Richard Cannon

“ 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. ”

“ He only regrets that circumstances have not afforded the whole of the troops such an opportunity of displaying their most brilliant talents, as their companions in arms have so gallantly availed themselves of. To conclude, he can only say, that he has never been, in any part of the world, with troops whom he should be so happy to have the honour to command again, or with whom he would so willingly undertake the most arduous services. ”

“ The expressions of approbation of the gallantry of the regiment when employed on active service, as announced, on several occasions, in public orders;—and the testimony borne by the general officers under whom it has, from time to time, been employed, to the excellence of its appearance, system, and conduct,—fully support the claim of the regiment to the favour of the crown, the confidence of the government, and the admiration of the country. ”

“ In the same year a detachment of eighty-six officers and soldiers,—convalescents left at Kaira on the march of the regiment into Candeish,—joined the force assembled in the province of Cutch, under Major-General Sir William Grant Keir. The extirpation of the Pindarees, a community of robbers associated for the undisguised object of subsisting by plunder, and amounting to from twenty-five to thirty thousand horsemen, was become an imperative duty to the British subjects in India. ”

“ The enemy was repulsed; the army resumed its march, and one troop of the regiment, being in advance, took part in putting to flight a body of Americans. Having crossed the channel to Sandy Hook, the army embarked from thence for New York.
Soon after their return from Philadelphia the strength of the Seventeenth was increased by [24] the receipt of many effective men and all the serviceable horses from the Sixteenth Light Dragoons, which corps was ordered to return to Great Britain; the horses were many of them American, as the Sixteenth had only eighty English horses left. ”

“ Passing the heights at day-break, the regiment moved towards Bedford, where it arrived about half-past eight o'clock, and immediately attacked a large body of Americans, who were quitting the woody heights to join their army in the fortified lines at Brooklyn; some desultory fighting took place, in which the Seventeenth evinced great gallantry;—Lieutenant William Loftus particularly distinguishing himself,—and the Americans were driven back with severe loss: General Sulivan, two brigadier-generals, and ten field officers being among the prisoners. ”

“ The Seventeenth routed the American cavalry at the village of Jamaica, and at the close of the action Lieut.-General Clinton and Brigadier-General Sir William Erskine thanked the officers and men of the regiment for their gallant conduct. General Sir William Howe [18] stated in his public despatch, "The behaviour of both officers and soldiers, British and Hessians, was highly to their honour. More determined courage and steadiness in troops have never been experienced, or a greater ardour to distinguish themselves." ”

“ The Americans retreated, but were overtaken, attacked, and one hundred and fifty men killed, wounded, and taken prisoners; their baggage was also captured, and sold for the benefit of the troops employed in this service.
Three thousand Americans, under the Marquis de la Fayette, took post on Barren Hill, seven miles in advance of General Washington's camp, and a detachment of the regiment formed part of the force sent against this portion of the American army. On the morning of the 21st of May, as the British approached, the Marquis de la Fayette made a precipitate retreat ”

“ On the 6th of May Lieut.-Colonel Tarleton advanced at the head of a patrole of one hundred and fifty men of the Seventeenth and dragoons of the legion, to gain intelligence, when he was overtaken by a loyal American, who informed him that a strong body of the enemy's cavalry had taken a British foraging party, of an officer and [29] seventeen mounted light infantry, prisoners, and was moving towards Lenew's ferry. Stimulated by this news, the patrole quickened its pace, and arrived at three in the afternoon in the presence of the enemy's videts. ”

“ The French monarch having acknowledged the independence of the revolted British provinces, and concluded a treaty with them, the nature of the war became so far changed that the evacuation of Philadelphia took place, and the army proceeded to New York. In the march from Philadelphia, through the Jerseys, the Seventeenth were actively employed, and performed much severe and harassing duty; the route lying through woods, over rivers, and along difficult roads, with the enemy hovering on the flanks and rear, occasioned the services of the light cavalry to be much required. ”

“ While the Seventeenth were in Ireland, they had the reputation of being a well-disciplined and an efficient corps, and on the breaking out of hostilities, in 1775, between Great Britain and her North American colonies, the high character of the regiment occasioned it to be the first cavalry corps selected to proceed across the Atlantic. ”

“ The usefulness and efficiency of the Seventeenth Regiment of Lancers;—the steadiness, good conduct, and attention to the rules of discipline, evinced by the soldiers;—and the admirable quality and training of the horses, afford abundant proof of the zealous and constant superintendence of the officers, and their regard to the credit and honour of the corps. ”

