Si*S:i: \ l:;i| THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND DRAGOONS "Royal Scots Greys" THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND DRAGOONS 99 "Royal Scots Greys "•' •••• '-•: :.'': BY EDWARD ALMACK, F.S.A. ^/>/4 Forty-four Illustrations LONDON 1908 ^7As LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. Aberdeen University Library, per P. J. Messrs. Cazenove & Son, London, W.C. Anderson, Esq., Librarian Major Edward F. Coates, M.P., Tayles Edward Almack, Esq., F.S.A. Hill, Ewell, Surrey Mrs. E. Almack Major W. F. Collins, Royal Scots Greys E. P. Almack, Esq., R.F.A. W. J. Collins, Esq., Royal Scots Greys Miss V. A. B. Almack Capt. H.R.H. Prince Arthur of Con- Miss G. E. C. Almack naught, K.G., G.C.V.O., Royal Scots W. W. C. Almack, Esq. Greys Charles W. Almack, Esq. The Hon. Henry H. Dalrymple, Loch- Army & Navy Stores, Ltd., London, S.W. inch, Castle Kennedy, Wigtonshire Lieut.-Col. Ash BURNER, late Queen's Bays Cyril Davenport, Esq., F.S.A. His Grace The Duke of Atholl, K.T., J. Barrington Deacon, Esq., Royal etc., etc. Western Yacht Club, Plymouth C. B. Balfour, Esq. Messrs. Douglas & Foulis, Booksellers, G. F. Barwick, Esq., Superintendent, Edinburgh Reading Room, British Museum E. H. Druce, Esq. Lieut. E. H. Scots Bonham, Royal Greys Second Lieut. Viscount Ebrington, Royal Lieut. M. Scots Borwick, Royal Greys Scots Greys Messrs. Bowering & Co., Booksellers, Mr. Francis Edwards, Bookseller, Lon- Plymouth don, W. Mr. W. Brown, Bookseller, Edinburgh Lord Eglinton, Eglinton Castle, Irvine, Major C. B. Bulkeley-Johnson, Royal N.B. Scots Greys Lieut. T. E. Estcourt, Royal Scots Greys 9573G5 VI. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. R. D. Capt. FoRDYCE, Royal Scots Greys W. R. Mitchell, Esq., 68, Washington Mr. H. G. Gadney, Bookseller, Oxford Place, New York, U.S.A. The Galignani Library, Booksellers, Paris Lieut. A. R. MoNCRiEFF, Royal Scots Greys J. Hamilton, Esq., Houldsworth, Castle- Second Lieut. Hon. F. C. Montgomerie, bank, Lanark, N.B. Royal Scots Greys Second Lieut. E. J. Hardy, Royal Scots Alexander Moring, Esq. Greys Clement O. E. Nicholson, Esq., late Lieut. S. J. Hardy, Royal Scots Greys Royal Scots Greys Capt. Claudius Shirley Harris, 90, H. Stafford O'Brien, Blatherwyche Park, Woodstock Road, Oxford Wansford, Northamptonshire Cecil Capt. The Hon. A. M. Henley, 5th W. Otway, Esq., Royal Scots Greys Lancers, York Second Lieut. H. D. Pender, Royal Scots Walter Johnson, Esq., Armcliffe Hall, Greys Northallerton Lieut. F. A. U. Pickering, Royal Scots Mr. G. P. Johnston, Bookseller, Edinburgh Greys Percy R. Laurie, Esq., Royal Scots Greys J. J. Readman, Esq. Capt. W. E. Lawrence, Royal Scots Greys Messrs. Robson & Co., Booksellers, Major A. Lawson, Royal Scots Greys London, W. Major The Hon. R. H. Lindsay The Right Hon. The Earl of Rosebery, Capt. and Adj. W. Long, D.S.O., Royal K.G., etc., etc. Scots Greys Capt. Hon. A. J. M. St. Clair, Royal Lieut. C. J. A. Maberly, 5th Lancers Scots Greys " Mrs.N. Maberly, i4The Avenue, Clifton, Mrs. Sanderson, Glenlaggan," Parton, Bristol N.B. Messrs. Macniven & Wallace, Book- Major-General H. Scobell, C.B., Com- sellers, Edinburgh mander 1st Cavalry Brigade, Alder- Lieut. W. M. DuGuiD McCombie, Royal shot Scots Greys Capt. A. G. Seymour, Royal Scots Greys Capt. Geo. Middleton, Royal Scots Greys, The Signet Library, Edinburgh Wilderness, Kelmarsh, Northampton Col. Smythe, of Methven Col. A. D. Miller, D.S.O., Royal Scots J. M. F. Sprot, Esq., of Riddell, Rox- Greys burghshire, Lieut. Royal Scots Greys LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. Vll. John Stansfeld, Esq., late Capt, Royal Lieut.-Col. Welby, M.P., 26, Sloane Scots Greys, Dunninald, Montrose Court, Chelsea, S.W. Capt. F. SwETENHAM, Royal Scots Greys Col. Coventry Williams, late Royal Scots Toronto Public Library Greys Capt. H. B. TowsE, Royal Scots Greys Second Lieut. J. M. Wilson, Royal Scots Col. F. J. A. Wallace, Arrandale, Ayre, Greys N.B. A. B. Winch, Esq., Royal Scots Greys r '"/< ,-' ' "^ - / C> f ->' ^ . CC'.'OO ftA /j _ jJ J- . ^ ' ' ' " -J 'a>-ii^ i^-^' ci4 0-t«if^ 7 q'/'u^- /ovjv':f jJi^T-TT. /-; T^v\, '^'"^-^'^ •a:^:7/:- 7/:^-^i' i.c^it^ft^j-'-^-ir^ic^arp- '^;..^, .^.^-^ -^ . c 7 V ^r- ^ S?;a.-i' oV^ 1^ .V^"/J c^J-6^./5 yA-x.t.^- J ;;l:o<,^ /J^^: c^ :"^ - / r r cr^^vV c«X>. <<.., " A.'tiWvvtA . /„-i- A<Ai/- L-f _^^ Ji^^vvx|f ^vAv^ ^•-.''Af'N 4J-T.'. ? : c>' ^' «> .' o /<? J (;> I •,! J-- 9f, 8 f " rt^fa,^^'^ ^- ^^i;'/^^^ /^r—' ^V?