The History of the 2nd Dragoons: "Royal Scots Greys"Almack, Edward
History
The History of the 2nd Dragoons: "Royal Scots Greys"
Almack, Edward
Great Britain. Army. Dragoons, 2nd (Royal Scots Greys)
7 in the evening), and that if they did not lay down their arms
immediately he would renew the attack, upon this they thought fit
to submit, and they, with all their regiments, were made Prisoners
at discretion."
CHAPTER II.
The campaign of 1704 closed with the Siege of Landau, the Greys forming
part of the army covering the siege. In September, when the King of the
Romans visited the British camp, the Duke of Marlborough placed himself
at the head of the "Royal Scots Dragoons" to receive his Majesty.
The interesting incident is thus entered by Hare in his Journal:
"On 2nd of October the King of the Romans came from before Landau,
to take a view of the Army commanded by his Grace at Weissembourg.
His Grace sent Colonel Cadogan to conduct His Majesty to the left
of the Army which was drawn out in two lines for this purpose. His
Grace there received and saluted His Majesty at the head of Lord
John Hayes' regiment of Dragoons, and afterwards accompanied His
Majesty along the lines, which appeared extremely fine and gave
great satisfaction to his Majesty."
In November they marched back to Holland for the winter, and in
Guelderland were joined by another remount from Scotland.
They were withdrawn from their cantonments early in May of 1705, and
after traversing Limburg, encamped near the banks of the river Maese,
where the Duke of Marlborough assembled the army for the purpose of
proceeding up the Moselle. After a halt of two days, the cavalry
crossed the Maese, and marched to Coblenz, and thence to Juliers. After
leaving this, they crossed a barren country to Triersweiler, where
the troops encamped on May 26th. Thence the Moselle and the Saar were
crossed, and plans made for offensive warfare. This was all frustrated
by Austrian delays and German commanders' jealousies. The Duke of
Marlborough resolved therefore to return.
At midnight on June 17th the troops decamped in the midst of a heavy
rain, and the Royal Scots Dragoons, with several other regiments,
formed up to cover the retreat through a long and narrow defile. No
enemy, however, appeared to interrupt the army, and retracing their
former steps by forced marches, the Greys reached the vicinity of
Maestricht on June 30th; when the French forces in the Netherlands
instantly ceased acting on the offensive, and took refuge behind their
lines.
[Illustration: "+Signatures of Colonel Agnew's Troop, for receipt of
Bountie monie, for Campaigne of 1704.+"]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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