Richard Cannon

“ Infatuated by success in their own land, they sought to subvert the liberties of other countries,—to destroy the civil order of Europe,—to spread a moral contamination of principle and practice which outraged the nature of mankind,—and to involve every country in atheism, despotism, and anarchy. They attacked Holland, when a British force was sent to the assistance of the Dutch, and the Inniskilling dragoons marched from York in June, 1793,—embarked at Blackwall, and having landed at Ostend, went into quarters for a short time among the Flemish peasantry. ”

“ In the meantime the army commanded by General De Ginkell had besieged Limerick, and the surrender of that city, and of all other forts and garrisons, in September, terminated the war in Ireland; the champions of constitutional liberty having triumphed over all opposition.
Thus the gallant Inniskilling men, who composed the Sixth regiment of dragoons, had the satisfaction of witnessing the deliverance of their country from the continued effects of civil war, and the blessings of peace once more diffusing themselves over the land. ”

“ The conduct of the British Troops, their valour, and endurance, have shone conspicuously under great and trying difficulties; and their character has been established in Continental warfare by the irresistible spirit with which they have effected debarkations in spite of the most formidable opposition, and by the gallantry and steadiness with which they have maintained their advantages against superior numbers. ”

“ These events afforded the strongest encouragement to the Protestants of Ireland to make a bold resistance to the proceedings of their opponents, and to join in the same Revolution which had secured the blessings of a constitutional monarchy, and of religious liberty, for England. The principles of self-defence stimulated them to make a daring effort for the preservation of their liberties, in the hope of being aided from England; and from the opposition thus made to illegal aggression, the Sixth, or the Inniskilling, Regiment of Dragoons, derived its origin. ”

“ On the 6th of April another detachment of seven hundred men, from the regiments of Kirke, Erle, and Groven's Danes, with a party of Inniskilling horse and dragoons, advanced from Belturbet to the castle of Killeshandra, which they besieged and captured after a slight resistance; and in May a detachment of Cunningham's Inniskilling dragoons was engaged in the capture of the castle of Ballinacargy. Thus these gallant horsemen succeeded in every enterprise in which they were engaged, their fame spread to distant parts, and they were a terror to their adversaries. ”

“ Traversing the five miles at a quick pace, they speedily arrived at the field of battle, and charging the enemy with signal intrepidity, routed the French cavalry, put the opposing infantry into disorder, and chased them across the Dymel. The conduct of the Inniskilling dragoons and other British cavalry regiments was such, that the Marquis of Granby stated, in his public despatch, that nothing could exceed their gallant behaviour; Prince Ferdinand declared in general orders that all the British cavalry performed prodigies of valour ”

“ The Inniskilling dragoons, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Harvey, took the field in the spring of 1759, and were formed in brigade with the Blues and first dragoon guards; the British were commanded by Lord George Sackville, and the allied army by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick. The French monarch sent an immense body of troops to Germany, under the Duke de Broglio and Marshal Contades; and the allies, being so very inferior in numbers, were compelled to retire before their opponents. ”

“ In Great Britain, where so large a number of persons are devoted to the active concerns of agriculture, manufactures, [v] 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 King of France having made preparations, in the spring of 1708, for landing the Pretender with a body of troops in Scotland, to aid him in his projected attempt to ascend the British throne, the Inniskilling dragoons were held in readiness to embark for Scotland; but the French fleet having been chased from the British shores, the regiment remained in Ireland until the following autumn, when it landed on the English coast, and was stationed, during the winter, in Yorkshire and Lancashire. ”

“ In their tranquil enjoyment of the blessings which the country derives from the industry and the enterprise of the agriculturist and the trader, its happy inhabitants may be supposed not often to reflect on the perilous duties of the soldier and the sailor,—on their sufferings,—and on the sacrifice of valuable life, by which so many national benefits are obtained and preserved. ”

“ In June, King William arrived in Ireland, accompanied by Prince George of Denmark, and a number of noblemen; the eyes of all Europe were fixed on that country, where two kings were to contend for a crown on a public theatre, and the singular spectacle was exhibited of two princes (the Prince of Orange and the Prince of Denmark) fighting against the father of their wives (King James) , and of a nephew at the head of an army against his uncle ”

“ The differences in religion, unfortunately, created hostile feelings between the English and Irish; commotions occurred, and a military establishment was found necessary. This consisted of various numbers at different periods: after the Restoration in 1660, the Army of Ireland was composed of twenty troops of horse, a regiment of foot guards, and seventy companies of foot; which were formed into three regiments of cavalry and eight of infantry, including the (Irish) foot guards [7] , in 1684. ”

“ The Inniskilling dragoons formed part of the covering army during the siege of Landrécies; and on the 21st of April, when the enemy attacked the Prince of Coburg's advanced posts at Blocus, the regiment formed part of the force which proceeded to the support of the Austrians; the French were repulsed at this point; but they succeeded in driving the Imperialists from Nouvion.
Thirty thousand French, commanded by Lieutenant-General Chapuy, attacked the Duke of York's post at Cateau on the 26th of April, and several cannon shot and shells fell among the Sixth dragoons before they were mounted ”

“ The French, commanded by the Marquis de Castries, advanced to raise the siege of Wesel, and encamped half a league behind the convent of Campen, with Frischer's corps posted within the convent. The Inniskilling dragoons passed the Rhine by a bridge two miles below Wesel, and having joined the Hereditary Prince, advanced at ten o'clock, on the evening of the 15th of October, to surprise the enemy's camp. It being necessary to dislodge the troops in the convent, the firing alarmed the French army, which instantly formed for battle. ”

