four cavalry regiments in the british army have borne the number nineteen.
the first was raised in ireland, in 1759, during the seven years’ war, and was known as drogheda’s horse. in 1763, its number was changed to eighteen, which number it bore till it was disbanded in 1821. the history of its achievements has been written by captain h. malet.
the second regiment that bore the number was raised at a critical period in our history, in 1779. it had but a brief and uneventful existence, and was disbanded in 1783.
the third regiment was raised as the twenty-third light dragoons in 1781, for service in india, where it was immediately sent; the first british cavalry regiment that went to india. on the disbandment of the second regiment, in 1783, the twenty-third was re-numbered the nineteenth, and, for fourteen years, it continued to be the only british cavalry regiment in india. during the twenty-four years of its sojourn in the east it bore a conspicuous share in every important military undertaking of the time, with the exception of the campaign against holkar when it was too far distant from the scene of action to take part. those twenty-four years, from warren hastings to wellesley, mark the turning point[viii] of our power in india. when the nineteenth landed at madras our very existence in southern india hung in the balance. the gallantry of our army was paralysed by the feebleness of the administration that directed their efforts. when the regiment re-embarked for england, the supremacy of our military power had been fully established. under their distinguished leader, john floyd, the nineteenth played no small part in the campaigns of 1790, ’91, and ’92, against tippoo, attracting to themselves an amount of interest in southern india that no other regiment did. they assisted at the capture of pondicherry, and the crowning victory of seringapatam. it was their good fortune to serve under the duke of wellington in the first independent commands he held in the field. they took part in the destruction of the noted freebooter dhoondia wao; a short but stirring campaign that deserves more notice than it generally receives. at assaye, the charge of the nineteenth and the native cavalry brigaded with them restored the fortunes of the fight at a critical moment. they played their part at argaum, and, a few months before sailing from india, were actors with gillespie in his remarkable feat at vellore. soon after the declaration of war by the united states against great britain, in 1812, they were sent to canada. the conditions of that war afforded little scope for cavalry action, so that the share of the nineteenth in the various operations was a subordinate one. the campaigns on the canadian frontier have been so completely eclipsed by our struggles against napoleon in europe, that the arduous nature of the lake and forest warfare carried on by a mere handful of british troops and canadian militia is hardly known. a squadron of[ix] the nineteenth, under an officer whose whole career was identified with the regiment, formed for eighteen months part of the small band that upheld the honour of the british arms under sir gordon drummond, at lundy’s lane and other actions on the niagara frontier. in the course of the wholesale reductions that took place after waterloo this fine regiment ceased to exist, and its place in the army list knew it no more.
the fourth regiment, the one that now bears the title of the nineteenth princess of wales’ own hussars, was originally raised by the east india company on the outbreak of the mutiny of the bengal army, and received its present number on the transfer of its services to the crown. in 1882, they formed part of the expedition to egypt under lord wolseley, to put down the rebellion of arabi pasha. in 1884, they formed part of the expedition to suakin under sir gerald graham, and fought at el-teb and tamai, suffering severe losses in the first of the two actions. in 1885, they were selected by lord wolseley to form part of the expedition to khartoum; the only horsemen that accompanied the force. the head quarters of the regiment formed part of the desert column, under sir herbert stewart, and fought at abu klea and abu krou, while a squadron of the regiment accompanied the river column, under general earle, and were present at the action at kirbekan. a third portion of the regiment was at the same time employed at suakin, where it experienced serious losses. for its services in 1885 the regiment was granted the distinctive title it now bears; a proof that it is no unworthy successor of the regiment that helped to strengthen the foundations of our power in india, under cornwallis, harris and wellington, and whose[x] honourable badges it wears, in addition to those it has won for itself.
the history of a regiment of the british army is part of the history of the empire at some of its most momentous epochs. to understand it properly, requires a setting of general history that cannot be dispensed with. in compiling these annals i have chiefly aimed at providing a work that shall be of interest and use to those who have served, or, in the future may serve, in the regiment. at the same time there is much which will, i believe, be of interest to the student of indian military history, and will not be unacceptable to the general reader.
the bones of british soldiers lie scattered far and wide. in every portion of the globe, their unmarked graves are strewed on mountain and plain, by stream and forest, by swamp and desert; silent witnesses of their devotion to their sovereign and country. but they have not died in vain, if the remembrance of their achievements survives, to swell the hearts and nerve the arms of their successors, and to remind their countrymen what they owe to their sufferings and their valour.
in compiling these annals i have received assistance from many unexpected sources. to mr w. c. l. floyd i am indebted for much assistance from the papers of his grandfather, under whom the 19th light dragoons won their spurs in the mysore campaigns; to major general gillespie, who has kindly placed at my disposal the only authentic portrait of his celebrated grandfather; and to lieut. general sir francis norman, who collected notes of the career of the old 19th light dragoons, many years ago. my thanks are also due to mr james wilson and major ernest cruikshank of the lundy’s lane historical[xi] society, who have done so much to rescue from oblivion the details of the war on the niagara frontier, and to mr douglas brymner, the dominion government archivist at ottawa. i am also indebted to mr s. m. milne for the kindly interest he has taken in my work; to lt. colonel frank barrow who placed at my disposal the letters written by his distinguished brother during the soudan campaigns of 1884 and 1885, to colonel k. j. w. coghill, c.b., who commanded the regiment at tel-el-kebir, and to colonel j. c. hanford, c.b. (formerly hanford-flood) who commanded the squadron with the river column, without whose encouragement and aid this work would not have been undertaken. i refrain from adding more names, but the list of those to whom my thanks are due is not exhausted.