“ The Seventeenth and Tarleton's legion were quartered at Beaufort, from whence they proceeded to join Brigadier-General Patterson, who was proceeding from Savannah, with a body of infantry, to reinforce the expedition under Sir Henry Clinton, who had undertaken the siege of Charlestown. The inhabitants of the country through which the detachment had to travel [27] having heard of the loss of the cavalry horses at sea, many of them equipped themselves as cavaliers, to confine the British to the line of march, and prevent them collecting horses in the country. ”

“ Information having been communicated to Lieut.-Colonel Stanhope that a considerable party of Pindarees had appeared within a forced march of his camp, a detachment was immediately put in motion, and arrived in sight of the enemy after a march of thirty miles. The dragoons immediately formed and attacked the Pindarees, who, after a show of resistance, betook themselves to flight, closely pursued by the detachment, which cut down upwards of two hundred horsemen. ”

“ 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 services of the British troops in the [36] Carolinas, are spoken of in the 'Annual Register' of 1781, in the following terms:—"It is impossible to do justice to the spirit, prudence, and invincible fortitude displayed by the commanders, officers, and soldiers during these dreadful campaigns in the Carolinas. They had not only to contend with men, and those by no means deficient in bravery or enterprise, but they encountered and surmounted difficulties and fatigues from climate and country that would appear insuperable in theory, and incredible in relation. ”

“ During renewed successions of forced marches, under a burning sun, and in seasons inimical to man, they were frequently, when sinking under excessive fatigue, not only destitute of comforts, but even of necessaries that seemed essential to existence. ”

“ When Earl Cornwallis advanced into North Carolina, the Seventeenth were left in South Carolina, under the command of Lord Rawdon, and had to perform duties which called forth the intelligence, activity, and bravery of the officers and soldiers. The occupation of posts distant from each other gave the light cavalry left in the province full employment in keeping up the communications. Many of the inhabitants were hostile to the royal cause ”

“ Serjeant Stephenson was offered a commission in an infantry corps, as a reward for his conduct on this occasion, which he declined at the recommendation of several officers, who hoped to be able to procure him promotion in his own regiment; but they either fell victims to the climate or were removed to other corps, and he died, on service with his regiment at Bombay, in 1813. ”

“ He commanded a squadron of the Seventeenth on Long Island, distinguished himself in the driving back of the American piquets, and also at the battle of Brooklyn. Crossing the river to New York he had further opportunities of signalizing himself, and in the spring of 1777 he served in the Jerseys, where the squadron under his orders had several rencounters with detachments of the enemy. In the following winter he proceeded to Philadelphia, was actively employed in the spring of 1778 in various services in Pennsylvania, and was engaged in covering the march of the army from thence to New York. ”

“ In 1770 he was appointed Governor of Limerick, when he was succeeded in the colonelcy of his regiment by Colonel Preston. He was promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1772, to that of Lieut.-General in 1777; and to that of General on the 12th of October, 1793. He died on the 20th of March, 1806, at the Plantations, near Guisborough, Yorkshire, leaving behind him seventeen children. ”

“ After travelling one hundred and five miles in fifty-four hours, the detachment approached Wacsaw, on the confines of South Carolina, at three o'clock in the afternoon of the 29th of May, and the advance-guard, overtaking the enemy's rear, took a serjeant and four American light dragoons prisoners. Three hundred and eighty American infantry, a detachment of cavalry, and two six-pounders, formed for battle in an open wood; the British, though not half so numerous, (many men and the only gun with the detachment being unable to keep up,) moved forward in three columns to charge their opponents ”

“ On the 30th of August he embarked with his regiment from Louisburg, and proceeded to the support of Major-General Abercromby, who had been repulsed in an attack on the French fort of Ticonderago, on the west shore of Lake Champlain. In 1759 he commanded [76] the Forty-seventh in the expedition against Quebec, under Major-General James Wolfe, and when appointed to this arduous enterprise, he was honoured with the local rank of Colonel in America. Sailing up the river St. ”

“ In this enterprise the British had only two men and four horses killed; the patrole joined the troops under Lieut.-General Earl Cornwallis on the same evening, but upwards of twenty horses died of fatigue.
Charlestown surrendered to the British arms on the 12th of May. Soon after this event the Seventeenth were attached to the troops under Lieut.-General Earl Cornwallis, and marched up [30] the north-east bank of the Santee river in pursuit of a body of Americans under Colonel Burford, who was retreating to North Carolina. ”

“ Lawrence a landing was effected, and several actions took place, in which Colonel Hale was distinguished for the cool and steady manner in which he led the Forty-seventh into the fight. At the battle of Quebec, on the 13th of September, 1759, Major-General Wolfe fell, mortally wounded, while in the act of leading the Twenty-eighth Foot to the charge with bayonets ”

“ Having embarked for Ireland in May, 1803, the regiment experienced much severe weather on the passage; it landed at Dublin, and war with France having been resumed, two troops were added to the establishment. ”