“ The attack made by the army of King James having been repulsed, the town was invested on the 20th of April. The garrison of Londonderry consisted of seven thousand untrained countrymen, without engineers; the town was not well fortified; twenty guns only were on the walls, and not one of them well mounted; yet the city was successfully defended, for more than three months, against a formidable army, which proves how much depends on bravery and resolution. The garrison made several gallant sorties, and inflicted severe loss on the besieging troops. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The old Regiments of Horse formed a highly respectable and efficient portion of the Army, and it is found, on perusing the histories of the various campaigns in which they have been engaged, that they have, on all occasions, maintained a high character for steadiness and discipline as well as for bravery in action. ”

“ In 1755, when the aggressions of the French in North America led to acts of open hostility, the establishment was augmented one corporal and fifteen men per troop. Shortly afterwards a light troop was added on the same principle as light companies to infantry corps: and the regiment consisted of six heavy troops and one light troop. The light dragoons were sometimes styled hussars. ”

“ Since the Regiments of Horse were formed into Dragoon Guards, additional improvements have been introduced into the constitution of the several corps; and the superior description of horses now bred in the United Kingdom, enables the commanding officers to remount their regiments with such excellent horses, that, whilst sufficient weight has been retained for a powerful charge in line, a lightness has been acquired, which renders them available for every description of service incident to modern warfare. ”

“ The danger of foreign invasion passed away, the arts, sciences, agriculture, manufactures, and commerce flourished throughout the British dominions; while the other countries of Europe became successively scenes of war, rapine, and spoliation. The Inniskilling dragoons proceeded, in March, 1806, to Ipswich; during the winter of 1807 to York, and in the summer of 1808 they marched to Scotland, and occupied Piershill barracks, Edinburgh. In June, 1809, they embarked at Portpatrick for Ireland ”

“ The ranks of the Troops of Horse were at this period composed of men of some property—generally [xii] the sons of substantial yeomen: the young men received as recruits provided their own horses, and they were placed on a rate of pay sufficient to give them a respectable station in society.
On the breaking out of the war with Holland in the spring of 1672, a Regiment of Dragoons was raised [3] ”

“ Nor can the Major-General forget the manner in which the regiment performed the honorable duties assigned to it during Her Majesty's visit to her northern dominions, which called forth approbation from the highest authorities. In taking leave of the regiment the Major-General begs to assure the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Sixth dragoons, that they carry with them his sincere and hearty wishes for their prosperity and honour, wherever their country may require their services. ”

“ Eventually the village was captured, and the enemy broke the centre of the allied army. The [47] cavalry of the left wing was led forward by Sir John Ligonier, and charged the French horsemen with signal intrepidity. The Greys particularly distinguished themselves. The Inniskilling dragoons, vying in heroism with the Scots troopers, overthrew and routed the squadrons opposed to them; and a sanguinary sword fight ensuing, the British horsemen made great havoc among the discomfited ranks of their opponents. ”

“ It appears very evident that the [94] exertions of the officers have succeeded in instilling into the minds of their men, that, next to distinguished valour in the field, nothing can more fully establish the character of a British soldier than quiet, peaceable, and subordinate behaviour in quarters, which the Sixth dragoons have so eminently displayed while stationed in North Britain. ”

“ Ten thousand rebels, headed by the Earl of Mar, were on the march to cross the Forth and penetrate towards England, when the Duke of Argyle quitted the camp at Stirling, with a body of troops of less than four thousand men, to oppose the progress of the rebels, and on the morning of Sunday the 13th of November the two armies confronted each other on Sheriffmuir near Dumblain. The Inniskilling dragoons formed two strong squadrons ”

“ The frost, however, set in with greater severity than before, the country was converted into a plain, and after some sharp fighting the British troops fell back before the superior numbers of their opponents. The Sixth dragoons withdrew from their forward position; they were joined by the Queen's Bays, and Scots Greys, on the 13th of January; harassing marches over a region of ice and snow followed, and several men and horses perished from the severity of the weather. ”

“ In October the head-quarters were removed to Nottingham.
1803
Before the following summer the ambitious policy of the French republic involved Great Britain in another war, and the first consul of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, assembled an army for the invasion of England. This vain project was met by formidable preparations on the part of the British government; an army of six hundred thousand men (including militia, yeomanry, volunteers, and troops on foreign stations) was embodied; and the establishment of the Inniskilling dragoons was again augmented. ”

“ Our will and pleasure is, that a Regiment of Dragoones which we have established and ordered to be raised, in twelve Troopes of fourscore in each beside officers, who are to be under the command of Our most deare and most intirely beloved Cousin Prince Rupert, shall be armed out of Our stoares remaining within Our office of the Ordinance, as followeth ”

“ Frischer's men were alarmed, and attempted to make resistance, but the gallant Colonel Harvey rushed upon them at the head of the Inniskilling dragoons, and Beckwith's grenadiers, drawing their swords, joined in the charge;—the French were overthrown; sixty were killed on the spot; many were wounded; about four hundred were made prisoners; and the remainder fled in confusion, towards Marpurg; leaving their camp-equipage, baggage, and a number of horses in possession of the conquerors. ”