19th Light Dragoons
Encyclopedia
The 19th Light Dragoons was a cavalry regiment
of the British Army
created in 1781 for service in British India. The regiment served in India until 1806, and in North America during the War of 1812
, and was disbanded in Britain in 1821.
) as the 23rd Regiment of Light Dragoons
on 24 September 1781 for service in India. There had been no European cavalry to that date in India, and successive commanders there had called upon the regular British Army to supply a cavalry unit. The regiment arrived at Fort St. George, Madras in 1782 and became the first British cavalry regiment to serve in India. In 1786, the regiment was renumbered as the 19th Light Dragoons.
and Anglo-Maratha Wars
. Their first campaign was against Tipu Sultan
of Mysore from 1790 to 1792. After defeating Tipu, the 19th were on garrison duty until 1799 when war broke out with Tipu again. This time, the Sultan was killed during the Battle of Seringapatam
.
In 1800, the 19th fought Dhoondia Wao
's rebel army and in 1802, led by Major-General Arthur Wellesley
(who later became the Duke of Wellington
), they participated in the Battle of Assaye
. In this battle, the outnumbered British troops defeated a Maratha army and the regiment was subsequently awarded the battle honour
of "Assaye
" and presented with an honorary colour
.
The 19th Light Dragoons then spent time garrisoning various British outposts. They were stationed at Cheyloor in 1802, at Arcot in 1803, in Bombay in 1804, and at Arcot again from 1805 to 1806. The regiment was summoned to Vellore
on the night of 10 July 1806 to rescue the 69th Regiment of Foot who had been the victims of a revolt by Indian sepoy
s.
in 1812. The 19th were one of the only two British regular cavalry units that served in North America during the War of 1812, and the only one to serve in Canada. (The 14th Light Dragoons served in campaigns on the American coast.) The regiment's first three squadrons arrived at Quebec City
in May 1813 and were mounted on horses procured in Lower Canada
.
Two squadrons were sent to Upper Canada
where they were involved in the blockade and re-capture of Fort George
, and the destruction of Black Rock
and Buffalo
in New York State. Elements of the two squadrons participated in Colonel Thomas Pearson
's delaying action against Brigadier General Winfield Scott
's brigade during the American invasion of 1814. They subsequently fought at the Battle of Chippawa
, the Battle of Lundy's Lane
and the Siege of Fort Erie
. Another troop pursued American raiders who had struck at Battle of Malcolm's Mills
. For these actions, the regiment earned the battle honour of "Niagara".
The other squadron had been stationed south of Montreal
and participated in the Battle of Plattsburgh
. In the autumn of 1814, the two squadrons serving on the Niagara rejoined the other squadron. The regiment served south of Montreal until the end of the war. They were sent back to England in August 1816.
s in September 1816 and re-named the 19th Lancers. The regiment remained in Britain until it was disbanded on 10 September 1821 due to reductions in size of the British Army. In 1862, the 19th Royal Hussars
were created and given permission to inherit the battle honours of the 19th Light Dragoons.
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
created in 1781 for service in British India. The regiment served in India until 1806, and in North America during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, and was disbanded in Britain in 1821.
Formation
The 19th Light Dragoons was raised by Colonel Sir John Burgoyne (a cousin of General John BurgoyneJohn Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
) as the 23rd Regiment of Light Dragoons
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
on 24 September 1781 for service in India. There had been no European cavalry to that date in India, and successive commanders there had called upon the regular British Army to supply a cavalry unit. The regiment arrived at Fort St. George, Madras in 1782 and became the first British cavalry regiment to serve in India. In 1786, the regiment was renumbered as the 19th Light Dragoons.
India
The 19th played a major role in the Anglo-Mysore WarsAnglo-Mysore Wars
The Anglo-Mysore Wars were a series of wars fought in India over the last three decades of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company, represented chiefly by the Madras Presidency...
and Anglo-Maratha Wars
Anglo-Maratha Wars
The Anglo-Maratha Wars were three wars fought in India between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company:* First Anglo-Maratha War * Second Anglo-Maratha War...
. Their first campaign was against Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
of Mysore from 1790 to 1792. After defeating Tipu, the 19th were on garrison duty until 1799 when war broke out with Tipu again. This time, the Sultan was killed during the Battle of Seringapatam
Battle of Seringapatam
The Siege of Seringapatam was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore. The British achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Seringapatam and storming the citadel. Tippu Sultan, Mysore's...
