Historical Record of the Third, or Prince of Wales' Regiment of Dragoon Guards: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1838Cannon, Richard
History
Historical Record of the Third, or Prince of Wales' Regiment of Dragoon Guards: Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of Its Subsequent Services to 1838
Cannon, Richard
Great Britain. Army -- History; Great Britain. Army. Regiment of Dragoon Guards, 3rd
In August the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS were engaged in a general attack
upon the enemy's posts, near the Dymel; and afterwards crossed that
river and advanced to the vicinity of Cassel. In the early part of
November they were engaged in dislodging a French corps from its post
near _Capelnhagen_. On the 6th and 7th of that month they skirmished
with the enemy's advanced posts at _Eimbeck_, in the Electorate of
Hanover. On the same evening the Dragoon Guards, with several other
corps, marched through a heavy snow, and the following morning
arrived at _Foorwohle_, where they erected their tents; but just as
the encampment was formed, an alarm was given by the out-posts of
the advance of the enemy in force. The British horsemen instantly
formed, attacked the enemy with their accustomed gallantry, and drove
them back with loss. Prince Ferdinand was a spectator of this act of
gallantry, and expressed great admiration of the spirited conduct of
the officers and men.[50] This warfare by detached parties, which
occasioned considerable loss in men and horses from fatigue and
exposure to inclement weather, produced no decisive results; and in
the beginning of November the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS went into quarters
in East Friesland.
[Sidenote: 1762]
In the spring of 1762 the allies made an excursion into the country
of Berg, where they raised contributions. On the 18th of June the
main army encamped at Brakel, where the First and THIRD DRAGOON
GUARDS formed a brigade under the command of Major-General the Earl
of Pembroke. On the 20th of the same month the army advanced towards
the Dymel; and the French, under Marshals d'Etrées and Soubise moved
forward and encamped at _Groebenstien_; when a favourable opportunity
presenting itself, Prince Ferdinand immediately made dispositions for
attacking the enemy.
Moving from their camp at an early hour on the morning of the 24th
of June the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS, forming part of the centre column,
crossed the Dymel between Libenau and Silen, and took part in
surprising the enemy in their camp, and in driving them from their
ground, with the loss of their camp equipage and many prisoners.
At the same time a French corps, consisting of the grenadiers of
France, the Royal Grenadiers, the Regiment of Aquitaine, and other
troops, under the command of General Stainville, threw themselves
into the woods near Wilhelmsthal, to cover the retreat of the army;
when the THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS, with the main body of the allied army,
surrounded the wood, and nearly every man of this French corps was
either killed or taken prisoner, two battalions only escaping.
The THIRD DRAGOON GUARDS afterwards pursued the main body of the
French army in the direction of Cassel, and at night encamped on the
heights between Holtzhausen and Weimar.
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