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)
the Queen's Horse, the Greys, and the Irish Dragoons galloped through
the morass, crossed the high ground beyond it, and attacking the
enemy's left, routed the French cavalry, and cut several battalions of
infantry to pieces. The Greys charged into the village of Autreglize,
overthrew and sabred the infantry in the streets. Coming out of the
village, they encountered the famous French regiment du Roi, which
at once surrendered and delivered up its colours and arms to the
victorious Dragoons.
The contemporary account in the "London Gazette" was as follows:
"The horse of their left wing seemed to make a stand to gain time
for their foot to retire, but were charged so quickly and with so
much bravery by the English, that they entirely abandoned the foot,
and our Dragoons pushing into the village of Autreglize, made a
terrible slaughter. The French King's Own regiment of foot called
the regiment du Roi, begged for quarter, and delivered up their
arms and colours to Lord John Hay's Dragoons (the Greys)."
In connection with the battle of Ramillies, some account must be given
of a woman, Christian Davies, or Mother Ross, who served as a trooper
in the Greys until, fighting at Ramillies, her skull was fractured, and
her sex afterwards discovered.
In 1740 appeared a book of nearly 200 pages, purporting to record her
life and adventures; also in 1893 she was included in a volume called
"Women Adventurers," published by T. Fisher Unwin. The account of her
given in the D. N. B. seems excellent. Presumably she was brave, but
she seems to have been a very coarse woman. Born in Dublin in 1667,
she married Richard Welsh. He, without her knowledge, was in some way
forced to enlist in a foot regiment, and wrote letters to his wife
which never reached her. At last she heard of his being in the army,
and so disguised herself as a soldier to go in search of him.
She enlisted in Captain Tichborne's company of foot as Christopher
Welch. In a skirmish before the battle of Landen she was wounded, and
in the next year--1694--taken prisoner by the French, but exchanged.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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