Richard Cannon

“ The proofs of true courage were further adduced by the firm conduct of the Seventh Hussars in the advance into Spain under Lieut.-General Sir John Moore in 1808, and in the retreat to Corunna in January, 1809, as detailed in the Regimental Record. The gallantry of the regiment at the battle of Waterloo, in June, 1815, gained an imperishable addition to its fame; and the deeds [88] of the officers and men, who fought on that glorious occasion, are sufficient to perpetuate an emulous desire in the present and future members of the corps to rival the exertions of their brave predecessors. ”

“ One of the foot guards who was present (Browne) , observes in his Journal, "Our British light cavalry which were with us (the Seventh, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth) performed wonders of valour, charging the enemy with unexampled courage whenever they approached; it was no uncommon thing to see one of them attack three of the French dragoons at once, in order to rescue the prisoners they were carrying off. It was owing to their bravery that so few prisoners were taken; they also retook numbers from the enemy. ”

“ In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, and where these pursuits have, for so long a period, been undisturbed by the presence of war, which few other countries have escaped, comparatively little is known of the vicissitudes of active service, and of the casualties of climate, to which, even during peace, the British Troops are exposed in every part of the globe, with little or no interval of repose. ”

“ The great usefulness of light cavalry had been fully proved during the reign of King George II., and also during the American war; and after the [51] conclusion of a treaty of peace in 1783, the Queen's Own dragoons underwent a change of clothing and equipment;—the cocked hats were replaced by helmets; boots, saddles, belts, and other articles of equipment, of a light construction, were adopted; carbines of a smaller size than those before used, were received; the standard height for men and horses was reduced; and the regiment was constituted a corps of Light Dragoons. ”

“ At length a severe frost enabled the enemy to advance in the beginning of 1795, across the rivers on the ice, and the British, being no longer capable of resisting the very superior numbers of their opponents, retired through Holland to Germany. During this retreat the troops endured very great hardship and privation from severe weather, and from the [64] hostile spirit manifested by the Dutch, who had imbibed principles favourable to the French interest. The Seventh light dragoons were employed in covering the retrograde movements, and had occasional skirmishes with the enemy's leading corps. ”

“ The Seventh dragoons supported the infantry in the attack of [45] the enemy's flank, and by a spirited charge towards the close of the action, contributed to the success of the day. The conduct of the British cavalry was commended by the Marquis of Granby, in his public despatch, and Prince Ferdinand declared in general orders, that "all the British cavalry performed prodigies of valour." The regiment being eager in the pursuit, had four men and horses captured by the enemy; three of the men, however, escaped and rejoined the regiment. ”

“ During the heat of the engagement, the regiment which forms the subject of this memoir, had an opportunity of displaying its intrepidity and prowess in close combat with the cavalry of the opposing army, and obtained the approbation of its sovereign. The British dragoons encountered the French gens d'armes and household cavalry, and, though without armour, they fought their steel-clad opponents with signal gallantry. ”

“ The glorious victories gained by the allied army under Field Marshal the Marquis of Wellington had, in the mean time, accomplished the deliverance of Portugal, and of nearly all Spain, from the despotic sway of Bonaparte, and the Seventh Hussars were selected to take part in completing the overthrow of the tyrannical power of Napoleon. Eight troops, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel R. Hussey Vivian, embarked at Portsmouth on the 15th of August, and landed at Bilboa, the capital of Biscay, in Spain, on the 1st of September; and two additional troops joined from England in October. ”

“ It is presumed that a record of achievements in war,—victories so complete and surprising, gained by our countrymen,—our brothers,—our fellow-citizens in arms,—a record which revives the memory of the brave, and brings their gallant deeds before us, will certainly prove acceptable to the public. ”

“ Robert Cunningham was an officer of reputation in the Scots brigade in the service of Holland, and was wounded at the battle of St. Denis, in 1678. Proceeding to Scotland, he became a warm advocate for the principles of the Revolution of 1688, and having performed faithful services in that cause, he was rewarded with the colonelcy of a regiment of foot formed during the winter of 1689-90. When the clans tendered their submission to King William's government, Colonel Cunningham's regiment was disbanded, and he obtained the command of a corps of dragoons, now the Seventh Hussars. ”

“ In April, 1707, Patrick Lord Polwarth was appointed colonel of the regiment, in succession to the Marquis of Lothian, who was removed to the colonelcy of the Scots foot guards.
1708
The king of France having fitted out a fleet and embarked troops in the early part of 1708, for the invasion of Britain by the Pretender, Lord Polwarth's regiment was held in readiness to take the field at a moment's notice, and the establishment was augmented to fifty-four men per troop; but the French fleet was driven from the Scottish coast, and the country was preserved from the horrors of civil war. ”

“ Tn August the army was encamped near Breda, on a large plain bestrewed with the vestiges of war, to give the Dutch an opportunity of putting the fortress in a state of defence. While at this camp, a piquet of the Seventh and Sixteenth light dragoons surprised one of the enemy's out-guards. The French dragoons fled at the first onset; and many of them forsook their horses to escape across walls and other fences where mounted troopers could not pursue them; seven men were, however, made prisoners, and forty horses were captured. ”

“ When the infantry began to give way before the superior numbers of the clans, the two troops of horse were ordered forward,—one on the right, and the other on the left,—to attack the flanks of the opposing army; but, being untrained men, instead of dashing, sword in hand, upon the adverse ranks, they halted at a short distance, and commenced a straggling fire with carbines and pistols. ”

