CONTENTS.

HISTORICAL RECORD

OF THE

FOURTEENTH (THE KING'S) REGIMENT

OF

LIGHT DRAGOONS.

The accession of the house of Hanover to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland, was the commencement of a dynasty under which this kingdom has attained a splendid elevation of naval, military, commercial, and political importance; has extended its possessions in remote countries;—and its armies have fought and conquered in every quarter of the globe. The first year of His Majesty's reign had, however, not expired, when it was found necessary to augment the regular army, and the Fourteenth, (the King's) Regiment of Light Dragoons, is one of the corps incorporated on that occasion. It was raised in South Britain, by Brigadier-General James Dormer, who had acquired a reputation in the war of the Spanish succession; and the following officers were appointed to the regiment, by commissions dated the 22nd July, 1715.

His Majesty's protestant subjects arrayed themselves under the royal standard with great cheerfulness, but before the regiment was complete in men and horses, the arrangements of the Jacobites were in such a state of forwardness, that the Pretender's standard was raised in Scotland by the Earl of Mar, who was soon at the head of ten thousand men. A body of rebels having penetrated into Lancashire, Dormer's dragoons were among the corps directed to advance, under Major-General Wills, and fight the insurgent bands: the regiment was formed in brigade with Pitt's horse, now second dragoon guards, under its Colonel, Brigadier-General Dormer. Arriving at Preston, about three o'clock in the afternoon of the 12th of November, the rebels were found in force in the town, with the avenues barricaded and defended by cannon. The Fourteenth dragoons were directed to dismount and form as infantry, to take part in storming the avenue leading to Lancaster, in which they were assisted by Wynne's (ninth), and a squadron of Stanhope's dragoons (afterwards disbanded) under Brigadier-Generals Dormer and Munden; Pitt's horse, Munden's (thirteenth), and a squadron of Stanhope's dragoons forming in support. The first barrier was carried with great gallantry; but the inner barricade could not be forced for want of cannon. The houses were afterwards set on fire, and measures adopted to prevent the escape of the rebels, who were eventually forced to surrender at discretion. The regiment had three men and sixteen horses killed on this occasion, Brigadier-General Dormer, and four private soldiers wounded.

The regiment escorted a number of the captured insurgents to Lancaster gaol, and was afterwards quartered in that town, and in the early part of 1716 the rebellion was suppressed by the troops under the Duke of Argyle.

In May 1716, the regiment marched from Lancaster, into cantonments at Lincoln and the neighbouring towns.

A reduction of the army took place in the spring of 1717, and in May, Dormer's dragoons marched to Bristol and embarked for Ireland, to replace a regiment ordered to be disbanded in that country.

The regiment remained in Ireland during the succeeding twenty-five years. In 1720, Brigadier-General Dormer was removed to the sixth regiment of foot, and was succeeded in the colonelcy of the Fourteenth dragoons, by Colonel Clement Neville, from the lieut.-colonelcy of the thirteenth dragoons.

Colonel Neville commanded the regiment seventeen years, and was removed in 1737, to the eighth dragoons, and the colonelcy of the Fourteenth was conferred on Colonel Archibald Hamilton from the 27th foot.

Charles VI. Emperor of Germany, died in 1740; the succession of the Archduchess Maria-Theresa, as Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, was disputed by the Elector of Bavaria, who was supported by a French army; and, in 1742, King George II. sent a British force to Flanders to aid the house of Austria; at the same time the Fourteenth dragoons were withdrawn from Ireland, to replace the cavalry regiments which had proceeded on foreign service from England.

The regiment was stationed in Great Britain during the years 1743 and 1744; and in 1745, when Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, raised his father's standard in Scotland, it was ordered to Stirling. After Lieut.-General Sir John Cope had marched from Stirling with the infantry and some artillery, the Fourteenth dragoons proceeded to Leith, where they were stationed when the rebel army advanced towards Edinburgh. They were suddenly ordered to join Colonel Gardiner, who was retiring before the rebel army, with the thirteenth dragoons; they rode through Edinburgh at a brisk pace during public worship on Sunday, the 15th of September, when the congregations rushed out of the churches and chapels and filled the streets, and four hundred volunteers, with a thousand men of the trained bands, appeared in arms. The Fourteenth dragoons joined Colonel Gardiner at Carstorphin, from whence they fell back to Coltsbridge, where they were joined by the city guard and Edinburgh regiment. On a report of the approach of the rebel bands, the Edinburgh regiment and city guard withdrew within the walls, and the dragoons moved towards Haddington, the citizens refusing to admit them into the place; and while a tumultuary council was being held to decide about the mode of defending the city, the insurgents gained possession of one of the gates: thus Edinburgh fell into the hands of the young Pretender.

