Historical Record of the Sixth, or Inniskilling Regiment of Dragoons: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1689, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Sixth, or Inniskilling Regiment of Dragoons: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1689, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1846
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Inniskilling Dragoons, 6th
During the campaign of 1760 the regiment was formed in brigade
with the tenth dragoons under Major-General the Earl of Pembroke;
and, after much manœuvring and some skirmishing was encamped at
Kalle. At the same time thirty thousand French troops, commanded
by the Chevalier de Muy, crossed the river Dymel, and took post
at _Warbourg_, to cut off the communication of the allies with
Westphalia. The INNISKILLING dragoons left the camp at Kalle
about eleven o'clock on the night of the 30th of June, passed the
Dymel near Liebenau, and about five on the following morning were
in position on the heights of Corbeke, from whence they advanced
to a wood within five miles of the enemy's position. The French
were attacked, and while the action was still raging, the British
cavalry were ordered forward. 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_; and
an historian of that date stated, that _they outdid all former
examples_.
The regiment had only two men and two horses killed; three men and
one horse wounded, and three horses missing.
The French retired from their camp beyond the Dymel on the 22nd of
August; when the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick crossed the river
with twelve thousand men to gain the enemy's left flank. His
leading corps encountered the enemy's rear-guard near _Zierenberg_,
and a sharp skirmish ensued. At length the Prince brought forward
the Greys and INNISKILLING dragoons; a gallant charge of the two
regiments decided the contest; and the French were driven into the
town.
The French army encamped beyond _Zierenberg_, and the volunteers
of Clermont and Dauphiné, amounting to about nine hundred cavalry
and a thousand infantry, were quartered in the town. After sunset,
on the evening of the 5th of September, the Greys, INNISKILLING,
and Bock's dragoons, two regiments of infantry, and one hundred and
fifty Highlanders, crossed the Dymel, and arriving at Zierenberg
before daybreak, forced the guard and entered the town. A dreadful
slaughter was made of the enemy in the streets, and a sharp
encounter with the bayonet took place in the churchyard; between
three and four hundred prisoners were captured; also two pieces of
cannon; and at three o'clock the assailants retired to Warbourg,
having lost only ten men. It was stated in the London Gazette, that
'_the behaviour of the officers and the bravery of the troops, on
this occasion, deserve the greatest commendation_.'
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