1786–1789
regiment moved to shevtamodoo—john floyd—number of regiment changed to 19th—uniform—sir william howe appointed colonel—foundation of indian native cavalry system laid by floyd and the 19th light dragoons.
one of the first acts of sir john dalling, after composing the quarrels between the civil government and the king’s troops in madras, was to draw up a scheme for brigading the troops in cantonments. the scheme never took shape, beyond the formation of a large cantonment, in february 1786, at wallajabad, near conjeveram, about fifty miles from madras. among the troops detailed for the new cantonment were the 23rd light dragoons. before[59] leaving their quarters at san thomé, they were reviewed by the commander-in-chief. being the only english cavalry regiment in the country, the review attracted some attention, and the following account was published in the madras courier for 29th march 1786.
walker & boutall ph. sc.
lieut: general sir john floyd bart.
from a portrait believed to be by a. w. devis.
“the review of the 23rd dragoons on saturday last, was far superior to any expectation that had been formed of it, displayed the most brilliant military exhibition that has ever been seen in india, and it is presumed, equal to any that has taken place at anytime in europe. it reflects the highest honour on the commanding officer, whose great military knowledge, joined to indefatigable exertions, has brought the regiment to that degree of perfection which, while it pleases and astonishes, teaches the very useful, though long doubted lesson, that men can be disciplined, and horses trained in this country equally as well as in europe. the most particularly striking man?uvre was a charge at full speed for near three hundred yards in a perfect line; and that of two squadrons dispersing, and pursuing, supported by the regiment; these were performed with the exactness of mechanical precision, and produced the most beautiful effect; but what is very extraordinary the horses were all perfectly obedient, and scarcely a single accoutrement of the riders was discomposed.
“a correspondent observes, that too much praise cannot be given to the 23rd dragoons, for the excellent manner in which they performed their man?uvres, at the review on saturday last; that the men were in the highest perfection of discipline; and that the officers, the finest body belonging to any one corps that he recollects to have seen, were so perfectly masters of every man?uvre, and led each motion with so much judgment, that it were impossible for any troops under them to make a single mistake.”
the 23rd light dragoons were not cantoned at wallajabad, but floyd was directed to select a spot within a certain indicated area. he fixed on shevtamodoo, about two miles from conjeveram, and nine miles from wallajabad.
“the spot is extremely beautiful, exceeding anything i have met with in india, except among the hills. my[60] barracks are building something within the edge of an open grove of immense tamarinds. the officers’ barracks are within the grove. a plain extends about half a mile in front, and something less in breadth along the north bank of the river paliar, above the ordinary level of the country, with a large lake on the other side of the ground towards its extremity, with a small woody island in it skirting the whole plain. the plain is sprinkled by nature’s masterly hand with enormous banyan trees, far exceeding the size of the very largest trees known in europe. my own barracks will stand at some distance, nearly in the middle of the plain, under the largest of these extraordinary trees.”[19]
it was here that floyd laid the foundation of that excellence in discipline and efficiency, that fitted the regiment to play the distinguished part it was destined in after years to fill, with such success, in the stirring affairs of southern india. this will be a suitable place to give some account of this distinguished soldier.
john floyd, born in 1748, was the son of an officer in the 1st dragoon guards who served at minden, and died in germany six weeks after the battle. in recognition of his father’s services, john floyd was given a commission in the 15th (elliott’s) light dragoons, in the year after the regiment was raised, and was present with it at the battle of emsdorf, on the 16th july 1760, when only twelve years old. there he had his horse shot under him, while charging the french ranks, and was only saved by a brother officer who cut down his assailant. the sword of the french hussar is still preserved in the family.
the 15th light dragoons under sir john elliott and lord pembroke were regarded at that time as the school for british light cavalry. lord pembroke had made a special study of military equitation, concerning which he had written a book,[20] that went through several editions,[61] and was a recognized text book on military riding. he interested himself in floyd, and took pains to give him a complete education, and made him a proficient horseman. later, on lord pembroke obtaining the command of the royal dragoons, he employed floyd for twelve months in teaching his system to that regiment. in 1777–78–79, floyd, under lord pembroke’s auspices, visited nearly every court in europe, and reported on their armies. in december 1778, he was appointed major of the 21st light dragoons, and, on the formation of the 23rd light dragoons for indian service, he was selected to be its lt. colonel. no better choice could have been made. a thorough soldier, and a horseman from his youth up, brought up in the school of two such cavalry soldiers as sir john elliott and lord pembroke, he was an enthusiastic believer in the power of cavalry. writing from san thomé in 1784, he says:
“you may depend upon it, the first military miracle that is to be performed in india, will be wrought by cavalry. no one here has an idea of that arm; a small body of well disciplined europeans on horseback, judiciously led, will defeat and destroy myriads of indian enemies. if i am of the party, it may perhaps afford me an opportunity of deserving your applause.”
all soldiers know how an able commander can impress his character on a regiment, to endure long after his connexion with it has ceased. such was the case with the regiment that gathered laurels as the 19th light dragoons, and no small part of its glory was due to its first lieutenant colonel, john floyd. the correctness of his views as to the great part cavalry might play, and the excellence of his system, were demonstrated on many a field in which the regiment fought during its career in india.
it has already been shown[21] how, in june 1783, the[62] 19th light dragoons and all cavalry regiments above that number, on the establishment in england, were disbanded. for three years, the fate of the 23rd seems to have hung in the balance. at last, on 26th april 1786, an order was issued to the effect that henceforward the regiment was to be numbered the 19th, instead of the 23rd, a designation under which it was destined to win itself fame and honour.[22]
before this, a change was made in the uniform of all the light dragoon regiments in the service. hitherto, all mounted regiments had worn scarlet. in 1784, it was determined to distinguish the light dragoons, by dressing them in blue, and the following order gives the whole dress in detail.
regulations for the clothing of the light dragoons, april 1784.