.
In 1800, the 19th fought Dhoondia Wao
Dhoondia Wao
-Life:Imprisoned at Seringapatam by Tipu Sultan on charges of plundering, he escaped during the storming of that town. He set himself up in the Bednore district of north-western Mysore and as early as July 1799 become sufficient threat to Company interests that a Company force was sent against him...
's rebel army and in 1802, led by Major-General Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
(who later became the Duke of Wellington
Duke of Wellington
The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is a hereditary title in the senior rank of the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first holder of the title was Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington , the noted Irish-born career British Army officer and statesman, and...
), they participated in the Battle of Assaye
Battle of Assaye
The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company...
. In this battle, the outnumbered British troops defeated a Maratha army and the regiment was subsequently awarded the battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
of "Assaye
Assaye (battle honour)
.The Assaye battle honour was awarded by the Governor General of British India to all East India Company battalions and British Army regiments that took part of the Battle of Assaye...
" and presented with an honorary colour
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
.
The 19th Light Dragoons then spent time garrisoning various British outposts. They were stationed at Cheyloor in 1802, at Arcot in 1803, in Bombay in 1804, and at Arcot again from 1805 to 1806. The regiment was summoned to Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
on the night of 10 July 1806 to rescue the 69th Regiment of Foot who had been the victims of a revolt by Indian sepoy
Sepoy
A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...
s.
North America
The regiment embarked for England on 20 October 1806, and remained in Britain until the outbreak of the war with the United StatesWar of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
in 1812. The 19th were one of the only two British regular cavalry units that served in North America during the War of 1812, and the only one to serve in Canada. (The 14th Light Dragoons served in campaigns on the American coast.) The regiment's first three squadrons arrived at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
in May 1813 and were mounted on horses procured in Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
.
Two squadrons were sent to Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
where they were involved in the blockade and re-capture of Fort George
Fort George, Ontario
Fort George National Historic Site is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812...
, and the destruction of Black Rock
Black Rock, Buffalo, New York
Black Rock, once an independent municipality, is now a neighborhood of the northwest section of the city of Buffalo, New York. In the 1820s, Black Rock was the rival of Buffalo for the terminus of the Erie Canal, but Buffalo, with its larger harbor capacity and greater distance from the shores of...
and Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in New York State. Elements of the two squadrons participated in Colonel Thomas Pearson
Thomas Pearson
Thomas Pearson was a British soldier, who took part in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars, and in the War of 1812 against the United States of America....
's delaying action against Brigadier General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
's brigade during the American invasion of 1814. They subsequently fought at the Battle of Chippawa
Battle of Chippawa
The Battle of Chippawa was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during an invasion of Upper Canada along the Niagara River on July 5, 1814.-Background:...
, the Battle of Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
and the Siege of Fort Erie
Siege of Fort Erie
The Siege of Fort Erie was one of the last and most protracted engagements between British and American forces during the Niagara campaign of the American War of 1812...
. Another troop pursued American raiders who had struck at Battle of Malcolm's Mills
Battle of Malcolm's Mills
The Battle of Malcolm's Mills was a brief skirmish during the War of 1812 in which a force of American cavalry overran and scattered a force of Canadian militia. The battle was fought on November 6, 1814, near the village of Oakland, in Brant County, Ontario...
. For these actions, the regiment earned the battle honour of "Niagara".
The other squadron had been stationed south of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and participated in the Battle of Plattsburgh
Battle of Plattsburgh
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812...
. In the autumn of 1814, the two squadrons serving on the Niagara rejoined the other squadron. The regiment served south of Montreal until the end of the war. They were sent back to England in August 1816.
Disbandment
The 19th Light Dragoons were re-equipped as lancerLancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used in mounted warfare by the Assyrians as early as and subsequently by Greek, Persian, Gallic, Han-Chinese, nomadic and Roman horsemen...
s in September 1816 and re-named the 19th Lancers. The regiment remained in Britain until it was disbanded on 10 September 1821 due to reductions in size of the British Army. In 1862, the 19th Royal Hussars
19th Royal Hussars
The 19th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, created in 1857 and amalgamated to form the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.-History:...
were created and given permission to inherit the battle honours of the 19th Light Dragoons.