^ 4 ^M'i^m f/i^nta^ c^^iJ^m*/ '<4^\o^}ni*^S ^.' i^d~^/^ ^Htafiif^ i "Ane Account deu be Thomas Dalzell of bins for his fathers funerall, TO George Porteous the 2 of Sept 1685." PREFACE. In bidding farewell to this book before publication, I am most or anxious to thank with hearty sincerity all those who, as past present officers and friends of this historic regiment, have helped my efforts. There are two names above all that I must most particularly record— that of Colonel the (i.) Coventry Williams, lately commanding Greys, who has helped in so many details, though I can only particularly refer readers to pages 291, 292 and 293. Colonel Williams is the half- brother of Captain Williams, a portrait of whom, as he stands by his charger, I have been able to include in this volume, and who, as named by Kinglake (quoted on page 78), brought the Greys out of action at Balaclava. There, too, Kinglake refers to the anonymous officer whose Crimean recollections are given on pages 80 to 84. That officer has since died, and so, too, has Russell, the famous Times correspondent, with whom he was exchanging affectionate greetings. In the next I must record to (ii.) place my gratitude Major Lindsay, who has shown the keen instinct native to the noble house of Crawford. His grandfather opened his famous record with this quotation from " Schir David Lyndesay of the Mont allias lyoun herauld king of " Armes : — " Who that antique stories reads Consider may the famous deeds Of our nobil progenitours ; Which should to us be right mirrours, Their virtuous deedis to ensue, And vicious living to eschew." The fact is that to hold the King's commission in the Royal Scots Greys inspires a host of chivalrous thoughts and memories. Picture the simple pride shown in the laconic words quoted on page 293, "Greys, from your right number off ten!" and see pages 52 to 74. Here are letters from Francis Charlton Kinchant, who received his commission on i8th January, 18 15, and was killed at Waterloo. After b X. PREFACE. writing to a friend accounts describing how zealously he was learning " to practise the art of war, he goes on : The regiment is without doubt the best and the most crack cavalry corps in the service. I don't think there is a private in it under 5 feet 1 1 inches." The next personal allusion, describing the uniform of the corps, is to his " own father : Our dress altogether is extremely rich and consequently costs lots of money. The Court dress coat alone is 40 guineas. It is covered with lace from head to foot. The jackets are handsome, but they cost ^15. 15. each. Every other part of the equipment is equally as expensive. In fact we make a most dashing appearance. I should like much to meet the old Buck at Bath or Clifton. I do not think he would know his hopeful son." It is interesting to identify the noble Colonel James Gardiner, killed at Preston Pans, as an officer in the Greys. Of course the regiment has always held a peculiarly interesting position. For instance, it does not join the ordinary rota for foreign service. It shares with a very few the privilege of having a special honorary Colonel-in-chief. Before writing of Sir Thomas Dalyell, the first colonel of the regiment, I wish to thank most cordially Mrs. Cornwall Dalyell of The Binns, who most kindly allowed photographs to be taken of the manuscripts of (and relics pertaining to) Sir Thomas Dalyell himself. Thomas Dalyell or Dalzell, of Binns, was born about 1599, and seems to have taken part in the Rochelle expedition in 1628, as captain in the Earl of Morton's regiment. In 1640 he was serving under Major Robert Monro at Aberdeen. He accompanied Monro in his expedition to Ireland, 8th April, 1642, having obtained a commission as colonel to command 2,500 men. On 6th May, 1651, he was appointed by the King as General-Major of Foot, and fought at Worcester on 3rd September. He was taken prisoner and committed to the Tower, but escaped to the Continent. In March, 1654, he appeared off the northern coasts of Scotland, and helped in the rebellion a free in the Highlands in that year. Although reward and pardon were offered to anyone who would give him up, dead or alive, he again escaped to the Continent, and received from Charles a special PREFACE. xi. letter of thanks, dated Cologne, 30th December, 1654. On 19th July, 1666, he was appointed Commander-in-chief in Scotland. Captain " : was bred from his Crichton wrote of him He up very hardy youth ; he never wore a peruke, nor did he shave his beard since the murder of King Charles the First. He died on Sunday evening, 23rd August, 1685." E. A. ERRATA. " " " p. 76. For India read Brighton, 1 841, Exeter, 1 842 and 1 843." P. 84, last line. Add Middelburg, 1 904. P. 102, 1. 22. For Capt. C. B. Bulkeley Johnston read Capt. C. B.