The Fourteenth dragoons were afterwards ordered to join Lieut.-General Sir John Cope, who had arrived at Dunbar with a small body of infantry, and he advanced towards Edinburgh, when the rebel army was put in motion to meet him. On the 20th of September the King's troops confronted the insurgents near Prestonpans and the night was passed in the field: the Fourteenth dragoons, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel William Wright, furnished videttes and patrols on the flanks of the army. Before day-break, on the following morning, a chosen band of Highlanders advanced through the thick atmosphere, and attacked the right of the King's troops; their sudden advance in the dark, their superior numbers, and peculiar mode of fighting, struck with consternation the few men who guarded the artillery, and who faced about and fled. The dragoons advanced to charge the Highlanders; but seeing the very superior numbers of their opponents, and being discouraged by the loss of their artillery, they made only a feeble effort to stem the torrent of battle, and afterwards retired from the field. Several officers, and a few private soldiers, however, behaved with great gallantry, and among others, Major Richard Bowles, of the Fourteenth dragoons, particularly distinguished himself; the few troopers, who rallied round him, had been cut down, and his own horse killed; but he continued to fight on foot; he was surrounded, and had received eleven wounds, when a rebel leader interposed and saved his life. When once troops are put into confusion, and are afterwards closely pressed by the enemy, no reserves being at hand for them to rally upon, the difficulty of restoring order becomes particularly great, and, in this instance, the loss of the battle was the result. The Fourteenth dragoons withdrew from the field, and afterwards marched to Berwick.

The regiment subsequently joined the army assembled under Field-Marshal Wade at Newcastle; when the rebels penetrated into Derbyshire, it was employed in covering Yorkshire; and when the young Pretender made a precipitate retreat to Scotland, the Fourteenth dragoons marched to Edinburgh, where a few regiments were assembled under Lieut.-General Hawley.

On their return to Scotland, the rebels besieged Stirling Castle; and Lieut.-General Hawley put the King's troops in motion to raise the siege. The Fourteenth dragoons left Edinburgh on the 13th of January, 1746; they took part in driving a body of rebels out of Linlithgow, and were subsequently encamped near Falkirk.

On the 17th of January, as the soldiers were at dinner in the camp, the approach of the rebel army was descried, and the troops moved towards some high grounds on Falkirk-moor, where the insurgent bands were formed. The action was commenced by a charge of the cavalry; the enemy's first line was broken, and some execution done; but the second line of insurgents repulsed the dragoons. The infantry was, soon afterwards, brought into the fight; but a heavy storm of wind and rain beat so violently in the soldiers' faces, as nearly to blind them, and the wet prevented their muskets giving fire. Several regiments retired in some disorder; others maintained their ground and repulsed the Highlanders, and after dark the whole withdrew to Linlithgow and afterwards to Edinburgh.

The Duke of Cumberland subsequently took the command of the troops in Scotland, and advanced towards Stirling; when the rebels made a precipitate retreat. His Royal Highness pursued; but the Fourteenth dragoons were left behind, and were directed to patrol along the roads leading westward from Edinburgh, to prevent the rebels obtaining intelligence. At length the Highlanders were overpowered in the field of Culloden, and the rebellion was suppressed.

In 1747 the regiment returned to Ireland, and was stationed in that country during the succeeding forty-eight years.

Lieut.-General Hamilton died on the 8th of July, 1749, and King George II. conferred the colonelcy of the Fourteenth dragoons on Lieut.-General James, Lord Tyrawley, from the tenth regiment of Foot.

The following description of the clothing and guidons of the regiment is taken from the Royal Warrant, dated the 1st of July, 1751.

Coats,—scarlet; double-breasted, without lappels; lined with lemon colour; slit sleeves turned up with lemon colour; the button-holes worked with narrow white lace; the buttons 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,—lemon colour.

Hats,—bound with silver lace, and ornamented with a white loop and a black cockade. Red forage cap turned up with lemon colour, and XIV. D. on the flap.

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

Cloaks,—Scarlet, with a lemon-coloured cape; the buttons set on three and three, upon white frogs or loops, with a red and green stripe down the centre.

Horse Furniture,—of lemon-coloured cloth; the holster caps and housings having a border of white lace, with a red and green stripe down the centre; XIV. D. embroidered upon a red ground, within a wreath of roses and thistles, on the housing; and upon the holster caps G.R., with the crown over it, and XIV. D. underneath.

Officers,—distinguished by silver lace and embroidery; 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 aiguillettes; and green, red, and white worsted sashes tied round their waists.

Drummers and Hautboys,—clothed in lemon-coloured coats, lined and faced with scarlet, and ornamented with white lace, having a red and green stripe down the centre: red waistcoats and breeches.

Guidons,—the first, or King's guidon, to be of crimson silk, with a silver and red fringe; 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 XIV. D., in silver characters, on a lemon ground, in a compartment in the second and third corners: the second and third guidons to be of lemon-coloured silk; in the centre XIV. D. on a red ground within a wreath of roses and thistles on the same stalk; the white horse, on a red ground, in the first and fourth compartments; and the rose and thistle conjoined, on a red ground, in the second and third compartments; the third colour to have a figure 3, on a circular red ground, under the wreath.

Lieut.-General Lord Tyrawley commanded the regiment two years, and was removed, in July, 1752, to the third dragoons, and was succeeded by Colonel Lewis Dejean, whose regiment of foot had been disbanded at the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748–9.