Richard Cannon

“ At length the enemy forced the right of the allied army, and routed the Hanoverian and other foreign horse in that quarter, when King William ordered to their aid the British squadrons on the left. Instantly moving from their post, the Fourth Horse and other English cavalry gallopped to the scene of conflict, and each squadron charging the moment it arrived, the torrent of battle, which was sweeping the plain, was stayed,—the leading squadrons of the enemy were broken,—and the British horsemen, mixing fiercely in the combat, displayed their native valour and intrepidity. ”

“ They passed the summer in manœuvring and skirmishing on the verdant plains of the Netherlands, and on the frontiers of Liege,—performing many long and toilsome marches through a country which, having for several years been the seat of war, was changed from a land of smiling plenty and contentment to a scene of outrage, devastation, and misery. After forming part of the covering army during the siege of Huy, which surrendered in September, the Fourth Horse marched back to Flanders, and again occupied quarters at Ghent. ”

“ On the 19th of July, as the first rays of morning light glanced upon the hostile armies, the French were discovered in order of battle, and a sudden burst of artillery from the batteries of the allies sent forward a shower of balls, which, rending the ranks of the enemy, formed a prelude to the sanguinary conflict which followed. For some time the fighting was limited to the infantry [19] and artillery, and the Fourth Horse were spectators of the fray; yet a cannon shot or two occasionally plunging into the ranks, laid several troopers and their horses dead on the plain. ”

“ The French having, by their superior numbers, gained possession of Hesse and the Lower Rhine, amassed immense magazines of provision and forage in convenient situations; and having secured the communications necessary for their subsistence, they possessed great advantages over the allies, whose numbers were daily diminishing in consequence of privations.
Prince Ferdinand, conscious of the difficulties of his situation, formed one of those daring schemes which he knew the innate ardour of his troops would execute. ”

“ The behaviour of the British Cavalry has been beyond all praise. It is impossible for me, as yet, to give a full account of the loss sustained by His Majesty's troops: I have reason to believe that it is not considerable. The only officers of whom I have any information as yet, and who I believe are all that have fallen upon this occasion, are Major-General Mansell, Captain Pigot, and Lieutenant Fellowes, of the Third Dragoon Guards.'—Extract from the Duke of York's Despatch. ”

“ 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. ”

“ England was at this period in great danger from the prevalence of jacobite principles, and the animosity with which two powerful parties in the state were arrayed against each other gave occasion for much alarm; but the staunch fidelity of the army overawed the disaffected, and the gallant troops who had so recently conquered the foes of [48] Britain abroad, preserved the nation from the machinations of its enemies at home. The army, though on a reduced establishment, was in excellent condition, and the cavalry in particular was considered the best mounted of any troops in Europe. ”

“ The enemy, though compelled to retire, was not to be despised. The lofty, chivalrous spirit of Viscount Dundee rose superior to ordinary difficulties, and he was engaged in arousing the friends of the Stuarts to arms. At the same time General Mackay was at Edinburgh procuring supplies; and, having given directions for a considerable body of troops to assemble at Perth, he proceeded thither without delay. ”

“ On the 3rd of November, in this year, the Earl of Plymouth died, and the Colonelcy of the Fourth Horse was given to Brigadier-General Sir John Fenwick, who had for several years held the appointment of Lieut.-Colonel of the Second Troop, now Second Regiment, of Life Guards; he was also one of the inspecting generals of cavalry, and was known to be firmly attached to the King, and a zealous supporter of the measures of the court. Several officers resigned their commissions, and they were replaced by men whose principles were presumed to be favourable to papacy and absolute monarchy. ”

“ The Third Dragoon Guards were present at the review which took place at Brighton on the 12th of August, 1808, in honour of the birth-day of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. They afterwards occupied quarters at Brighton and Lewes, and in the autumn they were called upon to hold themselves in readiness to proceed on foreign service, to participate in the victories gained by the British forces in Portugal and Spain serving under that illustrious commander, now Arthur Duke of Wellington, whose splendid achievements are interwoven with the history of Europe. ”

“ When they came upon a rising ground they espied seven squadrons of the Spanish and Bavarian Guards, with whom the Elector of Bavaria and Marshal Villeroy hoped to make good their retreat and save their cannon, which was marching in a line before them. General Wood gallopped with his own regiment upon the enemy's left, and charged them so vigorously that he broke them all to pieces, killing many of them and taking not a few prisoners, amongst whom were two Lieut.-Colonels, one Major, four Captains, with several subalterns and men. ”

“ After this noble exploit the Fourth Horse, having detached a party to the rear with the prisoners and cannon, continued the pursuit throughout the night until two o'clock of the following morning, making additional captures of men, artillery, and ammunition waggons, until the troopers and their horses were exhausted with the extraordinary exertions and fatigues they had undergone. Thus was one of the best-appointed and most gallant armies which France ever brought into the field nearly destroyed, and the reputation of the British troops and their distinguished leader exalted ”

“ The British horse [44] men were, however, only repulsed, not defeated: they soon rallied again, and, glowing with zeal to encounter so celebrated an enemy, they returned to the charge, when their valour and prowess prevailed; and the French squadrons being driven from the field, the remainder of their army retired immediately afterwards, leaving the allies victorious, but with the loss of many men killed and wounded, and the pursuit was not continued beyond the village of Quievrain. ”

“ The peaceful accession of His Majesty was followed by the most strenuous exertions of many of the partisans of the Pretender; and in 1715 they broke out into open rebellion under the Earl of Mar. The army was immediately augmented, and ten men per troop were added to the establishment of the Fourth Horse. Upon notice of a meditated rise at Bath, this regiment, with Sir Robert Rich's Dragoons, took possession of that city, where they seized a great quantity of arms. ”

“ The character and credit of the British Army must chiefly depend upon the zeal and ardour, by which all who enter into its service are animated, and consequently it is of the highest importance that any measure calculated to excite the spirit of emulation, by which alone great and gallant actions are achieved, should be adopted. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Sir John Fenwick appears to have been devotedly attached to the Stuart dynasty; and, having been advanced to the rank of Major-General in November, 1688, he refused to take the required oath to the Prince of Orange at the Revolution, and his regiment was given to Viscount Colchester. After the accession of William and Mary, Sir John did not abstain from corresponding with the dethroned monarch. After the decease of Queen Mary, he assisted in planning an insurrection in favour of King James, which was to have broken out in the winter of 1695-6, and he agreed to command a body of horse. ”

“ The allied army did not exceed 47,000 men, and the greater part of these were Spaniards: the British, owing to the neglect and apathy of the Spanish authorities, had been some time without a regular supply of provision, and the strength of the men was exhausted. In front was Marshal Soult, with 53,000 men, in the rear was a French army of about 40,000, on the right were impassable mountains, and on the left the river Tagus. Under these circumstances the British commander resolved not to attack the enemy, but to cross the bridge of Arzobispo, and take up a defensive line behind the river. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Before the opening of the following campaign the French army in the Peninsula was considerably reinforced; fresh troops, flushed with their recent German victories, were crowding into Spain, to the amount of nearly 100,000 men; and in the spring of 1810 the enemy's force in the Peninsula exceeded 300,000 men. The British commander could no longer calculate upon offensive operations: he, however, resolved to attempt the preservation of Portugal, and made his admirable arrangements accordingly. ”