Edward Almack

“ A tremendous cannonade was followed by volleys of musketry and charges of cavalry. The Greys supported the infantry for some time; but at length they were led forward by their Colonel, the chivalrous and daring Lieutenant-General James Campbell, against a line of French Cuirassiers. Their grey horses and grenadier caps rendered them conspicuous—their noble bearing excited admiration. Before them appeared the enemy's squadrons, formidable in numbers, and bright in polished armour ”

“ In the battle of Dettingen, the French were commanded by the celebrated Marshal de Noailles, and the Allied Army by his late Majesty King George the Second and the great Duke of Cumberland. The French had nearly effected the utter ruin of the Allies, by surrounding them, in order to cut off all supplies, in which case the whole must have been reduced to the disagreeable necessity of surrendering at the mercy of the enemy, nor could anything short of the most unexampled heroism rescue them from the impending danger—that heroism was not wanting. ”

“ The Inniskillings, with still some remaining traces in their corps of the old warlike Orange enthusiasm, were eager, fiery, impetuous. The Scots Greys, with a great power of self-restraint, were yet liable to be wrought upon by their native inborn desire for a fight till it raged like a consuming passion. ”

“ The 1st Cavalry Brigade having been broken up, General Gordon hopes that the O.C. Royal Scots Greys will be good enough to permit him to express through Regimental Orders to all ranks of the regiment his very sincere thanks for their gallantry and devotion during the six months the Brigadier has had the honour to command the Brigade. No leader could possibly have been better served, and the Brigadier will always think of the Scots Greys and other units of the 1st Cavalry Brigade with the sincerest feelings of admiration and true affection. ”

“ Our army has now, with great reason, become as much our boast as our navy, and therefore the display of its merits—of the persons, the horses, the accoutrements, of its component parts—ought to excite as great an interest as the exhibition of our ships of war and their equipages. Their Majesties, we have reason to believe, were as highly gratified by the review as British hearts could wish. A detachment of the Greys attended the great potentates, accompanied by the Hetman Platoff and a small detachment of Cossacks. ”

“ Napoleon was declared the common enemy of Europe, his sovereignty was ignored, and preparations for war at once entered upon. It is estimated that by June a million of men were ready to fall upon France.
The Duke of Wellington established his headquarters at Brussels, where he had with him in and about the city over 25,000 men. The city was filled with fashionable non-combatants of all nations, including numbers of British who had long been cut off from the Continent, and had been drawn thither by curiosity, or from having relations in the army. ”

“ Honour to the unreturning brave, the brave who will return no more. We shall not see their faces again. In the service of their Sovereign and their country they have undergone the sharpness of death, and sleep their eternal sleep thousands of miles away in the green solitudes of South Africa. ”

“ They may say, with justice, that nothing can stand before them; and, indeed, what shall be able to stem the rapid course of these two heroes, if an army of 100,000 of the best troops, posted between two woods trebly entrenched, and performing their duty as well as any brave men could do, were not able to stop them for one day? Will you not then own with me, that they surpass all the heroes of former ages?"
Early in 1710 the regiment was joined by a remount of 100 men and horses from Scotland, and marching from its cantonments, encamped on high ground near Tournay. ”

“ A Prussian General expressed a wish to see an English Dragoon Regiment, the Greys were immediately brought forward as a specimen. In fact we have every compliment paid us.
"A few years ago the Regiment behaved most gallantly in this country in several actions and I think it is probable they will distinguish themselves in this campaign, for I never saw men more anxious for an opportunity. You may perhaps think I speak with partiality, but I assure you what I have expressed is the real matter of fact. We are within about 35 miles of the French army—a day's march. ”

“ At the same time the Queen's Horse, the Greys, and the Irish Dragoons galloped through the morass, crossed the high ground beyond it, and attacking the enemy's left, routed the French cavalry, and cut several battalions of infantry to pieces. The Greys charged into the village of Autreglize, overthrew and sabred the infantry in the streets. Coming out of the village, they encountered the famous French regiment du Roi, which at once surrendered and delivered up its colours and arms to the victorious Dragoons. ”