“ In the spring of 1758 the Seventh dragoons quitted Scotland, and were stationed in Yorkshire, the head-quarters being at York; from whence the light troop was detached to Portsmouth to take part in an expedition against the French coast, under the orders of Charles Duke of Marlborough. A brigade was formed of the light troops of nine regiments of dragoons, under the orders of Colonel Eliott, of the horse grenadier guards ”

“ In August it was employed on the Dymel. In the early part of November it was engaged in dislodging a French corps from a strong camp near Escherhausen, in the duchy of Brunswick; and afterwards marched to Eimbeck, where another skirmish occurred. These movements were designed to surprise the French army in dispersed quarters; but the enemy having gained time to assemble his forces, this regiment, with several other corps, marched during the night of the 7th of November, through a heavy snow to Foorwohle, where another skirmish [47] occurred, and the British dragoons evinced signal gallantry. ”

“ In January, 1716, the royal army, having been augmented, advanced against the rebels, who fled in every direction. The Pretender and his principal officers escaped to the continent; the common men dispersed; and the rebellion being suppressed, the regiment went into quarters in Fife.
In the following spring, the Princess of [29] Wales' dragoons returned to England, and occupied quarters in Yorkshire; but proceeded southward during the summer; and in December one troop was ordered to attend His Majesty on his landing from Hanover. ”

“ Two troops were added to the Queen's Own light dragoons, and in the spring of 1793 four troops, under the command of Major Osborne, embarked for the Netherlands, to form part of the army under His Royal Highness the duke of York, designed [55] to co-operate with the allies in repelling the aggressions of the French republic on Holland and the Austrian Netherlands. The depôt troops were stationed at Manchester. ”

“ Scotland, and Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, was at the head of the insurgent clans. Several corps were ordered to return to England; and in February, 1746, the Queen's Own dragoons proceeded to Williamstadt and embarked; but some delay was occasioned by severe weather, and one transport was stranded. The regiment disembarked to wait for more favourable weather ”

“ Our will and pleasure is, that upon the embarkation of our regiment of dragoons under your command, for our kingdom of Ireland, you cause all the horses belonging to the non-commissioned officers and private dragoons thereof to be delivered over to such person or persons as shall be appointed to receive the same ”

“ Macky, in his characters of the Scottish nobility, speaking of the Marquis of Lothian, observes—"He hath abundance of fire, and may prove a man of business when he applies himself that way; laughs at all revealed religion, yet sets up for a pillar of presbytery, being very zealous, though not devout. He is brave in his person; loves his country and his bottle ”

“ The army was suddenly called from its winter quarters in February, 1761, and penetrating, during a heavy snow, into the enemy's cantonments, captured several towns and extensive magazines of forage and provision; but afterwards returned to its former quarters, and the Seventh were again quartered in villages in the bishopric of Paderborn.
On taking the field in the beginning of May, [46] 1761, the Seventh were formed in brigade with the Scots greys and Ancram's (eleventh) dragoons, commanded by Colonel Harvey. ”

“ The Earl of Lothian's regiment of dragoons (as I remember) consists of six companys, each company, including serjeants corporals, and drummers, is thirty men. The colonel's character is already given. The lieut.-colonel is son to Polwarth, now called Earl of Marchmont. When the late Earl of Hume listed, this lieut.-colonel was thought well-affected, and very much under the influence of Hume ”

“ The enemy's horsemen galloped forward in pursuit; but the allies effected their retreat in good order to Ghent, from whence Cunningham's dragoons were detached, with Rosse's troopers, and twelve battalions of infantry under Lieut.-General Sir Henry Bellasis, to cover Nieuport, a place celebrated for the victory gained by the English and Dutch, over the Spaniards under Archduke Albert, on the 2nd of July, 1600 [2] . ”

“ To hold forth these bright examples to the imitation of the youthful soldier, and thus to incite him to emulate the meritorious conduct of those who have preceded him in their honourable career, are among the motives that have given rise to the present publication. ”

“ Fifty-five killed and wounded Frenchmen lay on the plain, their general, Lefebre Desnouettes, and several other officers, were taken prisoners, and many of those who escaped across the river, were wounded. The piquet of the Seventh Hussars suffered severely, nearly every man being either killed or wounded. ”

“ XIV. assembled an immense army to preserve the interior of his kingdom from the power of his opponents; and Queen Anne sent additional corps to the scene of contest. Kerr's dragoons were selected to proceed to the Netherlands; their establishment was augmented, in March, 1711, to sixty men per troop; and in the same month they embarked at Leith, but were driven back to the Frith and detained by contrary winds until the end of April, when they sailed for Holland. ”

“ The enemy having failed in his attempt to turn the British left, directed his efforts against the centre. A favourable opportunity presenting itself, sixteen British and two Austrian squadrons were detached, under Lieut.-General Harcourt, against the enemy's right, and by a determined charge broke the French columns. A second charge proved decisive; the French were defeated, and the British troops were thanked in general orders for their excellent conduct. The Seventh had six horses killed; four men and four horses wounded ”

“ It marched to the vicinity of Hounslow in October, and was reviewed on the heath, on the 28th of that month, by King George II., who was pleased to express his high approbation of its appearance and discipline. After the review it marched into cantonments in Dorsetshire and Somersetshire, with a detachment on revenue duty on the Sussex coast. ”