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PART I

THE NINETEENTH LIGHT DRAGOONS

DROGHEDA'S HORSE--1759-1763

PAGE

PART II

THE NINETEENTH LIGHT DRAGOONS

War in America--Declaration of War by France--Increase of the Army--Orders for raising the 19th Light Dragoons--Uniform--Peace proclaimed--Reduction of Military Establishments--Regiment disbanded 10

THE TWENTY-THIRD, AFTERWARDS THE NINETEENTH LIGHT DRAGOONS

THE TWENTY-THIRD LIGHT DRAGOONS.

Alarming state of Public Affairs--Want of Cavalry in India--Orders for raising the 23rd Light Dragoons--Colonel Sir John Burgoyne--Regiment embark for India--Arrive in Madras--Desperate State of Affairs--Madras Misgovernment--Horses for the Regiment 19

TROUBLES AT MADRAS--1783-1785

CHANGE OF NUMBER--1786-1789

Regiment moved to Shevtamodoo--John Floyd--Number of regiment changed to 19th--Uniform--Sir William Howe appointed Colonel--Foundation of Indian native cavalry system laid by Floyd and the 19th Light Dragoons 58

WAR WITH TIPPOO--1790

War with Tippoo--19th take the field--Advance on Coimbatore--Division under Floyd detached towards Guzzulhutti Pass--Frequent skirmishes--Satyamunglum--Dispersion of the Army--Advance of Tippoo--19th hotly engaged--Tippoo's Body-Guard destroyed--Retreat from Satyamunglum--Casualties--March in pursuit of Tippoo--Private Parkes--The Tapoor Pass--Tippoo eludes pursuit, and ravages the Carnatic--Army returns to Madras 66

CORNWALLIS' CAMPAIGNS--1791-1792

Cornwallis takes command of the Army--Advance on Bangalore--Order of March--Floyd's reconnoissance--Imprudent advance--Floyd badly wounded--Casualties--Capture of Bangalore--Advance on Seringapatam--Battle of Arikera--Army in great straits--Forced to retreat--Junction of Mahratta contingent--19th sent to Madras--Rejoin Cornwallis--Advance on Seringapatam--Night attack--Floyd detached to meet Abercromby--Seringapatam invested--Peace made--Tippoo's hostages--19th return to Shevtamodoo 81

FALL OF MYSORE--1793-1799

France declares War--Expedition against Pondicherry--Surrender of Pondicherry--Peace reigns in India--Lunkia Naik--Floyd's large allowances--French adventurers in India--Tippoo's growing hostility--Disarmament of Nizam's force under French officers--Army formed under General Harris--Tippoo's intrigues--Galloper Guns--Advance on Mysore--Battle of Mallavelly--Seringapatam invested--The Bombay Army--The Rajah of Coorg--Signal guns--Seringapatam taken--Tardy recognition in England of services performed in India--Badge of "Seringapatam" 99

DHOONDIA WAO--1800-1802

Floyd leaves 19th--Dhoondia Wao--Force formed under Colonel Wellesley to capture him--Advance on Ranee Bednore--Capture of Koondgul, Dummul, Gudduck--Division of Dhoondia's force destroyed at Manoli--Dhoondia doubles back--Again hemmed in--Dhoondia crosses Malpurba river--Pursuit drawing to a close--Dhoondia caught at Conaghul--Dhoondia killed, and his force destroyed--19th return to Mysore--The Rajah of Bullum--Regiment ordered to Arcot 114

INDIA IN 1803

State of affairs in India in 1803--The Mahratta Confederacy--The Peishwa--Scindia--European Adventurers in India--Scindia's disciplined forces--Perron--Quarrels among the Mahratta Chiefs--Peishwa takes refuge in Bombay--Places himself under protection of the British--Scindia's hostility aroused--Mahratta combination against the British--Peishwa restored to Poona--Preparations for hostilities--Summary of campaign that followed 125

ASSAYE AND ARGAUM--1803-1804

Capture of Ahmednuggur--Battle of Assaye--Death of Lieut. Colonel Maxwell--Honorary Colour granted to 19th--Battle of Argaum--Capture of Gawilghur--Berar Rajah makes peace--Scindia makes peace--March against banditti--Their dispersal--Grant of badges for Assaye 136

THE VELLORE MUTINY--1805-1807

Lieut. Colonel Gillespie--19th at Arcot--Mutiny of Vellore--A military wonder--19th ordered to England--A quarter of a century's changes--The "Terrors of the East"--Farewell orders--19th land in England 157