“ Among the social entertainments none was so much talked about as the now historic ball which was given by Charlotte, Duchess of Richmond, wife of Charles, fourth Duke of Richmond and Lennox, K.G., who, with their family, had occupied a villa in Brussels since the Duke relinquished the Lord-Lieutenancy of Ireland in 1813. The Duchess was a daughter, by his beautiful wife, Jean, of the fourth Duke of Gordon, known by the Highlanders as the "Cock of the North." The daughter of a soldier, the wife of a soldier, and the mother of one, her Grace was in close touch with the army. ”

“ Alexander desires to announce to the regiment that he relinquishes command of the Greys on his retirement to half-pay. He thanks all ranks for the support they have always given to him, and for their admirable conduct during the recent campaign. He wishes to say that his one thought has been, while maintaining the discipline and efficiency of the regiment, to make what all good regiments should be, a happy home to all those serving in it. ”

“ Having raised a troop of horse in support of King William, he marched with it into Perthshire. News of this reaching Viscount Dundee, then in arms in Atholl for King James, he determined to surprise them, and marching by night towards Perth, he entered the city unawares early the next morning, seized the laird of Blair and the laird of Pollock who was with him, and two other officers, in their beds. He carried them off prisoners to the highlands, where the laird of Blair died shortly afterwards. He had married Lady Margaret Hamilton, daughter of William, 2nd Duke of Hamilton. ”

“ They served gloriously under Marlborough in the Low Countries; they fought all through the wars of the eighteenth century; they captured a standard at Dettingen; and yet the time of their full glory had not come. It was at Waterloo that their chance came; it was in that tremendous charge when, with the Inniskillings and the Royals, they rode down masses of French infantry—in that tremendous charge where Sergeant-Major Ewart, one of your non-commissioned officers, wrested an eagle from the French, and cut down successively three gallant Frenchmen who stood to defend it. ”

“ Whereas that Regiment of Dragoons to which our trusty and most beloved Councillor, Sir Thomas Livingstone, Brigadier-General of our Army, is Colonel, hath been formerly designed the Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons, and so, reposing special confidence in the said regiment, we do, hereby, appoint and ordain the same to be designed our 'Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons,' and we require all general officers and others in our army so to design that regiment ”

“ In assuring every officer and man how much he appreciates their efforts in the past, Lord Roberts is confident that in the future they will continue to show the same resolution and soldierly [Pg 93] qualities, and to lay down their lives if need be (as so many brave men have already done) in order to assure that the war in South Africa may be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. ”

“ While here, the Duke of Marlborough, by special commission from Queen Anne, invested its Colonel—the Earl of Stair—with the Order of the Thistle.
On May 10th the enemy made a sudden sally from Fort Scarpe to take the bread waggons going to the Allies; but reaching Pont-à-Nache, their career was suddenly stopped by a squadron of the Greys, and two squadrons of the Royal Irish Dragoons, who came sweeping up the plain at full gallop, and routing the enemy in an instant, chased them with heavy loss under the cannon of the fort. ”

“ General French recalls with pride and satisfaction the many occasions during that period upon which he has personally witnessed the intrepid gallantry displayed by all ranks of the Cavalry Division. A glorious reminiscence which will be ever present to the end of his life.
"The warmest thanks are due to Brigadiers, Commanding Officers, Officers, N.C. Officers and Men, for the skill, courage, and endurance which have been mainly instrumental in securing the successful results obtained." ”

“ The Rebels had me now at a great advantage. One of them made a stroak at me which I guarded off with the hilt of the sword that was left in my hand, but the force with which he struck the blow—and I kept it off—brought us both to the ground. However I got up before him, clapped my pistol to his side and shot him dead. As soon as this was done another came behind me, and with some weapon or other struck me such a blow on the head as laid me flat on my back, in which posture I remained a good while insensible, the rogues taking it for granted that I was dead, scoured off. ”

“ Colonel Hankin's horse also fell with him twice on the 17th, when we in our turn covered the retreat of the British Army, which was done under a most tremendous fire of cannon from the enemy, the First Dragoons only lost one man, that was all, Lord Uxbridge's Hussars [3] (the 7th) were to have been the last and were so placed, but from some cause or other, behaved not very well, indeed his Lordship said in front of the first Life Guards, that he must call [Pg 73] upon them to advance for that his own regiment had deserted him. ”