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)
"His Royal Highness, therefore, called the Cavalry off and sent
word to the Marshal that he should retire towards Maestricht, and
would move towards Velt Wesel and Lanaken to favour his Retreat.
This done, he retired the left wing slowly and in good order,
bringing off all the heavy field artillery. His Royal Highness gave
the greatest commendation to His Majesty's British and Electoral
troops, of which there was not a squadron or Battalion which did
not charge and beat the enemy more than once. The Scots Greys,
the Duke's, Rothe's, the 6th Inniskilling, and Sir Robert Rich's
Dragoons, gave the French cavalry a prodigious overthrow and took
several standards.
"The Brigade of Scotch and Irish in the French service fought
desperately, and would have taken the Duke of Cumberland prisoner,
had not Sir John Ligonier come up with a party of cavalry and
thereby saved His Royal Highness.
"The Allies took five standards and seven pair of Colours. In this
Battle the Regiment suffered severely. The allies passed to the
eastern side of the Meuse immediately after the Battle of 2nd of
July. Encamped at Gronfelt. The French laid siege to Bergen Op Zoom:
"Several sallies and skirmishes. In August the Allies moved nearer
to Liege. The French had their left towards Tongress and their
right towards Liege.
"Bergen Op Zoom taken by the French 16th September.
"In October the troops went into winter quarters on the Dutch
Frontier in the neighbourhood of Breda.
"The Duke of Cumberland and General Ligonier arrived in England
13th November.
"20th November five regiments of Foot embarked at Gravesend for
Flanders."
[The latter part of the foregoing extract is curiously worded; but I
have made no alterations.--E. A.]
CHAPTER III.
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle was signed on October 7th, 1748, and the
Greys returned to England, and were stationed at Leicester, Coventry,
and Warwick. By the usual mean and miserable policy, or want of any
policy, the Regiment was at once reduced to 285 officers and men!
(In time of peace, always take care not to be prepared for war.) In
December, 1749, the Regiment went into quarters in Kent, and was
employed on revenue duty on the coast. In 1750 they were in Sussex and
Devon, and in 1751 in Dorsetshire. The Regiment marched into Lancashire
in the spring of 1753; with detached troops in Somersetshire, where
it was stationed during the following year; and in the spring of
1755 proceeded to Northampton and other towns in that part of the
kingdom. Complications now coming to a point about British and French
possessions in North America, the Regiment's establishment was made up
to 357 of all ranks, and very soon a light troop was added, in the same
way as light companies had been added to regiments of infantry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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