Historical Record of the Seventh, or the Queen's Own Regiment of Hussars: Containing an Account of the Origin of the Regiment in 1690, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1842Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Seventh, or the Queen's Own Regiment of Hussars: Containing an Account of the Origin of the Regiment in 1690, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1842
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Queen's Own Hussars, 7th
Marshal Soult concentrated his forces behind the Pau at _Orthes_;
the allies advanced to attack him; and the SEVENTH HUSSARS, having
crossed the river, were engaged in driving the enemy from his
position on the 27th of February. About 10 o'clock the regiment
was ordered to cover the sixth division and the guns; and when
the French gave way, it dashed forward in pursuit, and by a
brilliant charge it overthrew a body of opponents, and took sixty
prisoners: this occurred about 3 o'clock. Shortly afterwards
the regiment was again ordered to charge, and being led forward
by Colonel Kerrison with signal gallantry, it was once more
successful, and sixteen officers, with about seven hundred men,
were made prisoners. The Marquis of Wellington observed in his
public despatch: "Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton took
advantage of the only opportunity which occurred, to charge with
Major-General Lord Edward Somerset's brigade in the neighbourhood
of _Sault de Navailles_, where the enemy had been driven from the
high road by Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill. _The_ SEVENTH
HUSSARS _distinguished themselves upon this occasion, and made many
prisoners_."
The regiment had four men and five horses killed; Major William
Thornhill, Captain P. A. Heyliger, Lieutenant Robert Douglas, nine
men, and eleven horses wounded.
After the battle of Orthes the SEVENTH HUSSARS were employed a
short time at Villeneuve de Marsan, in the department of the
Landes; also at Roquefort and Captieux, in protecting the rear
of the army from the depredations of parties of brigands. From
these quarters the regiment advanced, and rejoining the army near
_Toulouse_, supported the infantry in the action at that place on
the 10th of April.
When the French withdrew from Toulouse, the regiment moved forward
and was employed in the out-post duty.
At length hostilities were terminated by the abdication of
Bonaparte and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty. Thus a war
of unprincipled aggression, begun in acts of fraud and perfidy,
and carried on with treachery, cruelty, and rapine, ended with the
downfall of its author, and the humiliation and dispersion of his
boasted invincible legions.
After the termination of hostilities, the regiment reposed a month
in village cantonments; and on the 1st of June commenced its march
for Boulogne, where it embarked for England, and, after landing,
it marched to Romford, and in September to Brighton. Its services
were subsequently rewarded with the honour of bearing the word
"PENINSULA" upon its appointments.
[Sidenote: 1815]
Riots having occurred in London towards the end of February and in
the beginning of March, 1815, in consequence of the introduction
into Parliament of a bill to regulate the importation of grain,
the SEVENTH HUSSARS were suddenly ordered to proceed thither from
Brighton.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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