PREFACE

 Four cavalry¹ regiments³ 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 regiment² 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 sojourn⁴ in the East it bore a conspicuous⁵ share in every important military undertaking⁶ 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 supremacy⁷ of our military power had been fully⁸ established. Under their distinguished⁹ 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 noted¹⁰ 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 remarkable¹¹ feat¹² 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 arduous¹³ nature of the lake and forest warfare¹⁴ carried on by a mere¹⁵ handful of British troops and Canadian militia¹⁶ 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 wholesale¹⁷ 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 distinctive¹⁸ 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] honourable¹⁹ 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 momentous²⁰ epochs. To understand it properly, requires a setting of general history that cannot be dispensed²¹ 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 scattered²² far and wide. In every portion of the globe, their unmarked graves are strewed²³ 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 swell²⁴ 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 kindly²⁵ placed at my disposal the only authentic²⁶ portrait of his celebrated²⁷ 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 Dominion²⁸ 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 exhausted²⁹.

1 cavalry   

n.骑兵；轻装甲部队

参考例句：

• We were taken in flank by a troop of cavalry. 我们翼侧受到一队骑兵的袭击。
• The enemy cavalry rode our men down. 敌人的骑兵撞倒了我们的人。

2 regiment   

n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制

参考例句：

• As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。
• They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

3 regiments   

（军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物

参考例句：

• The three regiments are all under the command of you. 这三个团全归你节制。
• The town was garrisoned with two regiments. 该镇有两团士兵驻守。

4 sojourn   

v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留

参考例句：

• It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间，那将是太不近人情的。
• I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间，觉得体力日渐恢复。

5 conspicuous   

adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的

参考例句：

• It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。
• Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

6 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

7 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

12 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

13 arduous   

adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的

参考例句：

• We must have patience in doing arduous work.我们做艰苦的工作要有耐性。
• The task was more arduous than he had calculated.这项任务比他所估计的要艰巨得多。

14 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

15 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

16 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

17 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

18 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

19 honourable   

adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的

参考例句：

• I don't think I am worthy of such an honourable title.这样的光荣称号，我可担当不起。
• I hope to find an honourable way of settling difficulties.我希望设法找到一个体面的办法以摆脱困境。

20 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。

21 dispensed   

v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药）

参考例句：

• Not a single one of these conditions can be dispensed with. 这些条件缺一不可。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage. 他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

22 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

23 strewed   

v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 )；散落于；点缀；撒满

参考例句：

• Papers strewed the floor. 文件扔了一地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Autumn leaves strewed the lawn. 草地上撒满了秋叶。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

24 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

25 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

26 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

27 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

28 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

29 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。