WAR WITH UNITED STATES--1808-1813

THE NIAGARA FRONTIER--1814-1821

United States' plans--Attempt on Mackinaw--La Colle--State of affairs on Niagara frontier--Drummond's raid on Oswego-Dover--Advance of U.S. force--Capture of Fort Erie--Battle of Chippewa--Critical position of British force--Battle of Lundy's Lane--Retreat of U.S. forces--Fort Erie invested--Assault on Fort Erie--Sergeant Powell--Conclusion of operations on Niagara frontier--Prevost's abortive attack on Plattsburgh--Defeat of British squadron on Lake Champlain--Other operations--Bladensberg--Capture of Washington--General Ross killed--Victory at Baltimore--Expedition against New Orleans--Its defeat--Fort Bowyer captured--Treaty of Ghent--Sir William Payne--Sir John Vandeleur--Badge "Niagara" granted--Regiment returns to England--Equipped as Lancers--Embark for Ireland--Disbanded 193

PART IV

THE NINETEENTH "PRINCESS OF WALES' OWN" HUSSARS

RAISING OF THE REGIMENT--1858-1882

The East India Company raises European Cavalry regiments--Their formation--The Bengal 1st European Light Cavalry--Services transferred to the Crown--The "White Mutiny"--Made 19th Light Dragoons, afterwards Hussars--General Pattle--Regiment at Meerut--General Hall--Regiment ordered to England--Badges of old 19th Light Dragoons granted--Regiment ordered to Ireland--Guidons of old 19th Light Dragoons presented to the regiment--Regiment returns to England--Ordered on active service 220

TROUBLES IN EGYPT--1882-1884

CAMPAIGN ON THE NILE--1884-1899

Troubles in the Western Soudan--Expedition to relieve Khartoum--19th ordered up the Nile--Korti--The Desert Column--Action at Abu Klea--Action at Abu Krou--Quartermaster Lima killed--The horses--Metemmeh--Fall of Khartoum--Return of the Column--The River Column--Action at Kirbekan--Return of the Column--Summer Quarters--Regiment returns to Cairo--Squadron sent to Suakin--Serious losses--Returns to Cairo--Designation granted of "Princess of Wales' Own"--Death of Colonel Barrow--19th returns to England--Badge of "Mysore" granted--19th embarks for India--Bangalore--Secunderabad 246

Yearly Lists of the Officers of the Nineteenth 271

Casualties in the Nineteenth Hussars during the Egyptian Campaign of 1882 304

Special Honours granted to Nineteenth Hussars for Egyptian Campaign of 1882 305

Casualties in the Nineteenth Hussars during the Campaign near Suakin, 1884 306

Special Honours granted to Nineteenth Hussars for Campaign near Suakin, 1884 307

Casualties in the Nineteenth Hussars during the Soudan Campaign of 1885 310

Special Honours granted to Nineteenth Hussars for Soudan Campaign, 1885 311

Address to Nineteenth Hussars by General Lord Wolseley, G.C.B. Korti, 23rd March 1885 312

Report by Colonel Barrow on the Arab horses ridden by the Nineteenth Hussars during the Nile Campaign of 1885 313

PART I

THE NINETEENTH LIGHT DRAGOONS

DROGHEDA'S HORSE

From the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle , to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War , the peace, nominally existing between England and France, was continually broken, out of Europe, by both parties. In India, under the veil of alliance with opposing Native Princes, war was actively prosecuted, and it was with difficulty that British interests maintained a precarious footing in that country. In North America, the French claimed the whole continent, except the ill defined New England settlements along the coast, and denied the right of the English to trade in the interior. Keeping themselves in the background, they waged a bloody war against the English settlers, by means of the Indians, whom they subsidized, and whose disguise they often adopted. Both in the East and the West, French officials were acting with the support and countenance of the Court of Versailles, and the English officials on the spot were not slow to retaliate when occasion offered. It was evident that a crisis could not long be averted, but it was advantageous to the French to postpone an open rupture as long as possible, while the French navy was being strengthened. On the other hand, it was the interest of England to hasten the rupture, when war was seen to be inevitable, since the objects to be fought for were beyond the seas. The English navy was, at that time, greatly superior in strength to the French navy, while the French military forces were eight or ten times as strong as the English army, which had been greatly reduced since the conclusion of the late war. As time went on, less pains were taken to conceal the warlike measures undertaken on either side. In the beginning of 1755, Braddock's ill-fated expedition was dispatched to New England, while a counter-expedition for Canada was sent out from Brest and Rochefort, a few weeks later. Neither side was acting in good faith: on both sides, secret instructions for active hostilities were given to the commanders. In June, two French ships, with troops on board, were captured by Boscawen off the coast of Newfoundland. Exactly a month later, Braddock's force was cut to pieces by the French and Indians. Still the pretence of peace was preserved. In April 1756, a French expedition sailed from Toulon to attack Minorca, which for half a century had been a British possession. Byng's well-known failure to relieve Minorca ensued, and the place fell on 27th June.

Meanwhile the absurdity of maintaining the semblance of peace under such circumstances had become patent to the British cabinet, and in May, war was formally declared. In August, the coalition of France and Austria, soon to be joined by Russia, was declared against Prussia, and Great Britain found herself engaged in hostilities in Germany, India and America at the same time.

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