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)
"To a remark made by one of the party that he supposed Ewart
must be very proud of the honour of having taken a French Eagle,
Dr. H. observed that he always seemed to speak of it with much
indifference, and that when once asked the name of the regiment
to which the Eagle belonged, he answered, with much sangfroid,
'The Invincible or the like.' The only exploit, Dr. H. observed in
continuance, of which Ewart appears to be proud, is the summary
revenge which he had an opportunity of taking for the death of Mr.
Kinchant, who was the cornet of his own troop.... On the morning
of the 18th, a little before 12 o'clock, the Scots Greys were
ordered to charge a body of French infantry at some distance,
which order they instantly proceeded to execute in a column of two
deep, Sergeant Ewart in this charge being the front man of Cornet
Kinchant. Ewart, on reaching the enemy, immediately singled out
a French officer, whom, from being a very expert swordsman, he
soon disarmed and was on the point of cutting him down, when Mr.
Kinchant, on hearing the officer crying out, 'Ah, mercy, mercy,
Angleterre,' said, 'Sergeant, Sergeant, spare his life, and let
us take him prisoner.' Ewart considering that moment as a period
for slaughter and destruction, and not the proper time for taking
prisoners, replied, 'As it is your wish, sir, it shall be done.'
(I ought to have said that the French officer, prior to Mr. K.'s
address to the Sergeant, had cried that he had surrendered and
was their prisoner and had dropped his sabre.) Mr. K. to whom the
French officer had delivered up his sword, addressed him in French
and ordered him to move to the rear. Ewart was preparing to proceed
in the charge when he heard the report of a pistol behind him, and
turning round, from a suspicion of some treachery, the first object
which met his eye was Mr. K. falling backwards over his horse,
apparently in a lifeless state, and the French officer attempting
to hide his pistol under his coat. Indignant at such a dastardly
act, Ewart instantly wheeled round, and was again entreated by this
villain for mercy in the same supplicating terms as before. The
only answer which he returned was, 'Ask mercy of God, for the deil
a bit will ye get at my hands,' and with one stroke of his sabre,
severed his head from his body, leaving it a lifeless trunk on the
field of battle."
[Illustration:
+Charles Ewart+, Serjeant in the +SCOTS GREYS+.
_CARRYING OFF THE_ =EAGLE= _BELONGING TO_
+ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED DIVISIONS+
of the
+FRENCH INFANTRY+.
at the
BATTLE OF WATERLOO:
_Which he captured in a CHARGE made by his REGIMENT about the
middle of the Action._
_From a Contemporary Print._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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