry to charge the hostile horsemen. The two squadrons of this regiment led the attack with their characteristic gallantry, and were opposed to adversaries of valour and renown,—the famous Bavarian Horse Grenadier Guards. Against these celebrated antagonists Cadogan's Horse advanced; the weight and power of their compact line were irresistible, and the Bavarians were broken at the first shock; but they soon rallied, and renewing the conflict with increasing ardour, gained a temporary advantage. At this critical juncture the Duke of Marlborough was separated from his troops and in imminent danger, when Cadogan's Horse, exasperated at the momentary repulse, and still more so at the peril of their renowned chief, returned to the charge; the grand spectacle of two spirited corps of heavy cavalry rushing upon each other with reckless fury, was soon followed by the clash of swords and shouts of the combatants as they fought hand to hand with sanguinary fury; but British prowess and British valour soon proved triumphant, and the Bavarians were overpowered and fled before the conquering sabres of Cadogan's troopers, who chased their adversaries from the field, took many prisoners, and captured four standards. In their flight the hostile horsemen rode over two battalions of their own foot, and these battalions were severely handled by the British horse. Finally, the enemy was routed; the Marquis d'Allegre, and many officers and men were made prisoners, and this gallant enterprise was attended with complete success.

On this occasion the regiment, which forms the subject of this memoir, gained great honour; the Duke of Marlborough observed in one of his letters,—"Never men fought better!" and in his public despatch he states, "They acquitted themselves with a bravery surpassing all that could have been hoped of them." The author of the Annals of Queen Anne observed:—"All the troops of the confederates behaved themselves with great bravery and resolution; but among the Horse the regiment of Brigadier Cadogan distinguished themselves, having had the honour to charge first, which they did with that success, that they defeated four squadrons of Bavarian Guards, drove them through two battalions of their own foot, and took four standards; and this with the loss only of Lieutenant Austin and some few men killed."

The following description of the standards captured on this occasion is copied from the London Gazette.

"Nine standards of blue satin, richly embroidered with the Bavarian arms; six belonging to the Elector's own troops, and three to those of Cologne, having the following devices and mottoes."

1st. A laurel; motto, Aut Coronari aut rumpi.

2d. An olive-tree on a rock; motto, Per Ardua Laurus.

3d. A pillar reaching to the clouds; motto, Tantum Umbra movetur.

4th. A bear rampant; motto, Ex Vulnere Crudelior.

5th. A dove with a laurel branch; motto, Uni servo fidem.

6th. A chaos; motto, Obstantia firmant.

7th. A helmet with a feather on a pedestal; motto, Ex duris Gloria.

8th. An olive-tree shading serpents; motto, Nocet Umbra nocenti.

9th. A standard of the Elector's guards with the colour torn to pieces.

Four of these standards were taken by Cadogan's Horse; the corps which captured the other five standards are not specified.

After this victory the regiment was employed in several manœuvres; but it was not engaged in any action of importance until the battle of Ramilies, fought on Whit-Sunday, the 23d of May, 1706, when the French, Bavarians, and Spaniards, commanded by Marshal Villeroy and the Elector of Bavaria, sustained another decisive overthrow, and Cadogan's Horse acquired new laurels in the contest. On this occasion the English cavalry were kept in reserve near the heights of Foulz until towards the close of the action, when they were brought forward, and the weight and fury of the charge of these heavy horsemen were irresistible; the enemy's squadrons and battalions were broken; and the British troopers,—strong men on powerful horses,—smote their antagonists to the ground with a dreadful slaughter. The victorious squadrons pursued their adversaries throughout the night, capturing officers and soldiers, colours, standards, and cannon; and thus, in a few hours, the French monarch's fine and well-appointed army was nearly annihilated, and its commanders escaped from the field with difficulty.

This glorious victory was followed by the submission of a great part of Spanish Brabant and Flanders to the house of Austria; and in a few days after the battle, this regiment was selected to form part of a detachment commanded by its Colonel, Brigadier-General Cadogan, sent from the main army, to summon Antwerp, which place was surrendered on the 7th of June.

The regiment was subsequently employed in the blockade of Dendermond, and continued before that town until its surrender on the 5th of September.