1784.
april.
the clothing of a private light dragoon to consist of a jacket and shell under waistcoat and leather breeches.
the jacket and shell to be of blue cloth, the collars and cuffs of the royall regiments to be red;—and those of the other regiments to be of the colour of the facing of the regiment, looped upon the breast, and edged with white thread cord, and to be lined with white, the 11th and 13th regiments excepted, which are to be lined with buff.
the under waistcoat to be of flannel with sleeves, and made so as to be buttoned within the waistband of the breeches.
the breeches to be of buckskin.
n.b.—the make of the dress and method of placing the cord upon the breast of the jacket, to be exactly conformable to the pattern approved of by his majesty.
[63]
officers and quarter masters.
the dress uniform of the officers and quarter masters of the light dragoons to be made according to the king’s regulation of the 19th december 1768, excepting that the coats are to be blue and faced with the same colour as the private men, and that the royall regiments are to be faced with scarlet.
field uniform of the officers and quarter masters.
the jacket and shell to be made up in the same manner as those of the men, excepting that the shell is to have sleeves, and that the looping is to be of silver, the 13th regiment excepted which is to be of gold.
serjeants.
the serjeants of the light dragoons to be distinguished by gold or silver looping.
corporals.
the corporals of the light dragoons to be distinguished by a gold or silver cord round the collar and cuff.
trumpeters.
the trumpeters to have a jacket and shell the colour of the facing of the regiment, with lace instead of looping in front and down the seams.
n.b.—a pattern suit of clothing made up according to these regulations, will be deposited at the army-comptroller’s office—horse guards.
no record now exists to show what facings were worn by the regiment up to this date. probably, their facings had never been decided on, owing to their departure from[64] england so soon after embodiment, as, in december 1786, an order was issued, approving a pattern of yellow cloth for their facings. the blue jacket with primrose yellow facings and white or silver braid, continued to be the uniform of the regiment till december 1802, when an order came into force for dragoon regiments, serving in india, to wear grey instead of blue. in february 1786 an order was issued directing the colonels of light dragoon regiments to supply their men with blue cloaks instead of red.
the vacancy caused by the death of sir john burgoyne was filled by the appointment of lieutenant general the hon. sir william howe,[23] k.b., colonel of the 23rd foot, to be colonel. he was an officer who had seen much active service, principally in america, where he had gained the reputation of a brave rather than of a skilful soldier. as a young man he took part in the conquest of quebec by wolfe, and led the forlorn hope of twenty-four men that forced the entrenched path by which wolfe’s force scaled the heights of abraham. he served at the siege of belleisle (1761), where he was wounded. he commanded the british troops at the pyrrhic victory of bunker’s hill; and gained victories over the revolted colonists at long island and at brandywine.
we get a glimpse of the regiment on 15th december 1788, when they were inspected by the governor and commander in chief, sir archibald campbell, who, in a minute to the rest of the government, recorded that “h.m.’s 19th regiment of light dragoons were complete in horses and accoutrements, and their discipline equal to any corps in europe.” in a general order he said “the rapid and accurate manner with which the several evolutions were performed, and the extraordinary velocity of[65] their charge, than which nothing could be more regular and correct, does infinite honour to colonel floyd and the officers under his command, by whose unremitting zeal and attention the discipline of the corps has been carried to so high a state of perfection.”
the regimental muster rolls for 1788 and 1789 show that the strength of the 19th, in those years, varied from 300 to 350 men present at shevtamodoo. the strength in horses seems to have exceeded that in men, but the wear and tear in horseflesh was apparently very great, and remounts in considerable numbers were constantly required.
it was during these years spent by the regiment at shevtamodoo, that the madras government dealt in earnest with the question of forming a service of native cavalry. to assist them in this work they selected floyd, who was given a free hand in all that concerned the discipline and equipment of the native regiments. the system founded by him may be said to have lasted nearly up to the present time.
from this time up to the date of their departure from india, the 19th light dragoons never ceased to furnish non-commissioned officers and privates as instructors to the native cavalry, not only in madras, but also in bengal. in every muster roll they are shown on duty, at madras, vellore, hyderabad, seringapatam, poonamallee, and other military stations in the madras presidency. in bengal there were always from four to sixteen sergeants, corporals, and privates on this duty, as long as the regiment was in india, and, for a time, some were on similar duty in bombay and poona. a general order, dated fort william 3rd december 1795, sanctions the sergeants of the 19th light dragoons “now on service in this presidency instructing the native cavalry, to receive the pay and allowances of sergeant majors of cavalry.” in 1798 a general order was issued, directing “the brass chapes and sockets to be[66] made up according to the pattern furnished by major general floyd.” and in december 1805, a few months before the regiment left india, each native cavalry regiment in the presidency was ordered to send a detachment to arcot, for instruction in one uniform system by lieutenant neville, 19th light dragoons. the system observed in the company’s native cavalry up till 1857, may be said to have been founded by colonel floyd and the 19th light dragoons.
