Historical Record of the Fourteenth, or the King's, Regiment of Light Dragoons by Richard Cannon

Author:Richard Cannon [Cannon, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Reference, Fiction & Literature, Classics
ISBN: 4064066135812
Google: 9CW2zgEACAAJ
Publisher: Good Press
Published: 2019-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

A squadron of the regiment and a squadron of the royal dragoons, on duty at Frexadas, were sharply engaged with a superior force of the enemy on the 28th of August, and highly distinguished themselves.

Marshal Massena invaded Portugal with such an immense superiority of numbers, that the British commander was under the necessity of withdrawing from the frontiers, and the Fourteenth and sixteenth light dragoons, with the first German hussars, had the honour of covering the retrograde movements. On the 24th of September the enemy skirmished with the piquets in front of Mortagao, from whence a squadron of the Fourteenth under Captain Thomas W. Brotherton, with one of the sixteenth and first hussars, covered the retreat of the light division four miles to some strong ground. The three squadrons repulsed four of French hussars; some of the enemy's dragoons approaching too close, were charged by the squadron of the Fourteenth, and overthrown with the loss of about thirty men. On the following morning the cavalry skirmishers exchanged a few shots, and the Fourteenth were employed in covering the retreat of the light division to the position of Busaco. During this retreat Captain the Hon. Henry Percy was taken prisoner while reconnoitring the flank movement of the enemy.

The Fourteenth were in reserve during the battle of Busaco on the 27th of September; and they were subsequently employed in covering the retreat of the army to the strong lines of Torres Vedras.

On the 1st of October, the out-posts were attacked and driven from the hills bounding the plain of Coimbra to the north, when three troops of the Fourteenth, under Major the Honourable Charles Butler, proceeded through the town, and formed the rear-guard on the main road from Coimbra to Pombal. The remainder of the regiment was formed on the plain, with the other cavalry corps, and withdrew before a superior force of the enemy, crossing the Mondego at a ford below the town, and skirmishing to prevent the passage of the river by the enemy.

The French army continuing to press forward, its advance-guard skirmished with the rear of the allies almost every day, and the Fourteenth light dragoons had frequent opportunities of exhibiting brilliant instances of the innate valour of British soldiers. At Rio Mandevilla the Fourteenth and sixteenth light dragoons, first German hussars, royal dragoons, and Captain Bull's troop of artillery, repulsed a very superior force of the enemy, on which occasion the first French hussars were nearly annihilated. The Fourteenth had six men and six horses killed; eight men and twelve horses wounded.

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